Coveting the position of Junior Tutor
While the dancers took a break, Xue Hongbi continued to rack her brains, pondering the formation and the order of the dance moves, striving to make it look perfect from every angle and in every aspect.
Sun Neiren usually remained silent, but she did her best to assist Xue Hongbi. Whenever Xue Hongbi thought of something, she would run to the music bureau to convey the message. If Xue Hongbi looked a little listless because of the long practice time, she would automatically take over Xue Hongbi's duties and direct the dancers to continue rehearsing.
Among all the geisha, A-Qiu had the heaviest workload because she had a lot of solo performances, so Xue Hongbi and Sun Neiren were particularly strict with her.
Although her performance far exceeded the expectations of the two instructors, Xue Hongbi pointed out that there was still room for improvement in her basic skills and attention to detail. Then, because the instructors needed to take care of everyone, the task of providing individual sparring partners fell to Zhang Exu and Cui Luzhu.
The two women were loyal and diligent, supervising her studies day and night. Ah Qiu also had a thought: what if something like what happened in the dance club back then happened again, causing the main performer to be unable to go on stage at the last minute? Therefore, she suggested to the instructor that Zhang Exu and Cui Luzhu also practice all of her dance moves until they were perfected, so that even if she couldn't go on stage due to an accident, there would be someone else to take her place and she could still complete the whole performance.
Xue Hongbi's expression was quite complicated when she heard this suggestion. She simply glanced at Lady Sun to see what she thought.
Without hesitation, Sun's wife said, "That's excellent. If they can practice with you even once, it will be a great blessing for them."
For dancers, the opportunity to witness and imitate high-level artistic performances live is a rare one.
A-Qiu was able to achieve a rapid transformation in her dance skills because she used the technique of viewing a painting from a different perspective to personally witness the painstaking efforts of past masters in the Baizhu dance and the lifelike artistic images that were reproduced from another era.
There was also Gu Yi, the greatest guqin master of the time, who used the "Ling Shu" guqin to help her regulate and deepen her breath control, enabling her to quickly reach the state of "continuous yet profound" breath control.
Zhang Exu and Cui Luzhu were able to practice with her every day, imitating her movements. Influenced by her innate spirituality, they would inevitably improve their own dance skills.
Hearing what Sun Neiren said, Xue Hongbi also said, "That's good. Anyway—I don't think that girl A Qiu is the type to stay in the dance troupe as a performer for long. With Zhang Exu and Cui Luzhu learning from her, we can avoid the dance troupe going out of business."
When Sun's wife heard her "marriage advice," she wanted to cover her ears and said firmly, "A-Qiu wouldn't want to marry into a wealthy family. She's not that kind of person."
Xue Hongbi glared and said, "When did I say she wanted to climb the social ladder? Can't the Music Bureau produce female officials? Female Music Masters, Female Chenghua Ling, Female Taile Cheng, even women..."
"A female Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices?" Lady Sun was both angry and amused. She couldn't help but poke Xue Hongbi's forehead with her finger and whispered, "You even dare to covet the position of Junior Tutor to Gu Yi. No wonder you are the number one performer of the opening dance of the previous dynasty, Master Xue."
Xue Hongbi retorted, "I only coveted his position, not him as a person, so it doesn't mean I lack ambition."
The two women were whispering, quite a distance from A Qiu who was practicing her martial arts. But A Qiu's ears were incredibly sharp, and she heard them mention her. When she heard Gu Yi and the word "covet," her face flushed slightly.
She had no interest in Gu Yi's position. Based on Gu Yi's musical skills alone, she was confident that she could never surpass him even in twenty years.
So, are they after him?
A-Qiu suddenly dared not think any further and lowered her head to continue stretching her muscles and bones.
Ah Qiu wasn't the only one who heard this.
A clear, melodious female voice, like a nightingale's song, chuckled and said, "The two instructors seem very confident about the Mid-Autumn Festival's White Silk Dance! They're both eyeing the Junior Tutor. It seems our dynasty is truly teeming with talent; a blessing for the Emperor and all the people."
The sound came from the other end of the corridor.
Sun Neiren and Xue Hongbi panicked and looked in the direction from which the sound came.
Two rows of young palace maids stood neatly arranged in front of the corridor, each holding a gleaming black lacquered tray filled with smooth, soft white silk fabrics. Xue Hongbi, with her keen eyes, noticed that some of the fabrics were adorned with pearls, gold thread, and tiny crystal fragments.
With just a glance, Xue Hongbi felt a shock as if she had been jolted awake from a nightmare.
At the very front of the two rows of palace attendants stood a beautiful female official in a yellow robe, wearing a yellow shawl. Her appearance was exquisite, and she was bright and intelligent. A faint smile played on her lips.
Sun Neiren immediately straightened her clothes and knelt down, respectfully saying, "Sun Ci of the Dance Department greets Consort Zhao."
The visitor was none other than Zhao Lingying, the head of the Imperial Household Department in charge of finances in the palace, who was also the former Director of the Imperial Library and one of the Four Flying Phoenix Guards of the previous dynasty.
Unlike the cold arrogance of Madam Pei, "Xuanhu," Zhao Lingying was all smiles, appearing friendly and easy to talk to.
However, none of those present—Sun Neiren, Xue Hongbi, or A Qiu—would have any misunderstandings because of her appearance. A Qiu did so because she dared not look down on any of the former Flying Phoenix Four Guards, while Sun Neiren and Xue Hongbi had heard rumors of Zhao Lingying's official position both in the palace and at the Pei residence.
She was a favorite of the emperor, and all the proper etiquette was reserved for people of her rank. She would never have time to smile at someone who was of no value to her.
Consort Sun was upright and honest, and therefore rarely worried about favor or disgrace. She glanced at the lacquer trays in the hands of the palace servants and knew they were the clothing, jewelry, and props for the White Silk Dance sent by the Imperial Household Department. What she couldn't understand was that these things could have been delivered by servants; who would dare to bother Consort Zhao, the Director of the Imperial Archives, to make the trip herself?
Xue Hongbi had just spoken carelessly, gossiping about the Junior Tutor Gu Yi, and was now greatly uneasy. —It's no wonder she was used to talking nonsense; in the past, the Music Bureau was filled with people from all walks of life, and conversations were extremely casual.
Later, when she arrived at the Pei residence, she rarely actually entered the main hall; she mostly dealt with servants and domestic entertainers. She never imagined that the talented Zhao Lingying would condescend to personally visit the Tangli Garden to deliver something.
Zhao Lingying, however, looked around at the dancers with a smile, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and seemed to find nothing particularly satisfactory or unsatisfactory about them.
She raised her voice and laughed, "You two instructors just mentioned the Young Master, but little do you know that it was precisely to do the Young Master a favor that I specially ordered the Imperial Household Department to rush to make these costumes and accessories for the Mid-Autumn Festival dance performance. I will certainly convey your kind intentions to the Young Master."
Xue Hongbi panicked and knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, saying, "Your Highness, spare my life! This servant was just spouting nonsense! How could I dare to covet the position of Junior Tutor!"
Zhao Lingying's smile remained unchanged as she personally helped Xue Hongbi up, saying with a smile, "Although the instructor is a woman and holds a low position, her ambition is lofty and commendable. The Junior Tutor will surely not be offended but rather pleased to know that our department has such a talented person." She then carefully examined Xue Hongbi's appearance and smiled, "If my memory serves me correctly, you were the top performer in the White Silk Dance back then, and you performed the opening 'Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens' segment. Is that correct?"
Xue Hongbi never expected that Zhao Lingying would have such a good memory and eyesight, recognizing her at a glance. For a moment, she was flustered and didn't know how to react.
Zhao Lingying patted her shoulder lightly and said with a smile, "A few days ago, Lord Pei mentioned in court that he had a former courtesan in his family who had learned the White Silk Dance from the late Empress and was willing to send her to the palace to help the Music Bureau choreograph 'White Silk Dance.' You must be the one? You are indeed outstanding. As expected of someone from the Pei family, even the Junior Tutor has taken notice of you."
Xue Hongbi felt a chill run down her spine as she was scrutinized by Zhao Lingying's gaze, but Zhao Lingying's smile was impeccable, and Xue Hongbi couldn't utter a single word in her defense.
Zhao Lingying continued in a friendly manner: "There's no need to be so reserved. Speaking of which, we worked together fifteen years ago, so we're old acquaintances. Back when we performed 'White Silk,' I was still a minor official in the Imperial Household Department, working as the head of the weaving workshop. The costumes designed by Empress Wen for your dance, including the white silk used, were all personally supervised and produced by me. We can be considered to have a connection."
Xue Hongbi was being led by the hand by the Imperial Censor, a favorite of the Emperor and the one who drafted all the Emperor's edicts. They chatted intimately like close friends, but Xue Hongbi didn't understand what was going on. She was already terrified and could only look to her maid, Sun, for help.
Although Sun Neiren didn't understand why it was actually her and Xue Hongbi who were gossiping, while Zhao Lingying seemed to be fixated on Xue Hongbi and didn't even glance at her, she could only try her best to smooth things over, saying, "I never imagined that the clothes we wore back then were actually made by the kind and virtuous Lord Lantai. Today, not only has the brilliance of 'White Silk' been restored, but we have also received your help to prepare clothes again. The entire dance troupe feels extremely honored."
Unexpectedly, her seemingly ordinary words seemed to have reached Zhao Lingying's ears.
Zhao Lingying put down Xue Hongbi's exquisitely maintained but now drenched in cold sweat hand, walked straight to the lacquer tray held by the palace maid, and casually unfolded a snow-white silk robe. She tenderly stroked the pearls and crystals embroidered with gold thread at the collar, saying, "I urge you not to waste your golden robe, but to cherish your youth." This saying speaks not only of a man's respect for a woman, but also of a woman's respect for her own youth.
"Look, once a certain period of your life has passed, you will never be able to wear that golden robe again."
"Even if one manages to wear it, one's beauty has faded, the past is gone, and the decaying appearance will only be made more old and ugly by the brilliance of gold and jade. This is the meaning of the saying that one cannot step into the same river twice in one's life."
Sun's wife was fine, but Xue Hongbi, as a former popular dancer, was most afraid of people saying she was old and ugly. Hearing these words spoken to her face, her expression changed. If it were anyone else, she would have lashed out on the spot, but the other party was the Minister of the Imperial Library, whose status was far higher than hers. She could only dare to be angry but not speak out. She suppressed her anger, and her face turned purplish-red.
A Qiu, however, was secretly surprised. Given Zhao Lingying's status and position, she would never stoop to picking a fight with a former courtesan, much less deliberately mock her for being old and faded. Her remark seemed more like a heartfelt expression than directed at Xue Hongbi.
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