Chapter Twenty-Three: No Good Feast (Part Two)
The sounds of drums and strings filled the air. Inside the banquet hall, people occasionally clinked glasses, sipped tea, and enjoyed wine, creating a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.
On the high seat, Liu Zhang, the military governor of Luocheng, raised his wine cup and casually glanced at Yin Wenbin, the prefect of Luocheng, sitting below him. Yin Wenbin was startled, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. He had botched his mission earlier; he couldn't afford to mess it up again.
Wiping away the sweat with his wide sleeves, Yin Wenbin put on a radiant smile and humbly addressed Ye Yiqing, "If Your Excellency does not appreciate the graceful dancers, how about a sword dance to add to the merriment?"
At that time, sword dance was popular in the Daxing Dynasty. As the name suggests, sword dance involves dancing with a sword. Originally a men's dance, it evolved into a slow and elegant women's dance over time. The dance has a powerful rhythm and graceful, expansive movements, which greatly pleased the nobles and aristocrats of Daxing. Legend has it that when the most outstanding dancer, Lady Gongsun, wielded her sword, her movements were described as "shining like Yi shooting down nine suns, agile like emperors riding dragons," and "coming like thunderbolts gathering their fury, ending like the clear light of the sea," truly agile and wondrous.
Upon hearing Yin Wenbin's words, Mu Lian's heart stirred. It seemed that Liu Zhang was still up to his old tricks and intended to cause trouble at the banquet. She subtly gave Meng Yuan a hand gesture, and Meng Yuan understood immediately, devising a countermeasure.
Meanwhile, Ye Yiqing, having heard Yin Wenbin's words and catching a glimpse of the interaction between Mu Lian and Meng Yuan, had already made up her mind. After a long while, she put down her cup and chopsticks and said leisurely, "Then, as Lord Yin suggests, I would also like to see the talents of our Luo City..."
"Very well, I will go and prepare immediately." Hearing this, Yin Wenbin was delighted and bowed as he withdrew.
"Clap clap clap," after the sound of clapping, a veiled woman dressed in a tight-fitting outfit with high hair and carrying a sword gracefully appeared. The woman moved lightly and with ease, exuding an air of complete confidence.
The candlelight in the hall dimmed slightly, and a low, resonant drumbeat arose. The woman turned gracefully, her feet moving rhythmically. With a flick of her long sword, she twirled and leaped to the rhythm, her shawl and hair fluttering in the wind, exuding a fierce and dashing yet elegant and unrestrained charm. Everyone present was instantly captivated.
The drumbeats subsided, and the suona horns rose again. The music was high-pitched and resonant, carrying a soaring passion that pierced the heavens, invigorating the senses. The veiled woman flicked her wrist, her longsword twirling in a flourish before she slashed, thrusting, and sweeping horizontally with even greater speed, gradually weaving a tight net of swords.
The music shifted again, the drums and suonas merging together. The suonas were resounding, the drums clanging. The sharp, intense sounds, accompanied by the resounding "thump, thump, thump," shook the very souls of everyone present, some even trembling in their legs. Accompanied by the drumming, the veiled woman spun rapidly, her swordplay intensifying, her sword net growing denser, a dazzling display that left the audience breathless.
Suddenly, an inexplicable killing intent pierced through the sword net and rushed straight towards Ye Yuqing, who was seated above. The speed of the attack was so great that the gale brought by the sword intent even stirred the hair at Ye Yuqing's temples. Ye Yuqing felt a chill rush to her brow, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her starry eyes narrowed slightly.
With a sharp "clang," a figure swiftly leaped from the side, drawing their sword, deflecting, parrying—the movements fluid and seamless. The crowd was momentarily stunned. When they regained their focus, they saw that the scene in the center of the hall, where one person had been dancing with a sword, had transformed into a duel between two. A woman wearing a bamboo hat often shielded herself with her wings; the air crackled with the wind of swords, a mingled force of intent. The veiled woman seemed to be forced back, gradually moving away from her seat.
The drums and music had not stopped. In the banquet hall, two women faced each other, swords drawn, seemingly ready to draw their swords. In a moment, the two women began to dance to the music, sometimes striking each other, sometimes fighting each other, but just as the veiled woman was about to fly away, she was firmly pulled back by the woman in the bamboo hat, her shawl and hair spreading out, drawing graceful arcs in the air.
The audience was taken aback at first, then erupted in thunderous applause. One particularly lively elder stroked his beard and nodded, praising the performance repeatedly. Indeed, the sword dance between these two was far more captivating than a solo performance.
Amidst the commotion, only Yin Wenbin, seated below, remained utterly astonished. He glanced anxiously at Liu Zhang, who sat at the head of the table, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead again. What had happened? Had the woman in the straw hat uncovered their plot?
That's right.
In the hall, Mu Lian steadily defended against the veiled woman's attacks, sighing inwardly. "Yunshan, oh Yunshan, as expected, you're still so impatient."
The veiled woman, Yunshan, glared even more fiercely, her heart filled with urgency. Previously, disguised as a seductive dancer, she had almost succeeded, only to be interrupted by a nearby guard, her efforts thwarted. If she failed again this time, she feared her master would severely punish her. Thinking of that man's ruthless methods, Yunshan's sword moved with even greater ferocity and speed.
Having secured the position once more, Mu Lian sighed even more deeply. Yun Shan's skill had originally been on par with her own, but in the years since they last met, not only had the woman's skill deteriorated, but her temperament had also drastically changed. Moreover, her eyes often held an unusual glint, likely due to being controlled by drugs. Thinking this, Mu Lian felt a pang of pity for the sword in her hand.
Yunshan was unaware of Mulian's thoughts. She only felt hatred. If it weren't for the person before her, how could her face have been ruined? And how could she have fallen into the hands of the devil Liu Zhang because she wanted to restore her appearance? In fact, in the dead of night, Yunshan had also regretted it, but fate ultimately did not give her any other choice.
The drumming continued. The veiled woman's swordplay intensified; accompanied by the booming drums, her longsword, like a halberd, thrust straight towards the woman in the bamboo hat before her, aiming for her brow. "Mu Lian, you ruined my face back then; today, I, Yunshan, will ruin yours."
The sharp sword strike, accompanied by the resounding melody, came with a chilling intent, instantly piercing the veil beneath Mu Lian's bamboo hat. Mu Lian was slightly startled and looked up, only to see that Yun Shan's eyes were even more peculiar, with a faint dark light seemingly emanating from them.
Mu Lian retreated hastily. But the veil beneath her bamboo hat seemed unable to withstand the intense tearing any longer, and with a "ripping" sound, it ripped apart and scattered in the air.
"Ah..." Everyone was surprised, and even the old man who was watching the sword dance intently couldn't help but exclaim.
A bamboo hat flew off, and the woman's flowing hair cascaded down her back, dancing amidst the flashing swords as she moved with her slender figure. Ye Yuqing and Liu Zhang, seated high on the platform, subtly shifted their expressions and quickly looked towards the hall. Rumor had it that Lord Mu, the head of the Kyoto Judicial Office, though ruthless, possessed unparalleled beauty, but unfortunately, no one had ever truly seen him.
The drumbeats gradually subsided, and the music faded away. The two women facing off in the hall also slowed their movements. Yunshan looked up, eager to know how much more beautiful Mu Lian, who had been so lovely back then, had become after all these years.
"You..." Yunshan's astonished words froze on her lips. How could this be? She couldn't be mistaken; the person before her should be her old rival, Mu Lian.
Mu Lian subtly touched the human skin mask on her face and nodded lightly: "You flatter me. Your sword dance is so skillful that I am ashamed to admit my inferiority."
Meng Yuan? Who is Meng Yuan?
Seated on the throne, Meng Yuan, dressed as Head of the Academy, looked down at Mu Lian, whose appearance was rather plain, her eyes filled with helplessness. "Lord Mu, oh Lord Mu, couldn't you at least wear a more attractive mask? This is so damaging to my reputation as a beauty!"
Mu Lian looked back at Meng Yuan, her eyes filled with apology. If things hadn't been so sudden, she wouldn't have only had time to put on the mask of a concubine's daughter of the Mu family as a last resort. It turned out that when the city lord Yin mentioned the sword dance for entertainment, Mu Lian realized they must have a backup plan. But due to the urgency, Mu Lian only had time to change out of her male disguise and go on stage disguised as a female guard from the Judicial Office. As for concealing her identity, she had no idea what to do, so she had no choice but to temporarily borrow this ordinary mask.
The crowd below was utterly disappointed. They hadn't expected that this woman in the bamboo hat, who appeared to be a slender and beautiful woman, would be so unremarkable once she removed the hat. What a pity, what a pity, what a real shame.
Inside the banquet hall, only Ye Yuqing and Liu Zhang remained expressionless. The military governor Liu Zhang, being experienced and knowledgeable, naturally knew that the women in the hall were disguised, but Ye Yuqing's expression was somewhat inscrutable.
The dashing Ye Tanhua was gently stroking the rim of his wine cup with his long, slender fingers, gazing down at the hall below. His eyes were deep and mysterious, and a faint smile seemed to linger on his lips. Yes, this young lady, I've seen her before.
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