As it turned out, the reason Liufei was friendly with her was all to help Liu Yanzai get her. On the night of her fifteenth birthday, she even tried to drug her in an attempt to get her to lose her virginity to Liu Yanzai.
If she hadn't been vigilant and seen through their plan, she would probably have been taken to the Liu residence and might have met a terrible fate.
After the plan was exposed, Liufei completely tore off her mask and assisted Liu Yanzai in pressuring her, using all sorts of methods.
When she realized that things couldn't go as they wished, she even wanted to disfigure her...
The reason she did all this was out of jealousy towards Su Mo'er.
Liufei had always thought she was the most beautiful, but after meeting Su Mo'er, she realized that she was far inferior to her, and gradually became deeply jealous, wanting to destroy her.
Thinking back to the past, Su Mo'er's heart trembled slightly, but then considering the current situation, she felt more confident.
Indeed, as Liufei said, she knew herself very well and understood that besides her beauty and knowledge, she couldn't compare to her in any other aspect.
But so what? Dealing with men was never about what one knew, but about who could win in the end.
Not to mention, with Yuan Niang teaching her now, Su Mo'er didn't believe that she would be inferior to her on the same stage as a dancer!
Seeing that Su Mo'er didn't want to speak more, Li Ling'er didn't ask further and bid her farewell at the intersection.
Su Mo'er was then led by Qing You to her room at the Commandant's residence. As she circled around the room, she couldn't help but sigh: indeed, with a large family and business, this was just a dancer's lodging, but every detail of the exquisite furnishings and delicate household items she had encountered so far was the best she had ever seen in her life.
That night, after a day of tiredness, Su Mo'er fell into a deep sleep under Qing You's care.
Although the bed was very comfortable, she slept deeply, but her dreams were uneasy. Sometimes it was the reluctant faces of her family, and at other times it was the sneering faces of Liufei and Liu Yanzai.
Finally, it ended with a blurry figure. She knew that this figure was the hope of her journey, the prince of the present day. She tried hard to approach him and see his face clearly, but she couldn't, no matter what.
Until Qing You's voice reached her ears, she woke up in a cold sweat.
Qing You looked worried and said, "Miss, did you have a nightmare?"
Su Mo'er looked at the sky and asked, "What time is it?"
Qing You said, "It's almost the end of the shichen hour, Miss."
Su Mo'er was shocked and hastily got up, "Oh no, I'm going to be late."
They had to get to the residence's music and dance hall by dawn every day, where Yuan Niang instructed them on singing, dancing, and other skills. It was only the first day, and if Su Mo'er was late, then...
The master and servant hastily washed up, without even taking the time to put on makeup, and hurried off.
When they arrived, everyone was already there, and Yuan Niang was speaking in front of everyone.
Seeing the situation, Su Mo'er couldn't help but feel guilty as she walked over, but was stopped by Yuan Niang's frown and reprimand: "Stop."
Yuan Niang looked at the time and asked, "What time is it?"
Following her gaze, Su Mo'er looked and whispered with gritted teeth, "In response to aunt, it's the second quarter of the third watch...."
Actually, this time was just right, but she couldn't help it when everyone else had arrived, she was the only one left. It was the first day of Yuan Niang's new tenure, and she naturally had to reprimand someone. Immediately, her face darkened, "I said the second quarter of the third watch, and you really arrived at the second quarter of the third watch. What, do you think you are exceptionally talented in singing or extraordinary in dancing?"
Feeling wronged in her heart, but not daring to argue, Su Mo'er thought to herself that she was out of luck, and could only softly admit her mistake, "Aunt, it's my fault, I overslept carelessly. Please punish me, I will never make the same mistake again in the future."
Seeing her understanding, Yuan Niang's face softened a bit and nodded, "In that case, I will punish you to stay for an hour after class every day, and clean this place for five consecutive days. Are you willing to accept that?"
Upon hearing this, Su Mo'er could sense her concern, and her heart was moved, so she nodded with a gentle smile.
However, this caused some people to be dissatisfied, secretly sneering and saying that Yuan Niang was biased. Staying for an hour after class every day, how could that be a punishment? If Yuan Niang was really considerate, wouldn't that be deliberately giving her private tutoring?
Upon hearing this, Yuan Niang couldn't help but say, "You want to stay after class? Fine, if you're willing, then everyone stay!"
As soon as she said this, the people who had been making noise just now looked at each other and fell silent again.
Seeing this, Yuan Niang coldly said, "Today, I will repeat this for the last time. Remember this! Learning singing and dancing is not a matter of bias. These things might seem elegant and easy, but the rules are only understood through practice. As the saying goes: ten years of practice for a moment on stage. If you don't work hard, even if the teacher is dedicated, the result will not be as desired. Don't complain about being tired; the hard work now is for a better future. I've said what I needed to say, now think about it yourselves!"
"Alright, let's start the training now!"
With that, Yuan Niang divided the people into those who had practiced singing and dancing and those who had not. Su Mo'er ended up on the side of those who had not, under the dismissive gaze of Liu Feifei.
Then, Yuan Niang arranged the daily learning schedule and started with warm-ups, stretching, and flexibility exercises...
At first, Su Mo'er could keep up, but as time went on, she found it increasingly difficult. Thinking back to her initial statement of wanting to surpass Liu Feifei, it now seemed like a joke.
But she refused to give up and worked harder. After being late once, she was always the first to arrive and the last to leave. But even though she barely kept up with the others, she still became the target of ridicule from many people.
Especially Liu Feifei and her group, who often played tricks on Su Mo'er during practice. Today, they tripped her while dancing, tomorrow they would damage her instrument while playing, or they would finish all the food available before Su Mo'er could eat after practice.
If not for Li Ling'er and others intervening, Su Mo'er would have found it difficult to endure this ordeal.
One day, after the morning practice, Yuan Niang announced that they would rest for half a day in the afternoon. Although everyone was puzzled, they were also quite happy.
After returning to her room, Qingyu immediately came over and saw that Su Mo'er had lost weight over the past month, feeling distressed. She said, "Miss, it's time for you to have your meal."
Su Mo'er smiled and said, "We have half a day off today, so I haven't eaten yet."
"In that case, I'll prepare some food for you."
Subsequently, as Su Mo'er ate her meal, Qingyu served her and said, "Miss, those young ladies are really bullying you too much! They are always picking on you. Miss, why don't you just tell the officer in charge and have them punished?"
Su Mo'er shook her head and said, "Qingyu, I know you're looking out for me, but in the future, don't bring this up again."
Seeing that Qingyu was puzzled, she explained, "Apart from Liu Feifei, the others are just trying to show off. They are nothing more than a bunch of clowns. Giving them too much attention will only inflate their arrogance and give us trouble. Besides, the situation is unpredictable. Who knows which lady will rise in the end? If we tell the officer, it may only make things worse. Troubles are endless, and if we block one trouble now, how can we avoid the next one? It's better to endure and wait to see who has the last laugh."
Qingyu suddenly understood and said, "Miss, you're right. You're considering things far-sightedly."
Su Mo'er couldn't help but smile. What far-sightedness? It was just about weighing the options and acting in her best interest.
Just then, Li Ling'er suddenly came to find her. Su Mo'er was surprised and went out to meet her. Li Ling'er looked excited and said, "Su sister, I knew you were still here. Hurry up and dress up, come with me to the front yard."
Su Mo'er couldn't help but ask, "Why are we going to the front yard?"
They weren't allowed to wander around the officer's residence, let alone go to the front yard.
Li Ling'er looked surprised and said, "Su sister, you don't know, right?"
Su Mo'er's heart skipped a beat and she asked, "What's going on? Did something happen?"
Seeing that she didn't seem to be pretending, Li Ling'er suddenly understood and said indignantly, "It must be their group that intercepted the message being sent to you!"
As she approached, her voice lowered but was filled with excitement, "Su sister, do you know why Yuan Aunt gave us half a day off today? It's because the officer's residence received the news this morning that the crown prince has arrived in Changzhou. The news just came that the crown prince is about to arrive at the officer's residence, so they summoned everyone to welcome the crown prince."
Upon hearing this, Su Mo'er was startled for a moment and then realized it. Her heart started pounding hard. She grabbed Li Ling'er's hand and asked, "Ling'er, is this news true?"
"Of course it is! That group, including Liu Feifei, has already dressed up and gone to the front yard." Saying this, she urged, "Su sister, I won't say more, hurry up and get ready. This is your first chance to see the crown prince in person!"
After that, she left first, and Su Mo'er didn't blame her. After all, if it weren't for her, she would have been kept in the dark.
Qingyu also came over with a happy expression and said, "Miss, let's get ready to go and welcome the crown prince."
Su Mo'er's heart was also stirred, she had prepared for so long, and the main character was finally coming. She nodded and followed Qingyu to get ready.
During the preparations, Su Mo'er gradually began to calm down. She knew that while it was important to welcome the crown prince to the residence, it wasn't absolutely necessary. If she rushed over now, she would likely be met with a large crowd. Furthermore, even if she stood out, how could she deepen the crown prince's impression of herself to show her unique qualities?
Thinking about this, she hesitated at the door and changed her mind.
……
In front of the gates of the Deputy Lieutenant's Mansion, Deputy Lieutenant Yang Jian was dressed in official robes, with a long face and a calm expression. However, his small squinting eyes occasionally scanned the entrance of the alleyway. His hands, gathered in his sleeves, were restless, showing his anxiety.
Beside him was his wife, legitimate sons, and concubines, with the rest of the Deputy Lieutenant's Mansion personnel standing further in the distance, forming neat and orderly rows.
A group of people, including Liu Feifei, stood not far from the side gate. Their positioning was neither good nor bad, but it was deliberately arranged by the Deputy Lieutenant to attract the attention of the Crown Prince. Liu Feifei's cold and elegant demeanor stood out among the crowd.
As she scanned the surroundings, she couldn't find Su Mo'er, and couldn't help but smile smugly. As long as she appeared in front of the Crown Prince first, she would have the upper hand. What could Su Mo'er use to compare with her then?
Just then, a commotion was heard, and someone nervously exclaimed, "They're here, they're here!" Despite the announcement, Liu Feifei remained calm, but she was also incredibly nervous as she looked over.
At the entrance of the alleyway, a group of people and horses could be seen approaching from a distance. At first glance, everything seemed ordinary, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that the group marched in an orderly manner, with resounding footsteps, all appearing to be well-trained individuals.
Soon, the group came to a halt at the gate of the Deputy Lieutenant's Mansion. From afar, Liu Feifei saw the Deputy Lieutenant approaching with a respectful expression and calling out, "I humbly welcome the Crown Prince, a thousand years to the Crown Prince."
Following the call, there was a deafening silence.
After a brief moment, the sound of horse-drawn carriages and footsteps became audible. At that moment, the Crown Prince's arrival felt as if a heavy burden was pressing down on everyone's hearts, making it hard to breathe.
Then, a cold yet extremely pleasant voice, devoid of any emotion, was heard saying, "No need for formalities, please rise."
This voice sent shivers down one's spine, yet it also brought an inexplicable sense of relief. As the words fell, the weight pressing on everyone seemed to dissipate, and Liu Feifei, along with others, expressed gratitude to the Crown Prince before raising their heads to look at him.
Upon seeing the figure standing next to the carriage, almost everyone involuntarily squinted and paused for a moment.
The author has this to say: He's here! He's here! The Crown Prince, who is as cold as ice, never smiles, shuns women, and devotes himself to the people, has arrived with his retinue! Where are the fireworks? This is so difficult... I had to cut down so many plotlines just to give the Crown Prince the spotlight, yet I still ended up writing so many words~ It's heartbreaking~