Breaking off a branch to make a sword
Li Yin remained calm as she slowly rose to her feet. She truly couldn't dance, so asking her to improvise a dance on the spot was really asking too much of her. But if…
A flower brushed past Li Yin's shoulder. She looked over, then smiled gently and reached out to break off the branch containing the flower.
A hint of surprise and curiosity flashed in everyone's eyes. Li Yin took the branch in his hand and smoothly twirled it into a sword flower. The movement was very fast. The red flower, after a few moves, just as he was about to stop, all the petals fell off, scattering in all directions like fireworks.
Just as everyone was admiring the flowers falling like rain, a branch emerged from the petals, its tip touching a flower, leaving that petal behind while the rest quietly fell to the ground.
Li Yin flicked his sword back, retrieving the broken branch. The fragrance of flowers lingered in his nostrils. Although everything that had just happened was short, its charm was extremely long-lasting, just like this lingering, delicate fragrance.
Upon seeing this, Zhao Lianying, like everyone else, was initially startled, her eyes flashing with amazement. However, a surge of bitter resentment welled up in her heart, causing her fingers to clench tightly together and dig into her flesh.
No matter how capable this person is, he is still just a lowly person with no background. In this capital city, what matters is family background and official power.
Thinking of this, she suddenly smiled, and her tightly clenched hands loosened, leaving crescent-shaped red marks on her smooth palms.
Li Yin stood under the blazing sun, sunlight filtering through the dappled patterns, creating a dazzling spectacle. Her skirt shimmered like stars in the night sky, and her hair ornaments sparkled with colorful halos, creating a dreamlike and rainbow-like effect. Combined with her ethereal beauty, everyone couldn't help but marvel at her unparalleled charm.
Seeing that Li Yin's clothes showed no signs of fading, Zhao Lianying felt a surge of anger. Li Yin had done all that without showing any signs of fatigue.
Therefore, there was no sweat, how could even the heavens be on your side? She was unwilling... Brother Wen, heavens, why does everything have to surround this person?
The crowd was delighted. Although Li Yin's use of a broken branch as a sword was indeed impressive, they couldn't express their opinions since Princess Daoping hadn't spoken.
Seeing this situation, Gu Si felt uneasy. She had sensed that the princess disliked this person, so...
She also wanted to be friends with His Highness, so she gritted her teeth and did the bravest thing she could. She shouted, "His Highness just said that he wanted a dance, but what is this, sister?"
Li Yin answered, "Sword dance." Her straightforward answer caught Gu Si off guard, and she immediately reverted to her original state. However, when she spoke, she bit her lip lightly, her face showing anxiety.
Qi Xue gently patted Gu Si's back, defusing the situation, "Sword dance also has the word 'dance,' so let's just say it counts, Your Highness, what do you think?" Hua Luo looked at Zhao Lianying, who smiled elegantly, "Of course it's acceptable."
"However," she continued, changing the subject, "sword dancing can only be considered half of it. Since you can't do it, it just means you're not giving me face. In that case, I'll have to trouble you to pour me a cup of tea later to apologize."
Yu Shu listened to this from outside the flowerbed, her face tense. She had the urge to rush in, but as soon as she took a step, someone raised their hand to stop her. She could only pray that Princess Daoping was not targeting Miss Li, otherwise... she didn't even dare to think about what would happen next.
Dao Ping was spoiled and arrogant. At the age of three, she pointed to the stars. His Majesty then took out her heart, a heart belonging to a loyal minister, and carved it into a seven-aperture exquisite pagoda. At the age of five, she learned about court affairs and grew up under His Majesty's care. She caused trouble in the court and abandoned literature at the age of seven. After that, she became much more well-behaved, but the people's affection for her was still not high.
The name Daoping originally meant hope: that the world would be at peace when the sun rises. But in the end, it was a lament: "When will the sun rise and the world be at peace? When will the emperor be able to see the light of day?" It was truly ironic. The people did not complain, their hearts were as clear as a mirror.
Yu Shu prayed in her heart that everything would be safe and smooth for Miss Li.
Inside the flowerbed, everyone took their seats in their original spots. Li Yin watched as everyone settled down, leaving only the very back corner, where green branches intertwined and sprawled, lush and verdant. Without hesitation, she walked towards this secluded spot.
As she passed by several people, they all stretched out their feet, trying to trip Li Yin. However, their actions were too obvious. Li Yin wanted to cooperate, but she wasn't blind, nor was she confident enough in her acting skills to ignore them and praise a group of fools using petty tricks.
She decisively stepped over him, which clearly displeased the person. The person in front of her then stretched their foot forward. Li Yin smiled and stepped on it. The person screamed, "Are you sick?"
Li Yin looked completely innocent as she truthfully replied, "Just now you stretched your foot out, didn't you want me to step on it? Or did you want me to take a good look at these jade feet?"
The man blushed and said, "You're so rude and flattering."
Li Yin withdrew his foot. He hadn't used much force when he stepped on it; it was just a warning. Hearing the man's words, Li Yin nodded and said with great agreement, "Hmm, what you said makes sense. Your comment is spot on."
The man was speechless for a moment, stammering "You..." and then after a long pause, he finally withdrew his foot, looking embarrassed and red-faced.
Those in front immediately withdrew their feet upon seeing this. The princess disliked this person, and for them, it was a good way to get closer to the princess.
The princess's words are worth a thousand pieces of gold. Whether for the sake of the family or for their own sake, there will always be someone willing to be the blade.
A foot was about to kick Li Yin's knee, but Li Yin quickly dodged to the side. She deliberately chose this spot to dodge, stepping onto the person's table and pretending to slip and fall, landing on top of the person. Knee to knee, Li Yin didn't hesitate to slightly bend her knee and strike the person's knee with force, causing the person to scream in pain.
"You, how come you can't stand up straight?" the man shouted angrily.
Li Yinwei braced himself on his arms to get up, but then pretended to slip and lost his balance, causing the man to be pushed down again, resulting in another severe injury to his knee.
The woman's eyes immediately welled up with tears, and she said, "You, you, you get up right away."
Li Yin got up, but her legs were still pressed down. She pressed all her weight onto the person's knee, and a crisp "click" was heard. The person burst into tears.
Li Yin then stood up completely, dusted himself off, reached out and pulled the man to his side, whispered in his ear, "Small tricks, you'll suffer. Use your brain more and act less."
The man, his eyes red from crying, raised his hand to slap Li Yin across the face, but before he could do so, Li Yin grabbed him and said softly, "How can you be so stupid and disobedient?"
The voice wasn't loud, only loud enough for the two of them to hear. Seeing that her old friend was at a disadvantage, Zhao Lianying smiled and tried to smooth things over, saying, "Sisters, stop fighting and go back to your seats."
Upon hearing this, the man glared fiercely at Li Yin, and after a long while, he reluctantly squatted down, holding back his tears, and sobbed on the table.
Li Yin said softly, "I misspoke earlier. You are an obedient and good dog."
The man was about to get up when he heard this, but the pain in his knee pulled him back down, so he could only sit there and glare fiercely at Li Yin.
Li Yin walked unhurriedly to her seat, broke off a slightly thorny branch, and then sat down.
Kneeling here signifies that family background is paramount, but if one is in a weaker position and constantly lowers oneself and swallows one's anger, one will only be met with ingratitude and ruthless pursuit.
Human nature is insatiable; once something begins, one desires an end; once one has something, one wants something more.
As soon as she sat down, Zhao Lianying said, "Sister, shouldn't we pour you a cup of tea?" She spoke with a smile and a cheerful tone, like an innocent child.
Li Yin had just sat down. If it were said to be unintentional, probably no one would believe it. After all, she could have said it before Li Yin even reached his seat. This way, Li Yin wouldn't have to walk any further.
Upon hearing this, Li Yin slowly rose, her movements graceful and unhurried. The road ahead was clear, and no one was causing her any trouble. She quickly reached Zhao Lianying's side.
Various small teapots were placed around Zhao Lianying, and a small mountain stream was carved on the tea table. From a distance, it was not easy to notice, but upon closer inspection, one could see the ingenuity of the design.
Zhao Lianying gently dropped the swaying jade cup in her hand to the ground. The cup landed with a crisp "crack," and tea splashed onto Li Yin's skirt, instantly staining it dark.
Zhao Lianying's smile deepened, and she said, "I wish to taste spring tea." She then fell silent.
This means that Li Yin should select the spring tea from among many and pour her a cup. A young lady from a wealthy family, though she drinks tea, only appreciates the taste, not the aroma.
Li Yin remained calm and composed, saying, "Your Highness has a discerning palate. This spring tea has just been presented as tribute, and its flavor is indeed excellent."
As soon as she finished speaking, she picked out a teapot with a slightly chipped corner from among the various teapots. She gently grasped the handle of the pot, then rolled up her sleeve and poured the tea into the jade cup in front of Zhao Lianying.
The tea was yellowish, with a few floating leaves and a few tea leaves settled at the bottom of the cup. Steam rose around the rim of the cup, and the aroma of tea filled the air.
Seeing Li Yin's decisive choice, Zhao Lianying felt a little flustered. This person actually knew tea; what good luck! He had shown off in front of everyone again. He wouldn't be so lucky later.
Zhao Lianying gently pressed down on her sleeve with one hand, and only after taking the jade cup did she release the hand that was pressing down. Then, she raised her sleeve to cover her body with the hand that was not holding the jade cup, and took a small sip.
The tea had a delicate aroma that lingered on the lips and teeth, its fragrance subtle and refreshing, and the temperature was just right. Zhao Lianying took a sip, held it in her mouth, frowned, withdrew her hand, and immediately coughed it out, causing it to fall all over Li Yin's hem, making it wet in patches. She pretended to be embarrassed and said, "Oh dear, sister, I didn't control myself just now and choked, which is why I wet your skirt."
Seeing the barely concealed excitement in Zhao Lianying's eyes, Li Yin had her answer. This person really cared about her clothes.
She smiled slightly, but everyone remained silent. Zhao Lianying stared at Li Yin's clothes, noting that the color had deepened slightly but there was no other fading.
A bad feeling crept into her heart. Could it be that what she was wearing was a fake, a counterfeit? She looked around at the people; everyone looked troubled, and some simply lowered their heads and remained silent.
Zhao Lianying slowly lowered her head to look at the clothes she was wearing. Her fair arms were stained with light purple dye. Her eyes widened, and she looked panicked.
She frantically rubbed her arms, but the more she rubbed, the darker the color became. More sweat poured from her forehead and dripped down her small cheeks, making her look somewhat like she was crying.
Sweat soaked the corners of her clothes, staining her neck, wrists, and other areas, making it very noticeable. Zhao Lianying rubbed her hands harder, and in just a short while, a large area turned red.
The counterfeit fades, and even if someone doesn't know these things, they can tell the strangeness of the matter just by comparing Li Yin and Zhao Lianying.
Zhao Lianying had never suffered such humiliation in her life. Being publicly humiliated was worse than death for her. Her skin turned red, the color deepening rather than light. Her fingers clenched tightly together. It was all this person's fault. If it weren't for this person, none of this would have happened.
This person's clothes are the ones she owns. Who switched them? Who is this person? She gritted her teeth, her nails digging into her flesh again. The old and new crescent moon marks overlapped, turning her fair and rosy palms white, leaving behind bright red crescent moons.
Zhao Lianying flipped the table over, her previous composure completely gone. Bottles and jars rolled and shattered all over the floor. She questioned Li Yin, "Who told you to steal this dress?"
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