Chapter 266: Humiliation
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Zhou Nushi quickly bowed and said, “She’s here.” Then she looked at Mingzhu, seeking her approval.
Mingzhu replied, “Since Second Sister-in-Law wants to see it, let’s have someone perform.”
Zhou Nushi respectfully bowed to Mingzhu, then turned to instruct a nearby maid who was responsible for relaying messages. The maid hurried off to deliver the message. After a short while, the illusionist performance on the stage ended, and the sound of the pipa reverberated in the air. Following that, a woman in a fiery red dancing gown swiftly twirled onto the stage holding a pipa. She didn’t pause at the center of the stage but continued to play and dance. The red gossamer fabric fluttered in the wind, creating a majestic spectacle, resembling a celestial maiden descending from the heavens.
“Excellent!” Mingzhu’s spirits lifted. As someone knowledgeable in the field, she couldn’t help but admire such a dance. To possess such skills, besides exceptional talent, one must also diligently practice. This Qiuwen was truly remarkable.
Upon seeing this, everyone praised enthusiastically, even Princess Funing, who was usually critical and nitpicky, stared wide-eyed at the entertainer on stage. Mingzhu happened to glance back and saw Zhou Nushi still standing cautiously aside without taking a seat, so she casually said, “No need to be so reserved, come and sit down.”
Zhou Nushi bowed to Mingzhu and walked to her seat, sitting down gracefully, her movements elegant and flawless. Ping Nushi looked at her every move, smiling as she poured her wine, whispering softly, “Sister is really stealing the limelight today. I couldn’t help but say a few more words in front of the Wangfeis, wanting to show my face too. Sister won’t think my character is hateful, right?”
Zhou Nushi lowered her eyes slightly, a faint smile appearing on her lips. “We’ve been together since leaving the palace, for more than seven years. I know what kind of person you are.”
Ping Nushi sat down beside her, propping her chin in her hand as she watched Mingzhu, who was engrossed in watching the dance. She whispered softly, “The Wangfei is truly youthful and beautiful, with a noble background, charming and delightful. His Highness must be enjoying himself. I must say, His Highness treats the Wangfei so well, not even the princesses can get his favor. Let alone those who harbor unrealistic desires, whoever dares to upset the Wangfei will surely have a bad end.”
Seeing Zhou Nushi not responding to her words, Ping Nushi turned her head and lowered her voice even further, almost inaudibly saying, “Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Second Miss Jiang before. How does she compare to the Wangfei? I remember when sister went to the palace last Mid-Autumn Festival, she saw Second Miss Jiang in the palace. Did you have a detailed conversation? What is she like?”
Zhou Nushi took a sip of wine slowly and said calmly, “When I went there, she had already left. I didn’t see her.”
Ping Nushi sighed with regret, “What a pity. I thought Second Miss Jiang and sister must have gotten along very well.”
“Let’s not talk about the past. Be careful what you say,” Zhou Nushi frowned, gripping the wine glass tightly and stood up, saying, “The music and dance are about to end. Let’s raise a toast to His Highness and the Wangfei.”
Before she could even begin her toast, the music by the entertainer called Qiuwen ended, and she stood up with her pipa, revealing a face that was as charming as a hundred flowers in full bloom, looking at the audience below with grace and charm.
“My goodness,” Ping Nushi whispered, hurriedly covering her mouth in panic.
Zhou Nushi’s mind was all on Mingzhu and didn’t notice what was happening. It was only when she heard Ping Nushi’s exclamation that she raised her head to look. At a glance, she saw the wine in her hand shaking, spilling out and wetting her sleeve, but she didn’t seem to notice, her face pale as she sat down heavily, murmuring, “How could this be?”
It wasn’t just the two of them; everyone in the room was silent, shocked, embarrassed, angry, or gloating, staring at the entertainer on stage with different expressions.
The entertainer had a stunningly beautiful face. At first glance, she looked remarkably similar to Mingzhu, about sixty or seventy percent alike.
This was too coincidental. It couldn’t be just a coincidence. It was because the entertainer was dressed in a large red veil, with large chiffon peony flowers pinned to her hair, all of which resembled Mingzhu’s usual attire.
This was a blatant slap in the face and a blatant provocation.
Imagine, Ying Wangfei, who was proficient in music and dance, seeing an entertainer who looked similar to herself and was also proficient in music and dance at a family banquet. How would she feel? It was no different from being publicly slapped in the face—this was a veiled insult, saying that she was just a lowly entertainer.
Funing was the first to shout, “This entertainer looks so much like my sixth sister-in-law! She’s also proficient in music and dance, and even her clothes are similar!”
Kangning quickly covered her mouth, ignoring her struggles, and whispered harshly, “Shut up!”
Mingzhu, sitting at the table, didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry. She looked around and saw a terrifying silence in the room. Dai Wangfei and the others looked embarrassed, not daring to meet her eyes; Ping Nushi’s cherry lips were slightly open in shock, the tassel on her fan dipping into the wine glass, unaware; Zhou Nushi’s face turned a terrible shade of green, the wine glass in her hand shaking uncontrollably, her sleeve already soaked; the group of beauties at the table were all staring blankly at the dishes in front of them; Su Lan and Zheng Momo’s faces had turned from white to red to green.
Everyone was either afraid or angry.
Mingzhu turned her head to look at Yuwen Chu beside her. Yuwen Chu leaned back in his chair, looking expressionless at the woman on stage. Sensing her gaze, he turned back to look at her reassuringly and then said calmly, “Li Quanxin.”
Li Quanxin suddenly popped out from behind, his upper and lower teeth clashing, “Your Highness, Wangfei, this servant…” Although it was Zhou Nushi and others who organized the banquet, not just anyone could perform at Ying Wang’s mansion. This Xianyin had to pass through him first. Now that such a big mistake had occurred, even if he wanted to defend himself, he felt weak. At this moment, he couldn’t care less about who was trying to harm him. He simply knelt down and knocked his head to Yuwen Chu and Mingzhu, “This servant deserves death. Please punish me, Your Highness and Wangfei.”
Yuwen Chu looked at Li Quanxin in silence for a long time without saying a word. Li Quanxin became more frightened and knelt down even deeper, burying his head in the ground. Mingzhu saw that Yuwen Chu’s eyebrows were still slightly furrowed, as if with a hint of melancholy. His expression was calm and cold, but the muscles around his eyes were twitching, and his nostrils were wider than usual.
Was he angry? So this was what Yuwen Chu’s anger looked like. Compared to this terrifying expression, the anger she had seen from him before was nothing. First, they poisoned the water she used for bathing, and now they humiliated her like this in front of Dai Wangfei and others. Was he angry that someone dared to provoke him one after another?
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