On the day of Concubine Jin's birthday banquet, the first person to come to Wei Shuyi was not Prince Lian Xie Yanqing, but Nangong Heng, who had been silent for a long time.
His tone contained a sense of seeking credit, pride, and other inexplicable meanings. He pushed his attendant in front of her.
"Today, the General's Mansion has also prepared a program."
She glanced at Feng Mian: "Oh? What performance?"
"Come, tell Jia Wanrong yourself."
Wei Fengmian calmed his turbulent emotions and clasped his fists towards her: "The Major General has prepared a special wooden sword for us, and we will be performing it in front of His Majesty. My lady should be in the front row now, so she should be able to see it clearly."
My younger brother actually knows martial arts?
Wei Shuyi was not in a position to ask directly, so he looked at Nangong Heng for the answer.
The man then told her, "So, he was like a skinny monkey. I was afraid he wouldn't have enough strength, so I started to nourish his body for a while. After he became stronger, I started to teach him swordsmanship. This kid is extremely talented. He can remember everything he sees, even if others can't learn it after practicing for several days!"
"After all, he is someone who follows the Major General. Of course, his qualifications are different from ordinary people."
She was happy for her brother from the bottom of her heart, and was also grateful for the careful care given to her brother by the Nangong family.
At this point, Nangong Heng suddenly changed the subject: "So, what will the young master perform at the banquet today?"
"I'm too old to do that."
"Is it incompetence or indifference? I can tell." He leaned closer and spoke in a voice only she could hear, "Little Princess Zhaohua, I've watched her grow up. I even gave her a full-moon gift! Others could easily kill a child, but I won't let them have it easy!"
Wei Shuyi was stunned. "Young General, you don't care about military affairs, so why are you asking about the rumors in Yonghua Palace? Zhaohua was in poor health and died of illness. Young General, don't make the wrong assumption."
"You! Do you treat me like an outsider?!"
Whenever he gets angry, his voice will unconsciously rise, attracting attention.
She looked up and didn't deny it: "Major General, let the harem handle the affairs. You don't need to worry about it. Following your grandfather and making great achievements is the most important thing."
"Okay, very good! I'll listen to you!"
Nangong Heng parted ways with her again on bad terms and took Feng Mian to Penglai Palace.
She was left with only melancholy: Xie Yanci had already doubted their relationship. If a general was not careful in his actions, his original intention would be exposed...
The emperor would punish the entire Nangong family. She didn't want to affect her family friendship and drag the young and promising general into trouble because of her hatred.
Wen Yu came over from a distance and said, "My lady, I have been watching the surroundings and no suspicious people have passed by. Now, you can go to the banquet."
"Didn't the prince tell you where we would meet?"
"No."
She nodded and walked along the palace path.
Normally, Wei Shuyi would have chosen a sedan chair to avoid being late. But today, it was her enemy's banquet, and she didn't want to go too early. She suppressed her emotions and put on a smile to play along with the others.
"Jia Wanrong is such a big show, she's the last one to arrive?"
So, as soon as she entered Penglai Palace, she was called out by Concubine Jin.
Although it was said in a joking tone, it still attracted everyone's attention, including Xie Yanci.
Wei Shuyi knelt and saluted: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you, Your Majesty. Before coming here, I prayed for you in the Sangyu Pavilion. I hope you will forgive me for the delay."
"I didn't realize when Jia Wanrong fell in love with praying to the gods and Buddhas. If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's sincerity, I'm afraid the gods wouldn't be able to hear your heart!"
She continued to bow and retorted, "Ever since my daughter left, I've found spiritual support in the gods and Buddhas. Your Majesty's heir hasn't been born yet, so you probably can't understand my feelings."
"Alright! Today is your birthday, why are you always talking nonsense?" Xie Yanci quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, "Jia Wanrong, please take a seat too!"
"Yes, I thank you, Your Majesty."
There was a bit of "empty space" next to her seat.
Noble Lady Wen returned to her residence to recuperate. Consort Xin, due to her low rank, could only sit at the end. Only Shu Shunyi was by her side. After a glass of wine, she felt the rash return, so she went to the dressing room to check.
Wei Shuyi scanned the entire room but did not find Concubine Xu.
"Your Highness, these are the programs prepared by the Music Department. Please select whichever you want to watch."
"Oh? Aren't they performing in order?"
Eunuch Yang smiled flatteringly, "The Emperor is worried that you'll get bored and lose interest in watching the same performances every time, so he lets you choose for yourself."
"Is that so..." Imperial Concubine Jin looked at the Emperor timidly, then turned to the back pages of the booklet. "Your Majesty, I would like to see Sister Xu dance. How do you think that is?"
"Hmm... Concubine Xu's dance was quite charming." Xie Yanci tried hard to recall the past and nodded in agreement. "I wonder what kind of surprise she has prepared for Yao'er today. I've heard before that she locked herself up in Yonghe Palace to practice hard, just for your enjoyment!"
The Emperor and his Concubine chatted as if no one was around. The Empress had seen enough and left the table early. Rong Zhaoyi was not surprised and continued to force herself to drink.
Wei Shuyi heard a bell chime and immediately turned to look outside. He saw Concubine Xu, her long hair loose and bound with a lavender headband. She had shed her tightly-fitting palace attire for a voluptuous dance dress. With every step she took, the bells on her ankles chimed. If one had never seen her before, one might have mistaken her for an exotic beauty.
"Your Highness, I pay my respects to His Majesty, and to His Majesty the Imperial Concubine."
She regained her original seductive charm, and as she spoke, her eyes flickered, not only stealing glances at the emperor's expression, but also radiating her charm to the surrounding courtiers.
Concubine Jin frowned unhappily: "Lady Xu, don't you know what day it is today? It's inappropriate to dress like this!"
"Your Highness, you've misunderstood me. The dance I prepared required this kind of costume, it wasn't intentional," she replied delicately, walking barefoot to the center of the stage. "Please, everyone from the Music Department, play the music. I've already given you the music sheet."
As soon as she finished speaking, Concubine Xu began to dance to the music.
She was a nine-tailed fox that had become a spirit. Her every frown and smile became a source of attraction for the men present. Her waist was soft and her expression was frivolous. Although Wei Shuyi was a woman, she also felt an unusual passion, which was something that the dancers' methodical movements could not match.
While everyone was staring at the beauty, Wei Shuyi became curious about the bagged objects in the corner of the stage.
It doesn't look like the instrument was prepared. Could it be that Lady Xu wanted to change the props mid-performance? Or...
Suddenly, the sound of a bone flute came to her ears. She was holding it and spinning, getting closer and closer to the platform. The intention of seducing the king was obvious, which made Concubine Jin's face darken.
“What are you doing?!”
"..." Concubine Xu had no time to pay attention to him, but walked around the imperial desk and fell into the emperor's arms.
And he didn't refuse.
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