Chapter 74: The Sword Dropped

Chapter 74: The Sword Dropped

Lady Xiao felt a sharp pain at her fingertips.

The Emperor reached inside and pulled out a slip of paper, which was then carried away by the palace servants.

Shen Huai unfolded the slip and saw written on it:

Miaoyu's Long Sleeve Dance

The Long Sleeve Dance is predominantly popular in the south, known for its elegance and grace. The dancer's costume reveals a slender waist, which is pleasing to the eye.

However, mastering the Long Sleeve Dance requires rigorous practice from a young age. Miaoyu, being a commoner's daughter from a respectable family, had to work hard to learn this dance, which was no small feat.

Shen Huai vaguely remembered that before Miaoyu entered the palace, her family was a wealthy merchant in the area. With such financial means, it was no wonder she could be trained in dance from a young age.

Busy with state affairs, Shen Huai rarely had the leisure to enjoy dances or music.

Today being a special occasion, he was curious to see what skills the palace concubines could showcase.

Shen Huai handed the slip to Cai Shan: "Let her go first."

The Empress glanced at it and smiled, "Miaoyu is indeed lucky. You shall be the first."

Miaoyu, overjoyed, stood up gracefully, bowed, and retreated to change into her dance attire.

Su Jiaojiao glanced at Miaoyu and then subtly at the Emperor. Consort Shu whispered beside her, "I remember Miaoyu is the Empress's person. What a coincidence that she was the first to be chosen!"

"But I arrived early and saw Talented Lady Xiao and Miaoyu arguing over their dresses. Talented Lady Xiao is so proud, always looking down on others. Miaoyu wore a similar dress and now gets to dance before the Emperor. If Miaoyu performs poorly, it's one thing, but if she does well and gains the Emperor's favor, how could someone like Talented Lady Xiao bear it?"

Su Jiaojiao was amused by Consort Shu's serious tone and smiled, "Sister, why are you so invested in the affairs between Talented Lady Xiao and Miaoyu?"

She whispered, "Talented Lady Xiao comes from a noble family and has a reputation for arrogance. I am a consort, and she looks down on me, let alone Miaoyu, who is from a commoner's family. With so many concubines gathered today, you can expect some drama."

After changing in the side chamber, Miaoyu, holding a pipa, walked gracefully into the hall. Her eyes were filled with affection as she softly bowed to the Emperor, "I shall now perform."

Shen Huai took a cup of wine from the table in front of him, leisurely watching Miaoyu's blushing face. His gaze then shifted to Su Jiaojiao.

As the music began, Shen Huai's attention moved away from Miaoyu, and he asked the Empress, "Does Consort Zhen have a performance to offer?"

The Empress paused for a moment, her eyes flickering slightly, and replied with a hint of regret, "Most in the palace wish to perform, but Consort Zhen is not among them."

She feigned concern, explaining, "Perhaps Consort Zhen has been unwell recently. You will have a chance to see her perform another time."

Unwell?

Shen Huai scoffed inwardly. He had just seen Consort Zhen drinking and laughing with Consort Shu. How could she be unwell?

She had previously claimed to be unskilled in the six arts. Whether true or not, she was, after all, the legitimate daughter of the Su family—

Shen Huai frowned slightly, suddenly recalling the nightgown Yu Ying had brought him that morning. He immediately dismissed the absurd thought that Consort Zhen might be deceiving him.

Her hands were delicate and fair, yet how could she have embroidered such an unsightly nightgown? He clearly remembered Cai Shan standing beside him, staring at the nightgown for a long moment before finally complimenting, "Consort Zhen has chosen the fabric with great care."

Shen Huai wanted to defend her but found no words to say, only managing to nod and agree, "Indeed."

The irony was, who would dare use inferior fabric for something meant for him?

Although the poor embroidery was not Consort Zhen's doing, Shen Huai felt he had suffered a silent loss in front of the palace servants because of this nightgown. The more he thought about it, the more he felt she had become somewhat unruly due to his indulgence.

If it were any other consort, who would dare to have the audacity to send him something with even the slightest flaw?

Just now, Su Jiaojiao seemed a little guilty, and he wondered if she felt any remorse in her heart.

He wanted to see when Su Jiaojiao would come forward to admit her mistake.

Shen Huai shifted his gaze from Su Jiaojiao and once again focused on Miaoyu, who was performing in the hall.

The melody she chose was soft and joyful, perfectly suited for the New Year's Eve celebration.

With long sleeves and a slender waist, her face adorned with a smile, Miaoyu danced barefoot on the carpet in the hall, her sleeves swirling gracefully.

Miaoyu performed the long-sleeve dance with great skill, her every movement exuding charm. Her water sleeves flowed like clouds, and at the end, she flicked her sleeves again, revealing two more sections of colorfully dyed water sleeves. As she spun and danced, the hall was filled with a cascade of colorful clouds.

The long-sleeve dance was not uncommon, and Shen Huai had seen it many times before.

At first glance, although Miaoyu danced well, there was nothing particularly novel about it. It was quite ordinary until the two sections of rainbow-colored water sleeves appeared, adding a surprising touch that gave the dance a unique charm.

The Empress smiled contentedly. She turned to the Emperor beside her and saw a hint of surprise in his eyes before she softly said, "The long-sleeve dance is common, but the final part is something I've never seen before. I wonder where Miaoyu concealed the water sleeves. It truly surprised me."

Shen Huai nodded and said, "This clever idea is rare and quite impressive."

Everything was progressing smoothly, and the Empress felt slightly relieved. She smiled and said, "The first dance was so stunning that I'm even more curious about the talents of the other sisters."

She glanced at the attendant behind her, and the eunuch carrying the brocade box immediately stepped forward, presenting the open box directly to the Emperor so he could easily reach in.

Shen Huai, still amazed by the cascade of colorful clouds, felt a renewed interest and reached in to draw another slip.

He handed it to the Empress beside him and casually said, "See what it is."

It was rare for the Emperor and Empress to share such a harmonious and talkative moment. The Empress unfolded the slip and leaned in closer, smiling intimately, "Your Majesty, look, it's Talented Lady Xiao performing a sword dance."

Shen Huai downed the wine in his cup and glanced at the slip, nodding, "Let it be her."

Talented Lady Xiao hailed from the Xiao clan, a prominent noble family.

The Xiao clan was renowned for producing military generals, and their family was reputed to be fierce. Talented Lady Xiao's demeanor was full of heroic spirit, perfectly matching her cold and beautiful appearance.

That she would perform a sword dance didn't surprise Shen Huai.

Recently, the Xiao clan had achieved many merits on the border. As a reward, he planned to honor Talented Lady Xiao to maintain balance.

Since it was New Year's Eve, there were many to reward, so he would wait for the next day to have the Imperial Household Department draft the edicts and send them out one by one.

Talented Lady Xiao stepped out from the crowd, her splendid palace dress was quite eye-catching.

Shen Huai glanced at her and felt a sense of déjà vu. When he looked back at Miaoyu, who had just returned after changing, he realized what was wrong.

Miaoyu and Talented Lady Xiao had worn the same dress—quite a coincidence.

The bright red was striking. Although Miaoyu was charming, her temperament wasn't strong enough to carry the color. Talented Lady Xiao, being of noble birth, naturally exuded elegance and pride, and her cold beauty suited the color better.

He observed them briefly and said, "It seems you both prefer the color red."

Talented Lady Xiao was already displeased at having to perform right after Miaoyu. Hearing the Emperor point out the very thing she disliked most today only fueled her irritation.

Then, she heard the Emperor add, "The red is too intense. Talented Lady Xiao carries it better."

Lady Xiao immediately felt a surge of pride, subtly straightening her posture.

Though she had received the Emperor's praise, the thought of being compared to someone like Miaoyu, who was beneath her station, still left her feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Yet in front of the Emperor, Lady Xiao, though a thousand times unwilling, could only suppress her displeasure. She forced herself to bow to the Emperor before withdrawing to change her clothes.

Miaoyu, who had been sitting to the side, had been elated at first after receiving praise from the Emperor and the Empress. However, when it was Lady Xiao’s turn next and the Emperor publicly stated that she paled in comparison to Lady Xiao, her good mood vanished in an instant, and her smile froze on her face.

With so many people watching, Miaoyu bit her lower lip, trying to hold back her humiliation, and could only lower her head in shame.

She came from a commoner background, and among the imperial concubines, she was always at the lowest rank.

Women from official families looked down on her, and the Emperor showed little regard for her.

Without favor, she was merely a concubine in title. Even the palace servants were opportunistic, flattering those in power and trampling on those beneath them.

But what was so inferior about coming from a commoner background? Since she had been selected to serve the Emperor, it was in accordance with palace regulations and etiquette. How was she any worse than those other women?

Ding Xueling wanted to change all of this, to earn respect!

She had to endure, to wait until she rose higher, and then take her revenge!

Although both women tried to hide their emotions, the feelings in their eyes were still evident, and Su Jiaojiao caught every detail.

While someone was displeased, Su Jiaojiao smiled and said, "Sister, your words have proven prophetic. What did you say earlier? Now it has happened as you wished."

Consort Shu also laughed, saying, "Don't tease me. This spectacle, don’t tell me you didn’t want to see it."

She glanced toward the hall and whispered, "The performance has been underway for some time, but we've only seen the Empress speaking with the Emperor. Noble Consort Mi hasn't said a word. She's usually so assertive, but today she's unusually quiet. It's rather odd. I remember you once told me that Lady Xiao is Noble Consort Mi's cousin. Do you think Lady Xiao's sword dance was orchestrated by Noble Consort Mi?"

Speaking of Noble Consort Mi, Su Jiaojiao also paid attention.

She recalled her meeting with Noble Consort Mi a few days ago and lowered her eyelashes, saying, "Noble Consort Mi has ulterior motives. It's not wise to draw too much attention today. If she accidentally displeases the Emperor, it could spell trouble."

Hearing this, Consort Shu was slightly surprised, "You met Noble Consort Mi a few days ago?"

Su Jiaojiao nodded softly and whispered, "A few days ago, the Emperor dispatched a messenger to notify Noble Consort Mi that Lady Yin would be entering the palace after the New Year. The Grand Eunuch personally conveyed the edict. I think the Grand Eunuch mentioned me a few times, which made Noble Consort Mi realize that I played a role in it. Not long after, Noble Consort Mi sent someone to invite me over. We chatted for a while, and her attitude toward me softened considerably. She also alluded to certain matters regarding the banquet."

She chuckled, "I used to think Noble Consort Mi was just assertive and lacking in cunning, easy to manipulate. But after that meeting, I realized she's not entirely as I had imagined."

Su Jiaojiao's relationship with Noble Consort Mi had improved after praying together in the Buddhist hall, and they had become even closer after the betrayal of Imperial Physician Lin and Mo Ling. Although they had been allies before, Noble Consort Mi had always been somewhat wary of her, and their relationship was one of mutual use.

But this time, Su Jiaojiao used her own birthday as an opportunity to send Noble Consort Mi a favor by arranging for Lady Yin to enter the palace, which truly touched the softest part of Noble Consort Mi's heart.

After all, Noble Consort Mi was only nineteen this year and had been pampered since childhood, treated as a precious gem by the Yin family.

Even though she had been taught to scheme from a young age, with everyone in her life revolving around her, how truly ruthless could she be?

More bluster than substance.

Lady Xiao emerged from the side hall, wearing a cool and elegant purple dance outfit that accentuated her graceful figure. A gleaming long sword was sheathed behind her back.

She was quite beautiful, and the purple color complemented her fair skin and delicate figure, making her quite striking.

Someone with such cold and intense features was better suited to such rich colors. Shen Huai suddenly remembered the day he saw Lady Xiao in the plum grove and felt that she looked even more pleasing today.

After seeking the Emperor's permission, Lady Xiao began her sword dance to the stirring music. Her movements, both strong and graceful, were quite impressive.

Although the sword used in the dance was not sharp, it had a considerable weight, and as she moved, it made a whooshing sound through the air.

Her movements gradually became more expansive and vigorous, as she twirled and leaped around the hall, causing onlookers to gasp in alarm, fearing that her hand might lose strength and the gleaming long sword would fly out.

Everyone watched intently, and Talented Lady Xiao couldn't help but look pleased with herself.

Just as she was about to execute a sword flourish, her hand seemed to be pierced by something, causing her to cry out in pain involuntarily, and the long sword clattered to the ground.

The sudden turn of events made the accompanying palace servants abruptly stop their music.

The greatest taboo in sword dancing is dropping the sword, which indicates a lack of skill and is a breach of decorum in front of the Emperor, ruining His Majesty's good mood.

Shen Huai's brow furrowed slightly.

The Empress, sharp-eyed, immediately stopped smiling and reprimanded lightly but firmly, "On such a fine day as New Year's Eve, is this how Talented Lady Xiao presents her art to His Majesty? Step down."

She turned her head, softening her expression slightly, and looked at Noble Consort Mi, who had remained silent all this while, displaying her virtuous nature as she gently advised, "I recall that Talented Lady Xiao is Noble Consort Mi's cousin. Since sisters serve His Majesty together, as one of the four consorts, Noble Consort Mi has the duty to properly guide Talented Lady Xiao. How could she permit such negligence, causing such a spectacle in front of His Majesty at the New Year's Eve family banquet?"

After speaking, the Empress added, speaking on behalf of Noble Consort Mi, "But Noble Consort Mi and Talented Lady Xiao are still young, and this is Talented Lady Xiao's first time performing before His Majesty. Perhaps some nervousness is natural. Your Majesty, please calm your anger."

She seized the opportunity to suggest, "After watching several dances in a row, Your Majesty must be tired. I remember Lady Ji prepared a flute today. How about listening to a tune to calm the mind?"

Before Shen Huai could speak, Talented Lady Xiao, who had just been kneeling below begging for His Majesty's forgiveness, suddenly noticed something and raised the sword, shouting, "Your Majesty, there's something wrong with this sword!"

The interruption made the Empress's brow furrow immediately.