I was sold when I opened my eyes! My sick and disabled husband comforts me every night after he wake

Chapter 167 A Stunning Dance

Qin Shun glanced at the Emperor, and after receiving the Emperor's instruction, he nodded in acceptance, turned around, and shouted loudly:

"Lan Zhi wins the second round."

Upon hearing this, Wei Jianning's expression finally softened, and when he looked at Lan Zhi, his face showed even more tenderness.

Lin Yuwei, on the other hand, was breathing heavily in annoyance, muttering to herself incessantly.

"Mother, why did she win? No one in the entire capital can match the pieces I played, while she just sang a few tunes. Why did she win?"

"Yuwei, there's still one more round, what's the rush?"

As she said this, a different look flashed in Madam Lin's eyes, as if she was certain that Lin Yuwei would win this game.

"Why wouldn't I be in a hurry? She beat me once, and even if I win the next round, it'll just be a draw. Does she expect me to be her equal wife?"

"Silly child, how can two people be crown princesses at the same time? If they can't decide who wins, the emperor will hold a rematch. Don't worry!"

"Humph!"

Lin Yuwei tightened her nose and pouted unhappily.

In the previous round, the Emperor didn't let anyone else speak and immediately declared Lan Zhi the winner. She thought the Emperor was favoring Lan Zhi, which made her immediately unhappy, and her face turned very ugly.

At this moment, Qin Shun was already speaking loudly:

"Next round, it's a dance competition. Whoever dances the most beautifully will win this round. Miss Lin will be the first to go. Musicians, please prepare. Miss Lin, please go ahead!"

Lin Yuwei quickly composed herself, placed her hands in front of her, calmly stood up, and stepped forward. After giving the Emperor a slight curtsy, she suddenly flicked her sleeves, causing them to flutter and her body to spin gracefully, her waist as slender as a willow branch...

Everyone was captivated by her dance moves, their eyes following her swaying body.

Wei Jianning frowned and glanced at Lan Zhi from time to time.

Seeing her composed expression, he felt a mix of emotions he couldn't quite describe.

He disdained such comparisons in the first place; it was unfair to Lan Zhi. In his heart, she didn't need comparisons; she was the most perfect woman.

Unfortunately, reality is cruel. Although he was the crown prince, there were some things he could not overcome and had to bow to reality.

Lan Zhi's performance today surprised him. He never expected that she would have so many advantages that he had never discovered before.

She can not only compose couplets fluently, but also play the zither and sing. He is really looking forward to the dance that follows.

He secretly vowed that if Lan Zhi could win this time, even if it went against everyone's wishes, he would have enough reason to formally marry her.

After the song ended, the audience erupted in enthusiastic applause and continuous praise.

Even the Emperor praised Lin Yuwei.

"Yuwei's dancing skills are truly amazing; it's no wonder that Lord Lin and Madam Lin have put so much effort into training her!"

Receiving such high praise from the Emperor, Lin Yuwei's lips curved slightly. As she bowed to the Emperor, she glanced sideways at Lan Zhi, raising her eyebrows slightly as if to warn her that she was sure to win this round and that she should back down.

Lan Zhi didn't even glance at her, ignoring her contemptuous gaze, which made Lin Yuwei even angrier.

When she turned to look at Wei Jianning, she found that he wasn't looking at her at all. His handsome eyes were filled with love as he stared intently at Lan Zhi, which only intensified her hatred for Lan Zhi.

Next, Ms. Zhang and Ms. Sun danced a few symbolic moves before quietly leaving the stage.

Everyone knew that the two of them were just there to make up the numbers; this competition was entirely prepared for Lin Yuwei and Lan Zhi.

As Lan Zhi slowly walked to the center of the crowd, a contemptuous smile suddenly appeared on Madam Lin's lips.

No one would have guessed that she had secretly tampered with Lan Zhi's clothes yesterday afternoon.

In the first two matches, her movements were not large, so there was no noticeable difference in her dress.

Next, she will dance. As soon as she moves her dress slightly, her true form will be revealed.

Having tattered clothes in front of the Emperor and in front of everyone is no small matter.

Although she felt that what she was doing was a bit underhanded and unethical, she was willing to be that underhanded person so that her daughter could get what she wanted.

Lan Zhi approached the Emperor, bowed respectfully, and then waved her hand to signal him. The musician behind her began to play music, and she, with her toes touching the ground, was about to begin dancing.

Suddenly, Xiaoxin's voice came from beside my ear.

"Master, be careful, your clothes are torn."

what?

She frowned and asked in a low voice,

"where?"

"The other party may have been afraid that you would find out, so they only damaged the part where your waist and skirt connect."

"Then why didn't you notice sooner?"

“I just discovered it myself. The other party is a master at framing people. She cut rips in your clothes below the waist at intervals. If you don’t move much, no one will notice. But once you start dancing, the skirt will move more, and these rips will stretch open. You will be disrespectful in front of the Emperor, which is a serious crime.”

Lan Zhi swallowed hard and glanced at Lin Yuwei warily.

She's probably the only one capable of doing something like this.

When her gaze fell in this direction, Lin Yuwei arrogantly looked back at her, while Madam Lin blinked a few times guiltily and reached for her teacup, trying to hide her inner panic.

Lan Zhi stood there awkwardly, her mind racing.

She dared not move, afraid that if she moved, her clothes would tear. She needed to think of a solution as quickly as possible.

Seeing that she hadn't moved, Wei Jianning tried several times to get up and go forward to ask her, but Lan Zhi stopped him with a look.

The Empress then spoke up and asked:

"Lan Zhi, why aren't you starting yet? Everyone's getting impatient."

Consort Liang also urged:

"Yes, if you can't get out of this situation, or if you feel you can't beat Yuwei, then just admit defeat and don't waste everyone's time."

Consort Zhen followed Xi Luo's words:

"Since you won one round before, even if Miss Lin wins this round, it's still a draw, so it's not shameful. Just admit defeat!"

Lin Yuwei raised her eyebrows triumphantly, a confident yet mocking smile playing on her lips.

The Emperor pondered for a moment, then asked in displeasure,

"Lan Zhi, what are you doing? Didn't you dance quite well on Consort Liang's birthday? Why can't you dance now?"

Lan Zhi cleared her throat awkwardly and blinked as she replied:

"Your Majesty, I was thinking that you've already seen the dance I performed before, so it's getting a bit boring. I'd like to change it to a dance that I created myself when I go up the mountain to chop wood. Perhaps you'll like to watch it."

"Hahaha!"

The Empress was the first to laugh out loud, followed by Consort Liang, Consort Zhen, and Consort Duan, who all covered their mouths and chuckled softly. The Emperor also nodded with interest.

"Good, the little tune you hummed while chopping wood on the mountain was refreshing to me. I wonder if the dance you created while chopping wood on the mountain will catch my eye!"