Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 160 Beauty and Talent Captivate Kings and Nobles

Consort Wu Hui was the most favored concubine in the palace. Although she did not have the title of Empress, she had the power of one. Naturally, her seat in the palace was also in a very good position, sitting with the Emperor.

Under his influence, Zhang Dai sat on the side of the table, but his position and view were excellent. After sitting down, he looked around and took in all the people and things in the hall.

The reactions of the people in the hall to his seat varied. Some looked surprised, some looked envious, and some frowned.

Although Zhang Dai currently has no deep friendship or sharp conflicts with these imperial relatives, this circle is not very large to begin with. The sudden introduction of another person into the core will inevitably lead to a series of changes in personnel relationships.

Consort Wu Hui originally did not pay much attention to her relationships with her relatives in the palace, but now she not only held a grand banquet for her friends and relatives, but also directly brought this man and woman to the emperor's presence. This move naturally made some people uneasy.

In particular, Zhang Dai was no ordinary young man. He was the grandson of the former prime minister Zhang Yue, a rising star in the capital who was about to take the provincial examination, and now he appeared at the palace banquet as the nephew of Consort Wu Hui.

It was one thing for him to sit down before, but now that he is under the watchful eyes of everyone, it inevitably gives people more room for imagination.

Take Wang Maozhong and his son, who were also attending the banquet, for example. Wang Maozhong originally did not think that Consort Wu Hui and Zhang Dai had a close relationship, but now it seems that Consort Hui attaches great importance to this young man to a much greater extent than he had previously thought.

Recalling the interpersonal difficulties he had suffered recently, he couldn't help but speculate that Zhang Dai had probably played a significant role in it. Therefore, his gaze sharpened, and he stared intently at Zhang Dai several times, unable to look away for a long time.

However, Zhang Dai had no time to pay attention to Wang Maozhong's unfriendly gaze, because he realized after taking his seat that he didn't seem to be very popular.

Putting aside the emperor who clearly paid more attention to his aunt, the other members of the royal family looked at him with no friendly or pleasant expression. Even if their gazes were not unfriendly, they were more or less scrutinizing and wary.

Needless to say, the uncle and nephew, as well as the brother-in-law, Prince Xue and Prince Zhong, would not give Zhang Dai a friendly look, even if they did not have a deep relationship with their brother-in-law, Wei Jian.

In particular, Prince Zhong had stopped Zhang Dai on the palace road the other day, asking him to plead with Consort Hui, but Zhang Dai turned his back on the matter and didn't mention it to his aunt at all. Prince Zhong also entered the palace today without his wife, which shows that Consort Hui's ban has not been lifted, so it is understandable that he resents Zhang Dai.

Apart from Prince Zhong, the other older princes also looked at Zhang Dai with some hostility.

The oldest among them, Prince Qing, had just come of age, while the others were even younger, at an age when they were not yet shrewd and could not keep secrets. They probably saw Zhang Dai as an accomplice in Consort Wu Hui's dominance of the harem, and therefore harbored resentment towards him.

Seeing the malice in the princes' eyes, Zhang Dai was speechless for a moment. Since he had integrated into this circle through his aunt's connection, he naturally had to bear the resulting interpersonal conflicts.

Although Zhang Dai understood why these people disliked him, it didn't mean he wasn't resentful. "You little brats, why don't you show some respect to your father or my aunt? You glared at me the moment I arrived; isn't that bullying an honest person?!"

He had already secretly decided that, based on this alone, he would also help the emperor discipline and educate his sons in the future!

It should be noted that before this, he not only did not address the behavior of these princes, but even helped Gao Chengxin set up a pawnshop at Changshou Temple for them to run a breeding farm. Instead of being grateful, they glared at him. They really need to be taught a lesson!

While it was understandable that other members of the royal family were giving him unfriendly looks, the fact that even Prince Ning, who was sitting with the emperor, was frowning and scrutinizing him left Zhang Dai somewhat puzzled.

He considered himself to be a talented and handsome young man, even if he wasn't some lovable succubus. So why did he seem to be under a halo of ridicule at this royal banquet, with everyone looking down on him?
Realizing this, Zhang Dai perked up. The novelty and excitement of attending the court banquet gradually faded, and he prepared to just go through the motions and not come again no matter who invited him.

This place was really unfriendly to him, so he used his relationship with Consort Wu Hui as a way to gather as much resentment as possible from these members of the royal family.

Although these parasites may not be malicious in the strictest sense, getting into a dispute with them is like a toad crawling on your foot—it might not bite, but it's still annoying and not worth the risk. It's best to keep your distance.

As he pondered this in his heart, the music below began again, the melody of the grand piece "Liangzhou." Accompanied by the melodious and lyrical tune, a beautiful woman in feathered robes gracefully ascended the palace like a colorful oriole, and danced elegantly within its walls. Her movements were so graceful and ethereal that they mesmerized all who beheld her.

Zhang Dai couldn't help but stare intently, and soon realized that the performer dancing alone on the throne was the same elfin girl he had seen backstage earlier. Now, the girl's performance on the throne was no longer as aloof as before; she exuded a youthful vitality that stirred the heart.

At this moment, not only Zhang Dai was attracted by the girl's dance, but everyone else present, including the emperor, also turned their attention away from Xiao Wu and began to seriously appreciate the girl in the feathered dress's captivating dance.

However, not everyone was captivated by the graceful dance. As the young woman entered the hall to perform, Consort Wu Hui's expression became somewhat stiff and unpleasant, her brows furrowing deeply. When she glanced at the Emperor's focused gaze on the dance, her displeasure became even more apparent. After watching the dance for a while, Zhang Dai turned his gaze to his aunt, noticing Consort Hui's somewhat unfriendly expression. After a moment's thought, he first gave Consort Wu Hui an inquiring look, then turned his gaze to Wang Maozhong. When he turned back, he saw Consort Wu Hui nod slightly.

It turns out that this girl was the daughter that Wang Maozhong had prepared to offer to the sage!
After learning this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but take a closer look at the girl dancing alone in the hall, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly that no wonder his aunt had said so bitterly before, "She is a shameless person with a shameless nature, only interested in pleasing people with her beauty."

This young woman was indeed exceptionally beautiful and talented, comparable to the performers from the Yichun Courtyard who had previously graced the palace with their presence, and even more so in terms of youthful beauty. Not only was Zhang Dai captivated, but the princes in the same hall also stared wide-eyed at her dance.

However, these princes could only watch with envy. Even if the emperor was unwilling to accept Wang Maozhong's daughter, he would never allow his sons to develop any close relationship with Wang Maozhong, a general of the Northern Army.

The "Liangzhou" grand piece is quite long, but when used as an indoor dance piece, only some of its most essential parts are included, with the solo dance of the young girl being the most brilliant part.

As the accompanying pipa music became more urgent and exciting, the girl's dance became more and more unrestrained and passionate. However, at the climax, both the music and the dance came to an abrupt end. The girl stood still in the hall and then bowed down in worship.

Keep dancing!

Several young men in the hall couldn't help but shout out, and their elders did not reprimand them, because they themselves also felt a little regretful that they hadn't had enough.

Wang Maozhong rose from his seat and entered the hall. He bowed to the emperor before the young girl and said, “My daughter is of marriageable age and possesses some beauty and talent. Knowing that Your Majesty is fond of singing, performing arts and acrobatics, I have dared to present her to Your Majesty and respectfully request that Your Majesty appreciate her. I will first present her dance, and if Your Majesty is pleased, I will also present her with lyrics.”

Many of the royal relatives in the hall were unaware of the previous events. Now that they learned that the young dancer was actually the beloved daughter of the Duke of Huo, and that her words seemed to contain hidden meanings, they all quickly composed themselves. Even Prince Xin'an, Li Yi, let out a low snort and glanced at his noisy sons as a warning.

"The dance of Mr. Huo’s beloved daughter is truly beautiful. It is rare for her to have mastered the skills so well. Mr. Huo’s upbringing is excellent."

Upon hearing this, the sage smiled slightly, looking down at Wang Maozhong and his daughter in the worship hall.

"All that I possess is a gift from the Emperor's grace. I will do my utmost to please His Majesty, no matter how difficult the task!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Maozhong immediately bowed his head and said...

These words made the emperor laugh heartily, and he then said, "Since Lord Huo has been so diligent in his offering, I will continue to appreciate his words. There are many experts and scholars among those seated here; if this young lady has any merit, she will certainly not be overlooked!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Maozhong became even more agitated. He first kowtowed to express his gratitude, then turned to his daughter and whispered a few words of advice. The young girl nodded tautly in agreement, then rose and walked to the curtain where the court musicians were standing in the hall. She took her pipa, held it to her chest, and tuned it.

After learning the girl's identity, the people in the hall no longer dared to treat her as an ordinary entertainer, and their expressions all became solemn. However, given her previous superb dancing skills, they were all quite looking forward to seeing her sing again.

Consort Wu Hui frowned, feeling resentful that the young girl was the center of attention in the palace. She glanced at her cousin, who sat to one side with a delicate and charming appearance, and sighed inwardly.

Wang Maozhong spent more than ten years raising this daughter, but his idea to introduce his cousin into the palace to secure the emperor's favor was just a spur-of-the-moment decision. Even though they were not much different in appearance, their talents were far inferior.

As the supreme ruler, even the most beautiful appearance cannot win the heart of a sage; only attraction and compatibility of souls and interests can earn his favor. Consort Wu Hui did not believe that her cousin could outshine Wang Maozhong's daughter at this moment, so she turned her gaze to Zhang Dai, who was sitting to the side of the table.

After feeling his aunt's gaze, Zhang Dai secretly groaned inwardly. Even if I'm a genius of ideas, I still have to use some scheming and plotting within the bounds of common sense.

But now, with everyone watching, and given that Wang Maozhong's daughter is indeed beautiful and charming, what can I do to disrupt or sabotage her? Should I just rush up and smash her pipa?

It felt good to be trusted and expected to fulfill someone's expectations, but the problem was that he couldn't meet Consort Wu Hui's demands at all. So Zhang Dai simply sat silently in the room, keeping his head down to avoid his aunt's gaze.

The sound of the pipa rose again, and the girl's melodious singing voice filled the hall: "Last year in January, the flower market was as bright as day..."

This is a piece of miscellaneous music I've never heard before. The melody is beautiful and complements the girl's ethereal voice perfectly. But the most wonderful part is the lyrics. Although the words are simple, they depict the changes in time, space, light and shadow, and emotions, creating a profound and evocative atmosphere.

Everyone in the hall was captivated by the girl's chanting, but Zhang Dai suddenly widened his eyes and stared at the girl in disbelief. Could she also be a fellow traveler from another time?
(End of this chapter)