Chapter 85 The Empress's Superb Qin Skills Amaze Everyone
Once Empress Cheng had caught her breath, she looked at Jiang Fenghua and saw no mockery or ridicule in her eyes, but rather encouragement.
She was once the daughter of a Duke of the State, and she learned music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry and songs from a young age. She was also pampered by her parents and later married the emperor. She was in the prime of her life like them, but she wasted half her life. She was gambling on a point, which is why she has persisted until now.
She absolutely could not allow her son to be looked down upon; she wanted the Emperor to see that Cheng Langjin had once been a shining star.
"Granny Xi, go and fetch my precious zither." The Empress looked back at the Emperor. "I haven't played for many years, and I'm afraid my skills are rusty and might offend Your Majesty's ears. Please forgive me."
The Emperor looked at her intently, “It’s alright. With the Empress’s help, this family banquet can be a complete success.”
The Empress's gaze turned slightly cold, but a faint smile still played on her lips. "As long as Your Majesty is satisfied, I don't think it's a big deal even if I make a fool of myself."
The emperor and empress were locked in a fierce battle of wits and words, and the emperor, naturally unwilling to be defeated, declared, "Music is only complete with a zither, and a feast is incomplete without dance."
The emperor casually pointed and said indifferently, "I will have Consort Ya dance for the Empress."
The Empress sat up abruptly. "I don't need it."
Before the emperor could react, Xie Shang suddenly stood up, bowed respectfully, and said, "Reporting to Father Emperor."
Because of the Empress's attitude, the Emperor's brows furrowed with impatience, and he asked in a deep voice, "What is it?" He thought that Prince Heng wanted to help the Empress out of her predicament.
"Your Majesty, I recommend my Princess Consort to dance with you." Xie Shang's eyes were deep and unfathomable as he stared intently at the Emperor. "I believe that Feng Hua and Your Majesty's performance together will make this family banquet a truly fulfilling experience for Father."
A moment later, the emperor's majestic gaze shifted to the empress. "Then let the Princess Consort of Heng accompany the empress in her dance. Is the empress satisfied?"
The Empress walked right past the Emperor, tossed her phoenix robe aside, and left her seat. "As long as Your Majesty is satisfied," she said. She had no interest in pleasing him.
The emperor was stunned, but soon a faint smile appeared on his lips, making it impossible to discern his true emotions.
Xie Shang stared intently at Jiang Fenghua, determined to help his mother win tonight no matter what.
Jiang Fenghua knew that today was not her day, but the Empress's. She needed to know how to avoid the Empress's sharp edge, yet also make sure that no one dared to underestimate her.
The Emperor suddenly came to argue with the Empress, probably because he couldn't stand seeing her happy. Why is the Emperor going against the Empress at every turn?
As soon as the Empress, dressed in a bright red phoenix robe, sat down beside the zither stand, all eyes were fixed on her.
At this moment, everyone felt that the Empress looked noble and dignified. She had a pair of delicate willow-leaf eyebrows, long and narrow eyelids, exquisite makeup, and a cold and deep gaze. She exuded an aura of authority without anger. Her red lips were glistening, and even in her forties, she was still stunningly beautiful and captivating.
This empress was no less than Consort Su, yet she was disliked by the emperor for many years.
The emperor straightened up slightly upon seeing the empress like this.
She removed her nail guards, revealing her own fingernails, which were as white as jade and her fingers long and slender. She calmed herself down, as if she were in a world of her own, and only hoped that Jiang Fenghua would not hold her back. Today, she would show them what true musical skill was.
Her lips curved slightly, and a confident light shone in her eyes. As the soft music played, it felt like the intimate whispers between young women. The emperor shifted his body slightly.
Jiang Fenghua also dressed up, and her graceful figure and supple body made her seem to play two roles as she stepped out on the musical notes. From her choreography and movements, one could see how superb her dance skills were.
One danced solo, the other played a solo instrument; their perfect harmony complemented each other beautifully.
Suddenly the music turned majestic and stirring, like warriors rushing to the battlefield to kill enemies. Empress Cheng's eyes were like torches, and the piano music at her fingertips was passionate and rhythmic. Her gaze and the music blended together, bringing people into a dreamlike world.
Suddenly, like willow catkins drifting in the wind, without roots or stems, they float gently in the vast天地 (heaven and earth).
A brief interlude in the middle left them feeling extremely sad, but upon encountering a vast new world, they had already let go of their past and future.
The affectionate young women seemed to come together and then separate. They experienced the spotlight during their ascent, only to fall into an abyss, leaving behind only lingering echoes that resonated endlessly.
They seemed to have witnessed the grand spectacle of a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, as if they were discussing the ups and downs of life and the hardships of the world. She was like a phoenix standing out abruptly amidst the chorus of birds.
Empress Cheng seemed to have played out her entire life, and Jiang Fenghua's dance was even more superb. A single dance vividly portrayed the innocence of a young girl, the sorrow of a young woman, and finally, her acceptance.
When the song ended, all that remained was a deep and heartbreaking sorrow.
Everyone in the palace was stunned. No one expected that the usually dignified and noble Empress would have such superb musical skills, let alone that the Princess Consort of Heng's dancing skills were also extraordinary.
Empress Cheng seemed to be playing a story, while Princess Heng came to life through her body language.
Frame by frame, painting by painting, they felt only sorrow, sorrow for the lives of these women.
At this moment, the emperor's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he walked out.
Confused, everyone quickly stood up to respectfully see the emperor off.
Only after the emperor left did the empress rise from in front of the zither stand, and said with great spirit, "Everyone has gone back, right? I suppose His Majesty had a good time tonight."
Before the Empress's joy could fade, Eunuch Cao came running back eagerly, "His Majesty requests Prince Heng to... come to see him."
The Empress's expression changed almost instantly. "What does Your Majesty want with Shang'er? I'll go and see."
Just as the Empress was about to follow, Eunuch Cao said with a forced smile, "His Majesty did not invite Your Majesty. Please return to the palace!"
Jiang Fenghua quickly went to the Empress's side and whispered, "Mother, please calm down. It seems that Father rarely sees the Prince enter the palace, so the Prince has gone to Father's side to fulfill his filial duty."
Jiang Fenghua finally understood: the Emperor was angered by the Empress, and Xie Shang was the Empress's weakness. If the Empress chased after him, it would likely lead to another irreconcilable conflict.
Xie Shang was brought before the Emperor. The first thing the Emperor did upon entering Chengqian Palace was to change out of his dragon robe, and the second thing he did was to sit down at his desk and begin reviewing memorials.
The anger in his chest vanished instantly, and the emperor suddenly said, "Sit down."
"Thank you, Father Emperor." After saying this, he respectfully sat down in the lower seat.
"I've heard some of what happened in your palace today," the emperor sneered. "I never imagined I could father a child with such a romantic nature."
Xie Shang asked in a deep voice, "Am I Father Emperor's biological child?"
Upon hearing this, the emperor picked up the pen rest on the table and threw it at Xie Shang, saying, "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Xie Shang also dodged, and the pen rest didn't land on his face, but instead smashed directly into the pillar next to him with a crisp "thud" before falling to the ground.
Xie Shang immediately knelt on the ground, "Your subject only wants to know the truth. Why is Father Emperor treating Mother this way? What did she do wrong to deserve such punishment from you? Isn't punishing her for over twenty years enough?"
"I have learned the truth from the Empress Dowager. That palace maid was pregnant with the Emperor's child, but she wanted to give birth prematurely, which led to a difficult labor and the death of both mother and child."
The Empress Dowager also realized her mistake. Her scheming was because Father Emperor had too many women. As Empress, she had never had children, which is why she did wrong. You are her husband…”
The emperor said coldly, "I am her husband, and I am also the emperor. I am the emperor of all people, not just Cheng Langjin's emperor. She can just find any man to comfort her."
He was not only the Empress's heaven, but also the heaven of all the people under heaven, which enraged the Emperor.
Xie Shang was startled.
The empress challenged a man's authority. The emperor was no ordinary man; how could he tolerate the empress's betrayal, even if it was a betrayal of the heart?
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