Zhao Ruyu Side Story 10

"I will certainly take Fushu's matter to heart and do my best to arrange this marriage for her. Please rest assured, Teacher Zhao."

As Madam Zhang was speaking, she was about to take her leave when the old woman guarding the gate of the Zhao Family came in, bowed to Zhao Ruyu, looked at Madam Zhang, and hesitated to speak.

After spending half a year together, Madam Zhang had taken a liking to Zhao Ruyu. Zhao Ruyu had just entrusted Fushu's marriage to Madam Zhang, so naturally she couldn't be a stranger now.

Zhao Ruyu said, "Madam Zhang is not an outsider, she's like my own sister. There's no need to hold back, just speak freely."

"Um... Young Master Yu has sent another invitation," the old woman said.

Zhao Ruyu frowned.

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang looked at Zhao Ruyu, "Young Master Yu? Is he the Young Master Yu who is known as the ' Qin Addict '?"

Zhao Ruyu nodded helplessly, "Exactly."

This Young Master Yu, whose name is Yu Zilü, is a very famous qin player in Jiangnan because of his passion for music and his superb qin skills.

He would go and compete with any musician he heard of who had a superior skill. If the musician's skill was better than his or had any merits, he would sincerely ask for their guidance, regardless of their status or age. This earned him the nickname "Qin Addict".

When Zhao Ruyu participated in the year-end skills competition, she won third place, while the first place went to Yu Zilü.

The first and third place winners seem to be close in ranking, but there is still a big difference in their skill levels. Yu Zilü's piano skills are not only much better than Zhao Ruyu's, but he also far surpasses the second place winner in terms of score.

But now that Zhao Ruyu has come to Jiangnan, her zither skills are constantly being praised. Many people say that Zhao Ruyu's zither skills are on par with Yu Zilü 'Yu Zilü, or even better. So it's not surprising that Yu Zilü came to her door to challenge her to a match.

However, judging from the maid's use of the word "again," this indicates that this is not the first time.

"Since Teacher Zhao has other matters to attend to, I will take my leave," said Madam Zhang, rising to her feet. "I also have a lot of chores to attend to at home."

Zhao Ruyu initially said "it's nothing," but upon hearing the second half of her sentence, she didn't linger and got up to see her off.

Whether Zhang Shun can stay in Gusu for so many years, or whether he can continue to stay here or be promoted, depends on how satisfied the Crown Prince and Crown Princess are with him.

Zhao Ruxi entrusted Zhao Ruyu to the care of the couple, so Zhao Ruyu's affairs were of great importance to them.

When Madam Zhang returned home, she told Zhang Shun everything that had happened and been said at Zhao Ruyu's house, down to the smallest detail.

When Zhang Shun first heard about Fushu's marriage, he opened his mouth to speak. But when he heard Yu Zilü's name, he immediately forgot about Fushu.

He said to Madam Zhang with great excitement, "I know about Yu Zilü. Teacher Zhao's zither skills have been praised by many, Yu Zilü has always wanted to compete with someone..."

Hearing this, Madam Zhang interrupted him dismissively, "What's so strange about that? He's not called Qin Addict ' for nothing."

"Can you please let me finish?" Zhang Shun said, his beard bristling and eyes wide.

"Alright, alright, you tell me, you tell me."

"You know Teacher Zhao's temperament; she doesn't usually go out unless there's something wrong. She always politely declines invitations to banquets. But perhaps she was annoyed by Yu Zilü's constant stream of invitations, and since several famous musicians in Gusu were having a gathering, Lin Yueniang invited Teacher Zhao, and Teacher Zhao accepted."

"As a result, Teacher Zhao won the competition. Yu Zilü said he wanted to learn the zither from her, but was rejected. During this time, he kept sending invitations to Teacher Zhao."

After hearing this, Madam Zhang snorted lightly, "So what? Yu Zilü's nickname ' Qin Addict' isn't for nothing. Teacher Zhao's music skills are excellent, so naturally he'll want to learn from her. What's wrong with that?"

"The problem is, Yu Zilü's real intention in learning the zither this time isn't the instrument itself, but rather the person." Seeing Madam Zhang's disdainful look, Zhang Shun glared at her and said, "Don't you believe me? I'm telling you, Yu Zilü told me he'd taken a liking to Teacher Zhao. Yesterday, when I went to the banquet, he was there too. He pulled me aside and quietly inquired about Teacher Zhao."

Madam Zhang's eyes widened immediately.

Zhang Shun became smug. "You know that Yu Zilü is called a ' Qin Addict ' not only because he loves the qin, but he also once said that he wanted to 'take the qin as his wife.' Now that Teacher Zhao's qin skills are better than his, and she is young and beautiful, isn't it normal for him to have worldly desires?"

After considering Yu Zilü's situation, Madam Zhang was immediately overjoyed. "Oh, I think this marriage is perfectly feasible!"

Yu Zilü was also from a prominent family. Although the Yu Family was not particularly wealthy, they were not poor either, and could be considered a middle-class family in Gusu. However, they had never had many children, and in their generation, there were only two brothers. In terms of personal assets, Yu Zilü had quite a bit of money.

Yu Family brother was fifteen years older than Lü Zilü. After passing the imperial examination, he stayed in the capital to take up a post and had already married and had children.

Yu Zilü loved music from a young age. He easily passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, living up to the reputation of his "scholarly family". After that, he focused on his musical skills and had no interest in fame or fortune.

Yu Zilü 'Yu Zilü mother died early, and his father passed away not long after his marriage.

Yu Zilü got married before his father passed away, but his wife died soon after, leaving no children.

With his father gone and his elder brother far away in the capital, Yu Zilü was free and unrestrained in Gusu, with no one to control him anymore.

Therefore, he stopped taking the imperial examinations and refused to marry again. To avoid matchmakers frequently visiting his home, he declared that he would "take the zither as his wife."

Now Yu Zilü twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. His wife passed away ten years ago, and he is still single and has never considered remarrying.

Now he intends to marry Zhao Ruyu. In Madam Zhang's opinion, the two are a perfect match in terms of age, appearance, and hobbies.

"Let's not get involved in this," Zhang Shun said. "Yu Zilü has done things like standing in the snow outside the teacher's door to learn the zither. If he's determined, he'll surely win over Teacher Zhao's heart. Ultimately, it depends on Teacher Zhao's thoughts and whether she's willing to marry him."

"Furthermore, Yu Zilü is a gentleman who always knows how to behave appropriately, is not disliked, and would never do anything out of line, so we don't need to worry about him."

Madam Zhang nodded, then asked, "What are your thoughts on Fushu?"

"So, what do you think of Manager Liu?" Zhang Shun asked.

Madam Zhang was taken aback for a moment, then clapped her hands. "This marriage is good."

Steward Liu was the steward of the Zhang family. His son had long been freed from slavery and was now managing the Zhang family's business outside. Therefore, Steward Liu's grandson, Liu Chang, was a commoner with a modest fortune. The family was not large. Most of their ancestors and relatives were still servants in the Zhang family.

Liu Chang's marital situation was similar to Yu Zilü's; he also married a woman who died of illness, leaving no children.