Helan Hao closed his eyes and did not speak, but his handso face showed a hint of anger from being interrupted in listening to the zither.
The steward eunuch dared not say more and hurried off to make inquiries.
Though he had accepted Miss Hanna’s generous bribe and promised to speak favorably of her before His Majesty, upon seeing His Majesty’s displeasure, he wisely kept his mouth shut. Silver was good, but he would never risk incurring His Majesty’s wrath for a re hundred taels of silver. If he lost his life, of what use would silver be?
Hanna waited all day in her palace, her eyes longing, but the news she finally received was that His Majesty had gone to the Queen Consort’s palace.
According to the scouts’ reports, His Majesty had already boarded the litter heading towards her palace, but upon passing by the Queen Consort’s sleeping chamber, he suddenly heard the sound of her playing the zither and was moved, thus changing direction and going to the Queen Consort’s palace.
Upon hearing this news, Hanna erupted in a fit of hysteria, smashing many exquisite porcelains, and even those serving nearby suffered her wrath, being found faulty and beaten half to death...
Helan Hao arrived at Zhao Gui’s palace. The palace maidens, upon seeing him, were about to bow, but he stopped them with a gesture of silence, unwilling to spoil such beautiful music. Therefore, he himself stepped lightly, quietly entering.
In the inner room, Zhao Gui sat by the window playing the zither, wearing a moon-white wide-sleeve robe, unadorned with accessories, and without makeup. Her shiny black hair was loose, not tied up, falling casually down her back like smooth satin, gleaming with dark luster, complenting her fair, jade-like little face, as beautiful as a dream.
At that mont, she was plucking the zither strings, softly humming an exquisitely beautiful tune. Her voice was ethereal and lodious, with an unbelievable penetrating power, as if it were the sound of nature from the heavens, reaching deep into his heart. Hearing just one line captivated him.
"Red lotus fragrance remains, jade mat turns to autumn. Lightly discard the robe, alone ascend the orchid boat. Who in the cloud sends the brocade books? When the characters of the geese return, the moon fills the western chamber. Flowers drift and water flows. A kind of yearning, two places of idle sorrow. This feeling cannot be dispelled, just lowering the brow, it rises to the heart..."
The last of the song, winding and long, drew him irresistibly into another realm until the sound of the zither stopped and the song ended, awakening him from the enchantnt.
"Clap clap clap—"
He lightly clapped his hands, looking at Zhao Gui with admiration, and said, "I never thought the Queen Consort would have such a beautiful voice, such superb zither skills, and the lyrics are also extrely beautiful. Truly impressive!"
Zhao Gui, upon seeing him, showed a look of shock on her little face, even forgetting to bow: "Your Majesty, it’s so late, why are you here?"
Helan Hao coughed, with a slightly unnatural expression, said, "Why? You are my wife, can’t I co here?"
Zhao Gui bitterly smiled and said, "Your Majesty, if you truly regard as your wife, you shouldn’t co here so late. You will take my life!"
Helan Hao sat down, looking at Zhao Gui’s troubled little face, laughed and said, "What do you an by this?"
Zhao Gui said, "We only t unintentionally yesterday, and I nearly lost half my life. Today, you co here purposely so late, isn’t that bringing a deadly disaster upon ? Zhao Gui possesses no talent or virtue, doesn’t dare to hope to be your equal, only wishes to live peacefully. Therefore, I ask Your Majesty to leave."
Helan Hao did not move, rely said lightly, "I said, I already reprimanded her, she will trouble you no more!"
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