Chapter 256: Chapter 256: Tease and Run, Break That Waist
Li Yuzong had sharp ears and had heard the sounds from outside for some time.
But since Emperor Wu Su hadn’t spoken, he remained standing quietly beside the Dragon Pillar.
The rhythm of the drumbeats was erratic, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. It sounded less like ordinary drumming and more like a musical performance, though its unique qualities were hard to make out from inside Diligent Governance Hall.
Emperor Wu Su, who was reviewing memorials, looked down and asked in a cold voice, "What’s going on outside? Why all the racket?"
Li Yuzong took a step forward. "Reporting to Your Majesty, it is Fifth Miss Ji."
Seeing Emperor Wu Su look up, Li Yuzong continued, "When I passed by the Imperial Garden this afternoon, I saw the attendants from Cining Palace setting up a stage."
Li Yuzong had known all along who was making the noise, but the Emperor had given orders that no news concerning Ji Qingwu was to be reported to him.
Emperor Wu Su had been deliberately ignoring her for the past few days. Upon suddenly hearing her name, the long fingers holding the Imperial Brush tightened.
The drumming outside grew louder. He spoke, "What is she doing that requires a stage?"
Li Yuzong said, "I didn’t see it myself. This afternoon, it was only a frame."
Emperor Wu Su shot him a sharp glare, then rose to his feet.
*
「The Imperial Garden.」
Ji Qingwu had specifically chosen a spot closer to Diligent Governance Hall and built a stage in the center of a flowerbed.
The stage wasn’t large, but it was exquisitely crafted.
The frame was about ten feet high, topped with seven glass plates arranged in two rows. A large drum was placed in front of the plates.
The musicians began to play a string and bamboo melody, its style incomparably elegant.
It was just after the evening meal, and many of the palace ladies had come to the Imperial Garden for a stroll to aid their digestion. Hearing the commotion, more than a dozen had already gathered to watch.
Ji Qingwu had changed into a dancer’s costume with wide sleeves and narrow-legged trousers. A crimson palace sash was tied loosely around her waist. As she moved, the folds of her skirt rippled like moonlight flowing and spilling onto the ground.
She stepped onto the glass plates, then leaped down, her left leg extended straight and her right bent as if drawing a bow. She struck the drum and began to dance, her steps resounding and powerful.
The water sleeves of her moon-white dance costume were graceful and flowing, while the silver hair band in her moon-gazing chignon fluttered in the air.
To the sound of the musicians’ string and bamboo instruments, Ji Qingwu trod lightly upon the plates, then leaped high onto the drum to continue her dance.
The onlookers gasped in amazement. Wei Liru was also in the crowd.
"Princess Wei, you are the most skilled dancer in the palace. What dance is this?"
Wei Liru didn’t look at the person who asked, her eyes fixed on Ji Qingwu dancing alone.
She answered, "This is an ancient dance, also called the Seven Plate Dance."
Few women could perform such a dance, as it demanded immense stamina and incredible strength in the waist and legs.
She had tried it herself once, but when she danced on the drum’s surface, she couldn’t produce such resonant, rhythmic sounds.
’At the last palace banquet, Ji Qingwu claimed she couldn’t dance.’
Ji Qingyuan happened to be standing beside Wei Liru. The two exchanged a look, both recalling the time of the performance offering.
Ji Qingyuan scoffed and walked away.
Ji Qingwu spun rapidly on the drum, the light gauze of her dress swirling with her. She held her hands as if cupping a cup, moving like the rippling of spring water.
It had been a long time since the palace had seen such a fine dance.
Wei Liru watched intently, memorizing the rhythm of every step Ji Qingwu took on the drum.
Noble Lady Liu, who had entered the palace last year, said, "This Fifth Miss Ji is dancing in the Imperial Garden. Sisters, care to guess why?"
Bai Pin, who was on good terms with her, chimed in, "Is there any need to guess? Obviously, she wants to dance for the Emperor."
Noble Lady Liu said, "I thought that since she’s a relative of the Empress Dowager, we were about to get a new sister in the harem. Who knew that after just a few days, the Emperor would grow tired of her and kick her out."
Wei Liru wanted to quietly enjoy the Seven Plate Dance before her, and their incessant chirping was incredibly annoying.
"You wish you had the chance to be scorned by the Emperor. Have any of you ever been to Zhaoyang Hall?"
Among all the women in the harem, not a single one had ever spent the night in Zhaoyang Hall.
Although Emperor Wu Su hadn’t taken further action against Wei Ting recently, the Wei Family’s power had already been mostly dismantled.
Noble Lady Liu said provocatively, "I may not have been to Zhaoyang Hall, but I’ve only been in the palace for a year. Sister Wei is a veteran of the palace, so how is it I’ve never heard of you staying the night in Zhaoyang Hall either?"
Wei Liru turned her face away and said contemptuously, "Who do you think you are, daring to provoke me?"
Noble Lady Liu said angrily, "Your brother has been demoted to a gatekeeper, and you still..."
Bai Pin tugged at her sleeve, urging her to stop.
Wei Liru said, "What about me? No matter what my brother does now, he’s still better than that useless brother of yours."
They were in the middle of a heated argument.
Just then, a eunuch’s sharp announcement cut through the air.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
The women stopped their squabbling, straightened their appearances, and prepared to greet the Emperor.
The musicians’ instruments fell silent as well.
Emperor Wu Su walked up to them and asked, "What are you all doing?"
His tone was so cold it was as if shards of ice were about to fall from the sky.
Princess Consort Wei held the highest rank among them, so she stepped forward to answer, "Replying to Your Majesty, we were drawn over by the sound of Miss Ji’s drums as she performed the Seven Plate Dance."
Emperor Wu Su gazed at the empty stage, his expression darkening.
Wei Liru looked up and saw that, at some point, Ji Qingwu had vanished.
She said in astonishment, "Miss Ji was just here. The Seven Plate Dance was so exquisite and splendid, I hadn’t had my fill of watching it."
While Ji Qingwu was dancing, she had long since ordered someone to keep an eye on the direction of Diligent Governance Hall.
If the Emperor came over, she was to retreat at once.
Emperor Wu Su had hesitated for a good while about whether to come over. After finally finding an excuse in his mind, he came all this way only to find the person he wanted to see was gone.
His eyes darkened as he stared at the red totem carved on the edge of the drum on the stage.
’Princess Consort Wei may not have had her fill, but I haven’t even seen it yet.’
Noble Lady Liu, having been in the palace for only a short time, still held unrealistic expectations for the Emperor, thinking she could be the exception.
She pretended to twist her ankle and fell towards Emperor Wu Su.
Before she could even touch the hem of the Emperor’s robes, Li Yuzong caught Noble Lady Liu. He smiled and said, "Your Ladyship must be careful. Falling on flat ground might be a sign of a brain ailment. This old servant can help you summon an Imperial Physician to take a look."
Emperor Wu Su strode away again.
Similar scenes played out in the palace many times after that.
Every day or two, Ji Qingwu would create a huge commotion in the harem, always right under the Emperor’s nose, making sure he knew about it but never letting him see her.
One time, at night, just as Emperor Wu Su was about to retire,
Ji Qingwu quietly led her palace attendants to a spot not far from Zhaoyang Hall, where they put up a screen illuminated by warm light.
Little Dongzi, the eunuch on night duty, saw it and immediately perked up, entering the hall to report to the Emperor.
A woman in red, charming and alluring, her waist like a willow, swayed gracefully. Every twist of her body sparked a desire to break that very waist.
At first, Emperor Wu Su stood by the window, but he gradually moved to the doorway, standing with his hands behind his back.
His mind was tantalized by the seductive dance, making his heart itch and his body grow warm.
He finally couldn’t resist and strode toward the white screen.
Ji Qingwu, behind the curtain, vanished from sight as if she possessed the art of earth-burrowing.
When Emperor Wu Su reached the screen, he could still smell a fragrance that was neither floral nor fruity.
His palm touched the soft, silken curtain, and the depths of his eyes were as dark as an impenetrable fog.
Comments