Chapter 69 Playing the Qin to Add to the Amusement

"Greetings, Uncle Shen."

Pan Miaoqian greeted Shen Xinchang in a low voice. Then she raised her eyes and glanced at Shen Pingji, and her voice became even softer. "Hello, Second Young Master Shen."

Shen Pingji quickly stood up and responded. Pan Miaoqian looked up at Pan Haiyun. Her slender fingers slowly placed several still-warm dishes in front of Pan Haiyun. "These are the diced winter bamboo shoots and cured meat, squirrel-shaped fish, sweet and sour spareribs, and chicken stewed with Korean ginseng that I made myself..." After that, she smiled shyly. "Please, Father and the guests, have a taste."

A trace of a smile appeared on Pan Haiyun's face. He nodded and motioned for Pan Miaoqian to sit beside Pan Yueqing. Pan Yueqing was originally sitting close to Pan Haiyun. Now, seeing his gesture, she consciously stood up and moved slightly to the side, still sitting upright.

Pan Miaoqian naturally took the place of Pan Yueqing in serving dishes beside Pan Haiyun. She raised the serving chopsticks and gently picked up a piece of cured meat and put it into Pan Haiyun's bowl. "Father, have a taste. This cured meat was sent from the estate. It's said that it was made last year. Grandmother said that this cured meat becomes more fragrant over time, and the longer it's stored, the saltier and more fragrant it is."

Pan Haiyun picked up the meat with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. After chewing carefully, he greeted Shen Xinchang. "It's really fragrant. Brother Shen, try it quickly."

Shen Xinchang smiled and picked up a chopstick of the meat and put it in his mouth. When he raised his eyes, he looked at Pan Haiyun with a smile. "Brother Haiyun, you're really lucky. Such a well-behaved daughter is really hard to find even with a lantern. First, the Second Miss's green plum wine, and now the Third Miss's cured meat 'feast'. This meal is really interesting, haha."

Pan Yueqing lowered her eyebrows. She had been waiting for a long time and always felt that Shen Xinchang definitely wouldn't give up the purpose of his visit today just because of Pan Haiyun's interruption before. Now it seemed that she was right.

"If you become the mentor of this session of scholars, there will be countless benefits," Shen Xinchang placed one hand on the table. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he looked at Pan Haiyun slowly and thoughtfully. "Brother Haiyun, you're now about to soar like a roc leaving the sea and rise to great heights."

Warming green plum wine to discuss heroes, using cured meat as a 'feast' to talk about the world. What a metaphor of "soaring like a roc leaving the sea and rising to great heights". Shen Xinchang was actually implying how many benefits Pan Haiyun would have if he accepted the appointment as the chief examiner.

Pan Yueqing smiled secretly in her heart, but there was no sign of it on her face. She slowly opened her mouth and smiled. "With a heart as clear as still water, one can laugh at the impermanence of the world. Uncle Shen knows there are countless benefits, yet he still wants Father to share some of them. It shows how calm Uncle Shen's mindset is. Yueqing admires it."

"Yue'er, don't be rude." Pan Haiyun spoke slowly and smiled helplessly at Shen Xinchang. "My daughter has been spoiled by me. She always says what's on her mind and has no intention of offending. Brother Shen, please forgive her."

"What she said is right. Everyone in the world knows there are countless benefits. If I strongly persuade you to accept the appointment, it's easy for people to think that I have ulterior motives," Shen Xinchang looked at Pan Haiyun with a smile that was full of magnanimity. He even looked at Pan Yueqing with a loving gaze. "What a saying 'With a heart as clear as still water, one can laugh at the impermanence of the world'. I suppose the Second Miss has practiced meditation under some eminent monk? It's rare for someone so young to be able to express such a profound sentiment."

"Yueqing has just read some books randomly and is just talking nonsense. No matter how prosperous the flowers are and how lively the feasts are, they will eventually fade away. When walking in this world, one should still be careful and cautious," Pan Yueqing chuckled. She met the gazes of Shen Xinchang and Shen Pingji. As soon as the words came out, she knew she had been impulsive today.

"Miss Yue is absolutely right." Shen Pingji nodded. He raised his eyes and met Pan Yueqing's gaze. When their eyes met, he didn't feel embarrassed as he did the first time. Instead, his gaze was calm and composed. It was these words that made him have an inexplicable premonition in his heart: He couldn't regard this Miss Yue as an ordinary young woman. In those calm eyes that seemed to see through everything, he truly felt an involuntary sense of fear.

"I never expected that not only is Brother Haiyun having great luck now, but he's also admirable in raising his children. To be honest, my son has always been very stubborn. He even argues with the Emperor based on reason. Among his peers, it's rare to hear him say something in agreement," Shen Xinchang smiled at Pan Haiyun and then turned his gaze to Pan Yueqing, who was smiling and moving aside. "Brother Shen, you're too kind," Pan Haiyun smiled slightly and didn't comment. He just clapped his hands, and then more than a dozen dancers dressed in splendid costumes appeared. Amid the faint sound of silk and bamboo instruments, these dancers veiled in thin gauze began to dance gracefully. Shen Xinchang stroked his beard and watched these graceful dancers with a smile. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Brother Haiyun, I've only heard that the dancers in the King of Dongzhu's mansion are so beautiful that their dance can enchant the whole city. But I didn't know that the dancers in your mansion are no less impressive..."

"Haha, Brother Shen, I'm sure you've seen and watched countless dancers over the years. They're not as good as you said," Pan Haiyun raised his hand and filled Shen Xinchang's wine cup personally. He pushed it slightly towards Shen Xinchang. "Let's drink, let's drink!"

"You're still being secretive," Shen Xinchang picked up the wine cup helplessly. He took a sip of the warm green plum wine, picked up a chopstick of sliced chicken with spicy oil. After the alcohol taste subsided, he raised his eyes and looked at Pan Haiyun. "Why are we being so stingy with each other?"

"Uncle Shen, it turns out you know that my Second Sister's sword dance is excellent," Pan Miaoqian took over Shen Xinchang's words before Pan Haiyun could speak. She looked at Pan Yueqing with sincere eyes. "At the Princess of Anbei's birthday banquet, her dance to 'Breaking the Formation' has now become the most fashionable dance in the brothel. Second Sister, since Uncle Shen is Father's honored guest, don't be so secretive. Let us have a look at your dance!"

Pan Yueqing sat still and took a sip of the green plum wine. Meeting Pan Miaoqian's mocking gaze, she knew that Pan Miaoqian was taking revenge for the "250 taels of silver" she had to pay as a humiliating compensation at the Princess of Anbei's mansion. First, they were talking about the dancers, and now the topic was turned to her "Breaking the Formation" dance. The "Breaking the Formation" dance was performed when all the young ladies in the capital showed their talents under the proposal of Zou Yingru and the approval of the Princess of Anbei. Now, comparing her to a dancer was simply a dream!

Pan Yueqing shook her head slightly. "Dancing that kind of dance is too exhausting. Moreover, the Princess of Anbei told me later that all the movements are part of the dance to worship the gods in the Western Wei State and can't be danced casually on ordinary days. However, since Third Sister is so enthusiastic and the guests are interested, there should be a performance. Father, Third Sister plays the qin very well. Why don't you let her perform instead of me to entertain Uncle Shen and Second Young Master Shen?"

After hearing this, Pan Haiyun nodded slightly.

Pan Miaoqian was stunned when she heard this. She had originally wanted to humiliate Pan Yueqing! Why was she the one being targeted by Pan Yueqing's words now?

Before she could say a word of refusal, Pan Yueqing stood up and placed her hands on her. She frowned slightly and said, looking a bit difficult. "We sisters are like one family. As a talented woman, your performance on the qin will surely be even better." Then she said softly, "We can't lose Father's and the Pan family's face, dear sister."