Chapter 350
Everyone looked at the imperial concubine and the emperor seated above.
Song Xuan's face was cold, clearly angered, while Shen Qingnian remained calm, seemingly unaffected by Shen Man's words.
Shen Qingnian looked at Shen Zheng kneeling on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, although Consort Shen has committed insubordination, she is still the late Empress's younger sister. If the late Empress were alive, she would probably not want to punish Consort Shen. Why not punish Consort Shen by making her dance for this bonfire banquet to liven things up?"
For a woman in the imperial harem to perform a dance in public was undoubtedly a huge humiliation. Although Shen Man came from a merchant family, she understood this principle, but she had no choice but to agree with a pale face.
She retreated with tears in her eyes, and Shen Zheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The atmosphere at the banquet returned to harmony, with compliments constantly being offered.
"Her Highness the Imperial Concubine is truly merciful, letting Consort Shen off so easily. She is truly kind-hearted."
"Yes, yes, compared to the Imperial Concubine, Consort Shen is really not up to par, no wonder she is not favored by His Majesty."
"That noble lady is actually the young prince's cousin, and they're so close..."
......
Amidst the chatter of the crowd, Shen Man, now dressed in a red dance costume, walked over.
Shen Man reapplied makeup to her face. She had indeed studied dance, but she wasn't particularly outstanding; she could manage to do it for now.
Looking at Shen Man's face, which bore a striking resemblance to her own, Shen Qingnian waved to the attendant beside her and said, "Send musicians to play music for Consort Shen."
As the musicians entered, Shen Man assumed a dance pose, and began to dance gracefully as the music started.
If she was going to dance, she had to do her best to dance well. She wanted His Majesty to see her dance moves and to see her beauty!
Shen Man danced with all her might, trying her best to do every movement perfectly, like a fluttering butterfly, attracting everyone's attention.
Shen Qingnian also watched Shen Man's dance intently, but the man beside her had his head slightly lowered and was holding her hand under the table, fiddling with it, as if her hand was more beautiful than her dance.
As the music ended, so did the dance.
As the song ended, Shen Man stood in the center of the campfire, slightly out of breath, looking at the exceptionally handsome man seated above her. But the most esteemed man in the world did not even glance at her.
The light in Shen Man's eyes gradually faded, and a sense of powerlessness and resentment rose in her heart.
“Your Majesty,” she knelt down.
The handsome emperor, high in rank, then looked at her with a condescending air, before waving his hand and shooing her away like a fly.
Shen Man's eyes were dim and she felt unwilling. She bit her lip, walked to her table, poured herself a drink, and then went to Song Xuan's side.
She presented the wine cup filled with wine with both hands: "Your Majesty, I was rash today and offended you. Please forgive me."
She had added something to the wine—the packet of medicine General Shen had given her during the autumn hunt...
Song Xuan looked at Shen Man, his eyes filled with coldness.
[Do you think Xiao Xuanzi will fall for it?]
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