After Xuanming Fairy's reminder, Fu Yijing finally came to his senses. Somehow, he subconsciously wanted to see what expression Lu Jinshu was wearing.
The next moment, he saw Lu Jinshu looking at the direction of the dance floor with a look of surprise.
Fu Yijing was stunned for a moment, then the corners of his lips couldn't help but curl up, and he instantly felt more balanced.
Look at this. Faced with so many young, beautiful noblemen simultaneously fawning over His Majesty, even the usually dignified and reserved Lu Jinshu couldn't remain calm. How could a normal man not feel jealous?
Fu Yijing picked up the fruit wine in front of him and was about to put it into his mouth. Suddenly, his eyes widened and the wine glass in his hand fell to the ground.
Oh my God, who did he see?
It turned out to be Si Jiangzhi.
Si Jiangzhi committed such an unforgivable crime and had clearly been imprisoned in a secret cell by His Majesty. How could he appear at the banquet in good health?
Fu Yijing looked towards the men's table and saw, as expected, Pei Jiuyan and Jiang He, the insiders, all showing expressions of shock. It turned out that Lu Jinshu wasn't worried about the upcoming auditions; his expression was due to seeing Si Jiangzhi, someone who shouldn't have been at the banquet.
Si Jiangzhi wore a light gray-blue dress today, the hems embroidered with large orchids. A closer look revealed the orchid's stamens were made of goose-yellow crystal. He wore a light white gauze tied around his waist, and as he walked, his silky, dark hair swayed with the gauze.
Si Jiangzhi's fingers, as delicate as peeling onion roots, held a bamboo flute. His other hand slowly pulled out a greenish-yellow string from beneath the white gauze at his waist...
Wait, that doesn't look like a rope.
Fu Yijing only saw a long, yellowish-green cloud-like object, covered in tiny scales, slowly climbing up his boss Jiang Zhi's arm, its forked, purple-black tongue flickering in and out of its mouth. It wasn't a rope at all; it was clearly a spotted snake.
Apparently, Fu Yijing wasn't the only one who noticed a snake coiled around Si Jiangzhi's body. Pei Jiuyan, who was closest to Si Jiangzhi, let out a sharp cry, "Snake! It's a poisonous snake! There's a terrifying spotted snake on Si Jiangzhi's body!"
The guests around immediately became agitated.
Si Jiangzhi showed a gentle smile on his face, "Don't be afraid, everyone. The spotted snake on my body is non-venomous, and its teeth have been pulled out."
As he spoke, he pinched the snake's head and made it open its mouth to show everyone that it had no fangs. At this time, two more spotted snakes of the same species crawled out from Si Jiangzhi's sleeves on either side.
Si Jiangzhi clenched the bamboo flute in his hand. He looked through the crowd and looked at Ling Shumo on the high seat. "Today, I will perform the snake dance. In a moment, I will blow the flute in my hand, and these three spotted snakes will dance with me."
Ling Shumo smiled and said, "I'm looking forward to your performance. Now we can begin."
"Yes, I obey your command." Si Jiangzhi's voice was exceptionally respectful, without any hint of intense emotion. He slowly placed the flute to his lips, but before he began to play, he couldn't help but glance towards the seats at the Duke of Liang's mansion.
His mother, the Duke of Liang who raised him like a treasure, the woman with half-white hair, was also looking back in his direction.
Duke Liang had a faint smile on her face, but Si Jiangzhi could read the deep and unbreakable sorrow beneath her smile.
It was obvious that his absurd behavior had brought disaster to the entire Duke of Liang's Mansion. Even so, his mother was reluctant to blame him. She just cried and told him that she should not have sent him to the palace. If he had not entered the palace, he would not have lost his life, and she would not have lost her beloved son in her old age.
Si Jiangzhi closed his eyes in extreme pain.
Back then. What was the situation like back then?
At that time, he could have married a man of equal status and become his principal wife. However, he was too proud and felt that with his talent and beauty, only the most outstanding woman in the world could be a good match for him. So, when he heard that the Crown Princess was selecting a new Crown Princess, he begged his mother to smooth things over for him, allowing him to appear before the Empress Dowager, who was then the Empress Dowager.
His mother had advised him, saying that the Duke's family was already of high status and that the family didn't need to sell their son to seek connections with even greater power. Marrying into the royal family was different from marrying into an ordinary family; there were rules and etiquette to be observed. Even if she was wronged, her family wouldn't be able to offer much help, so she had to keep her grievances to herself.
His mother had said so much at that time, but he hadn't listened to a single word. But now, as he was about to die, those words of concern came back to him one by one, every word so clear and understandable.
But now that I understand, what can I do?
It's too late. There's no point in saying anything.
Delectable flute music flowed slowly from Si Jiangzhi's fingertips. These melodious notes, like heavenly music, plucked and tugged at the heartstrings of everyone present. Their hearts rose and fell with the sound of the flute, suddenly soaring to the sky, then suddenly plummeting into a deep-sea crystal palace. At crucial moments, the guests held their breath, unwilling to miss even a moment of the performance.
Si Jiangzhi heard many different voices praising him.
"The music played by Si Fanghua is truly the most stunning piece of music at this banquet so far. No wonder everyone privately praises him as the most talented young man in the imperial capital."
"That's because he entered the palace. You're still young, so you don't know that when Si Fanghua was still married, the people who came to the Duke of Liang's mansion to propose marriage were so numerous that they practically broke down the door of their house."
"You mentioning this reminds me of an old story. After Si Fanghua's coming-of-age ceremony, all the major casinos in the imperial capital, even restaurants and teahouses, set up gambling games, betting on which family this aloof beauty would end up with. At the time, many people thought she would marry into the Cui family, a family ally of the Duke of Liang, but unexpectedly, she ended up entering the Eastern Palace."
"That's not the case. Such a beautiful man, like a fairy, is naturally only worthy of our Majesty. How could an ordinary person catch his eye?"
…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
