Chapter 231 - Lives of Three Women
Chapter 231 Lives of Three Women
The original lively atmosphere over here was broken by the noise.
“The emperor is coming. The empress is coming.”
The shrill voice of a little eunuch once again resounded throughout the banquet hall.
“Crown Princess is coming.” This sentence closely followed the previous ones, but the voice was not as powerful as the previous one.
When the civil and military officials heard that both the emperor and the empress were coming, they all stopped talking and began to worship.
“Long live the emperor.”
“May the empress live a thousand times a thousand years.”
It was obvious that the emperor of the Nanyue Dynasty was very happy and had been smiling ever since he entered the banquet hall.
The emperor of the Nanyue Dynasty took the empress to the high platform and looked down at all officials below, saying, “All of you can stand up. Today’s banquet is to welcome the envoys from the Chengxi Dynasty. You don’t need to be so polite.”
“The 5th prince, the 5th Princess, and this little Duke Deyuan, you must be exhausted all the way and very tired after a long journey. The banquet is to welcome you to the Nanyue Dynasty this time. I hope you can have a good time in the Nanyue Dynasty.” The emperor of the Nanyue Dynasty looked at Jun Yeyan and seemed to be very happy, saying.
There was something inquisitive in his eyes. Although it was hidden deeply, Jun Yeyan still could find it.
Jun Yeyan slightly raised the corners of his lips with some delight just like bathing in the spring wind.
Jun Yeyan smiled and gently said, “Emperor, you are so kind. Chengxi Dynasty is really glad to be invited here. And I am very lucky to come to the Nanyue Dynasty on behalf of the Chengxi Dynasty.”
The emperor of the Nanyue Dynasty raised his hand to invite them and said, “Ha-ha. That’s fine. The 5th prince and the princess, please take your seats.”
“Thank you, Emperor!” Jun Yeyan held Bai Aoxue’s hands to sit down under the guidance of the little eunuch around them.
No matter when and where, in front of anyone, Jun Yeyan still held Bai Aoxue’s hands tightly, which seemed to take an oath of his possession.
As Bai Aoxue walked past Qi Muyuan, her indifferent voice went to Qi Muyuan’s ears.
“Wait for me after the banquet is over.”
Qi Muyuan listened to Bai Aoxue’s words. She looked carefully around and found that no one found it. Then she breathed with relief.
The banquet also started methodically. According to Bai Aoxue, if nothing had happened, it would probably end smoothly, and she didn’t have to say anything.
However, Bai Aoxue thought so, while some people were not going to let her go.
Lights and shadows interlaced. By the time the banquet was halfway through, some plans had already begun.
“Emperor, it is so lively today. I think that we need some songs and dances to cheer us up.” The empress glanced lightly at Bai Aoxue with a cold unknown light flashing in her eyes.
As soon as Liu Zixi heard what the empress said, the corners of her lips had curled up suspiciously.
The emperor of the Nanyue Dynasty was happy and thought that the proposal was good, so he said, “According to you, what kind of song and dance do you like?”
On hearing this, the empress gently covered her lips with bright red fingernails dyed like blood and said with a calm smile, “I have always heard that the 5th Princess of Chengxi Dynasty looks like a fairy. She is really gorgeous and amazing when I see her today. I think someone with such a beautiful face must be good at singing and dancing. I just want to see whether the crown princess or the 5th Princess can dance better.”
The empress did not speak loudly, but in the silent banquet hall for a moment, it really made everyone hear clearly.
And the courtiers and bureaucrats all turned to look at Bai Aoxue who had not spoken all the time.
But Liu Zixi smiled coldly. She had discussed everything with the empress and found out many things about Bai Aoxue’s past. She also knew that Bai Aoxue did not have much education at all and wasn’t good at singing and dancing.
What the empress said just wanted to embarrass Bai Aoxue.
It also made Qi Liange see clearly that the woman he appreciated was a useless person only with a beautiful face.
As for herself, her family background was so good. She was educated and reasonable and had never brought shame on Qi Liange.
On the contrary, she married Qi Liange and brought so many benefits to Qi Liange.
Qi Liange should cherish her.
Liu Zixi was so prideful that she did not find that the eyes of Qi Liange around her had turned cold. He glanced gently at her. His eyes were not as gentle as they used to be but full of coldness at this moment.
And on this side, Bai Aoxue who was originally bored frowned slightly after she heard what the empress of the Nanyue Dynasty said. She did not expect that she was already so low-key, but some people still did not want her to live in peace.
And she wondered why the empress wanted to embarrass her. She thought that she had not offended the empress.
She received two pairs of concerned eyes. Bai Aoxue turned to look at Qi Liange. Her heart had become clear gradually.
Whether Qi Liange was intentional or unintentional, his plan had been successful. Bai Aoxue had been pushed to be in the teeth of the storm by Qi Liange.
Liu Zixi’s position as the crown princess was run by the empress of Nanyue Dynasty. The empress must not be a simple character. Probably, she already knew what Qi Liange had done today.
By doing so, they just wanted to tell her that she must be a little self-aware.
Thinking about this, Bai Aoxue smiled coldly.
The emperor of the Nanyue Dynasty looked at the empress in embarrassment and hesitantly said, “Well. Although the proposal is good, the 5th Princess is a guest, after all.”
After listening to the words of the emperor of Nanyue Dynasty, Bai Aoxue slowly looked at the king of this country, and it was also the first time for her to look at the emperor.
There was the shadow of Qi Liange on his face. But he was already old. His face was a little morbid and dispirited. If Bai Aoxue was not proficient in medicine, she would not have noticed it at all.
And his fingers already had some dead skin, which looked a little haggard.
The eyes of him were also a little cloudy, and his hair on the sideburns fell off unnaturally.
Looking at the emperor like this, Bai Aoxue already had a few judgments in her mind. It seemed that there were disasters everywhere during this trip to Nanyue Dynasty.
“Emperor, you are right. I am just on the spur of the moment and do not think about the feelings of her. You have really taught me a lesson.” The empress of the Nanyue Dynasty said with chagrin as if she regretted her own recklessness.
Looking at such a hypocritical empress, Bai Aoxue raised her lips and smiled. How similar the scene was! Liu Manyun did the same thing to embarrass her at the last palace banquet, but Liu Manyun was obviously not as smart as the empress.
If she had been as smart as the empress, she would not have died so early.
Liu Zixi slowly got up and gave a salute, saying cleverly, “Father and queen mother, I am willing to cheer up the banquet this time and perform a dance.”
When the empress and the emperor heard what Liu Zixi said, they both looked at each other and lightly said, “In this case, the crown princess can go to prepare for it.”
“I know it, but can I invite the 5th Princess of Chengxi Dynasty to join me to cheer up the banquet?” Liu Zixi smiled sweetly and turned to look at Bai Aoxue.
Only Bai Aoxue could understand the provocation in her eyes.
As soon as Jun Yeyan heard what Liu Zixi said, his handsome eyebrows frowned slightly. He was just about to speak, but Bai Aoxue forestalled to stop him.
Bai Aoxue held Jun Yeyan’s hand. She said with an indifferent smile, “It’s OK to cheer up, but I have never had the habit of being seen as a monkey by others. I’m not going to dance. Nanyue Dynasty’s peach blossoms are the most famous. I am going to make a poem about peach blossoms.”
The corners of her lips were slightly raised, but there was not a smile in her eyes. They were still bitterly cold, which made the people who were looking at Bai Aoxue shudder with fear.
But they were unwilling to look away.
And when Liu Zixi and the empress on the high seat heard Bai Aoxue’s words, they both were very angry and gritted their teeth.
They did not expect Bai Aoxue to say so. She obviously meant that the dancer was to be seen as a monkey by others. Wasn’t it a naked insult?
But this proposal was originally put forward by them. It was impossible to refuse. The empress on the high seat looked fiercely at Bai Aoxue, and her eyes were already a little murderous.
Bai Aoxue seemed to inadvertently turn around to see that the empress was too late to take back the murderous look in her eyes, and her wantonly sparking phoenix-like eyes flashed with a mysterious and weird color.
“I am wondering if the empress is satisfied with Aoxue’s proposal.” Bai Aoxue looked at the empress and said with a gentle smile.
Her pure and innocent appearance made people see no flaw.
On hearing Bai Aoxue’s words, the empress was so angry that her lungs were about to explode, but she had to maintain good manners and said, “Of course, I am satisfied. I am really glad to be able to appreciate the poems of the 5th Princess.”
Bai Aoxue no longer looked at the empress, but she looked at Qi Liange and lightly said, “However, I still need to make some preparations, so please let the crown princess perform first.”
Qi Liange looked at Bai Aoxue who was looking at himself. He was not very happy in his heart as Bai Aoxue looked at him with strange eyes at this moment as if she had never known him before.
Qi Liange took a cold look at Liu Zixi and said gently, “Crown Princess, you can go to prepare for it. I am wondering what the 5th Princess needs. I can ask someone to prepare it.”
And Liu Zixi over here received the eyes of Qi Liange. She was panic and a little fearful in her heart. But she didn’t dare to procrastinate. After all, she couldn’t end the matter at her will since it had begun already.
And Bai Aoxue had ordered people to prepare what she needed. She seemed to be very relaxed at this moment to look at Liu Zixi on the stage.
The empress looked at the appearance of Bai Aoxue and sneered coldly. Liu Zixi’s dancing was recognized as the most beautiful in the Nanyue Dynasty. This time, she must let Bai Aoxue see how she would fail with her own eyes.
Thinking about this, the disdain in the eyes of the empress did not want to be hidden. How could the people present not know what kind of past Bai Aoxue had? And how did the unlearned person make poems?
Liu Zixi chose a light dance which made her look more beautiful and touching. Her extraordinary posture was also fully exposed.
Looking at Liu Zixi dancing so hard, Bai Aoxue said indifferently, “It seems that she has been ready for this for a long time. She really wants to defeat me so much.”
And Jun Yeyan listened to Bai Aoxue’s words. He glanced gently at Liu Zixi and then turned to look at Bai Aoxue, saying, “It’s so vulgar and boring.”
Jun Yeyan never looked at Liu Zixi’s dancing carefully from the beginning to the end.
In his eyes, nothing was as good as Bai Aoxue, and no one could be on a par with his Xue.
As soon as Bai Aoxue heard what Jun Yeyan said, she burst out laughing. Fortunately, the voice was covered by the music, and no one heard it.
Jun Yeyan looked at Bai Aoxue’s smiling face and said indulgently, “Do you need my help later?”
Bai Aoxue lightly shook her head and said, “No. This time, I must make them lose their faces fiercely. I believe that they will pay the price of looking at people in a superficial way.”