At the Spring Flower Banquet, the seating arrangements for everyone had been meticulously assigned by the Empress in advance.
Yet, it remained a mystery whose seat this vacant spot was meant for.
Su Jinhuan harbored a vague guess, though she could not be certain; for all she knew, it might belong to one of the princes.
Deciding not to dwell on it, she let her mind drift to the crisp melodies of the silk and bamboo instruments, taking light sips of the fine delicacies from the Empress's palace.
The dishes were exquisitely prepared, but they did not quite suit Su Jinhuan's palate.
Only a single cup of fruit wine from the Empress's palace stood out, exceptionally fragrant, mellow, and sweet.
Halfway through the banquet, the Empress waved her hand to dismiss the dancing palace maids and spoke with a smile: "The dance steps of these palace maids are truly mundane. I wonder if any of the young ladies present would be willing to offer a dance and treat everyone to a wondrous sight?"
This development was entirely expected.
Su Jinhuan had assumed Lu Qingge would be the first to step forward, but unexpectedly, it was Lu Qingge's companion, Song Xiangwan, who stood up first.
"This humble maiden is willing to make a fool of herself, hoping to bring a smile to Her Majesty the Empress and everyone here!"
Song Xiangwan wore a light green long dress; she was naturally cute, possessing the delicate charm of a girl from an ordinary yet refined family. The moment she stood up, she instantly became the center of attention.
"Granted!"
Song Xiangwan rose and left her seat, casting a meaningful glance at Su Jinhuan before she finished.
Su Jinhuan found this inexplicable, but she quickly understood.
Song Xiangwan stepped away to dance, her movements soft and ethereal, swaying like a fragile willow in the wind.
Alternating between stillness and motion, her posture shifting gracefully, her waist-length dark hair danced with the wind—it was nothing short of breathtaking.
Her light green long dress complemented the spring scenery of the imperial garden, drawing every eye.
Yet, Su Jinhuan keenly noticed that Song Xiangwan's peripheral vision kept straying toward Lu Jin'an over there.
In the imperial court, and with a view toward choosing a match for the First Prince, such behavior was entirely improper.
Shen Shiqian, seated at the head of the male guests, took in everything before him.
Yet his reaction was indifferent, as if none of it concerned him.
The dance ended to applause that filled the hall.
The Empress, accompanied by the two consorts, bestowed rewards of moderate value.
Standing at the center, Song Xiangwan relished the gazes focused on her like stars surrounding the moon, only to fix a malicious look upon Su Jinhuan.
"Back in my boudoir, I often heard that Princess Changning's dancing skills are peerless. Today, as we are fortunate to gather here in the imperial garden, I wonder if we might have the honor of witnessing them?"
Song Xiangwan had always been close to Lu Qingge, and she was thoroughly enamored with Lu Jin's bright and clear demeanor.
Upon arriving at the banquet today, she had heard Lu Qingge recount just how tyrannical and arrogant this Su Jinhuan supposedly was.
That aside, since it did not involve her, she had merely chimed in with a few concurring remarks.
Yet, when Lu Jin'an sat down—even though she herself was seated right beside him—Lu Jin'an's gaze fell entirely upon Su Jinhuan without the slightest deviation.
How could this not infuriate her?
It seemed Qingge was right: this Su Jinhuan was truly a seductive vixen who used who-knows-what tricks to draw all of Lu Jin'an's attention to herself.
Upon hearing this, the Empress showed intense interest.
"Oh? Is that truly so?"
"I have heard that Xiangwan is a famously talented woman in the capital."
"Since even Xiangwan speaks of her in such glowing terms, Princess Changning's dancing must surely possess extraordinary qualities!"
"I wonder if I shall have the pleasure of seeing it today?"
Noble Consort Yu still wore a smile, but as she looked toward the Empress, a trace of imperceptible chill gathered in the depths of her eyes.
Jiang Shuying's grandfather had been the Grand Tutor of the former emperor, so Jiang Shuying had read widely since childhood and was exceptionally knowledgeable, yet she alone lacked skill in dancing.
Jinhuan had been gifted with intelligence since childhood; she excelled in the qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, mastered flower arranging and needlework to perfection, and had read extensively, particularly excelling in painting.
Yet when it came to dancing, perhaps inheriting it from Jiang Shuying, her skill was regrettably shallow.
Those seated in the seats of honor were all shrewd veterans; how could they fail to see through the thoughts of the younger generation?
Yet the Empress insisted on pushing things along, hoping to make Jinhuan lose face in public.
Noble Consort Yu cursed inwardly; as an elder, to deliberately and publicly embarrass a junior in such a grand setting utterly stripped away the dignity expected of the mistress of the palace.
Yet in this situation, it was difficult for her to step in and stop it.
Su Jinhuan had been sitting peacefully, and yet, just like that, out of the blue, Song Xiangwan pointed her spear straight at her.
The moment Song Xiangwan spoke, Su Jinhuan caught the hostility hidden within her words.
She suddenly understood the significance of Song Xiangwan's parting glance earlier—so the trap had been set right here for her!
Doubtless, Song Xiangwan's deliberate targeting of this moment owed no small debt to Lu Qingge's handiwork.
Yet at this very moment, she was trapped on a pedestal, finding it hard to either dismount or stay put.
If she admitted she could not dance, she would not only show disrespect to the Empress in front of everyone, but she would also make herself the laughingstock of the capital's noble families and bring shame upon the Chancellor's Estate.
On the other hand, if she claimed she could, she truly lacked mastery in the art.
Over there, Song Xiangwan and Lu Qingge watched her dilemma with smiles they could no longer contain, brimming with triumph.
With so many young lords and ladies of status gathered here today, if Su Jinhuan made a fool of herself in public, it would likely not be long before the news spread.
Word that Princess Changning was shallow in learning, possessing only beauty without substance, would sweep through the capital.
When that time came, the disgrace would fall upon more than just Su Jinhuan alone.
Shen Shiheng perceived Su Jinhuan's predicament and spoke up to relieve her.
"Since this is the Spring Flower Banquet, it is precisely like a hundred flowers blooming together that truly makes a spring."
"If there were only dancing, it would inevitably become monotonous! Why not have Princess Changning play a tune on the qin instead?"
Shen Shiheng's words were exquisitely phrased; even Noble Consort Yu could not help glancing sideways at him with an expression of admiration.
At that moment, Ji Wantang, seated at the head of the female guests, spoke with a smile.
"The Third Prince's words are wide of the mark. It is naturally wonderful for a hundred flowers to vie in beauty!"
"Yet this is the imperial palace; even a hundred flowers must be sorted by rank and primacy before they can be sent to the various chambers."
"Just as the finest peonies can only be supplied to Her Majesty the Empress's palace."
"Of course, I assume Princess Changning's dancing skills are surely no less inferior to Xiangwan's, and she would gladly let everyone witness them."
"Tell me, Princess Changning, am I right?"
Ji Wantang turned her head back, her bright and striking face bearing a smile as she looked at Su Jinhuan.
Yet Su Jinhuan dared not take this person lightly.
Ji Wantang's words appeared fair on the surface, but in reality, they covertly reinforced the Empress's supreme position, reminding everyone of Her Majesty's status.
Then, she hoisted Su Jinhuan onto a high platform; if she followed Heng'er's suggestion and played the qin, she would be indirectly admitting that she was inferior to Song Xiangwan.
This Ji Wantang was far more formidable than Song Xiangwan.
However, since she had no intention of stirring up trouble, yet these people insisted on coming forward one after another to provoke her, she naturally would not endure it in silence.
Su Jinhuan rose, offering a charming smile, and ignoring Ji Wantang entirely, she looked instead toward the Empress. "Since Her Majesty the Empress has spoken, Jinhuan naturally should not refuse!"
"It is only that Jinhuan is indeed not well-versed in dancing."
Ji Wantang had been looking at Su Jinhuan, waiting for her to reply, but Su Jinhuan did not even deign to look at her. Her expression instantly stiffened in mortification!
Yet hearing Su Jinhuan decline, she immediately brightened up with delight.
No matter what, Su Jinhuan was about to suffer a far greater loss of face than she herself ever could.
Song Xiangwan and Lu Qingge also wore looks of smug triumph.
The smile on the Empress's face deepened. "A gentleman does not force others against their will. Since that is the case, then let it be!"
"It would seem, then, that the Chancellor dotes on Princess Changning a great deal!"
Su Jinhuan felt a chill run through her as she looked at the seemingly gentle Empress before her.
This remark appeared to praise Su Huaize's affection for her, but between the lines, it implied that the Chancellor's Estate had failed in its upbringing of daughters.
Indeed, there were no kind souls in this palace.
However, today, the Empress was destined to be disappointed.
"Your Majesty, Jinhuan merely said she was not well-versed, she did not say she could not dance at all!"
Su Jinhuan raised her head, a trace of puzzlement resting on her features.
"Since Her Majesty the Empress has spoken, Jinhuan will certainly not let Your Majesty down!"