At this moment, a loud announcement sounded: "Princess Chaoyang has arrived."
Immediately, a woman hurried in, dressed in luxurious Chinese clothing that displayed her identity. Though she already had her hair arranged in the style of a married woman, she looked young, lively, and spirited at first glance. She came in with a big smile, then gave a very perfunctory bow to the Emperor and Imperial Concubine: "Greetings, Royal Brother."
The Emperor spoke with a heavy tone: "Look at yourself, where is the proper behavior of a young lady? Everyone else has arrived and the feast is about to begin. Not only are you late, but you also show such disrespect."
Despite his words, his face showed no signs of true reprimand.
Chaoyang acted coquettishly: "Royal Brother, today I’ve spent so much time picking a birthday gift for Imperial Concubine that I lost track of the hour. Please don’t blame me."
Only then did the Emperor say: "Enough, take your seat. Zi Ming, you too."
Behind Chaoyang there was another man, probably her husband, Duke Dezhuang.
Duke Dezhuang saluted: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
However, Chaoyang snorted coldly and didn’t even spare him a glance. Instead, she stared directly at Mu Houchu, her beautiful eyes filled with unwillingness and resentment.
Chaoyang’s thoughts were known to everyone, and her consort seemed to be completely indifferent to her actions. Of course, he probably didn’t have the guts either.
Lady Sun leaned over to whisper softly in Xin He’s ear: "This Princess Chaoyang is the Emperor’s full-blooded sister, and he dotes on her very much. She has a bad temper, be careful not to provoke her."
Xin He nodded slightly: "Thank you, Mother."
Chaoyang suddenly turned her head and fixed her gaze on Xin He, smiling innocently: "I’ve never seen you before. Are you the rumored daughter of Le Yuanhou Mansion who got lost amongst the commoners?"
Everyone present paused for a moment, not knowing what sudden mischief this willful princess was up to.
Xin He calmly nodded her head: "Yes." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
Chaoyang glanced at her face and a trace of jealousy flashed through her eyes. Was this the woman Mu Houchu was interested in? What made her so special? Was it merely her seductive face?
When Chen Yining originally told her about this matter, she didn’t believe it. However, just now when she entered the room, Mu Houchu hadn’t even given her a glance, while his eyes kept lingering on this woman. Chaoyang never thought that this cold-blooded man could be moved, but now that she actually saw it, she felt nothing but jealousy.
Chaoyang put on a faint smile: "I see."
She then turned to the Emperor: "I intended to choose a gift for Consort Guifei to celebrate her birthday, but I couldn’t find the perfect one. When I think of Consort Guifei being the Emperor’s most beloved concubine, I worry that if I am remiss in my duties, Royal Brother would punish me."
The Emperor laughed: "Who dares to punish you?"
Chaoyang said: "So, I decided to personally give Consort Guifei a gift as a token of my sincerity. Gold, silver, pearls, and jade are all mundane things. To show my sincerity, I’ll personally perform a whip dance for Consort Guifei. It will entertain both Royal Brother and Consort Guifei."
Concubine Ning curved her lips: "Since the princess is offering this rare sentiment, it would be unreasonable for me not to accept it."
The Emperor showed some interest, lifting his hand to signal his consent.
Immediately, a palace maid brought the whip. The three-meter-long red whip had a delicate handle with small, beautiful tassels. It was exquisite, yet powerful enough to cause injury.
Everyone in the garden somehow felt a bad premonition. Knowing how willful Princess Chaoyang could be, who knew what she was planning with this sudden performance?
Chen Yining, however, seemed quite calm, the corners of her lips lifting in a faint smile, as though she was just waiting for the show to start.
Chaoyang flicked the whip on the ground, causing a loud sound. The lethal strength of this whip was evident as she then swiftly flipped her body and began to perform the whip dance.
The whip whistled through the air and the sharp crack of the whip followed, everyone’s gaze chasing its movement. It appeared that this rare whip dance was truly captivating everyone.
As everyone was engrossed, Chaoyang suddenly spun around, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in her eyes.
Xin He casually watched her dance while holding a wine cup.
Chaoyang suddenly flicked her wrist, changing the direction of the whip. It struck directly toward Xin He, her face twisted slightly as she sneered inwardly, wanting to see what would happen if she marred her seductive face!
The whip changed direction with a sharp wind, and it seemed to happen in a split second. If it landed, her face would be left with a gruesome whip mark.
However, Xin He suddenly leaned to the side and lowered her head to whisper to Lady Sun on her left.
The whip barely grazed her side and landed on the low table in front of her, leaving a deep whip mark on the table. It also knocked over the wine cups and utensils on Xin He’s table.
Only after the whip landed on the table did the room let out a delayed gasp of shock.
Seeing that Xin He had somehow managed to escape unscathed, Chaoyang clenched her teeth. Just as she was about to let go of another whip strike...
Mu Houchu’s eyes grew cold, and with a flick of his internal force, the wine cup that had rolled off Xin He’s table tumbled under Chaoyang’s skirt. Just as she was about to unleash the next whip, Chaoyang seemed to step on something, and with a cry, stumbled and fell. Unable to control the whip, it lashed back on her own body.
"Ah!" It had been a powerful strike, and the pain felt like burning fire on her arm.
Palace maids and eunuchs hurriedly rushed over to help her.
The Emperor’s face showed worry, and he asked sternly: "What happened? Chaoyang, look at the mess you’ve made!"
Furious, Chaoyang pointed her finger at Xin He and accused her: "It was you who purposely threw the cup under my feet! You caused me to trip and lose control of the whip, hitting myself!"
Xin He, however, looked pale and distraught, appearing to be greatly frightened.
Lady Sun quickly intervened: "The princess’s whip accidently hit Xin He’s table and almost hit someone. Even if you’re angry, you shouldn’t make things up."
"But..." Chaoyang was furious. How could it be so coincidental? Just as her whip stroke was about to land, Xin He happened to lean to the side, and the wine cup fell to the ground, rolling to her feet. The more Chaoyang thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt.
The Emperor sternly shouted: "Enough! You’ve already shown everyone your limited talent. Now put down that whip and leave!"
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