Zhao Shu got up early, washed up, and then went to practice Tai Chi with Prince Yong. After Tai Chi, they had breakfast.
After having breakfast, we watched a song and dance performance.
It must be said that the women of Prince Yong's mansion are all exceptionally skilled, talented in singing and dancing. For example, this woman, dressed in a flowing white dress with a long white ribbon hanging from her arms, is standing on a drum, dancing barefoot.
She was breathtakingly beautiful, with a supple and graceful demeanor. Every movement was exquisite and awe-inspiring, making one hold their breath to watch intently. At that moment, it was no longer just about watching someone dance, nor was it about appearance; it was about beauty and elegance.
For example, there is a stunningly beautiful woman dressed in fiery red, playing the guzheng. Her face is bewitching, her eyes are captivating, and her fingers are long and beautiful, like green bamboo leaves. When she gently plucks the strings, the music has a unique charm.
Just then, a gentle breeze blew by, blowing her long red hair and making her even more beautiful than otherworldly.
The Prince Yong's mansion, while not necessarily the richest in the country, certainly boasts an abundance of beautiful women.
Zhao Shu, with her sharp eyes, spotted Zhang Xiuyu at the door immediately and called out, "Oh, Aunt Zhang is here! Chuchun, quick, give Aunt Zhang a seat."
Zhang Xiuyu felt her face burning. What did he mean by "Aunt Zhang"? He made her sound like a servant.
And what about these beauties? Are they deliberately trying to annoy me? No matter how beautiful they are, they're still just lowly concubines!
She can't give up, she can't!
After giving herself a hint, she walked up to Prince Yong and bowed gracefully, saying, "Xiuyu greets Your Highness."
Prince Yong was engrossed in watching the drum dance when Zhang Xiuyu happened to block his view. He ignored her words and simply gestured for her to move aside and not block his view.
Zhang Xiuyu was even more embarrassed. Her face, which would be considered stunningly beautiful in front of an ordinary person, but ordinary in the brothel full of beauties, had turned liver-colored.
Forcing herself to remain calm, she walked to the chair arranged by Chu Chun and sat down. When she looked up, she saw Zhao Shu looking at her with a half-smile.
At this moment, Green Ivy came over and whispered to Zhao Shu, "Princess, Consort Zhang wants you to go to Xiaoxiang Courtyard. She says she wants to make clothes for you and asks you to choose the pattern."
Zhang Xiuyu gave Zhao Shu a provocative look, feeling smug inside.
Want to get rid of her? Too bad, she's just a concubine, not important enough. Even the four concubines in the palace wouldn't dare to do that, let alone have her at their beck and call.
Consort Zhang was new to the place and didn't know the rules.
This allowed her to experience the harm caused by being unruly, domineering, and willful. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was just enough for Zhang Xiuyu to hear, "How can you be so ignorant? A mere concubine expects to be at my beck and call, behaving like a servant. Who taught you manners?"
While she was scolding Green Ivy, she was actually implying that Consort Zhang was unqualified and lacked manners. Upon being scolded, Green Ivy immediately lowered her head and said meekly, "Yes, Your Highness, this servant will go and report back."
"Mmm," Zhao Shu responded lazily, then continued to enjoy the song and dance performance.
There were many women in Prince Yong's mansion. Although many had died, there were still many. After the drum dance, one woman in white and one in red walked up to Prince Yong and knelt down.
Before she could speak, Zhao Shu exclaimed, "Well done! Give her a reward!"
"Thank you, Princess. Thank you, Your Highness." Both of them were courtesans who had been in the manor for two years. They were so beautiful that it was truly remarkable that they had survived until now.
However, the women in the mansion were all very beautiful, so they didn't stand out too much when placed among a group of beauties.
One pair of beauties went down, and four or five more came up. This time they danced the Spring Outing Dance, with music adapted from a folk rain-praying dance. It was light and lively, and the music was different from the previous beautiful and elegant one, making people feel very happy and relaxed.
"Aunt Zhang, what do you think of this song?" Zhao Shu deliberately provoked her. What kind of noble lady is she? She looks down on concubines and singers, yet she is jealous of their beauty and talent in singing and dancing. Her own behavior is worse than those concubines and singers she despises. What a jerk she is.
Zhang Xiuyu felt that Zhao Shu was born to annoy her, so she said insincerely, "So-so."
"Why don't you have a contest with them, Aunt Zhang? I think the tune you played yesterday was nice, but your skill was lacking. You're not as good as the singers in my household."
"You!" Zhang Xiuyu stood up, wanting to overturn the table, smash the cup, and slap Zhao Shu a few times, but she didn't dare. She hadn't even had a chance to show Zhao Shu any concern or care, let alone offend her, and she was already being humiliated like this. If she really hit her, she didn't know how Zhao Shu would humiliate her.
Deep down, she was afraid of Zhao Shu's sharp tongue.
“How dare you, a lowly songstress, compete with me?” she said stiffly.
"Oh, is that so? Even the lowest concubines and courtesans know that Chensong Courtyard is my father's residence. They wouldn't appear here unless someone sent word. Aunt Zhang, Yunying, is unmarried, yet she runs to my father's residence every day. What's the explanation for that? Oh, you said yesterday that you saw the melancholy between my father's brows and felt pity for him, wanting to use your music to soothe the melancholy between his brows. But now that so many talented people can soothe the melancholy between my father's brows, what are you still doing here? Do you want to rely on my father? If so, wouldn't you be even lower than a lowly concubine or courtesan!"
Prince Yong, who had been enjoying the song and dance performance with great interest, frowned and felt heartbroken at Zhao Shu's words. He then turned to Zhang Xiuyu and said, "Miss Zhang, please go back. I am a widower and cannot presume to be associated with you."
After being rebuked by Zhao Shu, Zhang Xiuyu was forced to seek comfort from Prince Yong before he bluntly rejected her. Overwhelmed with humiliation, she covered her face and wept, running out of Chensong Courtyard once again.
Tch, with such meager skills, they dare to stir up trouble in the Prince's mansion? They're practically courting death. If you release the concubines, they'll be devoured until there's not a bone left.
Many concubines and courtesans in Chensong Courtyard were waiting to perform songs and dances for the princess and prince. When they saw her run out, they all whispered among themselves and said all sorts of unpleasant things.
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