GTB Chapter 170

Chapter 172: A Dance to Astound

Chapter 172: A Dance to Astound

Although Shí Qingya was pleased with Jiang Jiuche’s answer, she still playfully chided, “Asking you is pointless. You’re a brother-slave; of course, you think Jiuchu is the best in every way.”

Jiang Jiuche quickly cried foul, “My dear wife, don’t slander me! I’m only speaking the truth. Jiuchu’s dancing is indeed more beautiful. Didn’t you also say that Jiuchu’s skills are more superb?”

“Yes, the umbrella dances divinely in Jiuchu’s hands. I could never master such skilled and exquisite techniques.”

As she spoke, Shí Qingya curiously asked Jiang Jiuche, “By the way, who is Jiuchu’s teacher? How did they teach Jiuchu’s zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting so well? Even the four great talents of Kyoto are no match for her.”

Jiang Jiuche’s eyes turned reminiscent. “Jiuchu’s teacher was a solitary individual. We don’t know her exact identity. She was a very beautiful woman.”

“When she first came to Ning An, she formed a bond through my father’s kindness. At that time, Jiuchu liked her very much, calling her ‘pretty sister’ wherever she went. Later, the woman asked Jiuchu to become her disciple.”

As he said this, his eyebrows and eyes were tinged with a smile. “Jiuchu was overjoyed at first because her teacher told her that becoming her disciple would make her as beautiful as a fairy.”

“Who knew that entering the master’s gate was like entering the deep sea? Jiuchu would come back crying every day, never calling her teacher ‘pretty sister’ again.”

Shí Qingya seemed to be able to imagine Jiang Jiuchu’s appearance. She had also been forced to learn this and that when she was young, but she was a princess, so no one dared to force her; they could only coax her nicely.

“It seems that Jiuchu was also forced to learn from a young age…”

The two’s conversation suddenly stopped because the flute music in the arena had ended.

The Dong Yue Emperor at the head of the table clapped his hands and applauded, “Good, good, good! The dance of the Northern Kingdom is indeed different. The princess’s dance is even more enchanting and graceful.”

Upon seeing this, the crowd below immediately nodded in agreement, and praises echoed in the arena.

Xiao Li turned to smile at Shí Yan, but he didn’t meet her gaze. Then she turned to Jiang Jiuchu, “Seventh Prince previously rejected this princess. I assume Jiuchu’s talent is above mine. May I ask Jiuchu to let me also witness the dance of Dong Yue?”

Upon hearing this, Shí Yan’s face turned displeased, and he immediately said, “There’s no need…”

However, before he could finish his refusal, he was interrupted by the person beside him, “Alright.”

After Jiang Jiuchu responded, she looked towards Green Luo in the back. After Green Luo came forward, she whispered a few words in her ear, and Green Luo hurriedly walked to Shí Qingya and Jiang Jiuche’s side.

After Jiang Jiuchu finished her instructions, she looked at Xiao Li across from her, “Princess, please wait a moment while I have someone fetch the zither and xiao.”

“Alright, there’s no rush.” Xiao Li sat back in her seat, her eyes fixed on Jiang Jiuchu.

Her own dance was the best in the Northern Kingdom, yet this Seventh Prince’s wife watched her dance and still agreed so readily. Could it be that she was not only beautiful but also a better dancer?

Shí Yan finally couldn’t hold back and said to Jiang Jiuchu, “You can refuse.”

Jiang Jiuchu looked at Shí Yan, thinking, ‘They’ve already started a challenge between countries in front of so many people. How can she refuse?’

Moreover, the Emperor clearly wanted the princess to choose Shí Yan. If she didn’t accept the challenge, wouldn’t it make everyone present feel that she was inferior to this Northern Kingdom princess and regret Shí Yan’s refusal?

“Doesn’t Your Highness like to watch? I’m dancing this for Your Highness.”

After Jiang Jiuchu finished speaking, she picked up a piece of pastry and slowly ate it, not looking at Shí Yan.

Shí Yan was speechless for a moment. He only wanted to provoke her into going back and dancing for him, but he didn’t want her to dance in front of so many people.

It wasn’t that he was worried she wouldn’t dance well. After all, she had seen Xiao Li’s dance and still agreed so readily, which meant her dance wasn’t bad.

But he had never seen his princess consort dance. Why should he let these people watch?

Shí Yan idly fanned himself with his folding fan, glancing sideways at Jiang Jiuchu. Seeing that she seemed determined, he pursed his lips and finally uttered, “Don’t dance too seductively.”

Jiang Jiuchu had just taken a sip of tea when she was startled by Shí Yan’s words.

She glanced at Shí Yan, her eyes seeming to ask, ‘Weren’t you enjoying watching just now?’

Shí Yan avoided Jiang Jiuchu’s gaze. He had only taken a casual look with ulterior motives, but it seemed a little difficult to explain….

Just as Jiang Jiuchu put down her cup, Green Luo walked to her side with an orange-red paper umbrella. “Princess Consort, here.”

“Mm.” Jiang Jiuchu took the paper umbrella. “Are older brother and sister-in-law ready?”

She asked Green Luo while getting up and looking towards her older brother and sister-in-law.

“Everything is ready. Miss, please go on stage!” Green Luo was very excited and couldn’t wait to see her miss outshine that princess or whatever.

Seeing her older brother and sister-in-law nod at her, Jiang Jiuchu walked into the arena.

The Yue An Emperor, who was talking and laughing with Xiao Yi in the lower seat, quickly stopped talking and raised his hand towards Jiang Jiuchu, who was bowing to him, and said with a loud laugh, “Seventh Prince’s wife, please begin! Let the Northern Kingdom also appreciate the dance of our Dong Yue noble lady.”

The Yue An Emperor was very curious. Jiang Jiuchu had grown up in Ning An County. It was understandable that she played the zither well, but was she also good at dancing? How could she be confident enough to accept the Northern Kingdom princess’s challenge?

“Yes.”

As soon as Jiang Jiuchu responded, the sounds of Jiang Jiuche and Shí Qingya’s zither and xiao rang in everyone’s ears.

The corners of Jiang Jiuchu’s mouth lifted into a bright smile. With a quick turn, the skirt instantly unfolded into a dazzling display. After a circle of spinning, she raised her hand and looked up, making a beautiful pose.

Then, with a quick backbend, her wide sleeves flicked out, drawing a graceful arc. One hand held the umbrella, and the other hand danced and flew, fast and dashing, bright and cheerful.

However, before everyone could see enough, her movements suddenly slowed down, and the bright smile on her face faded a little, turning into a shallow smile. Then, she took three steps forward with elegant and soft steps.

Although only three steps, she walked out with the ultimate gentleness and tenderness. The umbrella in her hand also changed from one hand to both hands in the last step.

However, she, who held the umbrella with both hands, still seemed too delicate to even open it.

Suddenly, the rhythm of the zither music sped up. Jiang Jiuchu curled the corners of her lips and spun quickly, and the umbrella in her hand also suddenly opened as she spun. Instantly, petals fell from the umbrella.

Jiang Jiuchu, who was in the midst of the petals, was like a fairy in the umbrella. The umbrella changed arbitrarily in her hands, her body spinning but the umbrella not spinning, the umbrella spinning but her body not spinning.

Even if her slender jade fingers only pinched a corner of the umbrella surface, she could still fix it firmly and steadily, and her dance did not stop at all.

The umbrella in her hand was like the most suitable weapon, cooperating with her to complete one beautiful and novel movement after another.

The umbrella rose, the umbrella fell, or she leaned back and drew circles. Whenever the petals were about to fall, they could always rise again because of her different dance moves, wrapping around her body, beautiful and magnificent.

Although a small number of people in the arena had seen umbrella dances, none had ever seen such a shocking umbrella dance.

Everyone showed surprised expressions, without whispering, without drinking tea or holding cups, only staring at the woman in the arena, afraid of missing every one of her dances.

Like a flower fairy and like an umbrella fairy, bright, sassy, delicate, gentle… all kinds of temperaments gathered in one body, making people dazzled and endlessly evocative.

Shí Xiu picked up a petal that had fallen on the table and looked at Jiang Jiuchu, who was dancing gracefully in the arena. In his slightly narrowed eyes, an expression of infatuation overflowed.

And Shí Yan watched with the folding fan in his hand stopped, the vortex in his eyes getting deeper and deeper, as if he wanted to suck Jiang Jiuchu in, not wanting to expose even a petal to the outside.

The sounds of the zither and xiao slowly stopped.

However, Jiang Jiuchu, who should have stopped dancing, finally held the umbrella with both hands, turned her back to Shí Yan, and walked a few steps towards the opposite side.

Then, she turned her head, gave Shí Yan behind her an enchanting smile, and sent him a seductive look.