Soon it was Yu Sangzi’s turn to perform. All the musicians were dismissed, which sparked much speculation and discussion among the audience.
Then two graceful beauties appeared on stage together – Yu Sangning holding a Qin zither, and Yu Sangzi in a new light gauzy white dress with a veil covering her face.
Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, her white dress pure as snow. With half her face veiled, she revealed a luminous, full forehead and eyes like autumn waters. Between her brows was a red plum blossom ornament. Her beauty was refreshingly otherworldly, leaving people in awe.
Yu Sangzi, who had been somewhat nervous before, felt her confidence surge upon sensing countless admiring gazes.
The sisters exchanged glances and nodded. Yu Sangning, who had set up her zither, wore a gentle smile as her delicate fingers plucked the strings. As the clear melody flowed from her fingertips, alternating between passionate and gentle turns, Yu Sangzi danced gracefully.
Compared to the earlier stirring drum dance, the powerful yet graceful Hu Xuan dance, and the ever-changing Hu Teng dance, these sisters’ performance was seamlessly coordinated, perfectly displaying the unique gentleness of feminine beauty.
Like a snowflake drifting on the vast plateau, it was a heart-touching beauty, pure and crystalline – a different kind of perfection.
Setting aside everything else, just considering the dance movements and the music alone, Shen Xihe truly felt it was a feast for both eyes and ears.
Everyone present, men and women alike, watched in enchantment.
When the dance ended, thunderous applause erupted. Even the Empress Dowager praised them several times. Seeing the Empress Dowager’s obvious approval, Emperor Youning summoned the two forward for questions.
“This dance is quite novel. Was it choreographed by you two sisters?” the Emperor asked.
Yu Sangning deliberately stood half a step behind Yu Sangzi, who glanced at her sister and replied: “Your Majesty, this dance came to me by chance, and when my younger sister saw it once, she composed the music for me.”
She didn’t claim all the credit, thoughtfully mentioning Yu Sangning, perfectly displaying both the dignity of a noble lady and the loving care of an elder sister.
Emperor Youning nodded with great satisfaction upon hearing this. “Why do you still wear a veil over your face?”
“Your Majesty, your humble servant developed a rash and dared not show disrespect before you, hence the veil. Please punish me for my impiety,” Yu Sangzi said with a graceful curtsy.
“How is performing while unwell showing disrespect?” Emperor Youning smiled kindly. “I had heard that the legitimate and illegitimate children of the Marquis of Pingyao’s household were not on good terms and that the legitimate mother was unkind. Looking at this now, it seems rumors cannot be fully trusted.”
As he spoke, the Emperor cast a subtle glance at the Censorate. The Censorate had recently impeached the Marquis of Pingyao’s household for lax family management and poor private conduct. “Does this dance have a name?”
“Your Majesty, it does not,” Yu Sangzi replied steadily, containing her excitement.
Emperor Youning looked at the two sisters and pondered for a moment. “How about calling it ‘Double Flowers’?”
“Your humble servants thank Your Majesty for bestowing the name.” Yu Sangzi and Yu Sangning knelt together to express their gratitude.
Shen Xihe watched the two sisters shine before the Emperor while gently rotating her teacup between her fingers. Although it wasn’t Tao Zhuanxian who had impeached the Marquis of Pingyao’s household, the Censorate was under Tao Zhuanxian’s authority, so the Emperor’s warning was clearly directed at him.
Since His Majesty was warning her maternal grandfather, she naturally needed to give a proper response.
Her gaze swept lightly over Yu Sangning, who had been obediently following behind Yu Sangzi.
Sensing something, Yu Sangning turned and caught Shen Xihe’s gaze, immediately lowering her eyes and shrinking back.
“Clever, farsighted, capable of both firmness and flexibility – her future potential is limitless,” Shen Xihe laughed softly.
If she wasn’t mistaken, the verbena on Yu Sangzi must have been Yu Sangning’s doing, but very few people knew that prolonged sun exposure to verbena could cause rashes. Yu Sangning had already found a scapegoat – the person who had given Yu Sangzi the sachet.
She had outwardly shown concern by warning Yu Sangzi while exposing her to verbena. Yu Sangzi, disliking her, had considered her intentions dubious. When the rash appeared, Yu Sangning, instead of taking over the dance performance herself, wholeheartedly helped Yu Sangzi plan, making her performance more spectacular while also ensuring her moment to shine.
Afterward, she showed humility. Through this incident, not only had both sisters gained fame, but Yu Sangzi would likely reconsider her previous harsh treatment of Yu Sangning, and might even protect her in the household in the future.
The sisters’ display of mutual respect and affection before the Emperor had also cleared away the recent criticisms of the Marquis of Pingyao.
First sacrificing herself to save the Marquis’s elderly mother, and now winning over both the Marquis’s eldest legitimate daughter and the Marquis himself – she had firmly secured her position in the household.
Ever since accidentally meeting Shen Xihe’s gaze, even though it had been emotionless, Yu Sangning couldn’t help feeling nervous. She felt that this inscrutable princess had seen through her scheme.
Returning to her seat among the Marquis’s household women, she repeatedly reviewed her plan, convinced it had been flawless with no possibility of being seen through. Yet her heart remained suspended, fearing Shen Xihe might suddenly speak up.
Shen Xihe had no idea how much pressure her single glance had caused the other party. From beginning to end, she had merely been a spectator.
The banquet didn’t disperse until nightfall, but its end didn’t mean the festivities were over. Various entertainments were scattered throughout the gardens, with elite soldiers guarding two paths. People could move freely to watch whatever they wished, creating an atmosphere like exploring a busy market.
“Sister, let’s go that way,” Shen Yunan never called Shen Xihe by her childhood name in public.
“Sister Xihe, come with me, come with me, I want to go this way,” Xue Jinqiao, who had already attached herself to them, tugged at Shen Xihe’s wide sleeve.
Since learning of Xue Jinqiao’s childhood experiences, and given Shen Yunan’s sympathy for her, Shen Xihe has become more tolerant of Xue Jinqiao. In the past, how could she have even touched Shen Xihe’s sleeve?
“I want to go that way!” Shen Yunan glared.
Xue Jinqiao ignored him, fixing her innocent, pitiful eyes only on Shen Xihe. “Sister Xihe, I want to go this way.”
The opposite direction from Shen Yunan.
Shen Xihe looked left and right, then stepped back. “You two go this way first, then that way. I’m tired and not interested in these things. I’ll wait for you here.”
As Shen Yunan was about to refuse, Shen Xihe gave him a look that brooked no rejection, and he wisely kept quiet.
Xue Jinqiao caught Shen Xihe’s glare at Shen Yunan and swallowed her own words of refusal. She snorted lightly at Shen Yunan, then turned away, walking toward the direction she wanted to go.
“No manners,” Shen Yunan rubbed his nose and muttered.
Shen Xihe pretended not to hear, smiling at him.
Thinking of Shen Xihe’s schemes, Shen Yunan’s expression grew serious as he cautioned: “Be careful.”
“Watch the show,” Shen Xihe mouthed silently.
Shen Yunan left, still somewhat worried. Soon their figures were swallowed by the crowd. Withdrawing her gaze, Shen Xihe deliberately found a quiet place to sit. Shortly after, a plain-looking palace maid ran over and curtsied to Shen Xihe: “Princess, the Fourth Princess sent this servant to request your company.”
Finally, it had come!