It seems there isn't a single normal person in the Sima family. The Prince of Xiao'an, who favored his concubine over his wife and harmed his legitimate son, the Prince of Chu, who was blinded by love for Ling Xue'er, and the Emperor of Jin, who married Ling Xue'er just to cause trouble for Sima Yi.
Compared to this, Sima Xing seems much more normal.
A dark glint flashed in the Emperor's eyes as he looked around. "Huh? Wasn't it said that the Third Princess of Lu Kingdom was to come today? Why can't I see her anywhere?"
Lu Qingyan sighed, walked out, and bowed, saying, "Princess of Lu greets His Majesty the Emperor of Jin."
Emperor Jin suddenly realized and said, "Oh, it's you. I didn't notice you when you were bowing earlier. But the place you are sitting in is only for the women and ladies of Jin. Why did you sit there? Could it be that Jin has been unhospitable and deliberately led the princess to that place?"
Emperor Jin angrily said, "What kind of servants are you? You don't even know such basic manners!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down." Lu Qingyan lowered her eyes, neither surprised nor angry: "We are all in this hall, so it doesn't matter which seat we sit in. I came to Jin by marriage, so there is nothing wrong with me sitting in this position."
By this time, Lu Qingyan already knew that the seat occupied by the Pingcheng City Lord was probably hers, while the empty seat was his.
She was new here and didn't understand these things, but why was Su Mo going to such lengths to get her out of that position?
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she couldn't very well ask him that question in front of so many people, so she could only bury her surprise in her heart.
The Jin Emperor looked around and said in a deep voice, "Today's banquet for our beloved ministers and noblewomen is mainly to witness the marriage of Princess Lu. The Third Princess has come from afar, and our Jin Kingdom cannot fail to extend its hospitality."
"Your Majesty," Consort Xue interjected in a coquettish tone, "I've heard that the Third Princess dances exceptionally well, truly breathtaking. With so many people here, including the Prince of Chu, the Third Prince of Qi, and the Lord of Pingcheng, I wonder if we might have the honor of witnessing the Princess's dance."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Jin's eyes gleamed with a light that Lu Qingyan shouldn't understand, yet had no choice but to.
Lu Qingyan took a small sip of the wine in her glass and sighed inwardly that the wine was indeed too bitter today.
"Your Highness is too kind," Lu Qingyan said with a smile. "I have long heard of Consort Xue's superb dancing skills. If I were to witness them, I would ask the elder to go first. I know that Consort Xue is older than me and must have practiced for several more years than me."
Ling Xue'er hadn't been in the palace for long, but she had served Emperor Jin for many years. Initially, she was especially favored by him, but as time passed, her beauty faded, and how much favor could she possibly regain?
There are more and more people in the palace, especially Consort Yu, who entered the palace much later than her, but now she is basically on equal footing with her. This makes her hate those younger vixens even more.
When Ling Xue'er heard Lu Qingyan mocking her age, she immediately became restless.
Emperor Jin looked at Ling Xue'er tenderly and stroked her hair: "My beloved consort, since this is the princess's request, you should grant it. It has been a long time since I've seen you dance, so why don't we take this opportunity to have a competition with the princess?" Emperor Jin suggested with great interest.
When the Emperor spoke, none of the people below dared to utter a single negative word. They all praised Ling Xue'er for her skill, believing she would surely surpass the princess.
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