Ping Zhao Lu

Inside the Baohe Hall, the lights were bright and people were talking and laughing.

The ministers gathered together to congratulate the triumphant soldiers.

The hall was filled with delicacies and the aroma of wine made people salivate.

The Prince of Huai, who was originally staying in Zhaojing, was also invited to the banquet, but he claimed to be ill and could not come. Anyone with a discerning eye could guess a thing or two.

It was simply because the incident at the previous birthday banquet had cast a shadow on the prince. He was afraid that he would not attend any banquets in the palace in the future.

……

Queen Mother Jiang sat on the left side of the platform, her face full of smiles and her eyes sparkling with joy.

She was wearing a gorgeous phoenix robe and a phoenix crown on her head, looking particularly noble and elegant.

She glanced with great satisfaction at Wei Xian, who was seated in the center right of the stage, then raised her glass to congratulate and pay tribute to the soldiers. Her voice was clear and kind: "Comrades, you have worked hard! Today, after a bloody battle, you have returned victorious, and have made great achievements for our Great Wei. I am deeply pleased, and I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and highest respect to you! May our Great Wei be forever stable and peaceful!"

The soldiers stood up and bowed to Queen Mother Jiang to express their gratitude.

Then he raised his glass and drank it all to express his gratitude to Queen Mother Jiang.

Although the banquet had not yet begun, the ministers followed Queen Mother Jiang in toasting the soldiers. The atmosphere in the hall gradually became warmer, full of joy and laughter.

In this joyful and peaceful atmosphere, a loud shout suddenly came: "The Emperor and the Empress have arrived——"

This sound was like thunderclapping from a clear sky, instantly shattering the previously lively atmosphere. The previously bustling hall suddenly became completely silent, so quiet that even the sound of a pin drop could be heard clearly.

When Queen Mother Jiang heard this, her face instantly turned gloomy. The smile that had been hanging on the corner of her mouth disappeared without a trace, replaced by a solemn look.

She narrowed her eyes slightly and stared straight at the figures of the emperor and empress who were about to appear in front of her.

At the same time, everyone present came to their senses as if awakened from a dream and hurriedly stood up and left their seats.

Everyone straightened their clothes and stood up respectfully, facing the emperor and empress who were slowly approaching.

When the figures of the emperor and the empress gradually became clearly visible, everyone bowed in unison and shouted in unison: "Your Majesty, we pay our respects to the Emperor and the Empress! Long live the Emperor, and live the Empress a thousand years!" The sound resounded throughout the hall and echoed for a long time.

Chu Yunxiao walked upright with Xu Zhouye in his arms before the Queen Mother and bowed. Then the two of them slowly sat down at their designated seats.

The emperor sat down and slowly scanned everyone present. After a moment, he raised his hand slightly and said in a voice neither too loud nor too soft, yet full of authority, "All of you, please stand."

Upon hearing the emperor's decree, everyone responded in unison: "Thank you, Your Majesty, Queen!" Then they stood up and took their seats in order according to their status.

At this time, although the slightly tense atmosphere caused by the arrival of the emperor and the empress had eased, it still seemed a bit solemn compared to the beginning, and was no longer as relaxed as before.

Chu Yunxiao saw all of this, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a gentle smile, and he said loudly: "Everyone, there is no need to be so reserved, just enjoy yourself, let's start the banquet."

As soon as he finished speaking, the eunuch standing beside him immediately shouted loudly: "Begin the banquet!"

Immediately afterwards, the sound of stringed instruments began to emanate, and a group of women in gorgeous costumes filed in, dancing gracefully. The graceful dance moves intertwined with the melodious music, quickly returning the venue to the lively atmosphere it had just been.

However, amidst the jubilation, Chu Heyuan, who was sitting in the first seat on the left side of the stage, looked absent-minded.

He mechanically put food into his mouth with chopsticks in his hand, but his eyes kept drifting to Wei Xian, who was standing across from him. His gaze was sometimes focused, sometimes confused, as if he was lost in some kind of deep thought.

This strange scene happened to be caught by Xu Zhouye, who was sitting next to him. He frowned slightly and observed Chu Heyuan thoughtfully for a moment. Then he turned his head and leaned close to the emperor and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince seems to be in a bad mood..."

When Chu Yunxiao heard what the other party said, he immediately looked in the direction of Chu Heyuan.

At a glance, one could see Chu Heyuan staring intently at where Wei Xian was, as if he was afraid of missing any detail.

Not long after, Chu Heyuan slowly put down the jade chopsticks in his hand, turned slightly to the side, looked up and whispered a few words to Shi'an beside him.

After hearing this, Shi'an nodded slightly in agreement and then quietly left the banquet.

After Shi'an left, Chu Heyuan picked up his chopsticks again and continued to pick up the dishes slowly and put them into his mouth.

At this moment, Chu Heyuan seemed to feel a gaze directed towards him from the high platform, and his movements suddenly stopped, looking a little guilty.

He hesitated for a moment, raised his eyes, and met his father's oppressive gaze.

Chu Heyuan's heart trembled, but he quickly returned to normal. He nodded slightly to his father, then pretended to be indifferent and looked away, focusing on the food in front of him and continuing to enjoy it.

Chu Yunxiao calmly retracted his gaze upon seeing this, then turned to look at Xu Zhouye who was sitting beside him, and said slowly, "Perhaps he didn't get enough rest last night, and got up early this morning to greet Wei Xian, so he looks a little listless right now."

Xu Zhouye nodded in agreement, and then he stopped talking and quietly enjoyed the singing and dancing.

When the song and dance performance reached the middle of the performance, the originally melodious and soothing music suddenly rose several scales, like a thunderbolt splitting the sky, instantly pushing the whole atmosphere to a climax.

The dancers quickly formed a tight circle, and they swung their sleeves at the same time, as gorgeous and dazzling as blooming flowers. Their graceful posture seemed to be welcoming the protagonist of the performance to appear on stage.

Everyone present couldn't help but hold their breath, their eyes fixed on the center of the stage, anticipating the mysterious figure who was about to appear.

Not long after, a man in a light blue dance costume came into people's sight like a fairy descending to earth.

In his hand he held a blue and white folding fan with exquisite patterns painted on it. He narrowed his narrow and charming eyes slightly, and his whole body exuded a bewitching charm, easily standing out from the other dancers.

Seeing this scene, Xu Zhouye, who was sitting next to him, couldn't help but darken his eyes, which were originally as clear as water.

He subconsciously turned his head and looked at the emperor beside him. Chu Yunxiao's brows were tightly knitted together, and his face was so gloomy that it seemed as if water could drip out. He was obviously quite unhappy with the scene before him.

However, Luo Siyan, who walked gracefully out from among the group of dancers, had a completely different style.

He has a graceful figure, his eyes are full of charm, he waves his arms lightly, dances lightly and nimbly, and dances to the music.

Sometimes he spins his body gracefully like a blooming white lotus; sometimes he takes small steps to cover his face, as if he wants to say something but stops; sometimes he lifts his long, beautiful legs high and holds up a fan with one hand, showing amazing flexibility and balance... Every movement is so natural, smooth and varied that it is a feast for the eyes.

Such a wonderful dance performance made the ministers present applaud one after another. Even Wei Xian, who always disliked men's pretentiousness, could not suppress his curiosity and admiration, and could not help but look at Luo Siyan twice.

Queen Mother Jiang watched Luo Siyan dancing with all her might, her expression not changing much, and she always had a perfect smile on her face.

When she glanced at Xu Zhouye, who looked unhappy, the smile in her eyes, which was originally just a disguise, changed subtly in an instant. It was no longer a perfunctory pretense, but was replaced by a real sense of joy.

At this time, Luo Siyan was completely immersed in his own dance world, his heart filled with uncontrollable excitement.

You know, in the world he originally lived in, he had spent a lot of time and energy learning classical dance.

I didn’t expect that it would come in handy here. It’s so cool!

Apart from anything else, he has complete confidence in his dancing skills, and firmly believes that even men with hearts as cold and ruthless as thousand-year-old icebergs will be moved after watching his dance.

Thinking of this, Luo Siyan's mood became more and more cheerful, with excitement flashing in his eyes.

He turned his eyes slightly and suddenly cast a meaningful look at the emperor sitting high on the dragon throne, with a hint of provocation and seduction in his eyes.