nycdaug Chapter 103 An Unexpected Turn of Events!
Chapter 103 An Unexpected Turn of Events!
After only a fleeting glance, Su Mowan withdrew her gaze and walked straight towards Murong Jing.
After she sat down, Shen Muyue said sarcastically, "I didn't realize you were so strong, Su sister! Even His Highness Prince Jin can't compare to you!"
Su Mowan turned to her and smiled.
"Of course you need to have some strength, otherwise you'll just be the one getting beaten up when others bully you."
The two exchanged barbs, both openly and subtly, but it was clear that Shen Muyue had a low tolerance for them.
Su Mowan's words caused her expression to change drastically.
Shen Muyue glanced at Murong Jing in front of her, and seeing that Murong Jing did not react, she boldly provoked him.
"I'm not saying this to be mean, but even though Sister Su is very capable, it's not appropriate for her to act so ostentatiously in front of so many people! Not only does it embarrass His Highness Prince Jin, it will also cause resentment."
Su Mowan looked at her with amusement: "I don't understand what Consort Shen is saying. It's not like I volunteered to go up there. If I don't obey the Emperor's orders, I'm disobeying the imperial decree."
He paused slightly, then said with a calm expression, "As for the matter of me causing His Highness Prince Jin to lose face, I was merely demonstrating my true abilities. I couldn't possibly deceive the emperor, could I? Besides, I know His Highness Prince Jin and I are acquainted. I know he is broad-minded and would never hold a grudge against me for such a trivial matter."
Su Mowan emphasized the words "broad-minded".
Shen Muyue immediately understood that Su Mowan's words were a veiled insult implying that she was petty, and she gritted her teeth.
"Sister Su, your words inevitably make people think too much—"
"Why should Consort Shen overthink it? I didn't mean anything by it. Only those who feel guilty would think I have ulterior motives. Consort Shen hasn't done anything to wrong me, so there's no need to be so sensitive."
Shen Muyue was speechless with anger, but Murong Jing was sitting right in front of her, and Consort Xiao was sitting not far away, so she naturally dared not show her fierce side.
So I had no choice but to endure it.
Su Mowan finally had some peace and quiet, but Su Yuandao was anything but.
The Minister of War, sitting next to him, leaned closer and whispered a compliment with a smile.
"General Su, like father, like daughter! Your daughter is in no way inferior to any man! It's truly enviable to have such a daughter!"
Su Yuandao's face was extremely ugly.
As if remembering something, he forced a laugh and said modestly, "Minister Lu, you flatter me. My daughter is just a little strong and cannot compare to your daughter who is skilled in both literature and martial arts."
Speaking of this, Lu Ziheng, the Minister of War, was quite proud of himself, laughed twice, and then became modest again.
"My two daughters are no match for General Su's two daughters. Only my eldest daughter is presentable; my younger daughter is nothing special. Both of the General's daughters are highly capable and have married princes. General Su's future wealth and honor are just around the corner!"
The Minister of War had only two daughters, whom he loved dearly. However, instead of having his daughters stay at home embroidering and playing the zither, Minister Lu had them learn martial arts from a young age.
The Lu sisters are known as "hot beauties" in the capital.
In contrast, of the two daughters of the General's Mansion, only Su Huayue is well-known, while Su Mowan is rarely seen in public.
As for the reasons behind them, only Su Yuandao himself probably knows.
After this little incident, it was time for singing and dancing to add to the fun.
The avenue was wide enough to accommodate about twenty dancers. The palace musicians were the first to perform.
Although they were called musicians, they were actually no different from the dancers outside, except that they performed exclusively in the palace.
It is worth mentioning that there were nine musicians in total, and while they were all considered to be of average appearance, none of them were particularly beautiful.
Except for the one in the middle who was the lead dancer.
Although that person was beautiful, she clearly lacked the seductive aura of a dancer from a nightclub.
The song and dance performance wasn't particularly outstanding, but it was decent enough.
As the dance came to an end, Su Mowan inadvertently noticed that the lead dancer glanced at Murong Jing before stepping down.
An extremely brief and extremely subtle glance.
Of course, he was also extremely patient.
Su Mowan smiled.
That's interesting; there's probably some story behind it.
Clearly, Murong Jing did not react in the slightest, whether he was unaware or simply did not want to pay attention.
Next up were the dancers from outside the palace.
They were invited from the most famous dance hall in the capital, "Qingchengfang".
Every year, Qingchengfang selects five of the most outstanding dancers to enter the palace as performers, which can also be considered as a reserve force.
Of course, the remaining dancers in Qingchengfang can perform outside, but they only sell their art, not their bodies.
Among the graceful women who entered the stage, Su Mowan was not surprised to see a familiar face.
His Highness Prince Jin obviously saw it too.
He was initially taken aback, then frowned and stared intently at the person in front.
The person approached gracefully.
Her face was covered by a thin veil of mist, leaving only her bright, lively eyes visible.
Her eyebrows were curved, her figure was light and graceful, and every move she made carried an indescribable charm.
Su Mowan smiled at the person, a slight curve to her lips.
The man seemed to have seen her too, his large eyes curving like crescent moons.
Prince Jin, who was standing to the side, was dissatisfied and glared at Su Mowan. Su Mowan curled her lips in a provocative manner, which made Prince Jin so angry that he almost slammed his fist on the table.
In fact, it wasn't just Prince Jin who was staring at that person; even Prince Qin gave him a cold glance.
Su Mowan turned her head and saw it, then asked him softly, "Your Highness, how is it?"
Murong Jing knew what she was asking and immediately snorted coldly, "Nothing special."
Shen Muyue, who was standing to the side, naturally knew who His Highness Prince Qin was staring at. When Su Mowan asked her question, she thought that Su Mowan was acting as a pimp.
So, Shen Muyue clenched her hands under her sleeves, her sinister gaze fixed on that 'vixen'.
That 'seductive fox' was none other than Su Mowan's good friend, whom she had gone to meet at the Wan Hua Lou in the middle of the night.
The nominal courtesan of Wan Hua Lou, Qingcheng.
Murong Jing seemed to recall the words he had once uttered: "Which courtesan from a brothel has time to reminisce with you late at night?" His expression immediately turned unnatural.
Qingcheng is a dancer and a courtesan, so naturally she doesn't do business late at night when she's too busy.
The musicians began to play.
Celestial music filled the air, and the dancers scattered in all directions, raising their sleeves to begin their dance.
The ministers craned their necks, a sight that made the wives of the officials sitting next to them feel somewhat embarrassed and secretly annoyed.
His Highness Prince Jin's expression also turned ugly.
Because most eyes were glued to Qingcheng.
Unfortunately, before the ministers could get a good look, an accident happened.
Suddenly, a dancer broke away from the formation and leaped out, a cold glint flashing in her hand as she headed straight for King Murong Jin of Chu.