One less person
The civil and military officials present were extremely excited by Li Chongyu's explanation. The room was filled with cheers and clinking glasses, and the waves of excitement rose one after another as everyone vied to toast with Li Chongyu.
The little episode of Wan Sui begging Xie Lang to take him in was quietly glossed over amidst this fervor.
Beside Xie Lang's throne, Consort Chen, Li Lanxiu, rose gracefully, cast a grateful glance at A Qiu, and then stepped forward, saying to Xie Lang with a gentle smile, "The Music Bureau, on the orders of the Junior Tutor, will present a new dance, 'Yan Shi Ning.' Your Majesty, please return to your seat to enjoy it."
Xie Lang snapped out of his deep thoughts, glanced at the still kneeling princess before him with a complicated expression, and turned back to his throne in the center.
Consort Chen personally helped Princess Wansui up and smiled, "Please go back, young lady."
When His Majesty saw the magnificent and radiant beauty beside his throne, with a thin-bladed sword at her waist, he knew that this person must be Li Lanxiu, the most powerful woman in the inner palace of this dynasty and the former head of the Four Flying Phoenix Guards, the Imperial Concubine "Golden Goblet Moonfall". How could he dare to utter a single word of dissent?
Although Li Chongyu frequently raised his glass to toast others, his sharp gaze would occasionally drift in this direction.
Knowing that things were beyond saving, His Majesty kowtowed and said, "May Your Majesty have mercy and allow us to serve wine and attend banquets for the officials in the palace."
Consort Chen smiled and said, "Then, young lady, go to the Marquis of Guannei's side and serve your master at the banquet."
She was kind and generous, but she flatly refused the princess's attempt to serve in front of the emperor again.
It was common for dancers to desire recognition through their beauty, a sentiment shared by women in the palace. One could say that women, regardless of their looks, all yearned for advancement, just as men, regardless of their intelligence, hoped for official rank and promotion upon entering the court.
However, the persistence and ruthlessness of someone like Wansui in publicly demanding things again and again is alarming.
Princess Wansui was taken aback by what she heard, but she had no choice but to get up and reluctantly retreat to Li Chongyu's seat.
When the Empress Dowager crawled to his seat on her knees and bowed to raise the wine pot for him, Li Chongyu was initially taken aback. However, he did not look at her again and continued to drink and talk with the people around him.
She was just like any other ordinary geisha.
However, paying too much attention to her and letting her blend into the crowd is perhaps the best way to protect her at this moment.
The remaining Kucha dancers then dispersed into the banquet hall, serving wine and toasts to the guests.
The banquet was filled with blonde beauties with blue eyes, which immediately added to its charm.
At that moment, the drums sounded, and four warriors wearing masks of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, dressed in the attire of celestial gods, made a majestic entrance. Each of them leaped onto the drums, creating a thunderous roar in unison.
The era of great peace and tranquility in the Southern Dynasties, as recorded in the "Yan Shi Ning" poem, has finally arrived.
Standing beside the clock tower, waiting to go on stage, A-Qiu's heart almost leaped out of his chest uncontrollably.
This was something that should never have happened.
She had been so eager to stop Xie Lang's impulse to take the Princess as his concubine that she suddenly rushed out and rang the bronze bell. This successfully diverted everyone's attention and brought Xie Lang to his senses, but since the bell had already rung, the musicians and dancers had to immediately take the stage.
As a result, the entire performance of "Yan Shining" was completed half an incense stick's time earlier than expected.
For the others, there was no problem, because musicians such as An Daoling, zither players, drummers, and dancers such as Cui Lüzhu and Zhang Exu were already waiting in the back hall.
But there was one person who should have been absent.
The Four Spirits were originally filled by the Four Guards of the Flying Phoenix. Shangguan Yuqi and Xiao Chang'an had been there all along, while Fan Liancheng had rushed over. However, Pei Yu, whom they hadn't seen for a day and a night, had also arrived just in time, wearing the Vermilion Bird Mask.
With Pei Yuanli's fate uncertain and the palace fraught with crisis, even Crown Prince Xie Tiao and Left Chancellor Gong Yixiu abandoned their original dance roles to go to the Jianzhang Army's northern camp to suppress the rebellion. How could Pei Yu possibly have the mind to perform the Four Spirits Dance here?
If it weren't for Pei Yu, who would be the "Vermilion Bird" deity in the Seven Star Formation at this moment?
Aki's eyes were fixed on the warrior who had transformed into "Vermilion Bird" in the arena, without blinking.
The first of the four spirits to appear was Shangguan Yuqi, who transformed into a "white tiger". She moved like a dragon and had an ethereal air about her. Her sword intent was light and agile as she leaped. Therefore, even though she was wearing a mask, A Qiu could recognize her at a glance because of his familiarity with her.
Then came Xiao Chang'an, the "Azure Dragon." He moved with agility and grace, darting back and forth across the seven drums. His movements were like those of a bee or a butterfly, like a celestial being wandering among mortals, disdainful of the human world.
The third is Fan Liancheng's "Xuanwu". Xuanwu is a great northern deity combining a tortoise and a snake. When Fan Liancheng entered the arena, every step was extremely steady and slow, without any flashy techniques, yet his aura was solidified in an intangible and formless way. Almost every step he took had the momentum of a tortoise and snake breathing in and out, with an extension of extreme stillness within movement.
The area in front of the hall was originally noisy and bustling, but after the four spirits appeared one by one, it became completely silent.
Only the sounds of bells and drums rose and fell, striking the rhythm of the dancers.
The last one to take the stage was "Vermilion Bird," who should have been Pei Yu.
A-Qiu's eyes widened.
Pei Yu's specialty is her somersaulting entrance, a move that no one can imitate or replicate. Even a master whose martial arts and dance skills far surpass hers cannot reproduce her amazing skill of performing eight somersaults in a row.
The Vermilion Bird stood before the platform, holding its breath and concentrating.
This person was dressed in a magnificent crimson robe embroidered with peacock feather patterns, and wore a mask with a pointed beak and phoenix eyes, the red corners of which were painted upturned, resembling the shape of a phoenix.
Beneath the mask, his eyes gleamed with a sharp, clear light, possessing a captivating power.
A Qiu felt that these eyes seemed familiar, as if she had seen them somewhere before.
The drums began to beat.
"Zhuque" landed on the ground with both hands, did a somersault, and leaped onto the drum surface, making her entrance in a head-down, feet-up position.
The entire hall erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.
Amidst the thunderous cheers, "Vermilion Bird" leaped and bounded, its bow arching as it passed by.
"Thump, thump, thump," each time the person taps the drumhead with both feet, a dull drum sound is produced.
A-Qiu stared in astonishment, frozen in place.
The sound was heard eleven times in total.
This meant that the person leaped back and forth, doing eleven somersaults in a row, which drew continuous cheers and thunderous applause from the crowd.
Not only were the officials who witnessed the scene awestruck, but even Xie Lang on the dragon throne and Li Chongyu in the guest seats were captivated, clapping and cheering enthusiastically. The Princess Wansui beside Li Chongyu, as well as the group of women from Kucha, all showed expressions of heartfelt submission.
A series of somersaults is a huge test of endurance, sense of direction, and balance. Just because you can do seven somersaults doesn't mean you can do eight.
No one could remain unmoved after witnessing such a performance that pushes the limits.
Everyone's physical potential, no matter how much training and development is done, has its own limitations. After reaching the limit, it is almost impossible to go any further, because dizziness will occur, and this is not something that can be controlled by willpower.
Pei Yu could do eight consecutive flips, and Xie Tiao, after rigorous practice, could do seven. This was already a remarkable achievement, something that not just anyone could imitate.
At this moment, A Qiu was certain of one thing: Zhu Que was definitely not Pei Yu.
So who exactly is he?
A Qiu caught a glimpse of Consort Chen, Li Lanxiu, staring at "Vermilion Bird," her face pale with shock.
The list of performers agreed upon by the Music Bureau was changed several times at the last minute, so it was impossible for Consort Chen to know who the performers were.
Unless, she recognized who it was from those eleven somersaults.
But A Qiu had no time to think further. The bells and drums resounded, the dance of the Four Spirits ended, and next came the three of them—Zhang Exu, Cui Luzhu, and herself—entering together to dance the Pan Drum Dance with the Four Spirits.
"May the world be at peace, may the four seas be tranquil, and may all under heaven enjoy lasting peace and happiness. May the four seas be at peace, may the world rejoice, and may the people be joyful and prosperous, dancing with cups and plates."
Three dancers in red robes twirled and entered in a row, their flowing garments resembling blooming flowers.
The drumbeats came in rapid succession, then suddenly became intense. Led by A Qiu, Cui Luzhu and Zhang Exu followed closely behind, flicking their sleeves and leaping across the seven drumheads, bending and tumbling, their sleeves like swirling snow and their skirts like flying swallows.
Sometimes she gazes at the moon, sometimes she breaks a willow branch, sometimes she explores the sea and seeks out the waves, sometimes she sees a rainbow reflecting the sun. Her sleeves flutter like red waves stretching for miles, and her feet strike each step with perfect evenness and lightness.
This is the Flying Swallow Dance, representing the highest achievement of Han Dynasty music and dance. It is not only extremely passionate and unrestrained, but also powerful and dynamic, with varied rhythms, containing a magnificent and awe-inspiring atmosphere and spirit.
"Dancing cups and plates, so graceful, may the whole room be turned upside down and live ten thousand years. Heaven and sun, ultimately one, turning left and right without ever losing each other."
As A Qiu paused, raised her sleeve to part, but her gaze caught sight of Li Chongyu on the table.
He held the wine cup in one hand, frozen in mid-air, his gaze towards A Qiu filled with surprise and a mixture of emotions.
A-Qiu understood the deeper meaning in those eyes.
When he became sworn brothers with A Qiu, he only knew that A Qiu was a female official of the Music Bureau, but he did not know that A Qiu was also involved in today's state banquet, and that she was the main dancer in the Han Dynasty stone relief "Pan Guwu" given to him by his father.
Therefore, A Qiu's impressive appearance before the palace, showcasing his exceptional dance skills and performing the Pan Gu dance, a symbol of his father's loyalty to the Han dynasty in the Central Plains, undoubtedly filled him with pride and immense satisfaction.
Gu Yi's lyrics struck a chord with him.
The sky and the sun, in the end, are one, turning left and right without losing each other.
Only when the north and south are unified can the Han people enjoy lasting peace.
A Qiu stepped forward again and saw Fan Liancheng, the "Black Tortoise," bowing his back to greet her, meaning that she should step on him.
Having practiced the coordination multiple times before, A Qiu leaped up, landing on Fan Liancheng's shoulder with her foot. Fan Liancheng instantly stood to meet her, and A Qiu, gracefully perched on her shoulder, assumed a wing-spreading posture while simultaneously falling to the right. At this moment, her height was a full person higher than that of an average person.
This is the Pan Gu Dance, which possesses both dramatic flair and perilous grandeur.
Everyone in the hall held their breath, their eyes fixed on this extraordinary skill that was rarely seen in the world.
A Qiu swayed to the right like a willow in the wind, and the point of her fall was on the shoulder of "Azure Dragon" Xiao Chang'an, who was about ten feet away.
Seeing her fall to the side, Xiao Chang'an rose up as if he had been prepared, raised his forearm slightly, caught her shoulder and waist, and then twisted his waist and back slightly, using the force to throw her up again.
A Qiu changed his stance in mid-air to Lingbo Tayan, and then spun down to the next foothold.
At that moment, a warning suddenly arose in her mind.
The next person to catch her was supposed to be "Vermilion Bird" Pei Yu. But the person wearing the Vermilion Bird mask at this moment was no longer Pei Yu.
They can't even tell who is friend and who is foe.
But the moment A Qiu saw that person, she could see the arrogance and sharpness in his eyes.
Would this man be willing to lower himself and offer his body to a geisha?
A Qiu's heart was in her throat.
Meanwhile, she was already thinking about whether there was any possibility of a change in the situation in the air.
She had only one thought in her mind: no matter what, she couldn't let this "Yanshi Ning" project fail in her hands.
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