Inside the Guiyi Gate, the gatekeeper, Zhou Tianyi, paced anxiously in the living room. "Are you sure the letter reached Princess Yi?"
The disciple replied, "I handed it over myself."
Zhou Tianyi waved his hand to dismiss his disciple, feeling somewhat disappointed.
Since learning of Shi Xinyi's arrival, he had written her a letter asking her to come back and visit when she had time, but now she hadn't even replied. Zhou Tianyi naturally didn't believe that Shi Xinyi was a cold-hearted person, and quickly found a suitable reason for her.
"That's true. Xinyi is now a concubine of Prince Kang, so she definitely doesn't have as much freedom as before. She also has to go to pay respects to Jie'er, so she must be very busy. Why don't I go and see her?"
Going to the inn under the guise of seeing Yi'er wouldn't be so shameful. Thinking of the wonders of the arena, Zhou Tianyi wished he could run to the inn immediately.
Outside the door, Madam Zhou was about to look for him when she overheard him muttering to himself, trying to console himself. Having shared a bed for decades, how could she not know what her husband was thinking?
She knew Shi Xinyi better than Zhou Tianyi. Madam Zhou's eyes were deep as she turned and left.
Upon arriving at the inn, the happiest person was undoubtedly Emperor Feng Zhao. After entrusting the matter of the memorials to Feng Jinghan, he initially helped keep an eye on things, but later, realizing that Feng Jinghan could handle it on his own, he became a hands-off manager.
Now, thanks to his superb card skills, he has made many friends in the card room. He often strolls in the garden with a few friends, watches performances, and lives a very happy life.
But watching the women in the imperial harem vying for power on television every night filled him with a mixture of love and hate.
An Ge recently gave Emperor Feng Zhao a grand feast of palace dramas. After "Empresses in the Palace" finished airing, she started a series of palace intrigue dramas such as "Beyond the Realm of Conscience" and "War and Beauty".
Although everyone knows that TV dramas are fictional, it's hard not to project them onto reality, and many people have developed a phobia of the imperial harem.
Since Consort De separated from Emperor Fengzhao, she has spent almost every day in the city of her room, except for occasionally going to see a performance or visiting the library. Her life is quiet and free.
After dinner, Consort De enjoyed the night view of the inn while digesting her food. Before she knew it, she had walked to the square outside the inn and saw the elderly women dancing enthusiastically.
That's right, the charm of square dancing has finally been discovered by the older women in this dimension.
With the influence of the performance troupe, the entire Huaixi city, especially Xianyuan town, has changed its perception that singing and dancing are vulgar, and its enthusiasm for artistic performances has soared to unprecedented heights. Singing and dancing have almost become the norm when happy occasions arise.
In this environment, well-off elderly people began to engage in their own recreational activities, and square dancing emerged as a result.
Because of the lack of equipment, square dancing initially consisted of small-scale song and dance performances. After learning about this, An Ge generously sponsored the equipment and even played the iconic square dance theme song from her past life.
Since then, square dancing has become a top entertainment activity for many people after meals, especially the elderly.
In her previous life, An Ge had a good impression of square dance groups that didn't disturb the neighbors, and occasionally, when she had free time, she would go and dance a few steps herself.
In Hu Jiu's words, although this type of dance has no aesthetic appeal whatsoever, it can indeed entertain the mind and body, and is a good form of recreation.
"The vast horizon is my love, flowers are blooming at the foot of the rolling green hills..." To the rhythm, everyone swayed their bodies, their faces beaming with happiness.
Consort De was highly skilled in singing and dancing from a young age, but in the eyes of many, these were talents that could not be presented in public, so not many people knew about them. Apart from performing a dance for the emperor when she first entered the palace, she never danced again.
Even so, having watched the palace dancers perform for many years, her aesthetic sense had long been elevated. In her eyes, these dances were simply unbearable to watch.
Looking at the crowd dancing happily in the dance floor, Consort De's lips twitched slightly.
"Sister, you must be Brother Feng's wife, right? You're so beautiful. Brother Feng is so lucky. Come and dance with us. It's okay if you can't keep up with the rhythm, take your time." Aunt Wu noticed Consort De and said warmly.
Consort De wanted to refuse, but by the time she realized what was happening, Aunt Wu had already pulled her into the line. She stood there bewildered, not knowing what to do.
Consort De glanced cautiously at Granny Wu, who was happily waving her arms. With a determined look, she closed her eyes and began to dance along with the music.
Soon, she found it irresistible.
After a few songs, Consort De had completely lost her previous composure. After all, she had a background in dance, and even simple movements looked exceptionally beautiful when performed by her.
Soon after, Consort De jumped from the back of the line to the front.
Not just anyone can stand in the front row; it represents the square dance team's recognition and is a symbol of honor.
After the square dancing ended, Defei was still a little reluctant to leave. Square dancing was so much fun!
Just as she was about to leave, she saw a group of women, led by Aunt Wu, run up to Consort De. "Oh my, sister, you dance so well! Did you study dance before?"
Consort De nodded. "I learned this before I was married."
Judging from Consort De's attire and speech, the crowd assumed she must be from a noble family, and those who had initially intended to strike up a conversation hesitated. Their deep-seated fear of powerful figures was not something that could be changed overnight.
Aunt Wu mustered her courage and said, "I see that this lady is also very interested in square dancing. I wonder if you could choreograph some dances for us? Of course, if you don't want to, that's fine too. We can find a performance troupe."
"No need, I can help with the choreography. But today is my first day of square dancing, so some of the moves might not be quite right."
Seeing that Consort De was so easy to talk to, the group became less reserved. "What's the big deal? We can brainstorm together and come up with something good."
The group quickly discussed and agreed on the rehearsal arrangements.
On the way back, Consort De's smile never stopped.
Emperor Feng Zhao looked at the usually composed Consort De with a smile, feeling somewhat curious. "What happy thing happened to Yan'er?" He felt a little guilty for neglecting Consort De lately because of the TV series.
The infighting within the harem is ultimately the emperor's responsibility; he cannot condemn everyone based on a single act. Thinking of this, Emperor Fengzhao's tone softened even more towards Consort De.
After staying at the inn for a while, Consort De was no longer as repressed as she had been in the palace, and now she showed her true self in front of Emperor Feng Zhao.
"I went to do some square dancing for a while, and it was definitely a different experience." Then, she recounted how she and a few other women practiced square dancing.
Originally expecting to be reprimanded by Emperor Feng Zhao, the two became interested and chatted happily like an ordinary couple.
“These old guys really know how to enjoy themselves. They have a lot of fun things to do. You shouldn’t stay indoors all the time. Since you’re out and about, go chat with some of your girlfriends when you have some free time.”
"Yes!" Consort De naturally wouldn't object.
She felt that she preferred her current life to that of the dignified and composed Consort De.
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