TSFLIP Chapter 542

In the vast, silent grand hall, the only sound that could be heard was the music from his guqin.

Sijia played with deep concentration. Dressed in white, he looked ethereal, almost like a celestial being descended to earth. Feng Guang stared at his flawless profile, and her heart involuntarily trembled in rhythm with his melody.

The final note slowly faded into the air. Even those unfamiliar with music found themselves utterly entranced. Sijia spoke quietly, “Forgive this humble one for the inadequacy of the performance.”

For a long moment, the hall remained silent—then, suddenly, a chorus of praise rang out. The most enthusiastic among them was the Second Prince, Xia Fengyu, who had just turned ten and adored music theory. “Sir, your skill is truly extraordinary! Even saying your music ‘lingers in the rafters for three days’ doesn’t do it justice!”

“Indeed,” Emperor Xia spoke in a calm, measured tone. “Mister Sijia’s talent far surpasses that of the court musicians we have within the palace.”

The moment he said this, Xia Fengyu immediately sat upright and dared not utter another word.

The Emperor had referred to Sijia as merely a court musician, implying that despite his talent, he held no status high enough to deserve such reverence from a prince.

Everyone in the court was a seasoned player of politics. The moment they heard the Emperor’s words, the entire hall of officials and nobles quickly fell silent. Emperor Xia might usually appear mild-mannered, but if he were truly angered, there was no telling when he might draw his sword and strike someone down.

Just like sixteen years ago, on the day the princess was born. When a midwife warned that the baby’s breech position might result in her suffocating, the Emperor unsheathed a guard’s sword. He killed the woman on the spot, forcing the remaining midwives to do everything in their power to ensure the child was safely delivered.

In such a tense and well-understood atmosphere, Feng Miyin suddenly spoke up:
“Your Majesty, Mister Sijia is not a mere court musician. He is my teacher—he taught me to play the guqin.”

At once, the grand hall became so quiet that it was as if not a single breath was being taken.

The general from Liubi, who had accompanied the princess to Gengliu for the marriage alliance, quickly stepped forward to smooth things over. “Your Majesty of Gengliu, our princess has loved music since childhood, and thus holds Mister Sijia in great respect. After the wedding festivities conclude, Mr. Sijia will return to Liubi with us.”

Just as Emperor Xia was about to speak, Feng Guang—still leaning against Sijia’s table—turned her head and smiled playfully. “Princess Wuyou is loyal and affectionate. That’s wonderful. It means she’ll likely get along very well with Prince Luo after they’re married. Don’t you think so, Father?”

“You’re quite right, Feng Guang.” Whatever coldness had begun to gather in Emperor Xia’s eyes vanished completely. Now his gaze was full of warmth as he turned to the visibly displeased Prince Luo, Meng Xi. As if he hadn’t noticed his dark expression at all, the Emperor spoke in a tone of a kindly elder giving guidance: “Prince Luo, I expect you and Princess Wuyou to treat each other with mutual respect, and to uphold harmony in your household.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty,” Meng Xi practically ground the words through his teeth. He couldn’t understand why the Emperor had chosen him—of all people—for this political marriage instead of his older brother. Just like he couldn’t understand why Feng Guang seemed so taken with that low-born man.

Maybe… maybe she was doing it to provoke him. Maybe she wanted to punish him for marrying another woman.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became toward this so-called Princess Wuyou. His eyes, now burning with barely concealed fury, turned to Feng Miyin.

She looked back at him and simply raised her eyebrows, showing not the slightest hint of fear.

That gave Meng Xi pause.

He had once fought on battlefields as a youth. Of all the land Gengliu had taken from Liubi, at least seventy to eighty percent of it had been won under his command. Over time, his presence had come to exude a natural, intimidating aura—a killing intent that made most people instinctively shrink back.

But this woman… wasn’t afraid of him at all.