The legitimate daughter returns to the capital and embarks on a splendid life, tearing apart the fak

Several eunuchs quickly brought over a large drum and placed it beside the hall. The drumhead was taut, the body was painted red, and the edges were inlaid with copper nails, giving it a rather imposing appearance.

Yun Jin walked to the side and asked Chunxi to help her tighten her sleeves before walking to the drum, taking the drumsticks, taking a deep breath, and starting to beat the drum.

The drum music she chose was one she had heard in her previous life; it had a powerful and resounding rhythm, like a war drum, but not entirely.

She had never learned to play a real war drum, but she had practiced this piece many times and could play it with her eyes closed.

To start, tap it lightly twice to test the feel.

Then, the drums suddenly sounded.

The first hammer blow sent shockwaves through the entire hall. The sound was not the force one would expect from a young lady confined to her chambers; it was more like the thunder of a thousand horses trampling across a plain.

The drumbeats grew denser and more urgent, like a torrential downpour or a thunderous roar.

Yun Jin's arms moved with lightning speed, the drumsticks leaping across the drumhead, each beat precise and powerful.

She played with great focus, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead, but her face remained expressionless, as if she weren't performing, but simply completing a task she had to do.

She didn't want to play the piano, recite poetry, or dance.

Then let them hear what power is.

The hall was extremely quiet, with only the echoing sound of drums.

Yamin sat in her seat, her face growing increasingly grim.

She had thought this country girl would embarrass herself on stage, but she never expected her to produce such a drumming sound.

She glanced at Xiao Jingyan and saw him leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed. She was secretly pleased, thinking he wasn't interested, and a smile immediately appeared on her lips.

What she didn't know was that Xiao Jingyan, with his eyes closed, was listening to something within the drumbeats.

That's not the kind of aura a young lady should have; it's the kind of strength that only someone who has been crushed by life and then stood up again possesses.

His lips curled up slightly, very faintly, and fleetingly.

The drumming stopped abruptly.

Yun Jin put down the mallet, stood still, slightly out of breath, and bowed to the emperor.

The hall was silent for a moment, then erupted in thunderous applause.

Several military officers slammed their fists on the table in approval, almost wanting to stand up.

The emperor was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly: "Excellent! Excellent! This is the first time I've ever heard a woman play the drum, and it has such a powerful presence!"

He waved his hand dismissively and announced loudly, "Reward—!"

The Empress smiled and reminded him, "Your Majesty, Ya Min also performed a sword dance just now."

The emperor was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "Yes, yes, yes, Yamin will also be rewarded! Reward them all!"

Ya Min forced a smile, stood up to express her gratitude, but there was no joy on her face.

She glanced at Xiao Jingyan again; he had already opened his eyes and was drinking from a wine glass, his expression indifferent, revealing nothing.

Yunxiu sat in her seat, looking at Yunjin in the center of the hall, twisting the handkerchief in her hand again and again.

This girl can actually play the drum? And she even received a reward from the Emperor? She felt a mix of jealousy and envy, her mind racing.

No, we can't let this girl steal the spotlight all by herself.

She stood up, bowed to the emperor, and said in a gentle voice, "Your Majesty, I am unworthy, but I would like to play a tune on the zither for you to enhance your enjoyment."

The emperor was in a very good mood today, and nodded with a smile: "Good, the Yun family has certainly opened my eyes today."

The eunuch brought over a zither table, and Yunxiu washed her hands, burned incense, and sat upright in front of the zither.

She played "High Mountains and Flowing Water," her fingering was skillful, and her tone was clear and melodious. When the piece ended, the whole hall cheered.

The emperor, delighted, shouted again, "Reward me!"

Yunxiu stood up to express her gratitude, her gaze inadvertently glancing towards the Fifth Prince, who was nodding slightly at her with approval.

She was secretly delighted, and her smile became even more genuine.

The eldest princess put down her teacup and suddenly spoke, "Miss Yun's musical skills are quite remarkable. I heard she learned from that Mr. Liu?"

Yunxiu nodded hurriedly and replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

The eldest princess smiled and said, "It's been quite a while since I've seen Ms. Liu. I'd like to exchange some musical skills with her. I wonder when she'll be available?"

Chu Wanqing took a deep breath, stood up, and said calmly, "Your Highness, you may not know, but Mr. Liu is no longer at the residence. I heard he has returned to his hometown. I'm afraid our Yun family cannot help with this."

The eldest princess smiled enigmatically: "Oh? You left in such a hurry? I was hoping to invite her to tutor Yamin."

Just as Chu Wanqing was about to reply, someone suddenly spoke up.

"Don't you know, Aunt?" Xiao Jingyan put down his wine cup. His voice was not loud, but it carried a hint of sarcasm. "The night that Mr. Liu left the Yun residence, his house was robbed. Everything was stolen, and even his hair was shaved off."

He spoke in a flat tone, as if he were talking about something insignificant, "I wonder who I offended or what shady things I did. Auntie, it's best to stay away from people like that to avoid getting tainted."

The princess choked, and the smile on her face froze.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Xiao Jingyan's words implied that "this person is of questionable character," so she could only give a dry laugh: "I had no idea about this. I only heard that she was highly skilled in playing the zither, and I never thought of anything else. In that case, let it be."

The hall fell silent for a moment, the atmosphere delicate.

The Empress raised her wine cup at the opportune moment and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, today is a celebration for Jingyan's victory, how can we forget to drink? Come, let me toast Your Majesty."

The emperor laughed heartily and raised his cup in response.

The atmosphere inside the hall became lively again, and everyone raised their glasses, thus putting the little incident behind them behind them.

Several other young ladies from prominent families then stepped forward to perform, but their performances received lukewarm responses.

Yun Jin sat in her seat, but she felt strange. Why was Prince Yu always helping her today?

However, she only wondered about it for a moment before forgetting about it.

Because she was cold, really cold.

Although we brought hand warmers and placed several braziers in the main hall, it was still cold, cold from the inside out.

The food on the table was cold when it was served; the oil on the meat dishes had solidified, and the vegetables had turned into cold dishes, which made it hard to have any appetite.

She simply stopped eating, pulled her clothes tighter around herself, and started counting down the time while holding the hand warmer.

Seeing this, Chu Wanqing asked her in a low voice, "Are you cold?"

Yun Jin nodded, then shook her head: "Mother, I'm fine, I can endure it."

Chu Wanqing was also helpless.

The emperor and his princes had stoves on their tables to keep the food warm, while the families of ordinary ministers could only watch.

Prince Yu glanced at her and saw her shrinking her neck. He then beckoned to Jin Hu beside him and whispered a few words.

Jin Hu turned and left.

After a while, several eunuchs brought in braziers, placing one next to Chu Wanqing and Yun Jin, and then placing several more next to the other ladies.

Yun Jin was somewhat surprised. She had just seen him talking to Jin Hu out of the corner of her eye, but she didn't expect that a stove would suddenly appear next to her.

She glanced toward Prince Yu, where Xiao Jingyan was holding a wine glass and talking to someone, as if he hadn't done anything.

She looked away, but a question arose in her mind: what's wrong with this person?

(I'm begging again. Could you guys give me some free updates, support, and five-star reviews? Data is the biggest motivation!)

Please don't mean you really don't have it -_-||)