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Qin Dongning, you can call me Zuo Bing."
393
When Qiaochu arrived at the Imperial City, the setting sun was bright red, making the Imperial City look beautiful.
Because of the Chinese banquet in the palace, the guards in the imperial city became even stricter, and there were dense crowds of imperial guards inside and outside the city.
She changed into the bluebird brocade skirt she had secretly brought from the palace in an inn, and because she didn't want to attract attention, she bought a straw raincoat hat in the market and wore it.
The imperial guards saw that she was wearing expensive clothes but her face was not visible, and they were all confused. They had been stationed here for many days and had seen all kinds of important people wearing beautiful clothes. Naturally, they did not take it seriously. The two leading leaders shouted, "Who are you? Why are you hiding your face? Do you have a certificate to enter the palace?"
She had come here, carrying Fan Rusu's safety and Dong Ning's expectations on her shoulders, and she had to go in. But she couldn't reveal her identity at this time, otherwise they would definitely notify Shangguan Jinghong.
She thought for a moment and said, "Brother Bing, I have a scar on my face and I am ugly, so I am dressed like this. I have no credentials to enter the palace, please inform the Seventh Princess and ask her to come out. I have something very important to report to her, which is related to the concubine of the Rui Palace. Come on..."
Is it about Concubine Qiao? The imperial guards were startled, "Who are you?"
"I am a servant in the mansion of Master Qi."
*
When the Seventh Princess received the report, the Emperor in the palace had a very ugly expression on his face.
The two beauties brought by the King of Western Xia were more beautiful than anyone expected.
One is called Yunji, and the other is called Yuji.
The four beauties are all famous throughout the world.
But beauty also has different levels.
When they first met, the emperor led the crowd to greet them in front of the palace gate. The ladies stood on both sides of the prince with raised eyebrows and charming faces. The emperor had also made arrangements with the Ministry of Internal Affairs in advance, and even removed the two favorite concubines Zhuang Ning from the central position. Only the queen accompanied the emperor, followed by the prince and the two beauties.
The two women were already extremely beautiful, and today they were dressed in gorgeous clothes. Their graceful figures were so beautiful that one could not take their eyes away.
Then, led by Cai Ning Chunfeng, the King of Western Xia, who was middle-aged but still looked majestic with a short moustache, came with Yun Ji and Yu Ji, and three other princes, stepping on the golden waves of the sun.
All the officials of the Dongling royal family were instantly captured by the scene ahead.
If Qiaorong's beauty lies in the word "delicate", like the fragrance of peach and plum, then Yuji is like pear blossoms stained by rain, with a frown in her eyes. Her delicate beauty makes people feel pity for her. Unlike Qiaorong, who has a coquettish look in the corners of her eyes and eyebrows, which makes people feel jealous. Her beauty of a weak willow in the wind suppresses this delicateness.
But Yu Ji was not as good as Qiao Mei. Her beauty was so beautiful that it could make peach blossoms and lotus flowers blush to shame. Her pupils were as white as ink without lacquer, and her lips were as red as cinnabar. She was naturally beautiful, and because Qiao Mei was the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince's legal wife, she had an air of luxury that made her radiant and eye-catching.
However, such a beauty could not suppress the Xixia King's favorite woman - Yun Ji.
Yun Ji's beauty is all of these. She is as radiant as spring flowers, as bright as the autumn moon, and as light as clouds emerging from mountains. Besides being noble, gorgeous and charming, she also has an otherworldly demeanor, as if a celestial being has mistakenly fallen into the mortal world.
It is difficult to tell who is better between Qiaomei and Yunji.
But Dong Ling overlooked one thing. Although the upturned eyebrows were beautiful, they were used to seeing them. So when they first saw Yun Ji, they naturally looked at her a few more times.
Compared to this, the upturned eyebrows seem a little less colorful.
During the banquet, the King of Western Xia praised the Crown Princess's appearance, then looked at his favorite concubine and laughed. The Emperor was immediately furious, but he suppressed his anger in his heart, but a sinister look was already visible between his brows.
Later, the King of Western Xia ordered Chunfeng to discuss state affairs and his knowledge with his three sons. The emperor asked the crown prince, Ning, Rui and Xia to respond, and they all defeated Western Xia and immediately won back a victory.
The ruler and his ministers of Dongling were overjoyed.
The King of Western Xia's expression darkened, and he immediately said, I've heard for a long time that the Dongling royal family has outstanding singing and musical skills.
The emperor then did not use the court singers and dancers, and asked the two ladies of the Rui Palace to perform music. Everyone stood up and thought of the grand banquet in the enclosure. It was a pity that Qiaochu was not present because she was ill today. Otherwise, she would have been a master at playing instruments and composing music. But her face was damaged, so even if she was there, it would not be easy for her to perform in public.
Shen Qingling and Lang Linling improvised calligraphy. They were both elegant people, and their flute and piano ensemble was very relaxing and pleasant. The King of Western Xia also praised them sincerely. However, he hesitated for a moment, then asked Cai Ning and Yun Ji to thank Emperor Dongling for his kindness and also played a song together.
Cai Ning has great skills, and so does Yun Ji.
In terms of musical performance, Shen and Lang were only on par with her, and it was hard to say which one was better. But when Yun Ji played the zither and sang for the golden willow, the fragrant orchid, and the tea before the rain, her skills fully revealed her beauty. The woman's eyes wandered everywhere, and everyone stopped drinking and singing. She actually surpassed Shen and Lang, and finally completely suppressed the beauty of her eyebrows.
After the song was over, the people in the hall stared blankly and forgot to applaud. After a long time, they finally burst into applause.
The emperor's original intention was to throw out some ideas. Of course, it does not mean that the two masters of Rui Wangfu are not talented, but compared with Peilan, who is specialized in and mastered the art of opera, they are certainly not as good.
He saw that the King of Western Xia was accompanied by singers, dancers and musicians, and knew that they would definitely perform. However, Peilan's art was top-notch, and as the princess, she would be even better.
In terms of beauty, at first glance, Yun Ji is slightly better than Qiao Mei; in terms of politics, Dong Ling is better; and in terms of skills, Yun Ji has just appeared, and even if Pei Lan Qu Yi can win, she still cannot suppress Yun Ji's charm.
…
When the Seventh Princess left the table, she saw Shen Qingling whispering something to Shangguan Jinghong sitting opposite her. The two of them looked very intimate. She curled her lips. She regarded Qiaochu as a friend, so she was quite disapproving.
At this time, Peilan was preparing in the inner room of the hall. It seemed that there might be a large-scale song and dance. Although it was an important matter, she didn't think it was urgent at this moment. This tense performance was about to begin. She didn't want to leave the table, but the person who came reported that it was related to Concubine Qiao. She hesitated for a moment, said something to the Seventh Prince, and left immediately.
…
Seeing the woman in the straw hat, she was doubtful, but she whispered, "Sister-in-law Qi, it's me, Qiaochu."
She had been in contact with Qiaochu and recognized her voice. Seeing her calling her out in this way and seeing that she was wearing a straw hat covering her head, she became curious and playful, so she reached out and lifted Qiaochu's hat.
There were two crisp sounds, and the weapons landed loudly. She was still in shock when the two imperial guards standing in front of her dropped their weapons.
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394
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As we hurried to the main hall, the sunset was beginning to fade, and the orange-red glow had turned into dark red.
The sunset is beautiful, but it will eventually turn into dusk.
The Seventh Princess was silent, not sure why Qiaochu came in this way. After she heard her briefly mention the matter of Jueyan Pill, she didn't dare to ask more questions seeing that Qiaochu looked sad.
She was the Seventh Prince's legal wife, so she could bring people into the palace. However, she was still shocked and uneasy at the moment, thinking about the weapons that had fallen from the imperial guards just now.
After the new emperor ascended the throne, one evening when she was entering or leaving the imperial city, she suddenly stopped and asked a guard: "Do you still remember Concubine Qiao?" The guard was stunned, then smiled shyly and said, "How could I not remember her?"
At this moment, she wanted to hold Qiaochu's hand, but she was a little afraid. The woman walking next to her didn't look like a person from this mortal world at all, even less like Yun Ji. She felt ashamed of herself.
Her hand felt warm. Qiaochu seemed to see her embarrassment and held her hand. "Sister-in-law Qi, are the plums sour
The Seventh Princess was startled for a moment, then smiled: "It's so sour, it tastes just right. You gave some to Sixth Sister-in-law, Tenth Prince and the others, and I just complained to them that I was pregnant after all, so you didn't give me more and just distributed it equally. The pregnancy-preserving prescription that the Eighth Master prescribed for you, which you sent someone to deliver earlier, is very useful. And you don't go out much, so I owe you a thank you."
"Why thank you? It's just a small favor." Qiaochu patted her hand and said nothing more. The Seventh Princess happily shook her hand back. Then she thought of something and hesitated. She lowered her voice and said, "Lang Fei is fine, but you should be careful about that Shen. You are like this, and the Eighth Master is so good to you, so I was not afraid at first, but I just saw that woman and the Eighth Master..."
Qiaochu smiled, felt a little sad, and closed his eyes. At this time, the two of them were walking into the imperial garden. Several women ran past them quickly, and their voices fell hurriedly.
"Hurry up, the Fifth Princess is waiting. The weather is not good. Do we have to help the King of Xixia? This zither will not lose its strings until it is played. Fortunately, there are many good zithers in the palace."
"That Xixia King is really annoying. He said he was looking forward to it and would give a reward if he was happy. Does our Dongling Princess also want a reward from him?"
"Besides, even if we performed well, the King of Xixia would not say it was good, which would have been a disgrace to our Dongling! Fortunately, the emperor was wise and used provocative words to get the King of Xixia to send a few sons to discuss politics with us gentlemen, and we were not disgraced."
"But now we are doomed to lose this game. It's a waste of the princess's training with us for so many days."
"Don't worry, we are just lowly dancers, what can we do?"
Several dancers were holding their harps and chattering, and soon they went into a house under the eaves.
Young girls—Qiaochu laughed, "It seems to be very lively inside. I have always heard that Princess Ning is the best in music performance. I am lucky to see her today."
As she spoke, the Seventh Princess did not respond, but her hand was suddenly tightened by her, "I am so stupid, why didn't I think of this? Sister Qiao, go help Sister Peilan. If you play..."
The Seventh Princess' eyes were filled with surprise, but Qiao Chu was stunned.
*
"Mei'er?" In the palace, Concubine Feng Qing asked a little nervously. At this time, Qiaomei was passing by the desk on Shangguan Jinghong's side without any expression, but saw Shen Qingling whispering from time to time, and he always responded. The emperor would occasionally look at the two of them, and seemed very satisfied. He treated Shen Qingling like this, but was stingy in showing her tenderness
It’s probably because of her identity.
Shangguan Jinghong, try to become the emperor. Then I can be with you.
She knew that he would definitely want her, and she would definitely repay Shen Qingling for what he had done to her.
Shangguan Jinghong seemed to sense her gaze and glanced at her indifferently.
She was delighted in her heart, but she just pretended not to notice. These days, she tried her best to please Shangguan Jinghao. She knew what to do and when to do it, just like now.
After returning from the enclosure, she began to practice the zither and put a lot of effort into some pieces. Peilan's performance would definitely not be better than Yunji's, so she asked the emperor to play a piece with the prince. Even if she couldn't compare to Yunji, she was definitely a bright spot.
She told Shangguan Jinghao about it, and Shangguan Jinghao smiled and said, "Yeah, that's a good idea."
At this time, there was some commotion in the palace. The King of Xixia looked at him with a hint of impatience, and said, "Your Majesty, my concubine just threw out a brick to attract jade, but the princess looked down on it and refused to come out to play?"
"Father, it's because Concubine Yun didn't perform well. Could it be that Concubine Ning was afraid and didn't dare to come out?"
Chunfeng smiled and said.
Although the King of Western Xia knew that Dongling was unwilling to go to war in the short term, and his words and deeds were wanton, he still had some restraint in the end. He competed with beauty and wisdom on the surface, otherwise, this would completely anger Emperor Rongrui and provoke a war, which would be a disaster. Western Xia is not yet able to compete with Dongling, and what is waiting is civil strife in Dongling. Chunfeng's tone was thorny, and he immediately gave Chunfeng a warning look.
The emperor's expression changed slightly, but even though he was angry, he smiled and said, "Don't worry, King Xixia. I think good things are worth waiting for. Old Five, go over and take a look."
Prince Ning agreed. Everyone in Dongling was sweating, and many people were anxious, looking outside the palace.
It was as if they had received an imperial order, and suddenly a group of dancers really walked in from the door one after another.
At this time, as the sun set, a group of eunuchs in the hall, led by the two chief eunuchs Cao and Mo, began to light the lamps on the glazed lampstands behind the guests quietly and without disturbing the hosts and guests.
As soon as the dancer entered, Princess Peilan of Prince Ning soon came into the hall with several male musicians. They placed the musical instruments on the table that had been neatly arranged in the middle of the hall and sat down.
And amid people's confusion, he placed the bronze mirror, books, flowers and other items on an empty table.
Everything was ready, but the girls did not start their performance. Instead, they walked in an orderly manner to the eunuchs who were arranging the lights. They all had bright smiles on their faces, which made people curious and anxious but not angry.
At this moment, the leading girl suddenly flicked her sleeves lightly, and immediately extinguished the light lit by the eunuch beside her.
Everyone was shocked, but suddenly, one by one, the girls fluttered their sleeves and extinguished the lights lit by the eunuchs beside them. Only the lights on the dragon thrones of the emperor and empress were still bright, and several lights illuminated the center of the field.
People's eyes will immediately follow to this bright place.
The music suddenly started.
Many people in the audience were knowledgeable about music. Unlike Lang Linling and Yun Ji who had played Yun Cang's famous songs before, this kind of melody was something they had never heard before. It was gentle and lingering, yet it also had a sense of desolateness.
"After the rain at Bailuzhou, I linger at Tongque Tower..."
Finally, Princess Ning plucked the strings of the zither and sang softly. The sound was as beautiful as flowing water.
"The setting sun dyed the grass red, swaying the distant sails on the river."
Suddenly, a slightly hoarse female voice continued.
That was the sound coming from outside the palace gate. Everyone was startled and looked up, only to see the setting sun, the red moon sinking in the west, and several men and women slowly walking in.
There were five men and women in total. There were two young men, one was handsome and bookish, the other was extraordinary, there was an old man and two old women, and the rest were several young women, two of whom were very beautiful, and the last one had a veil covering her face.
What on earth are these people for
At this time, the woman who was still standing next to the waiters suddenly walked to the table, put one hand behind her, lowered her head and poured wine for the guests. Her attitude was respectful, but her posture was dashing.
From the time the lights were turned off until now, for the first time, people felt that the role of the dancers was not to be charming. They were more orderly than anyone else, and their smiles were full of vitality, extremely moving and admirable.
The dancer was in front, slightly blocking the view. People were anxious and leaned forward to look. They were all very curious about the woman in gauze, because she was the one who was in harmony with Peilan.
Her voice was hoarse.