"Who told you that? I had no idea I could do sword dance."
Song Zhiyu turned to look at Mingzhu, her large, watery eyes staring straight at her, her face showing a mixture of confusion and sincerity, as if she were earnestly asking this question.
"..." Mingzhu choked, not expecting Song Zhiyu to act unpredictably and directly deny the matter.
But then she thought about it again and secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of joy on her face.
She was initially worried that Song Zhiyu was deliberately hiding his true abilities, playing dumb to lower their guard, but it turned out he really was a good-for-nothing.
This kind of person isn't worth her time or effort to deal with.
Mingzhu, somewhat losing interest, turned her gaze back to Shen Jinshu, and her mind cleared up considerably.
I never noticed anything amiss before, but now that I think about it carefully, it seems that everything makes sense.
If Shen Jinshu hadn't been intentionally or unintentionally smearing Song Zhiyu in front of them, she wouldn't have thought that Song Zhiyu was the kind of scheming woman.
Mingzhu was extremely annoyed. After her mind cleared, she realized that Shen Jinshu's actions were highly seductive, manipulating them and reaping the benefits herself.
What a brilliant plan!
As expected, Shen Jinshu's gentle and melodious voice, as clear and beautiful as a nightingale's, slowly rang out, as understanding as ever.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Your Highness the Imperial Concubine, although I do not know where Miss Ming heard the rumors, my second sister grew up in the countryside and is not proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, let alone the rather difficult sword dance."
If Your Majesty doesn't mind, then I will take my second sister's place. My musical skills are not exceptional, but they are passable; I hope Your Majesty the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubine will not find them unsatisfactory.
She stepped forward to resolve Song Zhiyu's predicament, at least in Shen Yanxi's eyes.
“Shu’er…” Shen Yanxi was deeply moved, and the weight in his heart was finally lifted.
He knew that Shu'er would never disregard the reputation of the Marquis's mansion. After all, she was always sensible and kind-hearted, and even he himself was ashamed of his own shortcomings in this regard.
The Empress Dowager, who had been resting with her eyes closed and quietly moving her prayer beads, slowly opened her eyes. Looking at Shen Jinshu, who stood upright in the center of the dazzling banquet, displaying the demeanor of a lady from a prominent family, she nodded in satisfaction.
Marquis Chengen was not a very good person, but he did raise a good daughter.
Just another one...
The displeasure in the Empress Dowager's eyes dissipated considerably the moment she saw Song Zhiyu, and she was replaced by a complicated expression.
The woman standing opposite Shen Jinshu wore a long brocade dress, her posture straight and elegant, as if she had stepped out of an ancient book or painting, graceful and noble.
The Empress Dowager was astonished by Song Zhiyu's extraordinary and refined temperament. She was not like a woman who had been raised in the countryside since childhood. On the contrary, she had more gentle and scholarly air than Shen Jinshu standing next to her, and was more eye-catching.
When her gaze fell on Song Zhiyu's face, the look of amazement in her eyes was even more undisguised.
But in an instant, as if she had thought of something, her face turned extremely ugly, and she stopped moving the prayer beads in her hand.
With such beautiful colors, it's no wonder she captivated the prince.
"I don't know sword dancing, but if Your Majesty doesn't mind, I can perform acupuncture at the banquet, which can bring the dying back from the gates of hell." Song Zhiyu ignored Shen Jinshu's pretentious act and had no interest in cooperating with her performance.
Shen Jinshu tricked Mingzhu into plotting against her, and now she wants to play the good guy and gain a good reputation by stepping on her. She's really giving her too much credit.
Her clear and gentle voice flowed like a gurgling spring into the hearts of the surrounding guests, bringing just the right amount of comfort and instantly calming their somewhat restless hearts.
Song Zhiyu stared intently at the Empress Dowager, who sat upright in the main seat. Her actions were bold yet measured, without causing any offense.
The Empress Dowager was slightly taken aback. Apart from the Emperor and the Crown Prince, Song Zhiyu was the first person who dared to look her in the eye directly, which piqued her interest.
"In previous years, the lake excursion banquets were all about the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, selecting the most talented girl as the champion. Acupuncture... this is the first time I've ever seen it."
The Empress Dowager neither agreed nor directly rejected the proposal; she wanted to see how Song Zhiyu would resolve the current predicament.
Shen Jinshu couldn't figure out the Empress Dowager's intentions, but she was well aware of Song Zhiyu's abilities.
Even though she didn't want to believe that Song Zhiyu could save a dying person with her acupuncture skills, she was just afraid of the worst-case scenario.
She has suffered too much at the hands of Song Zhiyu and must not repeat the same mistake.
"Second sister, don't be stubborn. I know you've never liked me, but now it concerns the face and reputation of the Marquis's mansion. You should prioritize the bigger picture and stop making a fuss."
Shen Jinshu raised her hand to grab Song Zhiyu's hand, but just before she touched her sleeve, she pulled back in fear, her words filled with worry.
"What are you worried about, elder sister? I am the true daughter of the Marquis's mansion, so naturally I should value the reputation of the Marquis's mansion even more than you." Song Zhiyu glanced down at Shen Jinshu's quickly withdrawn hand, her coldness pouring out, stabbing her heart without any politeness.
If Shen Jinshu really comes up, she might just let her experience the power of the poison powder.
"Mother, I think Miss Song's suggestion is good. Birth, aging, sickness and death are the natural course of life."
Medicine has always been beneficial for saving lives and healing the wounded, and its uses are immense. Acupuncture is one of the most important aspects of medicine. Since Miss Song possesses such skills, we might as well take a look.”
The eldest princess glanced at Shen Jinshu indifferently, and the imposing aura emanating from her made Shen Jinshu's heart tremble. It was as if the dark thoughts hidden deep in her heart had been completely exposed to the sunlight, leaving her nowhere to hide.
“What the Princess said is not without reason, but rules are rules and cannot be easily changed.” Consort Cheng said quietly, determined to embarrass Song Zhiyu.
The eldest princess retorted, "Rules are determined by people, and since they are made by people, why can't they be changed?"
"Your Highness speaks so lightly. If the rules could be changed at will, wouldn't the world be in chaos?" Consort Cheng said with a forced smile, facing the Princess directly, but mindful of her status, she dared not be too presumptuous.
Don't think she doesn't know that Song Zhiyu dares to be so arrogant because the Eldest Princess is backing her up.
It's foolish of him to neglect his own niece and instead favor an outsider.
The two "big shots" kept talking non-stop, and Song Zhiyu couldn't get a word in edgewise. She turned her gaze to the Empress Dowager, knowing full well that this was the one who truly made the decisions.
Shen Jinshu saw this and was anxious, but she still smiled gently on the surface. However, she would occasionally glance at the Empress Dowager out of the corner of her eye, unable to guess what she was thinking.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
