The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 474 Escape

A moment later, the piece ended. Before the two women could recover from their lingering shock, Zhao Ti stood up and said, "The music is over. There's plenty of time in the future. I'll take my leave now."

"Ah..." The two women were stunned. Just as they came to their senses, Zhao Ti had already reached the entrance of the painted boat.

“Brother Zhao…” Yang Yao’er hurriedly spoke, her voice like that of a young phoenix, with a hint of coquettishness.

Zhao Ti remained unmoved, fearing that the man might come up with another idea, and reached out to push the door open.

Just then, he suddenly raised his eyebrows. A loud "bang" came from outside, as if someone had boarded the ship.

Yang Qingqi asked, "Sister, who's here?"

Yang Yao'er said, "I don't know..."

Just then, a hearty laugh came from outside the painted boat: "Who played such a bold and unparalleled, stirring and passionate zither piece? How come I've never heard such a fine piece before? What esteemed musician has graced my humble Yang family boat with their presence? It is truly an honor..."

As he spoke, the boat door opened from the outside, and a figure appeared. He wore a white crown, a white robe, a white pendant at his waist, and a white sword on his back. His face was as white as the first snow of winter. It was none other than Yang Dian.

"Uh..." Zhao Ti's gaze instantly met Yang Dian's, and his temple throbbed involuntarily.

"Huh?" Yang Dian was stunned when he saw Zhao Ti, his mouth splitting into a gaping hole.

The two stared at each other, exchanging many things in a short time.

Are you here?

I'm here.

Why are you here?
I don't know how I got here.

What are you doing here?
I didn't do anything here...

"Sixth Uncle, you... you've arrived?" Yang Yao'er's expression changed instantly, and she hurriedly ran over to stand in front of Zhao Ti, saying, "This, this is my friend!"

"Your friend?" Yang Dian reached out and touched his face, getting some of the white powder on it, and asked with a strange expression.

“That’s my friend. I invited him here to play the zither today. My friend is just an ordinary scholar from Yuzhou State Academy. Sixth Uncle, don’t scare him,” Yang Yao’er said loudly.

"Invite him to play the zither? Could it be that the music just now was played by this kid?" Yang Dian was immediately taken aback, looking at Zhao Ti with eyes full of questions and surprise.

You can also play the piano?
I can……

Did you play that just now?

Yes, I...

How come you can play the piano?

I don't know how I can still play the piano...

"Sixth Uncle, it was my friend who played it. My friend's music is exquisite, he can be called a master of music in our time. Please move aside and let my friend go out. He still needs to go home and study hard," Yang Yao'er said anxiously.

"No rush, no rush." ​​Yang Jian chuckled. "I've never heard that piece before. If he composed and played it himself, he would truly be a master of music."

"Then why don't you move aside..." Yang Yao'er said angrily.

"Oh, Master Yuqing... Miss Qingqi is here too." Yang Dian blinked. "So that's why you're playing the zither today. Are you making friends through the zither? Exchanging tips on the art of the zither?"

Yang Qingqi then moved gracefully to the side, saying, "How can my daughter's zither skills compare to Young Master Zhao's? But how can a firefly compete with the bright moon, and a slender stream contend with the mighty ocean?"

Yang Dian's lips twitched, he reached out and touched his face again, then looked at Zhao Ti and asked, "Is it over?"

Zhao Ti said, "Senior, I must go back to my studies."

Upon hearing this, Yang Dian's eyebrows twitched, his eyes flickered, and he gave a knowing look.

Should we not reply yet?

No.

Do I absolutely have to reply?
for sure.

Play one more song before you leave.

No playing.

If you don't play, don't blame your uncle for revealing your identity.

So what if it's exposed? I won't even fire it!
"Hehe, why are you in such a hurry to leave? Since you are considered a master of music, I, your senior, do not even know your name or where you live," Yang Dian said with a smile, blocking the boat door.

"Sixth Uncle, what are you doing? What kind of elder blocks the door and won't let people leave, interrogating them about everything?" Yang Yao'er said indignantly.

“Hey, since they are elders, how can a junior greet them without even introducing himself and then rush off? Wouldn’t that be impolite?” Yang Dian said.

“This…” Zhao Ti looked at Yang Dian, his eyes sparkling.

Uncle, what are you planning to do?
Nephew, what do you think I want to do?
How would I know what you're trying to do?
How did you and your cousin get together?

What kind of talk is that, Uncle?

That's naturally what my uncle would ask.

Uncle, I'm going home.

If you don't play a song for me, I'll expose your identity.

My nephew is not someone who can be blackmailed; he won't just stop playing if he's told not to!

"Brother Zhao's name is Zhao Ti. He is a student at Yuzhou State Academy. Sixth Uncle, I'm speaking on behalf of Brother Zhao. Why don't you make way!" Yang Yao'er gritted her teeth, revealing two bright little tiger teeth that shone brightly in the reflection of the pearls inside the boat, like beautiful jade.

"Zhao Ti from Yuzhou State Academy?" Yang Dian immediately feigned shock, looking Zhao Ti up and down: "So it's the famous Zhao scholar, the scholar who wrote 'Luo Fu Ci,' 'Qing Qing Ge,' and 'Mo Chou Shi,' and the great master Zhao who wrote the poem 'The sky threatens snow in the evening, shall we drink a cup together?' I never imagined he could also play such a wonderful zither piece. He can truly be called the Zhao School of Music!"

"What? Sixth Uncle, what did you say?" Yang Yao'er was stunned for a moment, turned to look at Zhao Ti, and her face changed color.

"Ah? It's actually..." Yang Qingqi looked extremely shocked, staring at Zhao Ti with a strange expression, her cheeks even turning slightly pink.

Zhao Ti felt a headache coming on. He stared at Yang Dian expressionlessly, exchanging glances.

Is the uncle afraid that his nephew will cause too much trouble?

Haha, as expected, my two silly nieces didn't know your identity, but they knew you were low-key, careful, and cautious, so they must have been hiding something from you.

Uncle, what are you saying? You're making it sound like your nephew isn't a good person.

Whether they are good or bad, if you won't tell them, I'll tell them for you.

Uncle, are you just trying to stir up trouble? I'm doing this to make you famous, and I haven't even asked you to thank me yet. Don't be ungrateful, kid. There's an old saying: those who know when to yield are the heroes.

uncle……

Yang Dian laughed triumphantly, "You two don't know this kid's identity, do you? He's famous all over the world now. Countless noble families, high-ranking officials and dignitaries want to invite him as an honored guest and ask him to write a poem or a song. I never expected to run into him on my Yang family's pleasure boat today. How did you two meet? How come you don't even know his true identity?"

Yang Yao'er stammered, "Sixth Uncle, how did you know that Brother Zhao was the talented scholar Zhao who wrote the 'Song of Luo Fu Bidding Farewell to Green Flowers'?"

Yang Qingqi looked at Yang Dian, her expression showing the same puzzled look.

Yang Dian said, "You two have become stupid staying at home. You don't go out and about. You just listen to people gossip about things. You have no experience or insight at all."

"Who, who said that?" Yang Yao'er stole a glance at Zhao Ti and protested, "I... Sister Qi and I are women of the martial world!"

"A Jianghu daughter?" Yang Dian sneered. "This pleasure boat has the insignia of a noble family on the outside, and it also has the emblem of the Yang family. What kind of Jianghu daughter could own a boat like this?"

"This, this..." Yang Yao'er looked at Zhao Ti: "Brother Zhao doesn't recognize these things, doesn't recognize them..."

She spoke lower and lower, finally bowing her head, but then raised it again: "Sixth Uncle, don't beat around the bush. How do you know that Brother Zhao is the talented poet Zhao before you've even said anything?"

Yang Dian laughed angrily, "How am I beating around the bush? The name Zhao Ti is rare, there are probably only a handful of people like him in the world, let alone someone from Yuzhou. Don't you know that the great talent Zhao is from Yuzhou?"

“But, just because there are few people doesn’t mean there aren’t any. Maybe there are people with the same name living in Yuzhou too?” Yang Yao’er retorted.

"Well, even if there is one, even if he lives in Yuzhou, we can't say how old he is, or whether he is a scholar. Even if he is a scholar, everyone knows that Zhao Caizi studied at the Yuzhou State Academy. Where else in the State Academy is there another person named Zhao Ti? If there were, wouldn't it have been spread far and wide so that people could distinguish him? Zhao Shusheng comes from the Yuzhou State Academy and has this name. Who else could he be but the famous Zhao Caizi?" Yang Dian snorted.

"Ah, this, this..." Yang Yao'er was speechless, and couldn't help but pout as she looked at Zhao Ti: "Brother Zhao, is it, is it you..."

Zhao Ti sighed and rubbed his forehead: "Miss Yao'er, to be honest, it is indeed me..."

"It really is Young Master Zhao!" Yang Qingqi took two steps forward, her beautiful eyes looking at Zhao Ti with an expression of immense surprise.

“Brother Zhao, Brother Zhao…” Yang Yao’er thought for a moment, then smiled with delight: “So Brother Zhao is that great poet. Sister Qi and I have admired Brother Zhao for a long time.”

"I merely composed a few poems on a whim, which are hardly worthy of your admiration, ladies. I am unworthy of such praise," Zhao Ti said with a dry laugh, somewhat wary.

“No, Brother Zhao, you don’t know that when I was in Huazhou, I was corresponding with Sister Qi and we were discussing your poems. We both liked them very much. Miss Qin, Miss Zhuge, and Miss Mo are so lucky to have Brother Zhao write poems that will be passed down to future generations.” Yang Yao’er said with stars in her eyes.

"Yes, Qin Luofu, Zhuge Qingqing, and Mo Chou are all among the top ten beauties in the world. But you and Qingqi are also among the top ten beauties. All three of them have poems that have been passed down through the ages, but you two do not. It's such a pity."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ti immediately glared at Yang Dian.

Uncle, what do you mean?
I have no interest in this.

What does "no meaning" mean?
It's meaningless, that's all.

What was the uncle implying when he said that? Was he trying to cause trouble for his nephew?
Who told you not to play a song for me?

We had discussed it before, but now we absolutely won't play it!
Hmph, fine, don't play then. Just wait and see what happens next!
“Brother Zhao…” Yang Yao’er’s eyes seemed to be about to well up with tears: “I…”

Zhao Ti's eyelids twitched. At this point, he could no longer care about etiquette. Of the thirty-six stratagems, running away was the best option. If he stayed any longer, he would inevitably get himself into trouble.

"Miss Yao'er, I'll take my leave now. Let's meet again sometime in the future." He said, ignoring Yang Dian blocking the door, and forced his way out.

"Ah, Brother Zhao, you..." Yang Yao'er exclaimed.

"You're really something, kid!" Yang Dian glared at him.

Just as the two were about to collide, Yang Dian stepped aside, clearing a path for them: "Young man, you're too impolite, arrogant and conceited. But as an elder, how can I stoop to your level..."

Zhao Ti didn't care what he said. He thought it best to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible. Otherwise, judging from Yang Yao'er and Yang Qingqi's eyes, their thoughts were already obvious. He really didn't want to write poems for anyone else alone.

He reached the deck, then jumped onto the riverbank, ready to flee. At that moment, Yang Yao'er and Yang Qingqi arrived on the deck. Watching his figure, Yang Yao'er shouted loudly, "Brother Zhao, Brother Zhao, when will we meet again?"

Zhao Ti dared not turn around and hurriedly replied, "Miss Yao'er, we will meet again if fate allows." After saying that, he quickened his pace and hurried home.

As he returned home, it was getting late, and the sun had already set halfway down. Zhao's father was chopping firewood in the yard. Seeing him, he said with displeasure, "Why are you only coming back now? School hasn't just let out yet, has it?"

Zhao Ti said, "That's not it. It's just that... I was invited by a classmate to discuss the art of music, and I've already had dinner outside."

Father Zhao snorted: "Studying requires focus and concentration. One must not listen to anything outside the window and only concentrate on reading the classics. Before passing the imperial examination, it is best to remain single-minded!"

"What do you know? Music is one of the Six Arts, and it's also tested in the imperial examinations." Zhao's mother walked out of the room and glared at Zhao's father.

"Oh?" Zhao's father asked in surprise, "They actually tested this?"

Zhao Ti nodded: "It is a subject in the exam, but very little, just a small part, and it won't involve live performances or anything like that."

"So that's the case……"

Zhao's father looked thoughtful and was about to speak when he saw Zhao's mother smiling at Zhao Ti: "My son, is there a young lady you'd like to discuss this with?"

Zhao Ti smiled wryly, "Mother, there are no girls studying at the state school, so where would we find a girl..."

"Your school and the girls' school aren't too far apart, are they? There must be times when you interact with each other. Didn't you say a few times before..."

"Mother, I'm not talking to you anymore. I've already eaten, and I'm going back to my room to study now." Zhao Ti scratched his head and hurriedly walked towards his room.

He opened the door and went inside. Just as he turned on the light, he turned around abruptly and saw Zhao Ling'er standing in the doorway. He was immediately startled: "Sister, what are you doing? Why are you so quiet?"

Zhao Ling'er's two small eyebrows twitched, and she said softly, "Big brother, I want to see the gourd."

Zhao Ti said, "It's already dark, what are you looking at? Look at it tomorrow morning, or I'll come home early after school tomorrow and show it to you."

Zhao Ling'er said unhappily, "Who knows if Big Brother will continue to fool around outside tomorrow night, or if he will be able to come home early."

Zhao Ti said angrily, "What kind of talk is that? Where did you learn that? You're not allowed to use such vulgar language anymore."

Zhao Ling'er said weakly, "My classmate said it, and I remembered it. Who knew it was swear words?"

Zhao Ti frowned: "Your classmate... never mind, I'm off the day after tomorrow, I'll let you see as much as you want then."

Zhao Ling'er was immediately pleased upon hearing this: "Does the big boss keep his word?"

"Okay, okay." Zhao Ti nodded. "I need to study now. Sister, you should also review your lessons and then go to bed early."

"Alright, I'm going back now. Remember not to go back on your word, brother." Zhao Ling'er said, turning around and heading towards the main house.

Zhao Ti watched her go into the room, then turned around and bolted the door before starting to read.

Before he knew it, several hours had passed. As the moon was about to shine at midnight, he put down the book in his hand and stretched.

After pondering for a moment, he went to the book box next to him, took out the sheepskin book of the Exquisite Yuan Qi Gong, and returned to the table to read it.

(End of this chapter)