That Imperial Concubine is both wicked and cunning! Your Majesty, wake up!

Chapter 156 Stomach Aches

One afternoon, more than ten days before the Dragon Boat Festival banquet.

Song Shuangning asked Tinglu to fetch the zither from the music storehouse.

The music storehouse was where the palace stored court musical instruments, and concubines would often borrow them there.

Tinglu approached with a smile and said, "Master Musician, my lady has been quite bored lately and thought she would practice the konghou to relieve her boredom. She specifically instructed that there is no need to bring any expensive or fine instruments. Just choose an ordinary old konghou. After all, it is just for practice, and it would be a pity if it were bumped or damaged."

Upon hearing this, the eunuch in charge of music immediately beamed and said, "Oh dear, since Consort Zhaoyi wants to practice the konghou, there's no reason to use ordinary ones. Naturally, we must choose the best to match Consort Zhaoyi's jade hands."

After saying that, he led Tinglu deeper into the warehouse.

Tinglu stopped and pointed to a carved sandalwood zither inlaid with mother-of-pearl. "This is...?"

"You mean this ancient zither from the previous dynasty? Its tone is clear and bright, and it feels warm and comfortable to play. Many concubines in the palace have asked to borrow it, but I have never agreed. If Your Majesty wants to play the zither, this one is sure to be a good choice."

"May I take a look?"

"Of course."

Tinglu blocked the eunuch in charge of music's view and gently plucked the strings of the zither.

After a moment, Tinglu lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, saying, "Your Majesty once taught me to distinguish the timbre of a zither, and the timbre of this zither is excellent. However, I forgot that His Majesty once told Your Majesty that if you want to play the zither, you should go to the Hall of Diligent Governance to fetch the 'Qingxian' zither. Your Majesty can simply use His Majesty's zither then."

This zither is worlds apart from the "Qingxian" zither used by the emperor.

Consort Zhaoyi truly enjoys the Emperor's favor, as she was even granted permission to play the zither with the "Qingxian" instrument.

The eunuch in charge of music bowed, grinning broadly as he chuckled twice.

Then, after listening to Lu test the sound of the konghou a few times, she finally pointed to an old paulownia wood vertical konghou in the corner and said, "Father-in-law, let's use this vertical konghou."

The eunuch in charge of music was taken aback and quickly advised, "Oh, young lady, this one won't do. This one is far from good enough. You should choose another one; Her Majesty finds it more comfortable to use."

Tinglu shook her head with a smile, "Her Majesty said that a fine zither is meant to be appreciated, not practiced."

"I never imagined that Consort Zhaoyi was a lover and connoisseur of the zither."

This is a rare sight in the palace.

Although he was just a music eunuch, he had spent half his life guarding the music storehouse and cherished these musical instruments.

In the past, some concubines and ladies would borrow a zither and then leave it untouched for months at a time.

When he returned the instrument, it was covered in scratches, which pained him every time.

The eunuch in charge of music couldn't help but feel even more respect for him.

"If I were to choose a fine harp on my own, the Empress might object, and I would have to painstakingly send it back. This back and forth would only cause unnecessary trouble, so it would be better to use this old harp."

The eunuch in charge of music sighed helplessly and bowed, replying, "Very well, since it is Consort Zhaoyi's wish, I will not try to persuade her any further."

*

Tinglu moved the zither back to Yaohua Palace, and Song Shuangning sat down and started playing with it.

She wasn't lying; she had never touched the harp.

Back in the Song family, the Song family didn't completely ignore her upbringing. They hired tutors for music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, since these were things to decorate the family's image and could be used as bargaining chips to climb the social ladder.

However, they were absolutely unwilling to hire a tutor for instruments like the konghou, which were more elegant and expensive.

Song Shuangning fumbled a few notes, the tone harsh and unpleasant, making Song Shuangning's scalp tingle.

"Is everything done?" Song Shuangning asked.

Tinglu said softly, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant has already embedded the diamond powder into the grooves of the strings and the bridge of the sandalwood zither."

Song Shuangning smiled gently, revealing a shallow dimple at the corner of her lips.

She practiced intently for an entire afternoon on the old vertical harp made of paulownia wood.

Even though the music was still dull, unpleasant, and out of tune, the fingertips had finally grasped some of the tricks of the trade.

When Xiao Yan arrived, he saw her fiddling with the konghou (a type of Chinese harp), looking quite engrossed.

He approached slowly, smiling as he spoke, "Ningning, what brings you to this harp today?"

"The other day, I was looking through a picture album when I saw a lady playing the konghou. The strings of the konghou flowed like clouds, and the instrument resembled a crescent moon, so I decided to practice. I practiced all afternoon, and then I played it for Your Majesty?"

Xiao Yan sat down next to her. "Okay."

Song Shuangning suddenly tensed up, her fingertips trembling as she touched the strings of the konghou. The moment she plucked a sound, the melody went astray, sometimes hesitant and sometimes sharp.

It's fair to say it sounds awful.

Li Fuquan stood to one side and quickly exchanged a glance with Tinglu beside him, both of them suppressing their laughter.

His Erduo is going to be rich!

To everyone's surprise, when the song ended, the Emperor smiled and nodded, saying in a gentle voice that it was beautiful.

Song Shuangning smiled shyly and asked excitedly, "Really? Is it really that nice? But even I think it sounds awful."

Xiao Yan's palm was warm, and he guided her hand to the strings.

Xiao Yan looked down at her, his expression gentle: "It really sounds beautiful. I'll teach you to play it even better."

With each stroke of the fingertips, clear and melodious music flowed out, like the tinkling of a mountain spring or the gentle swaying of a wind chime under the eaves.

Song Shuangning listened intently, only then realizing that the beauty of the konghou (a type of Chinese harp) was so moving.

After the song ended, Song Shuangning looked at Xiao Yan with sparkling eyes, full of admiration: "Your Majesty is so amazing!"

"Your Majesty, how can you play the konghou so well? Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I wish to become your student."

Xiao Yan didn't respond to her words, but instead pulled her into his arms.

Song Shuangning asked in confusion, "Your Majesty?"

"Hmm." His voice was low and hoarse. "Ningning knows that I can't stand seeing you act cute."

Song Shuangning turned her head and saw that Li Fuquan and the others had left sometime earlier and had even thoughtfully closed the door.

"Your Majesty, I am still pregnant and cannot..."

"I know. It's not like it has to be..."

Song Shuangning's eyes widened.

Xiao Yan carried her to the bed, ignoring her surprise, and leaned down to kiss her lips.

"What is Ningning afraid of?"

Song Shuangning retorted defiantly, "I am not afraid."

"Why is Ningning shaking?"

Song Shuangning's cheeks flushed, and she buried her face in his neck, whimpering softly.

Xiao Yan gently lifted her chin and placed a light kiss on her forehead: "Don't be afraid, I know what I'm doing and won't hurt you."

"Um."

Xiao Yan slipped his hand under her clothes.

I really miss her.

It's been many days since we've been "together".

He also sensed that Ningning was thinking of him.

……

……

One hour later.

Song Shuangning blushed and went to wash her hands, while Xiao Yan went to rinse his mouth.

Before 7 PM, Song Shuangning felt sleepy, and the two fell asleep in each other's arms.

However, not long after the two rested, Song Shuangning felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen while she was sleeping.

When I woke up, I realized it wasn't a dream, but reality.

She panicked for a moment and reached out to push Xiao Yan beside her.