Seeing the Empress Dowager praise Xinrong so highly, Guanbao and his family were very pleased. Guanbao even glanced at the ministers next to him who did not have daughters.
Ministers: Who understands? I'm supposed to play along, pretending not to see anything.
"My daughter has even rehearsed a dance at home, saying she wants to perform it for Your Majesty," Madam Guanbao said respectfully with a smile.
"Oh, really? Xinrong, you even choreographed a dance?" The old lady feigned surprise and gently patted Xinrong's hand.
Xinrong lowered her head shyly and said softly, "I just rehearsed a bit with what my master taught me."
"Very well, then I'll wait and see." The Empress Dowager didn't dampen anyone's spirits, and her emotional support was plentiful.
"Then please allow Xinrong to undress for a moment," Xinrong stood up and bowed to the Empress Dowager.
Watching Xinrong walk gracefully out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei resumed their lively conversation.
"Ziwei, who do you think this princess has chosen this time?" Xiaoyanzi had been in the palace for so long and had seen that all the princesses who came to the palace were here to choose their husbands. She thought that Xinrong was like Saiya and Hanxiang back then.
Ziwei, however, was somewhat absent-minded. She already knew that Xinrong was the daughter of a minister valued by her father, the Emperor, and was not like the Mongolian princess or Princess Hanxiang from before.
But she didn't know how to explain these words to Xiao Yanzi, and explaining them to her would be too troublesome. Ziwei could only change the subject and look at the Fu family sitting diagonally opposite her.
Ziwei felt a pang of sadness. If it weren't for their affair, how could Erkang have been implicated? Now, Erkang couldn't even enter the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Who knew when her marriage to him would finally take place?
"Little Swallow, you said that the lady across the way is drinking so much, it must be bad for her health," Ziwei said out of the blue.
Xiao Yanzi followed Ziwei's gaze and saw the Fujin (principal wife) pouring herself wine, clearly distressed. Xiao Yanzi looked troubled for a moment, "I think the Fujin is like this because she misses Erkang."
Xiao Yanzi's unintentional remark struck a chord with Ziwei. Xiao Yanzi continued her commentary, "Look at Ertai sitting so properly in front, not caring at all about Lord Fu's feelings. Poor Lady Fu, not only can't she see Erkang, but Ertai is such a traitor."
Little Swallow glared at Ertai and Yongqi, who were sitting there smugly. The two used to frequent her Shufangzhai, but now that they didn't come, the place was practically deserted.
Especially that traitor Ertai, he got promoted and became a general, but he didn't even offer to help Erkang. If he had, Ziwei and Erkang could have gotten married sooner!
Ziwei already knew the truth about Fu Ertai's family division, and she knew that this matter didn't involve Ertai. However, she still felt a bit resentful. If he were willing to help, to plead for Erkang, he might be able to save his life. They were all family, and even if they had severed ties, blood was still thicker than water.
How can blood ties be erased so easily? Yet he showed no regard for their past brotherhood, refusing to utter a single word. She couldn't bring herself to speak, so she could only let Xiao Yanzi scold Ertai, venting her anger as a way to do so.
After Xiao Yanzi had finished speaking and Ziwei had calmed down a bit, Ziwei stepped forward to act as the impartial judge. "Xiao Yanzi, you shouldn't speak of Ertai like that. After all, Ertai had already severed ties with the Fu family before going to war." As she said this, Ziwei subconsciously covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, looking extremely heartbroken.
Little Swallow seemed to have been struck by lightning, her mouth agape, her eyes glazed over, and it took her a long time to recover. "Wh...what? Severing ties? This..."
Xiao Yanzi was torn between sympathizing with Ertai and continuing to accuse him of being a traitor. Ziwei noticed the hesitation in Xiao Yanzi's eyes.
"Yes, I heard from Erkang that Ertai, for some reason, insisted on severing ties with Lord Fulun that day and even wanted to sign a document of severance at the government office." Ziwei deliberately misled the public, and her eyes kept drifting towards Anke.
As expected, Xiao Yanzi was successfully misled by Ziwei into believing that An Ke was the one who was stirring up trouble between them. "An Ke is too hateful! She not only stole Ertai and made him a traitor, but she also wants Ertai to sever ties with the Fu family." Xiao Yanzi immediately turned her attention to An Ke, looking at her with indignation.
Anke had already noticed the commotion, but she didn't care. To Anke, they were just like wildflowers by the roadside—they wouldn't bother her and had nothing to do with her.
But Xiao Yanzi's thought process wasn't normal. When she saw An Ke glance at them and then turn her head away, Xiao Yanzi secretly made a mental note of An Ke and thought that An Ke was not a good person.
Just then, Xinrong had already changed into her dance costume. Anke also perked up and looked at Xinrong with great interest. They were all discussing Xinrong's outfit intensely, saying that the red and yellow combination looked exactly like a dish, and that it was comparable to the clothes worn by square dancers. Some even said that the outfit made Xinrong look a bit bulky.
But Anke thought it was alright. This dress was originally made up of layers, so it wouldn't look too thin. As for the color scheme, everyone has their own preferences.
Although the outfit did cause some disruption to the viewing experience for Anke, Xinrong's dancing was so good that people quickly overlooked the color of the outfit.
After Xinrong finished her dance, thunderous applause resounded throughout the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Xinrong, somewhat shyly, took small steps towards the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager looked at the girl before her with great delight, finding her utterly pleasing. Her affection for the girl deepened even further.
An Ke witnessed the interaction between the Empress Dowager and Xin Rong. Thinking back to this scene, some viewers in the show were commenting on Qing'er's expression, which appeared very forlorn.
An Ke secretly observed Qing'er's facial expression. Qing'er's expression was normal, except for a hint of appreciation in her eyes.
That's right, when girls are facing pretty girls, they just stare at them without blinking.
As for Qing'er being heartbroken, that's even more impossible. Although Xinrong has undergone a subtle change in the Empress Dowager's heart, in the end, Qing'er is the Empress Dowager's family, regardless of whether Qing'er was raised by the Empress Dowager or had the affection from those years at Mount Wutai.
In short, although the Empress Dowager likes Xinrong, Xinrong and Qing'er and Anke cannot be compared in the same way.
After all, even a person's five fingers are of different lengths, and the heart is naturally biased towards the left side of the chest. How could a person not favor the girl they've watched grow up, but instead favor a girl from outside the family?
Therefore, An Ke wasn't worried at all that Qing'er would be jealous because of Xinrong's arrival, or that the Empress Dowager would neglect Qing'er because she liked Xinrong. Because these were all impossible scenarios!
After Xinrong finished dancing, the Emperor gave a summary, clapping his hands and laughing heartily, "Guanbao, you've raised a fine daughter!"
The Guanbao family was all smiles, while Xinrong stayed obediently by the Empress Dowager's side without doing anything out of line.
Yongqi was immediately captivated by Xinrong's dance when she first started dancing. Mainly, it was her outfit that was so alluring. Of course, he was ultimately won over by Princess Xinrong's exquisite dance skills.
Little Swallow pouted and said somewhat sullenly, "What is she dancing? I don't think it's as good as the Ansai waist drum dance in Plum Blossom Town!"
Ziwei stared blankly at the proud and self-satisfied Princess Xinrong on the stage, never expecting that Princess Xinrong was not just a pretty face. Indeed, knowing that Guanbao was a high-ranking official of the Emperor, and that this princess was the apple of Guanbao's eye, how could he not carefully teach her?
It's just that they make me appear somewhat dim and lackluster. How can the stars compete with the bright moon?
Xiao Yanzi muttered to herself, undeterred by Ziwei's lack of response. Looking at Yongqi to the Emperor's lower right, Xiao Yanzi sensed that Yongqi tonight was somewhat different from the Yongqi she knew before.
She felt that Yongqi exuded nobility tonight. Although it wasn't the first time she had met Yongqi, he was different from usual tonight. He had an air of dominance and a resolute look between his brows.
Yongqi was a truly handsome man, with a majestic and elegant appearance, a tall and slender figure, and a face as beautiful as jade. Every smile and frown exuded charm.
Xiao Yanzi had never truly looked at Yongqi before, or rather, she had only ever regarded him as a good friend and a powerful helper. Thus, she overlooked Yongqi's handsome appearance.
Little Swallow recalled the time in Plum Blossom Town when she, Yongqi, and Benjamin danced the Ansai waist drum together. Back then, they seemed like good friends, but now they had gone their separate ways.
Little Swallow glanced back at Benjamin, who was sketching on paper with his easel, and noticed that the dove was also a little different. Before, the dove would try his best to make her happy.
Now, she has taken the initiative to visit Ruyi Pavilion, but the dove ignores her, which greatly hurts her pride.
Little Swallow was unaware that Benjamin had also been confined to the Ruyi Pavilion at the time, and naturally, he had pondered many things. Now, he had finally come to his senses and was no longer willing to get entangled in the quagmire of Shufangzhai.
After all, he wasn't really a citizen of the Qing Dynasty, and one day he would eventually return to Great Britain. As for Xiao Yanzi, she never expressed her feelings for him and Yongqi. Every time he was about to give up on her, she would give him a little sweetness, and he would eagerly rush forward again.
Yes, she went to him eagerly, so it can't be entirely said that Xiao Yanzi was fickle or wavering. But this wavering attitude was enough to trouble Benjamin.
During his time in seclusion at Ruyi Pavilion, Benjamin reflected deeply on his life, recalling the carefree and unrestrained days he had when he first arrived in China. Looking back, he realized he now had to visit Shufangzhai daily, and he never wanted to return to those days.
Listening to the experienced advice of Priest Lang at Ruyi Pavilion, Benjamin suddenly realized the truth. On the day he was released from confinement, Little Swallow did indeed come to Ruyi Pavilion, but Benjamin genuinely didn't want to get entangled with them anymore, so he could only send Red, Green, and Blue to the door to refuse Little Swallow.
After Xiao Yanzi turned and walked away, Benjamin watched her departing figure and softly said, "Take care, Yanzi." Then he went into his studio without looking back.
Having broken free from his entanglements with the Shufangzhai, Benjamin made rapid progress in his artistic development. His mentor, Priest Lang, praised him repeatedly and was extremely pleased.
Princess Yong'an and Princess Qing often visited Ruyi Pavilion to exchange painting skills with him. An Ke would also frequently come to Ruyi Pavilion to drink hot chocolate, which brought a touch of life to Ruyi Pavilion and also gave Benjamin a lot of inspiration. The three of them became friends.
Originally, Benjamin was not invited to this family banquet, but after Anke's repeated requests, the Emperor finally couldn't bear to refuse his niece and had to give in.
Looking at the bustling Hall of Supreme Harmony, Hanxiang's thoughts drifted to the Hui people of the past. Even during the Hui period, they could not compare to the Qing Dynasty.
After seeing Xinrong's dance performance, Hanxiang genuinely applauded for her. Having also studied dance, she naturally knew the technical skill involved in Xinrong's performance and how much effort and sweat Xinrong had poured into it. She greatly admired those as persistent as herself.
Hanxiang did not assume that Xinrong was also there for a political marriage like her. After learning that Xinrong was the daughter of a high-ranking official of the emperor, she no longer harbored any such thoughts, and her eyes revealed her appreciation for Xinrong.
When Hanxiang came in, she nodded to Anke. She was actually very grateful to Anke. It was Anke who woke her up; otherwise, she would have stubbornly continued to indulge in the dream she had woven for herself.
Hanxiang also had many things she wanted to say to Anke, but she also felt that many things didn't need to be said. Since Anke had been able to enlighten her, she would naturally know what her final choice would be, so whether she said it or not was not so important.
The family dinner ended amidst everyone's laughter and joy!
Xinrong went to Cining Palace with the Empress Dowager. Anke and Qing'er were not unhappy at all; in fact, they were quite happy and chatted quietly behind her.
The Empress Dowager truly hadn't forgotten Anke and Qing'er, glancing back every now and then and occasionally steering the conversation towards the two of them.
Xinrong is currently acting very friendly. Although it is unknown what will happen in the future, at this moment, the three girls seem to be close friends.
*
On their way back to Shufangzhai, Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei happened to run into Yongqi, who was returning to Yonghe Palace. Xiaoyanzi had been thinking of reconciling with Yongqi and Benjamin, and she felt that her previous life was so wonderful.
But just as Xiao Yanzi raised her hand, wanting to say something to Yongqi, Yongqi turned around and walked away in another direction.
Yongqi would rather take a long detour back to Yonghe Palace than say a single word to Xiaoyanzi and the others.
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