Chapter 102: The Duel of Melody and Dance

What the hell! Isn't this a geisha's outfit? Luo Gan's face turned livid. He threw the clothes onto the ground, stomped on them fiercely a few times, spat on them, and stomped again.

Trying to hurry back before the drumbeats ended so as not to miss his stage appearance, he figured he would just deal with whatever came next as it arrived. When you come to the mountain, there’s a path; when you reach the bridge, the road straightens out.

As soon as he stepped out of the alleyway, Luo Gan froze. Before him was clearly not a dance floor, but the same alleyway, and under his feet lay the grimy geisha costume.

I don't believe this! Is this a ghost wall? Luo Gan quickened his pace toward the light. He walked to the very end, only to find himself back at the starting point after another step.

Now Luo Gan was truly rattled. He opened his vision system to see what was going on, only to see a line of text light up: Please put on the equipment to enter the plot.

He had been inexplicably gifted a sissy outfit, and now he was actually being forced to wear it?

The noisy drumbeats and the clamor of the crowd were fading from his ears. The alley seemed endless. Luo Gan stared at the geisha costume in his hands, unable to overcome this internal hurdle.

Jun Tao took the stage, directly opposite Dai Zhi.

Dai Zhi smiled flippantly, as if holding her opponent in contempt.

Jun Tao did not wear her displeasure on her face. Courtesans had always been competitive, and it was no surprise that even women who had never met would harbor such temperament.

"So, you are this Jun Tao?"

Hearing the other woman address her, Jun Tao nodded in acknowledgment.

"Hah, and I thought you were some kind of extraordinary woman! It seems you're just a country bumpkin from a small town, reeking of dirt." Dai Zhi did not mince words, determined to grab all the attention and fame before the confrontation.

Jun Tao did not need to say much; on the stage, the results would speak for themselves. Everything else was just embellishment and mattered little.

The audience's reaction was enthusiastic and explosive, igniting the atmosphere of the festival to a climax. Li Shimin, who had been lost in thought, looked over as soon as he heard the massive roar from below.

Nearby, several imperial guards were escorting a high official who had arrived late from his residence. A guard asked the minister, "Is this appropriate? His Majesty invited you to attend, and you arrive only now."

The minister showed neither sorrow nor joy, feeling that the matter was trivial and not even worth discussing.

"Going is enough. It’s just a performance for amusement."

Dai Zhi took the initiative, moving with grace, her robes fluttering as she spun repeatedly. She was like a swaying begonia in the wind, delicate and poised to fall.

The audience applauded and cheered, whistling at Dai Zhi.

"Truly a fairy! A fairy descended to earth!"

"Wow, to see such dance steps in this lifetime—I can die without regrets!"

A man behind him chimed in, "Well, hurry up and die then, so I can take your spot and see!"

The minister exclaimed repeatedly, "A Xishi of our time! This girl is remarkable!"

"A beauty seen once in a century! Truly a national treasure, a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms!"

Du Ruhui coughed twice, his breathing somewhat labored. Although Li Shimin’s eyes were on Dai Zhi, he noticed his minister’s ill health and ordered his attendants to bring water to Du Ruhui.

In the heat of her dance, Dai Zhi moved step by step toward Jun Tao, her gaze arrogant and aggressive. Jun Tao responded without changing her expression, though her peripheral vision scanned the area beneath the stage. Seeing no sign of Xiao Zhi and the others, she felt a slight tinge of anxiety.

Yuchi Gong, having spent much time in the military, found these flowery displays provocative and looked on with an ambiguous glint in his eyes.

Xiao Yu, the Duke of Song, was an elder and a relative of Li Yuan. He waved his hand, feeling that this dance competition was a waste of national strength, and said with dissatisfaction, "The dancing girl has already secured victory. The other side hasn't even made a move; I suppose there's no need to continue."

The people around him remained motionless, exchanging glances. After all, for commoners to be so pretentious in the presence of the Emperor was surely disrespectful, and they wondered if there was some immense reason for it.

Du Ruhui folded his arms, noncommittal.

"Is the other one planning to forfeit? Standing still like that—if you can't perform, get it over with!"

Upon hearing Du Ruhui's words, a servant ran down to inquire about the situation.

Li Shimin saw it all but pretended not to notice. Since his ascension, many officials had not been submissive to him, and Xiao Yu was one of them. He figured that because Xiao Yu was a relative of Li Yuan and a high-ranking official, he must harbor resentment toward Li Shimin, who had taken the throne via the Xuanwu Gate Incident. He was a thorn in Li Shimin’s side; if not removed, it would be difficult to establish authority.

Therefore, what Li Shimin wanted to see most was to make an example of someone, to kill the chicken to scare the monkey. His confidants, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, stood in opposition to Xiao Yu and his faction, both openly and covertly, which was, to some extent, at Li Shimin’s instruction.

Xiao Zhi and Yan Shan finally carried a zither onto the dance floor, and Jun Tao finally let out a sigh of relief.

Surprised gazes turned toward them. A zither handed to this woman—what kind of melody would she play?

Dai Zhi was not shaken by this. She grinned, which to others looked like a display of confidence, but to Jun Tao, it was a declaration of war—a provocation!

Jun Tao impatiently grabbed the zither, placed it on the stand, and held her breath. As her slender fingers plucked the strings, it was as if thousands of peonies had suddenly bloomed!

The low notes of the zither resonated, flowing back and forth. It was as calm as the bright moon reflected in water, where one could only gaze at its stillness, leaving no trace behind. It was the image of a woman leaning against a window, longing for her lover’s return, watching the autumn waters until they dried up, while the courtyard was filled with falling sycamore leaves.

"Plucking such a sorrowful tune in broad daylight—why don't you go burn incense at the Qingming Festival instead!"

"Exactly! It’s such a lively day; who wants to listen to this depressing stuff? It's boring!"

"Hey, hey, you guys don't understand! This is called taste! Haven't you noticed the officials on the stage listening with such satisfaction?"

Zhangsun Wuji listened, mesmerized, feeling as if life were a dream. Former officials of the previous dynasty, like Xiao Yu, caught the notes of sorrow; walking on thin ice as they were, they resonated with this mournful sentiment. Yuchi Gong scratched his head, confused.

Li Shimin, meanwhile, observed the reactions of his officials through the performance. Rather than watching the dance, he was reading the hearts of his ministers.

Xiao Yu sighed, "A fine tune! This girl is not simple."

Du Ruhui, acting as the habitual contrarian, opposed whatever Xiao Yu said, regardless of the merits.

"The Duke of Song is mistaken! In such a public setting, keeping everyone waiting, and with such a mournful tune—how is this appropriate?"

Du Ruhui turned his head and asked Zhangsun Wuji with a meaningful look, "Right, Duke of Zhao?"

Zhangsun Wuji did not want to participate too deeply in the court infighting. As the Emperor's brother-in-law, he remained composed, knowing that staying away from disputes was best.

The melodious zither music disrupted the rhythm of Dai Zhi's dance. Jun Tao’s smiling expression made Dai Zhi increasingly displeased.

Dai Zhi: "Humph, running out of tricks. Don't think you can beat me with just that."

Jun Tao: "You'll only be able to be arrogant for a little while longer."

Below the stage, Xiao Zhi and Yan Shan watched, nervous and uneasy.

Xiao Zhi: "Women, they really aren't simple."

Yan Shan: "Why hasn't the President arrived yet?"

From the direction of the alleyway, a person dressed in magnificent robes slowly made their way through the crowd toward the dance floor...