I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 301 Not a Liar
"Hurry up, the decorations here are crooked, someone come and straighten them... Hey, hey, hey, why is there an empty space here? Didn't I say I was going to put a table here? Someone come quick!"

Fergus anxiously directed the servants in the hall, his brow furrowed, glancing frequently at the list in his hand to ensure that every ornament was placed exactly as he had requested.

Fergus was one of the few people in the know about this banquet. He knew that the banquet, which was held on short notice tonight, was of great importance. Although there were not many guests, each one of them was a heavyweight. Any mistake in the details could have extremely serious consequences, which would affect the reputation and future of the castle's owner, who was also his master.

In this era that emphasized the unity of master and servant, Fergus would never allow his master to behave improperly.

Just as things were getting hectic, the deputy head steward Edmund strolled over with unhurried steps, a stark contrast to the other servants who hurried past him. This made it easy for Fergus to spot Edmund's brightly colored figure in the crowd.

Fergus's bloodshot eyes suddenly narrowed to slits. As the peacock blue velvet cloak behind the deputy manager swept across the freshly wiped marble floor, the steward noticed a speck of red clay on the tip of the deputy manager's deerskin boots... that was the unique soil from the entrance to the cellar where the liqueur was stored.

"Greetings, Your Excellency."

The deputy supervisor gave him an exaggerated curtsy, the silver belt inlaid with amethysts jingling softly. As he raised his hand, Fergus caught a whiff of alcohol emanating from his cuffs.

Fergus's face twitched. He knew that the bastard had definitely gone to the wine cellar to steal wine, and he certainly hadn't drunk much or expensive wine, because this guy had done this more than once.

If this scoundrel hadn't been the younger brother of the castle owner's lover, Fergus would have had him beaten to death and buried in the garden to be used as fertilizer.

"Speak, Deputy Chief Steward Edmund, what do you want?"

Fergus emphasized the word "deputy manager," giving it a strong tone.

Edmund wore a fawning smile, his fingers unconsciously tracing the amethyst on his belt. He took a step closer, and the smell of cheap pine resin became even stronger.

"My lord, I heard that the banquet is still short of entertainers?"

Edmund lowered his voice, but his eyes darted around restlessly.

"There just so happens to be a group of master bards from the Bohemian Empire; their skills are superb."

Fergus's thick fingers clicked as he gripped the list. He knew that expression all too well… his right eyelid would twitch involuntarily every time Edmund accepted a bribe.

"Make them get out."

Fergus forced out a few words through clenched teeth.

"Now the castle doesn't need those of dubious origin."

"But they've already passed the guards' check; they're not of unknown origin!"

Edmund hurriedly pulled a crumpled piece of parchment from his pocket.

"This is a travel document, and it bears the captain of the guard's wax seal."

Fergus snatched the document, his hawk-like gaze sweeping over every detail.

The document was indeed genuine, but there was an unnatural indentation on the edge of the sealing wax, a sign that it had been opened and resealed. He looked up sharply and noticed a bit of red sealing wax that hadn't been wiped off on Edmund's right little finger.

Edmund seized the opportunity to speak.

“A banquet must have music, but time is too tight right now. The only bards and singers I can find are a group of masters from Bohemia.”

"Is there no one else in Tavitsky City?"

"Their singing isn't as good as those masters'."

Ferguson laughed immediately, partly because his anger had reached its limit, and partly because he realized this was an opportunity... an opportunity to drive Edmund out of the castle.

Tonight's banquet is very important, but Edmund seems unaware of it... It's quite normal that he doesn't know, because his position is insignificant. No matter how much the castle's owner loves his lover, he wouldn't dare let her brother know that the King of Minicia is in the castle.

Edmund had assumed that tonight's banquet was for the former King of Bagnia, who was temporarily residing here.

Because of this misconception, he dared to accept bribes and recommend a group of swindlers to himself.

Fergus decided that he would go to see the conman himself, expose their tricks, and drive both the conman and Edmund out of the castle.

Fergus slammed the document down on Edmund's chest, the silk fabric making a tearing sound.

"Lead the way, where are they?"

He loosened the scarf that was tied too tightly, and the bronze buttons flew off, striking the tiles with a dangerous rhythm.

"Your Excellency, they are in the Lapis Lazuli Hall."

Edmund didn't care at all about Fergus's rudeness. As a nobody, he knew his place. He knew what he could and couldn't do, and he felt he could do what was happening today.

When the door to the Lapis Lazuli Hall was pushed open, five figures were tuning musical instruments.

Fergus didn't rush to vent his anger. After entering, he tidied his appearance and politely inquired of the five men... Regardless, he was now representing not himself, but the castle's steward. Even knowing they were frauds, he couldn't lose his noble manners. "Good day, gentlemen."

Good day…

Fergus's voice was as smooth as a frozen lake. He placed his right hand on his left chest in a standard courtly salute, but his gaze swept over the five men like a scalpel, trying to find something amiss.

The five players stopped what they were doing and all looked at Fergus.

The leader, Ye Aonai, smiled slightly, stood up, and gave Fergus a standard bow.

"Good day, Your Excellency. We are a troupe of bards from Bohemia, and it is a great honor to perform for tonight's banquet."

Fergus's gaze swept over Ye Aonai's attire. This man, who called himself a bard, wore a seemingly simple linen robe, but the collar faintly revealed silver embroidery patterns... Such attire was usually a minor habit of nobles.

Even more suspicious were the suede gloves he wore around his waist, which were not bohemian in style, but rather the recently popular Bagnian style.

"Please allow us to present 'Sonnets Under the Moon'."

Ye Ao Naihe placed his fingers on his chest in homage to Fergus. Upon hearing the name, the latter felt that the former might actually have some skill.

The Sonnet under the Moon is a poem that has recently become popular among the Miniserian nobility. It was written by a famous court poet and is known for its beautiful melody and lyrics that are full of praise for love and glory.

"Please begin."

Fergus took a half step back and quietly pressed his right hand on the bell at his waist. If anything seemed amiss with the five men, he would ring the alarm bell to summon the castle guards who were already positioned outside the door to rush in and bring them to justice.

The five players began their performance. Alibaba took out an exquisite seven-stringed lyre, Ye Aonaihe slid a silver harmonica from his sleeve, and the other three also took out their instruments: an ornate recorder, a pair of silver-plated rhythm bells, and an ancient-style lute.

As the performance began, Alibaba's fingers first gently plucked the strings, and clear notes flowed out like a spring. Then, Ye Ao Naihe's recorder joined the melody, which made Fergus's brows relax involuntarily, because the performer used a rare circular breathing technique to make the originally mournful interlude of "Sonnets Under the Moon" feel like a gentle spring breeze.

From this alone, the castle steward knew that these five people were indeed proficient in music and were musicians from formal academies, not self-taught singing poets.

The addition of rhythm bells is even more ingenious; each strike of the silver bells lands precisely on the weak beat of the rhythm, adding a unique sense of rhythm to the music.

But what impressed Fergus the most was the singer's performance; his deep and magnetic voice perfectly expressed the knight's love for his beloved in the poem.

Even more astonishingly, he suddenly changed his singing style during the second chorus, using a powerful chest resonance to sing a cadenza not found in the original song... It was a unique throat singing technique of nomadic peoples that Fergus had only heard of but never heard in person.

"this……"

Fergus's fingers slipped off the bells. These improvisations not only did not ruin the charm of the original piece, but also infused it with a refreshing vitality.

When the lute joined the ensemble, the harmony created by the five instruments made the entire lapis lazuli hall seem to be bathed in moonlight.

Suddenly, Ye Aonaihe's harmonica played a vibrato, and Alibaba nodded in understanding, adding a stunning key change to the last section.

They have perfectly blended Miniserian court poetry with Bohemian folk songs, creating a wonderful experience that is both familiar and novel.

Before the last note had even faded, Fergus couldn't help but applaud. He was now convinced that these five people were singers from the Bohemian Empire. They must have come to Minicia to travel, see more of the sights, and learn more about music.

It was not uncommon for such artists to travel between courts of various countries, but their skills were so exquisite that Fergus found it hard to believe for a moment.

"Absolutely brilliant."

Fergus nodded slightly, the wariness in his tone completely gone.

"Well then, welcome to tonight's banquet, but..."

He lowered his voice.

"There are several rules that must be followed."

Alibaba stopped tuning the strings, and all five of them looked intently at the steward.

"First, the repertoire for the performance must be submitted in advance; second, performers must not engage in conversation with guests without permission; third..."

Fergus's expression turned serious.

"Never go near the Rose Hall on the east side."

Ye Aonai nodded thoughtfully.

"We are merely musicians here to perform, sir. We understand the court rules."

"Very well. Regarding compensation, although the five of you are exceptionally skilled, your reputation..."

(End of this chapter)