Eastern Li's Third Princess (5)
Han Ming Hong instantly leaned back against his chair with a 'having gotten shot' look.
Du Xiao Li was right, she'd never personally admitted to no knowing any talents. At the gathering, they also didn't request to not allow singing. It was all their own assumptions, believing that Du Xiao Li didn't know any talents. That's why when she chose to sing, they all subconsciously thought that she didn't know any instruments, thus would choose to do such.
(T/N: I want to point out that singing is a talent, just the talent that is being referred to in this context is the scholarly talents of the aristocratic circle.)
"Then Prime Minister Du also doesn't know?" Han Ming Ze asked.
"Replying to your Majesty, this one's father also doesn't know, because he's never asked me what I know, and I've never specially mentioned either." Du Xiao Li replied.
Han Ming Ze looked to Du Xiao Li, then to Du Yun Han, unsure what he was thinking.
"Your Majesty, didn't you say you were going to reward them?" Han Ming Yi saw the somewhat impatient look in Du Xiao Li's eyes and thus said to Han Ming Ze.
"Ming Yi, this is heartaching for your future wangfei? Hahaha, regardless of what, you all's performance tonight indeed dazzled everyone's eyes, definitely have to properly reward! Each of you will be bestowed a pair of jade ruyi scepters, what do you think, Empress?"
(T/N: When I was little I thought these things were fancy backscratchers; they're really just a symbolic lucky object/art display.)
"Emperor's idea is very good." The Empress said with a smile.
The palace maids very quickly brought over five pairs of jade ruyi and carried before Du Xiao Li and them. Du Xiao Li and the others accepted the jade ruyi and simultaneously curtsied, saying: "Thanking your Majesty for the bestowment!"
"You all can withdraw!" Han Ming Ze waved his hand. He picked up the wine cup in front of him and took a sip of wine.
"Wait-----"
Just when Du Xiao Li and the others were planning on leaving, a delicate voice came through, stopping their steps.
"Third princess, is something the matter?" The Empress looked to Lu Jun Qi and asked with a smile.
Lu Jun Qi didn't reply to the Empress. She got up and came to the center, looking to Du Xiao Li and asking, "You're Du Xiao Li? The person engaged to Ding Wang? Han Ming Yi, at the time, you rejected me for her? No matter how one looks, she's still just an immature brat, and not even pretty, just what do you like about her?"
Lu Jun Qi's words made the atmosphere instantly change. This was trying to pick a fight?!
At the time, Lu Jun Qi stripping naked to seduce Han Ming Yi and then getting thrown out by him was something everyone all knew. Looks like she came today to pick a fight!
Du Xiao Li listened to Lu Jun Qi's words and her heart jumped. Seems she really did come for her? She glanced to Han Ming Xiang and the others. They all had a 'we didn't guess wrong' look.
Han Ming Yi put down his wine cup and looked to Lu Jun Qi, coldly saying: "Third princess, this prince's wangfei, you have no right to comment on!"
"Where did she come from? We've been acquainted for three years, how long have you known her to be this protective of her?" Lu Jun Qi looked to Han Ming Yi's angry appearance, feeling both wronged and unresigned.
"This prince's woman, this prince naturally have to protect, don't tell me I need to defend an outsider like you?" Han Ming Yi turned to Du Xiao Li, not even willing to give a single glance to Lu Jun Qi.
Seeing herself being ignored like this, the raging flame in Lu Jun Qi's heart directly rosed up, and her rationality got drowned out by anger. She grabbed the whip at her waist and waved it towards Du Xiao Li.
"Careful!"
Lu Jun Qi's movements caused a wave of disturbance. Du Yun Han directly charged out from his seat, but he didn't know martial arts and simply couldn't stop Lu Jun Qi.
Ji Liu Xia actually knew martial arts, but she also didn't dare to singlehandedly catch the viciously approaching whip. Just when she was planning on disregarding everything and save Xiao Li first, the whip was caught by someone. Du Xiao Li was also gathered into a faint orchid scented embrace.
Seeing Du Xiao Li get saved, Ji Liu Xia and Du Yun Han both let out a heavy sigh. Luo Qi, who'd already stood up, sat back down without leaving a trace.
Du Xiu Heng's tightly clenched fist slowly released, and his tense body finally relaxed.
"You all withdraw first." Han Ming Yi said to the four behind him.
Han Ming Xiang and the others worryingly glanced to Du Xiao Li from behind, and then returned to their respective seats.
"Let go!" Lu Jun Qi's whip was in Han Ming Yi's hand, and she couldn't retracted it back.
"Third princess, carrying a weapon into my Feng Ming's imperial palace, we didn't have you hand over the whip, yet you used it to commit an violent act." Han Ming Yi's left hand held Du Xiao Li, while his right hand grasped the whip, coldly sneering, "Moreover, it was even directed towards this prince's future wangfei. Say, do you think I'll let go?"
"Han Ming Yi, don't be too much of a bully!" Lu Jun Qi saw the coldness emitting from Han Ming Yi's body and subconsciously took a step back.
"Oh? Bullying this prince's woman, then you need to prepare for the worst." Han Ming Yi finished saying and flung his hand. The entire whip was shaken into several pieces.
"You! This is the nine-segment whip that my imperial father bestowed me!" Lu Jun Qi blankly looked to the whip on the ground and heartbrokenly said.
"If not seeing on Eastern Li Emperor's behalf, the one lying on the ground right now won't be the whip, but you." Han Ming Yi said and turned to return to his seat with Du Xiao Li in arm.
Du Xiao Li didn't expect that Han Ming Yi would suddenly run over to protect her. She sensed that he really was angry, knowing that if Lu Jun Qi wasn't Eastern Li's princess, the one lying on the ground perhaps really will be her. She looked to the arm around her shoulders. Her somewhat restless heart calmed down. However, hearing him, in such a public place with numerous people, say 'this prince's wangfei', or 'this prince's woman', one after the other, still made her slightly blush.
"Didn't scare you just now, right?" Han Ming Yi lowered his head and asked in a gentle voice.
"No." Du Xiao Li shook her head and followed him towards the seating area.
"Du Xiao Li, stop right there!" Lu Jun Qi heard Han Ming Yi's words towards Du Xiao Li, and seeing the two's dense honey like passion, she shouted towards Du Xiao Li, no longer bothering with the whip on the ground.
Dense honey like passion? If Du Xiao Li knew what Lu Jun Qi was thinking inside, her two eyes definitely would've rolled to the skies. Where did they have dense honey like passion?!
"Third princess, what else do you need?" Du Xiao Li asked. She didn't want to bother with this kind of spoiled princess! This will give you a headache, but if you don't respond to her, she'll annoy you to death.
Han Ming Yi casted Lu Jun Qi a glance and said, "No need to pay attention to her."
"Du Xiao Li, I want to compete with you!" Lu Jun Qi said pointing to Du Xiao Li, "Didn't you choreograph such a stunning performance? Then you must be very talented. I want to compete with you. If you lose, then leave Han Ming Yi's side, get as far away as you can, don't keep clinging around him. Do you dare to compete?"
"Why should I compete it you?" Du Xiao Li asked indifferently.
"Hmph, are you scared of competing with me? The person by Ding Wang's side must be a talented and beautiful person. You already don't have looks, could it be that you don't even have talent either? This kind of you, for what reason, gets to stand by Ding Wang's side? Or could it be, you women of Feng Ming are nothing more than just that? Regardless of courage or talent, all can't compare with my Eastern Li." Lu Jun Qi resentfully said, as she looked to Du Xiao Li with an unresigned look.
Nothing more than an immature silly little girl, how can she compare to her, this Eastern Li's number one beauty? But why, in his eyes, there just wasn't her(LJQ) shadow?
Du Xiao Li looked to Lu Jun Qi. As soon as those words came out, her path of retreat was completely blocked. Right now, even if she didn't want to compete, she'd still have to. Not only did she have to compete, she also had to win, because this concerned Feng Ming's face. Han Ming Ze certainly won't let her shrink back!
As expected-----
"Du Xiao Li, since Eastern Li's third princess wants to compete with you this much, then why don't you measure yourself against her, see if you are able to stand by Feng Ming's Ding Wang's side!" Han Ming Ze instructed.
"This subject accepts the decree." Du Xiao Li curtsied, and then looked to the confident Lu Jun Qi and asked, "Don't know what third princess wants to compete?"
T/N: I swear this Emperor is probably enjoying the drama, then again this is as good as entertainment gets in ancient times lol.
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