Saving the foolish general, she accidentally becomes his favorite.

Upon hearing that the Emperor Emeritus had bestowed a seat upon them, and amidst a chorus of exclamations of surprise, the group of unmarried young women were filled with indignation.

Ye Li calmly sat down in the seat bestowed upon her by the Emperor Emeritus, ignoring the envy of the crowd and the whispers of the noblewomen.

She knew she couldn't speak, so she accepted every reward without hesitation. But her inner turmoil was far from calm; her palms were damp with sweat. After all, according to the plan, the role she was to play today was far from simple!

Mo Chen remained standing there. He stopped the rotating fan on the screen, then had it moved aside, and slowly said:

"To express the respect and congratulations of the retired emperor, I, on behalf of the entire army, would like to present another gift to the retired emperor."

The retired emperor knew he was receiving more than one gift today, and now that he heard it was a congratulatory gift from the army, he was filled with anticipation, squinting his eyes and happily agreeing: "Granted!"

"Please grant permission, Your Majesty, to allow our soldiers to enter the palace and perform a musical piece, wishing Your Majesty a long and healthy life!"

Soon, Siyi and Zimo were summoned into the hall. Palace servants carried various drums and musical instruments slowly into the hall. The people in the hall could only see the eunuchs behind the two soldiers carrying war drums, large drums, musical drums, row drums, and small drums. This scene was much more imposing than ordinary song and dance performances.

Mo Chen took a musical instrument covered with a red cloth from a servant and personally handed it to Ye Li. Ye Li suppressed her nervousness and unfolded the red cloth. Everyone was already in awe, and the highlight covered by the red cloth was a pipa!

Immediately, many people in the hall showed disdainful expressions, especially the noble ladies and young women of this dynasty. They were skilled in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but who in the entire Tian Shu Kingdom did not know that this pipa was a decadent tune played by courtesans in brothels and theaters, and was not fit for formal occasions?

They thought it was good luck that this mute woman was appreciated by the Emperor, but they didn't expect her to be unable to accept this blessing and slap herself in the face by daring to play such a lowly instrument in the hall. Many people went from being envious to gloating, with expressions of waiting to see a good show.

Envoys from other countries were filled with curiosity, because among musical instruments, Tian Shu was the most skilled. Not only did it have a wide variety of exquisitely crafted instruments, but its music and scores were also renowned. Many pieces that were popular in Tian Shu were lost elsewhere, either because the musicians were not skilled enough or because the wood used to make the instruments was of poor quality.

Therefore, only the simplest musical instruments spread to other countries, and the pipa is one that many people have heard of but never seen. As a result, they do not know the sound of the pipa or the romantic stories of the places where it spread.

Ye Li was focused on helping Mo Chen deceive everyone today. After adjusting her posture, she looked at Si Yi and Zi Mo. The group exchanged glances and then began their music performance.

The moment the drums sounded, the souls of the Chinese people resonated!

Everyone unconsciously held their breath and listened intently to the magnificent music.

The drum is a symbol of the Chinese nation's bloodline and spirit.

Since ancient times, drumming has been a tradition to boost morale. It is the soul of warriors in battle and a manifestation of strength. Mo Chen's drumbeats, from light and slow to dense and from gentle to passionate, unconsciously evoke images of the harsh and cold frontier and witness the heroic spirit of iron horses and long spears.

Having slain a million enemy soldiers, his sword still stained with blood, Mo Chen, exuding a chilling aura and commanding presence, possessed both masculine strength and elegant beauty, accentuated by his moon-white robes, captivating the hearts of the noble ladies...

"I wield my spear to break through the battlefield, and lava forms my armor. I enter the fray without regret, unaware of life or death."

Even as blades clashed and precious swords broke, the spirit of China lay in its unwavering loyalty to expel the barbarians and uphold the might of Heaven.

History records a thousand years of history, and the success of a single general is due to the convergence of heaven and earth.

A clear voice chanted, amidst the sounds of a silver bottle shattering and water gushing forth, and iron cavalry charging with the clang of swords and spears, recounting the past of life and death on the battlefield, shaking the soul.

Accompanying the drumbeats was the powerful sound of the pipa, which complemented and enhanced each other. The drumbeats were majestic and magnificent, while the pipa's strings, plucked from its pegs, sounded like pearls falling onto a jade plate, in no way inferior to the grandeur of the drumbeats, and even hinted at the might of war!

As Ye Li increased her hand speed, the pipa music suddenly became more intense, and the indomitable spirit vibrated with the strings, shaking the hearts of everyone present!

The sounds of drums and pipa blended together, radiating high morale and captivating the audience! The performance was so enchanting that the audience was unconsciously immersed in it, as if they had entered a military camp, where they could "read the sword by lamplight" in their drunken stupor, dream of bugles echoing through the camps, the troops being deployed across eight hundred miles, the sound of fifty strings resounding beyond the Great Wall, and the autumn review of troops on the battlefield.

Mo Chen's drumbeats were valiant, like "Entering the battle to kill the enemy, who else but me!" Ye Li's pipa played melodious tunes like "Golden spears and iron horses enter my dreams." Combined with the drumbeats of Si Yi and Zi Mo, the thunderous music resounded through the sky, completely shocking everyone in the hall. It was as if they had arrived on the battlefield and experienced the fighting spirit of "smashing cups as a signal" and "fighting to the death in an ambush from all sides!"

The stirring drumbeats, the continuous ensemble, and the deafening group music were like a call from the blood, awakening the fighting spirit in every man. Everyone trembled with fear, and the solemn and domineering music gave many people goosebumps.

Do not laugh at me, drunk and lying on the battlefield; how many have returned from ancient battles?

The sound of drums conveyed the sorrow of the battlefield.

Report your favor on the golden platform, and bring Yulong to die for the king.

The pipa tells the story of the general's loyalty and bravery.

Listening to the resounding drums and watching the clash of swords and the thunder of horses, no one had ever dared to play drums like this in the main hall, and no noble family had ever truly felt the cruelty of the battlefield.

But today, they did it!

The sounds of drums and pipa made everyone realize that the prosperity they enjoyed was won by brave men who fought and bled for it...

After the stunningly beautiful music ended, everyone was stunned for a long time.

"Hearing your pipa music today is like listening to celestial music, my ears are instantly enlightened." This comment perfectly captures the essence of today's performance. Such a massive instrumental performance, with drums and pipa seemingly unrelated instruments working together seamlessly, is so awe-inspiring and exhilarating!

Who says the pipa can't play magnificent music? Today, it will open everyone's eyes!

The retired emperor, seated at the head of the table, was so moved by the deafening music that tears welled in his eyes.

The sounds of drums and pipa, the clash of swords, the image of iron horses and icy rivers—all these evoke dreams of heroism. Which passionate young man hasn't yearned for a life of adventure? Which man hasn't dreamt of riding across the land, roaming freely and unrestrained? Memories flood back, and he suddenly remembers his own youthful exuberance, his galloping across the plains, and his passionate love...

All these memories, accompanied by drums and music, awakened the retired emperor's glorious years in the army. These old stories were like fine wine that had been sealed away, which he thought would be buried deep underground, but one day, they would gush out from the depths of his silent heart.

He lamented that heroes grow old and beauties fade, but the majestic drumbeats brought back a faint memory of the past, and his eyes welled with tears...

After a long silence, the Emperor Emeritus exclaimed in great admiration, "This music should only exist in heaven; it is rarely heard on earth..."

As everyone came to their senses, a thunderous applause erupted, all applauding the unparalleled music...

Upon hearing this, Ye Li's tense heart finally relaxed...

Her finger was already bleeding, but she couldn't care less at the moment. She quietly hid it and prepared for the next step of her plan.

Playing the pipa was an idea she came up with on the spur of the moment. Because she was afraid that Mo Chen and Si Yi's drumming wouldn't be able to fool everyone, she thought of the most famous battlefield piece from her previous life and decided to join the music ensemble herself.

With a few turns of the pegs and a few plucks of the strings, the emotion was already present before the melody was formed. This was the pipa she admired most. Ye Li recalled when she found a pipa player to learn the pipa from, the courtesan even said that her skills were not up to par.

This time, Ye Li tried her best to prove the grandeur of the pipa. The pipa in her hand was a sharp weapon, determined to turn sound into blade, cut through the wind and block arrows, and protect Mo Chen, who was working hard to beat the drum on the field.

Seeing everyone's reaction, she felt that although her playing was not at a professional level, Ye Li and Mo Chen both knew that her real intention today was not what it seemed.

"Today we offer our congratulations to the Emperor Emeritus, wishing him a long and peaceful life." After the drum and music performance ended, Mo Chen and several other soldiers once again offered their congratulations in unison. The Emperor Emeritus was very pleased and bestowed many treasures upon Ye Li, rewarding her handsomely.

From then on, a saying spread throughout the Tian Shu Kingdom: "The drum shakes the heart, yet the heart remains united; half a pipa is worth more than gold."

Even many years later, the story of this ingenious feast continued to circulate among the aristocratic families, and many people envied General Mo Chen and his perfect couple, living in perfect harmony.

Because of the arrival of envoys from various countries, this grand event soon spread throughout the continent, and the pipa was listed as a new musical instrument for noble ladies to learn. But that's another story.