Chapter 702 – Fairy Trap (Part 2)
Her lord is a woman; why would she enjoy a bunch of beauties singing and dancing?
Before me lay a feast of delicious food and fine wine, along with some beautifully arranged dried fruits, a rarity in the North.
Jiang Pengji munched on the dried fruits like a squirrel, her keen ears picking up the sound of footsteps—more than twenty women—approaching from outside the tent.
As the curtain lifted, a procession of Red Dress Dance Mistresses, accompanied by a fragrance reminiscent of orchids, gracefully entered, brightening the entire commander’s tent.
The oil lamps were infused with spices, releasing a peculiar aroma as they burned, and the copper lamp bowls emitted an unusual, sweet scent.
Amidst this fragrant ambiance, the elegantly dressed Red Dress Dance Mistresses danced to soft instrumental melodies, captivating onlookers to the point of distraction—the audience in the live stream cheered like hungry wolves at a feast. The comments shifted to a different tone, as gifts poured in like a waterfall, overflowing with enthusiasm.
【Han Wudi】: Didn’t they say ancient people weren’t good-looking? What a slap in the face! I thought modern beauty standards were high until I tuned into this livestream—it’s clear ancient beauties are genuinely beautiful, far beyond the superficial looks of internet celebrities!
【Chen Ajiao】: You shameless beauty-addicts! Shouldn’t the focus be on the music and classical dance?
As a scion of a noble family, Jiang Pengji didn’t care for glamor and preferred practicality.
This resulted in the livestream being running for years, with few banquets shown, but each one was of exceptional quality.
According to viewers, many considered the recordings of those few banquets as benchmarks, 100% replicating the ensemble music within.
Even, there were wealthy fans who shelled out to host a traditional music festival, which has now held four editions.
With the rising popularity of the livestream, a retro trend swept across Huaguo in recent years, and young people began to value ancient culture.
Jiang Pengji understood how vital civilization is for the legacy of a race; as long as the impact is positive, she would be pleased for them.
Some had high awareness, but more were still ordinary beauty-addicts, with appreciating beautiful people ranking as the utmost priority.
They could tell these dancers were carefully nurtured, likely private song and dance troupes from the backcourts of high-ranking officials.
Each dancer was stunning, her features exquisite, her figure slim, with skin as smooth as cream and a waist like spring willow.
Even if they weren’t the most stunning beauties in the land, they were undeniably rare finds.
All the Red Dress Beauties danced together in the tent, their gazes sparkling, captivating every heart.
Holding a wine goblet in one hand and propping her chin on the food table with the other, Jiang Pengji narrowed her eyes, seeming mesmerized by the dancers.
Upon closer inspection, it was evident her gaze was fixed upon the lead dancer, her eyes burning with heat beneath an aloof façade, as if she wanted to scorch through the dancer’s outfit with her stare, inspecting her …
Xu Pei noticed Jiang Pengji’s expression and chuckled inwardly; after all, a young man is still a young man—how could he resist the allure of beauty?
He had imagined her to be a reserved person with great restraint; now he saw she was merely pretending.
Yang Si, sitting a row behind Jiang Pengji, silently broke into a cold sweat at the sight from behind.
“My lord, no matter how much you adore the lovely ladies, you lack the necessary tools for anything… Do you even remember your real gender?”
“These dances are quite unique,” Jiang Pengji snapped out of her reverie, smiling at Xu Pei, “The dances are beautiful, and the women even more so.”
Indeed, such enthusiasm!
“They’re simply the dancers kept at home; if you like, dear brother, just pick one to take back—it will be a gift from me.”
In noble circles, it wasn’t unusual to offer singers or dancers from one’s estate, or even swap concubines as a gesture of elegance.
Jiang Pengji’s expression shifted slightly, tempted but ultimately restrained.
“How could I possibly? Look at their appearances—clearly much effort was put into training them. They must be too expensive for me to afford.”
Xu Pei addressed the lead dancer, “Lacking in manners, go pour wine for Liu County’s official.”
The dancer curtsied gracefully, extending her delicate hands to pour wine for Jiang Pengji.
They were close enough that Jiang Pengji could catch a whiff of her fragrance and casually asked.
“What kind of spice is that? It smells wonderful.”
The dancer blushed and shyly replied, “I never use spices; it’s just my natural scent.”
Yang Si’s facial expression grew increasingly stiff. He regretted tagging along.
A situation like this was much more suitable for Feng Zhen, the playboy adept at dealing with these flirtatious charms.
“Natural body fragrance?” Jiang Pengji leaned in slightly to sniff, her eyes landing on the dancer’s long, pale neck and exquisite collarbone. A hint of intoxication danced in her expression, her usually bright voice slightly husky, making ears tingle.
“Truly a beauty; even your scent stands out from the rest.”
“Liu County’s official speaks highly of me.”
“Do you know any other dances?” Jiang Pengji inquired.
The dancer whispered, “Yes.”
Xu Pei, the matchmaking “Madam,” clapped his hands, the music starting back up, and the lead dancer returned to the group.
Jiang Pengji remarked, “This dance and the music are quite new; they seem quite different from the North.”
Xu Pei chuckled, “The North is rugged and bold, while the South is gentle and subtle; both have their unique charms.”
“Seems you have quite a bit of knowledge on this, Xu brother… I’ve often heard how talented you are, rumored to be a reincarnation of the heavenly Literary Star. Unlike me, who’s never been fond of reading, and my father often reprimands me, saying a three-year-old’s scribbles outshine my drawings—a dullard indeed, only one out of seven holes in my head have any sense—absolutely clueless. If only I had your level of talent, my father would sigh less and scold me way fewer times…”
Jiang Pengji feigned a melancholic look, like a disheartened youth.
Xu Pei didn’t buy it.
Yet, being shrewd, he refrained from exposing Jiang Pengji’s “humility.”
Under Jiang Pengji’s subtle guidance, the topic shifted toward art as the two engaged slowly in conversation.
Xu Pei didn’t disappoint; though he looked young, he had considerable knowledge of the arts.
The audience marveled that if Xu Pei had existed in their era, he would have been a total talent, instantly famous in Huaguo—good-looking and skilled in the four arts, such a Tom Su persona would undoubtedly attract countless admirers, leaving no chance for him to fade away. Unfortunately, Xu Pei was born in the wrong era and into a clan like the Xu family, where those talents became mere frivolities.
Just as things were getting fun, Xu Pei caught sight of a painting scroll beside Yang Si and casually asked.
“Is that painted by your esteemed brother?”
Jiang Pengji displayed just the right amount of embarrassment, “Father often scolds me, saying my artistic skills are subpar, even a three-year-old could draw better than my works. I was not pleased, so I sought out Mr. Yuanjing’s top disciple’s artwork to study and perhaps learn something, hoping to evade some scoldings. I’m afraid I’m making a fool of myself in front of Xu brother. Jingrong, why did you bring this painting out?”
The last sentence made Jiang Pengji look somewhat shy, earning her countless “666” from the livestream audience.
