I really don't want to take shortcuts anymore

In fact, these words were what Yu He's teachers usually used to teach him every few days. Yu He had heard them so many times that he could recite them off the top of his head. Today, he used them to please the beautiful lady, and he said them very fluently.

But Luo Qianhuai did not appreciate his kindness because of these few words. Tong Lianniang, who was standing in the hall, was filled with shame and anger, and wished she could find a hole to crawl into.

The attitude of Prince Yu just now was equivalent to announcing to everyone present that she was eliminated from the candidates for the Prince's Consort. If she honestly accepted it, then if the news got out in the future, her reputation would be completely ruined.

When Tong Lianniang looked at Luo Qianhuai again, there was a hint of resentment in her eyes.

"I will never forget the teachings of the prince." She bowed in the direction of Yu He, and then said to Luo Qianhuai: "I am devoted to saving the prince, and I hope that the marquis will give me careful guidance."

Everyone's eyes were focused on Luo Qianhuai. She smiled calmly, stood up and said, "The song you played was Moon over the Spring River, but I guess you've never been on a boat on the river at night to see the magnificent scenery of the moon over the spring river, right?"

This is for sure. An unmarried young lady from a wealthy family would have few opportunities to go out even during the day, let alone at night?

Tong Lianniang couldn't refute it. She lowered her voice: "It's true, but..."

Luo Qianhuai didn't care about her "but". She shook her head with pity: "You have never seen a scene before, but you want to express it through the music. It's really too much for you."

"The spring tide reaches the sea level, and the bright moon rises with the tide." She no longer paid attention to Tong Lianniang who was still trying to defend herself, and chanted in a calm and clear voice, bringing everyone into a picture of spring water flooding the river and the bright moon rising:

"The moon is shining for thousands of miles, where is there no moon? The river flows around the fragrant fields, the moon shines on the flowers like hail, frost flies in the sky, and the white sand is invisible..."

"The sound of the piano is also the sound of the heart." Luo Qianhuai looked at the crowd who were fascinated by the abbreviated version of "Spring River Moon Night" with satisfaction, and finally concluded:

"Your skills are flawless, but you need to be more thoughtful when choosing songs in the future. Look for songs that you can understand and master, so that you can make a splash."

Tong Lianniang stood there in a daze for a long time, her face red and white. She had never thought that the Madam Jing, whom she looked down upon, could actually point out the big problem of the lack of artistic conception in her zither, and even threw out a good poem about the moonlit night on the spring river on the spot. How could she be the illiterate country woman in the rumors?

She didn't know what to say, but there were many other young ladies who loved poetry. The third lady of the Yan family, the family of the Chief Censor, stood up first, her face slightly red, her eyes shining, and she said, "Madam, this poem is beautiful and has a profound artistic conception. This is the first time I have heard of it. Could it be that you wrote it?"

No matter how thick-skinned Luo Qianhuai was, he would not be able to claim this poem, the first of the prosperous Tang Dynasty that has been passed down through the ages, as his own.

"This poem was written by a great poet named Zhang," she said. "I only heard it occasionally and liked it very much, so I kept it in my mind for a while. Today, I would like to take this opportunity to share it with you all."

Yu He also came back to his senses at this moment. Although he was a playboy, he had also been carefully taught by countless teachers. How could he not tell the good from the bad of poetry?

The fact that Madam Luo could use this poem to inspire people to think about the artistic conception of the zither music itself represents her extremely high attainments in the field of zither music, and also proves that she has a unique vision and did not misjudge the person.

He immediately laughed out loud and said, "Madam Tong, Madam Jing has given you such thoughtful advice, is there anything you still don't understand?"

Even though Tong Lianniang was unwilling in her heart, she could only bow deeply to Luo Qianhuai: "I will accept your advice."

"It's a small matter, no need to be so polite." Luo Qianhuai met Mr. Mo's smiling eyes, returned to his seat, and sat down with a flick of his sleeves.

Logically speaking, when things had come to this point, Tong Lianniang should have returned to her seat, continued the game of passing the flower, and given the opportunity to others to show their talents.

But she was holding back a fire in her heart, and if she didn't release this fire, it would burn her completely.

"Madam Hou can say what she said just now, which shows that her understanding of the art of playing the zither has reached the pinnacle." She said word by word, "Since my master went out to travel, I have been suffering from no one to teach me. Today, I am fortunate to meet a master like Madam Hou. I will ask Madam Hou to teach me a piece of music, so that I and others can learn more."

This situation was totally beyond Luo Qianhuai's expectations.

"Okay, okay." She tried to procrastinate. "But today is the main event for the princess, the prince, and all the young ladies. It would be fine for my husband and I to come uninvited. It would be bad if we steal the show. How about waiting until everyone has finished their presentations and then talking if there is still time?"

She did not refuse on the spot, and the reasons she gave were extremely legitimate. Even if Tong Lianniang was unwilling, she had no reason to hold on to her.

She bit her lip and slowly sat back on her seat. The golden red peony flower was passed from one lady to another, and soon it fell into the hands of the tall and eloquent lady.

She stood up and walked into the hall, bowed to the princess and her son and Luo Qianhuai and his wife, and stretched her hand back, and a maid brought her a pipa.

She adjusted the pitch slightly, her eyes twinkling as she spoke first, introducing herself and the song she wanted to play: "My daughter Yan Rui is the second-best in the family. I was born in a border town and moved back to Xijing with my father three years ago. This song is called Saishang Qu, and it was a scene I often heard when I was young."

Although Madam Yan Er did not look at him, Luo Qianhuai knew in his heart that these words were meant for her to hear, in order to prevent her from giving the song an ugly name again, and to plug the loophole he had pointed out before.

He looks innocent, but he actually has a meticulous mind. No wonder his last name is Yan!

While she was thinking about countermeasures, the second lady Yan had already plucked the strings very quickly. She was bright and beautiful, and the tune she chose was similar, but it was more pleasing to Luo Qianhuai's ears than the music played by Tong Lianniang just now.

When the song ended, Madam Yan stood there holding the pipa. She glanced at Yu He with her bright eyes, and when she saw him nod slightly in affirmation, she was delighted.

Luo Qianhuai was much more active this time. Without waiting for Madam Yan Er to ask, he took the initiative to comment: "It is difficult to learn to play the pipa, and it is even more difficult to become a master. Madam Yan Er is so young, but she has achieved some success. It is not easy to show the beautiful scenery of the frontier to others. I guess it took her many years of hard work, right?"

Considering Tong Lianniang's previous tragic experience, Luo Qianhuai's words at this time made the always proud Madam Yan Er feel flattered.

At this moment, she had already forgotten all her initial doubts and retorts about Luo Qianhuai.

The young ladies in the hall also breathed a sigh of relief along with her.

It seems that Tong Lianniang just happened to become the target of Lady Xianghou's authority, and she did not intend to offend everyone.

Didn’t you see that even Madam Yan Er, who spoke rudely just now, got away with it easily?

"Thank you for your praise, Madam." Madam Yan Er smiled and said modestly, "My daughter has been studying hard every day since she was five years old. I will definitely continue to work hard in the future..."

Luo Qianhuai interrupted her and said, "Actually, what I want to say is that studying hard and practicing diligently is good, but if you go in the wrong direction, you will be going in the wrong direction and getting half the result with twice the effort."