Princess Xiangsi - Chapter 6
Feng Xue blinked gently and carefully examined him.
A simple white dress...
Suddenly, her heart trembled slightly, and her gaze fell on the single petal on her plain dress. The petal was as red as blood, like a raging flame, wild and unrestrained.
Feng Xue lowered her eyes, concealing the joy in them.
But Situ Xingyun, standing beside Feng Xue, saw the joy in her eyes. He had never seen her with such an expression before. Who exactly was that man in plain clothes?
When Feng Xue raised her eyes, the joy in her eyes was hidden beneath a faint gaze. She said softly, "Dressed in plain clothes, with flowers as red as flames, wild as fire, only the Li Palace could match you. You must be the disciple of the Venerable Lord."
A hint of appreciation flashed in the eyes of the man in plain clothes. He nodded slightly, clasped his hands, and said, "Your Highness has a good eye. I am Wu Si, a disciple of Your Highness. I have come to the banquet on Your Highness's orders."
Everyone present noticed that he referred to a princess rather than a queen, completely ignoring Situ Xingyun. As expected of the disciple of the martial arts master Jun Wuhen, he was just as arrogant.
Situ Xingyun laughed loudly, showing no displeasure on his face. "Even though I have a hundred concubines, my only queen is Feng Xue."
"Hmph!" Wu Si sneered, "This is nothing more than an excuse that the prince is making up."
Hearing such a bold and audacious tone, everyone gasped, looked at each other, and didn't know what to do.
At this moment, a faint anger seemed to rise in Situ Xingyun's eyes.
Feng Xue raised her wine cup and stood up, offering a slight bow to Wu Si, saying, "Feng Xue thanks Your Excellency. Thank you for your kindness and for gracing us with your presence at the banquet."
Wu Si downed his drink in one gulp, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I will certainly convey the princess's words." As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Si disappeared quickly.
The anger in Situ Xingyun's eyes was like a gathering of dark clouds, as if lightning and thunder might strike at any moment.
Feng Xue sat down, gently placing her soft hand on Situ Xingyun's hand, and said in a gentle tone, "Your Highness, those who leave the palace are instilled with the idea that they can only have one person in their life from birth, so Wu Si's tone is understandable. Besides, Jun Wuhen sent someone to the banquet because he values Your Highness."
Her cool, soft hands and gentle voice, like sunshine, dispelled the dark clouds in Situ Xingyun's eyes. He stared intently into Feng Xue's eyes, as if trying to see through her, his gaze becoming deep and unfathomable. After a long while, he smiled and said, "What the Princess says is quite right."
"With such a beautiful wife, what more could a prince ask for?"
...
The banquet returned to its original atmosphere. The atmosphere was harmonious, as if nothing had just happened.
After enjoying a song and dance performance, one person exclaimed, "That dancer just now had a slender waist like a willow branch and a voice like a nightingale. She was beautiful and talented. If she were outside, who knows what kind of common woman she would be?"
The other person shook his head, "That's not true. If we're talking about beauty, who can compare to the Twin Butterflies of the Drunken Flower Pavilion? If we're talking about talent, who can compare to the Lady Qingyun?"
"I've heard a little about Shuangdie's beauty and Qingyun's talent." Feng Xue raised an eyebrow and looked at Situ Xingyun. "I suppose Qingyun was invited to this banquet as well!"
Situ Xingyun nodded.
"Miss Qingyun has never shown her face before!"
"It will probably be very difficult to invite her..."
"Speaking of never having shown his face, Young Master Li Ge is one of them!"
Just as everyone was discussing and expressing their feelings, a refreshing voice, as if carrying the scent of summer, rang out from the crowd: "Miss Qingyun recently wrote a poem and declared that she would stop writing if no one could guess what was hidden in it. Princess Fengxue is exceptionally talented and is the most talented woman in Fengxi. I wonder if the princess could decipher the meaning of Miss Qingyun's poem so that we could feast our eyes on it?"
Feng Xue was slightly taken aback. That voice…
Raising an eyebrow, she saw a handsome, elegant young man with light brown eyes that were smiling and held a hint of cunning.
Beneath the veil, Feng Xue bit her lip slightly.
Beyond the veil, Feng Xue remained calm.
At this point, the people present also started to jeer.
"The princess is exceptionally talented, certainly no less so than Miss Qingyun."
"The princess is the most talented woman in Fengxi; she will surely be able to decipher the meaning of this poem..."
"Ahem." Situ Xingyun coughed a few times, and the hall immediately fell silent. Looking at Feng Xue's calm eyes beside him, a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind: He... wanted to see her in a sorry state.
"Your Highness, it is difficult to refuse such kindness. Besides, Your Highness's reputation as the most talented woman is well-deserved."
Situ Xingyun raised an eyebrow and took a sip of tea.
Her light brown eyes stood out in the crowd. Feng Xue raised her eyelids, her sharp gaze shooting straight at the man.
The man smiled slightly, his light brown eyes calmly accepting Feng Xue's sharp gaze.
"What does the princess think?"
"good."
The servant cleverly presented the Four Treasures of the Study.
On this Lantern Festival night, I sit alone by the lamp-lit window, lamenting my fate. I ask Heaven, "Where am I now?" I hate my beloved, for he has not uttered a single sincere word.
I cannot stop even if I want to. I will now remain silent. In terms of our friendship, we have never been wrong. But now that we are tainted by worldly affairs, it is difficult to speak of our innocence.
I wish I could sever all ties and divide the family into two separate entities. Poor servant, I have no power to abandon him. I will devise a plan to leave him speechless.
With a gentle wink of his light brown eyes at Feng Xue, he picked up a pen and wrote the poem on the paper.
Feng Xue lowered her eyes, lost in thought, a complex light surging in her eyes.
Situ Xingyun gazed at her silently, her long eyelashes obscuring her eyes, making it impossible for him to discern her thoughts.
After a long while, Feng Xue looked up, her eyes as clear as a river. She looked at everyone and gently parted her lips, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten."