Chapter 24: The disciple surpasses the master
The threshold of Xuanfeng Courtyard was paved with the extravagance of a show of wealth. Upon entering the hanging flower gate, one was greeted by the dazzling halo of light from the colorful coral trees of the South China Sea, reflected in the blazing afternoon sun. Walking around the rockery, one's feet were no longer paved with bluestone, but instead, a Sichuan brocade carpet, each inch of which was worth a fortune. The melodious sound of stringed instruments lingered like mist and smoke. Dancers, their sleeves fluttering, their eyes fleeting, their bare hands gently lifting wine cups from the winding water and offering them to the distinguished guests.
At the center of this dazzling display sat a single girl in purple—the youngest princess of the current empress. Her tiny body stood erect, her almond-shaped eyes fixed unblinkingly on the moon-shaped door, her lips unconsciously pouting slightly.
As Prince Langya and Feng Yanhao chatted over their cups, Feng Yanxuan looked up at the sundial for the third time. Only when a figure appeared through the moonlit doorway and Feng Yanyuan leisurely stepped in did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
Feng Yanyuan sat down calmly, and the maid in snow-white clothes stood quietly behind him, her drooping eyelashes hiding all expression.
The song had barely ended, but the lingering sound was still there when Feng Yanxuan laughed out loud, "Third brother is finally here! The princess kept nagging us, so she moved up the start of the banquet by half an hour."
Feng Yanyuan stood up, his wide sleeves fluttering as he bowed gracefully. "I greet Her Royal Highness the Princess and His Royal Highness the Prince of Langya. I'm afraid I've been disrespectful today, and I didn't expect to be late."
"Of course not," Prince Langya chuckled, holding his cup. "This is just a spontaneous banquet, so why would you say it's delayed?"
The princess could no longer contain herself and walked forward with her skirt lifted.
Yun Yuan stood still with her eyes lowered. She caught a glimpse of this princess who was a little younger than Qiu Tang. She had the childishness of a young girl in her eyes and eyebrows, but her face was stretched out and she acted very arrogantly.
"Hmph." The princess paced around Feng Yanyuan for half a circle, suddenly stood on tiptoe to get a closer look, and finally raised her chin and said, "He is indeed a handsome man." As she spoke, she glanced at Feng Yanxuan, "You wear eyebrows and makeup, and if you take off the makeup, you may not be as handsome as him." The pretentious tone, coupled with the baby fat cheeks, made her look like a child who had stolen adult clothes.
Feng Yanxuan chuckled upon hearing this, a hint of mischief flashing in his eyes: "If Your Highness is interested in him, why not move to Yuanfeng Courtyard today?"
The princess raised her chin and said proudly, "Is your Yuanfeng Courtyard better than this garden?"
Feng Yanyuan bowed his head slightly, his tone respectful yet distant, "Yuanfeng Courtyard is simple, without carved railings or jade bricks, and with few attendants to serve. I'm afraid this would be an injustice to your highness's precious body."
"You——" The princess raised her eyebrows, "Are you saying you don't welcome me?"
"I dare not." He kept his brows lowered, speaking slowly, "I simply do not want to neglect Your Highness."
"Wanwan," Prince Langya shook his head helplessly and reminded gently, "Didn't we agree that today would just be an ordinary banquet, without any princess airs?"
"I insist on doing it!" She stamped her feet and suddenly pointed, "Well, I won't go to your shabby yard. You—and Feng Yanxuan, come and keep me company!"
Prince Langya frowned slightly and lowered his voice: "How shameful..."
"What's the point of being polite?" A stubborn flame ignited in the princess's eyes. "Why can you all take concubines, but I can only wait for an arranged marriage? This time I leave the palace to choose a lover!" As soon as she finished speaking, everyone in the room was stunned. Even the fish in the pond seemed to be frightened by these shocking words and sank to the bottom of the water.
The young masters of the Feng family looked at each other in bewilderment, their voices trembling with fear for a moment. Seeing this, Prince Langya quickly smiled and smoothed things over, "Don't take it personally, everyone. It was just a joke." Seeing the princess still glaring angrily, he lowered his voice and reminded her, "Wanwan, do you remember what you promised His Majesty before you left?"
"I have to listen to Brother Rui..." The princess muttered reluctantly, her pink lips pouting high, but she glared at Feng Yanyuan helplessly, then returned to her seat in disappointment.
Feng Yanyuan glanced coldly at Feng Yanxuan who was trying to suppress his laughter, and sat down calmly.
At this moment, Feng Yanhao, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up: "Third brother should be punished for angering Her Royal Highness the Princess."
Just as Prince Langya was about to refuse, the princess blushed and shouted, "You deserve to be punished!"
"Your Highness is absolutely right." Feng Yanxuan agreed with a smile, "My third brother is a great zither player. How about having him play a tune to entertain Your Highness?"
The princess's anger subsided immediately upon hearing this, and Prince Langya, noticing her softening expression, stopped trying to stop her.
Feng Yanyuan stood up calmly and said respectfully, "Your Highness is well-informed. I'm afraid playing the zither alone won't be enough to make you smile. The maid accompanying us today is a dancer from the Qiluan Pavilion of Baihua Tower. How about I play the zither and let her dance to liven up the atmosphere?"
The princess was quite pleased with the compliment. She raised her chin proudly and said, "Okay."
A maid from Xuanfeng Courtyard quickly brought a zither. Feng Yanyuan's slender fingers gently stroked the strings, while Yun Yuan's wide sleeves unfurled, and she began to dance gracefully. For a moment, the entire courtyard seemed to be hushed, with only the clear music and graceful dance interplaying.
Feng Yanyuan's song starts with flowing water and continues with high mountains, then suddenly turns to violent storms, lightning and thunder. Finally, when the song reaches a high pitch and the notes become sparse, a rainbow appears after the rain, and a few wisps of white clouds appear, bringing in the noisy atmosphere of the mortal world, with clusters of flowers and singing birds and dancing swallows.
Feng Yanhao twirled the wine cup absentmindedly, his gaze lingering on the little princess. This princess, completely oblivious to concealing her emotions, her face clearly showing her deep thoughts. Initially, she had stared intently at Feng Yanyuan playing the zither, but soon a look of boredom settled over her.
She had no idea what "high mountains and flowing water" meant. She found the music as dull as the court music the palace maids forced her to listen to. The performer was cold and the listener was disinterested. She couldn't help but caress her cheeks, her gaze drifting towards the dance floor in boredom. But once she glanced at it, she couldn't look away. Unconsciously, she sat up straight, her eyes gradually filled with a new light—the figure in the snow-colored dress was as graceful as a startled swan. To such a dull melody, she could dance with a dazzling grace. How could the rigid, ritualistic dances of the palace compare to this dynamic and lively dance?
The Prince of Langya was equally entranced. The jade cup in his hand hovered in mid-air, long forgotten to put it down. His gaze followed the snowy scene, marveling at the possibility that such a celestial being existed. When she entered, her head lowered, she resembled a mere servant in the background, drawing no attention. It was only when she was on the dance floor, bowing her head in greeting, that he was startled to see her face, as sculpted like jade, her brows like distant mountains, her eyes like autumn water, shimmering with mist. His breath hitched slightly, and the wine in his cup trembled slightly. Those eyes were so clear, like the unmelted ice and snow on Mount Kunlun, untouched by dust. A single glance crushed all the rouge and powder he had seen in his life into dust.
As she began to dance, her seemingly ordinary white dress seemed imbued with a celestial aura—the dark patterns on her wide sleeves shimmered in the sunlight, like clouds descending from the heavens. Her slender waist bent gently, her colorful dress fluttered, each turn sending up billowing waves like flowing clouds. As the music intensified, she spun on tiptoe, her snow-white skirt blooming like an Epiphyllum, her entire figure transformed into a hazy halo. When the song reached a point where a rainbow suddenly appeared and wisps of white clouds appeared, the woman's delicate face loomed between her snow-white sleeves. In a trance, she looked like a fairy from a poem, her half-lidded eyes distant and indifferent, unlike the charm and affection of an ordinary dancer, yet she possessed the power to draw away his very soul.
As the melody faded away, Feng Yanxuan was the first to clap his hands and exclaim, "Excellent!"
Prince Langya finally woke up from his dream and quickly followed suit, applauding. He caught a glimpse of Yun Yuan bowing slightly from the corner of his eye—and couldn't help but glance at her twice more.
The little princess was arrogant and nodded slowly, saying, "The music... is just ordinary, but the dance is quite interesting." Her voice was childish, and her delicate face matched hers. She imitated the tone of the Taifu when he commented on music and dance, and acted very serious.
"Pfft——" Someone at the table couldn't help laughing, and hurriedly covered it with his sleeve.
Prince Langya couldn't help but laugh and teased her deliberately, "Wanwan, do you know that the Third Young Master just played 'Wind in the Pines', which even the chief musician in the palace couldn't compare to."
Upon hearing this, the princess's face flushed crimson, but she couldn't get angry. She glared at the Prince of Langya, pouted her lips, and puffed out her delicate cheeks. "It doesn't sound good, it doesn't sound good!" She suddenly grabbed the Prince of Langya's sleeve and shook it, "Brother Rui, that Hundred Flowers Tower sounds lively. Wanwan wants to go check it out too!"
Prince Langya was speechless, his ears slightly red: "You can't go to that kind of place!"
"How come you can go but I can't?"
Her question left Prince Langya speechless for a moment, and he could only hesitate to speak in embarrassment.
Feng Yanyuan smiled calmly and said, "Since Your Highness likes folk dance, there is no need to go to a place like a brothel where all kinds of people gather. Yun Yuan will accompany the princess."
Before the princess could respond, Prince Langya clapped his hands with joy and said, "That's very good! The princess will surely be delighted—"
"Why should I be so happy?" The princess's brows furrowed, her cheeks puffed slightly, and her almond-shaped eyes glared at the Prince of Langya with anger. "You seem quite happy, smiling so heartily." She was secretly annoyed. If Feng Yanyuan really wanted to apologize, why didn't he personally accompany her to Baihua Tower to broaden her horizons? What was the point of sending a maid? Did she, a princess, need someone to serve her?
Upon seeing this, Prince Langya quickly leaned over and whispered something in the princess's ear. The princess's eyes lit up at first, and the corners of her mouth lifted unconsciously, but then her expression suddenly darkened as if she had thought of something. She straightened up abruptly, raised her slender finger, and pointed directly at Yun Yuan: "You, come here!"
Yun Yuan moved lightly with lotus steps and bowed gracefully.
The princess looked down at her condescendingly, her childish voice filled with an unyielding authority: "Now that you've entered my palace, you should understand the rules. It's fine as long as you do your job well, but if there's even the slightest mistake..."
"I will remember this." Yun Yuan bowed her head.
The princess smiled cunningly and said, "I want to meet the third young master in Xuanfeng Courtyard tonight. If you can't invite anyone..." Before she finished speaking, a celadon teacup had already shattered at Yun Yuan's feet.
Yun Yuan paused slightly.
"What are you standing there for? Are you deaf?"
"Wanwan, I didn't mean..." Prince Langya frowned.
"You're wrong. I'm a royal concubine, but do I have to rely on a maid to find out what he likes? Do I have the qualifications to please him?"
The princess' words were resounding, her tender voice brimming with undeniable authority. Her chubby face now held a chill, a chilling expression, stripped of any trace of innocence, leaving only a chilling royal dignity. The guests fell silent, and even the Prince of Langya instinctively straightened his back. In that moment, everyone realized the all-powerful empress standing behind this seemingly headstrong young woman.
Yun Yuan bowed and replied "Yes", then walked to Feng Yanyuan's desk, gathered her wide sleeves, and bowed gracefully: "Sir, please move to Xuanfeng Courtyard tonight."
Feng Yanyuan frowned slightly.
"Heh—" The princess suddenly sneered, her childish voice cold. "What else can a useless, clueless slave like this do besides flirting and seducing her master? I'm annoyed by this. Drag her down and behead her!"
"Wanwan!" Prince Langya stood up in shock. When did she become so careless about human life?
"Wasn't there a lowly maidservant who was sentenced to death a few days ago for failing to persuade people to drink?" She tilted her head and spoke the cruelest words in an innocent tone, "This maidservant angered me, so doesn't she deserve to die?"
Prince Langya was stunned for a moment, frowning and saying, "If Your Highness continues to act recklessly, I will report this to the Emperor's uncle. Your Highness will never be able to leave the palace again!"
"If you dare to complain to the Emperor, I'll tell the Empress Dowager!" The princess's childish voice suddenly rose, her hairpin swing shaking violently with her excited movements. "You took the princess out of the palace for fun without permission. Let's see how the Empress Dowager will punish you if she finds out! Then we'll see if the Emperor can still protect you!"
"Privately?" Prince Langya's eyes widened. "This, this isn't your Highness doing this on your own..."
"Was this my idea--" The princess suddenly narrowed her eyes, and a shrewdness that was inconsistent with her age appeared on her childish face. "It depends on whether you know what's good for you!" After saying that, she snorted coldly.
"Your Highness, this... this is simply..." Prince Langya was choked and his face flushed. After a long while, he finally uttered: "This is just nonsense!"
Upon hearing this, the princess straightened her back abruptly, raised her head and glared at Prince Langya: "Reason?" She sneered, "What I say is reason!"
Prince Langya was speechless. He stared blankly at the little princess before him, suddenly struck by the realization that, unbeknownst to him, the little girl, who only knew how to act like a spoiled brat, had mastered such manipulation. This style of coercion and inducement was exactly like that of the Empress. His scalp tingled at the thought.
"Why doesn't anyone take action? My words don't work in your Feng family, right?" The princess glanced sharply at Feng Yanhao, the young master of the Feng family.
Feng Yanhao shouted at the guards without hesitation: "Why don't you do it? Drag him away!"
"Wait a minute!" Feng Yanyuan stepped in front of Yun Yuan.
The princess's eyes were icy. "Want to save her?" She dragged out her childish voice, "Kneel down and beg me."
Feng Yanyuan lifted his robe and knelt, "I fear I am too stupid to entertain you well and have dishonored Your Highness. If you will not abandon me, I will be honored."
A smug look crept across the princess's face. She slowly walked up to Feng Yanyuan and lifted his chin in a frivolous manner, "That's more like it. It doesn't matter if you're dull..." Her fingertips lightly scraped his jaw, "Take some advice from the maids around me and learn how to please me."
Seeing Feng Yanyuan lower his eyes and respond with a "yes," the princess finally released his hand with satisfaction, holding up her elaborate skirt and sauntering back to her seat of honor. She deliberately brushed her sleeves as she sat down, and said slowly, "Stand up." She then glanced at Yun Yuan and said, "You lowly servant, please stay alive for now. Come and serve me."
Feng Yanyuan rose and returned to his seat, his sleeves rustling silently. The guards released Yun Yuan. Prince Langya closed his eyes.
Feng Yanxuan clapped his hands—the sound of stringed instruments began, and his dancing sleeves fluttered.
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