Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard

Chapter 72.4 – Eastern Li’s Third Princess (4)

T/N: Chapter sponsored by egosumqt! Thank you for sponsoring!

“The Emperor is calling for you all, quickly go. I’ll return to my seat first.” Du Xiao Li pushed Ji Liu Xia and

quietly returned to her own seat. Just as she sat down, she felt two pair of burning hot gazes. Lifting her head, she

saw Han Ming Yi and Luo Qi both looking towards her. Luo Qi even secretly gave her a thumbs up.

“Younger sister, this performance really is great!” Du Xiu Heng said. The people to the side thought that he was

praising the performance just now, but Du Xiao Li knew he was praising herself.

“It’s merely just a group performance, what’s so good about it.” Du Ke Xin although was shaken inside by the

performance, she refused to acknowledge it out loud. She looked towards Du Xiao Li, inwardly trying to figure out

what Du Xiao Li went to the stage for.

“Greeting the Emperor, Grand Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, and Empress!” Han Ming Xiang and the

others arrived at the front using the passageway in the middle, perfectly stopping at the place across from Du Xiao

Li. The performed their greetings to the Emperor.

“Rise.” Han Ming Ze said with a smile, “Your performance just now was very stunning, making everyone present all

praise endlessly.”

“Thanking your Majesty for the praise!”

“How did you all come up with this performance?” The Empress Dowager asked.

Meng Jiang Zhuo and them mutually looked to one another, thinking to themselves whether or not to say Du Xiao

Li’s name out loud. From the corner of her eye, Fu Ya Lan saw Du Xiao Li faintly shaking her head and thus

replied, “A classmate from school taught us.”

“Can’t say the name?” Han Ming Yuan asked.

“Imperial sister, just say it, to be able to choreagraph such a good performance, surely she must be a person

brimming with talent. Say it out loud so that everyone will all know.” Han Ming Hong said.

(T/N: Han Ming Hong is Ren Wang is case anyone forgot—cuz I sure did; was like, who dis again…)

This performance truly shocked him too much, making him feel as if he really saw such a marvelous woman, taking

her father’s place in joining the army. Waves of ripples emerged in his heart, unable to settle for a long time, and

towards the creator of this performance, he was furthermore curious. But after filtering through all the women in the

capital, he couldn’t find anyone with this kind of talent. The more Han Ming Xiang and them refused to say, the

more he wanted to know who this person was.

“But we promised her not to say, we can’t go back on our word.” Han Ming Xiang has always never liked Han Ming

Hong, especially after learning that he had broken his engagement with Du Xiao Li. This made her further not have

a good impression of him.

(T/N: The phrasing for ‘breaking engagement’ here is kinda particular—the literal translation would be ‘divorce

before marrying’; so the line she’s saying he ‘divorced’ MC before even marrying her.)

“It seems they’re also a rather low-key child.” The Empress said.

Young ladies that were still attending the academy all were still very young in age. Many still haven’t reached

marriageable age, that’s why the Empress would use the word ‘child’ to describe her.

“This is difficult, we all really want to know who she is!” Han Ming Ze had a troubled look, “Originally wanted to

call her out to reward together, but looks like she’ll have to miss out!”

When Du Xiao Li heard Han Ming Ze’s words, she inwardly screamed ‘not good’. Before she could even give them

a meaningful look, she already heard Ji Liu Xia’s soft voice, “How about we just have Xiao Li revealed?”

Although she said it very quietly, it still made Du Xiao Li slap her forehead. Even she heard it, and there were quite

a few people with good hearing present, how could they not hear?!

As expected, before Fu Ya Lan and them could say anything, Han Ming Hong already opened his mouth in shock,

“Xiao Li? Could it be Du Xiao Li? Miss Ji, don’t joke around!”

“How am I joking? How can it not be Xiao Li?” When Ji Liu Xia heard Han Ming Hong’s words, she instinctively

retorted.

“Hmph, she’s a girl that grew up in the countryside, how can she choreagraph such a good performance? Even if you

say so, no one would believe you! This prince orders you all to have the real person revealed!” Han Ming Hong

bluntly said, his eyes filled with ‘refusing to believe’.

“You…….” Ji Liu Xia stomped in anger, “Don’t look down on Xiao Li, the things she knows, you might not even

know! My dance was choreographed by her for me, do you know how?”

At her seat, Du Xiao Li already couldn’t use speechless to describe her feelings right now. Ji Liu Xia, in order to

defend her, wanted to have everything exposed! This simple and protective personality really does make her feel

both happy and helpless.

“Liu Xia, don’t be rude!” Ji Lun stood up and berated.

“Father, where am I being rude, I was merely telling the truth!”

Ren Wang got choked up by Ji Liu Xia and wanted to retort, “This prince……”

“Alright, enough.” Han Ming Ze saw how Ji Liu Xia had a look of wanting to fight Ren Wang and thus spoke out to

stop them.

“This quarreling is giving this grieving one a headache.” The Grand Empress Dowager rubbed her head and said.

“This grandson knows wrong!”

“This subject knows wrong!”

Hearing Grand Empress Dowager’s words, Han Ming Hong and Ji Liu Xia quickly admitted to their mistakes. Ji Liu

Xia even knelt to the ground.

“Isn’t this a good thing? Whether or not it’s Du Xiao Li, call her out for some questions and we’ll know.” The

Empress softly said to the Emperor.

“En, the Empress is right.” Han Ming Ze nodded, “Du Xiao Li?”

From the moment Ji Liu Xia said Du Xiao Li’s name, Du Ke Xin has been using killer eyes to glare at Du Xiao Li.

However, Du Xiao Li didn’t have the mind to bother with her right now. Hearing the Emperor call her name, she

quickly got up and knelt down beside Ji Liu Xia, “This subject is here.”

“That performance, was it choreographed by you?” Han Ming Ze asked.

“Replying to your Majesty, this subject merely just made some suggestions. It is still mainly these big sisters’ hard

work.” Du Xiao Li said, avoiding the important points, dwelling on the trivial details.

“How can it be you? Didn’t you grow up in a mountain village?” Seeing Du Xiao Li admit to it, Han Ming Hong

seemed as if he’d received a blow, as he asked in disbelief.

“What, Ren Wang has something to say about this prince’s future wangfei?” Han Ming Yi faintly spoke. Although

he didn’t look to Han Ming Hong, he still gave the other party a kind of invisible pressure.

“You all get up.” Han Ming Ze glanced at Han Ming Yi and then said.

“Thanking your Majesty.” Ji Liu Xia and Du Xiao Li said, and got up together.

“Du Xiao Li, I once heard you don’t have ‘a drop of ink on your chest’, no talent, no virtue. Even Prime Minister Du

said you don’t know any talents, so how did you come up with this performance? And even know to teach Ji Liu Xia

this something sword dance?” Han Ming Ze asked.

The abacus in Du Xiao Li’s heart klacked loudly. This Emperor spoke very lightly, but if she says anything wrong,

he can still crown her with the crime of deceiving the Emperor!

“Replying to your Majesty, this subject has never said to not know any talents.” Du Xiao Li said.

“Then where did those rumors come from?”

“Those rumors began spreading before this subject even arrived in the capital. This subject felt, the mouth is grown

on other people, I can’t control it either, so after coming to the capital, I didn’t specially go refute the rumors.” Du

Xiao Li replied.

“Then what about when you were at Feng Xue Luo’s gathering, why did you chose to sing, letting everyone all think

you really don’t know any talents?” Han Ming Hong angrily looked to Du Xiao Li as he voiced his doubts.

“But no one made rules on not allowing one to sing either? Only said that whoever the cup spun to, that person will

have to perform something, didn’t say that one wasn’t allowed to sing. In the past, this subject was used to singing in

the village, so that’s why decided to sing for everyone.” Du Xiao Li said.

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