Chapter 312: Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet (6) (2/2)

“Heheh, don’t you lose face for me or our Tianning Country,” the empress dowager couldn’t wait.

Currently, Han Yunxi was sitting indolently in her seat, a hand propping up her chin. She had no intentions of getting up at all as she grinned. “Miss Chu is indeed formidable. I even lost myself in your music just then. You played very well.”

“Esteemed wangfei praises wrongly. Esteemed wangfei must be an even better player than Qingge,” Chu Qingge purposely acted modest.

Han Yunxi wore an expression filled with worry. “How could that be? You and the dancers make for a splendid match. That’s not something this wangfei could ever accomplish.”

Chu Qingge could tell there was something odd about those choice of words, but she wasn’t clear on what.

“Yunxi, hurry and play a piece,” the empress dowager urged.

But Han Yunxi simply laughed. “Esteemed Empress Dowager certainly knows how to jest! Yunxi isn’t some servant! How could I play accompaniment to these dancers? What sort of proper decorum is that?”

These musicians, singers, and dancers were all servants in the end. No matter whether they sang, danced, or play tunes, they were all there for the purposing of catering to their master so he would be happy. Han Yunxi was a proper and upright Qin Wangfei. How could she ever display her skills at the same level as a bunch of court dancers?

Certainly, she’d let Chu Qingge go first, but she’d never agreed to perform herself.

After she spoke, Han Yunxi openly commended Chu Qingge. “It really is a pity that Miss Chu didn’t become a musician instead!”

Her words were like a vicious slap against Chu Qingge’s face. How could Han Yunxi do this? The thing she took pride in was simply servant’s work in Han Yunxi’s eyes! What about Long Feiye? Is that what he thinks too? Chu Qingge was infuriated. Yet when she saw Han Yunxi dressed in violet robes sitting next to Long Feiye, she couldn’t help but fear inferior to them both.

No!

Instead of answering Han Yunxi, Chu Qingge turned to look at the empress dowager instead. She was certain that the empress dowager wouldn’t let go of this chance to beat back Han Yunxi. Indeed, the empress dowager hated Han Yunxi even more than Chu Qingge! How could she simply give up?

“Yunxi, you agreed to the terms just then. Don’t make me unhappy,” the empress dowager said with a smile, but there were daggers hidden behind her grin.

“Esteemed Empress Dowager, Yunxi only agreed to let Miss Chu play first. When did I ever agree to play myself?” Han Yunxi intentionally acted like a spoiled child.

“Since she’s played her piece, you should go next,” the empress dowager remained stubborn.

“I didn’t say I’d follow her! She played the first piece, so why not have her play the next as well?” Han Yunxi said reasonably despite being a rascal all the while. At this, many of the people present laughed. Mu Linger was the one who laughed the loudest.

Chu Qingge was a proud type. How could she take the abuse? Huffily, she demanded, “Esteemed Empress Dowager, is Qin Wangfei going back on her words?”

Finally, the empress dowager turned serious as her voice grew cold. “Yunxi, I want you…”

At the same time she spoke, Han Yunxi lazily withdrew a fan from behind her body. First she twirled it around a few times in her hands, then began to calmly fan herself. As soon as the empress dowager saw this fan, she shut up.

Heavens!

That was the Medicine Fan. She’d been on a painstaking search for that very fan for decades. Every day, she wished the moment it’d fall into her hands, so she could recognize it at a glance. The Medicine Fan was the ultimate cure for insomnia! She’d suffered from insomnia since she was young and found it difficult to go to bed every night. She’d have to toss and turn for at least four hours before she finally fell asleep, but any little noise could wake her up. When that happened, she’d be stuck with her eyes open until day broke. Naturally, she’d eaten no end of medicine, or else she wouldn’t have survived to this day. Her mood was none too good in the daytime, either. But every medicine had its side effects, so she’d long grew fearful of eating so many pills.

The former Head Imperial Physician had prescribed a medicine that could cure her without daily intakes or harmful effects to the body, the Medicine Fan. But she hadn’t found any trace of it until today. She never expected the item to end up in Han Yunxi’s hands! Only someone who suffered from insomnia could understand her sufferings. The empress dowager stared at the object in Han Yunxi’s hands. Why would she bother causing Han Yunxi trouble now? She was so moved that she could simply cry from joy.

There were few people who could recognize the Medicine Fan at a glance, and Chu Qingge wasn’t one of them. Neither was she aware of the empress dowager’s condition. When she saw that the woman hadn’t spoken, she quickly added, “Esteemed Empress Dowager, don’t your Tianning wangfei’s words count for anything?”