Xiao Mucheng and Xiao Zitang, who were in the middle of a heated argument, fell silent at Xiao Yingxun’s words. They turned in unison to look at him. Every eye in the Honghua Hall seemed fixed on Xiao Yingxun at the same moment.
Gu Lingwan paused for a breath before leaning in, keeping his voice low enough that only the two of them could hear: “Your Highness is joking, right?”
Xiao Yingxun’s expression was solemn. “I always keep my word.”
His inner voice will eventually betray him, Xiao Yingxun thought. It will reveal how he pulled off these tricks to deceive everyone. As for the books of poetry he claimed to have studied, I will surely find them and catch him red-handed, forcing him to bear the consequences of his lies.
Gu Lingwan scrutinized Xiao Yingxun for a moment. “Is Your Highness in a bad mood?”
Why does it feel like he is angry with me? Ah, right. I won so much money from the Xiao family that this guy must be unhappy.
Gu Lingwan seemed to realize something. “Your Highness, if you bet with me, the stake wouldn’t be the silver I just won from the Seventeenth Prince, or the hundred thousand taels of gold His Majesty rewarded me with, would it?”
Xiao Yingxun replied, “Exactly.” Those are all ill-gotten gains you swindled through despicable means; they do not belong to you.
Gu Lingwan lowered his head and rolled his eyes internally. Screw you! Truly, anyone who schemed to take his money deserved to have their family’s ancestral graves dug up.
Xiao Yingxun’s inner fury was nearly impossible to contain. The flames of anger in his eyes seemed ready to erupt: Utterly lacking in character, coarse, and a shameless, despicable wretch. To prevent Gu Lingwan from noticing the signs of his rage, Xiao Yingxun also bowed his head.
Nearby, Xiao Rongbing remarked to Xiao Lanjie, “Look, Your Majesty, how much rapport the Sixth Brother and the Princess Consort have. They are so engrossed in conversation that they are both bowing their heads.”
Xiao Lanjie observed the pair closely. “Hmm, they are both angry.”
Xiao Rongbing laughed. “It is just a small lover’s spat. There is a saying that a couple’s quarrels in the bedroom are resolved by bedtime. You should be able to see that the Sixth Brother’s attitude toward the Princess Consort is quite different from before.”
Xiao Lanjie did not care for Xiao Rongbing’s remark. He picked up his teacup and took a slow sip, remaining silent, though his eyes continued to survey the pair.
Xiao Yingxun composed himself and said to Gu Lingwan, expressionless, “Does the Heir not dare to take this bet with me?”
What do I have to be afraid of? Gu Lingwan replied, “Fine, let’s bet.” He immediately asked, “What is Your Highness’s stake?”
Xiao Yingxun replied, “You choose.”
Gu Lingwan let his gaze linger on Xiao Yingxun’s cold, ascetic, handsome face. He lowered his head, fidgeting with his fingers. “Whatever I choose, will Your Highness agree?”
Xiao Yingxun replied, “Yes.”
I should choose for you to castrate yourself if you lose, so that Xiao the Second is no longer a “second.” Hahaha. Gu Lingwan toyed with the thought, then looked up at Xiao Yingxun. “If Your Highness loses, I want you to give me one hundred thousand taels of gold, just like His Majesty.”
Look at that face, so sure of victory. Pfft! Who gave you that confidence?
Xiao Yingxun said, “Very well. Although I do not possess that much wealth, I will certainly emerge victorious.”
Gu Lingwan raised an eyebrow. “Your Highness is engaging in fraud.”
Xiao Yingxun replied, “In that case, the Princess Consort may choose a stake that I am capable of fulfilling.”
Nearby, Xiao Mucheng asked Xiao Lanjie with curiosity, “What are they talking about? They have been so engrossed for quite a while now. They do not care in the slightest that we are still in the hall!”
Xiao Lanjie put down his teacup. “I do not see any intimacy. They are playing a game of chess, and it is quite intense.”
Xiao Mucheng said, “I think it is just a little game between husband and husband. Your Majesty, look at how much patience the Sixth Brother has for the Princess Consort; he has been chatting with him for so long, oblivious to everyone else.”
Xiao Lanjie glanced at him with annoyance and picked up his teacup again. If they did not finish their conversation soon, he would have to urge them along.
Gu Lingwan finally voiced his true desire: “Your Highness, if I win this bet, I want to watch you write the divorce paper with that injured right hand of yours and grant me my freedom.”
Hmph, I have always suspected you were using your right hand as an excuse to avoid writing the divorce paper.
“Very well,” Xiao Yingxun replied without a moment’s hesitation.
Without wasting more time, Gu Lingwan lifted his robes and climbed the wooden steps to the stage built for the birthday performance. The dancers had stopped, and the musicians stood neatly to one side.
Gu Lingwan bowed politely to the musicians, exchanged a few words with them, and then turned to the center of the stage. He announced to the crowd, “Today, I will present the opera ‘The Concubine’s Drunken Dance’ to celebrate His Majesty’s birthday. If you find the performance acceptable, I hope you will give me your applause as encouragement.”
He did not mention the bet, but everyone knew that if the performance was excellent and the audience applauded, he would have proven his victory.
As the music began, Gu Lingwan started his performance. Xiao Yingxun kept his gaze fixed on him, ready to expose his next trick at any moment.
Gu Lingwan’s face looked as if it had been meticulously sculpted. His crystal-clear phoenix eyes tilted upward, sparkling like a crescent moon, mesmerizing everyone. His fingers, slender and fair as jade, moved gracefully in an elegant orchid gesture. His waist swayed like a willow in the wind, his steps light as a dancing butterfly.
Every time his lips parted to sing, a voice as melodious as a nightingale’s song spilled out. The voice carried a magical charm that pierced the soul. Clad in an ice-blue brocade robe, he looked like a star in the galaxy. He inhabited the role of the concubine so perfectly that the performance was nothing short of breathtaking.
The audience watched in awe. They had expected him to be incompetent, but this performance was transcendent. It was as if a painting had come to life.
As the final note faded into the air, time itself seemed to pause. Suddenly, thunderous applause erupted, sweeping through the Honghua Hall like a tidal wave that threatened to tear the roof off. The royals expressed their genuine admiration; shouts of praise filled the air.
“This music is like a song from the heavens; it is truly incomparable!”
“This melody is a rare treasure!”
Gu Lingwan stood in the center, basking in the praise like a shining star. He did not hide his smugness as he raised his chin and looked at Xiao Yingxun in the audience.
You vicious, arrogant Xiao the Second, you have lost so badly you do not even have your underwear left. Hurry up and fulfill your promise. Oh yeah!