Wu Jinmai's POV
The musicians and dancers came in. They held their hands and bowed their heads. "Greetings, your highness!"
I smiled and raised my hand. "Thank you for coming tonight, everyone. Let us hear your beautiful music and graceful dances," I remarked.
They're looking at me, and the same terrified gazes are written on their eyes. They positioned themselves and started playing music and the ladies danced.
In this era, classical dances were graceful, beautiful, and entertaining to watch. It's just my opinion.
I grabbed the kettle and poured water into my cup. I raise my other hand and cover half of my face.
"Your Highness, does it make you feel strange how people look at you with such eyes? You're being judged for your actions and selfish deeds," Shanguan Zu Jin murmurs.
I can hear his words. I put down the cup. I look at the three families who are watching the performance, but I know they're uncomfortable meeting the woman who brings hell into their lives. I look at Wu Jinmai's hands. I gulp.
Flashback
I walked confidently inside the prison. I want to check their faces. I want to see how they begged me to spare their lives.
It's their children's fault. They keep hanging around the men that I own. All the flowers that enticed the bees I've been wanting are meant to wither in my hands.
The Yang family was the first one I met. I laugh. "What pitiful peasants," I remarked.
They all kneel and bow their heads to the ground. I laughed and enjoyed those terrified eyes that were looking at me.
"I wonder what Pei Qin will do if I kill her beloved woman and cut her into pieces," I threatened.
"Your Highness, please spare us! Don't kill my daughter!" Yang Haoming begs.
I laugh. I raise my hand and command the guard to open the prison. As soon as the door opens, I get inside and grab Yang Hua's hair.
"Didn't I tell you not to show this face in front of Pei Qin, huh?! You really think I didn't know everything?!"
She looks at me in the eyes, and it irritates me. "I wonder if Pei Qin will continue to love you when these eyes will leave their owner," I remarked.
I was about to press my fingers in her eyes when I heard the commotion outside.
"What are you doing, evil woman?" Pei Qin roars.
He grabs my shoulder and shoves me away. Yang Hua starts crying. I was ready to fight when Shanguan Zu Jin grabbed my arms and dragged me out of the prison.
"Let me go!"
He let me go by pushing me off. I raise my hand and grab the sword from one of the guards. I pointed the sword at his face. Shanguan Zu Jin looks at me with those proud and brave eyes.
"Just kill me if you can, Wu Jinmai," he asserts.
His jaw clenched, and I could see his hatred for me. I was mad, and the one that I cut was the guard on my right side.
"Wu Jinmai!" Li Jin roars.
End of flashback
I close my eyes. Wu Jinmai's memories suddenly flashed in my head. I look at Yang Hua, Zhang Yi Hua, and Wei Pei Rou.
They were beautiful ladies and were the dignified and virtuous base of the etiquette of the Xia dynasty.
A dancer loses her balance and falls. I stood up. They all get in the middle and kneel right away. They're literally trembling in fear.
I walked down and decided to check them myself. Uncle Liu followed me. I went to the woman who had lost her balance.
I grab her arm and lift her up. She groans. I knew it. She was sprained. I crouch down and place her hand on my shoulder. I held her foot and took off her shoes.
"Does it hurt?" I ask. She was surprised because of what I did. "Eunuch Liu, can you support her for a moment, please?" I ask.
He stood behind her and held her shoulder. I started moving her feet in a circular motion and pulled them forward. She roars in pain. I massaged her ankle for a moment and let her go.
"Take a step," I remarked.
She stood straight and walked back and forth. I stood up and smiled. "You can take a rest. Eunuch Liu, call the physician. I still want her checked," I stated.
Eunuch Liu bows his head. I look at the dancers. "I think we're entertained enough. Speak with Eunuch Liu about taking your fee. Thank you, everyone. A'Jin! Can I have you here, please?" I called.
Li Jin stood up and went to me. She looks at me. "Speak with your men and tell them to send everyone back to Flower Moon House," I remarked. Li Jin bows his head.
"Understood, Your Highness. Everyone, this way," he says.
I watched them as they left. I went back to where I was seated. I cough. Shanguan Zu Jin looks back.
"You're good at using flute and erhu, right? Can we hear a single song while waiting for Eunuch Liu and Li Jin to come back?" I suggest.
He stood up and bowed his head in front of me. "Understood, Your Highness," A'Zu replied.
He stood in the middle and started playing a song using his favorite flute. He looks ethereal in that white hanfu that he's wearing.
I look at Pei Qin. I notice that he's been fidgeting with his finger and hiding it underneath his table. I got up and sat next to him. I look at his hands and speak.
"What are you doing, A'Qin?"
I place my hand on his hands, which are playing with each other. He turns around and looks surprised by my presence.
"Your Highness? How long have you been sitting next to me?" Pei Qin asks. I let go of his hand and sat properly.
"Just a moment ago. Is there a problem? You look restless," I remark.
He didn't answer and chose to drink alcohol instead. I decided to face him and look into his eyes. He gave me those strange expressions.
"Nothing, Your Highness. I just noticed that you've been really strange since you woke up," he commented.
He grabs the kettle and pours the wine into his cup. He drank it again and poured another one.
"Stop drinking and just be true to yourself. You can speak with the second lady of the Yang family. Drinking will make you forget for a while, but the problem is still there," I remarked. He scoffs and faces me. I know what kind of conversation we will have.
"The problem is you, your highness. You're like a double-bladed sword. Everyone that touches you even for seconds will die," he replied softly. I'm glad Shanguan Zu Jin's song was hiding the loudness of our voices.
"I will take that as a compliment. I will continue to be like that. The only person who could fix its mistake was the bearer. In order to achieve that, I have to be ruthless."