Ye Chuyan lowered his head and remained silent.
It is not impossible for the courtiers to perform dances, but this is a palace banquet for foreign envoys, and everything should be decided by Pei Ye.
Pei Ye played with the wine cup in his hand, pursed his lips and said nothing. The beads covered his face, so that no one could see his happiness and anger.
He was not the Queen Mother's biological child. In order to protect the Ye family's status, the Queen Mother had repeatedly expressed her desire to make Ye Chuyan the queen when he first ascended the throne.
He also took him to Ye Mansion to see Ye Chuyan.
He was still young when he ascended the throne, and the Queen Mother had controlled power for many years on the pretext of assisting the government. He hated the Ye family deeply, so how could he let the Queen Mother get her wish?
On the day he went to Ye Mansion, he took Pei Xiuyan with him, let Pei Xiuyan wear Ye Chuyan's favorite red dress, and taught her how to practice swordsmanship in the snow. As expected, Ye Chuyan fell in love with Pei Xiuyan at first sight.
From then on, Ye Chuyan fell in love with Pei Xiuyan with all her heart. After the hairpin, she was unwilling to enter the palace as a queen. In order to avoid taboos, she rarely entered the palace.
Later, the Queen Mother couldn't defeat Ye Chuyan and agreed to her marrying Pei Xiuyan.
After the Queen Mother passed away, Ye Chuyan rarely entered the palace. He had not seen his cousin for a long time.
Today she was dressed like a fairy in the moon, which really amazed him.
He suddenly also wanted to see the immortal dance his sword.
"I've heard that Princess Qing's sword dance is one of the best in Kyoto, so I asked Emperor Tianwu to see the grace of our Dafeng women." Pei Ye put down the wine cup in his hand and said.
Once you open your mouth, how can you not obey?
Ye Chuyan stood up slowly.
Pei Xiuyan's face was expressionless, his jaw was tense, and his eyes were dark.
Na Sheng glanced at Ye Chuyan and said with an evil smile: "I heard that the ancient Moon God drum danced barefoot with a sword and confounded all living beings. Can Princess Qing follow suit?"
The hall became quiet again, and there was a hint of a storm coming in this quietness.
It is said that thousands of years ago, the moon god descended to earth to survive a tribulation and was reincarnated as a medical woman. She was born with ice muscles, jade bones, and fragrant jade seals.
She has superb medical skills and saves people.
In troubled times, she could save one person, but not ten thousand people. In order to calm the war between the two countries, she danced barefoot with a sword on top of a giant drum on the battlefield. When she finished the dance, everyone was turned upside down. The soldiers were finally influenced and put down the war.
Na Sheng's suggestion is quite intriguing.
Rumors are just rumors after all.
Dafeng is courteous and righteous. If an ordinary woman is spotted with snowy feet, she should cut off her feet to prove her innocence. Otherwise, you will be cast aside by the world. Only prostitutes and their ilk would behave like this.
Did Na Sheng really want Ye Chuyan to learn from the Moon God and seek a good relationship between the two countries, or was he deliberately insulting?
Pei Xiuyan's eyebrows turned cold, "Emperor Tianwu, what do you mean by this?"
Na Sheng ignored Pei Xiuyan and said to Pei Ye:
"Of course, I intend to make friends with you. After Princess Qing finishes her sword dance, I am willing to cede Licheng to Dafeng to show my sincerity."
After saying this, everyone was in an uproar.
Licheng is a small town at the junction of Dafeng and Beirong. Because the two countries are connected, commerce and trade are developed and the economy is prosperous. Although it is a small town, its geographical location is extremely important. It is a necessary place for people traveling from south to north, and it is easy to defend but difficult to attack.
Na Sheng meant that he wanted to make sincere friendship.
Pei Ye, who was sitting on the high platform, suddenly chuckled and said: "Princess Qing is the wife of King Qing. Although I am the emperor, I cannot force others to do anything. I should consult King Qing about this matter."
It stands to reason that in order to maintain Dafeng's reputation, he should reject such an offer.
However, he didn't want to give up what was within easy reach. Therefore, the choice of this matter was left to Pei Xiuyan.
If Pei Xiuyan should not respond, it would be reasonable. No husband wants to see his wife barefoot in front of outsiders.
If he agrees, it will only represent Pei Xiuyan's personal wishes and will not affect his reputation as the Dafeng Emperor. Afterwards, he can get a city for free.
Ye Chuyan turned to look at Pei Xiuyan, his whole body tense, and there was prayer and expectation in his eyes.
As long as Pei Xiuyan agrees, after tonight, literati will repeatedly mention her going barefoot in front of everyone after dinner, and she will hear all kinds of unsavory rumors.
After being accused of collaborating with the enemy and treason, the Ye family will have another shame.
The standing Ye Chuyan and Pei Xiuyan beside him instantly became the focus of the hall.
Pei Xiuyan looked around the Western Zhou Dynasty.
I found that there was expectation, ridicule, contempt, and gloating in these eyes...
He understood that Pei Ye wanted Licheng and wanted him to be regarded as a villain.
Political opponents were waiting to laugh at him and see if he would refuse Pei Ye's request for the sake of his reputation as a princess.
He can object. But he didn't want his political opponents to succeed, and he didn't want to refute Pei Ye's feelings for Ye Chuyan.
Pei Xiuyan stood up and faced Na Sheng and said, "Emperor Tianwu is so sincere, how can I not be willing to do so?"
After saying that, he smiled and said to Ye Chuyan: "Go."
Ye Chuyan's tense shoulders slumped.
She thought that Pei Xiuyan would not agree to such a humiliating thing because they had known each other for so many years.
She was wrong.
For a cold and selfish person, power and status are greater than anything else.
Ye Chuyan smiled sweetly, "Yes, Your Majesty." There was only despair in his eyes.
She took off her socks in the side room of the palace and walked slowly to the middle of Hanyuan Hall.
Pei Ye had already ordered someone to prepare a giant drum and a silver snow-steel sword.
Ye Chuyan's feet are extremely small, as delicate as jade carvings. With today's outfit, she is like a moon goddess on earth, holding a silver sword and stepping onto the giant drum step by step.
She glanced in Wumu's direction. The only good thing today is that Wu Mu was drunk and taken away not long after the palace banquet started, so there was no need to see her being humiliated here.
The sound of silk and bamboo pipes started playing, and Ye Chuyan danced with a sword.
Her sword dance combines internal strength. Every time she rises into the air and falls, the sound of "dong dong" made on the giant drum, accompanied by silk music, is heart-stirring.
She dances elegantly and powerfully, as gracefully as a startling giant, and as gracefully as a swimming dragon.
Some were shocked by her figure, some were drooling over her feet, and some were amazed at her elegance.
The eyes of these people were all caught by Pei Xiuyan.
He lowered his head to drink, his eyes full of coldness.
When Nan Gongli saw the veins on the back of Pei Xiuyan's hands popping up while drinking, he curled up his lips and smiled, which was profound.
Na Sheng stared at the red mole on Ye Chuyan's right ankle with a strange look the whole time.
It's her, it's her!
The drumbeats and music stopped abruptly at the highest point. It took a long time for everyone's hearts to follow. Seeing this dance in this life, they will die without regrets.
Nan Gongli took the lead in applauding, and applause suddenly started in the hall.
Pei Ye was very happy and ordered a large reward for Ye Chuyan on the spot. Pei Xiuyan refused the reward in the name of doing his job.
After Ye Chuyan put on her socks, she sat next to Pei Xiuyan again, but the two of them kept silent in tacit agreement.
The atmosphere of this banquet reached its peak, and for a while, there was a lot of people drinking and drinking, and it was very lively.
Several royal nobles on the opposite side looked towards Ye Chuyan intentionally or unintentionally, and glanced at Ye Chuyan's feet with malicious intent, their faces full of dirty thoughts.
Pei Xiuyan raised his head and looked over, murderous intent overflowing from his body, and the eyes on the other side immediately retracted.
Ye Chuyan stood beside Pei Xiuyan and said in a voice that only two people could hear: "Since the prince asked me to perform barefoot, I should have thought of such a result, so there is no need to be hypocritically angry."
Pei Xiuyan froze for a moment, lowered his head and said, "I..."
"Your Majesty is helpless, I understand."
The ridicule and sadness in Ye Chuyan's tone made people feel heartbroken.
Pei Xiuyan felt overwhelming regret churning in his heart.
He shouldn't have asked Ye Chuyan to perform just now.
If he refuses, it will make Pei Ye unhappy for a while at most, but it won't be a big deal.
Now, everyone present saw something that only belonged to him.
He wanted to gouge out these people's eyes.
All the good things about Ye Chuyan should only belong to him.
"Ayan, you don't have to be sad, I will definitely protect you from now on."
Ye Chuyan said softly: "Pei Xiuyan, you don't deserve to call me Ayan."
Those who are qualified to call her Ayan will never let her be humiliated.
"Don't worry, my heart is already riddled with holes. The humiliation you brought me has already made me numb. I won't feel sad."
