Chapter 46 Divine Elixir
A servant opened the door, and a child with a cold face stepped in.
He is the seventh prince.
Eunuch Li followed behind with a grin.
"Greetings, Young Master Xie, and Miss Xie. My Highness has come to visit."
Xie Huaijin put down his chopsticks. "Welcome, Your Highness, please have a seat."
The Seventh Prince sat down next to Xie Mianmian; he really didn't want to face his elder brother, the Crown Prince, who had nothing to say to him.
Rather than waiting for her to come to me, I'd rather come to her myself. If the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain.
Xie Mianmian picked up a shrimp dumpling and put it into the Seventh Prince's bowl, looking at him expectantly.
The seventh prince frowned as he looked at the shrimp dumpling the child was picking up with chopsticks he had already used.
Xie Huaijin had a complicated expression. When did his little sister become so close to the Seventh Prince? Wasn't she just the Sixth Princess's study companion? What exactly did the child do while studying in the palace?
He picked up a clean porcelain bowl, intending to replace it before the Seventh Prince could lose his temper.
But the Seventh Prince kept a straight face, then picked up his chopsticks and ate the shrimp dumpling!
He actually ate it, and Xie Huaijin's face became even more complicated, as if his own cabbage was about to be taken by someone else.
The Seventh Prince chewed on the shrimp dumpling in his mouth, thinking to himself, "I ate the unwashed wild fruit that Black Wolf picked, so I can eat this shrimp dumpling that Xie Mianmian picked for me."
The young seventh prince hadn't realized that he could actually refuse, but he didn't.
Just then, a melodious piano tune drifted down from downstairs.
Not far from the octagonal table is a row of carved and openwork railings. People can sit at the table, drink fine wine, and enjoy the performances of beautiful women downstairs.
But Xie Mianmian just couldn't sit still. She held a piece of pastry and leaned over the railing to look down.
In the center of the lobby on the first floor, there is a stage about half a person high. When the music starts, a group of dancers dressed in blue-green and gold-embroidered dresses come on stage.
Their figures were supple, their arms draped with crimson veils, swaying as the music changed.
The combination of these two main colors, red and green, didn't feel out of place at all; instead, it added a touch of exoticism, leaving everyone amazed.
Xie Mianmian looked down intently but couldn't find Sister Bai Yun. Hadn't she come on stage yet? The child scratched her head in confusion.
She turned to look at her third brother.
Xie Huaijin nonchalantly tilted his head back and drank a glass of fine wine, only occasionally raising his eyelids to look down at the dancing below, displaying the air of a carefree and unpretentious playboy.
Xie Huaijin hadn't been out drinking for a long time, but today he brought his younger sister along. He was a little disappointed that he couldn't have a big drinking session.
He didn't intend to finish the wine left in the jug. Hearing that Yueya Garden had acquired a new type of wine, he called to the servants waiting nearby, "Bring the wine."
Before long, the bartender arrived.
"Sir, this is our newly arrived wine, Yulin Wine," the wine seller introduced, bowing and scraping.
Xie Huaijin ordered a pot of wine, and the wine server attentively poured a cup of wine for the young master in front of him.
Xie Huaijin first held the wine glass to his nose, smelled it, and then drank it all in one gulp.
Her thin, red lips, stained with wine, parted slightly. "This wine is uninteresting." With that, she waved to the wine seller, signaling him to leave quickly.
Looking at Xie Huaijin's carefree and unrestrained manner, and how he even brought two children to Yueya Garden at night, the wine merchant could tell that he was someone who didn't discriminate between meat and vegetables.
The wine merchant thought to himself, "It seems that the distinguished guest was right. Perhaps I can sell that thing to the young master in front of me. If it works out, I can make a fortune again."
"Young master, would you like to try some more interesting wine?"
"Oh?" Xie Huaijin looked at him with disdain. "If you dare to lie to me, watch your head."
"If I didn't have it, how dare I say such a thing?" The wine seller looked around for a moment, then secretly took out a small paper packet from the hidden compartment of the wine tray.
He lowered his head and winked at Xie Huaijin, "Just a little bit will guarantee you, young master, a life of unparalleled joy."
Xie Huaijin took the paper package, opened it, and saw that it contained red and white powder. He brought it closer and sniffed it; it had a slightly pungent smell.
"Is this Wushi Powder?" Xie Huaijin's voice remained calm and composed.
"You have good taste, sir. How much would you like?"
"I want them all." Xie Huaijin casually folded the paper package. "These things are hard to find, aren't they? Where did they come from?"
"Hey, I only said that because you're so generous, sir." Thinking he was about to close a big deal, the wine seller suppressed his excitement and whispered in Xie Huaijin's ear, "Xihe."
Xihe? Upon hearing these two words, Xie Huaijin's heart skipped a beat.
The West River is a river that flows from north to south through the capital. Cargo ships often pass through it, and many flower-adorned boats also cruise around at night, making it a lively and bustling place.
Someone in Xihe, under my father's rule, was selling Five-Stone Powder.
Xie Huaijin gave a cold laugh.
The wine seller couldn't help but shudder. Seeing Xie Huaijin's fierce eyes, he knew things were going to get bad, so he turned and ran out.
Xie Huaijin only had time to say one sentence to Eunuch Li, "Please take good care of them," before hurriedly chasing after him.
The building was packed with customers. Amidst the curses of those he bumped into, he chased and fled, soon disappearing into the crowd.
"Ah! Third Brother!" Xie Mianmian chased after him worriedly.
But before she could even run out the door, she was caught and brought back by Eunuch Li.
He was still smiling, "Miss Xie, don't chase after him. A little thief can't stump the General."
The child thought to herself, "That makes sense. My third brother is the most powerful person in the world!"
At this moment, the music downstairs suddenly changed, no longer as melodious and lingering as before, but becoming rapid and exciting.
Xie Mianmian was drawn to this change and leaned back onto the railing.
The dancers had already left, and a woman slowly walked up.
Wearing a moon-white, wide-sleeved dress embroidered with intricate brocade patterns, the skirt cascaded in layers, creating ripples as she walked.
Xie Mianmian looked closely and saw that it was indeed Sister Bai Yun.
A red floral decoration adorned her fair and delicate forehead, and a water-red sleeve hung from her arms.
"Dong, dong, dong." Suddenly, a very rhythmic drumbeat was added to the music, giving people a grand and exhilarating feeling.
The woman in the center of the stage moved, dancing powerfully to the rhythm of the music, her long flowing sleeves being tossed into the air like flowers suddenly blooming.
As the drumbeats grew more rapid, Bai Yun's dance became increasingly joyful, swinging her arms and arching her back like a flame swaying incessantly in the wind, vigorous and ever-burning.
Suddenly, the drumming stopped, and the music slowed down.
The candlelight shone only on her. Bai Yun raised her hand and slowly turned it in circles, giving off a strange sense of sorrow, loneliness, and vicissitude.
Suddenly another drumbeat rang out, "Dong!" as if striking the hearts of everyone.
With a thud, the lonely dancer collapsed to the ground, like a flower falling from a snow-capped mountain.
The entire building fell silent; everyone was still captivated by Bai Yun's dance and hadn't quite recovered from the shock.
It's unclear who started clapping, but soon enthusiastic applause and exclamations of praise rang out.
"As expected of Bai Yun, after watching her dance, what more could one ask for?"
"I'm actually moved to tears?" The scholar-like man wiped away the tears that had slid down his cheeks.
Bai Yun stood up from the stage, bowed to the audience in all directions, and then looked at the private room she had reserved.
That was one of the rooms with the best view that Bai Yun knew of.
However, Bai Yun did not see that person.
Xie Mianmian noticed that Sister Bai Yun was looking at her. The child excitedly waved her hand and shouted loudly that Sister Bai Yun was so amazing.
Bai Yun smiled, gestured to the child to indicate that she had heard, and then went backstage.
Xie Mianmian imitated her third brother, tilted her head back and drank a glass of juice, then smacked her lips in a show of delight, saying, "How wonderful, how wonderful!"
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