bayedsolid Chapter 568 The Prince's Banquet!
Chapter 568 The Prince's Banquet!
After Duanmu Chuze and Mu Xinnuan had a heart-to-heart talk, Duanmu Chuze felt much more comfortable and relaxed.
Only then did he truly realize how happy and joyful it is to have someone share everything with you!
Even in the face of hardship, you are fortunate if someone is willing to share the burden with you.
For the next few days, everything seemed calm and uneventful, which was perfectly normal.
Because of the banquet preparations and considering Fang's health condition, Mu Xin Nuan, after discussing it with Fang, decided that she should not let her attend. At a banquet, with so many people and so much commotion, if she were to eat something she shouldn't, it would be a real problem.
Soon, it was the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month.
Both Mu Xin Nuan and Duanmu Chu Ze were dressed in formal attire. The bright red princess's palace dress made Mu Xin Nuan look even more radiant, like a red plum blossom under the snow, proud and beautiful.
Duanmu Chuze looked at Mu Xin Nuan, who was all dressed up, and said with a light laugh, "My Ah Nuan is so beautiful, I can't bear to let you go out and meet people. How about we don't go out tonight and let them go eat and drink on their own?"
Mu Xin Nuan glared at him, "You're talking nonsense again! We are the masters, how can we not show our faces?"
Duanmu Chuze's eyes flickered. "Alright, we'll just show our faces and then come back."
Mu Xin Nuan was both amused and exasperated by his words. She reached out and lightly pinched his waist. "Alright. Let's go. I heard that the He family has arranged a wonderful program for you today. If you don't watch it, wouldn't you be letting them down?"
"What kind of intentions do they have? What good programs could they possibly have? The He family? I think it's more like the Xie family."
Hearing Duanmu Chuze's clearly disdainful tone, Mu Xin Nuan simply chuckled. "Let's go, don't let them stay too long. This time, I'm following your lead; the banquet will be held in the front yard. Although men and women won't sit at the same table, they'll still be under the same roof. I don't want any more mishaps if things go wrong with this arrangement."
"Don't worry. Our guards and secret agents in the Chang Le Prince's Mansion are not blind or deaf. Besides, after more than a year, those people should have seen through what kind of people you and I really are."
Mu Xin Nuan nodded, and the two of them boarded a sedan chair and headed to the front courtyard.
The banquet was held in a pavilion on the east side.
The first floor was for lower-ranking officials, while the second floor was for officials of the fourth rank and above and their families.
Mu Xin Nuan and Duanmu Chu Ze settled down on the second floor, which was much more spacious than the first floor.
There was only a banquet on the first floor, with no singing or dancing.
Mu Xin Nuan initially felt something was amiss, but Aunt Fang insisted that this was the established rule. The hierarchy of status and rank must not be broken.
If everyone were to sit together, those noble families and dignitaries might become arrogant, which could make the atmosphere awkward.
Mu Xin Nuan thought about it carefully and realized that everyone has their own place and responsibilities, which are naturally different. She could only follow Aunt Fang's opinion.
After several rounds of drinks, Duanmu Chuze wanted to leave first, but Mu Xinnuan grabbed his hand, implying that he should not leave.
Duanmu Chuze probably guessed what would happen next, and to be honest, he had no interest in it at all. But considering the importance of this banquet, he held back.
It's the end of the year, and we can't let these officials think that Prince Chang Le is heartless because of this banquet, can we?
Madam He picked up the wine and stood up. "I am fortunate to have witnessed the growing prosperity of Yanzhou under the rule of Your Highness and Your Highness. This is my good fortune. The New Year is approaching, and I have not prepared anything special. I have simply arranged a song and dance performance to express my respect for Your Highness and Your Highness."
Mu Xin Nuan maintained a smile on her face and nodded, but her eyes seemed to catch a hint of disapproval on He Jia Jun's face.
Duanmu Chuze raised an eyebrow slightly and said half-jokingly, "Since it was Madam He who arranged it, then let's perform. To be honest, in my eyes, no one else's singing and dancing can compare to even a tenth or a twelfth of the Princess's. Hehe! However, the Princess's dancing is naturally something only I can appreciate."
He then laughed twice.
Everyone in the hall expressed their admiration for the deep affection between the prince and princess.
A slight embarrassment flashed across Madam He's face, but she quickly put on a smile, gave an order, and then the sound of bells rang out.
Upon first hearing the sound, Mu Xin Nuan roughly guessed what kind of dance it was.
This so-called bell dance was originally introduced to Dayong from the Turkic people.
After numerous improvements, it gradually incorporated elements of Central Plains culture, making it quite unique.
At this moment, Mu Xin Nuan suddenly remembered that in her previous life, there seemed to be a beautiful woman by the side of the Ming King. This bell dance was truly excellent! Not only were the dance moves beautiful, but more importantly, the sound of the bells on her body was also perfectly in sync with the rhythm of the music.
I wonder who this extraordinary person is today?
Mu Xin Nuan had long known that Madam He was meticulously preparing for this, but she had never paid any attention to it.
She learned from Duanmu Chuze that the dancers present today seemed to have been sent from the capital. Traveling such a long distance, it seemed the Xie family really cared.
Mu Xin Nuan sipped her tea gently. Wasn't Xie Yi Lin's lesson enough? And what about that beauty in the Prince's mansion? Didn't they feel they should give up?
The Xie family really do get stronger with each setback.
However, this Madam He is clearly much more capable than Madam Lu was back then.
At least, the beauty standing before them now possessed a more alluring charm than Xie Yilin, making her, in the eyes of men, an absolute gem, brimming with irresistible allure.
Mrs. He smiled with satisfaction when she saw that many men in the room were staring at her. However, noticing her husband's disapproval, she suppressed her smugness.
Madam He wasn't stupid. Even if the Xie family gained power, she was still a member of the He family. Moreover, if her husband wasn't willing to support the Xie family, she feared her life in the He family wouldn't be easy.
Madam He secretly glanced up and saw the prince holding a wine cup, seemingly enjoying the sight. She was secretly pleased. As long as she had won the prince's heart, then everything she had done would not have been in vain, and her husband would no longer give her a hard time.
Mu Xin Nuan watched all of this with a detached and indifferent attitude from beginning to end.
She did have some appreciation for the dance of the beautiful woman in the center of the hall, because the dance was indeed quite good.
Furthermore, Mu Xin Nuan noticed that this beauty's eyes seemed somewhat different, appearing to have some non-Han ancestry. Such women are the most alluring!