Deep Palace Pet Peach Blossom Flawless

Chapter 497 Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Queen

Princess Mingzhu only lowered her head slightly on the boat, but her hands in her sleeves had already been clenched into fists, and she didn't feel any pain even when her nails dug into the flesh.

Amidst the whispers, a beautiful song suddenly reached us from the distance. It flowed like the gentle gurgling of a spring, elevating us to a state of joy and letting us lose ourselves in the beauty. The song was like a dream, light and ethereal, like a gentle breeze carrying the fragrance of flowers, caressing our hearts.

Princess Mingzhu looked up and saw a slim and beautiful woman spinning her skirt on the distant lake. The dreamy singing came from the woman's mouth. What was even more wonderful was that the woman was dancing gracefully on a small boat and singing with the wind.

Madam Qian admired it for a while and said, "The Queen is so kind-hearted. It's a bit of a waste to let only people like us admire such a beauty."

Madam Qian was also implicitly reminding Lan Qingwu that the Queen was good in every way, but she was too casual, so one should still be wary of some people.

Lan Qingwu naturally understood what Madam Qian meant. She sighed softly, "It's too tiring to keep doing this. We should relax a little once in a while."

In fact, what Lan Qingwu wanted to say the most was that when the Emperor Shenwu came to power and had the money to return to this class, no one could control them. Just like what the Emperor Shenwu once said, he only favored Lan Qingwu, but it was just his own idea and no one could influence him!

"We just need to be ourselves!"

The singing and dancing continued. The small boats were divided into three, five, or seven groups, with one person in each boat, dancing gracefully in the lotus fragrance and lotus shadows of the lake like slender butterflies, constantly chasing the breeze and fragrant dew.

The third princess and the second princess were riding in the same boat. She looked at the lotus fragrance moving and said softly, "It's really wonderful!"

The Second Princess shuddered for some reason. "Third Sister, I didn't see you at the banquet before. I heard you were unwell. Are you feeling better now?"

The Third Princess smiled dignifiedly and said, "Much better! Second Sister, I heard that you and your second brother-in-law are very close, so why is there no good news yet?"

The Second Princess' cheeks flushed instantly. "Mother said it all depends on fate."

In fact, the second princess has been adjusting her body in private. She is a little anxious, but the second prince consort is really not in a hurry. He even advises the second princess to take it slow. The rules of their family are very strict, and there are very few elders in the family who have concubines.

The third princess glanced at the second princess meaningfully. What Emperor Shenwu said was right. The princes-in-law he found for his daughters were all people with relatively pure hearts, good family backgrounds and good character. As long as they didn't seek death, they could live a peaceful and prosperous life.

The second princess also wanted to ask the third princess why there was no good news yet, but she was afraid that she would be thought to be mocking her, so she kept silent.

The sounds of other people talking to each other could be heard all around. The third princess was feeling a little bored when suddenly everything around her fell silent. It was so quiet that she could only hear the gentle sound of the wind and the friction between lotus leaves and lotus flowers.

The third princess seemed to have sensed something and looked towards the first boat, only to see her biological mother standing up respectfully. Madam Qian quickly bowed deeply and then quickly got off the boat, jumped onto a small boat, and then boarded another boat.

The Shenwu Emperor had suddenly arrived! The Imperial Garden's Black Feather Guards had more than doubled in number, guarding every exit. The atmosphere suddenly became solemn and tense.

Emperor Shenwu naturally boarded the first boat, and Mrs. Qian tactfully retreated to find Wei Yanting's wife.

"I see you're so carefree and relaxed, I'm so envious!"

Lan Qingwu reached out and pulled the Shenwu Emperor over, saying with a smile, "So, Your Majesty has finally had a chance to relax for a while!"

By this time, almost half of the women were already floating on the lake, and everyone on the boat saluted respectfully, "Long live His Majesty!"

Emperor Shenwu said in a loud voice: "Ladies, please make yourselves at ease! Concubine Jiang, the rest is up to you."

Concubine Jiang bowed and agreed on another boat.

The boat carrying the Emperor and Empress had already sailed far away, and only then did everyone rise one by one. Some women of high rank had never seen the Shenwu Emperor before, not even during the New Year's pilgrimage, and now they were all secretly excited. You know, many noble ladies had brought their legitimate daughters with them this time. These were the noble ladies with unclear minds. Some families with broader vision had their eyes on the Crown Prince. The Shenwu Emperor's foundation was already solid, and an heir wouldn't have a bright future, and there was no comparison with the legitimate prince. The battlefield of the struggle had already shifted invisibly.

The third princess stared intently at the distant boat, listening to the clamorous noises around her. She couldn't help but feel upset: "They really... don't care!"

The Crown Princess also had mixed feelings. As she watched the Emperor and Empress walk away hand in hand, a faint resentment rose in her heart. If only the Crown Prince could come! Then everyone would see how favored she was, and no one would dare to look down on her anymore, nor would they have any messy ideas.

Emperor Shenwu looked at the scenery on the lake and said, "Weiweiwei really knows how to enjoy life!"

Emperor Shenwu was really jealous: "Beautiful scenery, beautiful women, delicious food, singing and dancing, there is no shortage of anything!"

Lan Qingwu did not feel guilty at all, his face was not red and his heart was not beating: "Your Majesty, you are disturbing my interest by doing this! Otherwise -"

Emperor Shenwu raised his sword-like eyebrows: "Hmm?"

Lan Qingwu smiled softly and whispered, "I'm still in need of a peerless handsome man to entertain me! Now that His Majesty has arrived—"

"Be bold!"

Although Emperor Shenwu scolded him lightly, a smile appeared on his lips: "How dare you to make fun of me again!"

"Then Your Majesty, would you like to..."

Emperor Shenwu waved his sleeves and said, "Go get my zither!"

Lan Qingwu's eyes also lit up: "Brother Heng, what piano?"

Originally, Lan Qingwu wanted to let Emperor Shenwu relax as he had been too nervous before, but he didn't expect there would be a surprise.

"This is a zither I ordered to be made. You'll be able to see it when I get it."

Lan Qingwu was even more surprised when he saw the zither. The palace maid's hands, raised above her head, were actually a pair of zithers! With dragon bodies and phoenix shapes, and a dark and bright color, the zither's form was elegant and simple, showcasing the beauty of ancient charm. Every string and pillar, every note and rhythm, were treasures of Dasheng culture.

Lan Qingwu's fingers gently plucked the phoenix zither. The timbre of the guqin was as mellow as silk and as lively as a spring. Gently plucking each string, it felt as if he had traveled through a thousand years of time. Listening to the beautiful melody played by the guqin, it was like the sound of nature, revealing a simple and elegant atmosphere that was refreshing and delightful.

Lan Qingwu's joy was obvious, and the Shenwu Emperor couldn't help but feel happy. He said, "I named them Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Queen! Do you want to try it? The war music I want to play is not the music you usually play!"

Lan Qingwu was not afraid at all: "Do you want a duet? War song or something else is fine, I just don't know if the tacit understanding between me and Brother Heng is still there!"

A duet, when two people play a piece together, tests not only the individual's playing skills, but also the tacit understanding and mutual trust between the two people, so that they can play a better performance than one person alone!