19. Dragon Boat Festival Feast (Part 1)
As the first rays of dawn broke, the Xiaoyao Prince's Mansion was already bustling with activity. Today was the annual Dragon Boat Festival, and according to custom, many officials would bring their families to the mansion for a grand banquet, which had become a day for them to compete. As the host, the Xiaoyao Prince's Mansion naturally had to give a speech at the start of the banquet to express their gratitude to the officials for their presence.
Today's banquet was held in the Hanxuan Garden's banquet hall. The tables and chairs were arranged neatly, and four large luminous pearls lay on their stands, each in one of the four corners, illuminating the entire hall. At dusk, the Carefree Prince arrived in full regalia, a dark purple robe clinging to his body, perfectly showcasing his noble and refined temperament. Liu Hanruo, on the other hand, wore a light purple gauze dress, paired with a purple butterfly tassel hair ornament, her every gesture exuding elegance and nobility. The two stood quietly above, their attire, one dark and one light, complementing each other perfectly, as if by prior arrangement, creating a harmonious and elegant scene.
Those at the lower level, unaware of the complexities of the Prince's mansion's inner court, seeing the two dressed so similarly, assumed they were deeply in love and smiled broadly, offering their compliments:
"The prince and princess are so loving, even the colors of their clothes are so similar, it's truly enviable!"
Some who knew a little more were puzzled, sighing inwardly: "Isn't it said that Prince Xiaoyao dotes solely on Consort Liu, and that Princess Xiaoyao is merely a figurehead? But what I'm seeing today doesn't match the rumors. If the Princess is truly unloved, why are the two of them wearing the same color scheme today? Could it be that Consort Liu miscarried recently, and the Princess used some special method to seduce Prince Xiaoyao? Yes, this Princess even dared to use aphrodisiacs to marry Prince Xiaoyao before; who knows, she might have used a curse this time. Ah, what a vicious woman! She completely disregards her sister's feelings. Maybe she even orchestrated the miscarriage, finding a scapegoat to cover her tracks. Ah, what a terrifying woman! Luckily, she's not my wife, otherwise, how could the household be peaceful?"
There were more than just a few people who thought this way. Although they felt indignant for Consort Liu, they dared not say it openly. They could only secretly despise Liu Hanruo in their hearts. Those who were a little bolder only dared to mutter that Liu Hanruo was shameless.
After a few cold dishes were served on each table, the carefree prince raised his wine glass, his majestic voice resounding throughout the banquet hall, and the banquet officially began, with various dishes being served one after another.
"Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. I would like to extend my greetings to everyone and thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend today's banquet!"
After speaking, the carefree prince bowed, raised his cup, and drank it all in one gulp, even symbolically turning the cup upside down to indicate that he had finished. Seeing this, the people below also stood up, raised their cups, and drank them all in one gulp. When the cups were empty, the maids beside them consciously refilled them.
Everyone enjoyed the delicious food and fine wine. After a few rounds of drinks, when everyone was slightly full, the atmosphere became lively. Liu Hanruo gave a signal with her eyes, and Chunxiang took the order and left. After a while, the originally bright hall suddenly became dim, and in the hazy light, one could only see a figure flitting by.
Just then, the melodious sound of the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) rang out first, clear and melodious. Then, candlelight began to illuminate the surrounding area, and everyone could see that ten women dressed in pale yellow dresses, their faces veiled by folding fans, were arranged in an orderly fashion, surrounding a woman in a pink dress in the center, also veiled by a fan. They danced gracefully to the music, and the folding fans began to move in an orderly fashion from front to back, revealing the women's faces. Then, the sounds of various musical instruments gradually rose up, including the flute, zither, drum, and pipa, complementing the morin khuur. The beautiful music and the dazzling dance intertwined, captivating everyone and leaving them completely mesmerized.
As the music faded, the women left the stage one by one, and the maids simultaneously removed the cloth covering the luminous pearl, restoring light to the entire hall. The crowd, still savoring the dance, were particularly moved, especially Young Master Ximen, who smiled gently and praised:
"I have never heard of this music and dance before. It truly lives up to the saying, 'This music is only found in heaven; how often can it be heard on earth!' The unique timbre of the morin khuur perfectly expresses the artistic conception of the entire piece. Its sound is far-reaching and lingering, resonating for three days, and its beauty is unforgettable. The magnificent dance makes one feel as if they are in a fairyland, leaving them wanting more. May I ask Your Highness, which music academy produced this performance? Such talent is truly remarkable. I would like to invite you to perform it at my next banquet."
"Hehe, then I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint Young Master Ximen. This music hall is called Hua Man Lou. Unlike other music halls, some of the women there are of extremely noble status. They only stay in the music hall because they genuinely love dancing or composing. Because of this, they are extremely low-key and are one of the more secretive music halls in the capital. They are little known and would never come out of seclusion unless asked by an acquaintance."
"Since that's the case, I won't force you. It's just a pity... alas..."
Seeing everyone praising the woman from before, perhaps due to the women's competitive nature, the young ladies from prominent families present felt uncomfortable, thinking that they had been overshadowed. They were all eager to show off their talents in order to win the praise of the crowd and satisfy their vanity.
The first to take the stage was Gao Yiyi, the beloved daughter of General Dingyuan. The stirring music of Kangka began to play. As the saying goes, a general's daughter is no less than a hero. Gao Yiyi's sword dance was so skillful and completely different from her previous performance that it caught everyone's attention. Cheers rose and fell, and when the dance ended, thunderous applause resounded.
With a leader in place, the women were no longer shy and entered one after another in a rush. Unlike the two previous dances, which were unforgettable, some performed dances, some sang, some played musical instruments, and some even recited poems on the spot. None of them seemed to be original, and the crowd only gave symbolic cheers and applause to show their encouragement.
Watching the monotonous performances, Liu Hanruo felt only boredom. She would occasionally glance at the carefree prince beside her, noticing that he maintained the same posture and expression, making it impossible to discern his joy, anger, or hatred. Liu Hanruo couldn't help but sigh softly:
"He can maintain the same sitting posture and expression for so long, he's truly exceptional. It seems we still have a long way to go to figure out how to deal with this difficult guy!"
Although the voice was soft, the Prince of Xiaoyao was extremely skilled in martial arts and had very keen hearing. Hearing the complaint, he suddenly looked at Liu Hanruo, which startled her. She thought he had overheard her words and was about to be scolded when she saw that the Prince of Xiaoyao had simply changed his position and looked away from her. She finally felt relieved.
Just then, an unusually familiar voice suddenly came from below, a voice that made Liu Hanruo's expression change instantly, her face filled with gloom.
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