Chapter 100.3: Silenced, Jing Wan’s Mischief

Jing Wan was surprised. A several hundred year old white peony, to Jing Wan, was quite attractive. However, “That qin score isn’t my own either. Since Cabinet Minister Jiang fancies it, this subject can just make a copy for him. There’s no need to exchange anything.” Besides, that was all learned from her grandma in her past. Originally, she didn’t want to bring it out, but to be force to that point by someone, if she doesn’t firmly strike back, they might really think she’s good tempered. Since she has already played it once in public in front of numerous people, then naturally there was no need to keep hiding it.

“That’s the men wanting to exchange, we don’t need to concern ourselves. You just need to have the qin score handed to your grandfather, that’s all. However, have to say, such a good qin piece, how come it never spread?”

Jing Wan slightly hesitated for a moment. Have to say, telling one lie required ten lies to make it come full circle. Never mind it being tiring, you might not even be able to circle it around. “It’s an ancient qin piece.”

“No wonder. Most likely, before it was able to become wide spread, it was already lost. And now, for it to have fallen into your hands, and through your hands reappear under the sun again, is your good luck, and also that piece’s good fortune. What is that piece called?”

“Ambush From Ten Sides, originally a pipa piece.”

The Grand Elder Princess blanked, “Ambush From Ten Sides? Pipa piece? No wonder, no wonder, should be like so, should be like so. That year, Han and Chu were at war with one another; the Chu King reigned victorious. Someone used a pipa piece to portray the triumphing army’s might and power, its imposing vigor, and its overflowing sternness, naming it ‘Ambush From Ten Sides’. Just, it’s rumored that this great master unfortunately met with the losing army’s persecution, and that piece from then on was lost forever. It’s not that no one has searched for it before, but all were unable to find. However, it’s rumored that he once had a family servant that escaped to the now Qi’an Fu region, and looking at it now, that piece most likely was taken away by that family servant.”

Jing Wan was speechless. Turns out, this world also had this piece of similar history[1]. Then, there wasn’t any need for her to make up random stuff. “Turns out there’s even such a history?” She dryly replied.

“Since you knew that it was originally a pipa piece, could it be that you also have the original score?”

“The original score is damaged rather severely. At the time, I was still young, and didn’t know its value. Seeing that paper damaged to the point that it couldn’t be picked up anymore………….”

The Grand Elder Princess sighed, “Truly a shame.”

“…..However, at the time, this subject was in the middle of learning how to write, and seeing the strange shapes on that paper, ended up copying them down.”

The Grand Elder Princess briefly blanked, “This girl, deserve to be beat.”

Have to say, Jing Wan saying these things wasn’t completely without basis either. When she was little, she did look through a bunch of random books, and Luo Old Madam also knew that she loved copying strange things, thus didn’t ask too much of anything. Moreover, she already said it was a copy, and not the original, so naturally there won’t be anyone that would deliberately go check whether she really did copy such a thing or not.

“Don’t know who had this adapted into a qin piece, but it was altered very well. Once your hands heal, write down the score for both these two pieces.” As for why she didn’t bring it out for her teacher to look over when she was learning the qin, probably because the little girl already realized the preciousness of this piece and knew to hide it. Or perhaps, she just forgot, and afterwards, inadvertently flipped it out again.

See, these all didn’t need for Jing Wan to go make up. Others already finished filling in the gaps for her.

Having already walked ninety-nine steps, one naturally didn’t lack this one last step, Jing Wan agreed.

The Grand Elder Princess then looked towards Sun Yi Jia, “You too, in the future, need to be more careful. Today, if not for…………” Speaking to here, she immediately halted, however it was already enough for the bystanders to let their imagination run.

Sun Yi Jia somewhat uncomfortably let out a low ‘en’ sound.

There were those that couldn’t hold back their curiosity, already opening their mouths to ask, but were all directly waved off by the Grand Elder Princess.

Unable to get an answer, that curious gaze couldn’t help but land on Sun Yi Jia’s body. As expected, under careful examination, they still discovered some clues. She seemingly wasn’t wearing these clothes previously, this was having changed? Also, it seems there’s a hairpin missing from her head as well? Besides, she was also gone for a long time, for nothing to have happened, who would believe!

To the side, Ruan Fang Fei was practically staring at Sun Yi Jia directly, lost in thought. A junzhu next to her noticed, and recalling the two’s relationship, she leaned over and whispered, “Although she’s the main consort, and you’re the side consort, she’s just a ruined beauty, how can she compete with you? Afraid, Jin Qinwang won’t even touch her once. In the future, in the Jin Qinwang Manor, it’ll still be you that’s in charge.”

Ruan Fang Fei’s complexion slightly reddened, and she softly replied, “Don’t say nonsense, no matter what, she’s still the di wife.” After saying this, her expression seemingly turned somewhat lonely.

Seeing her like this, as her good friend, she was unbearably heartbroken, very much upset for her, “His Majesty is also really just……never mind having you bestowed to Jin Qinwang, but to actually even………”

“Quickly shut up, if someone hears………”

That junzhu pursed her lips, however she didn’t dare continue either, “It’s just you that’s kind.”

She was indeed kind, and because she was too kind, in order to let Sun Yi Jia not suffer, she even lit for her a medicine specially used for woman. Just need to inhale a little, and one will be weak all over, drifting like an immortal fairy. Unfortunately, that pig-head was truly too stupid. Already like this, yet still was able to let the person run away. And she didn’t even drown to death, instead getting saved by someone. However, even if there’s a little bit of regret, it doesn’t matter, just treat it as her life not supposing to end. It’s fine as long as she doesn’t block her path.

Just then, a servant girl hastily walked to the Grand Elder Princess’s side and whispered a few words by her ear.

They only saw the Grand Elder Princess’s complexion instantly change. Her expression was don’t know how many times more unsightly than the previous time she left the banquet, as she left in a hurry. And at the same time, they seemingly heard faint cries coming from the opposite bank of the lake.

This disturbance certainly was quite big, just what exactly happened?

However, before they could listen closely, the sound was gone.

In the end, the matter was too big, so even if the Grand Elder Princess wanted to conceal it, it wasn’t able to be concealed.

Zhong Qinwang’s heir pulled a servant girl from the Grand Elder Princess Manor, desiring to do something bad. This was reported to the Grand Elder Princess, thus she went over for a look. As for why the others were also startled, this was because something else had happened as well. Only Zhong Qinwang, and his wangfei, as well as the Grand Elder Princess, have yet to return. The Grand Elder Princess was unsuccessful in mediating, thus just gave up, too lazy to bother. Just, unexpectedly, not long after she left, someone was killed.

Zhong Qinwang’s heir was gone……..this, this, this Zhong Wangfei was just too, too, too………….

As for the other matter, there was also that bit of a shadow. The Ding Duke’s di daughter went to go look for the Luo family’s third miss, and accidentally fell into the water, coincidentally getting saved by the Luo third young master who was on his way to see his younger sister. Hehe, this really is………….

Jing Wan and Sun Yi Jia looked to one another, both seeing shock in the other’s eyes. Both were clever people, so roughly what happened, they naturally could guess. They never thought that the person behind the scenes was this vicious, directly killing to silence them. And this current setup was nothing more than the results arranged by the Grand Elder Princess. This is wanting to have one incident split into two.

Just they didn’t understand, why have Zhong Wangfei dragged out as the scapegoat? However, Sun Yi Jia more or less was aware of Zhong Wangfei’s temper, don’t know if there was this factor inside, but it definitely wouldn’t have been this simple.

[1] Regarding the history of this piece, what’s mentioned in this chapter about it is partially true to actual history. The piece portrays the battle scene of a decisive battle in 202 BCE between Chu and Han for Gai Xia(ancient place name). The Chu-Han war took place after the fall of the Qin dynasty, when the Qin empire (the first imperial dynasty) ended up splitting into eighteen kingdoms. However, the setting of this novel actually takes place in an alternate history to our world, because in the Chu-Han war in our history, Han actually won, which resulted in the establishment of the Han dynasty, but in this novel Chu won instead. The eighteen kingdoms period lasted like a total of 4years, some territories, even less than that. The original pipa piece’s name actually comes from the Han army defeating the Chu by ambushing them from all ten sides.

As for the history of this piece, it’s been up to debate I think, the earliest mention of this piece was back in the Ming dynasty. This piece is extremely hard to play. I couldn’t find a version of it played on the qin, tbh I don’t even know if such a version even exists. The closest I can find is guzheng version, a 21-string zither, but the qin, a 7-string zither, has a more melancholy and somber sound in comparison. I finally figured out how to embed youtube videos in wordpress posts now ;;v;;;