Chapter 555 Beauty is a Curse
Jiang Fenghua looked at Xie Shang and said gently, "That still needs to be asked of my husband. I am already his woman."
The Grand Consort said, "What do you mean? You have to ask Master Xie for permission before you can do anything. Isn't that like being a puppet to be manipulated?"
Jiang Fenghua smiled and said, "That's how it is in my line of work. We're all obliged to those who feed us. I rely on you for everything, and you treat me very well. All the jewelry I wear was given to me by you. As long as you're happy, I'm happy."
The Grand Queen Dowager then asked, "What profession do you work in, young lady?"
"Before I was redeemed, I was a courtesan in a brothel who performed but did not sell my body. Now I am a respectable woman."
The Grand Consort frowned, a hint of disgust flashing in her eyes. So she was a woman from a brothel. There were countless brothels in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
After listening to her talk for so long, Xie Shang was truly impressed by Jiang Fenghua's eloquence; he almost believed her story.
When the eldest prince, Meng Ang, heard that she used to work in a brothel, he looked at Xie Shang and said with a smile, "Master Xie is so lucky to have married such a beautiful bride."
Wealthy merchants often frequented brothels, which eased the suspicions of the naturally suspicious eldest prince.
Xie Shang smiled slightly and said to Jiang Fenghua, "Now that we're in the South, let's do as the Romans do and take off our veils!"
As Jiang Fenghua slowly lifted her veil, her stunning beauty captivated everyone, leaving them mesmerized. They couldn't believe such an exceptionally beautiful woman existed in the world.
She wore heavy makeup today, which was more in line with the makeup style of women in brothels. She looked incredibly charming. She knew that the more exquisite the makeup, the more it would showcase her stunning beauty, making her look like a fairy.
Song Peng praised, "With her charming smile and beautiful eyes, she is truly a rare beauty."
Meng Li said, "I wasn't exaggerating, was I? Miss Jiang is indeed a great beauty."
"Thank you for your kind words, Fourth Prince." Jiang Fenghua continued, "I used to perform in brothels but didn't sell my body. Fortunately, my husband redeemed me. I don't have much to offer, but dancing is my forte. Let me perform a dance to entertain everyone!"
"No!" Xie Shang instinctively stopped her. He would rather have his men storm the Southern Kingdom's palace than have Jiang Fenghua dance in front of outsiders.
Even though she has amnesia, she still remembers that she can dance?
Jiang Fenghua has a rebellious streak, meaning that she draws everyone's attention to make it easier for Meng Yao to move around. Once the Prince of Nan is rescued, things will be much easier.
She swayed her slender waist as she slowly walked to the center of the hall, exuding charm with every gesture. Jiang Fenghua was tall and slender, and no one could help but be captivated by her stunning figure and beautiful face.
Who would have thought that such a delicate beauty could kill without even blinking an eye?
The Queen Mother was so shocked when she saw her that she opened her mouth wide. The only words that came to her mind were "beauty is a curse".
"I wonder if your Southern Kingdom's palace has any musical instruments from the Great Zhou Kingdom, or if you can find dancers and singers to accompany me in my dances and music."
Meng Yao told her that Consort Shen was very skilled in playing musical instruments from the Great Zhou Kingdom, and that the Prince of Nan had collected almost all kinds of musical instruments from the Great Zhou Kingdom in order to please Consort Shen.
Meng Li said very solicitously, "Yes, the palace has musical instruments from the Great Zhou Kingdom. I will send someone to fetch them for you. May I ask what musical instrument you are good at?"
"Guzheng, pipa, jade flute... anything that your Southern Palace has, you can bring it for me to try." Jiang Fenghua gave Meng Li a meaningful, flirtatious look, and then said, "I grew up in a brothel and have learned a lot of skills."
"I have them all. I'll have someone fetch them right away." Meng Li was overjoyed.
Just as the Fourth Prince was about to leave, Jiang Fenghua walked up to him again and said, "Fourth Prince, please let my maid go with me. She has always served me and knows what I like. Have the maid find a dance costume while she's at it. Your Southern Kingdom's palace should have dance costumes, right?"
“Go ahead and choose for yourself, young lady!” Meng Li blurted out.
Xie Shang said, "Let the maid go and fetch it. Thank you for your help, Fourth Prince."
Meng Li was somewhat embarrassed. "I can go myself, please wait a moment, young lady."
Jiang Fenghua gave a slight curtsy, "Thank you, Fourth Prince."
Jiang Fenghua had never seen what the women in the brothel looked like, but she was stunningly beautiful, with a captivating charm. It was as if she knew everything about her every smile, every word, and every action.
She slowly walked towards Xie Shang, sat down beside him, and said in a soft and charming voice, "My lord, it's been a long time since you've seen me dance. I'll dance for you later."
Xie Shang took her hand and said, "Since you came out of the building, I haven't seen you dance again. Since you're in such high spirits today, please dance well!"
Jiang Fenghua was taken aback, then smiled slightly, "Yes."
Soon, Meng Li led her men to Consort Chen's palace and brought all the musical instruments to Jiang Fenghua.
The fourth prince's actions aroused the curiosity of everyone in the palace, and the banquet hall was soon surrounded by people.
Jiang Fenghua casually picked up a pipa, and her slender fingers plucked a few notes, which sounded like heavenly music. She praised, "The sound quality is excellent."
The fourth prince said, "Miss Jiang's casual playing has captivated me. Why don't you play a piece for us all to enjoy?"
"Your Highness, please wait a moment." She then asked the musicians, "What pieces can you all play?"
The dancers and musicians had already been taken into custody. They said in fear, "The Rainbow Feather Dance is our specialty." Because Consort Shen often practiced this dance, the musicians were very skilled at it.
This dance isn't easy to perform well either.
Jiang Fenghua said, "Let's choose this piece. I haven't danced in a long time, so please excuse my poor skills."
As soon as the musicians were ready, Jiang Fenghua began to dance gracefully to the light melody. Her movements were soft and light, like a dream, and every step was breathtaking, leaving the audience mesmerized.
Xie Shang was also captivated. She gave him an ambiguous and alluring look. He knew that Jiang Fenghua was good at dancing and loved to dance, but she rarely danced in front of him. This time, she truly impressed him and amazed him.
He wanted to gouge out the eyes of all the people who came around and hang them on the city wall to be exposed to the sun for three days.
He remained calm and composed, trying his best to control his emotions. Apart from liking and pride, he could not show any other emotions on his face, because they needed to buy time for Jiang Jinyan and Meng Yao.
The musicians were so captivated by the stunning dance that they almost lost their composure and couldn't keep up with her steps. They never expected that someone could dance even better than Consort Shen.
It was like a baptism of the soul, graceful as a startled swan, elegant as a swimming dragon.
The Grand Consort seemed to be frightened by the dance. Just as Jiang Fenghua turned around and smiled, she suddenly fell off her seat and unconsciously called out "Consort Chen".
The eldest and fourth princes were so captivated by the beautiful women in the hall that they failed to notice the queen's terror.
Even Song Peng was stunned. He murmured, "The wind blows her fairy sleeves, making them flutter like a rainbow-colored feathered dress in a dance. Wonderful, wonderful indeed!"
Xie Shang glanced at Song Peng unconsciously, feeling that he didn't seem like a vassal state person.
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