46: Chapter 46 Lee Kyung-ryong's Hardline Rejection of the Goryeo Girl Group in the Eastern Palace

"Your Mandarin is quite good," Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong complimented.

"Thank you for your undeserved praise, Your Highness. This humble official has admired Chinese culture since childhood and has studied historical texts diligently, never daring to slack off day or night," Yi Bang-won replied, neither servile nor overbearing.

As he answered, he quietly observed the Prince of Wu seated in the main position from the corner of his eye.

He saw that the Prince of Wu had sword-like eyebrows reaching into his temples, a high, straight nose bridge, and a faint, elusive smile on his lips. He clearly looked like a gentle, jade-like refined young gentleman, yet his eyes were like two bottomless abysses.

The appearance of the sun and sky, the bearing of a dragon and phoenix.

These eight words instantly flashed through Yi Bang-won's mind.

Alarm bells rang loudly in his heart; the person before him was definitely more terrifying than the rumors suggested.

"Guests have arrived; everyone, please take your seats," Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong said, raising his hand to signal the palace attendants to serve wine.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Yi Bang-won expressed his gratitude and sat down. He then turned and gave a look, saying humbly, "Your Highness, this is a small token of our country's esteem, specially prepared to celebrate your investiture as the Prince of Wu. Please, Your Highness, take a look."

Soon, two rows of palace attendants walked in slowly, holding trays covered with red silk.

The first gift was a century-old Goryeo ginseng as thick as an adult's arm. The roots were intact, and it was shaped almost like a human figure. It was carefully placed in a box, emitting a refreshing medicinal fragrance.

"Your Highness, this is the millennium ginseng king produced in Changbai Mountain of our Joseon Kingdom. It nourishes vital energy and prolongs life. We specially offer it to you to express our humble sentiment," the old envoy introduced.

The nobles in the hall nodded secretly upon seeing this.

This gift was indeed valuable.

Next were Eastern pearls, sable furs, and gold and silver utensils, all top-grade tributes from Goryeo.

However, when the last four trays were presented, the atmosphere in the hall changed abruptly.

On those four trays, there were no gold, silver, or jewels, but instead, four graceful Joseon women were kneeling on each.

They were all wearing plain white gauze dresses, with long hair like waterfalls, skin whiter than snow, and their heads lowered, revealing elegant and fragile necks.

Although their faces were not clearly visible, just from their figures and temperament, one knew they were beauties of the world.

The Duke of Cao's brows furrowed instantly.

Sending women is not uncommon in diplomatic relations between countries, but presenting them so bluntly in the main hall of the Eastern Palace, right in front of the newly appointed Prince of Wu, made their intentions worth pondering.

Was this a tribute, or a probe?

Did they think the Prince of Wu was young and fond of lust, wanting to use a honey trap? Or were they hinting at something else?

The old envoy seemed not to notice the change in the hall's atmosphere and continued to introduce with a beaming smile: "Your Highness, these four women were carefully selected by us in our country. They come from clean backgrounds and have studied the poetry, books, and etiquette of the Great Ming since childhood."

He paused, his voice carrying a hint of pride.

"They are not only considerate and proficient in music and dance, but their bodies are also extremely supple. Whether playing instruments or attending to Your Highness's daily life, they will be able to satisfy Your Highness."

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Cao almost spat out the wine he had just drunk.

Good grief.

Considerate, and supple bodies.

Seeing the Prince of Wu on the main seat holding that white jade wine cup without speaking for a long time, Yi Bang-won assumed this young Crown Prince was considering something.

He hurriedly stepped forward half a step, bowed his body, and made an extremely respectful obeisance before him.

"If Your Highness feels the banquet is dull, this official will have these four women perform a prayer dance unique to our country."

"This dance is called 'Plain Moon,' taken from the lines 'The plain moon sheds its radiance, sharing its reflection with the bright river, clear and transparent inside and out.' May the Great Ming have calm seas and clear rivers, and flourish in prosperity!"

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong leaned back against the carved red sandalwood chair, his slender fingers gently rubbing the edge of the warm jade cup, and said indifferently: "Since our guests from afar have such intentions, it would naturally not be right for me to refuse your kindness."

"Play the music."

Hearing this, Yi Bang-won was overjoyed. He hurriedly retreated to his seat and gave a look to the accompanying musicians beside him.

Two Goryeo musicians, one holding a long-necked huqin and the other a hand drum, quickly stepped forward and sat cross-legged in the corner of the side hall. The melodious and winding sound of the huqin, accompanied by the crisp tapping of the hand drum, slowly flowed out. The four Goryeo women who were originally kneeling on the ground instantly entered their roles, their waists arching backward as if boneless.

The moon-white gauze dresses on their bodies were as thin as cicada wings. With this exaggerated backward arching movement, they clung tightly to their bodies, outlining their proud curves vividly.

The Duke of Cao's hand holding the wine cup paused. He swept his gaze over the four dancers' figures with great interest, sneered, and muttered in a low voice: "These Joseon people really know how to put in the effort."

What kind of spectacle had he not seen in this Yingtian Prefecture? He could find his way to the pleasure boats on the Qinhuai River with his eyes closed, but the figures of these four foreign women indeed exuded a unique charm, especially the sticky sensation when their waists and hips swayed, as if it could suck a person's soul away.

The music suddenly turned rapid, and the four women spun rapidly in place simultaneously, their wide water sleeves blooming in all directions like blooming white lotus flowers.

Their dance steps were so light that not a sound could be heard. Their bare feet stepped on the smooth bluestone floor, and the silver bells tied to their ankles made a delicate, teasing sound.

Whenever they spun towards the direction of Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong, the necklines of these women would slightly open due to inertia, revealing a large expanse of snow-white, plump skin and vaguely visible cleavage.

In their lowered eyes flowed a moist luster, and their coy, playing-hard-to-get posture was captured just right.

After the dance, the music and drums stopped abruptly at the most high-pitched climax.

The four women knelt softly on the bluestone floor like exhausted butterflies, their smooth foreheads pressed against the ground, their chests heaving violently, stirring up waves that invited endless reverie.

Yi Bang-won nervously stole glances at Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's face, his mental calculations running clear. Regardless of whether Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong accepted these four women or not, he would always be able to figure out the temperament of this newly appointed Prince of Wu from his reaction—whether he was lustful and easy to manipulate, or deep and unfathomable. This trip today would not be in vain.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong did not speak, but simply placed the white jade wine cup he had been toying with for a long time gently on the table in front of him, and tapped the rim of the cup twice with his fingertips.

The Duke of Cao had originally been squinting his eyes and observing Yi Bang-won with great interest. Upon hearing this sound, he immediately sat up straight, the playfulness on his face vanishing completely, and quickly exchanged a glance with Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong on the main seat.

Then, he cleared his throat and revealed an elegant yet distant smile towards Yi Bang-won and the old envoy.

"Envoy, Your Highness Prince, you are too kind," he swirled the wine cup in his hand, his tone gentle. "The Goryeo Kingdom is small and its people are poor; I imagine daily expenses are difficult. These four women, judging by their figures, must have been raised with countless efforts. It would be better to take them back."

He paused, the smile on his lips thickening, "Lest they suffer from the climate here in the Great Ming, and if they happen to grow thin, and it gets spread around, it would make our Celestial Empire seem like a poor host, damaging our national dignity."

Once these words were spoken, the old Joseon envoy's face instantly turned the color of a pig's liver. This was saying they were poor, saying they couldn't afford to raise people! Yet the Duke of Cao spoke in a slow, methodical manner, with a sincere look of "I am thinking for your sake," leaving him unable to find any grounds for rebuttal.

"Come," the Duke of Cao, as if he didn't see their ugly expressions, beckoned to the eunuchs outside the hall. "Collect all the gifts from the Joseon delegation properly and send them to the guesthouse."

Several clever little eunuchs immediately stepped forward and nimbly "invited" the Goryeo ginseng, Eastern pearls, sable furs, and the four beauties still kneeling on the ground out. When the beauties were taken away, they turned their heads and cast a resentful glance, but only saw Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's cold side profile.

Not until the hall returned to quiet did Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong seem to have just snapped back to reality. He raised his wine cup and toasted Yi Bang-won, whose face was livid, from a distance.

"Prince, you have come from afar; the journey must have been arduous. I offer you a cup."

Yi Bang-won suppressed the turmoil in his heart, hurriedly stood up, raised his cup with both hands, and lowered his posture extremely low: "This official dares not. This official toasts Your Highness."

After the cup of wine went down, the atmosphere became even more heavy. Yi Bang-won knew he could wait no longer. He took a deep breath, left his seat, walked to the center of the hall, and performed a kowtow to Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong.

"Reporting to the Prince of Wu, this official has come this time not only to congratulate Your Highness, but also to ask for a favor."