I was flattered after crossing

After the annual meeting, everyone left happily with their gifts.

"Happy New Year to the Prince and Princess in advance!" Shopkeeper Xu and Uncle Li came over with smiles on their faces and said happily.

"Oh oh oh, it's true. We can have a rest tomorrow! Let's also wish a happy new year to the shopkeeper and Uncle Li!" I smiled and bowed to them.

"By the way, besides Mr. Ye, is there anyone else celebrating the New Year here?" I turned to look at Lei Lei and asked.

"No, those colleagues who live far away will go home tomorrow." Lei Lei replied and glanced at Manager Xu to confirm.

"Yes, yes, I have asked all the shop assistants one by one. Princess, don't worry! They are very touched by your concern." Manager Xu said hurriedly.

"Hey, it's nothing, we are all family. It's getting dark, you and Uncle Li should be careful on your way back~" I looked at the sky outside and warned them.

After they left, I turned to Lei Lei and Ye Lan and said, "Then why don't you come to the palace during the New Year? Otherwise, it will be so boring with only the two of you here."

"Okay, okay, that's exactly what I meant~" Leilei said excitedly.

However, Ye Lan seemed a little hesitant. At this moment, Xiao Zhengchen suddenly stood up and said loudly: "What! Then I want to come too!"

Xiao Zhengxuan turned his head to look at his brother, frowned and asked: "Don't you need to accompany father and mother?"

Xiao Zhengchen quickly shook his head and explained: "Oh, no, no, I can just go and greet you that morning~"

Hearing what Xiao Zhengchen said, I couldn't help but laugh and said to him: "...Okay, then come on~ the more people there are, the more fun~" I

After Xiao Zhengchen got my response, a smug smile immediately appeared on his face, and then he said, "Okay, then my brother, sister-in-law, and Miss Ling'er will also go back to the palace first~"

Finally, he did not forget to glance at Ye Lan, snorted angrily, then turned around and left.

Looking at Xiao Zhengchen's departing back, I whispered, "This kid didn't even eat dinner. Except for being a little happy during the lottery just now, he was listless the whole time."

Then, Xiao Zhengxuan suggested: "Let's go back, it's getting late."

Then, everyone stood up and prepared to leave. Ye Lan also said goodbye to us and said that he would come again on New Year's Eve.

As soon as I went out, I saw the guard standing by the door with a cloak in his hand. After greeting us, he strode to Lei Lei and said, "Miss Ling'er, it's cold at night." He helped Lei Lei tie the cloak.

I looked back at Ye Lan and seemed to have a faint smile on his face, but when I looked closely I couldn't see anything.

I couldn't help but whisper to Xiao Zhengxuan, "Luckily Chen'er isn't here right now...otherwise there would definitely be another commotion."

Xiao Zhengxuan: "..."

【Fengqi Palace】

The Queen was leisurely leaning on the beauty couch, reading a storybook, when she was suddenly stunned and said to Madam Su beside her: "Madam Su, what has Chen'er been busy with these days? Why does it seem that he rarely stays here?"

"Oh, he said he wanted to learn the piano. Didn't they invite all the musicians over today?" Nanny Su answered truthfully.

"Ah? Learning the piano? Xiao Zhengchen? Learning the piano?" The Queen was so surprised that she put down the script in her hand, sat up straight, and asked again in confusion.

Nanny Su nodded and said, "Yes, the Second Prince wants to learn the piano~"

"What has upset him?" the Queen murmured to herself, then slowly lay back down, her heart full of doubts and confusion.

"The Second Prince has finally decided to learn a musical instrument, but why does he seem unhappy according to what the Empress said?" Nanny Su asked with some confusion.

The Queen Mother sighed and said, "Oh, forget it... I know my son... He only gets bored after three minutes of study and will give up after just a few days of study." After saying that, she leisurely picked up the storybook and continued reading.

On the other side, Xiao Zhengchen was anxiously waiting for the musician to arrive.

Finally, the musician came! He happily went to greet him warmly and invited him to sit down.

The musician was somewhat flattered, and he quickly bowed and asked, "Oh, no, no, I don't know what the Second Prince wants to see me about?"

Xiao Zhengchen answered excitedly: "It's like this, I have been studying how to play the Ruan these days, but after teaching for a long time in the book, I can only play a few notes and can't form a whole song. So I want to ask if you can teach me a song directly?" He asked the musician seriously.

After hearing this, the musician secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that it was not a difficult task. He smiled and said, "Oh, no problem, no problem. Of course, that's possible. However, I wonder if the Second Prince has decided which piece of music he wants to learn?"

Xiao Zhengchen scratched his head, thought for a moment and shook his head: "Uh... no, by the way, what kind of music do young ladies generally like to listen to?" Thinking of this, he blinked his big eyes, looked at the musician curiously and asked.

The musician thought for a moment and said: "Camel Bells on the Silk Road is more suitable for Ruan. This piece of music, with its profound artistic conception and unique charm, depicts the spectacular scene of ancient caravans crossing the desert with the sound of camel bells. It not only shows the prosperity and glory of the Silk Road, but also conveys people's yearning for peace, communication and development.

The Spring Festival is coming soon, so if you want to learn a song called “Welcome to the Spring”, it would be great to welcome the new year with this song, which symbolizes the vitality and revival of all things.

Xiao Zhengchen listened and nodded repeatedly, his eyes sparkling as he said: "The Silk Road is good~The Silk Road has silk. Welcoming the Spring is also good, playing during the New Year creates an atmosphere. Can I learn them all?" His voice was full of anticipation and excitement.

"Of course?" At this time, the musician took the piano from the servant behind and was about to start teaching.

"Okay, then there's less than half a month left until New Year's Eve. Can I learn it?" Xiao Zhengchen suddenly said something surprising.

"What?" This sentence scared the musician so much that he immediately stood up again with a look of surprise on his face.

The musician realized that he had lost his composure a little, but he immediately smiled and said seriously, "Your Highness is very smart. If he practices more, he will definitely be able to learn it well."

"Okay! Then listen to the musician. From today on, don't go back. Just live in my palace so that I can ask you for advice at any time." After Xiao Zhengchen finished speaking, he bowed to the musician.

"Ah? I dare not, I dare not. It is probably against the rules for me to stay overnight in the palace!" The musician bowed hurriedly, feeling a little flustered.

"Hey, it's okay. I'll have someone report to father later. You can stay here without worry." Xiao Zhengxuan comforted and waved his hand to signal the servants to report to the emperor.

Xiao Zhengchen also sat down, picked up the piano impatiently, and said excitedly: "Come on, Master, teach me the silk song first!" His eyes were full of anticipation and enthusiasm.

A few days later [Fengqi Palace]

The queen was supported by Nanny Su and slowly walked towards her own palace.

A trace of fatigue appeared on her face, "I am going to have a mental demon..." the queen sighed softly.

"Ah, that's not so exaggerated. I heard that the Second Prince plays the piano very well!" Nanny Su tried to comfort the Queen.

"Ah? Are you really old? Your ears don't work well anymore. His playing is not even as good as the cotton-playing master who came to the mansion when I was a child!" The Queen teased Nanny Su.

After hearing this, Nanny Su couldn't help but laugh. She retorted, "Hey~ Didn't you hear that the musician praised our prince for being diligent in study and practice?" There was a hint of pride in her tone.

The Queen Mother sighed and said helplessly: "Ah, that musician is also miserable... He is so old, but still has to suffer like this. You keep an eye on him, and when you see that the musician is taken away, give him more silver." There was a trace of sympathy in her eyes, as if she felt sorry for the musician's experience.

"Oh oh oh, okay, okay." Nanny Su nodded quickly in response.

The Queen shook her head and said, "I was already disturbed after eavesdropping on the music for less than a minute. I guess the old musician has begun to doubt his skills after being tortured by Chen'er these past few days..." Then she sat down on the beauty couch and began to let her mind wander...

At this moment, Xiao Zhengxuan stepped into the hall, looked at the person leaning on the beauty couch and asked in confusion: "Mother, Madam Su? Where have you been? Why are you so exhausted?"

"Xuan'er is here! Just in time~ Quick, Madam Su, take out the zither and let Xuan'er play a song for me to get rid of my inner demons!" The Queen immediately sat up and stared at Xiao Zhengxuan with shining eyes.

"What's wrong with you, mother?" Xiao Zhengxuan looked at her and reached out to touch the queen's forehead.

The queen quickly slapped Xiao Zhengxuan's hand away and said with a smile: "Hey, kid, your mother is not sick. It's just that after listening to your brother playing the piano, I actually heard the demon in your heart!"

"What? Chen'er plays the piano? Hasn't he always disliked the piano? I still remember that when he was a child, he refused to learn the piano from you, and you chased him around the yard with a bamboo stick." Xiao Zhengxuan said as he recalled his childhood.

"That's right? I don't know why this time, but they locked up a musician in the palace with him and have been learning from him for several days!" The Queen said truthfully.

Xiao Zhengxuan: "..."

Xiao Zhengxuan saw that the seven-stringed harp had been set up, so he walked over and sat down. "What does mother want to hear?"

"Anything is fine, as long as it's soothing." The Queen said and lay back on the beauty couch.

Seeing the Queen closing her eyes and her brows becoming more relaxed, Xiao Zhengxuan smiled, shook his head and continued to play the piano.

After the song ended, the Queen slowly opened her eyes, smiled and looked at Xiao Zhengxuan and said, "Well, Xuan'er is still the one who has inherited my true teachings. Eh? I have never heard this song before..."

"Yes, I learned it from the princess." Xiao Zhengchen said in a gentle voice.

"Ah, I didn't expect the princess is so proficient in playing the piano! Next time we meet, I'll have to ask her to show it to mother. Oh, by the way, I got a few pieces of brocade a few days ago, you can take them away for the princess later~" After saying that, the queen sent someone to the storehouse to get the cloth.

"Okay, then I'll thank the Queen Mother on behalf of the princess. I didn't expect that just playing a song could exchange for so much cloth. If the princess knew about this, she would definitely send me to the silk shop to play the piano..." Xiao Zhengxuan imagined this scene and couldn't help laughing out loud.

Haha, if that were really possible, I’m sure his princess would let him do so.

"By the way, I heard that your silk shop has a zither player who is not only a great musician but also good-looking. He has attracted quite a few customers to the shop?" the Queen asked curiously.

"Yes... that pianist really plays the piano well..." Xiao Zhengxuan recalled the scene of Ye Lan playing the piano and exclaimed in admiration.

Then, as if he had thought of something, he suddenly looked at the Queen, his eyes full of doubts, and asked cautiously: "Mother, is Chen'er learning Ruan?"

"How do you know?" The queen widened her eyes and looked at Xiao Zhengxuan in surprise.

"I guess my son knows the reason." Xiao Zhengxuan suddenly realized.

Hearing this, the Queen could no longer suppress her curiosity. She sat up from the couch and asked anxiously, "What's the reason? Tell me quickly~"

"Maybe Chen'er saw the musician from the silk shop playing the piano last time, so he wanted to learn it..." Xiao Zhengxuan said half-truthfully.

He secretly groaned in his heart. He couldn't tell the Queen that her second son was defeated by the talent and skills of his rival.

"Oh? Oh~ So the musician in your silk shop can also play the Ruanqin? That's not right... Can a musician stimulate him like this?"

After the Queen talked to herself, she suddenly turned around and asked Xiao Zhengxuan: "You studied the piano so hard when you were a child, and you played the music so well in the end. I praised you so much in front of him, but it didn't inspire him to learn the piano.

On the contrary, it is just a little musician who can make him so concerned. There must be some reason for this. "After saying this, she stared at Xiao Zhengxuan with a look that saw through everything.

Xiao Zhengxuan smiled helplessly, then bowed to the Queen and said, "My Queen Mother is truly a master of predictions. Nothing can be hidden from you."

The Queen smiled smugly, then blinked her eyes and asked, "Hehe! I said there must be something going on here! Did that musician make Chen'er lose face in front of some girl, so he is so eager to learn the piano?"

"Since my mother can guess it, Xuan'er has nothing to say..." Xiao Zhengxuan smiled, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

The queen scolded with a smile: "You little brat. However, I am curious about which girl could make this unruly guy want to learn a musical instrument~" She looked at Xiao Zhengxuan with anticipation, and couldn't wait to know the answer.

Xiao Zhengxuan raised his eyebrows and deliberately kept the secret, "Oh? You don't want to guess anymore?"

The queen curled her lips and said disdainfully: "Just guess...but that's too easy to guess...they, father and son, really have the same vision~" A trace of helplessness emerged on her face.

As soon as the Queen finished speaking, she lay back in her chair in boredom and sighed softly. She looked out the window, as if her thoughts had drifted far away.

Xiao Zhengxuan asked curiously: "Mother, why are you sighing?"

The queen frowned, her eyes revealing a trace of worry, and said, "What if Chen'er wants to be like you and insists on marrying Miss Ling'er?"

The Queen was obviously quite troubled by this matter.