Seducing the Heart - Chapter 21

Yun Jin keenly sensed that the relationship between the Princess Consort and the Royal Cousin did not seem particularly harmonious. Specifically, whenever they were together, the atmosphere became indescribably and exceptionally subtle. Logically, these two had met only a handful of times, and Yun Jin truly could not fathom why they seemed to take such an instinctive dislike to one another.

Xingnan noticed that the person beside her had drifted off into thought and took the opportunity to observe Yun Jin discreetly. This allowed her to spot a slight difference.

“The jade pendant hanging from Royal Brother’s waist looks as though it has been changed.”

This casual observation brought Yun Jin’s attention back. That such an inconspicuous change was noticed by Xingnan made Yun Jin inwardly remark on her keen powers of observation.

“It was a gift from the Princess Consort.”

After receiving the jade pendant from Qin Zhanluo, Yun Jin had replaced the old one. Wearing this small jade qilin every day served two purposes: a genuine liking for the piece and a gesture of goodwill. Yun Jin remembered Ying Xi’s words, knowing that this was clearly a token of the Princess Consort’s sincere intent.

Xingnan’s eyes darkened. “Royal Brother, your Princess Consort, since she does not know your true identity, how do you usually manage to deal with her?”

She had always wondered how the two spent their wedding night. Since they were married, they inevitably had to face each other day and night; one could hide for a moment, but not for a lifetime.

“The Princess Consort confessed to me shortly after the wedding that she does not like me,” Yun Jin said, casually stroking the white jade pendant at the waist. “It is merely a performance for the public, where each of us takes what we need.”

Upon touching the jade, Yun Jin could feel a hint of warmth from it. Fine jade is warm and nourishing to the person wearing it.

Xingnan turned her gaze away and lapsed back into silence. She thought to herself that the qilin motif on Yun Jin’s jade pendant was exceptionally unique; any discerning eye could see that great care had been put into it. If one claimed the Princess Consort had given such a gift on a mere whim, Xingnan naturally would not believe it. If she had no feelings for Yun Jin, why would she be willing to waste such heart and soul for nothing?

Xingnan remained noncommittal regarding Yun Jin’s answer. Yun Jin had always viewed emotional matters with indifference and thus found it difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Xingnan was different; she possessed an exceptionally sharp intuition for judging whether someone was a rival. Qin Zhanluo triggered a sense of crisis in her, making her subconsciously strike out in confrontation.

The sunlight today was pleasant, making it a perfect day for a spring outing. After walking a few more steps with Xingnan, Yun Jin suddenly thought of a good place to go.

“Would Royal Sister be willing to accompany me for a boat ride on Lake Weijing?” Yun Jin thought for a moment and added, “We can fish there.”

Yun Jin remembered that Xingnan seemed to like fish very much. In the past, the ornamental fish specifically raised in the Prince’s manor were frequently caught by her. However, the manor’s chef was not allowed to cook them, and those fish were not edible anyway. Catching them was simply a source of amusement for Xingnan.

“Alright.” Xingnan also seemed to recall those past events, and a trace of a smile appeared on her face.

Perhaps everyone felt today was a fine day for sightseeing, for as far as the eye could see, there were only a few boats docked at the shore. Several boatmen stood at their respective prows, leisurely waiting for Yun Jin and her companion to choose a boat they liked. They were in no hurry to solicit business.

Yun Jin scanned the area and noticed an inconspicuous painted pleasure boat docked a hundred meters away, immediately making a choice. No boatman was visible on the pleasure boat because he had likely stepped away temporarily. Yun Jin and Xingnan intended to wait on the boat for a moment, but then they heard a question coming from inside the cabin.

“Has the boatman returned? We can set sail now.”

The voice was somewhat familiar and seemed to belong to the Princess Consort. When there was no response for a long time, Qin Zhanluo found it strange and signaled Su Peiwen to lift the cabin curtain to investigate.

“Your Highness?” Su Peiwen instinctively bowed his head and looked back into the cabin.

Yun Jin had not expected to encounter these two unexpected people on the pleasure boat.

“Are the Princess Consort and Scholar Su also here for an excursion?” Xingnan sat on a soft cushion and raised an eyebrow at the two people opposite her, glancing at Yun Jin as well. “I was unaware that there was such a connection between you two.”

It was interesting that the Princess Consort of Prince Jin, who came from Northern Chu, would have a link to Scholar Su of the current court.

“This lowly official once followed my master on an embassy to Northern Chu. That was when I met the Princess,” Su Peiwen said, lifting his teacup. “But it is merely a casual acquaintance.”

“To be able to invite one another for an outing on such a beautiful day, you must surely be very compatible,” Xingnan replied with a smile, her tone neither hot nor cold.

“This official and the Princess Consort actually met by chance and then invited each other to sit for a while.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Su Peiwen realized he was somehow too nervous, causing the sentences he blurted out to be mistakes.

“What a coincidence.” Seeing that Yun Jin still had no particular expression, Xingnan merely curled her lips into a light smile. “I hope we have not disturbed you.”

Qin Zhanluo glanced at Su Peiwen, surprised that the usually learned Scholar Su would act so brashly. His redundant explanation was clearly making matters worse.

“Since we have met, it is a rare occasion. We might as well enjoy the lake together.” A simple sentence from Yun Jin dispelled the previously awkward atmosphere.

Xingnan perceived that Yun Jin truly did not care about the matter and did not continue the attack. It seemed A-Jin was indeed indifferent toward the Princess Consort’s actions, which she felt was for the best.

The four of them sat together and chatted for a while. Su Peiwen looked out through the open window and felt the lake breeze coming in waves, bringing a refreshing and comfortable feeling.

“It truly is a pity. Such a scene lacks the sound of music to heighten the mood.” Su Peiwen shook his head, appearing somewhat regretful.

Xingnan’s gaze shifted, and she discovered a standing zither in the corner of the cabin. She rose of her own accord and brought it back to place it on the table. She tested the sound; although the zither was not particularly precious, the tone was decent.

“Since there is an instrument here, we can certainly perform ourselves.” Xingnan remembered the competition that had failed to take place in the Prince’s manor earlier. “Does the Princess Consort still remember the agreement with Xingnan from before?”

Xingnan had not forgotten the zither string that had suddenly snapped for some reason last time. Today was the perfect time to settle who was superior in the competition that could not happen then.

When Qin Zhanluo saw this person take the zither, she knew she would surely be reminded of the challenge. Sure enough, she began searching for a way to brush it off in her mind.

“So there was an agreement between the County Princess and the Princess Consort?” Su Peiwen looked at Qin Zhanluo’s cold expression and felt a spark of interest. “Does it have to do with this zither?”

“Correct,” Xingnan said, her palm gently brushing the strings. “That day, I made an agreement with the Princess Consort at the manor to exchange skills, but because of an accident, the competition was not successful.”

“A zither competition?” Su Peiwen looked at Qin Zhanluo, feeling greatly confused. “This official once heard that the Princess Consort is not skilled at playing the zither.”

Among the four arts of the scholar, the one Qin Zhanluo was least capable of was the zither.

Yun Jin was intrigued. Su Peiwen could speak with such certainty about something even Yun Jin had not known. It seemed this Scholar Su indeed had more than just a casual acquaintance with the Princess Consort. Could this person be the sweetheart the Princess Consort had spoken of in the past?

Qin Zhanluo gave Su Peiwen a cold look. Su Peiwen immediately realized he had spoken out of turn again and decided to keep his mouth shut from then on, vowing not to take the initiative to speak again. For some reason today, his mouth kept blurting out words without thinking. It was truly unlike his usual style.

“The Princess Consort actually cannot play the zither?” There was a fair amount of astonishment in Xingnan’s voice.

Xingnan had a smile on her face, but Qin Zhanluo could see the mockery hidden in the other’s eyes. Whether she could play the zither did not matter because Xingnan was merely using this to suppress her. Her intuition was correct; this person was indeed targeting her.

Qin Zhanluo glanced at Yun Jin, thinking that Yun Jin was someone who unintentionally attracted trouble.

Yun Jin sensed the gaze from the Princess Consort and, with a smile in the eyes, spoke to resolve the situation. “Playing the zither is merely a way to pass the time. Given the Princess Consort’s temperament, she likely prefers painting to cultivate her interests. Rather than seeking instruction in music, why don’t I play the zither to add to the mood?”

Xingnan knew that Yun Jin was protecting the Princess Consort. She had to give Yun Jin face and could only nod in agreement. She had never heard her Royal Brother play the zither before.

Yun Jin sat before the zither and ran her fingers across the entire surface, carefully identifying the tone of each string. Then, lowering her eyes, she plucked a string. The music was soothing, like flowing water, bringing a refreshing feeling to the heart like the lake breeze brushing against one’s face. The long, pale fingers, partially hidden by the sleeves, moved gracefully across the strings.

After the piece ended, the people in the cabin were silent for a moment before slowly coming back to themselves.

“A fine piece, a fine piece. This official is fortunate to have heard the Prince’s playing today,” Su Peiwen was the first to praise. He had heard many zither performances, but as for that piece just now, it was clearly a common melody, yet the feeling Yun Jin produced was quite special. The tone was ethereal and clean, making one feel as though the soul were being washed. It suited the beautiful scenery perfectly.

“I did not expect Royal Brother’s playing to be so wonderful,” Xingnan said, taking a sip of tea with a smile. “I must certainly seek guidance from Royal Brother in private when there is a chance.”

Qin Zhanluo did not say a word, only nodding slightly to signify her agreement with their evaluation. The music was beautiful, but she preferred watching the focus between the performer’s brows.

“It is only a hobby for idle time.” Yun Jin smiled calmly and suddenly remembered something. “Xingnan, Royal Brother remembers mentioning fishing on the way here. Let us go; perhaps we can even have a contest.”

Qin Zhanluo also shifted her gaze as Yun Jin stood up, looking out the boat window. No one had noticed that from the moment Yun Jin started playing, Qin Zhanluo’s gaze had been fixed on her and had never left. Only now was she willing to look away.

At the boatman’s indication, Yun Jin learned the location of several fishing rods on the boat and found them without much effort.

“Princess Consort, would you like to join us?” Yun Jin gently shook the wooden fishing rod in her hand, looking at Qin Zhanluo with a smile in the eyes.

“No, you two fish,” Qin Zhanluo said, putting down her green teacup, her voice gentle. “I will simply watch.”

Qin Zhanluo had met with Su Peiwen today because she wanted to ask some questions in person. Now it seemed there would be no opportunity.

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