Dainty fingers strumd the zither, and the lingering lody slowly flowed out...
It seems Lou Ding was quite confident in his daughter’s beauty, stroking his beard while smiling complacently, his face slightly flushed with the effects of alcohol, beaming with ruddiness.
Was he ready to beco Pei Jue’s father-in-law?
No wonder he wished her and Pei Jue "an early birth of a noble child."
Did he know that they had been married for so long without a child, and was he intentionally reminding Pei Jue to once again entertain those crooked thoughts?
Feng Yun smiled faintly, her fingers seemingly touching the zither as she followed along with the tune, as if she were entranced.
In her past and present life, countless people wanted to send their daughters and concubines to Pei Jue, and Lou Ding was neither the first nor would he be the last.
This was sothing unavoidable.
They and Feng Jingteng were actually the sa, their daughters were nothing but objects to cling to the powerful and to exchange for benefits, and how much genuine affection they held, only they themselves knew...
She was unfazed, indifferent.
Pei Jue’s gaze, however, seed to be frozen over.
He did not erupt on the spot, and only when the piece ended and the young girl ca forward gracefully, she approached him with a hint of apprehension and knelt down.
"Your servant has seen the Prince, the Princess... If Your Highness does not scorn , your servant is willing to play again for you."
Many people at the banquet showed contempt, thinking that Lou Ding’s flattery was nauseating.
Most others, however, were there to watch the show.
Only Ao Zheng knew that Lou Ding was likely to hit a wall.
After the Li family father and daughter fled to Yecheng, the situation for Lou Ding’s faction, the old ministers in Xijing, beca extrely awkward. Lou Ding neither rose nor fell, neither warm nor cold, as if a sword hung above his head, never knowing when it would fall...
Was he trying to gamble on an opportunity in public, bolstered by the effects of alcohol?
Generally speaking, officials at court would give each other so respect, not easily offending anyone, nor would they easily put soone in a position where they could not save face.
So he signaled his daughter to co closer.
"My daughter Lan Qing, born to a stepmother, is just sixteen and has always admired the Prince..."
"Lou Ding," Pei Jue’s face darkened as if covered in ashes, and he put down his wine cup heavily, "you have quite the nerve."
Lou Ding felt a chill in his heart the mont he heard him call his na directly.
Pei Jue had no interest in his daughter...
Fortunately, he had left himself so leeway, and so he bowed deeply at once.
"It is your servant’s presumption, daring to disturb Your Highness’s peace with such trite music."
Then, turning to glare at his daughter, "Retreat at once! With your clichéd verses, you embarrass us."
The young girl, inexperienced and young, had already been humiliated by her father’s reprimand in front of everyone, her face flushed with sha. Even with a thin veil covering her face, one could see her awkward expression, and in those tear-filled, reddened eyes, a flash of tears quickly disappeared...
Pei Jue didn’t say much, which was like saving face for Lou Ding.
But Feng Yun rely smiled slightly, "Why should Lord Cao get angry? Your beloved daughter is naturally beautiful and extraordinarily talented. The piece is indeed lovely, and so is the tune."
It’s just that she lacks a good father.
Lou Ding had not expected her to offer him a way out, and he imdiately bowed in respect.
"Princess is too generous in her praise. My daughter is as frail as a willow, ignorant of the vastness of heaven and earth. She is not worthy; indeed, not worthy at all."
With a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth and a playful glint in her eyes, Feng Yun’s gaze flitted over Lan Qing before turning back to Pei Jue.
What a hot potato this truly was.
Was Lou Ding truly treating this as a last-ditch effort, sacrificing his daughter for a chance at advancent, or was he like those who had entered the city yesterday shouting praises of the Prince of Yonghuai, insistent on heaping high praise onto Pei Jue...
Only to step by step push him toward the pinnacle of power and then into the abyss of corruption and decadence...
Pei Jue spoke with a cold and indifferent countenance, "Thanks to the grace of His Majesty and the Empress Dowager, and the elevation by all present, I have taken my seat at the head. How dare I beco arrogant and behave recklessly?"
After speaking, he slowly took Feng Yun’s hand, stood up, and together they bowed to the Empress Dowager.
"We have had ample wine. Let us end the banquet."
The ministers appeared slightly taken aback.
Watching the couple stride away confidently, it took a while before everyone ca back to their senses and bid farewell in unison.
It was then that Lou Ding could finally breathe a sigh of relief, feeling a trail of sweat down his back.
However, he had not expected that upon returning ho, he would receive an order to set out for the Northern Rong at night, which also included lavish praise for him.
"Only Sir Cao has the talent to aid the world, the resolve to be steadfast, and the heart to support the state. This mission belongs to no one but you."
Everyone knew that Dajin had just fought a battle with the Northern Rong and had not yet made peace. A wrong step on this mission could be like a lamb entering a tiger’s den...
Grinding his teeth, Lou Ding cursed, "Villainous scoundrel."
Just like Lou Ding, the Empress Dowager in Changxin Hall could not sleep.
In the mournful moonlight, the flickering candlelight cast shadows on her wan face. Rembering the words of Yuan Shangyi and his tenderness toward Feng Yun, she was filled with sorrow and resentnt.
"Who can I bla? After all, he did not erge from my belly. There is a difference in closeness, wishing him to be wholeheartedly with is harder than reaching the heavens... Let it be, let him be."
The Female Historian sobbed, "Empress Dowager, my heart aches for you. At the Emperor’s birth, he was so small and thin, crying loudly. If it were not for Your Highness’s compassion, who stubbornly raised him under the watchful eyes of the poisonous Li Sangruo, where would he be today..."
The Empress Dowager’s face darkened, "Do not speak nonsense."
The Female Historian wept as she knelt down, her eyes red as she looked up, "Even if you punish , Empress Dowager, I must say... Others may not know, but I have seen with my own eyes the hardships you have endured over the years. It was not easy to reach this day. Why should you accept soone you’ve known for only a few short months as your mother? This crushes your heart to pieces and shatters your dignity."
The Empress Dowager did not speak, silently lowering her eyes, her heart swelling with emotions.
The Chief Eunuch, Xu Yong, standing before her, sighed softly, "His Majesty is young and has been swayed by them, but not by his own intention..."
His tone was light, as if making casual conversation, but each word poured fuel on the Empress Dowager’s inner fire.
"What do you an by that?" The Empress Dowager raised her swollen eyes to look at him, "Are they deliberately deceiving the Emperor?"
Xu Yong slightly narrowed his eyes, revealing a mysteriously inscrutable expression, leaned in closer, and then spoke softly, "If I may speak frankly, after the Grand Princess arrived in Xijing just yesterday, the Prince of Zhuangxian imdiately took the Princely Heir to pay their respects... and the Grand Princess, together with Lord of Pingyuan County, are well-known for their close relationship with the Princess of Yonghuai; everyone in Andu knows this."
He paused for a mont, giving the Empress Dowager ti to ponder.
Only then did he speak again, softly saying: "This matter is far from simple. As for the mysteries within... I dare not conjecture."
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