Chapter Thirty-Seven: Dance Competition in the Courtyard

The artificial hill was right in front of them. If they could quietly slip past the peacocks in the courtyard, they could enter the stone cave inside the hill and leave this private residence safely. Mu Lian led Ye Yiqing forward slowly and stealthily. The peacocks in the courtyard stared intently at the two of them, seemingly deep in thought.

"My darling, my darling, be good..." Ye Yuqing prayed silently in her heart, praying that this peacock would let them off the hook and not make a sound.

But just as she feared, it happened. Just as Mu Lian and Ye Yiqing passed by the peacock, the peacock suddenly spread its tail feathers wide, staring arrogantly at Ye Yiqing, as if vying for beauty. "Hmph, where did this young man come from? How dare he pretend to be more beautiful than me? I'll make him feel ashamed!"

The wind created by the spread of her tail feathers lifted the veil covering Ye Yiqing's face, revealing a handsome and refined face. She had taken every precaution, fooling everyone, but who would have thought that a peacock would see through her disguise?

This is precisely where animals' sensitivity surpasses that of humans. Although Ye Yiqing had put in a great deal of effort to portray this dancer, nearly using up half a box of face powder, no matter how much she disguised herself, her innate masculine air couldn't be concealed. Proud as a peacock, she couldn't stand the presence of a man more handsome than herself. Rest was optional, but a beauty contest was a must!

The sudden turn of events caught Mu Lian and Ye Yuqing off guard, causing them to slow their pace. They then heard a voice calling out from behind, "Who is here?"

Mu Lian was slightly startled. The voice was very familiar. Could it be the heir of the Prince of Ruyang? Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a group of soldiers escorting a noble young man in a tall hat and wide belt as he gracefully approached. It was none other than Li Peixuan, her nemesis.

Holding Ye Yiqing tightly, Mu Lian bowed and said softly, "Greetings, esteemed guest. I was passing by with my sister on our way back to our room when we happened to see that our master's beloved pet was still awake. We thought we'd come closer to take a look..."

In the candlelight, the woman before him wore a red geisha dress, her face veiled except for her limpid, watery eyes. She was exquisitely beautiful and captivating. However, the woman behind her appeared rather robust. He vaguely recalled a dancer accompanying him back to his room, but he had no recollection of how they left.

In a flash, Li Peixuan used the ribs of his fan to help Mu Lian up, and smiled slightly, "It's not that I'm being presumptuous, but I feel that you look familiar. The moonlight is lovely tonight, so how about you join me for a few more drinks?" Although the pill had erased most of Li Peixuan's memories of meeting Mu Lian tonight, the impression of the red-clad dancer was so profound that although he couldn't remember the dancer's face, he vaguely remembered the incident.

She tightened her grip on her fingertips, raised her watery eyes, and softly replied, "How could I dare? I will comply with your request, esteemed guest." The situation was not good; it was not advisable to force her way in. She could only feign compliance for now.

The group turned and sat down in the corner pavilion beside the covered walkway. Soon, servants brought fine wine and delicacies, and under the bright moonlight tonight, the atmosphere was quite poetic.

Ye Yiqing felt somewhat resentful, thinking to himself that the Prince of Ruyang was taking advantage of the situation. However, since he hadn't recognized him yet, he thought, "Why don't I, this young master, keep you company for a while?"

Ye Yiqing tightened the thin veil on her face, picked up the wine cup, and held it to Li Peixuan's lips: "Honored guest, please drink this cup to the brim..." Her voice was melodious and charming, with a touch of feminine grace.

Mu Lian paused slightly as she poured the wine, somewhat surprised. How could this Ye Tanhua produce a woman's voice? You must know that men and women are structurally different and have different natures. No matter how much one tries to disguise it, at most one can only resemble the appearance, but not the voice or the spirit.

Ye Yiqing glanced at the woman in front of him, a hint of smugness in his eyes. He had learned this ventriloquism from Meng Yuan in his spare time; while he couldn't achieve a perfect imitation, it was still enough to fool people occasionally.

Taking the wine cup, Li Peixuan drank it down without hesitation. If he had harbored some doubts about the burly woman's identity earlier, those doubts now vanished. A man certainly couldn't produce a woman's voice.

The moonlight is beautiful tonight. The courtyard is shaded by pine and bamboo trees, with a small bridge over a flowing stream and winding paths leading to secluded spots, creating a scene of elegance and poetic charm. With a beautiful woman by his side, eagerly urging him to drink, Li Peixuan suddenly felt a surge of enthusiasm for wine.

Raising his silver chopsticks, he lightly tapped a golden enamel-carved wine cup, and in the cool night breeze, the noble young man, his robes fluttering, began to sing a song to the rhythm.

"A great wind rises, clouds fly high; my might extends across the land, I return to my homeland..."

"The roar of the bear and the cry of the dragon echo in the rocky springs, startling the towering peaks in the deep chestnut forest..."

His singing voice was clear and melodious, and his expression was unrestrained, displaying a certain romantic charm.

This Prince Ruyang's heir is not entirely an ordinary person. A hint of appreciation flashed in Mu Lian's eyes.

Where there is song, there must be dance. With a flick of her skirt, Ye Yiqing incorporated horseback riding movements into her dance, moving with a surprisingly graceful rhythm to Li Peixuan's percussion. The two of them were perfectly in sync, and Mu Lian suddenly felt somewhat superfluous.

The atmosphere in the courtyard suddenly became lively. The peacock, which had been observing from the sidelines, also joined in, not wanting to be outdone. It let out a few sharp cries, then proudly raised its head again, spread its emerald tail feathers, and paced back and forth, as if to echo the rhythm of the two people.

Interesting, really interesting!

The soldiers stationed there had never seen such a spectacle before. They all craned their necks to look into the courtyard, some even cheering excitedly. Following the sounds, Meng Yuan stealthily crept in. With a swift chop, she knocked out a soldier behind her, dragged him to a secluded spot, changed his clothes, and quietly returned to her original position, completely unnoticed.

"Where's the wine? Bring the wine..." The powder that was secretly sprinkled on Li Peixuan earlier has taken effect; it seems he won't be leaving until he's drunk tonight.

While pouring the wine from the jar, Mu Lian and Meng Yuan secretly exchanged a signal. If they could get Li Peixuan drunk, they could leave as soon as possible.

The woman's slender, pale hands held a golden wine cup filled with amber-colored liquor; the wine itself was intoxicating. Li Peixuan felt dizzy, but inexplicably accepted the wine, only his tapping of the cup quickened, becoming like a sudden storm. Upon hearing this, Ye Yiqing simultaneously quickened his pace, his simple horseback riding movements becoming powerful, swift, and steady, as if he were challenging Li Peixuan.

Mu Lian and Meng Yuan exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised. They had originally thought Ye Tanhua was just a frail scholar, but they hadn't expected him to possess such skills.

Meanwhile, as Li Peixuan and Ye Yuqing were secretly competing, even the magnificent peacocks in the courtyard, displaying their beautiful plumage, couldn't stay still. As if understanding their thoughts, they were determined to win no matter what. Suddenly, their steps quickened, accompanied by occasional chirps, creating a surprisingly rhythmic gait.

"It's exhilarating, truly exhilarating..." Li Peixuan exclaimed with a laugh.

"It's exhilarating, but a little tiring," Ye Yuqing said through gritted teeth.

Finally, the alcohol took effect, and Li Peixuan fell into a deep sleep again. In the last moment before he collapsed, he suddenly remembered that the peacock in the courtyard only liked to compete in beauty with men. So, was the tall dancer from before actually a man?