Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 24: Dance and piano duel, Ye Ying’s calculation

24. A Match of Music and Dance, Ye Ying’s Schemes

Even though Ye Li found it quite boring, the annual Blossom Banquet, being the most valued event amongst the refined ladies of Great Chu, naturally had its unique highlights. When the banquet was over and the prizes for the winning debutantes were presented, Ye Li was somewhat surprised and also understanding as she watched these previously reserved and elegant ladies displaying looks of longing. Every girl present came from a prestigious family and had seen countless treasures since childhood. The treasures that could move them so would naturally be no ordinary items. What’s more, winning such rewards would bring them considerable prestige, allowing them to hold their heads high among their peers, whether in their maiden chambers or after marriage in their husband’s family. And as the prizes were presented, along with the appearance of several distinguished individuals beside the Eldest Princess, the hearts of these unmarried young ladies fluttered even more.

The judges invited this year by the Eldest Princess were evidently influential figures. Though amongst the six men and one woman seated at the judges’ tables before them, only the stoic Prince Li, Mo Jingli, was familiar to her. There was also a man in brocade robes with a rather flirtatious smile who inexplicably directed it towards Ye Li. Although it was just for a moment, Ye Li was certain she had never met him before, and that his grin was more than just a polite expression. "Who is the man in red?" Ye Li whispered into Qin Zheng’s ear.

There was only one man dressed in red among them, so Qin Zheng knew immediately who she meant. Covering her lips, she whispered, "That’s Third Young Master Feng Zhiyao from the Capital City’s Feng Family. Rumor has it that he is a womanizer and the child of a concubine, not favored by the Family Head of the Feng Family. A few years ago, there were rumors that the Feng Family Head planned to expel him from the family. However, his zither skills are truly unparalleled in the Capital City." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Seeing them whispering, Murong Ting also leaned in and chuckled, "The Eldest Princess really spared no expense this year, inviting so many famous people."

Hua Tianxiang, with a dignified gaze fixed forward, remarked without pausing her commentary, "This year’s prizes are truly generous. The Everlasting Youth Pearl, the Purple Phoenix Hairpin, and even the Snow Sound Zither gifted by the late emperor. If I weren’t certain that my zither skills are slightly inferior to Ye Ying’s, I would have liked to try my luck."

Hua Tianxiang gazed admiringly at the Snow Sound Zither displayed at the front, a hint of regret in her expression. It was one of the five great extant zithers, ranked third, and a treasure coveted by every zither aficionado. Ye Li felt even more regretful. "I haven’t touched a zither for several years now."

The four exchanged glances, shrugged helplessly, and began admiring the prizes and the people on the platform. Qin Zheng continued to introduce the prominent figures to Ye Li in a low voice, "Of those on the platform, that elderly gentleman is the Chief Academic from the Imperial Academy, Elder Su Zhe. He is also the current Emperor’s tutor. If not for the Eldest Princess’s considerable influence, I’m afraid he wouldn’t have come. The others include a Top Scholar from a previous Imperial Examination, Mo Jian, who is now the Vice Minister in the Ministry of Civil Affairs; the Heir of Marquis Muyang, Mu Yang; and the eldest son of the Mansion of the Northern Garrison, Leng Qingyu."

Ye Li’s gaze subtly swept across the people Qin Zheng had mentioned, committing them all to memory. "Who is that lady?" Although Ye Li had never found Ye Ying to be breathtakingly stunning, she admitted Ye Ying was beautiful enough. Yet, today she realized that Ye Ying’s title as the Capital City’s foremost beauty seemed to be teetering. Not to mention Princess Qixia from the Nanzhao Kingdom, Hua Tianxiang’s appearance alone was comparable to Ye Ying’s. Qin Zheng, with her elegant and cultured demeanor from a scholarly family, possessed a gentle grace that Ye Ying’s captivating coquetry couldn’t quite match. Moreover, several other women at the banquet were also exceptionally striking. If the differences were merely these slight, how could Ye Ying have held the title of the foremost beauty for all these years? Looking again at the woman seated on the judging platform, her exquisite face held a mesmerizing allure. Even seated between two men, she carried herself with effortless composure and grace—a charm entirely different from that of typical high-society ladies.

Qin Zheng’s expression was a bit odd; after a pause, she said, "That is... Miss Yaoji from Qingcheng Workshop. Known for her unparalleled skills in zither and dance. Compared to her, Ye Ying’s dance isn’t even worth watching. Moreover...she has a good relationship with the Heir of Marquis Muyang and Third Young Master Feng." Qin Zheng sounded a bit awkward, but Ye Li understood the woman’s identity. Watching her sit between the Heir of Marquis Muyang and Third Young Master Feng, her bright eyes sparkling as she chatted and laughed with ease, Ye Li couldn’t help but consider Miss Yaoji an extraordinary woman.

While the four of them chatted, the Eldest Princess announced the official start of the Blossom Banquet competition. Ye Li was initially quite curious how so many categories—zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and dance—were to be judged simultaneously. But clearly, everyone understood the competition’s flow. Tables stocked with ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones were set up at the edge of the venue for those participating in calligraphy and poetry. Maids brought various musical instruments, placing them on both sides of the stage’s front, leaving the central area open for the ladies performing dances. Ye Li couldn’t help but admire the organizers’ thoughtfulness; it was indeed a very considerate setup. There were no strict rules requiring everyone to perform in specific categories; after all, not everyone was proficient in all arts like zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, which also spared many the possibility of embarrassment.

Beside Eldest Princess Zhaoyang, Princess Qixia and Commandery Princess Ronghua both rose. However, Commandery Princess Ronghua headed towards the tables with calligraphy supplies, while Princess Qixia strolled towards the center of the venue, clearly intending to perform a dance. Meanwhile, Ye Ying walked to one side where a yaoqin zither was placed. As her jade-like fingers tenderly strummed the strings, melodious music flowed out.

"It appears Princess Qixia has really come head-to-head with Ye Ying," Murong Ting said with a smile. "Everyone in the Capital City knows that Ye Ying excels at dancing. For Princess Qixia to choose dance immediately upon entering the field, she’s clearly aiming to make a statement against Ye Ying."

Hua Tianxiang admired Princess Qixia’s graceful dancing and praised, "People from the Nanzhao Kingdom are gifted in song and dance, especially Princess Qixia, acclaimed as their foremost beauty. Perhaps she’ll be the one to outshine everyone today." Princess Qixia’s dance was passionate yet elegant, possessing both the uninhibited fervor of foreign lands and the dignified grace of Great Chu. In comparison, Ye Ying, who had yet to dance, already seemed a notch inferior just by her attire. Murong Ting agreed, nodding with a smile, "Considering dance alone, I think only Yaoji could possibly surpass Princess Qixia. In this dance-off, Ye Ying is set to lose this year."

"Ye Ying is no ordinary character either. Even seeing Princess Qixia’s impressive skill, she still remains so calm," Qin Zheng reminded.

Hua Tianxiang laughed, "If she couldn’t even handle this, Ye Ying would have no face to show. She’s destined to lose the dance, so she must absolutely secure her zither performance."

Ye Li frowned. "I’m afraid Princess Qixia has come prepared." Even though she was no longer a sniper in this life, it didn’t impair her keen eyesight. Ye Li hadn’t missed the fleeting, cold smirk that crossed Princess Qixia’s lips as her gaze swept over Ye Ying.

Murong Ting was astounded. "Don’t tell me this Princess Qixia is also more skilled at the zither than Ye Ying?"

Hua Tianxiang shook her head. "If that were true, Princess Qixia would have competed in zither first, then danced. Dancing is extremely taxing on stamina; playing the zither after dancing could easily affect her performance. Listen to Ye Ying’s zither music."

The originally melodious and flowing zither music suddenly shifted, becoming urgent and fervent. Princess Qixia’s graceful figure also moved faster; the center of the field became a blur of her flying sleeves, like a fierce wind sweeping through a hundred flowers, forcing them to burst open.

Apparently, Ye Ying might have also realized this, or perhaps Princess Qixia’s formidable prowess made her feel threatened.

The audience on the viewing stands evidently noticed the change below. Eldest Princess Zhaoyang frowned, her gaze on Ye Ying turning somewhat cold. Yaoji, who had been elegantly reclining as she enjoyed Princess Qixia’s dance, suddenly giggled. Turning to the stern-faced Mo Jingli, she said with a smile, "His Highness Prince Li, your future Princess Consort Li is indeed remarkable. Yaoji is impressed." Mo Jingli remained stone-faced, not even sparing Yaoji a glance. In his eyes, an entertainer from a place like Qingcheng Workshop was simply not fit to speak with him, so he naturally paid her words no heed. Yaoji, unbothered by his disregard, let her beautiful eyes roam and said with a charming smile, "The Capital City’s foremost beauty truly lives up to her name, though perhaps she lacks a bit of courtesy towards a guest."

Yaoji’s voice wasn’t loud, but Ye Ying was seated very close to the viewing stands. Her words carried clearly to Ye Ying’s ears. Su Zhe, the Chief Academic from the Imperial Academy who had remained silent so far, also let out a light humph. If Ye Ying could ignore Yaoji’s words, Su Zhe’s attitude made her heart shudder. Her fingers, which had been moving like flowing clouds and water, faltered for an instant. Although she quickly recovered, Feng Zhiyao, seated beside Yaoji, gradually frowned and said with a faint smile, "I had assumed that after a year, Princess Consort Li’s zither skills would have shown more improvement. I didn’t expect..."

Those in Ye Li’s group naturally couldn’t hear the conversations from the front. And while Ye Li was adept at lip-reading, she had no intention of sharing what she gleaned. Thus, Qin Zheng and the others only saw Ye Ying finish her piece with an expression even uglier than that of Princess Qixia, who had just been outmaneuvered during her dance. Princess Qixia, after concluding her dance with a perfect pose, shot Ye Ying a fierce glare before returning to Eldest Princess Zhaoyang’s side. The faint sheen of perspiration on her brow showed that her performance hadn’t been as effortless as it appeared. Given the drastic, unprepared-for shifts in the tempo of Ye Ying’s zither piece, it was only due to her own superb dancing skills and adaptability that she avoided making a fool of herself on the spot. To think she’d been so blatantly schemed against—she would definitely make Ye Ying pay!