Harem Daily Life

Today, the guests attending the banquet at the Han Royal Palace included the King of Han, the Queen Consort, the Crown Prince, and the King of Han's daughter, Jing Yuwei. Jing Yuwei was strikingly beautiful, which made Tao Yanyan unable to resist taking a second look.

The King of Han seemed to sense something and said with a smile, "My daughter Yuwei is sixteen years old this year. It is a great honor for her to come with me to the Great Zhou to pay respects to His Majesty and the Empress. Yuwei has also specially practiced dancing and wishes to perform for His Majesty at the palace banquet. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission."

Tao Yanyan was taken aback and couldn't help but glance at He Linzhang out of the corner of her eye. He Linzhang didn't move at all and simply said, "Since Miss Jing wants to perform a dance, then go and prepare."

Jing Yuwei stood up gracefully and curtsied. Her voice was melodious and pleasant to the ear. Coupled with her beauty, she stood out among the crowd of people attending the banquet.

"Yes, I obey my orders."

Jing Yuwei turned and walked down, her steps as light and graceful as a willow swaying in the wind, each step perfectly timed, as if stepping on the perfect rhythm. Her skirt swayed gently with each step, like a blooming flower.

He Jin'an glanced in the direction the person had left, then frowned slightly. Had she just glanced at him on purpose?

He Jin'an's ears turned red, but he quickly recovered and started serving food to He Xiaobao and Xiao Liu.

Soon, a melodious piano tune rang out. Jing Yuwei changed into a rose-red dance dress and gracefully stepped to the rhythm of the music in the center of the banquet. Her flowing sleeves fluttered, her figure was graceful, and every gesture was charming and captivating.

The hall fell silent instantly. Everyone held their breath and watched the dancing girl on the stage. The men watched with great interest, and even the women were enjoying themselves.

"I never expected that the daughter of the Prince of Han's mansion would have such a skill. Her dance moves are clearly the result of more than ten years of hard work. I'm afraid even the most beautiful dancer in the Miaoyin Pavilion would be hard to match," Consort De said in a low voice to Consort Shu beside her.

Consort Xian couldn't help but frown. This young lady from the Han Prince's mansion wasn't originally on the banquet guest list; she had arrived at the last minute. She now regretted not finding an excuse to send her back, to prevent her from drawing so much attention.

Beside Consort Xian, He Min also felt somewhat uncomfortable. Among her many sisters, she was the best dancer, but after seeing the dance of the daughter of Prince Han today, she felt rather inferior. Although she had to admit that the other woman danced well, admitting it was one thing, and getting angry was another. She picked up a piece of pork rib in front of her and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing and venting her small anger.

Among everyone present, the happiest women after watching the dance were Consort Liang and the Fourth Princess. In their eyes, the Han Prince's Mansion had performed exceptionally well today, which was a source of pride for them. The mother and daughter were extremely supportive of Jing Yuwei's dance, cheering her on continuously.

As she danced, Jing Yuwei's eyes darted back and forth between the Great Zhou Emperor and Prince Jin. One moment she would smile sweetly at the Great Zhou Emperor, and the next she would toss Shui Xiu in front of Prince Jin, casting a flirtatious glance that almost made He Jin'an lose his composure.

"Second brother, why is your face so red? Are you drunk?" He Xiaobao asked, raising his chubby little face with concern.

He Jin'an swallowed hard. "No, I'm not drunk." He picked up the tea beside him and drank it all in one gulp, trying to hide his inner panic.

Over the years, he had met many young ladies from prominent families, but he had never been attracted to any of them. However, seeing Jing Yuwei today stirred a feeling in him that he had never experienced before.

However, the thought that the other party was from the Han Prince's Mansion instantly extinguished the slight excitement he had just felt. His eyes darkened as he recalled the intelligence he had recently received; the Han Prince's Mansion... was not as honest as it appeared.

Sitting next to He Linzhang, Tao Yanyan naturally noticed eight or nine parts of the look Jing Yuwei was giving her. She cleared her throat, wanting to say something to He Linzhang, but when she turned around, she saw him watching the young girl dance with rapt attention. Instantly, she lost her desire to share and silently picked up her wine glass to drink.

Before the cup could even reach his lips, a hand intercepted it.

"Don't you know your own alcohol tolerance? This is my wine cup, and the Empress's tea is over there."

Tao Yanyan was taken aback. She wanted to say, "You were so engrossed in watching that young girl dance, how could you see me holding your wine cup?" But what came out of her mouth was, "Your Majesty is stingy, you won't even share a sip of wine with me."

He Linzhang: “…”

He smiled helplessly: "You're a lightweight, I'm just helping you out." He then took her hand holding the wine glass, brought it to his lips, and drank it all in one gulp.

Tao Yanyan's eyes widened. In front of everyone, wouldn't this behavior make people think that she, the empress, was personally feeding the emperor wine?

A blush instantly spread across her face, and she blushed deeply.

He Linzhang took the wine cup with his other hand, but Tao Yanyan's hand was still firmly held in his: "What's wrong with the Empress? Why is your face so red? I'm the one drinking, so why do you look like you're the one who's drunk?"

After being asked three questions in a row, Tao Yanyan was speechless and glared at him fiercely.

He Linzhang, looking like a cunning wolf who had succeeded in his scheme, watched the dance while holding Tao Yanyan's hand.

The cheers were endless, but Jing Yuwei was not happy. She gracefully bowed, went down to change her clothes, and gave He Linzhang a resentful look as she turned around.

Tao Yanyan: “…”

Very well, these young girls are getting more and more ruthless. Right under the nose of the Empress, they've become so cunning.

He Jin'an sat to the side, so he naturally couldn't see Jing Yuwei's last glance. From his angle, all he received was a captivating look from a young girl, a look that was both innocent and alluring.

He didn't know when the banquet ended, only that the two little ones surrounded him at the end. He Xiaoliu snuggled into his arms, hugged his neck, and affectionately called out, "Second brother, hold me, I want to sleep." He Xiaobao pulled on his arm and said, "Second brother, carry me on your back, I don't want to walk."

He looked up and saw Jing Yuwei across from him smiling and nodding slightly before turning and leaving with Princess Han.

Everyone returned to Chang Le Palace. Tao Yanyan and He Linzhang did not stay up to celebrate the New Year, but went straight back to their bedchamber. As soon as Tao Yanyan closed the door, she grabbed He Linzhang's ear, put one hand on her hip, and said with great arrogance, "Your Majesty, was Miss Jing's dance beautiful? Your Majesty couldn't take your eyes off her just now."

He Linzhang couldn't help but laugh and pulled her into his arms: "The Empress didn't watch the other people dance, she only watched me, didn't she? Am I that handsome that the Empress is so infatuated with me?"

Their lips drew closer, and a faint scent of alcohol wafted over. Tao Yanyan couldn't help but back away, but he held her even tighter.

"You're young and beautiful, Your Majesty can certainly take a second, third, or even five glances. Everyone appreciates beauty, I understand."

He said he understood, but his eyes held a hint of resentment.

He Linzhang loved seeing her jealous. Every time she got jealous, she became incredibly charming and alluring. He picked her up and said, "Yes, everyone loves beauty... My face is the most beautiful."

Countless kisses rained down on Tao Yanyan, and she soon became powerless to resist.

Suddenly, a mouthful of wine was put into her mouth. Tao Yanyan couldn't dodge it in time and had to swallow it. She frowned, opened her eyes, and muttered, "Your Majesty~ I can't handle one cup~" She was too drunk to behave properly, and Tao Yanyan would rather die than drink any more wine.

"Who said I was stingy and wouldn't even share a sip of wine with the Empress? I will share it now, just as Yan Yan wishes."

Whether it was from being drunk or something else, Tao Yanyan's mind quickly went blank, and she succumbed to He Linzhang's tenderness.