Chapter 7 Dance Performance The figure before me gradually matched the glimpse of that day…

Chapter 7: Offering a Dance The figure before me gradually merged with the fleeting glimpse from that day...

In the third month of spring, the ice and snow melted, and the plants began to bud.

Since the previous dynasty, it was customary for aristocratic clans to go to the water's edge on the Shangsi Festival to perform rituals to ward off disasters and participate in the flowing cup game. Today, the ritual of warding off disasters has fallen out of favor, as metaphysics prevails, and the aristocratic clans, influenced by Laozi and Zhuangzi's philosophies, delight in immersing themselves in nature, often spending the Shangsi Festival hiking, composing poetry, and writing essays.

Pitching tents by the water, the grandest ones could stretch for miles, with ornate carriages and attire, and activities such as archery and horseback riding are held for the amusement of the scholars, often feasting throughout the day.

This is not only a folk activity of the aristocratic clans but also a significant leisure occasion for the royal family. In previous years, princesses, consorts, and the wives of dukes and ministers would all come out.

This year's Shangsi Festival, owing to the visit of the Prince of Mobei, the Emperor of Liang chose the Tongling Garden as the destination.

The Tongling Garden, located twenty miles outside Chang'an and nestled against the mountains, is a vast royal hunting ground, home to a variety of rare and exotic animals. Every year, the Emperor of Liang organizes his ministers and dukes to hunt in the garden in spring and autumn.

A few days ago, when Tuo Baxiao openly humiliated him in the Taiji Hall, the Emperor of Liang had been holding back his anger, eager to regain face, so he specially invited Tuo Baxiao to hunt in the Tongling Garden.

The barbarians are naturally skilled in archery and horseback riding, but the Emperor of Liang had his own considerations.

Every year, the Liang State arranges hunts in the Tongling Garden, and the young men are well-acquainted with this palace garden, knowing exactly where to find prey, and with the help of servants, the prey is readily caught. The Xianbei people, however, are unfamiliar with the terrain, and even if they are good at hunting, just finding the prey would take a lot of time, thus putting them at a disadvantage.

On that day, the emperor's procession set off early in the morning from the palace.

Banners filled the sky, and ornate canopies adorned the carriages. The aristocratic clans and all the court ministers adorned in luxurious attire traveled in carriages, stretching for miles without end.

Tuo Baxiao was also in the procession, riding on his prized black steed from Wusun.

Looking around, the people of Chang'an also dressed in new clothes, assisting the elderly and carrying the young, going to the water's edge to set up tents and spread out pastries and wine, their faces brimming with joy.

The prosperous city his mother had described was probably like the scene before him.

The land to the south is indeed much more fertile than the grasslands, capable of sustaining so many people, and with its exquisite craftsmanship producing grand palaces and fine silk utensils, it's no wonder the southern court is always indulging in pleasure.

Tuo Baxiao leisurely rode his horse on the official road of Chang'an. Under the sunlight, his horse's fur was shiny black, the muscles of its waist and legs strong and powerful, its head held high, making people fear it, not to mention the fierce Prince of Mobei sitting on it, followed by a string of equally ferocious barbarians. The people stayed far away, only daring to whisper to each other after his tall figure had disappeared from sight.

"The Prince of Mobei wants to form a marriage alliance with our Liang State, but why has there been no movement from the court for so many days? Which princess does the Emperor intend to marry off?"

"I heard the Prince of Mobei is not satisfied with any of the princesses, so it hasn't been decided yet."

This statement only further incited the surrounding people's dissatisfaction.

"Our great Liang State is willing to marry him, a barbarian, which is already a great favor. How dare he be so arrogant, as if he wants to have all the noble ladies of Liang brought before him to choose! Even the Son of Heaven has never done such a thing! If it comes to that, we might as well not marry!"

"You were so indignant just now, but when the Prince of Mobei's steed passed by, why didn't you speak up!" a young man wearing a headscarf mocked.

The other glanced at him, noticing he wasn't even wearing a crown and was dressed in plain gray-brown hemp clothes, and immediately showed disdain, "Ignorant child, what do you know!"

Despite the declining national power, the people of Liang still carry the superiority of the Central Plains' orthodoxy, looking down on the surrounding barbarian tribes, considering them to be savages who eat raw meat and drink blood. They are in a state of both fear and secret disdain towards Tuo Baxiao, a very contradictory state.

The scholars immersed in the luxurious prosperity of Chang'an would never imagine that the seemingly stable Liang State would become a living hell in just a few years, with the prosperous capital gone, the people decimated, and countless lives crushed into dust under the wheels of history.

After the Emperor of Liang and his entourage arrived at the Tongling Garden, they rested briefly before someone proposed a hunting competition to Tuo Baxiao.

In front of the palace tent, a roughly thirty-year-old armored general stepped forward, "The Prince of Mobei is unparalleled in bravery, and the young men of Mobei grew up on horseback, surely skilled in archery and horseback riding. Although I am not talented, I have practiced archery and horsemanship for eighteen years and would like to seek advice from the Prince of Mobei."

Tuo Baxiao sat on the throne specially set for him, playing with a white porcelain bottle in his palm, then slowly raised his chin, his face's bones particularly prominent under the strong spring sun, his heterochromatic eyes sharp as blades.

"How do you want to compete?"

"Let's compare which of our two teams can hunt more prey."

"Well said!" Tuo Baxiao responded loudly, He stood up sharply, hand on his sword hilt. His towering stature made all the officials of Liang State seem small in comparison, as if they were his subjects.

Seeing Tuo Baxiao so composed, the general felt unusually unsure. However, recalling the emperor's intentions, he could only gather his courage to organize his men, hoping in secret that Tuo Baxiao would be unlucky enough to take a wrong path and miss the prey.

A quarter of an hour later, a long stick of incense was lit in the bronze cauldron, its smoke curling upwards. A heavy mallet struck the golden drum, creating a sharp sound, and two elite teams darted out like arrows, quickly disappearing into the dense forest in the distance.

Jiang Congyan arrived at Tongling Garden with the convoy of the King of Chu. As soon as she arrived, the Sixth Princess came looking for her.

After resting for a while and straightening their attire, the two walked around the vicinity and soon heard about the hunting competition between Liang State and Mobei.

Jiang Congyan thought that with Tuo Baxiao's capabilities, the Emperor of Liang was likely inviting humiliation.

However, the Emperor of Liang was accustomed to such tactics. He himself remained silent, deliberately arranging for his subordinates to provoke. If they won, he would revel in the glory; if they lost, he would blame them for acting on their own, disposing of the pawn, and still maintain his image as a wise and virtuous ruler.

Two hours later, as night fell, the incense burned down to the last ember. Two teams rushed back from the distant forest.

Everyone looked on, waiting for the results. Jiang Congyan, indifferent to the outcome, did not join the crowd.

Moments later, laughter burst out from the crowd, mixed with Hunnic speech, while the Liang State side remained silent. It was clear who had won.

The night banquet began. Palace servants set up soft cushions and tables in front of the temporary palace, offering fine wine. They processed the hunted animals on the spot, either roasting or grilling them, and served them immediately, making the atmosphere lively.

On both sides of the tables, iron basins propped up on wooden stakes were blazing fiercely, lighting up the banquet area like daylight.

Having lost face again, the Emperor of Liang finally ceased his antics. The officials no longer dared to criticize Tuo Baxiao's etiquette, and the scene became surprisingly harmonious.

At this moment, the official in charge of the banquet stood to the side and called out, "Present the dance and music!" A group of dancers filed in, accompanied by musicians playing on the side.

The Xianbei soldiers had never seen such dances before. Whether out of curiosity or excitement, they stared wide-eyed without blinking. Only Tuo Baxiao sat alone, holding a wine cup. The candlelight beside him flickered in the night breeze, casting half his face in shadow, radiating casual indifference.

As the dance ended, Zhao Zhen suddenly looked at Tuo Baxiao, his eyes gleamed with calculation. "What does the Prince of Mobei think of our Liang State's dance and music?"

Tuo Baxiao took a sip of wine without looking up. "Nothing remarkable."

Zhao Zhen, hearing this, was not angered but instead agreed, "Ordinary talents indeed cannot impress the Prince of Mobei. But our Liang State has a peerless beauty. I wonder if she might win your favor?"

Tuo Baxiao found it amusing to hear Zhao Zhen boast about a "peerless beauty." In recent days, he had met two royal princesses and encountered noble ladies in the city, all of whom were fragile flowers of the Central Plains, incapable of weathering any storm. The only one who could be called peerless was the one from that day...

Just as Tuo Baxiao was feeling disdainful, he looked up and his expression suddenly froze. At the end of the banquet, a lady in white emerged from the night.

His green pupils widened quickly. Suddenly, a strong night breeze extinguished the candle on one side, casting half his face in shadow, accentuating his sharp features. The coarse hair at the back of his neck was blown up like chaotic swords, mirroring the turmoil in his heart!

It was her!

With just one glance at her figure, he could recognize her!

His eyes shot out two beams of light, almost solidifying into chains, firmly binding the slowly approaching lady.

The figure before him gradually merged with the fleeting glimpse from that day. Tuo Baxiao's throat moved slightly, the veins on his neck already bulging.

The lively banquet suddenly fell into an eerie silence. Jiang Congyan felt the gazes from all directions converging on her, one particularly intense and undisguised, carrying an overwhelming sense of aggression, as if it wanted to strip her to the bone. Her heart skipped a beat, her body tensed to the extreme, but she could only keep her eyes forward and follow the guiding palace servant as she stepped forward.

A quarter of an hour earlier, at the ladies' banquet in the neighboring palace, the Princess of Chu suddenly spoke, "Shun'an said she wishes to congratulate Liang State on the alliance and has specially requested to perform a dance in front of the emperor to add to the festivities."

Before Jiang Congyan could object, Noble Consort Zhao eagerly clapped her hands and said, "Good!" Then, without further ado, she sent palace servants to "invite" her over. Unable to resist, Jiang Congyan was forced to step into the state banquet.

The coordinated act of the Princess of Chu and Noble Consort Zhao was clearly a plot against her, but Jiang Congyan couldn't understand their purpose.

After a whirlwind of thoughts, Jiang Congyan could only come up with one reason—the marriage alliance with Tuo Baxiao.

Recent rumors suggested that Tuo Baxiao had taken a liking to the Fifth Princess, who had been weeping day and night, falling ill with worry. Noble Consort Zhao, unwilling to part with her daughter, had turned her attention to Jiang Congyan? But why would Noble Consort Zhao think that Tuo Baxiao would take an interest in her, forcing her to perform? Even if she could dance, Tuo Baxiao's choice of a partner would surely not be so superficial.

With these heavy doubts, Jiang Congyan walked step by step into the banquet, facing the rows of bright flames.