Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“How is the wine a true essence of life?” Xiaolian asked. “I will get scolded if my mother finds me in a drunk state,” she stated.

“Do not tell your mother then!” Jin Yu said and gulped the wine in a single shot. “All the princes have gathered together for the wine party. Why we women cannot do this? We should celebrate too,” Jin Yu stated and looked at Li Hua. She encouraged her to drink the wine and she sipped it.

“I should take one shot too,” Xiaolian said with a sigh and brought the cup to her mouth.

“Princess Xiaolian looks sad. Is everything good?” Li Hua asked. Ai Fen gazed at Xiaolian to hear her answer while Jin Yu filled their cups.

“Feng Lao does not like me. He rejected my feelings for him,” Xiaolian said and pouted. “How can he not see I have improved? Li Hua, forgive me for ridiculing you,” she said in a low voice.

“Li Hua, can you not talk to Feng Lao?” Ai Fen asked.

“I did. I asked him to give a chance to Princess Xiaolian. I do not know why he keeps rejecting the third princess,” Li Hua asserted.

“It is because I am an evil person in his eyes,” Xiaolian said and gulped the wine from the porcelain cup before plonking it on the table. “Does he like someone?” She gazed at Li Hua with a troubled expression.

.....

“No, he does not. The last time we talked, Feng Lao told me that he does not want to get involved with any woman. Also,” Li Hua paused. She was hesitant to tell Xiaolian what Feng Lao thought of her.

“You can tell me, Li Hua. I want to know what he thinks about me,” Xiaolian stated.

Jin Yu told Li Hua to be truthful to Xiaolian.

“Feng Lao had a likeness toward me. As you all know we both were supposed to marry each other. So, in his heart, I was there for a long time. Then, he married a woman from Xinshui, and unfortunately, she died in the fire outbreak. He is not opening up about it, but somewhere he may have some kind of fear,” Li Hua stated.

“Ah. I heard that Feng Lao’s deceased wife was pregnant. I do not think Sister Xiaolian’s mother would allow her to marry Feng Lao,” Ai Fen stated the fact.

“Indeed, his wife was pregnant, but that was not the complete truth. Feng Lao married her to save her dignity. She was pregnant with someone else’s child,” Li Hua told them the truth.

“Feng Lao is such a nice man,” Jin Yu said and sipped the wine.

“He is!” Xiaolian said with a smile and picked up the wine jar this time. She filled the wine cup for her and drank more wine. “He is handsome too. I have a weak heart for handsome men. The day I saw him with a sword in his hand, I fell for him,” Xiaolian truthfully told them.

“Handsome men are indeed a weakness,” Jin Yu stated. “Maybe Feng Lao is not the man whom you are looking for.” She forgot to use formal speech with the princess.

“I also think the same, Crown Princess. I wish I had never seen him. I am brokenhearted thanks to him,” Xiaolian muttered and tears formed in her eyes.

Li Hua realized that Xiaolian was badly hurt. She could understand her.

“Princess Xiaolian, do not be lovesick,” Jin Yu said and asked her to drink more to forget her pain.

“Princess Ai Fen, you will be married off soon,” Jin Yu stated. “The Crown Prince was telling me that your mother has come to him to talk about it,” she added.

“But the palace still has so many problems going on and after the revelation of father’s crimes, will anyone be willing to take me as their house’s daughter-in-law?” Ai Fen raised a suspicion.

“The royal family has become stronger than before,” Jin Yu stated. “The people’s faith in the right justice has only increased and there are many good families in the kingdom. Princess Ai Fen should not think this way,” she caressed her arm and handed her the wine cup.

Ai Fen smiled and took the wine cup from Jin Yu.

“Did the Crown Prince look for a man for Princess Ai Fen?” Li Hua curiously asked.

“He will after the coronation,” Jin Yu replied.

“It is such a sad feeling to leave your house,” Xiaolian said.

“It is,” Li Hua agreed with her.

“I am scared. If I did not find a man like Feng Lao what will happen to me?” Xiaolian questioned them.

“Why does Princess Xiaolian want a man like Feng Lao? If she compares her future companion with him, then it will create a problem. You should instead go for the man’s qualities. The Crown Prince will find the best match for Princess Xiaolian,” Jin Yu assured her and stood up. “Let me show you a dance using the sword,” she stated.

Jin Yu went to the bedchamber and returned with a sword. She placed the sword on the floor table on which they were drinking wine. “Li Hua, sit next to the two princesses,” Jin Yu said. Li Hua stood up and went to the other side of the table where the princesses were seated.

“Have you heard of martial sword dance?” Jin Yu asked them.

The three of them shook their heads.

“Jin Yu will show you three. This special performance is dedicated to you three,” Jin Yu stated and tucked her hair into a bun first.

“Is the Crown Princess not drunk? She drank a lot,” Ai Fen said concernedly.

“I do not get drunk with one jar of wine. I drank very little,” she stated.

As a skilled dancer swayed her hands, Jin Yu did the same and gracefully bent to grab the sword. She moved her left leg back while tilting her head to the right.

Her foot movements were so quick and seamless. She slid and glided on her feet so smoothly that it amused the three of them. Their faces had brightened up with the smile.

Since the chamber was spacious, Jin Yu did not find it difficult to move around. She bounced the sword in the air and as soon as it reached her face, she withdrew the sword from the scabbard while holding the scabbard in the other hand.

She moved the sword so skillfully like a skilled martial artist and it shimmered their eyes. She twirled around before sliding her right leg forward and then did a handstand on the right hand before again standing up, extending her right hand out which had the sword in it.

The vibrant smile on her lips while performing the dance made them happy. The sword spun in Jin Yu’s hand and she ducked it forward while gracefully sitting on her legs. She got up smoothly and again spun the sword on her right side. Her hands were as quick as her feet.

Toward the end of the sword dance, she jumped high and kept doing it in a circle and then slowly slowed down.

The three of them clapped for Jin Yu as the performance ended.

“We never saw such an amazing dance, Crown Prince,” Li Hua said with her big eyes.

“I agree with Li Hua,” Ai Fen said and they asked Jin Yu to take the seat. She panted heavily and put the sword back into the scabbard.

“I watched a martial artist several years ago doing this in the market. Whenever I would get tired from the training, I would do this to relieve my stress,” Jin Yu told them and sat around the table.

“The Crown Princess is full of skills,” Xiaolian said.

“Enough of the praises, Ladies! Let’s drink more!” Jin Yu said and grabbed the wine jar.

~~~~~

I do not know whether I expressed the dance well or not. If you are interested in watching this kind of dance, then you can watch it on youtube. It is a very amazing art form in dance.

HAPPY READING