Masquerade in Bridal Attire and Marry the Prince

71. Fascinate All with One Dance

Translator: Antonia

Yuxing Tianrui saw the fascinated way Du Chuxuan watched the Zhao lady and sulked at once. He made a light cough to draw back his attention and silently stuffed a chicken leg into Du Chuxuan’s mouth, smothering his question, “My princess has sharp eyes. Yes, this Miss Zhao will be a good match.”

Although the chicken leg had a special delicious favor after being brewed with salt and fried in oil, Du Chuxuan, having already eaten four of those in a row, only found it bitter when it was suddenly stuffed into his mouth.

Knowing the vinegar was spilled out all over the floor, Du Chuxuan quickly took out the chicken leg, “If she’s a good match, then of course she should be taken back by the Turkic envoy, so as to demonstrate the grace and authority of our country as well as to bring to the barbarous land our great etiquettes.”

He subtly retorted Yuxing Tianrui. No kidding. If he didn’t make it clear as soon as he could, this huge vinegar tank would surely give him a lesson. Thinking of this, he couldn’t help chuckling, but just as the smile played on his lips, he noticed a scrutinizing gaze from the opposite falling on him.

He looked over and found it was a person behind the Turkic envoy. Supposedly, that was a man of not low status, or he wouldn’t have been seated in that foremost position. Moreover, that Mr. Xingta seemed to respect him very much. Du Chuxuan narrowed his eyes and took an examining glance. Seeing clear the man’s commonplace features, he paid no more attention.

The Zhao family had a girl in her first bloom; her first glance fascinated the city, and the second the country. Du Chuxuan didn’t know how this sentence spread out in the first place but had to admit that this Zhao Zheng was truly better-looking than his irritable violent sister. As least, Miss Zhao looked like a lady from a senior official’s family.

Zhao Zheng’s performance was a solo dance. She wore a pink broad-sleeved open-fronted dress, her waist so thin that it seemed to fit just right to the wrap of arm, beautiful like a heavenly fairy who never cared the secular world. It could be seen that she had made full preparations, and some maids took over and set rows of fragrant incense.

The incense was quite special, looking high class and smelling tasty. Its smoke was created fast, and for a time, the scene did appear a fairyland with floating clouds.

Du Chuxuan couldn’t help taking more glances. The beauty tipped her way as light as one could possibly be and headed for a huge drum in the middle of the stage. “Tut-tut. She must have been preparing it for a long time in order to make a splash in this critical moment. Others who have no idea will believe she’s ready to marry the Turkic prince.”

Yuxing Tianrui didn’t even stir his brow, his eyes appearing to watch Zhao Zheng performing but their focus not on her at all. There was a curve at the corners of his lips, “Isn’t that great? Since she had the mind to go, just let her.” Then, he set the wine glass down on the table, fingers tapping on it, a habitual movement of his when he was making a decision.

“Your Highness is so callous.” Du Chuxuan was dumb. Everyone present with the least intelligence knew that Zhao Zheng prepared so hard certainly not to gain the affection of the Turks. Neither did she plan to enter the palace and marry the Emperor. The only possible aim of hers was the position of His Highness’s concubine. Yet, he should not be aware of that at all.

Stroking his chin, Du Chuxuan was certainly overjoyed. Wasn’t it a good thing to him that his vinegar tank forbad him from looking at women while the prince himself also felt nothing?

Just as he was engrossed in his thought, Yuxing Tianrui chuckled on a sudden, “If I’m interested in everyone who likes me, there wouldn’t have been you sitting here.” This wasn’t exaggeration, and even eloquent as Du Chuxuan couldn’t make out anything to retort.

Yuxing Tianrui looked at the stage in front of him with a smile, but his eyes were no longer on the lady there but seemed to be distracted by the beautiful music. Du Chuxuan was lazy to care that and continued to watch the eye-pleasing dance. After all, Miss Zhao was a well-educated lady, and every of her gesture and expression was very pretty.

Even Du Chuxuan, who had always hung out in brothels and clubs and seen beauties of all sorts, had to say that this eldest lady Zhao was truly gorgeous. Her wrists flicked lightly, and a flying sleeve were instantly cast out from somewhere, and then she sprang up and hit the drum with the flying sleeves while gracefully landing down on it.

The movements echoed with the music and seemed to be beating on the heart of everyone. For a time, people were enchanted by the dance.

“Absurdly foolish.” Yuxing Tianrui snorted, but Du Chuxuan was exulted at his observation. This was all to their good, because their original plan was exactly to send over a Zhao lady. No matter which Zhao lady, as long as it was finally on the name list the name of a lady of the Zhao family, they wouldn’t need to worry that the Emperor couldn’t be alerted.

After all, the Zhao family controlled a great part of power, let alone the Old Master Zhao had some military power in his hand. Besides, many of officials at court were the disciples of the Zhao family. Therefore, letting a Zhao lady marrying to the Turkic prince could, in the eyes of the public, either be a contribution to the political marriage or a proof of its ambition.

Du Chuxuan glanced sideways at the Emperor and found that he seemed all as usual but there was not the smallest smile in his eyes. Though his lips were upward, the exertion in his hands gave away his dissatisfaction.

In another while, Zhao Zheng finished the dance and leaped off the drum. She chose a good angle and fell right in front of Yuxing Tianrui and Du Chuxuan. As breeze blew softly, it also carried the fragrance of the incense from her body to them.

The elaborate performance shouted her evident intention of a girl in love. After a long while, the others finally remembered to give her a thunderous applause.

The Empress surely knew well the Emperor’s mind, but she also saw clearly that Zhao Zheng aimed for the position of the Crown Princess’s concubine. On the other hand, the Zhaos wouldn’t possibly send their precious daughter to the barbarous land of the Turks.

Nevertheless, the Empress still commented catering to the Emperor’s thought, “Miss Zhao indeed gave us a wonderful opening. Any other ladies who would like to present themselves? Try harder and you’ll get the best reward of tonight.”

Hearing that, Zhao Zheng grew slightly pale. This was obviously unexpected. Shouldn’t Her Majesty be praising her and singing her compliment to the His Highness the Crown Prince?