Chapter 30: Shooting Yourself in the Foot
The atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward.
It was Concubine Deng, who had always been trying to curry favor with Concubine Lian, who smiled and joined in the fun. The concubines of lower status did not dare to disrespect Concubine Lian and also said a few words, which barely livened up the atmosphere.
Xu Lanshan said nothing and just followed the crowd.
The look in Concubine Lian's eyes when she looked at her seemed to want to skin her alive. If Concubine Lian had not been a little afraid of the Emperor, and if she had not secretly tricked Concubine Lian, she would have suffered a great loss at the hands of Concubine Lian.
Of course, it was also because she had tricked Concubine Lian. Given Concubine Lian's personality, she would never forgive herself.
If that's the case, why should she try to please him?
Wouldn’t it be better to save your energy to please the emperor?
The Emperor still didn't come over. The Empress smiled and spoke a few words to Concubine Lian as if to discuss something, then she directly ordered the troupe to start performing and singing.
Otherwise, just sitting here like this would make you look so stupid!
I'm afraid Concubine Lian won't be happy today. In that case, let's just ignore her.
The Queen really didn’t dare to say whether the Emperor would come.
After all, the emperor didn't like Concubine Lian at all. Others might not be clear about this, but she knew it very well.
Concubine Lian did not dare to challenge the Queen openly. She was holding her anger in her heart and actually looked for Xu Lanshan again.
She smiled coldly and said to Xu Lanshan, "When Concubine Xu was serving others in the past, she must have had many skills, right? She must have been good at singing and dancing. I would like to ask Concubine Xu to perform a dance for me to celebrate my birthday. I wonder if Concubine Xu will give me the honor?"
Everyone was stunned, then became excited and waited in silence to watch the show.
The queen frowned slightly but said nothing.
Xu Lanshan secretly laughed at herself. As expected, there were no sisters in this palace. If she were a sister, why was there no one to speak up for her?
The emperor is more reliable.
Unfortunately, the emperor is not here at the moment.
"Empress Lian, this—"
"Is Xu Chang trying to reject me? Ha! It seems that I have no weight in Xu Chang's eyes!"
Concubine Yu, who had always been at odds with Concubine Lian, actually smiled and helped Concubine Lian this time: "Concubine Xu doesn't need to be embarrassed. We are just sisters after all. Even if you don't dance well, no one will laugh at you."
The others laughed and murmured in agreement. After all, they were not the ones being embarrassed, so they were happy to watch the fun.
Xu Lanshan suddenly felt that she really shouldn't have complained so much about the system in the past.
The system advertises itself as a professional palace fighting system every day, and it seems that it is not lying. She practiced this dance very timely.
The space even thoughtfully included many pieces of music commonly used in the harem of this era. She had practiced a lot of them following the beats, so she wouldn't be at a loss when she went on stage.
It might be difficult for Concubine Lian to see herself make a fool of herself.
Xu Lanshan was too lazy to play hard to get and slowly stood up: "Since Concubine Lian has given the order, I will bite the bullet and do it even if I have no choice. If I don't dance well, please forgive me, Concubine Lian."
How could Concubine Lian believe that she could dance? Even if she could dance a little, it would be easy to find fault with her!
"Hmph, how could that be? You just have to mean it!" Concubine Lian said with a forced smile.
Xu Lanshan bowed and said, "In that case, I will present my humble service."
Today's dress, with its light gauze and wide sleeves, is just right.
Xu Lanshan borrowed a long shawl from the troupe, and told the band to wait and see what music she would play with her gestures. She also asked everyone to carry up a drum that was more than half a person's height.
Fortunately, all these things needed for the opera were available on site and were prepared quickly.
All the concubines were puzzled and whispered to each other, none of them understood what Xu Lanshan wanted to do.
Xu Lanshan leaped lightly and landed on the drum surface which was more than half a person's height in a leisurely and natural manner. After a little preparation, she signaled the other side to play music.
As melodious music sounded, Xu Lanshan straightened her slender waist, raised her hands and made a starting gesture, then danced to the rhythm of the music.
Her dance moves are graceful, her slender arms, her undeniably beautiful hands, her incredibly flexible waist, all swift and agile. She dances like a fluttering butterfly, a fluttering snow, a soaring fairy, each movement beautiful and captivating, like a fairy from the Ninth Heaven. Each step she takes on the drums brings out a deep, powerful drumbeat, blending seamlessly into the music. The low and cheerful, light and deep, complement each other, a contrast that is truly eye-catching and makes her unable to look away.
Even Lian Fei, who was prepared to pick out a lot of thorns at every moment, was deeply shocked. She stared at her dancing and forgot to react.
The rest of the people opened their eyes wide and opened their mouths slightly. The movements of their hands were still the same as when they were attracted at first sight, and they even forgot to move.
After the dance, Xu Lanshan stood up, bowed to the Queen Mother and Concubine Lian, and then jumped lightly down from the drum. Her posture was still light and pleasing to the eye, and graceful and enviable.
"Good! Hahaha!" Emperor Yuan Yong clapped his hands and laughed. "Lan—ahem, Concubine Xu's dance is truly fantastic! I didn't expect Concubine Xu to have such talent!"
"emperor!"
"Your Highness!"
Everyone was shocked, and was stunned to find that the emperor had arrived without them knowing when, and they hurriedly stood up and saluted.
The queen curled her lips and subconsciously glanced at Concubine Lian. As expected, she gritted her teeth when she saw Concubine Lian's beautiful face.
Concubine Lian must have regretted it so much that she wanted to bang her head against the wall. If she hadn't forced Concubine Xu to dance in an attempt to humiliate her, Concubine Xu wouldn't have performed such a stunning dance, and the Emperor wouldn't have seen it.
But speaking of it, this Concubine Xu is really a hidden talent. I didn't expect she has such ability. No wonder the emperor would like her...
"Everyone, please stand up." Emperor Yuan Yong smiled, sat down next to the empress, and motioned Xu Lanshan to return to her seat.
Xu Lanshan thanked her gracefully, and Nian Nian Nana returned to her seat and sat down.
Emperor Yuan Yong glanced at Concubine Lian and said calmly, "Xu Changzai celebrated Concubine Lian's birthday with a dance, so she deserves a reward. I'll give her ten pieces of Xiangyunsha, ten pieces of Huayingluo, and a pair of golden step-shaking ornaments."
Xu Lanshan hurriedly stood up and saluted: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"
"Stand up."
"yes."
This dance was worth it, as the Xiangyunsha and Huayingluo silks could be used to make clothes or to exchange favors. The hairpins bestowed by the emperor in front of everyone could also be worn without any taboos.
Concubine Lian was so jealous that she sneered, "Xu Changzai really doesn't mean what she says. She just said she couldn't dance, but isn't she dancing quite well?"
Xu Lanshan politely responded, "Thank you, Her Majesty, for the compliment."
"You--" Lian Fei was furious. How could she praise her?
She was about to say something else when Emperor Yuan Yong interrupted her calmly, "Since today is to celebrate Concubine Lian's birthday, you should all toast her with a few more drinks. If you want to hear something interesting, why don't you hurry up? It will make things more lively!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
