In Huaqing Palace, a beautiful woman was sitting in front of a bronze mirror, staring at the charming face in the mirror.
"Is this palace beautiful?"
She raised her hand and touched her face, speaking softly.
The palace maid who was styling her black hair behind her said, "Your Highness is naturally extremely beautiful. The other concubines in the harem are not even half as beautiful as you."
"If I am so beautiful, why doesn't Your Majesty even look at me?"
A dark light flashed in the imperial concubine's eyes.
His Majesty had not set foot in Huaqing Palace for a long time, so long that she almost forgot what he looked like.
The maid paused for a moment. "Perhaps the court is overwhelmed with affairs, and Your Majesty is unable to get away for the moment, so..."
"Forget it, stop making excuses for His Majesty. I heard he hasn't stepped into the harem for half a month."
It doesn’t matter if you’re busy for one day, but are you busy every day for half a month?
The imperial concubine didn't believe it.
She touched her hair and said calmly, "Is what I want ready?"
"In reply to your Majesty, we are ready."
The maid took out a white porcelain bottle and said, "Your Majesty, this powder dissolves instantly in water. It is colorless and odorless, so no one will notice it."
The imperial concubine's red lips curled slightly. "Very good. Since His Majesty will not come to Huaqing Palace to see me, then I will have no choice but to take advantage of this palace banquet... to go to His Majesty in person."
Ever since the incident with Lady Jing, Emperor Yu hasn't set foot in the harem for half a month, and the concubines have waited for so long that the flowers have all wilted.
But Emperor Yu had once ordered that they could not go anywhere except the harem.
Hall of Mental Cultivation, Qin Room, and Imperial Study.
They were not allowed to set foot in these three places where Emperor Yu often stayed.
The concubines didn't know when Emperor Yu would enter the harem, and this palace banquet was the only time they saw Emperor Yu in recent days.
The concubines put on exquisite makeup and wore the most beautiful dresses, hoping to attract Emperor Yu's attention at the palace banquet.
Today's palace banquet was held in Changle Palace. The concubines with high positions in the harem and the court officials went to Changle Palace one after another.
The Changle Palace had walls painted with pepper, railings and painted thresholds, and thin, transparent gauze embroidered curtains that fluttered in the wind, revealing the embroidered pillars and carved pillars with coiled dragons and dancing phoenixes, as well as various furnishings in the depths of the palace.
Emperor Yu arrived late only after all the concubines and ministers were seated.
The concubines and ministers hurriedly stood up from their seats and knelt on the ground.
"Your Majesty, I, your humble servant, pay my respects to you. Long live Your Majesty!"
The jet-black and golden dragon robe flashed before everyone's eyes, and every step he took was extremely solemn.
Emperor Yu walked straight up to the dragon throne and glanced at the people kneeling in the hall: "Everyone, stand up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The concubines and court officials slowly stood up and returned to their seats.
Emperor Yu sat upright on the dragon throne, his expression dignified without anger.
From the moment he sat on the dragon throne, his eyes fell on the entrance of Changle Palace.
The first performance at the palace banquet was a song and dance choreographed by the Jiaofangsi.
After seven days, he could finally see her again.
The concubines below all stood up straight, and their every move was elegant.
They quietly turned their heads to look at the man they had been thinking about day and night in the high seat, but the man's eyes were always looking forward and did not linger on them for even a moment.
Aunt Rong quickly walked in from outside the hall and knelt down in the main hall.
"Your Majesty, the music and dance performances by the Jiaofangsi are ready."
Emperor Yu's eyes flickered: "Exclaim."
"The Xuanjiaofangsi enters the hall singing and dancing—"
Eunuch Su's hoarse voice sounded behind Emperor Yu, spreading from Changle Palace to outside the palace.
The beauties outside the palace took a deep breath, smiled, and walked towards the main hall of Changle Palace in small steps.
The wind instruments sounded, and beauties in blue feathered robes came out one after another, dragging their gorgeous long skirts and dancing lightly. Suddenly, their sleeves swung open, and the dancing sleeves of the beauties seemed like countless petals falling from the sky, and their fairy sleeves were like blue clouds emerging from the mountains.
She turned her body, her steps were light and graceful, like a startled swan, just like a willow-waisted flower smiling and beautiful, dancing in the breeze.
The ministers' eyes lit up, and when they looked at the people around them, their eyes were full of surprise and admiration.
The dance choreographed by the Jiaofangsi this year is really thoughtful!
As the ministers were expressing their admiration for this year's eye-catching dance, a three-meter-long piece of rice paper suddenly appeared on the horizontal wall of the hall.
The beauties changed their postures and danced swayingly as they moved towards the rice paper lying across the hall.
The first person to come to the rice paper was Bai Zhixi. Out of everyone's curiosity, Bai Zhixi flicked her sleeves slightly and landed them on the desk beside her. When she retracted her sleeves, she lightly touched the ink. Then, to everyone's shock, she flicked her sleeves across the rice paper, leaving a heavy stroke on it.
After Bai Zhixi returned to the dance troupe, Mu Wanqing and Xia Zian, who had performed their painting skills at the palace banquet, came forward one after another. Their movements were similar to Bai Zhixi's, with their sleeves dipped in ink and brushing across the rice paper.
Soon, the traces left by the three of them connected together, gradually outlining a shadow of peaks, which made everyone's eyes widen in amazement!
Before the shock in everyone's eyes had subsided, Shen Weining and Xia Qiange, who were in charge of the calligraphy display, swayed with dancing postures, turned around and picked up the brushes on the desk.
The two of them moved in unison, one of their sleeves fluttering as they danced like the other ladies, while the other hand held a pen, moving as smoothly as flowing water, leaving a line of beautiful words on the rice paper.
Suddenly, two palace servants came forward quickly and placed the chessboard on the hall. When they raised their hands, the chessboard instantly rose into the air and stood upright on the side of the rice paper.
Everyone was surprised when Liu Linlang and Lin Qingwu slowly walked out from the dance troupe, each holding a chess piece and placing it on the chessboard.
Upon seeing this, the court officials straightened up suddenly, the shock in their eyes almost becoming tangible!
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