CHAPTER 65: CHAPTER 64: COMMENDATION

Even though Lu Qing didn’t say much at the time, the next day, he still had Fu Lu specially deliver several music scores to Zhu Yu. These scores ranged from the basics taught to children, starting with fundamental music hand gestures, to various complete pieces.

Fu Lu handed the music scores to Zhu Yu with a face full of admiration, and exclaimed: "Madam, you are truly impressive! Skilled in both literature and martial arts!"

Accepting his admiration with a guilty smile, Zhu Yu was determined as she thought of how Lu Qing expected to see her restless demeanor.

Isn’t it just playing around? People often hear of those who lose ambition from playing, but who hears of being suffocated from play?

So, that day, Zhu Yu sat in front of the guqin, following the instructions in the book. She positioned herself by the zither, set up her stance, and attempted to practice the finger techniques for plucking the strings.

She thought, what difficulty could there be in just a few strings? She could manipulate the 206 bones in a person’s body; surely, she could handle these mere seven strings?

However, she hadn’t considered that just the finger techniques for plucking the strings with the right hand included "hook, pluck, brush, pick, chop, release, strike, pluck," and more. Not to mention techniques like "hook one," "hook two," "dragon eyes shifting to phoenix eyes," deeply confusing her, leaving her feeling dizzy.

The sound of the zither, which should have been deep and distant, became especially wavering under her fingers. After struggling for more than half an hour, all she gained was sore fingertips from the strings; there wasn’t any progress.

However, touching those slender strings, Zhu Yu involuntarily began to imagine someone using the thin and resilient strings of the guqin as a tool to kill someone... That could certainly be quite effective.

But if one used it to strangle someone’s neck to death, the murderer’s hands would easily be cut by the thin strings, leaving evidence.

If one tied these strings between the roadsides, and someone rode a horse rapidly towards them... it would be hard for them to notice, and by the time they realized, it would be too late; in an instant, not just human heads, even horse heads could be cut off!

Upon these thoughts, Zhu Yu suddenly realized, feeling annoyed at herself for associating the strings with such random ideas. She stood up and walked away, no longer wanting to touch the zither.

The next day, Zhu Yu decided to learn embroidery, the most common pastime for women within Jin Country’s domestic confines.

She sought out Mrs. Zhao for some patterns and began tracing them easily, quickly getting the hang of it, earning praise from Mrs. Zhao for her high comprehension. But when it came to stitching each needle into the fabric, it became a completely different ordeal.

Initially, Zhu Yu was painstakingly careful, sewing each stitch neatly, but soon, her eyes grew tired, and her fingers didn’t know how many times they’d been pricked, yet she hadn’t even completed a decent pattern; her patience was gradually wearing thin.

She truly didn’t understand how other women passed time doing this, to alleviate boredom, as for her, by the end, the pattern ceased to matter. She practiced all the stitch methods she had learned in the past on the fabric.

On the third day, Zhu Yu chose to paint, but standing at the book desk with a large sheet of paper before her, she didn’t know where to begin.

Having someone confined to a house drawing landscapes and birds felt entirely contrived, no matter how it was thought about.

Zhu Yu dejectedly put down the brush and sighed.

Reluctantly, she had to admit, Lu Qing had won.

She really didn’t like this lifestyle of being shut inside without any outside contact, like a bird living in a magnificently ornate cage.

Although staying in the mansion’s rear courtyard these days without stepping outside, she wasn’t completely ignorant of the happenings beyond.

Zhu Yu listened to Mrs. Zhao relate the cheerful news outside in recent days, hearing that Prince Yi Lu Zhang advised Emperor Jin in a letter that the current heavy taxes on farmers were forcing them to abandon farming, turning to alternative means to earn a living, which would over time threaten the foundation of Da Jin. He suggested reducing agricultural taxes to encourage farmers to return to their land and diligently cultivate.

Although this would decrease court tax revenue, many people had gone to the South to cultivate flowers and plants for dye production, industries that were not taxed. Therefore, converting agricultural taxes to flower taxes could offset that loss.

Emperor Jin was very pleased after hearing this and immediately adopted his advice, instructing the Ministry of Revenue to draft new regulations to support agriculture.

This news quickly spread beyond the palace, causing the Capital citizens to cheer and praise Prince Yi as a caring prince.

This news, however, perplexed Zhu Yu, furrowing her brow.

The Congzhou farmers abandoned their fields due to overwhelming miscellaneous taxes, opting for flower cultivation in the South, events that were detailed by Lu Qing in his secret memorial as Golden-faced Imperial Censor. He had also written that flower dyes weren’t taxed.

Zhu Yu saw him write this with her own eyes.

Outsiders were unaware of Golden-faced Imperial Censor’s true identity, yet Emperor Jin knew perfectly.

How did this merit suddenly become attributed to Prince Yi Lu Zhang?!

This matter felt like a thorn wedged in Zhu Yu’s heart, impossible to pull out, making her increasingly uncomfortable in the confines of Prince Xiaoyao Mansion’s rear courtyard.

In her previous life, she was exhausted, dreading the idea of "those capable work more," in this life she just wanted to live well and comfortably.

However, such "comfort" wasn’t staying in a luxurious "prison," only able to hear bits and pieces of the rumors outside, helpless.

This situation left Zhu Yu unprecedentedly torn.

Advancing meant breaking her promise upon waking here to take it easy and live a carefree life.

Retreating felt like lying flat on a cobblestone path, unbearably uncomfortable.

Several days later, Zhu Yu heard that Emperor Jin issued an order for a summary execution of Qingshui County Magistrate Li Wencai, at the execution ground of Jingzhao Mansion.

Due to prior announcement, many daring citizens crowded to witness the execution, and afterwards various drinking houses and tea rooms had tea masters vividly recounting the execution process, to the applause and delight of listeners.

But Zhu Yu found herself very unpleased.

On one hand, she couldn’t witness Li Wencai’s execution or hear firsthand accounts from the tea masters, only gleaning information from household servants’ chatter, feeling it to be quite irritating.

On the other hand, only Li Wencai received such severe punishment.

Prefect of Congzhou, implicated by Lu Qing’s memorial, was only dismissed for investigation without immediate sentence.

Additionally, the Vice Minister of Ministry of Personnel connected to them was merely fined six months’ salary.

As for Minister of the Ministry of Personnel Luo Yushu, he wasn’t affected at all, instead was tasked by Emperor Jin to oversee evaluations of officials in various provinces and counties.

Even Luo Yushu faced no consequence, let alone Duke Yan Zhao Bi and the highly acclaimed Prince Yi Lu Zhang for offering counsel.

Meanwhile, Lu Qing continued heading out early and returning late, acting unaffected, as if he wasn’t the one whose merit was snatched by Lu Zhang.

Witnessing such demeanor, Zhu Yu felt endless doubts emerging, growing more restless in Prince Xiaoyao Mansion’s rear courtyard.