On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

The trip to Guangling was nearing its end. Although the inspections, ceremonies, and disturbances of the past few days had not hurt Murong Yan in the slightest, they had left her mentally exhausted.

The day before I set off for Beijing, a drizzle fell from the sky in the afternoon, washing away the hustle and bustle of the city and bringing a rare sense of tranquility.

Murong Yan dismissed her attendants, leaving only Lin Zhen and Sheyue by her side. She looked out the window at the rain hitting the banana leaves, and suddenly a sense of leisure arose.

"My dear, I heard that there is a 'Listening to the Rain Pavilion' in the south of Guangling City, built by the water, which houses the only copy of the previous dynasty's zither score 'Xiaoxiang Water Clouds'. Is it true?" She turned her head, with a rare, girlish curiosity and yearning in her eyes.

Lin Zhen smiled and nodded, "It is true. Tingyu Pavilion is the second home of the great Jiangnan scholar, Mr. Su Moran. Mr. Su's guqin skills are unrivaled in Jiangnan. He is a man of noble character and does not seek power or wealth, but he loves collecting ancient music scores. If Yan'er is interested, perhaps you can give it a try."

Murong Yan pondered for a moment. She had loved music since childhood, having studied zither with great masters. Playing the zither was a rare way for her to relax after official duties. Hearing that there was a rare copy of the zither score was incredibly exciting.

"It's just..." Lin Zhen hesitated slightly, "Mr. Su has set a rule that Tingyu Pavilion does not welcome officials, only soulmates. Even prefects and governors are often turned away. If we go there in our true identities, I'm afraid..."

Upon hearing this, Murong Yan's lips curled up slightly. "Not welcoming officials, but only looking for a soulmate? Very good. Then I will not bother you in the name of my status, but only as a friend of yours. Musk Moon, go get my 'Scorched Tail'."

She paused, looked at her usual palace dress, then at the drizzling rain outside the window, and suddenly said, "Change clothes. Wear the 'Blue Luan Holding Rain' dress."

Lin Zhen was slightly surprised. The "Blue Luan Holding Rain" dress wasn't a court dress, but it was still a very formal and solemn palace attire. It had a dark blue brocade base, embroidered with silver, light blue, and pale green silk threads, depicting a blue luan spreading its wings through a rainy cloud pattern. It was an extremely elegant and luxurious outfit.

The most special thing is that it also comes with a train about two meters long, on which are embroidered the misty Jiangnan landscape, which is seamlessly integrated with the main body of the dress. When walking, it is as if you are carrying a piece of Jiangnan mist, which is a transcendent artistic conception.

She rarely wore this dress because it was also heavy and complicated.

"Yan'er, since you are visiting incognito, why..." Lin Zhen was puzzled.

Murong Yan said, "Mr. Su is a refined scholar. He is used to seeing dignitaries and nobles, as well as common people in plain clothes. If he goes there in ordinary clothes, it will seem deliberate and disrespectful. This set of 'Blue Luan Holding Rain' is not the bright yellow of the emperor, so it will not overwhelm others. Its elegant charm is also in line with the rainy scene in the south of the Yangtze River, and it can better reflect the respect for the master and the art of zither. Moreover,"

She smiled slightly, "Since we are meeting friends through the zither, we should show our best appearance to live up to the title of soulmate."

Soon, Murong Yan changed into the "Blue Luan Holding Rain" dress.

The dark blue dress made her skin look whiter than snow, and the blue phoenix and cloud and rain patterns embroidered with silver thread glowed with subtle brilliance in the slightly dim light.

On the two-meter-long train, the picture of the misty Jiangnan region slowly unfolded, with hazy mountains and shimmering water, as if the rain outside the window was woven into the hem of the skirt.

She did not wear a heavy phoenix crown, but tied her black hair into a stunning bun, and pinned it with a green jade hairpin and a few small pearl hairpins. She was extremely beautiful and dignified.

She held the guqin "Jiaowei" wrapped in a brocade bag in her arms and said to Lin Zhen, "My dear husband, I will inconvenience you and let you be my umbrella-bearing attendant for a while."

Lin Zhen looked at her dressed like this, his eyes full of surprise and tenderness. He took the oil-paper umbrella handed to him by Musk Moon and said with a smile: "It is my honor to hold an umbrella for you, Madam."

The three of them rode in an inconspicuous green-covered carriage and quietly came to Tingyu Pavilion in the south of the city.

It was a two-story building built by the water, with white walls and black tiles, hidden among green bamboos, extremely quiet and peaceful.

I knocked on the door and a little boy came out to answer it.

Lin Zhen stepped forward and said gently, "Excuse me, young man. My wife is a zither friend of mine from the capital. She came here while traveling and heard that Mr. Su had a collection of the only score of 'Xiaoxiang Water and Clouds'. She was very interested in it and came here with great haste, hoping to ask for your advice. I wonder if you could spare the time to meet with me?" His words were sincere and without any airs.

The boy saw that although Murong Yan's face was covered with a veil (to avoid startling others), her posture and demeanor, as well as her clothing, were all of an extraordinary kind. Especially the long train behind her, embroidered with misty mountains and rivers, was the most elegant and luxurious he had ever seen. He knew that this person must be extraordinary, so he said, "Please wait a moment, I will inform you, sir."

After a while, the boy came back, his tone much more respectful: "Sir, please invite Madam in for a chat."

As you step into Tingyu Pavilion, you will see winding paths leading to a secluded place in the courtyard, and the sound of rain hitting the banana leaves is pleasing to the ears.

In the main hall, a thin and vigorous old man with white hair and beard was sitting in front of a guqin. He must be Mr. Su Moran.

When he saw Murong Yan come in, his gaze lingered for a moment on her gown, embroidered with a blue phoenix and misty rain, and trailing a two-meter-long scroll depicting the landscapes of the south of the Yangtze River. A flicker of surprise and admiration flashed in his eyes, but he didn't feel servile because of the gorgeous dress. He simply nodded slightly, "Madam, please take a seat. I heard you're here for 'Xiaoxiang Water and Clouds'?"

Murong Yan bowed gracefully, "Excuse me for disturbing your peace, sir. I have come here in search of this heavenly music. If I could hear your elegant performance, or borrow your score, I would be truly honored."

Her voice was clear and her words were well-spoken, without any condescending attitude.

Mr. Su stroked his beard and said, "'Xiaoxiang Water and Clouds' is my favorite piece, and I never show it to others. Madam, since you are well versed in the art of zither, why not play a piece for me first? If you are indeed a kindred spirit, I will certainly offer it to you."

This is the test.

Murong Yan smiled slightly: "How dare I disobey your command."

She gestured to Lin Zhen to put the zither case in place, and she personally opened the brocade bag and took out the Jiaowei zither with a simple shape and warm paulownia wood.

She sat at the zither, the long trail of mist and rain spreading naturally on the ground behind her, blending strangely with the elegant environment. She concentrated her mind and calmed her breath, lightly plucking the strings with her fingertips.

"Ding Dong..." The sound of the piano suddenly rose, like a clear spring falling into a stream, ethereal and clear.

She played the piece "High Mountains and Flowing Water". The sound of the piano was sometimes majestic and ancient, sometimes gurgling and flowing. The artistic conception was lofty and her skills were superb. She expressed the true meaning of finding a soulmate in the song vividly.

At first, Mr. Su just listened quietly, but gradually his expression became solemn and the admiration in his eyes became stronger.

When the song ended, the lingering sound lingered in his ears, and he clapped his hands in praise: "Excellent! Excellent fingering! Excellent artistic conception! Madam, your qin playing has reached the highest level. Hearing this piece, I feel a sudden enlightenment! This 'Xiaoxiang Water Clouds' should be played for you, Madam!"

The old man stood up without hesitation and personally took out a piano score with yellowed paper and ancient handwriting from the inner room and placed it carefully in front of Murong Yan.

Murong Yan flipped through the book carefully, her eyes sparkling, clearly captivated by the exquisiteness of this single score. The two of them discussed the fingering and artistic conception of the music, their conversation growing increasingly captivated, completely losing track of time.

Lin Zhen stood quietly by the side, holding an umbrella for Murong Yan to block the raindrops that occasionally drifted in through the window lattice. He watched her in high spirits in the world of Qin Dao, with a gentle smile always on the corner of his lips.

Musk Moon stood carefully at the door, watching the long train behind the lady gently brush across the smooth floor as they talked, like a flowing ink painting.

Finally, Mr. Su sighed: "Today, I have met you, Madam, and I know that there is always something better than what you can do. I would like to play the song 'Xiaoxiang Water Clouds' for you. Please give me your feedback."

The old man cleansed his hands, lit incense, held his breath, and concentrated, his fingertips dancing on the strings. The sound of the qin was initially hazy like clouds and water, but gradually expanded, as if hearing the boundless worry and emotion contained in the vast clouds and water. It is a representative work of Guo Chuwang in the Southern Song Dynasty, expressing his feelings about mountains and rivers and reflecting on current affairs.

Murong Yan was mesmerized by the music and completely immersed in the vast and profound music.

After the song ended, the room was silent, with only the sound of rain outside the window as the companion.

Murong Yan took a long time to come back to her senses, and praised sincerely: "Sir, your hand is amazing, you have captured the essence of the music, it is vast and profound, it is so melancholic, it makes me cry when I hear it."

Mr. Su shook his head and smiled, "Madam, you are too kind. After meeting you today, I feel that this piece of music has found a true soulmate. If you don't mind, I will give you this music sheet."

Murong Yan was shocked: "This is the master's treasure, how dare I..."

"A sword is given to a hero, and rouge is given to a beauty. This music score can only live up to its value in the hands of a master like you, Madam. If it stays with me, it will just gather dust." Mr. Su was firm in his attitude.

Murong Yan couldn't refuse, so she had to accept it solemnly. Touched, she said, "Sir, I have no way to repay your generous gift. How about I use this zither to play 'Three Variations on Plum Blossoms' for you again to express my gratitude and respect?"

"I can't ask for it!"

Then, the clear sound of the piano rang out again, lingering in the Tingyu Pavilion on this rainy day in the south of the Yangtze River.

It wasn't until dusk fell that Murong Yan and the other two said goodbye and left. Mr. Su personally saw her off to the door and watched Murong Yan board the carriage. The two-meter-long train embroidered with the misty rain of Jiangnan was carefully folded up, his eyes filled with the joy of meeting a soulmate.

The carriage moved slowly on the wet bluestone road.

Murong Yan held the music sheet in her arms, a rare, relaxed and contented smile on her face: "Today I know that the greatest joy in the world is nothing more than this."

Lin Zhen held her hand and smiled, "It seems that you are wearing the right clothes."

"Yes," Murong Yan looked down at the pattern of the blue phoenix and misty rain, "treat others with sincerity, make friends with art, and fine clothing is not a barrier, but a bridge of respect."

After returning to the palace, Murong Yan was still immersed in the joy of meeting a soulmate and receiving the gift of a unique music score.

She even forgot to take off her heavy dress, and sat under the lamp, impatiently flipping through the score of "Xiaoxiang Water Clouds". The long train of her dress meandered on the ground, and the Jiangnan mountains and rivers on it looked even more tranquil and distant under the lamp.

Lin Zhen did not disturb her, but silently poured her a cup of hot tea, then sat beside her and accompanied her quietly.

Outside the window, the sound of rain gradually subsided, and a bright moon broke through the clouds, its light filling the courtyard and shining through the window lattice, gently enveloping the empress who was studying the piano score under the lamp, and the picturesque "river and mountain" behind her.

That night, there was no conspiracy, no assassination, only the sound of piano, the fragrance of books, soulmates and moonlight, as well as the two-meter train embroidered with the misty Jiangnan scenery, which carried the weight of culture and human warmth.