allonlinenovel Chapter 95 Those who offend our Great Zhou shall be punished!
Chapter 95 Those who offend our Great Zhou shall be punished!
After being flogged, Su Qingshuang never returned to Qiwu Palace.
Grand Tutor Su felt that he had been tricked by Emperor Changlong. He pretended to ask Emperor Changlong to punish Su Qingshuang, but in fact he wanted to use Emperor Changlong to exonerate Su Qingshuang. He did not expect that Emperor Changlong would actually do so.
In this case, don't blame him for being rude.
He sat there without saying a word.
The atmosphere in the room became oppressive and suffocating.
The officials around him all acted according to his mood; if he didn't speak, no one dared to utter a sound.
He wanted to use passive-aggressive tactics to control the entire situation and show Emperor Changlong that without him, Emperor Changlong couldn't even hold a Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, let alone govern the country.
Emperor Changlong was extremely clever; he immediately knew what Grand Tutor Su was up to, so he asked with concern, "Sir, are you feeling unwell? Otherwise, I'll have someone escort you back to your residence to rest?"
When Grand Tutor Su saw that Emperor Changlong was going to send him away directly, showing him no respect whatsoever, he certainly wouldn't sit idly by and wait for his doom.
"Your Majesty, I am not unwell, but I feel that the scene is too quiet. I have heard that Miss Song is very talented, so why don't we let her perform her talents to liven things up?"
"Consort Xian, what did you do with this banquet? Even the master thinks it's too quiet," Emperor Changlong questioned Consort Xian.
Previously, the Empress had caused trouble for Song Siyao and was confined to her quarters for ten days. She was only released this morning, so the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was organized by Consort Xian.
The fire started by Grand Tutor Su ended up affecting his own daughter. Consort Xian hurriedly apologized, "Your Majesty, I have prepared ten performances. Please take a look at the rest of the show."
"Sir, what do you think?" Emperor Changlong asked Grand Tutor Su, his eyes holding an ambiguous meaning.
Grand Tutor Su hardened his heart, completely disregarding Consort Xian's feelings, "Your Majesty, inviting Miss Song to perform on stage is an act of care for her, and also to let the spirit of Marquis Zhenbei see that the Great Zhou has not forgotten his sacrifice."
The atmosphere inside the hall, which had just eased, became tense again, like a battlefield without gunpowder.
Emperor Changlong appeared calm, but no one knew the turbulent undercurrents beneath the surface.
Grand Tutor Su appeared calm and composed, seemingly a respectful and loyal minister, but in reality, he was utterly arrogant.
All eyes were on Song Siyao, watching to see how she would react. Some were worried, while others were gloating.
Song Siyao stood up, neither humble nor arrogant, "Your Majesty, if the Grand Tutor wishes to see it, then this humble woman will perform."
She knew that if she didn't want to perform today, Emperor Changlong would definitely protect her.
However, she is a sharp blade, and she must be drawn when the time is right.
Emperor Changlong looked at Song Siyao, and in that instant, there was trust and tacit understanding between the emperor and his subject.
"Alright, Miss Song, please come in."
Song Siyao walked onto the stage, looked at Grand Tutor Su and said, "Grand Tutor, you are loyal to the emperor and love your country. You are diligent and conscientious, and you are concerned about the country and its people. How about I bring you a dance?"
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Grand Tutor Su smiled and nodded slightly.
He believed that it didn't matter what Song Siyao performed, but what mattered was that she went on stage to perform for the public, entertain the crowd, lower her status, and lose face for the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion.
"Miss Song, I'll accompany you on the music." Shen Pei wheeled over.
"it is good."
Emperor Changlong did not stop them. He knew that Shen Pei and Song Siyao were close, and he knew that Song Siyao was not someone who would give up easily, nor was his son. He wanted to see what kind of trouble these two could get up to together.
As for Grand Tutor Su, his smile deepened. Song Siyao was a rising star in the eyes of Emperor Changlong, and Shen Pei was Emperor Changlong's son. Wouldn't it be delightful for the two of them to put on a show for him?
Soon, the palace servants arranged the scene according to Song Siyao's requirements.
Song Siyao looked at Shen Pei, their eyes meeting, and a tacit understanding was reached.
Shen Pei sat before the zither, playing the melodious music that soothed the soul.
People only know that Shen Pei is highly skilled in martial arts, but they don't know that he is also good at playing the zither. His hands, which have killed countless enemies, can play such beautiful music.
He was dressed in black, his gaze firm, and his eyes filled with tenderness as he looked at Song Siyao.
The two men's clothing created a striking contrast on the field, yet it was also remarkably harmonious, making it a pleasing sight to behold.
Song Siyao held paintbrushes in both hands, using them as swords, and danced to the music.
Shen Pei played the Heavenly Palace, and Song Siyao danced a dance called Slaying the Enemy.
Legend has it that long ago, a general led his troops to fight the enemy, but was ambushed and surrounded. The enemy country tried to lure him into surrendering with high-ranking official positions and generous salaries, but the general refused and committed suicide on the spot.
The place where the general committed suicide is called Tianque.
To commemorate the general's indomitable spirit, later generations composed this piece of music.
"Slaying the Enemy" tells the story of a woman who takes off her makeup, puts on armor, goes to war in her father's place, and bravely kills the enemy.
Song Siyao has a supple waist and dances with the grace of a woman, yet her martial arts training adds a touch of strength to her gentleness.
The two paintbrushes, like swords wielded by warriors, were breathtaking to behold.
A huge sheet of paper was placed in front of Song Siyao, and she wrote on it while dancing.
While everyone was admiring her work, she had already arrived in front of Grand Tutor Su. The paintbrush in her hand flew out and directly towards Grand Tutor Su, startling him so much that he recoiled.
However, the paintbrush only spun once before flying back and landing steadily in her hand.
She looked at Su Taifu's pale face, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
Just now, Shen Pei flicked his longsword to seal the enemy's throat, and blood stained the entire city.
She did it on purpose.
Immediately afterwards, she returned to the blank paper, extended both hands forward, and two paintbrushes flew out simultaneously to write the finishing touch on the paper. The paintbrushes returned to her hands, and the music just stopped.
Everything was done just right.
The two worked together very well, as if they had rehearsed countless times beforehand.
Song Siyao stood before Emperor Changlong, her expression resolute, her voice powerful and clear, "Long live the Emperor! May the Great Zhou Dynasty prosper and be strong, and may the country be peaceful and the people live in peace."
Emperor Changlong led the applause, and everyone else in the hall followed suit. In an instant, thunderous applause filled the hall, like a tidal wave.
Song Siyao's performance touched their hearts. They seemed to travel through time and space and see the woman who went to war in place of her father. She took up her sword and fought against the enemy, killing countless enemies and protecting her country. She showed what it means to be a heroine who is not inferior to men.
Su Taifu's face was not good. He wanted to embarrass Song Siyao, but he did not expect that Song Siyao would not only not embarrass herself, but also shock the whole audience.
After a long silence, Emperor Changlong gestured for the applause to stop, and then loudly read out the words on the paper: "Those who offend my Great Zhou will surely be punished!"
"What a fine word! Whoever dares to offend my Great Zhou, no matter who they are or where they are, will be punished!" Emperor Changlong's voice was deep and powerful, carrying the majesty and awe of an emperor.
The people inside the hall were filled with excitement, their eyes gleaming, and their bodies radiating murderous intent.
If they were on the battlefield at this moment, they would surely pick up their spears and strike straight at the enemy's heart to protect the great land of the Zhou Dynasty.
All their passion transformed into shouts, as they knelt and cried out, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
The shouts echoed in the hall for a long time. Emperor Changlong was excited and looked at Song Siyao with a satisfied expression.
Loyal to the emperor and patriotic, intelligent and wise, courageous and resourceful—this is the Song Siyao he wanted.
"Miss Song, you have given me a great gift, and I will return the favor with a gift in return. What is your wish? Tell me," Emperor Changlong asked.