Chapter 314

The first performance was by the eldest daughter of the Nangong family. Her dance, one of the most beloved art forms, earned her thunderous applause. Even the Empress granted her a generous reward. It seemed this woman had caught the eye of the Crown Prince’s faction.

The subsequent performances were mostly dances and music, featuring instruments like the guzheng, pipa, and flute. There were minor mistakes here and there, but nothing unprecedented.

There was also a series of theatrical performances reminiscent of those by traveling troupes. They adapted various stories into their acts, creating quite a spectacle. However, if Xiao Yan were to perform in this genre... it would undoubtedly turn into a comedy.

Yueqian particularly appreciated the painting performance. The artist displayed impressive brush skills and remained composed while painting before the Emperor. Observing the Emperor’s gaze, Yueqian sensed a brewing storm. Perhaps the artist’s composure stemmed from a close acquaintance with the Emperor.

The Empress and others did not overlook the Emperor’s subtle reactions. However, since the artist’s status wasn’t particularly threatening, they chose to ignore it.

In the past, these women might have yearned for the genuine love from the Emperor, the husband. However, as time passed, such desires became unnecessary.

The Emperor had many women; capturing his heart today only meant he would favor someone else tomorrow. They had come to terms with this cycle. As long as they received the favor that brought power, even if it wasn’t true love, they were content.

The performances by the noblewomen did not disappoint many. But the show Yueqian eagerly awaited wasn’t among these. After some time, the daughters of prominent families, excluding the eldest ones, began to perform. Among them was the young Yan Shiying.

She was already betrothed to “Bai Longfei”, the second son of the Bai family, affiliated with the Second Prince. However, since Yan Shiying wasn’t particularly outstanding, Bai Longfei paid little attention to her. He had many concubines and a favored secondary wife of his own choosing.

Yan Shiying had been betrothed since she was young. She was the daughter of the Yan family, with whom the Bai family had a moderate level of familiarity. This engagement was solely for the benefit of the Bai family. Despite the stability of this arrangement, the young woman always felt undervalued. She wanted to showcase her skills and talents to attract Bai Longfei’s attention.

Although Yueqian did not support such a notion, she did not believe that chasing after a man was important. Even though she managed to showcase her abilities so impressively that it caught his attention, it didn’t matter. If someone didn’t love her, they simply didn’t love her. A man who only pays attention to a woman once she proves her worth is simply selfish. Would he even do it if it weren’t for his own pride?

Nevertheless, demonstrating one’s abilities was still necessary. Yueqian understood that there was a difference between performing and seeking attention. Therefore, she dedicated herself fully to teaching the young girl how to perform exceptionally.

Yan Shiying stepped forward, paid her respect before the Emperor, and prepared to perform. She looked toward Yueqian’s position and gave a signal. Yueqian, having coordinated with the music performers, signaled them to begin.

Yan Shiying’s feet and arms started moving, and with the music, people thought she was about to dance. However, her movements grew increasingly unusual.

Yan Shiying began to step rhythmically and joyfully, but suddenly, she leaned forward abruptly. People thought she was about to fall, and there were gasps, but the small figure of Yan Shiying stood upright again. This time, she didn’t lean forward but pretended to sit on a chair that wasn’t there.

Sitting in mid-air, she juggled several colorful balls. Since “magic tricks” were unknown in this world, the audience was astounded when they saw her throw four balls into the air and keep them spinning while she seemingly sat on nothing!

“What kind of performance is this?!”

“At first, I was really shocked. She suddenly seemed like she was going to fall.”

“This is incredible, isn’t it? It’s like she’s sitting on a chair, but there’s no chair there.”

“How is she juggling the qiú (I looked it up; it means ’ball’ in Chinese, but feel free to correct me if I’m wrong) like that? It looks so fun. She’s amazing.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen such a performance.”

“Look! What is she doing now?”

“Screaming! That’s too audacious. She’s changing her clothes. Ah, no! How did she do that? She removed the outer dress, and now she’s wearing another beautiful outfit.”

“She’s doing it again. That’s the third outfit. No! She’s changing to the fourth one!”

“What kind of performance is this? It doesn’t seem like a traditional art form worthy of respect, but it’s the performance that I can’t take my eyes off it.”

“Is she dancing? She has musicians playing along too.”

“Is this really dancing? I’m so confused, but it’s really great. I want to keep watching her perform.”

The voices of the people, witnessing such a performance for the first time, echoed around. The reception was quite positive. However, Yueqian knew just how much effort Xiao Yan had put into this performance. Although Xiao Yan didn’t have a natural talent for graceful performances, the audience here didn’t want to see just sweet and boring performances, right?

It was said that in some years there were face-changing performances, which were somewhat similar. However, this was a method of performance they were unfamiliar with.

Xiao Yan’s small figure moved about. She could move her body like a dancer, though without much finesse. Nevertheless, it made her appear quite distinguished. At the end... Xiao Yan flicked her hand, revealing the final, most stunningly beautiful outfit.

It was a fiery red phoenix dress. Although Xiao Yan’s small body and cute face couldn’t match the elegance of others, the makeup skills of Yueqian could be relied upon.

Expensive cosmetics were used on Xiao Yan, making her face sparkle under the moonlight with diamond-like glimmers. Initially, she wore a mask, preventing people from seeing her face clearly. But when she removed the mask, everyone saw that the cute Xiao Yan could also become a beautiful lady.

By shaping her eyebrows to match her facial structure, enhancing her nose to look more mature, and applying sharp eyeliner that transformed her cute, deer-like eyes into those of a queen, Xiao Yan’s beautiful face made everyone take a deep breath!

This face was like that of a goddess! Although no one recognized that this was Yan Shiying, the little girl felt prouder than ever! She recalled Furen Mu’s words to her:

"I think your face is the most pleasant to look at. I want you to be more confident in yourself because a cute face is a gift from heaven. As for a fierce or elegant face, anyone can have that. If you don’t believe me... on the day of the performance, I’ll show you. In the end, you’ll see that even you can have a fierce face. But trust me... I want you to choose to be proud of who you are."

Since Yueqian came from a world where makeup was a daily routine, she had seen many enhancements. Her sharp features were a problem; no matter how much she wanted to look kind-hearted and gentle, people were always scared at first sight.

This beauty seemed too lofty, and most heroines in novels didn’t look like this. So, it was no surprise why she ended up being a villainess.

Little Yan, however, had a face ready to be a heroine. The only pity was that she misunderstood everything! Perhaps because her fiancé only brought striking and flashy women into the manor, she wanted to be like that. Little did she know that he was just too used to her cute face. If Xiao Yan mingled in society a bit more, she would soon find someone who liked her for who she was!

"The performance is over, Your Majesty, Your Highness," Yan Shiying bowed to both the Emperor and the Empress. However, it seemed they were still not fully recovered from the awe of what they had seen.

After a moment, the Emperor began to clap first. Perhaps because he had never seen such a performance before, he was deeply impressed.

Since the beginning of the event, many people had performed, and he was starting to get bored. If it weren’t for Miss Yan’s captivating performance, he might have fallen asleep.

Many shared this sentiment. No matter how much they appreciated gentle and beautiful art, watching the same thing over and over would become tedious. For instance, someone would dance, then someone would play music, then someone else would paint, and then back to dancing, over and over again. Therefore, Xiao Yan’s performance came at the right time, like a bombshell, making them the most excited.

This was certainly not the best performance, but it was the most entertaining!

"What is this performance by Miss Yan called? We have never seen anything like it before," the Emperor asked with keen interest.

"This is called “magic,” Your Majesty. It is a performance that combines music and dance while trying to amaze the audience," Xiao Yan replied as she had been taught by Yueqian. The Emperor nodded in agreement.

"I like it very much. Your movements are indeed strange dances, using music and motion. However, each movement surprises us every time. So, I believe many others feel the same way. This is my favorite performance."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Hearing such high praise, Yan Shiying was overjoyed. She bowed deeply in gratitude for his appreciation.

However, her eyes caught sight of her fiancé clapping enthusiastically. He even smiled warmly at her. But... no one knew what Xiao Yan truly felt. She did not even feel happy seeing this. Instead, she looked towards her master. When she saw Yueqian giving her a thumbs up, a joyful smile finally appeared on her face.

Since when did her fiancé’s smile stop being important to her?... Perhaps since the day she met Furen Mu and saw how happy she was in her manor, reigning supreme alone?

Or since Furen Mu told her that she should take pride in her own worth and not let others diminish the beauty she possesses?

"We see you often looking towards Furen Mu. Could it be that your master who taught you this strange performance is Furen Mu?" The Emperor couldn’t help but tease upon seeing the amusing interaction between the two.

In fact, he already knew that Furen Mu often had a regular visitor in Yan Shiying. As for how he knew, he had his reasons.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

“Haha, you two really make me happy. In that case, a reward!” The Emperor said, amused. It was now clear to everyone how close the two were. After receiving her reward, Yan Shiying hurried to find Yueqian to express her gratitude.

“Shiying, you did a great job today,” Yueqian said as they met outside. This also gave the man surnamed Bai the chance to finally greet his fiancée, having ignored her throughout the event.

Xiao Yan looked at Furen Mu before turning to the man who had never paid her any attention. It was his neglect that had brought her to this point. The beautiful woman hesitated for a moment but then spoke up.“Thank you, Young Master Bai. If that’s all you have to say, please excuse me. I still wish to speak with Furen Mu a bit more.” Hearing Xiao Yan say this, Bai Longfei was left speechless! His eyes widened in surprise. The woman who usually chased after him was now ignoring him?