Chapter 939 A Feast of Singing and Dancing~
Regardless of what Empress Wu was really thinking, she was all smiles as she raised her cup to invite everyone to drink together.
Out of caution, Li San Niang raised her cup to her lips like everyone else, and although there was indeed fine wine in the cup, she only smelled it and didn't touch it at all.
It wasn't that she was afraid the wine was poisoned; even if it were, Li San Niang's senses were exceptionally sharp, and she would have noticed it immediately.
I'm not drinking the wine, just eating a few bites of food, simply because I'm worried about the inconvenience of changing clothes in this kind of setting, and also because I'm afraid of getting too drunk and making a fool of myself.
As a female official, this is something that must be taken very seriously.
Aside from this giant stone, the gifts offered by the vassal states thereafter were rather unremarkable.
When Emperor Wu said, "Let the feast begin," the musicians changed the music again. Li San Niang had no idea where the dancers came from in the main hall. Anyway, after the music started, dozens of dancers in beautiful dresses appeared on stage in the blink of an eye.
Li San Niang watched with great interest, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart, "I've really made something of myself, being able to watch a song and dance performance in the Taiji Hall."
The dance lasted for about fifteen minutes. Although the dancers were indeed graceful and beautiful, Li San Niang, as a woman, did not find them amazing.
Just as she picked up a slice of what was said to be venison with her chopsticks and brought it to her mouth, she heard the official beside her say, "It turns out that it is the young master of Vice Minister Pei's family who is performing this sword dance. I have heard that this young master Pei is known for his talent."
"You misheard. Pei Xiaolang was indeed among the people the palace attendant reported, but he was just there to entertain his brother. The sword dancers were Pei Dalang and Xiao Sheng."
"Oh? Xiao Sheng?"
That young star of the Xiao family?
"Is that the young general whose legs were saved by the female physician of the Imperial Medical Bureau?"
Upon hearing this, Li San Niang put down her chopsticks, turned around, and smiled at the official who had mentioned her.
Although the official felt embarrassed about being caught talking about someone behind their back, he was quite generous after a moment of surprise. When he saw Li San Niang looking over, he cupped his hands in greeting and smiled.
It was indeed Li San Niang who healed Xiao Sheng's leg. When talking about this, we have to mention the assassination attempt that Li San Niang encountered—the smallpox poisoning case, which was the crime committed by the son of Princess Nanping.
Before Li San Niang could think about it, a series of melodious pipa sounds, like pearls falling onto a jade plate, rang in her ears.
Li San Niang sat up straight and looked towards the center of the main hall. She saw a man in an indigo blue round-necked robe playing a pipa. After the pipa music had been playing for a while, two men with their hair tied up and wearing narrow-sleeved martial arts uniforms came out with swords.
The man in the red dress must be Pei Dalang, because the man in the black dress is Xiao Sheng, the young general of the Xiao family who was saved by Li Sanniang.
The beauty of men's dance and women's dance is completely different. This was the first time Li Sanniang had seen a sword dance. Just from the opening gesture, Li Sanniang felt that the dancer's hands were full of power.
The pipa music was played perfectly, and during each duel in the sword dance, the tension between the two could be felt through the music.
The sword dance, which lasted only a quarter of an hour, was a feast for the eyes!
Even the Emperor Wu, sitting on his high throne, couldn't help but praise it. When the news reached Li Sanniang, it was: "The Emperor is greatly pleased and will reward him!"
Although Li Sanniang felt an inexplicable sense of mystery when she first met Emperor Wu, her chest swelled and her heart was beating fast.
However, ever since Li Sanniang became an official, she rarely had the same sense of mystery when she had the chance to catch a glimpse of Emperor Wu from afar.
Now, Li Sanniang is more than ten feet away from Emperor Wu. At such a distance, she can't see Emperor Wu's face at all, only his outline.
Li San Niang stopped thinking about things she couldn't understand and instead went to see the two Pei family sons and Xiao Sheng, the young general of the Xiao family, who were receiving rewards from Emperor Wu.
Li San Niang had naturally figured something out; the news of the young general of the Xiao family recovering his legs must have already spread far and wide.
However, if I don't actually show off my great legs in such a big setting, who knows what people outside will say?
Moreover, a military general must rely on military achievements to establish merit.
So, if you want to join the war, you have to let the higher-ups know that you're doing well, that you're great, and that you can lead troops into battle.
Clearly, given the current situation of the Tang Dynasty, it is bound to expand outwards in the future. It is obviously a good time for military generals to expand the territory of the Tang Dynasty.
So, wouldn't it be the best way for Xiao Sheng to perform a sword dance that requires extremely high physical strength and skill to declare that he is strong and healthy and has the ambition to fight on the battlefield?
Next came singing, dancing, and some acrobatics, all of which Li San Niang had never seen before, and she thoroughly enjoyed watching them.
As Li Sanniang watched these programs, she heard a commotion coming from the Eastern Turkic region ahead. She and the official beside her exchanged a glance, both of them thinking, "They've finally arrived."
The Eastern Turks were the most interesting group. They were no good at intrigue and trickery, and they were no good at direct confrontation. Yet, when they faced the Tang Dynasty, they still refused to submit.
Sure enough, the banquet was almost over when they started causing trouble.
Li San Niang had no right to know what had happened ahead, but after waiting for a while, a palace servant brought in a carpet and ribbons.
It turned out that the Great Khan of the Eastern Turks said that the soft and gentle songs and dances were not interesting, and suggested something more interesting—wrestling.
"Wrestling? A game of strength and skill."
Thinking this, Li San Niang looked up and ahead, wanting to see what kind of wrestling this was.
As a result, the Great Khan of the Eastern Turks sent his eldest son, whose identity he did not know, while the Tang Dynasty's only representative present was Li Xian, the eldest son of Prince Xiang, who was of similar age.
Looking at Li Xian's expression and then at the Turkic prince on the other side, Li Sanniang felt that the outcome was about 50/50.
Just as Li San Niang had guessed, Li Xian and the Turkic prince were evenly matched in the wrestling match, and after a long stalemate, they could not determine a winner. In the end, the match ended in a draw.
"Emperor Tang, what do you think of this?"
"Let's have another round, with this curved sword at my waist as the prize. Whoever wins, the sword is theirs!"
"oh?
Then I'll use this dagger I carry with me as the prize.
Who among those present is willing to represent the Tang Dynasty in the battle?
This time, the Eastern Turkic Khaganate's number one warrior is making his appearance. Li Sanniang judged that this man to be at least 1.9 meters tall, with broad shoulders and a thick waist, as strong and muscular as a bear.
However, even when faced with such a formidable opponent, all the generals present from the Tang Dynasty eagerly volunteered for battle.
Seeing this, Emperor Wu ultimately did not send out the military generals present, but instead dispatched the commander of her personal guard.
This Commander Li San Niang really does know her!
It was Commander Xue Yao, whom I had met once before!
Xue Yao wasn't short either, looking to be a man over six feet tall, but his size still made him somewhat weaker than the Turkic warrior.
However, Li San Niang didn't think she was bound to lose, since wrestling still requires skill.
The atmosphere at the scene immediately became enthusiastic. Emperor Wu's personal dagger was definitely a good thing. Whether it could cut through iron like mud was debatable, but its symbolic meaning was extraordinary.
Moreover, since they were facing the Eastern Turks, a victory would be even more significant.
Suddenly, the sound of war drums rang out inside the main hall, each beat striking the heart.
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