Chapter 17: Chapter 17 She Stole the Spotlight Chapter 17: Chapter 17 She Stole the Spotlight On the lake surface, a sudden spring breeze arose, stirring ripples.
Feng Bailing’s singing voice was captivating.
It turned out to be her. Who was she pouring her heart out to?
By the end of the lyrics, how striking was the line “To love the one I love, without regret or grudge.”
Dugu Wu’s eyes deepened, feeling an itch on his cheek. He lifted his hand to touch, and it was a piece of snow.
The sky began to flutter with flying snow, much like catkins.
Feng Bailing had just finished the song “A Cut of the Plum,” and the flute music also stopped, pleasing her with its effect.
During that Spring Banquet, she could barely recognize a few large characters and suffered a loss due to her illiteracy.
After crossing into the 22nd century, she turned a new leaf, joined a military school, and before becoming an all-round dic, she served for five years in other military branches, three of them as a soldier in the cultural troupe.
Western, classical, pop, jazz, combining singing, acting and comic dialogue, she was adept at all.
Although it was their first collaboration, her cooperation with Dongfang Mosheng was nearly seamless.
At this mont, Feng Bailing realized she had mistaken the person. The flutist was the ninth son of Emperor Yongye, Dongfang Mosheng.
Speaking of Dongfang Mosheng, among the princes, he was not particularly outstanding. Feng Bailing had never seen him in seclusion before, but had heard so rumors of him while accompanying Dongfang Lianhua in the palace in earlier days.
Dongfang Mosheng was a prince, but among the nine princes, he held a low status. His mother was just a dance girl from the music bureau, who died when he was three.
That sa year, he also suffered a severe illness, but later he was adopted by Noble Princess Consort Xiao.
Although Dongfang Mosheng recovered from his illness, he was blinded. Unlike the other princes, he harbored little ambition and had no intention to vie for the throne; instead, he was very skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
Feng Bailing shook off the snow from her cape, plucked a red plum blossom, and walked towards Dongfang Mosheng, curtsying.
“Seventh Prince, I truly was rude just now. Swords are gifted to heroes, and flowers to beauties; this red plum blossom is for you as an apology.”
As Feng Bailing spoke, her voice still retained the sweetness from her singing, landing softly in one’s ears and causing one’s heart to flutter.
Dongfang Mosheng raised his hand to take the flower but accidentally brushed against Feng Bailing’s palm.
The warmth of her palm seed scorching, causing his heart to tremble and abruptly retracting his hand.
An extra item appeared on his ear, the cool fragrance of plum blossoms wafting over, matching the scent that emanated from Feng Bailing.
“Red indeed suits you very well.”
Feng Bailing smiled, the Dongfang Mosheng before her with snow-white skin, contrasted with the radiant red plum, so beautiful it could bring sha to won.
“Fussy and fussy, since when do n wear flowers. Feng Bailing, stop pawing on my ninth brother.”
A figure leaped forward, Dongfang Li, protective like a mother hen, stood in front of Dongfang Mosheng, snatched the plum blossom from Feng Bailing’s hand, threw it to the ground, and stomped it into a pulp.
Seeing it was Dongfang Li, Feng Bailing rembered the son she had lost, her eyes almost spewing fire, but now was not the ti to deal with him.
“I knew it, you woman are not giving up on . Playing hard to get, aren’t you? I’m not falling for that.”
Dongfang Li spoke disdainfully, but deep down felt inexplicably pleased.
This silly woman, her singing was strangely attractive, such talent and yet she tucks it away.
That line “To love the one I love without regret or grudge, may this feeling forever linger in my heart” wasn’t that just her trying to hold on to him? He heard it, and it struck a chord.
Emperor Yongye also clapped in praise.
“Well sung.”
Feng Bailing feigned surprise at just noticing Emperor Yongye, with apparent fear in her eyes, and bowed in salute.
Everybody present also paid their respects to Emperor Yongye.
Among the crowd, Nalan Yan’er stealthily glanced over, catching a glimpse of that dark figure, feeling a bittersweet ache in her heart.
Though resentful, for letting Feng Bailing steal all the lilight, wasn’t the song Feng Bailing sang just a reflection of her own inner turmoil?
“Empress Mother?”
Emperor Yongye, seeing Empress Dowager’s eyes turning red and her incessant tears, was shocked and quickly stepped forward to support her.
“Ah Ling did give her all; the song truly resonated with my heart,” sighed the Empress Dowager, her eyes brimming with mories of the past.
“How many years have passed, I almost forgot my maiden na. When the Retired Emperor first ascended the throne, upon my entry into the palace, I was granted the title of Concubine i. Your mother, Queen Mother, was here too, but now, I am left alone. I am very happy today; these children remind of my youth.”
Before entering the palace, the Empress Dowager’s maiden na known to very few, was from a family with the surna i.
Clearly, Feng Bailing’s song was a tribute to the Empress Dowager.
The realization dawned on all the ladies present.
Feng Xiangxue’s face could no longer maintain its composure; her fingernails dug into the palm of her hand.
Neither the Empress Dowager nor the Seventh Prince had glanced her way, not even once.
“I haven’t been this happy in many years; Ah Ling, step forward to receive comndation.”
The wrinkles on the Empress Dowager’s face softened, making her appear years younger.
Feng Bailing lowered her gaze, her eyes scanning for any movent in the vicinity as she walked towards the Empress Dowager and Emperor Yongye.
Dugu Wu arched an eyebrow, watching as Feng Bailing passed in front of him; the hem of her dress swayed like a fishtail, surprisingly graceful. Was she actually quite pleasing to the eye?
All of a sudden, a eunuch beside him leaped into action, a glint of a Hidden Weapon flickered from his sleeve, aid at Emperor Yongye.
“Protect the Emperor!”
It all happened too quickly; accompanied by a cold shout, Dugu Wu’s towering figure was the first to react, swinging his palm. The blast from his palm shattered the chest of the would-be assassin, who fell to the side.
The water’s surface rippled loudly as several dark figures erged from beneath.
Chaos ensued within Yi Garden.
Those dozen or so attackers moved with exceptional skill, their attacks uniformly targeting Emperor Yongye and Dugu Wu.
Unard, Dugu Wu found himself retreating and entrenched in battle; he grunted, feeling a stabbing pain in his knee.
Stumbling, he rembered what Feng Bailing had said earlier, “Tsk, be wary of using internal energy.”
His gaze turned heavier as a fiery red light flickered at his brow, brilliant like flas. Gang Qi surged into his sleeves; with a sweep of his arm, he decapitated the attackers at their necks in an instant, heads tumbling into his hands.
Woosh, woosh, woosh, a breeze of icy chills ca flying, Hidden Weapons assaulted him from all directions, and his right knee was hit by an arrow.
Around him, palace guards flooded in like a tide.
“Protect the Empress Dowager!”
Behind him, an assassin saw his attempt fail and went after the Empress Dowager.
In the blink of an eye, soone threw themselves in front of the Empress Dowager.
The person held a chopstick in hand, the tip sharp beyond compare; a gleam of sharp light flashed in her eyes, and with fierce determination, she stabbed forcefully.
The assassin scread in agony as a bloody blur filled his vision, soon overturned by the rushing guards.
Dugu Wu’s gaze deepened, not far from his side.
Feng Bailing held the pale-faced Empress Dowager, blood tinting her eyes, her forehead covered in sweat; her frail fra trembled slightly, yet her eyes glead astonishingly bright, as lustrous as the stars.
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