kvmb Chapter 278 The Drum Dancer
Chapter 278 The Drum Dancer
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After the Crown Prince was placed under house arrest, the case of smallpox in the Northwest came to an end, and Sheng Junyao set off from the capital again.
Before we knew it, it was Dragon Boat Festival.
The capital city seemed to suddenly become lively.
The story of Princess Ritsu's marriage to the emperor during the Showa era is like a pear blossom blown away; it was a hot topic of discussion not long ago, but it disappeared in an instant and was replaced by a new topic.
People forget things so quickly.
Pain will only leave its mark on those who care.
With a wave of his hand, the emperor announced that a dragon boat race would be held in Ruyi Garden to celebrate with the people.
Ruyi Garden was the closest royal garden to the palace. An inner river flowed through Ruyi Garden, so the Ministry of Works specially built a viewing platform in Ruyi Garden for holding dragon boat races.
However, whether or not the imperial family would organize the dragon boat race always depended on the emperor's mood, so a large-scale dragon boat race was not held every year. This year was Lu Yangyang's third year in the capital, and it was the first time the imperial family had organized a dragon boat race.
Dragon boat races were held in previous years during the Dragon Boat Festival, but they were mostly organized by private merchants and were held on the outer city moat, not the inner city moat.
The person in charge of this dragon boat race was naturally Prince Rong, Zong Ce, who was the most knowledgeable about food, drink and entertainment in the royal family.
Lu Yangyang and Sheng Yunjiao also came, but neither of them seemed very enthusiastic. If Li Duan were still here, the three of them would usually be huddled together betting on which team would win.
Sheng Yunjiao turned 18 a few days ago, but she didn't hold a big celebration. She only hosted a banquet for acquaintances at the Duke of Sheng's mansion. Lu Yangyang didn't go to the Duke of Sheng's mansion, but accepted Sheng Yunjiao's invitation to come to the dragon boat race.
The two leaned on the railing, watching the competition on the river with its deafening drums and gongs. Sheng Yunjiao murmured, "Judging by the time, Li Duan should have arrived in Bei Yan by now. I wonder when we'll see each other again."
The two of them witnessed firsthand Ridan's passionate pursuit of her older brother, but neither of them expected that they would part ways in this way just as they had come to understand each other.
Lu Yangyang looked into the distance. Li Duan loved to join in the fun. She wondered if there was such a lively atmosphere in Bei Yan during the Dragon Boat Festival, and what her feelings would be.
She straightened up and said firmly, "We will definitely meet again."
Sheng Yunjiao was also sad. She and Li Duan didn't get along at first, but after spending more time together, they became very compatible. It was rare to find someone as talkative as her. She always said that Li Duan was too chatty, but now that she was gone, she realized how lonely it was.
She turned her face away, suppressing the bitterness in her heart, and changed the subject.
“I received a letter from Yan Yue the day before yesterday, saying that he was going back to Beijing soon, but I don’t know where he is.”
Lu Yangyang really didn't know about this: "Really? I didn't know. I'll find an opportunity to ask His Highness the Crown Prince later. It's been a long time since I've seen Yan Yue."
"Hey? Look at that girl dancing on the big drum, isn't that Princess Yunyan?" Sheng Yunjiao pulled Lu Yangyang and pointed to the stern of one of the dragon boat races. A scantily clad girl was dancing barefoot on the big drum to the beat, as if the speeding dragon boats couldn't affect her at all.
Lu Yangyang looked in the direction she pointed, and it really was true.
"I heard that His Majesty is going to bestow a marriage upon this Princess Yunyan. This Princess Yunyan has been traveling around quite a bit lately. Who do you think His Majesty will bestow her upon?" Sheng Yunjiao asked curiously.
"It should be the Fifth Prince!" Lu Yangyang didn't have a good impression of the Fifth Prince, who was always sarcastic and aggressive. Apart from the conflict when they first met, she hadn't seen him much since.
The Emperor left Princess Yunyan to marry into the imperial family. If she wasn't taken into his harem, he could only betroth her to one of the princes. The most suitable candidate was the Fifth Prince. However, it wasn't certain. She had initially thought the Third Prince had the greatest ambition for the throne, but now it seemed the First Prince might also harbor such thoughts. Although the Fifth Prince had been constantly vying for the Third Prince's attention, his background wasn't bad, so he might have a chance. The remaining princes, the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth, were also growing up; who among them didn't have their own ambitions?
There is also the Fourth Prince, who, although stationed at the border, is known as the God of War and is the only prince who holds military power. Considering all that, his chances of winning are not small.
"Huh? There's another person here?" Sheng Yunjiao exclaimed in surprise.
As Lu Yangyang looked at the approaching dragon boat, she realized that not only was Nalan Yunyan dancing on the drum, but there was also a girl dancing in another team. She looked somewhat familiar, but she was a bit far away, so she wasn't sure.
Just then, Nalan Yunyan's dragon boat reached the finish line first and won first place. In an instant, everyone was in an uproar.
Soon, the other dragon boats also arrived at the finish line one after another. Coincidentally, the dragon boat that the other girl was in was the second one.
As they got closer, Lu Yangyang exclaimed in surprise, "It's her?"
Sheng Yunjiao asked, puzzled, "Who is it? Do you know them?"
Lu Yangyang didn't say anything, but quietly pulled Sheng Yunjiao to move closer to where the emperor's carriage was.
The emperor was in high spirits and applauded the top three dragon boat teams, as well as rewarding Prince Rong, who hosted the competition.
Then he ordered someone to invite Nalan Yunyan and the other girl up.
The emperor laughed heartily and praised, "Yunyan's drum dance is getting better and better! Who came up with this idea? Tell me, and I will reward you handsomely!"
"Your Majesty really intends to reward me?" Nalan Yunyan asked innocently.
"A ruler's word is law! Tell me, what do you want?" the emperor asked with a smile.
Nalan Yunyan's eyes darted around, and she curtsied to the emperor: "Your Majesty, didn't you say you would bestow a husband upon me? I love the Crown Prince, and I want to marry him. Your Majesty, please grant my wish!"
Upon hearing her words, the emperor paused for a moment, and everyone present also paused for a moment.
After a long pause, the emperor suddenly burst into laughter, "You silly girl, you speak so frankly, I like that very much!"
He raised his hand and beckoned to Grand Eunuch Feng: "Come, draft an imperial edict to bestow a marriage upon Princess Yunyan and my eldest son Zongke. Have the Ministry of Rites prepare and choose a date for the wedding."
Nalan Yunyan's eyes lit up: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The emperor was delighted and his gaze fell on another young lady: "This young lady also performed well. Which family is she from? I will reward her."
The girl was veiled, revealing only her pretty eyes. Her light and airy dress made her look like a fairy in a painting. In the sunlight, she was bathed in a cool moonlight, making people want to part the moonlight to see her fairy-like figure.
She curtsied gracefully, her voice melodious: "Seventh Sister of the Xue family greets Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty! Seventh Sister admires the Princess's dance on the drum, but I am merely imitating her and dare not ask for any reward. I only wish to perform another dance for Your Majesty, hoping Your Majesty will grant my request."
The emperor was immediately intrigued. "Granted!"
A large drum was carried over, and Xue Wanyue lightly jumped onto it, dancing gracefully like a fairy. As she danced, the veil on her face slowly fell away.
She revealed a face of unparalleled beauty.
"Xianyue, Xianyue!" The emperor stood up in a daze and walked towards Xue Wanyue.