Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Chapter 277 Dancing

Standing at the foot of the mountain was a person, wearing a bright yellow robe embroidered with auspicious clouds and bluebird patterns. He didn't look very old, but he exuded an imposing and dignified aura.

Behind him stood six guards in red and blue python robes, and two men dressed as eunuchs, one holding a rabbit and the other holding the purple lingzhi mushroom.

Xu Sheng stepped forward and called out, "Uncle."

Nianyao felt that the man's features were somewhat familiar, and then she suddenly realized that he looked quite similar to the King of Nanyue. No wonder he was the late emperor's son.

Luo An's face was ashen as he walked straight ahead, as if he hadn't seen the group of people in front of him. The guards closest to him naturally blocked his way with their spears.

Xu Sheng stood still, looking leisurely and smug, as if he were watching a good show.

Qin Jiu was hesitating whether to offer advice or not when he saw a flash of sword light, sparks flying, and with a bang, the spear broke in two, and the guard was sent flying ten feet away.

Xu Sheng praised, "Excellent skill. You've really improved a lot in just three days. You've made great progress."

Luo An kept his eyes straight ahead, head held high, chest out, and continued walking forward. A guard beside him was about to step in to stop him when Xu Nuo raised his hand to stop him.

Nianyao ignored the nest of rabbits and hurried after them.

Xu Nuo asked, "Nian Yao?"

Nianyao had to stop: "I am."

Xu Nuo asked, "Do you remember me?"

Nianyao only spent a few days in the palace, how could she remember so many people and so many things?

But when Xu Nuo asked this, Nian Yao thought about it carefully and realized that she did remember seeing a very aloof boy, but he probably hadn't mentioned it.

Nianyao blurted out naturally, "Your Highness has grown so much?"

Xu Nuo seemed to want to laugh: "You've grown so much!"

Did she say something wrong? This was incredibly embarrassing, even more so than going to the Imperial Academy. Nianyao wished she could just walk away like Luo An: "Your Majesty, we must take our leave... take our leave."

Xu Nuo took the nest of baby rabbits from her father-in-law's hands: "Here, for you."

Nianyao quickly thanked him, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Xu Nuo said, "Shouldn't we thank our uncle?"

Luo An didn't admit it, so she dared not admit it first. Nian Yao could only desperately try to wink at Qin Jiu.

Qin Jiu stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. We have other matters to attend to, so we will take our leave now."

After they left, Xu Sheng said with a grin, "Uncle, I'm the one who brought him here. What are you planning to reward me with?"

Xu Nuo asked, "What else do you want?"

Xu Sheng laughed and said, "The throne?"

Xu Nuo smiled and said, "If you really want it, you don't need a coup. Just tell me."

Xu Sheng tentatively asked, "Are you really willing to do that?"

Xu Nuo replied frankly: "The throne should rightfully belong to the virtuous. Besides, being a ruler is no easy task. A slight misstep can lead to eternal infamy, while excessive effort can result in an early death."

“That’s true, then I’d better not take it.” Xu Sheng turned and left: “I’m leaving.”

Xu Nuo asked from behind him, "Where are you going?"

Xu Sheng didn't even turn his head: "Go to Bohai."

Xu Nuo was slightly taken aback. The situation between Nan Yue and Dong Yang was tense. What was he going to Bohai for?

Nianyao and Qin Jiu didn't feel they had been delayed for long, but they still hadn't seen Luo An after chasing him all the way. When they arrived at the Wudong County dock, their brothers told them that Luo An had already returned, and Nianyao finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Their room in Yaochi was tightly closed. Nianyao pushed the door but it didn't open, so she knocked on the door: "Luo An, it's me."

Nianyao waited for a while, but there was still no sound from inside. She raised her foot to kick the door, but the door suddenly opened, and her foot almost hit Luo An.

Luo An turned around and sat down on the bedside, still looking depressed.

Nianyao slightly bent her knees, deliberately raising her voice to sound delicate and light: "This servant will perform a dance for you, young master!"

Luo An looked at her in astonishment, full of doubt: "You can?"

Nianyao nodded emphatically, quite boldly: "Of course."

Luo An seemed to want to laugh but held it back: "Come on."

Nianyao pulled out a red handkerchief from somewhere and began to dance. She tried her best to keep her upper body still, rotating her waist and hips, taking small, quick steps, kicking her leg after each step forward…

Nianyao hopped around the room once, then stood before Luo An again. Quite pleased with herself, she lightly waved her red handkerchief and curtsied, "Is Young Master satisfied?"

Luo An suppressed a laugh and praised, "Where did you learn that duck dance? The swaying is quite realistic. Well done!"

Nianyao straightened up: "Duck dance?"

Seeing that her expression was off, Luo An tried to salvage the situation: "Otter dance? It doesn't seem like it."

Nianyao patiently said, "This is called the 'Happy Wedding Guozhuang,' a dance performed during weddings. I've seen the wedding officiant dance it, so I learned it."

Luo An thought for a moment with difficulty: "Right, right, I remember now. On our wedding day, there were indeed a bunch of people dancing. But their dancing... seemed different from yours?"

Nianyao asked, "How is it different?"

Thinking about it carefully, the movements seem to be the same few moves. But if you didn't know, you wouldn't be able to tell it's the same dance at all.

Luo An wisely said, "You danced better and more creatively."

Nianyao threw the handkerchief onto the bed: "It's normal for someone like you, who's a medical idiot, not to know anything about singing and dancing. When we got married, my father told me that wild boars can't eat fine chaff."

Luo An added, "Dad also said that he would eat if he was hungry."

Nianyao asked in surprise, "You know about this too?"

Luo An said, "Yes, Father told me about it."

Nianyao snorted: "You know... what do you mean? No, what does my dad mean? Is he talking about you or me?"

Luo An quickly said, "They're talking about me, they're definitely talking about me. Dad loves you so much, he wouldn't even dare to scold you."

Nianyao said rather arrogantly, "That's more like it. Give me the money?"

Luo An asked, "What money?"

Nianyao said, "You're going to appreciate the dance but not give me any money? Let me tell you, this is the first time I've ever danced in my life. Even my father has never seen me dance before, and you..."

Luo An pulled her into his arms, kissed her, and then pulled her back onto the bed, saying, "Pay back with your body, I'll give you everything."

Nianyao wasn't in the mood for jokes and struggled to sit up: "Get up, I have something to ask you."

Luo An buried his head in the crook of her shoulder, his voice muffled: "Ask away."

Nianyao struggled to break free from Luo An and stood up straight, pulling him up with her: "Are you really going to Bohai?"

Luo An simply wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his head in her chest, saying, "Mmm."

Nianyao exclaimed in surprise, "Is what Xu Sheng said true? Your father really killed someone and dumped the body in the Bohai Sea?"

Luo An said, "It's fake, it's not true."

Nianyao pried his hands off, pulled over a chair, and sat down three steps away from Luo An, her expression serious: "Tell me properly, what exactly happened?"

Luo An said, "It can't be explained in just a few words. I'll tell you when I get back."

Nianyao said, "No, you have to tell me now. Otherwise, I'll go with you. Xu Sheng is a cunning and scheming man. The Bohai Sea is so vast, and you're not a good swimmer. What if something happens to you?"

Xu Sheng poked his head in from the doorway: "What do you mean I'm full of schemes and tricks? Did I harm you?"

Nianyao angrily retorted, "Confucius said, 'That is improper...'"

Xu Sheng interrupted her: "Never heard of it."

Nianyao said, "I knew you were ignorant and incompetent."

Xu Sheng ignored her and said to Luo An, "Let's go, and come back quickly."