Surviving in the General's Mansion - Chapter 59

Palace banquets had always offered the sons and daughters of court officials an excellent opportunity to distinguish themselves.

If a noble young lady performed well at such a gathering, she could all but guarantee herself a fine marriage.

If she was especially fortunate, she might even catch the Emperor’s eye and enter the palace. What rank she could attain after that would depend on her own ability.

Huaxia’s current Emperor was young and accomplished, yet he had taken neither wife nor concubine. Since ascending the throne, he had not held a single palace banquet.

He had even canceled this year’s imperial selection on the grounds that the northwest remained unsettled and the south had suffered a disaster.

Unfortunately, both were indeed matters of national importance, and many people had died. No one could complain openly.

Thus, the moment the Jiaofang Bureau’s long-sleeve dance ended, the officials’ families below could no longer contain themselves.

The first to rise was Grand Secretary Li’s daughter, Li Mingshu.

“This humble girl possesses little talent, but I am willing to offer Your Majesty a dance.”

Grand Secretary Li looked proudly at his daughter. Naturally, he knew what she wanted and saw nothing wrong with it.

Mingshu was strikingly beautiful and had studied painting, calligraphy, and dance since childhood. In literary talent, she also ranked among the finest young women in the capital.

If she truly won His Majesty’s favor, her ability would allow her to establish herself even within the imperial harem.

“Granted,” Dongfang Wei said.

He made no mention of the Tujue princess’s promised performance. Huyan Lie merely watched with a smile, his emotions impossible to read.

Before long, palace servants had prepared everything Li Mingshu required.

Xiao Yaqing raised her wine cup, then set it down again.

Suppressing the urge to look at Dongfang Wei’s expression, she fixed her gaze instead on Li Mingshu, who had changed into a dance costume and stepped onto the stage.

The purple-red costume softened Li Mingshu’s scholarly air and lent her a touch of allure.

As the music began, the young woman extended her arms. Her movements were light, graceful, and gentle, and she performed *The Liuyao Dance* with perfect restraint.

When the drumbeats slowed, she spun lightly toward a table already set onstage and picked up a brush.

A murmur spread through the audience. She had incorporated painting into her dance!

Such a feat required more than extraordinary talent at painting. Her breathing had to remain perfectly steady.

The slightest tremor of her hand would ruin the work, and the hall was filled with experts who would immediately see every flaw.

Everyone looked toward Grand Secretary Li. He was watching his daughter in satisfaction, smiling as he stroked his beard.

Soon, the young woman laid down her brush and slowly approached the front of the stage.

“This humble girl, Li Mingshu, offers this painting to Your Majesty. May the mountains and rivers of Huaxia remain secure, and may the realm know peace and prosperity!”

Two palace servants stepped forward and raised the painting from the table for everyone to see.

A magnificent *Map of Mountains and Rivers* appeared before them.

“Excellent! For Miss Li to possess such command of the brush at her young age is truly remarkable!” Grand Tutor Lin exclaimed when he saw the work.

It was evident she had copied the painting hundreds, perhaps thousands, of times.

The audience burst into fresh discussion. Li Mingshu was extraordinary indeed. Her *Map of Mountains and Rivers* had earned praise from Grand Tutor Lin!

And who was Grand Tutor Lin? He was the Emperor’s own teacher and had once instructed the late emperor as well. A single word from him would send Miss Li’s reputation soaring.

After today, her title as the capital’s foremost talented lady would surely be secure.

“Grand Tutor Lin is too generous. My daughter’s crude work does not deserve to be called remarkable,” Grand Secretary Li said modestly, though he could not suppress his smile.

Li Mingshu also curtsied to Grand Tutor Lin.

“Reward her.”

Dongfang Wei glanced at the painting and uttered the two words sparingly.

Yet even that was enough to fill Li Mingshu with delight. She hurriedly knelt to thank him.

After all, this was the first reward the Emperor had bestowed on a woman since ascending the throne!

Dongfang Wei, however, had been watching Xiao Yaqing from the corner of his eye.

She was sober today, elegant and composed. Not a trace remained of the nonsense she had babbled while drunk the day before yesterday…

Sitting below, Xiao Yaqing gloomily wished Xia Heng were present. At least then she would have someone to talk to.

Left alone, she could not stop her thoughts from running wild.

While she brooded, Cui Huaimeng, daughter of the Vice Minister of War, also rose.

She was not as dazzling as Li Mingshu, and her long, narrow eyes lent her a slightly sharp air.

She performed a sword dance. Every movement was precise, her figure light and flowing.

She was graceful as a startled swan and fluid as a wandering dragon.

When the dance ended, even Huyan Lie applauded with a smile.

Unsurprisingly, she received the same words from Dongfang Wei: “Reward her.”

Cui Huaimeng remained far steadier. After thanking him, she quietly returned to her family’s table.

Once the two performances ended, no one else dared take the stage.

This was nothing like the playful contests they held among themselves. The level was entirely different.

Seeing that no one else stepped forward, Huyan Lie smiled at Li Mingshu.

“The noble ladies of Huaxia have truly opened my eyes. If Pasang were here, I might be tempted to stop her from going up and embarrassing herself!”

Li Mingshu could only reply, “Prince Huyan is too modest. Princess Pasang is both beautiful and intelligent. Might we have the honor of witnessing her dancing?”

Huyan Lie looked toward Dongfang Wei again.

“Then let us invite the princess,” Dongfang Wei said.

“Welcome Princess Pasang of Tujue!”

Drumbeats sounded from outside the hall, and everyone turned to look with curiosity.

A line of dancers in rose-red foreign dress came gliding in barefoot, beating hand drums and singing an exotic melody.

At their center, a young woman dressed in scarlet spun into view. Without slowing, she twirled all the way to the middle of the stage.

Golden anklets circled her feet, and strings of golden beads adorned her hips. A short, strapless bodice covered her upper body, with tassels hanging from its hem. Golden armlets and bracelets encircled her arms, while bell earrings hung from her ears.

Every movement set them chiming. When the hand drums stopped, the woman ceased spinning and came to a perfectly steady halt before bowing.

That feat alone was enough to stun the nobles below.

Two burly men then entered carrying a great drum and set it behind her.

“The Sogdian Whirl!”

Someone in the audience cried out.

Pasang raised her head, her bright eyes locking directly onto Dongfang Wei. Then she bent backward, flipped onto the drum, and landed atop it.

She spread her arms, placed her right foot against the inside of her left leg, and struck a pose balanced on one foot.

“Excellent!”

The men below stared openly, while even the noble ladies could not look away.

As the drums resumed, Pasang balanced on the balls of her feet and whirled across the drum like a gale. Her movements afterward were bold and lively, yet flowed with effortless beauty.

When the dance ended, the audience remained lost in what they had just witnessed.

Someone finally began to clap. In an instant, thunderous applause filled the hall.

Pasang proudly walked to the foot of Dongfang Wei’s dais.

“Was the dance to Your Majesty’s satisfaction?”

Dongfang Wei answered idly, “Reward her.”

“Oh? Your Majesty is generous indeed. While waiting outside, I heard that several young ladies also gave performances. How did theirs compare with mine?”

The hall abruptly fell silent.

Naturally, performances made differences in skill plain. But no matter what people said in private, no one would demand a direct comparison in public.

For one person to be superior, another necessarily had to be inferior.

By asking such a question now, was Pasang not forcing him to rank her against the two young ladies who had performed earlier?

Li Mingshu bit her lower lip. Cui Huaimeng, however, remained calm and composed.