Chapter 88 Like a dancer performing a song
The Crown Prince's sudden cough drew Gu Nanxiao's concerned gaze. Yunxi had long heard that among all his cousins, he and this Crown Prince were the closest.
Therefore, Gu Nanxiao should have already had Su Mingyan examine the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince's condition is still very serious, and it seems that there is no cure for his illness.
The crown prince was coughing and wheezing very badly this time, with each cough seeming stronger than the last, and showing no signs of stopping. Seeing this, the eunuch beside him immediately took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve, poured out a pill, and put it into the crown prince's mouth.
After taking the pill, the prince coughed violently for a while before finally stopping. His face was now flushed, and his eyes were filled with tears.
But despite the concerned looks from those around him, he forced a smile and jokingly said to everyone:
"It seems that everyone's blessings were so sincere that I sensed them immediately."
The Crown Prince's joke immediately dispelled the tension among the crowd, and the court officials all smiled.
But Gu Nanxiao's gaze towards the Crown Prince shifted from worry to heartache. Seeing how much he cared for the Crown Prince, Yunxi squeezed his hand to comfort him. Gu Nanxiao then turned back to Yunxi, shaking his head to indicate that he was alright.
At this moment, Yunxi turned her gaze to the Crown Prince on the high throne. He had inherited the royal family's handsome appearance, coupled with a gentle and refined temperament.
Although she was ill at this moment, her spirit remained undiminished; on the contrary, it added a touch of frail beauty that made people feel pity for her.
Yunxi thought to herself, "Such a gentle Crown Prince, if he were to ascend to that position, he would surely be a benevolent ruler. It's just a pity that he doesn't have long to live. This is probably another manifestation of the impending doom of the Great Yan Kingdom."
The Crown Princess approached to check on the Crown Prince's condition, and only after the Crown Prince repeatedly indicated that he was alright did she order the palace servants to begin the banquet.
Palace maids and eunuchs filed in, bringing various delicacies, fine wines, and fruit wines to the table. Afterwards, dancers took to the stage and danced gracefully to the accompaniment of musicians.
At this moment, the eunuch Gao Shengguan announced: "The Empress Dowager has arrived, along with Prince Yong, his wife, and his concubine."
Upon hearing this, everyone rose and bowed again. The Empress Dowager's seat was placed beside the Emperor. At this moment, she was being supported by Prince Yong as she walked up the steps.
Upon seeing this, the Emperor immediately rose and took the Empress Dowager's other arm. Everyone watched as the Empress Dowager, personally helped by her two sons, was led to her seat at the banquet.
The Great Yan Dynasty governed the country with filial piety. From the emperor to the common people, everyone had to practice filial piety. The emperor was willing to be a role model for the world, and the empress dowager accepted it with a clear conscience.
After the Empress Dowager took her seat, she dismissed the formalities and the banquet, singing, and dancing resumed. The officials also raised their cups and drank heartily once again.
But when the Empress Dowager's gaze fell upon Yunxi, a hint of displeasure flashed in her eyes. This fleeting expression was immediately noticed by those below.
At this moment, the current head of the family, who was also the Empress's elder brother and Xu Shulan's father, stood up, offered his blessings to the Crown Prince, and then changed the subject, looking at Yunxi with an arrogant expression, and said:
"Lord Gu, you brought your talented singing and dancing maid here today, is it to perform for His Highness?"
Since that's the case, why not have the dancers step down and let her take the stage to perform for everyone? If she can please the Crown Prince, then I, as his brother-in-law, will bestow a generous reward upon him on my behalf.”
Upon hearing this, Gu Nanxiao's expression turned cold. He was about to retort angrily when Yunxi grabbed his arm.
Yunxi understood that the Xu family head was using this as a pretext for personal revenge, saying that he wanted the dancers to leave so she could perform instead. He was clearly implying that she was no different from the dancers.
She also mentioned bestowing rewards, which was a repeated reminder to everyone of her status as a servant.
Knowing that Gu Nanxiao was extremely protective of her, she deliberately humiliated her in public on such a occasion. Wasn't she just trying to force Gu Nanxiao to do something unwise in a moment of desperation?
Wanting to see a performance wasn't difficult, but the performance couldn't be done according to his wishes. Yunxi was called out, but she stopped Gu Nanxiao from standing up for her. She stood up gracefully, first bowing to the Crown Prince, and then said in a gentle voice:
"My lord has brought my daughter here today to congratulate the Crown Prince on his birthday. However, compared to her dancing skills, my daughter is more skilled at playing the guqin. I wonder if the Crown Prince would do me the honor of hearing her play?"
The guqin has always been an elegant instrument for scholars and poets to compose poems and essays, and it is also a skill that gentlemen and ladies of noble families must learn. It is completely different in nature from the dance proposed by the head of the Xu family.
With this change, he easily turned the awkward situation around, and it prevented Gu Nanxiao from being criticized for defending him.
The Crown Prince was already unwilling to see such difficult methods, and when he heard that Yunxi had the ability to resolve the situation, he went along with her wishes and nodded in agreement.
After bowing, Yunxi took Gu Nanxiao's hand and led him to a vase in the main hall. She broke off a flower branch and gave it to him. Then, with a smile in her starry eyes, she said, "This humble girl will play the zither, and the Marquis will perform a sword dance. Let us celebrate the Crown Prince's birthday together."
Gu Nanxiao readily agreed, and inwardly admired Yunxi's quick wit and resourcefulness. If the two of them went on stage at the same time, it would completely change their awkward situation of being forced to perform.
Gu Nanxiao stood in the center of the dance floor, facing Yunxi who was sitting beside the guqin. The two nodded slightly. The strings vibrated slightly, and melodies flowed from Yunxi's fingertips. Gu Nanxiao also began to dance with his sword in response to the music.
The piece Yunxi played was "Listening to the Rain Halfway Up the Mountain," a piece none of them had ever heard before. The moment the music began, it immediately drew everyone's attention. Many music connoisseurs put down their cups and listened intently.
The sound of the zither was like the babbling of a spring, or the caress of a spring breeze, carrying the freshness of morning dew and the fragrance of flowers, its melodious notes lingering in the air.
Yunxi sat behind the guqin, her fair hands gently waving, her slender fingers dancing like elves playing in the forest, light and joyful.
Her face was serene, her eyes were like water, and as the music rose and fell, a faint smile would occasionally appear at the corners of her mouth, just like a secluded orchid in a valley, elegant and charming.
The candle towers surrounding the stage cast a bright, warm light upon her, gilding her with a faint golden glow and adding to her ethereal beauty, captivating the hearts of everyone present.
As the music reached its climax, Yunxi's fingers suddenly quickened their pace, and Gu Nanxiao, in harmony with her rhythm, accelerated his movements. Upon closer inspection, a barely perceptible hint of killing intent could be seen in the man's slightly upturned, almond-shaped eyes.
Yunxi's fingers danced across the silk strings, while Gu Nanxiao's steps grew increasingly agile with each turn and movement. Every time their eyes met across the distance, it seemed to stir up invisible ripples.
With each gesture Yunxi made, her sword energy subtly harmonized with Gu Nanxiao's, the two clearly becoming one with the music. At this moment, all the surrounding noise gradually faded away, as if only the two of them remained.
Just as everyone was admiring the sight, Gu Nanxiao flashed to the front of the Xu family head, standing two arm's lengths apart, and suddenly waved the flower branch in his hand.
A sharp sword aura swept across the head of the Xu family's hair in an instant. The next moment, his hair ornament and some of his hair fell to the ground, which angered him so much that he slammed his palm on the table.
Before he could utter a roar, the Empress's rebuke came from the main seat: "How dare you! Using force at the Crown Prince's birthday banquet! Imperial guards, seize him for me!"
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