Chapter 950 Musicians and Dancers 1
Watching her slender figure disappear into the sunset, Shang Ruyi's smile lingered for a long time—she had never thought about reaching any cooperation with Tao Wanyin, or becoming friends. What happened that day was simply a matter of meeting her and accepting her fate. Her main purpose was to stop Yuwen Yuan from sending a military supervisor to the army, and what happened afterward depended entirely on her own destiny and methods.
Unexpectedly, this unintentional act yielded such a positive result.
Tao Wanyin was humble and polite, and her background was legitimate. She was also very insightful, unlike Zhang Jieyu.
There are many benefits to being on good terms with her.
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi's smile deepened. She slowly turned and walked inside, instructing as she went, "Go and get the list. I'll see what gifts I should prepare."
Tushe'er said, "Yes."
As expected, the Hundred Blessings Hall became very busy over the next two days.
Since the case at Tangquan Palace, there have been almost no happy events in the palace. Although it was a big deal for the emperor to bestow a name on his eldest grandson, no other ceremony was held because the name was too complicated. Therefore, the birthday banquets of the two concubines became a rare lively occasion in the palace.
Every day, Tushe'er would pass by and see the Hundred Blessings Land decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, with palace servants bustling about in a lively and bustling manner.
When she returned, she told Shang Ruyi, "It's going to be quite a spectacle."
Shang Ruyi smiled faintly.
She didn't think there was anything wrong with such liveliness, especially since it was Tao Wanyin's birthday. She was happy to have another person by the emperor's side who could speak well of her and the Prince of Qin. However, the liveliness of the mortal world made her think more and more of Yuwen Ye leading the troops into battle.
I wonder how things are going on his end?
Judging by their pace, they should be close to Cijian by now, and a fight might have already broken out.
Can we win?
In fact, Shang Ruyi believed that if he made a move, Cijian would definitely be able to be captured in one fell swoop and Yuwen Cheng would be rescued. However, there was still a behemoth like Luoyang in front of them. Yuwen Ye only led 30,000 troops, but Liang Shide had hundreds of thousands of soldiers. How could people not worry about such a huge gap?
Seeing the worry creeping into Shang Ruyi's brow, Tu She'er guessed that she had immediately thought of Yuwen Ye, so she said, "Your Highness, let's go for a walk in the inner court."
Shang Ruyi frowned: "Go where?"
"The weather is nice today, Your Highness, why don't you go for a walk?"
"I don't want to go."
“Go ahead. Since His Highness Prince Qin left, the Princess Consort has been feeling down. Apart from the matter concerning the Emperor, you haven’t been to the inner court. Now the flowers are all in bloom there, and the scenery is beautiful.”
"..."
"Doesn't His Highness the King of Qin hope that his Queen can live a happy life while he is away on campaign?"
"..."
"This is what the King of Qin instructed me to do before he left."
Upon hearing her last sentence, Shang Ruyi couldn't help but chuckle and said reproachfully, "You're getting better and better at it, using him to put me down."
Tushe'er said with a grin, "This servant and His Highness the Prince of Qin are both concerned about the Princess Consort. Come on, come on."
As she spoke, she stepped forward and grabbed Shang Ruyi's sleeve, just like when they were children, and started shaking it. Shang Ruyi was finally amused by her playful behavior and got up helplessly, saying, "Alright, whatever you say—I think you're just being playful and want to go play in the inner court for a while."
"Hehe, this servant will also have Mama Feng bring the young prince along."
"Alright, let him go out and get some sun."
So the four of them left the Thousand Autumns Hall and headed towards the inner court.
Shang Ruyi had been practicing calligraphy these past few days. Although it helped her calm her mind, she couldn't help but feel a little depressed. After stepping onto the Thousand Steps Corridor, she walked forward and looked around at the blooming flowers and lush green leaves. Bees and butterflies were chasing the fragrance of the flowers and dancing gracefully in the wind. This vibrant spring scenery truly made her feel happy, and she felt her steps were much lighter. Before long, she arrived at the Linhu Palace.
By this time, I was covered in a light sweat, but thankfully the water in the pool beneath my feet emitted a refreshing mist that was very soothing.
Just as Shang Ruyi was standing under the corridor enjoying the breeze, the sound of string and bamboo instruments mingled with the sound of water.
"Um?"
She looked up and asked, "Why is someone playing music here?"
Tushe'er and the others heard it too. In particular, when Xiao Yuangan heard this novel sound, his eyes widened as he stared ahead. He looked like a curious and alert little rabbit, which was especially cute. Feng Nainiang loved him so much that she kept pressing her cheek against his.
Tushe'er, who had been teasing him with a flower, came forward upon hearing Shang Ruyi's words: "I heard it too, I'll go and see."
As she spoke, she walked forward, but before she had taken two steps, she saw several young palace maids covering their mouths, their faces flushed and laughing as they ran over from the front. Upon seeing Princess Qin, they hurriedly stopped and bowed.
Tushe'er asked, "What's ahead?"
One of the palace maids said, "The Wangyun Pavilion is ahead."
"What are you seeing, laughing like that? Why is someone playing music?"
"The musicians and dancers who will be performing at Baifu Hall tomorrow night were rehearsing there. We...we just happened to be passing by and saw them..."
Upon hearing this, Tushe'er turned around and glanced at Shang Ruyi. Shang Ruyi nodded indifferently, and Tushe'er said, "You all go about your business."
Several palace maids bowed and immediately ran away; their giggling voices could still be heard even from a distance.
Tushe'er looked back several times in confusion, then turned to look at the Wangyun Pavilion, which was only partially visible behind the shady trees, and muttered, "It's just musicians and dancers practicing, look how happy they are."
As she spoke, she rolled her eyes and said, "Your Highness, let's go take a look too."
Shang Ruyi seemed to have anticipated her response and said helplessly, "We're just passing by, you can just take a look."
"This servant understands."
After saying that, the group continued walking forward.
As they drew closer, the melodious sounds of the flute and pipa grew clearer, mingling beautifully with the sound of the water. After rounding a large banyan tree, the Wangyun Pavilion came into full view—an octagonal pavilion extending from the Thousand-Step Corridor, built entirely on the lake. The pavilion was small but exquisite, and with a thin mist rising from the lake, it looked as if it were in a fairyland.
At that moment, melodious string music filled the fairyland, and several graceful figures danced gracefully to the music.
Tusheer couldn't help but exclaim, "It sounds so good, it looks so good!"
Little Yuangan, standing to the side, also looked ahead curiously. Although he was being held by Nurse Feng, most of his body was sticking out, as if he were suspended in the air.
Shang Ruyi wasn't very interested in the singing and dancing, but she found her son's appearance particularly amusing. She reached out and touched his hair again, then turned around to urge Tushe'er to leave.
But as soon as she turned around, a lithe and graceful figure flashed past her eyes in the pavilion.
Shang Ruyi's heart suddenly sank, and she stared blankly ahead.
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