The Virtuous Concubine

Although Kangxi wanted to stop and enjoy the music, he thought to himself that he had just taught Wei Zhu a lesson. If he suddenly changed his mind, it would seem that he had made a rash decision, which would be a slap in his face. As the ruler of a country, his words and deeds must be consistent, and he must not lose his dignity because of a momentary pleasure.

Therefore, Kangxi chose to remain silent, but his eyes could not help but search for the vague graceful figure in the imperial garden, and secretly remembered the piano music that moved his heart. After all, Wei Zhu was the second most important person in front of the emperor after Consultant Xing and Liang Jiugong, so how could he not understand this? He directly sent the eunuch to check.

After a while, seeing that Kangxi was still silent, he reminded him softly, "Your Majesty, this piano music seems to be played by Concubine Jing. It is said that Concubine Jing is playing the piano in the Imperial Garden today to make friends. If you like this piano music, why not find a free time and let Concubine Jing play a piece for you."

Kangxi's desire to see Depin had been completely disrupted by the twists and turns. He sighed softly, his thoughts about Depin and his curiosity about Jingpin intertwined, making him feel a little conflicted. "Jingpin?" Kangxi pondered. He remembered that Jingpin Zhangjia was not known for her talent, and it was indeed the first time he knew that she had such a good piano skill.

After a while, Kangxi decided: "Okay, let's go see what Jingpin is doing."

Wei Zhu received the order and did not dare to be negligent. She immediately sent someone to convey the emperor's will to Concubine Jing. A moment later, Kangxi got off the sedan chair and walked calmly to the pavilion. Concubine Jing had been waiting for a long time. She was wearing a fresh and refined lake green palace dress, and her sleeves fluttered in the wind. She stood outside the pavilion with a gentle smile on her face and bowed respectfully: "Your Highness, I respectfully welcome you."

Kangxi's gaze lingered on Concubine Jing for a moment, and he could not help but feel an unprecedented admiration in his heart. "I just passed by the Imperial Garden and heard your piano playing, which was very pleasant to the ears." He said gently, "I want to listen to another piece of music. I wonder if my beloved concubine is willing to play the piano for me?"

Hearing this, Concubine Jing smiled even brighter. She nodded slightly and responded, "Your Majesty, thank you for your praise. I was just playing the instrument casually. I am honored to be appreciated by Your Majesty." Her words revealed a hint of humility and joy. Then, she sat down in front of the zither lightly, stroked the strings with both hands, and looked at Emperor Kangxi expectantly, "I am fortunate to have Zhou Lang's care. I wonder what Your Majesty wants to hear?"

Kangxi closed his eyes and said, "Let's play the song 'Wild Geese Flying Over the Plain Sands'. It's just right for the situation right now."

Jingpin nodded in agreement, and her fingers gently fell on the strings of the zither. As her fingertips danced, a piece of music "Pingsha Luoyan" slowly flowed out. The sound of the zither was sometimes high-pitched and passionate, like a flock of geese flapping their wings and flying high on the sandbank; sometimes it was low and melodious, like the breeze blowing gently on the sandbank.

When Wei Zhu saw this, he knew that he probably couldn't go to Yonghe Palace today. But should he inform Liang Jiugong and Concubine De? In the palace, the transmission of information is often related to many complex interests. If you are not careful, it may cause unnecessary trouble. Wei Zhu weighed the pros and cons in his mind and decided to observe the situation first before making a decision.

The sound of the zither gradually faded, and the last lingering sound gently echoed in the air, as if it was the faint trace left by a flock of geese flying across the sky. Jingpin's slender fingers gently plucked the strings, ending the song "Pingsha Luoyan".

Kangxi slowly opened his eyes after a while, still seeming to be immersed in the performance. He exclaimed: "My beloved concubine's piano skills are indeed extraordinary, and this piece of music "Pingsha Luoyan" makes people feel as if they are in the scene. Today I have finally heard such a good piece of music. You really kept it to yourself in the past. You should be punished, you should be punished!"

Concubine Jing bowed slightly and responded shyly: "Your Majesty, you are too kind. How dare I show off my skills in front of your Majesty? It's just that I was caught today, so I can only do it reluctantly to make you laugh."

Kangxi smiled slightly when he heard this. He stood up, gently held her hand, and said tenderly: "My beloved concubine, don't be too modest. I am very lucky to hear such a beautiful piano music today. In the future, I hope to hear your piano music often."

Jingpin felt the warmth of Emperor Kangxi's palm, and her face was full of sweetness and expectation: "Your Majesty's kindness, I am deeply grateful."

Seeing that Kangxi was in a good mood, Wei Zhu felt that the time had come, so he stepped forward and respectfully reported, "Your Majesty, it is getting late. Do you need dinner prepared or do you have any other instructions?"

Kangxi nodded slightly, quite satisfied with Wei Zhu's wit: "I am in a very good mood today, so let's have dinner here, Jingpin will accompany you. Does my beloved concubine have any dietary restrictions?"

Concubine Jing shook her head and said, "I've been in the palace for a long time, and I'm used to eating the same dishes. There's nothing I need to avoid." Her words revealed a slight boredom with the same taste of palace dishes day after day.

Kangxi could actually empathize with what Jingpin said - he had been in the palace since he was a child, and no matter how many delicacies he had, he would get tired of them. But he suddenly remembered the novel dishes that Depin had made for him, and he said to Wei Zhu, "I remember that Depin had made some novel dishes, which were quite delicious and very different from the dishes in the palace. Go and convey my order, and ask Depin to prepare a few of her specialties and send them here."

After hearing this, Wei Zhu really wanted to bite off her tongue and pretend to be dumb. She was asked to tell Depin to cook two dishes for the emperor and Jingpin to eat together? Why didn't the emperor let her tell the eldest prince to dance for the prince? Depin was still pregnant, how could she cook...

But he was just a servant, and had no choice but to go ahead. Wei Zhu could only respond cautiously: "I obey your order."

In Yonghe Palace, Malu was preparing to order food. She heard Liang Jiugong coming over and saying that the emperor had picked her name today and would come to Yonghe Palace to visit her and the Fourth Prince, and asked her to prepare well. Liang Jiugong emphasized that the emperor needed to see Concubine De's feelings today, which made her nervous.

She was used to receiving the emperor, but after Liang Jiugong said that today, she vaguely guessed that Kangxi was dissatisfied with her recent indifference. She felt that this man was really hard to please. He felt that you were disturbing him and annoying you when he was too enthusiastic. If you ignored him, he would think that you didn't love him enough and get angry with you.

System: "It seems that you don't care about him much recently. Is it because Kangxi ran into Concubine Wei after the last walk? Are you sad?"

Malu felt that she was blamed for everything. "What? Isn't he the one who goes to see Concubine Wei every day? He has been very enthusiastic about Concubine Wei recently. Why should I go and ask for trouble? Being a man is like flying a kite. The key is to pull it."

While chatting with the system, I thought, okay, I will dress up today and show my best side. Men are almost all visual animals. As long as they look good, they are almost halfway to victory. I chose a lavender gauze palace dress. The material of this dress is extremely light and elegant. The hem and the lapels are painted with exquisite ink orchids, which makes it look noble and soft. Malu rarely wears ink clothes. Because the craftsmanship was not developed in the Qing Dynasty, this pattern was painted on, so it can only be worn once.

Malu was a clean and thrifty person, so she rarely asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to send her clothes that could only be worn once. This was the first time the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent her a dress when they were not aware of her habits. After choosing the dress, she sat in front of the bronze mirror and dressed carefully, paying attention to every detail, from her eyebrows to her lips.