newbobooks Chapter 205 Xiao Jingdi
Chapter 205 Xiao Jingdi
The Nangong Youyu sisters saw an old man in white sitting upstream of the stream playing the flute.
The two sisters exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with surprise and delight. Nangong Youling took her sister's hand and carefully approached the old man. The old man seemed to sense their presence, stopped playing, and looked at the two sisters with gentle eyes.
"Grandpa, the tune you played is so beautiful," Nangong Youling said in a clear voice. The old man smiled slightly: "Little girl, what are you doing here?"
Nangong Youyu politely replied, "We came out for a spring outing with Mr. Nangong Youling." Nangong Youling said with a longing look, "Grandpa, could you play another tune?"
The old man nodded, brought the flute to his lips, and said kindly, "Alright, play another tune." The beautiful flute music once again filled the air, and the two sisters listened, completely captivated.
Before long, Mr. Jiang arrived and was surprised to see the old man. It turned out that the old man was Master Xiao, who had been living in seclusion for many years. Master Xiao was proficient in music and could play various musical instruments skillfully.
Mr. Jiang bowed respectfully and asked Master Xiao to give some guidance to the Nangong sisters. Master Xiao asked with some surprise, "In the Nangong family, are the members of the You generation the direct line or a collateral branch?"
Wen Yuxia had said not to trust outsiders and not to reveal family information. Not knowing whether Master Xiao was an enemy or friend of the Nangong family, Nangong Youling did not intend to answer Master Xiao's questions.
She clasped her hands in a traditional martial arts salute, looked up at Master Xiao, and asked innocently, "Grandpa, do you know anyone from the Nangong family?"
Master Xiao's face showed a look of nostalgia. Of course, he knew the Nangong family; his deceased confidante, Nangong Yangyang, was from the Nangong family.
"Yes, I know him. Nangong Yangjian is an old friend of mine, and Nangong Yangyang is my betrothed," Xiao Jingdi said, a hint of melancholy in his voice.
Upon hearing this, Nangong Youling and Nangong Youyu exchanged a glance. Nangong Yangjian was their great-grandfather, and Nangong Yangyang was their deceased great-aunt.
When Nangong Yangyang was young, she was kidnapped by the Nangong family's enemies. To preserve her chastity, she bit her tongue and committed suicide. Her fiancé, Xiao Jingdi, never married because of her early death.
Everyone in the Nangong family knew about their love story. Nangong Yangjian even specially wrote Xiao Jingdi's name into the Nangong family genealogy, requiring everyone in the Nangong family to take care of Xiao Jingdi in his old age.
Since Master Xiao was indeed Xiao Jingdi, the Nangong sisters saw no need to conceal their identities. Nangong Youyu directly stated, "Great-Grandpa, we are Nangong Wenrui's daughters."
The cry of "Great-Grandpa!" brought tears to Xiao Jingdi's eyes. Nangong Yangjian had once said that the Nangong family's descendants would take care of him in his old age and see him off in his final days, which led him to settle down with the Nangong family after he grew tired of his reclusive life.
Now that Nangong Wenrui has a daughter, it's time for him to retire to the Nangong family. Xiao Jingdi wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "Children, how about your great-uncle lives with you from now on?"
“Okay,” Nangong Youling said, stepping forward to help Xiao Jingdi up. The two sisters, disregarding their outing, immediately asked Mr. Jiang to take them home.
Back at the Princess's residence, Wen Yuxia personally arranged accommodations for Xiao Jingdi and sent someone to inform Nangong Wenrui, who was currently reviewing the accounts at the Jin Yu Man Tang jewelry store.
Hearing that Xiao Jingdi had arrived, Nangong Wenrui closed the door, returned to the small world, and used it to go to the Nangong family's old residence. He summoned his grandfather, Nangong Yangjian, his father, Nangong Junxi, and his mother, Liu Rumei, and brought the three of them back to the Princess's Mansion.
When Nangong Yangjian and Xiao Jingdi, two elderly men with white hair, looked at each other, tears welled up in their eyes before they could even speak. Nangong Junxi quickly led the others out of the room, leaving the two old men alone.
The Nangong family's old residence was in Sichuan, where people love spicy food. Since the princess's household chefs weren't skilled at cooking Sichuan cuisine, Wen Yuxia personally prepared a large feast of Sichuan dishes to entertain Nangong Yangjian and his entourage.
After dinner, Wen Yuxia and Liu Rumei took the children back to their rooms to rest, while Nangong Yangjian and the others continued drinking and chatting. Xiao Jingdi took a sip of his wine and slowly said, "Having traveled all over the continent, I still think the baijiu from Great Xia tastes the purest."
"Grandpa, the purest baijiu in Daxia comes from our family," Nangong Wenrui said with a beaming smile. Wen Yuxia was his wife, so what belonged to his wife was his, and his businesses were essentially part of the Nangong family.
Xiao Jingdi asked with some confusion, "Why doesn't the Nangong family's liquor sell to other countries?" The Nangong family has businesses in various countries across this continent, and Xiao Jingdi couldn't understand why such a popular liquor would only be sold in Great Xia.
Upon hearing this, Nangong Wenrui's eyes lit up. "That's right!" he exclaimed. "Wen Yuxia monopolizes the fruit wine and refined spirits of Great Xia. The Nangong family could monopolize the brewing of fruit wine and spirits in other countries!"
"Grandpa, thank you! Your words have been a wake-up call," Nangong Wenrui said, rising to take his leave.
Xiao Jingdi turned to look at Nangong Yangjian, who chuckled and said, "The wine was invented by Mu Hua. Every prefecture in the Great Xia Dynasty has a winery run by Mu Hua. That kid Wen Rui must have gone to discuss it with Mu Hua."
Nangong Yangjian also told Xiao Jingdi that the formulas for the perfume and scented soap were provided by Wen Yuxia, and that the fragrance essence and liquid used in the perfume and scented soap were also formulated by Wen Yuxia.
Xiao Jingdi exclaimed, "Brother, your Wenrui married a treasure!" Nangong Yangjian nodded in agreement.
The next day, Xiao Jingdi began teaching music to the Nangong Youling sisters. After Li Zhaofeng learned that Master Xiao was staying at the Princess's Mansion, he asked the Nangong Youcheng brothers to go back to the Princess's Mansion during their days off to ask Master Xiao for advice on music theory.
Nangong Yangjian wanted to spend more time with Xiao Jingdi, so he stayed at the Princess's residence. Nangong Junxi asked Nangong Wenrui to send him and Liu Rumei back to the Nangong family home.
As time went by, under Xiao Jingdi's tutelage, the Nangong sisters' musical skills improved day by day. One day, at a banquet held at the Princess's mansion, Nangong Youling played "High Mountains and Flowing Water" for everyone, and the beautiful music amazed all present.
Then Nangong Youyu took the stage and played "Ambush from Ten Sides." After listening, Xie Qianlian clutched her chest and said, "This is the first time I've heard someone play 'Ambush from Ten Sides' so well."
The moment the melody began, the tense rhythm struck Xie Qianlian's heart like the resounding beat of drums on a battlefield. She seemed to see the fierce scene of two armies clashing.
Then, the melody changed, and Xie Qianlian heard the cautious footsteps of the soldiers who had launched the sneak attack...
Zhang Jinxuan's wife exclaimed dramatically, "I was so nervous, I didn't dare to breathe!"
Li Jiating's wife nodded in agreement. Nangong Youyu's rendition of "Ambush from Ten Sides" was truly masterful; she listened with her hands clenched tightly, her palms sweating.
Wen Yuxia said with a faint smile, "Youyu and Youling are disciples of Master Xiao. Master Xiao is currently living in the mansion, and he plans to open a school and take on disciples."
When Master Xiao announced he was taking on apprentices, everyone became restless, crowding around Wen Yuxia to inquire about the requirements for becoming an apprentice, the location for the ceremony, and the teaching facilities.
Wen Yuxia replied to each question with a faint smile. After getting the answers she wanted, the noble ladies took their leave one after another. After the news that Master Xiao was recruiting disciples at Princess Muhua's mansion spread, high-ranking officials and nobles brought their children to the mansion for interviews, and the mansion was bustling with activity for a time.