Chapter 953 What a fine sword dance!

This was a man in his twenties, or perhaps a little older, with handsome features and an elegant figure. He wore a moon-white robe, which seemed to envelop him like a milky white mist. Because of his light steps and swift movements, he was like a wisp of smoke drifting into the hall.

All eyes were drawn to this enigmatic figure.

Just then, a cold light pierced through the mist, and a long sword in the man's hand emerged like a silver snake, pointing straight at the dome of the main hall.

A collective gasp of breath filled the hall, while Tushe'er's eyes widened with delight.

She recognized it; it was the same one they had seen at Wangyun Pavilion before.

Just as this move stunned everyone, the drumbeats suddenly stopped, and everyone's consciousness paused. Immediately, a melodious and clear flute sound came, like a gentle breeze, making people's minds sway.

The man stretched out his long arms, and the long sword in his hand slowly fell along an invisible arc. The sword was like a rainbow, and under the bright lights around the hall, it left a rainbow shadow in everyone's sight. The long sword pointed to the ground, and then, with the flute music, it rose and fell. The man's wrist turned like a butterfly, and he waved the long sword to draw out a series of dazzling light and shadow.

Just as everyone was captivated by the graceful sword dance, suddenly, the drums sounded again!

The man paused, then suddenly leaped into the air like a nimble cat, flipping and turning in mid-air. His clothes fluttered, his sword moved with him, and he moved with his sword. The longsword was agile and graceful, emitting bursts of dragon roars, causing the onlookers to hold their breath and focus their attention. Their gazes seemed to be drawn to the sword by invisible threads, wandering aimlessly with the swing of the longsword.

Finally, the drumbeats subsided, and the longsword, under everyone's gaze, drew one last, cold, sharp line of light before disappearing into the layers of flowing, misty robes.

"good!"

Yuwen Yuan exclaimed, "What a fine sword dance!"

As soon as he spoke, the crowd, who had been holding their breath and watching quietly, seemed to finally come to their senses and immediately exclaimed in admiration: "It's so beautiful!"

Who is this?

"So there were such skilled dancers in the palace?"

Just as everyone was praising it, Yu Mingyue's eyes sparkled, and she suddenly smiled and said, "Like Yi shooting down nine suns, as graceful as emperors riding dragons. Coming like thunderbolts gathering their fury, ending like the clear light of the ocean, I have never seen such a beautiful sword dance!"

After speaking, she suddenly looked at Shang Ruyi: "Princess Qin, what do you think?"

Originally, everyone's attention was focused on the graceful dancer in the center of the hall. But when she opened her mouth, especially when she recited a poem that was no less beautiful than the sword dance she had just performed, everyone's attention naturally shifted to her. And when they heard her last sentence, everyone subconsciously followed her gaze to the Princess of Qin.

Even Yuwen Yuan turned to look at Shang Ruyi. After all, in his eyes, both of his daughters-in-law were exceptionally talented in literature. Just now, the Crown Princess was able to recite a corresponding and wonderful poem immediately after watching the sword dance. He was greatly impressed and subconsciously wanted the Princess Consort of Qin to compose a poem as well.

But as soon as he turned his head, his gaze suddenly sharpened.

Only then did everyone realize that the Queen of Qin had been staring intently at the dancer.

It wasn't until she heard the Crown Princess's words and was looked at by everyone that Shang Ruyi suddenly snapped out of her daze. Realizing that staring blankly at others was inappropriate, she quickly looked away: "I—"

She hesitated for a moment, and Yu Mingyue smiled and said, "It seems that this sword dance is indeed exquisite, even the Princess Consort of Qin was stunned."

Shang Ruyi's heart skipped a beat.

She subconsciously looked up and saw Yuwen Yuan looking at her with a slight frown.

Shang Ruyi felt a chill run down her spine. Looking again at Yu Mingyue opposite her, whose smiling face held a hint of malice, she took a deep breath and immediately smiled, saying, "Yes, this sword dance is indeed exquisitely beautiful. I heard in my youth that the Sword Saint Yun Shen Gong spent his life with his sword, and his sword dance was breathtakingly beautiful, renowned throughout the world. This dancer—"

After saying that, she glanced at the man again, but this time, her gaze did not linger on him: "He has the air of the Pei family of Xihe."

As soon as she finished speaking, the man turned and glanced at her.

At this moment, the smile on Yuwen Yuan's face gradually faded, yet his expression remained unreadable. He simply asked, "Who are you—"

The dancer kept her head down, while Han Yuhui, the palace maid who had been standing beside Yuwen Yuan, stepped forward and spoke in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear: "His name is Sun Xianyue, yes."

At this point, she glanced at Shang Ruyi, seemingly unintentionally: "She is Pei Yunshen's disciple."

Yuwen Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly: "Oh?"

Shang Ruyi felt another tingling sensation in her back.

She had just said that she realized it was inappropriate for her to keep staring at Sun Xianyue in front of others, so she used the wonderful sword dance of the Pei Clan of Xihe to excuse herself. She never expected that this person would be Pei Yunshen's disciple!

Unfortunately, her name is Sun Xianyue.

Another month has passed.

Just as Shang Ruyi was in a state of utter confusion, Yu Mingyue smiled and said, "Indeed, she is a descendant of the Pei family of Xihe. Princess Qin has excellent taste; she can be considered a confidante."

Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and said calmly, "I wouldn't call them confidants, but I do admire them."

At this moment, Yuwen Yuan said, "The sword dance was excellent. Go and collect your reward."

After saying that, he lowered his head and picked up a glass of wine to drink.

Sun Xianyue, however, had been standing quietly in the center of the hall, showing no reaction to the praise and discussion of the crowd. Now, she looked up at Yuwen Yuan, as if she wanted to say something, but before she could speak, the palace attendant Han Yuhui said, "His Majesty said, you may go and receive your reward."

Sun Xianyue hesitated for a moment, then could only thank the emperor and leave.

Although the sword dance was exquisite, it evoked some inexplicable emotions. Afterwards, no matter how peaceful the singing and dancing were, everyone seemed to feel an unusual sense of gloom pressing down on their hearts. Upon closer reflection, they realized that Yuwen Yuan was in low spirits, so no one dared to act recklessly.

Fortunately, it was getting late, and after a while, the dinner ended, and everyone went home.

Originally, Yuwen Yuan should have chosen to rest at Consort Zhang's or Consort Tao's place that night, but he chose neither and returned to Liangyi Palace alone. After a quick wash, he went to bed to prepare for sleep.

He leaned against the headboard, watching Eunuch Yu who was about to extinguish the candlestick beside him, and suddenly said, "I remember, Chu Yang was a master of sword dance."

Upon suddenly hearing Chu Yang's name, the candlelight flickered, illuminating Eunuch Yu's face, which seemed to freeze.

But he immediately turned around with a smile and said, "Your Majesty has a good memory."

Yuwen Yuan was silent for a moment, then asked, "What about when the Princess Consort of Qin was in Jiangdu Palace—"