Chapter 5: Go Dance a Dance
Lan Wu naturally would not accept it.
Hearing Consort Li’s words, which were identical to those in her previous life, Lan Wu thought to herself, Just as expected. But on the surface, she appeared terrified. After listening to Consort Li, she immediately knelt down, almost on the verge of weeping.
“Your Ladyship, this humble servant dares not deceive you. For Your Ladyship to grant me such an opportunity is a blessing beyond measure. However… however…” Lan Wu hesitated, speaking in an extremely soft voice as she revealed her predicament, “I entered the palace as a child and later resolved that once I leave the palace, I must find my family and reunite with them.”
Lan Wu spoke with utmost sincerity, her face etched with worry and her eyes brimming with tears. It was clear that she was deeply concerned about her family and longed to be reunited with them.
“I beg Your Ladyship to take pity on this humble servant’s selfish wish.”
If only she could be released from the palace just like that.
Consort Li’s expression remained unchanged. Upon hearing Lan Wu’s words, she couldn’t tell whether she felt relieved or displeased.
“Do you truly wish to leave the palace?” Her sharp, probing gaze swept over Lan Wu as she asked coldly.
Lan Wu nodded again and affirmed that she did.
Seeing her like this, Consort Li let out a light laugh.
“In that case, Miss Lan Wu, go back and think it over. Perhaps you will change your mind very soon.”
With that, Consort Li ordered someone to escort Lan Wu out of the palace.
After all, Consort Li could not believe that anyone would willingly give up a life of wealth and honor, single-mindedly yearning to flee the palace.
She had arrived in the afternoon, and by the time she left, dusk was approaching.
Lan Wu retraced her steps, naturally passing by the gates of Yilan Hall along the way. As she had seen earlier, the gates of Yilan Hall were wide open, with imperial guards and eunuchs standing outside.
Lan Wu did not want to bring trouble upon herself, and this magnificent palace was ultimately not her home.
She kept her head lowered, like an ant scurrying frantically in a corner, hoping not to draw attention to herself. Yet, someone called out to her.
Lan Wu trembled at the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from behind and had no choice but to turn around.
Before she could speak, the person who had arrived spoke first: “Miss Lan Wu, His Majesty is waiting for you inside.”
Listen, just listen to these words.
Lan Wu instinctively glanced left and right along the palace path. The long corridor, along with the high threshold outside, was empty, not a soul in sight.
By now, it was difficult for her to describe what she was feeling. She had just dealt with Consort Li, and now she had to face Chu Mingheng.
She could manage to deceive Consort Li, but what about Chu Mingheng?
She could not withstand a single encounter under his control.
Yet, when the Emperor summoned her, how could a mere palace maid dare to refuse?
And so, the hem of her light blue dress embroidered with orchids brushed past the threshold of Yilan Hall, and the scene inside the hall unfolded before her eyes.
It was vastly different from what she had seen in her previous life.
Chu Mingheng knew she loved beauty, so whether it was gold hairpins, jade hair ornaments, or the flowers and plants arranged in Yilan Hall, everything was exquisite and beautiful, perfectly suited to her taste.
But that also required immense effort. As a mere Shuyi, she had moved into a grand hall that exceeded regulations, used flowers and plants that were not permitted, and even the number of palace maids and eunuchs in Yilan Hall far exceeded that of other palaces.
Such extraordinary favor—how could it not provoke jealousy? Yet she was only a Shuyi.
Now, Lan Wu thought, even if she had been naive at first, she later came to understand that it was improper. She had mistaken it for the Emperor’s favor, unaware that this favor was also the spark that would lead to her downfall.
Did Chu Mingheng truly not know? Or was it intentional on his part?
Although Yilan Hall was not as splendid as it had been in her previous life, the palace was still kept clean and tidy with daily sweeping.
She followed Luo Yun from the corridor to the rear hall. Between the front and rear halls stood the Moon Pool Terrace, not particularly large, but in her past life, she had often danced there for Chu Mingheng.
And now, someone was sitting on the Moon Pool Terrace.
Lan Wu’s eyelid twitched. She didn’t know why she felt uneasy every time she saw Chu Mingheng. Perhaps, in the end, it was because the lessons Chu Mingheng had taught her in her previous life were too deeply ingrained.
Luo Yun led her forward but then retreated beneath the corridor. The surrounding palace servants had all withdrawn to a distance, leaving only Lan Wu, who had no choice but to approach the emperor, walking forward with immense difficulty.
She reached the emperor’s presence, knelt down, and uttered a respectful greeting.
Chu Mingheng sat to the side, his gaze drifting leisurely over the empty circular stage. When Lan Wu spoke, he slowly shifted his eyes downward, fixing them on the dark crown of her head.
Lan Wu was a dancer from the Music Bureau, but she was still a servant. When Consort Li had ordered her to go to Jinghua Palace earlier that day, she had deliberately removed the excess hairpins and ornaments from her hair, even taking off the earrings hanging from her earlobes. The spring chill was heavy with dew, and her ears were red from the cold, yet her fingers remained slender and pale. As she knelt now, Chu Mingheng could see her slim waist, so delicate it seemed he could encircle it with one hand.
“Go dance a piece. If you dance well, I shall reward you.”
Lan Wu looked at this small Moon Pool Terrace and thought to herself how Chu Mingheng truly knew how to make things difficult. The Moon Pool Terrace was a familiar place to her, and dancing a piece naturally posed no challenge. But if it were anyone else today, they would likely lose their composure before the Imperial Presence.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
She felt a flicker of anticipation for the reward Chu Mingheng had mentioned, but reason told her it was unlikely. If he allowed someone to get what they wanted so easily, he wouldn’t be Chu Mingheng.
There were many skilled dancers in the Music Bureau. If Lan Wu hadn’t been exceptional, she wouldn’t have been chosen for the most prominent position.
The cold wind crept in slowly, occasionally brushing against the ribbon in the woman’s hair. Dusk was approaching, the sky darkening, and the moon pool reflected a shadowy figure, a dark blur impossible to distinguish clearly.
Without musical accompaniment, Lan Wu’s dance was still captivatingly beautiful. Her form was exceedingly graceful, never appearing clumsy as she moved. Her slender fingers lightly brushed her cheeks, exuding an air of allure.
Yet, Chu Mingheng seemed less than satisfied with this particular dance.
When Lan Wu finished, he watched as she knelt, breathing lightly, her head bowed, her bright black eyes hidden from view.
“Your Majesty, this servant has finished the dance.”
Lan Wu very much wanted the reward Chu Mingheng had promised, but she also didn’t want to dance so well that he would trick her into the rear palace. After weighing her options, she decided to forgo the still-uncertain reward. She didn’t dare gamble, so her performance could only be described as decent.
Once the dance ended, she was left alone on the stage, breathing lightly, while Chu Mingheng’s attitude remained ambiguous.
Even without looking up, Lan Wu could feel how intimidating his merciless gaze was as it settled upon her.
“Attendant,” Chu Mingheng finally spoke.
His voice carried a tone of indifference as he summoned Chen Kangan and uttered a sentence softly, enough to make Lan Wu, kneeling on the ground, shudder in fear and lift her head in alarm.
“Go and find out who taught her this dance. Since they failed to teach her properly, cut off their hands and feet and expel them from the palace.”
Lan Wu’s breathing quickened. No matter how unpleasant the people of the Music Bureau were, they had spent years together. The musicians who taught her to dance had suffered unjustly because of her—how could she be at peace?
Before Chen Kangan could even acknowledge the order, Lan Wu’s knees scraped against the ground as she shuffled forward on them to Chu Mingheng. She kowtowed to him, this time genuinely intending to admit her mistake, her head striking the floor with a loud thud. But after just one strike, a hand cushioned her forehead.
That hand was cool and gentle, as if the blood within it were cold, impervious to anyone’s warmth.
Lan Wu was still Lan Wu. Even after being reborn into a new life, she remained far from clever, unable to gain any advantage in front of Chu Mingheng.