Romancing the Son of Heaven

Stratagem 35: Expose the Deeply Hidden Truths (2)

Yu Gan turned to glance at the king before turning back to look at the curtain again. It was a little strange to speak to the Son of Heaven without being able to see him but still, since he was the one she was supposed to play for, she'd rather hear his opinion. "Well then, is there anything you would like to hear specifically?"

Jing He took a moment to consider. "Specifically ... I don't think there is a specific song but I would be very happy if you could play something that was native to the dragon realm. I'm sure there will be some songs that are popular or hold a special meaning to the dragons."

Yu Gan lowered her head, hiding a smile. The king might have had his doubts about how far he had really gotten in wooing the Son of Heaven but hearing this request, she was sure that he was further than he believed.

Surely, he wouldn't have made this request if he didn't care about their king, would he? No, in that case, he would've just told her to choose herself. Instead, he had asked for this, as if he wanted to know more about their race and maybe even their king.

Looking at things from that perspective, Yu Gan also had a good idea of what exactly to play. Picking up her instrument, she looked back up and figured that she should give an explanation. "If that is so, then let me start with something that is reminiscent of what happened on this day so many years ago. Your Highness might know how our current king came to be in power?"

Jing He glanced at Qiu Ling and then gave a faint hum. "I heard that Longjun was able to end the war with the demons."

"Yes, that is it. He was the one who gave us hope in that difficult time. And even though many of the songs from that time were lost in the aftermath of the war, a few have survived. Some were found in parts at least and we restored them to what we believe they might have once been.

"The song I want to play is precisely one of those. More than half of the original version has been passed down over time. But for a few verses, we've had to make some guesses as to how it was originally meant to be played. What we came up with is how the dragons have been playing this song for a long time now. I hope that Your Highness will like this song." With that, she started to play.

Jing He held onto Qiu Ling's hand, listening intently. He knew about Qiu Ling's history. Not too much, but at least a little. There were still more things that he had never heard about but he hoped that this would change with time. To hear somebody of the dragon race voice their emotions regarding this king of theirs — even if it was just in a song — that was an opportunity he cherished.

Yes, he wanted to hear this. He wanted to see just how the dragons saw the man he loved. He wanted to know what they thought of him, what he really meant to them. It might be similar to what he himself felt for the dragon king. At the very least, that seemed to be likely.

The song originally started out slow, sounding like a lament. Jing He wasn't sure if he understood at first but thinking back, he remembered that the war had started just after the old king died. The dragons had been mourning him. That should be what this part of the song was about.

He wasn't sure if he imagined it but, for a moment, Qiu Ling's grasp on his hand seemed to tighten. Jing He glanced over, trying to figure out from his expression what he was thinking but actually found it to be blank.

His thoughts almost drifted off but then, the melody picked up, turning into a tune that spelled chaos and fear, the loss of hope. It almost seemed as if this was the end of the dragon race's people.

Listening to this made his heart beat faster and inspired the very same feeling in him. He had grown up in peace. He didn't know what war was like. But he did know how it was to feel insecure, to fear for your life. These were things he had personally experienced when he was young.