Chapter 180 A Stunning Dance
Jiang Jinnian's face was ashen. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please spare my life. I really didn't mean to do that. Please give me a chance!"
Her mouth was blocked by the palace servants, and her begging for mercy gradually faded away, leaving only vague whimpers.
The noble ladies were silent.
Everyone smelled a conspiracy.
No one can find out the truth of the matter, but one thing has become the consensus of everyone: Don’t provoke Princess Pingle, otherwise, the end will be miserable!
"What's all the fussing about?"
Empress Sun came slowly, surrounded by palace maids.
Due to her health, she did not attend ordinary palace banquets, but the prince's selection of a concubine was a major event, and as the mistress of the harem, she had to show up.
The weather has warmed up a lot now, and everyone is wearing light clothes, but Empress Sun is still wearing complicated and heavy palace clothes, and her face is pale.
Everyone immediately saluted, and Empress Sun sat down in the main seat, with an air of majesty that came without even being angry.
"Li Guifei, I heard you shouting and yelling from a distance. What happened?"
Concubine Li's expression still looked very ugly and she did not speak for a while.
Concubine Rou would not cover up for her and eloquently told her what had just happened.
"Thank goodness I mentioned that we should search the person who filed the complaint first. Otherwise, wouldn't we have wronged Princess Pingle and caused her to suffer for no reason?"
Lu Zhiran was also very tactful and immediately bowed to express her gratitude, "Your servant thanks Her Majesty Roufei for upholding justice."
Empress Sun looked at Concubine Li calmly, "Concubine Li, you are acting more and more outrageously."
This one sentence made Concubine Li's face become even more tense.
She had never taken the sickly Empress Sun seriously, but today she was scolded in public by her, which was really humiliating!
And all this was done by that idiot Jiang Jinnian!
At the beginning, when Zhao Shuning recommended Jiang Jinnian to her, he said it with great confidence. She thought that this was a smart person who could get things done, but she didn't expect that she was actually a fool!
"I did something wrong in this matter!"
Seeing her frustrated look, Concubine Rou felt like she was trying to hold back her laughter.
Empress Sun did not insist on it anymore, as the important matter was more important.
She looked at the ladies and her tone became gentle.
"Today is just an ordinary selection, everyone can just be casual and don't be too formal."
However, no one dared to slack off and still maintained a dignified posture, but there was a bit more eagerness and anticipation in their eyes.
"You ladies are all talented and accomplished ladies from noble families. Let me open your eyes today."
When everyone heard this, they immediately became agitated.
Soon a bold lady volunteered to perform.
Some played the zither, the sounds were melodious; some wrote with swift strokes; some painted, each completing a single stroke. The garden was bustling with activity, each showcasing its talents.
Li Yunshang danced with a flexible waist, graceful dancing posture, and flying skirt. She had a unique charm. Among all the ladies, her performance was the most outstanding.
As soon as she finished the dance, everyone was amazed. Li Yunshang looked humble, while Concubine Li's face was full of pride.
This niece of hers grew up under her care. She was proficient in all arts, including music, chess, calligraphy and painting. She was the most satisfactory candidate for her principal wife.
But Lu Shiyin intervened and took the position of the queen.
But it's okay, it's only temporary.
In the future, there will be many ways to make Lu Shiyin give up the position of the queen.
After Empress Sun praised her, Concubine Li turned her attention and turned the topic to Lu Zhiran.
"Pingle County Princess is renowned, but it's all because of your talent for business and your vision and righteousness. I wonder if you're equally brilliant in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting? Today, I'm going to open everyone's eyes."
Although these words were meant to praise Lu Zhiran, they were also indirectly putting her in a position of shame.
Lu Zhiran stood up and stepped out of the line, bowing and saying, "Your humble servant has also choreographed a dance, and I would like the Queen and the other ladies to appreciate it."
Concubine Li had a half-smile on her face, and Li Yunshang looked normal, but there was a hint of pride in her heart.
She has been learning to dance since she was young, which is why she has such a graceful figure. Lu Zhiran deliberately chose to perform the dance after her, so she would only become a foil.
Xing Chuxue volunteered, "County Lady, I will accompany you."
Lu Zhiran nodded with a smile.
Xing Chuxue was playing the guzheng. With a light pluck of her fingertips, the first note flowed out like a clear spring, and Lu Zhiran slowly danced to the melodious notes.
Her dancing style is completely different from Li Yunshang's.
Li Yunshang's dancing posture is delicate, but she is soft yet resilient, her skirt swirling like snow in the wind, like a fairy from the Rui Palace, all splendid and dazzling.
Her dance steps became faster and faster, and the piano music became passionate and full of tension, like surging waves, shocking people's heart.
At this moment, Ye Hanyi joined them with a sword in hand.
Everyone was stunned, but Lu Zhiran's dance moves were not at all chaotic. She moved and flew, spinning like the wind, echoing with Ye Hanyi's vigorous and powerful sword dance.
It was clearly a wooden sword, but it seemed to be able to cut through the air, with a sharp beauty. The flowers on the tree were caught in the sword wind, floating down and circling around them. It was so beautiful that no one could take their eyes off it.
Xing Chuxue's fingertips moved faster and faster, and the sound of the guzheng was sometimes rapid like rain, sometimes low like thunder, as if thousands of troops were surging in the dark, murderous intent was lurking everywhere, which perfectly matched the dance of the two.
At this moment, the performances of the three people achieved perfect fusion.
After the song was over, everyone was stunned and couldn't come back to their senses for a long time.
The expressions of Concubine Li and Li Yunshang were very ugly, and the sense of superiority they had just had was gone.
At this time, a hearty laugh was heard, "Good, good, very good, very good!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice, their expressions immediately changed, and they all saluted.
"Your Majesty, your servant, pays homage to your Majesty."
Emperor Defeng walked slowly with a smile on his face, and behind him, three princes followed.
Everyone has seen the Sixth Prince Xiao Yanqing and the Seventh Prince Xiao Yanci, but most people are meeting the Fifth Prince Xiao Yanheng for the first time.
He has fair skin, very light lips, a tall but slightly thin figure, and a sickly delicate air about him, yet incredibly beautiful.
Many noble ladies blushed unconsciously when they saw it.
I have always heard that the fifth prince was frail and sickly, but I didn't know he was so handsome.
Xiao Yanci looked at Lu Zhiran, his eyes filled with pride and a hidden passion.
There was a deep sense of unwillingness and resentment hidden in Xiao Yanqing's eyes.
Didn't Mother say that she would bring disgrace upon Lu Zhiran today? Why was she still so perfectly fine, completely unharmed? Not only that, but she even made a big splash!
"As the saying goes, it's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early. I arrived at the perfect time and happened to see a wonderful performance."
He looked at Lu Zhiran and the other two, "Did you rehearse beforehand?"
The three shook their heads, "No."
Concubine Rou smiled and said, "Your Majesty, Han Yi just arrived in the capital two days ago. She doesn't even know any of the noble ladies in the capital. How can she find time to rehearse?"
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