Watching the harmonious scene in the room—the three of them playing together without him—Lu Mingyuan, the outsider, couldn’t help but smile wryly. He walked to the doorway and waved at Zi Yun.
"Zi Yun, go get so more snacks."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Zi Yun tiptoed to the doorway and poked her head in, then suddenly froze.
Hong Wan, her curiosity piqued by this, also looked inside the room.
lodious zither music slowly drifted out.
In the center of the study, a woman in a white, feathered coat danced with her back to the door. She lightly extended her long sleeves, her sashes fluttering, her figure so graceful it was a breathtaking sight.
Seated and playing the zither, her jade-like fingers plucked the strings.
"Princess Consort..."
Zi Yun hadn’t expected Qi Muxue to be playing the zither at this ti.
Lu Mingyuan also stepped into the room to see what was going on.
Qi Muxue smiled at Lu Mingyuan. "I was just saying I wanted to provide so entertainnt for you, my husband. These past few days, Little Sister Huo has been practicing a sword dance. Would you care to watch?"
Lu Mingyuan was slightly startled, but then he understood and nodded repeatedly. "Of course."
’He hadn’t expected Huo Hongling to have actually gone and practiced a sword dance.’
In truth, this was an idea Qi Muxue had given to Huo Hongling. She knew the other woman was rather shy and didn’t know how to take the initiative. She hadn’t even co to the Cold Palace to pay her respects these past few days; she was simply too bashful. After all, she and Lu Mingyuan had spent too little ti together, so Qi Muxue suggested the sword dance as a way to make His Highness happy and bring them closer.
「In the center of the hall.」
A valiant beauty in red appeared, holding a Long Sword. Her vermilion lips were pressed lightly together, and she was clearly a little nervous.
"I will play a song for Little Sister Huo. Just follow the music."
Qi Muxue said encouragingly, cheering Huo Hongling on.
Huo Hongling finally mustered her courage. She stretched out her arms, drew the sword from its sheath, and executed a Sword Pointing gesture upward with the blade held parallel to the floor, before finishing with a flourish.
As the lodious zither music played, her body began to move. She was very Skilled; she had clearly practiced.
Lu Mingyuan raised his head and watched with great interest. It was the first ti he had ever seen Huo Hongling dance so gracefully, and a sword dance at that. It was truly beautiful.
’Of course, he wouldn’t deny that he was mostly watching the person, with his appreciation for the dance itself coming in second.’
In truth, you couldn’t bla him. As soone who had experienced modern life, where material comforts were so abundant, dance itself could no longer leave him truly wonderstruck.
As the zither piece played by Qi Muxue reached its climax, Huo Hongling’s movents grew larger. Shaking shoulders, arching her back, thrusting her hips, swaying her chest, and leaping—her actions were ever-changing and intricate. She ended with a dazzling spin of her Treasure Sword, her skirt flaring out around her.
CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP...
Lu Mingyuan couldn’t help but applaud and cheer.
Yang Yingchan, who was also watching from the side, was very intent, a nostalgic look appearing in her eyes from ti to ti.
When she was young, she had also loved sword dancing, especially in the borderlands.
The people of the north were fierce and bold, and they took pride in practicing the Martial arts.
It was very common for won to perform sword dances.
And she had been one of the very best among them.
But now, having not touched a sword in over a decade, she had grown rusty.
Huo Hongling glanced back, her stunningly beautiful face beaded with fine sweat. Her petal-like lips were slightly parted as she stared intently at Lu Mingyuan.
Her chest heaved slightly, a clear sign of her exertion, which pushed up against her spacious red robe. Because the robe’s material was rather thick, she was drenched in fragrant sweat. She took off the outer garnt, revealing the thin, tight-fitting practice clothes underneath, offering a faint glimpse of the scenery within.
Lu Mingyuan swallowed hard. He swore to himself that he hadn’t wanted to look so flustered, but he believed that no normal man would have reacted any better than he had.
’If they weren’t in the presence of others, he would have wanted to put out the lamps right then and there.’
Huo Hongling followed Lu Mingyuan’s gaze and looked down at herself. A blush instantly spread across her cheeks, and she said to Qi Muxue:
"I’m going out to change my clothes."
Lifting the hem of her long, trailing dance skirt, she headed for the door. As she brushed past Lu Mingyuan, she caught a glimpse of him subtly sniffing the air. This made her even more unbearably shy, and she quickened her pace to escape, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Another playful gaze fell upon him. Lu Mingyuan reined in his thoughts and looked over with a light smile.
Qi Muxue sat upright at her table, her elaborate topknot piled high, giving her an air of generous, elegant sophistication. Her clear, beautiful face was set with a pair of bright, limpid eyes, which now held a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.
Lu Mingyuan’s expression remained calm as he walked forward with a smile. "Mu Xue, please continue playing."
Qi Muxue nodded, lowered her head, and plucked the zither strings. Crisp, pleasant notes rang out without cease.
"Both ladies’ sword dance and zither skills are superb. If it were , I definitely couldn’t do so well. I am truly no match for you."
Yang Yingchan praised them aloud, but the more she spoke, the stronger the envy in her heart grew. She was deeply envious that the two Princess Consorts could be so harmonious, and that the husband and wives treated each other with such mutual respect. The three of them were so loving.
’By comparison, what kind of person was Lu Changfeng?’
’He spent his days in debauchery, visiting Guest Scholars, only to co ho and viciously curse at her, all while restricting her freedom.’
’After Lu Mingyuan married, his two Princess Consorts never fought. Instead, they had a very good relationship with each other.’
Qi Muxue’s gaze shifted to Yang Yingchan, and she smiled gently. "Sister-in-law, what are you saying? We’re all family, there’s no need to be so formal. Whether it’s playing the zither or dancing with a sword, these are just ways to liven things up. When it cos to cooking, Little Sister Huo and I are both no match for you."
"His Highness often praises your cooking skills to ."
Upon hearing this, Yang Yingchan looked at Lu Mingyuan, her eyes filled with emotion.
She had thought it impossible that Lu Mingyuan would ntion such a thing to his principal wife.
But now it seed he hadn’t hidden a single thing.
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