Chương 618: The Arrival of the Western Regions Beauty

The state banquet ended late at night.

Liu Ce stood on the steps of the Taiji Hall, watching the soldiers leave in groups of three or five, carrying imperial wine and roasted beef and mutton bestowed by the emperor, their faces full of happy smiles, some even singing as they walked.

In the distance, the city of Luojing was brightly lit, with thousands of lights shining like stars fallen from the sky.

Liu Ce raised his head, looked at the starry sky, and exhaled a deep breath.

It's been more than ten years.

From raising an army in Zhuojun to unifying the country; from the First Five-Year Plan to the Second Five-Year Plan; from domestic reforms to foreign wars.

He took one step at a time, transforming this once chaotic world into an unprecedented golden age.

In the distance came the soldiers' singing, rough and bold, drifting through the night sky:

"How can you say we have no clothes? We share the same robes. The king is raising an army; let us prepare our spears and shields. We will fight alongside you against this enemy!"

Liu Ce smiled slightly and turned to walk into the Taiji Hall.

Behind them were the lights of thousands of homes, the cheers of 100, 000 soldiers, and the beginning of a brand new era.

..................

The seventh year of the Han calendar, the seventh year of the reign of Emperor Shenwu, the twelfth day of the ninth month.

The osmanthus flowers in Luoyang are in full bloom, their sweet fragrance filling the entire imperial city.

The aroma was so strong it was like a spilled honey pot; even the patrolling guards couldn't help but take a few more breaths.

In a side hall of the Liangyi Hall, a wooden chair was covered with a thick fox fur cushion. Liu Ce was lounging on it with his legs crossed, nodding his head and dozing off.

He was still clutching a grape he had just scooped out of the ice basin in his right hand, unaware that the grape juice was dripping down between his fingers. There was a little bit of pale purple juice on the corner of his mouth, clearly indicating that he had fallen asleep while eating.

There was also a half-plate of grapes on the table, each one crystal clear.

Li Dequan stood ramrod straight beside him, holding a tea tray in one hand and gently fanning Liu Ce with a palm-leaf fan in the other, secretly thinking to himself: Your Majesty watched the dancers from the Western Regions until late last night. The dancers were indeed beautiful, but they spun around too much, making people dizzy.

"Ta-da!"

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall, making the floor tremble slightly.

Cao Cao's booming voice came through the door, slightly hoarse from travel:

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! The person has been brought to you! I guarantee you won't be able to take your eyes off him! I swear on my life!"

Liu Ce sprang up from his chair with a "whoosh," and the grapes fell to the ground with a "plop."

He wiped the juice from the corner of his mouth, his eyes instantly brightening like light bulbs, all sleepiness gone:

"Stop talking nonsense! Where are the beauties? Let them in right now! If you dare to try to fool me with defective products, I'll dock three years' salary! I'll even confiscate those few jars of good wine you've been hiding! Not a single one will be left!"

Cao Cao pushed open the door and came in, looking travel-worn, clutching a crumpled little notebook in his hand, the cover of which read "List of Beauties from the Western Regions".

He rubbed his hands together and chuckled, his mustache bristling, looking just like a fox who had stolen a chicken.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured! When I conquered Yanqi, I randomly picked twelve in Yuanqu City, but the more I looked at them, the less I felt they were worthy of you! Later, I specially led people to travel all over the Western Regions, and my eyes were dazzled by the choices. Only after careful selection did I finally choose twenty-five!"

Each and every one of them is a local 'top star,' including a princess from a city-state, a noblewoman, and the most beautiful woman in the land. They're completely different from the girls from the Central Plains, guaranteeing you a brand new experience and exceptional value!

With that, he waved his hand and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Come in! Line up! Pay your respects to His Majesty!"

The first person to lift the curtain and enter was a blonde, blue-eyed girl.

Her skin was as white as the first snow, glowing white. She had a high nose, thin lips, deep-set eyes, and light blue pupils, like a lake from the Tianshan Mountains that could intoxicate you with just one look.

She wore a semi-transparent purple gauze dress, with a belt adorned with gold bells around her waist. As she walked, the bells jingled, like a string of little bells singing.

Holding a jeweled pipa in her arms, the jewels shimmering with iridescent colors in the candlelight, she looked like a fairy from the Western Regions who had stepped out of a mural, so beautiful it seemed unreal.

Liu Ce's eyes widened instantly, and he leaned forward, almost sliding off the chair.

Seeing this expression, Cao Cao's tail practically wagging in the air. He slapped his thigh so hard it made a loud thud.

"What do you think, Your Majesty? Isn't this amazing? Elsa, the most beautiful woman in Yanqi! Not only is she beautiful, but she plays the pipa the best in the world, and her Hu Xuan dance is unparalleled in the Western Regions! No one in the entire Yanqi Kingdom can dance like her!"

Elsa gave Liu Ce an elegant curtsy, her movements as graceful as a swan bowing its head.

With a gentle pluck of the strings, the strings tinkled and rang out, like mountain spring water splashing on rocks, crisp and melodious.

Then, she lightly touched the ground with her toes and started spinning on her tiptoes.

Her waist was so supple it seemed boneless, her purple gauze skirt billowed up, revealing her fair ankles and the golden bells on her ankles. The tinkling of the bells mingled with the sound of the pipa, captivating Liu Ce's gaze. He exclaimed inwardly: "This is what the Hu Xuan dance should be! What were all those things in the palace before! They were all knock-offs!"

But as it kept spinning, something went wrong.

She spun faster and faster, her long golden hair whipping around like a propeller, making her look like a human fan. She was making "whooshing" noises and waving her arms and legs wildly, clearly dizzy and unable to stop.

Those blue eyes had already started rolling back.

"Hey, hey, hey—slow down! Stop!" Just as Cao Cao was about to shout "stop," he heard a muffled thud, as loud as if someone were ramming a ram.

Elsa crashed solidly into the dragon-carved pillar in the hall. Her pipa flew far away with a "bang," bounced twice on the ground, and one of the strings snapped, making a buzzing sound.

She saw stars, shook her head, and fell straight down as if she were drunk. She lay on the ground, kicking her legs dizzily, muttering in a Western Regions dialect, probably saying, "I can still spin." The golden bell on her ankle jingled twice.

The entire room fell silent.

The tea tray in Li Dequan's hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," spilling scalding hot tea all over the floor, splashing onto his feet without him even noticing, his mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg.

Cao Cao coughed twice, scratched his head awkwardly, his face turning red to the roots of his ears, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

"Well... Miss Elsa was just too engrossed! She wanted to make a good impression on His Majesty! She's not usually like this! She can usually spin around for an hour straight without any problem! Today, the ground must be slippery! Yes, the underfloor heating was too strong, and the floor tiles became damp! It's definitely not because her technique is bad!"

Liu Ce rubbed his forehead, both amused and exasperated, and waved his hand dismissively:

"Alright, alright, carry her away to rest first, make her a bowl of sweet soup, and find the imperial physician to check if she's injured. A head injury from hitting a pillar can have serious consequences."

After they were carried away, Liu Ce stroked his chin and added with a mischievous smile:

"She's obviously too stressed and sleep-deprived. I'll arrange for her to stay in my side chamber. I need to properly train her spinning skills so she doesn't bump into the bedpost when she's serving me in bed. I can't stand that."

Li Dequan lowered his head, trying to suppress his laughter. His shoulders twitched, and he almost suffered internal injuries from holding it in. His face turned purple.