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King of Yue laughed heartily and said, "The Prime Minister has won two first prizes in a row; such a joyous occasion is hard to find anywhere else in the world. In my opinion, the joy of today surpasses even that! That poem must be extraordinary; may I ask the Prime Minister to share it with us so we can all enjoy it?" The Prime Minister quickly replied, "That was just a drunken scribble from years ago; how could I possibly remember it?" King of Yue then asked Moonlight, "The Prime Minister is busy and cannot recall it. I wonder if the young lady remembers any of it?" Moonlight curtsied and replied, "I do remember some of it, but does Your Majesty wish for me to write it down or sing it for you?" King of Yue joyfully said, "If I could hear the young lady's singing, that would be even better." Moonlight did not decline and gracefully walked to the front of the crowd, using her clear voice like silver bells to sing the poem.
As the song ended, everyone was filled with admiration. King of Yue listened as if entranced, clapping his hands in praise and saying, "The Prime Minister's poetic talent, along with Miss Chan's beauty and melodious singing, can be called a triple delight! Especially that line 'The flower branches shame the beauty's makeup; before she sings, her lips already smell sweet,' which seems tailor-made for Miss Chan. Even the poet Li Bai would bow down in admiration! Nowadays, those who merely pile up flowery words and show off their literary skills cannot compare to such a masterpiece; they are simply not worth mentioning!" After speaking, he ordered someone to fill a golden goblet as a reward.
The two beauties, Jinghong and Moonlight, along with four other beauties from the Yue Palace, each took turns performing songs and dances. The atmosphere was lively with cups clinking and laughter echoing. These six women were all stunningly beautiful, their singing and dancing skills hard to distinguish from one another. Among them, Yuyan was on par with Jinghong and Moonlight, while the other three were slightly less skilled but still impressive.
As King of Yue observed this scene before him, he felt great joy. After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere at the banquet grew even more festive. King of Yue led his concubines and guests outside to watch the warriors riding horses and shooting arrows. With great enthusiasm, he pointed at those agile figures and said, "Beautiful women riding and shooting have their own charm! In my palace, there are at least eighty women skilled in this art. At the Prime Minister's residence, there must also be many capable warriors from the north? Why not gather them together for a competition in archery and hunting? It would add much enjoyment; what does the Prime Minister think?" The Prime Minister was delighted by this suggestion and immediately ordered dozens of skilled horsemen from his residence to compete against the female archers from Yue Wang Palace.
Miss Jinghong stood up and requested of the Prime Minister, "Although I am not skilled in archery, I have seen many people ride horses and shoot arrows. Today I would like to try my hand at it." The Prime Minister gladly agreed and instructed someone to hand over his bow to Jinghong. She took the bow, mounted her horse with grace, and addressed all the beauties present: "My skills are lacking; I hope you will not laugh at me." After saying this, she urged her steed forward and galloped in front of the tent.
Just then, a red-bellied pheasant flew up from the grass. Miss Jinghong twisted her slender waist, drew an arrow from her quiver, and shot it down; its colorful feathers fluttered down before her horse. Both the Prime Minister and King of Yue laughed heartily at this sight and applauded loudly. Miss Jinghong returned to her seat after collecting her bow with poise. The other beauties praised her: "We have practiced our skills for ten years only to realize today that it has all been in vain!" At this moment, the hunting grounds were already piled high with various game birds and animals; countless wild chickens and hares had been shot down by attendants who displayed them before the Prime Minister and King of Yue. They rewarded everyone according to their contributions with varying amounts of gold, silver, and silk.
Next, they rearranged their seating arrangements and instructed the musicians to pause their performance while leaving five or six beautiful women to play gentle string music. Everyone raised their cups in toast while engaging in lively conversation. In her heart, Moonlight thought: "Although Miss Jinghong's talents are not inferior to those of the beauties from Yue Palace, there are four of them while we are only two; if only we could bring Chun Niang here as well! While singing and dancing may not be her forte, her beauty and eloquence would surely outshine all others." As she pondered this thought, Moonlight couldn't help but sigh repeatedly.
Suddenly, she noticed two beauties riding in an oil-walled carriage slowly approaching through a carpet of fallen flowers toward the camp. The soldier guarding the gate stepped forward to inquire: "Are you ladies from Yue Palace or relatives of Wei's household?" The coachman replied: "The two ladies are concubines of Yang Chancellor. They were delayed by some matters earlier and could not come together." The soldier immediately reported this to the Prime Minister. Upon hearing this news, he said: "It seems that Miss Chun Yun could not bear being alone and wanted to come out for some fresh air; however, this outing seems rather simple." After saying this, he ordered someone to welcome them into the tent.
The two women lifted the pearl curtain and gracefully stepped out of the carriage. The one in front was none other than the graceful Shen Niao Yan, while behind her stood Lingbo, who resembled the Dongting Dragon Maiden seen by White Dragon Pool Dream. They approached before the Prime Minister and bowed respectfully.
The Prime Minister pointed at King of Yue and said: "This is His Majesty Prince of Yue. You should greet him quickly." The two ladies complied with his instruction. The Prime Minister offered them seats across from Jinghong and Moonlight.
He then said to King of Yue: "These two ladies were acquired during our campaign against Western tribes. Recently I've been too busy with affairs to keep them close; upon hearing that Shao You was gathering here with Your Majesty, they insisted on coming to witness this grand event."
King of Yue looked closely at both women again; their beauty was no less than that of Jinghong or Moonlight, but their ethereal aura surpassed them all. He couldn't help but marvel at how his own beauties paled in comparison.
King of Yue asked: "May I know your names? Where do you hail from?" One replied: "I am called Shen Niao Yan, from Xiliang Prefecture." The other added: "I am called Lingbo, originally from around Xiang River but had to flee westward due to misfortunes; now I follow Lord Prime Minister."
King of Yue exclaimed: "You two truly are celestial beings descended to earth! Do you play any musical instruments?"
Shen Niao Yan responded: "I grew up beyond the frontier where customs are rough; I've never heard any fine music before—how could I entertain Your Majesty? However, when I was young I learned some sword dance out of mischief; they were merely tricks performed in military camps—surely they would offend your eyes."
Seeing this scene made King of Yue exceedingly happy; he leaned closer to whisper into the Prime Minister's ear: "In ancient times during Emperor Tang Ming's reign, Gongsun Dajiang became famous for her sword dance; it's a pity that this style has since been lost. Every time I read Du Fu's poems about it, my heart longs for it—I wish I could see it firsthand! Today being able to witness this young lady's sword dance is truly a great fortune!" After speaking he took off his treasured sword from his waist along with that of the Prime Minister’s as well and presented them both to Shen Niao Yan. She did not refuse but rolled up her sleeves and removed her jade belt before beginning her dance right there in front of everyone.
Her movements were graceful as she wielded her sword—sometimes light as a feather yet other times swift as wind—her red attire contrasting beautifully against her white blade creating a dazzling spectacle that left onlookers mesmerized. Her swordplay was truly exquisite—like snowflakes falling gently amidst peach blossoms—a sight too beautiful for words. Gradually her sleeves began spinning faster while her sword strikes became increasingly rapid like flashes of white lightning cutting through space before everyone’s eyes.
Suddenly a blinding white light enveloped Shen Niao Yan, obscuring her figure completely until she vanished from sight. Just as everyone stood astonished by this display—a long azure rainbow appeared across the hall radiating an icy chill that made everyone shiver uncontrollably. It seemed that Miss Shen wished to showcase all she had learned throughout her life yet feared disturbing King of Yue, so she abruptly halted—gently placing down her sword—bowed twice before retreating.
After some time passed,King of Yue finally regained his senses and addressed Shen Niao Yan: “Such a sword dance—not even ordinary women can achieve such grace; even celestial beings might struggle! May I ask who your teacher is?”
Shen Niao Yan replied: “I grew up in Northwest regions where customs favor martial arts; thus during my leisure time I learned some basic sword techniques—not under any celestial guidance.”
Hearing this,King of Yue nodded approvingly: “Upon returning home I shall select several nimble dancers for you—please do not hesitate to teach them.”
Naturally,Shen Niao Yan readily agreed. Then turning towards Lingbo, he asked: “What talents do you possess?”
Lingbo answered: “In my early years living by Xiang River—the same place where Emperor Shun’s consorts Ehuang and Nüying once roamed—I often heard melodies drifting down from above during tranquil nights when moonlight shone brightly; perhaps those two consorts still reminisce about Emperor Shun hence playing such tunes. Lacking talent myself—I merely attempted imitating these sounds for personal amusement—though I fear they may not suit your refined ears.”
With a smile,King of Yue responded: “Though I’ve heard tales about how Consort Xiang excels at playing pipa—I’ve never encountered such heavenly music before! If you could perform a piece today—the mundane tunes needn’t be played anymore.”
Upon hearing this,Lingbo took out a twenty-five-string pipa from within her sleeve—gently plucking its strings as she began playing. The sound resonated mournfully yet beautifully like flowing waters cascading through Three Gorges or lonely geese crying out into vast skies—causing tears among all present listeners.
As soon as she finished playing,a gust swept through outside causing leaves to fall like autumn scenery.King of Yue, greatly astonished remarked: “I cannot believe earthly melodies possess power enough to alter nature itself! How can an ordinary girl make springtime feel like autumn—causing flowers’ leaves fall on their own? Can anyone else learn such tunes?”
To which,Lingbo replied: “I merely imitated ancient melodies—it’s nothing extraordinary that cannot be learned!” Seeing this,Wan Yuyan stepped forward addressing:King of Yue: “Though my skills are humble—I’d like to play ‘White Lotus Song’ for Your Majesty.” After saying so,she held Qin zheng diagonally approaching him—her delicate fingers plucking strings producing twenty-five-string sounds flowing smoothly captivating all present including both Prime Minister & Hongyue who praised enthusiastically while making King Of Yue joyful beyond measure.
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