Chapter 982

He scattered the wine and food across the Great Yuan table everywhere,

"What a bunch of ugly trash, and yet you parade them in public — utterly shameful before my Khan."

"Aodu, Aodu — is this the best you could manage, you damned fool?"

As he spoke, Wokuotai kept cursing nonstop.

The ministers watched with great interest, wondering what had come over the Khan.

The close minister Aodu, hearing Wokuotai's tirade, could only step forward awkwardly,

"Khan! These singing girls are rare beauties, every one of them.

Among them, that troupe of Central Plains women who just performed the Shanhe Sheji Dance — they're famous stars of the Great Tang…"

"Bah!"

Whether truly drunk or not, Wokuotai hawked and spat right beside Aodu.

Aodu shuddered with fright, and the explanations behind him died in his throat.

"What damned Shanhe Sheji Dance? It's nothing but blind hopping about."

Wokuotai bellowed,

"Go! Find me better dancing girls.

Prince Ruyang comes here today — if you dare make me lose face,

believe it or not, I'll strip you of your post on the spot and never reinstate you?"

"Yes, yes, Khan, please calm your anger."

Aodu, looking thoroughly embarrassed, could only retreat to one side and turn to Yelu Chu for help,

"Grand Preceptor, what should we do?

To feast Prince Ruyang, I really did scour every famous star within a hundred li of the imperial court.

If the Khan is still not satisfied, I'm truly out of ideas!"

Yelu Chu watched the lord and minister play their little duet — how could he not know what was in their hearts?

Their aim was simply to force Prince Ruyang to hand over Han Ji, that incomparable singer and dancer, to perform a number in public.

If she were truly produced, Wokuotai would then find some pretext to keep her a while.

By then, the rice would be cooked.

No matter what Prince Ruyang might say afterward, it would be too late.

Such a transparent scheme — surely not only Yelu Chu, but every civil and military official present could see through it?

Let alone Prince Ruyang and his son!

But if it was so obvious, why would Wokuotai and Aodu — that lord-and-minister pair — resort to such a clumsy ploy?

Yelu Chu was puzzled, yet he could not leave the matter hanging.

"The Khan's regard for Prince Ruyang shines as bright as the sun and moon."

Yelu Chu led with a polite pleasantry, then went on,

"Since he feels these dancing girls are not enough to entertain Prince Ruyang, then Lord Aodu may simply go and find more."

In truth, those two lines were nothing but a diplomatic parry.

Yelu Chu had no wish to be dragged into Wokuotai's scheme to snatch Prince Ruyang's concubine.

After all, it was utterly, damned disgraceful.

"But where on earth am I to find them now?"

Aodu, clearly still unwilling to give up, deliberately put on a helpless look and asked,

"Grand Preceptor, you must save me!

The Khan just said that if I don't get this right today, he'll have me done for!

We serve at court together — you don't want to see me stripped of my post, do you?"

Oh, thank you very much!

I'd be only too glad to see you stripped of your post — one less scoundrel in league with Wokuotai.

Yelu Chu cursed him inwardly, but could not say so aloud.

He was mulling over how to get rid of this pest Aodu,

when unexpectedly Prince Ruyang, seated not far away, leaned over and spoke up,

"Ah! It is my fault — I have provoked the Khan's anger onto Lord Aodu."

"Not at all — it is I who failed in my duty."

Aodu, seeing Prince Ruyang take the bait, immediately broke into a broad grin,

"Prince Ruyang has traveled a thousand li to be here — it is I who have failed to do you proper honor!"

"Lord Aodu is too kind."

Prince Ruyang said,

"Since the Khan finds these singing girls unsatisfactory, it happens that my Wang Fu also keeps a troupe of singing girls.

Though most come from the northern lands, there are also a few exquisite ones from Izumo, You Dongying, and other countries.

In song and dance, they surely cannot compare with those Lord Aodu has found.

But perhaps their exotic charm might catch the Khan's eye?"

"Ah? How could that be acceptable?"

Aodu, hearing there were beauties from Izumo, brightened at once.

Han Ji herself was from Izumo!

Who would have thought this old fox Prince Ruyang was so cooperative — before he and the Khan had even opened their mouths, he had offered her up himself?

Good!

Granting this old fellow's household a first-rank Hou Jue is hardly a loss.

His heart bloomed with joy, yet Aodu's face wore an expression of "we cannot do this."

Prince Ruyang, however, wore a look of righteous urgency, insisting on helping Aodu, and turned at once to give Wang Baobao his orders,

"Kuokuo, hurry and summon the singing girls of our Wang Fu, to entertain the Great Khan and all the lords."

"At your command."

Wang Baobao rose at once, bowed to Wokuotai and the others, then quickly withdrew.

Before long, the languid strains of music began to play.

Then a procession of northern beauties was seen approaching slowly from afar.

The attire of these beauties differed vastly from the palace singing girls seen earlier.

Though it was the blazing height of summer, they were all dressed in sable furs.

Though they were sable furs, the garments left their figures utterly exposed.

That very contrast made countless high officials and nobles gulp audibly.

When the dance music struck up and these exotic beauties began to sway,

even the Great Yuan's Lai Junchen, long since sated with song and dance, could not help but pound the table in astonishment.

They felt this exotic dance was truly something never heard of, never seen before.

Wokuotai, seated upon the imperial throne, cried out "Bravo!" again and again.

The dance music gradually moved from its humdrum passages into a succession of climaxes.

Suddenly, this troupe of exotic beauties split apart without warning.

At some unknown moment, at the center of this group of beauties, there stood one woman unlike the rest.

The moment she appeared, every beauty present paled in comparison.

Every onlooker could not help but cry out in shock,

"Han Ji! It's Han Ji!"

The Heavenly Dao Hundred Flowers List differs from the Heavenly Dao Combat Power Apex List.

Each time the Heavenly Dao Hundred Flowers List finishes its introduction, it releases images of the beauties for countless people to adore.

Han Ji once appeared on the Heavenly Dao Hundred Flowers List; her image had long been admired by tens of millions.

The civil and military officials of the Great Yuan court had naturally all admired her before.

Her sudden appearance now was naturally recognized at once.