Flames of Ambition

21: Unique and Alluring talent

Chapter 21: Unique and Alluring talent

Zexel did not even mind to change clothes for her performance that as if it was just a normal circumstances.

Zexel gesture the palace maid to bring the big drum on the side and put it on her front which the palace maid immediately made moved and put the drum at the centre.

Zexel grab the mallet-like stick within the drum. No one even know what was she planning for.

A lot of people begun to be confuse and curious on what will Zexel do.

Everyone was silent when the first beat begun to linger to their ears. Another two beats, then a multiply beats that makes a pleasant tone within everyones ears.

The initially worried Fan Yaoli begun to relax as she so Zexel to perform in front of everyone.

While beating the drum, everyone can see the elegant and alluring dance moves that Zexel was doing. Even the beat and every steps thats Zexel do was too perfect to everyones eyes and completely forgot how Fan Qinyou perform a while ago.

Another beat then she stop as Zexel begun to rotate the stick around her finger

The drums are booming out;

Then she beat

We're busy all about,
Building walls high and low.

Another beat then she play some stunts.

Alone I southward go.

A two beats with a slightly dance.

I follow Sun Zizhong
To fight with Chen and Song.

Another multiple beating and her other hands rotate the stick again

I cannot homeward go;
My heart is full of woe.

A slow multiple beat begun to linger to the four corner of the Palace Main Hall.

Where stops and stays our force?
I've lost my battle horse.
O where can it be found?
It's buried underground.

A low beat slowly but beating it continuously as Zexel begun to speak another verse.

"Meet or part, live or die,
We've made oath, you and I.
Give me your hand I'll hold,
And live with me till old!"

The beat become slower and slower affecting everyones emotion. Even the way how Zexel deliver the poem. It have an emotion that can affect your mind and your personal emotion.

With my man, I've long parted.
Can I live broken-hearted?
Alas! the oath we swore
Can be fulfilled no more.

Another slow beating but this time it has a gap. The beat was like a heart that begun to slowly stop making most of them cry. Until Zexel stop and put her right hand up with the stick.

The poem expresses homesick mood of a female general in the battlefields. The verse "Give me your hand I'll hold, And live with me till old!" has become the best love oath for later generation lovers. The message was simply heart breaking.

And in just a second, the audience begun to clap their hand while wiping their tears. At this time, it was already clear to everyone who won this round.

It was none other than, Zexel.

Fan Qinyou begun to feel jealousy over Zexel as her limelight is snatched by Zexel.

'It was clearly mine, mine alone. Why did that bitch dare to steal the limelight on me? I am the only one who fitted to have that limelight. Only me!' Fan Qinyou is gritting her teeth because of her jealousy.

A while ago, she clearly mock Zexel if she can best her for playing a hard piece of song with Guqin in a perfect and clean way.

But who knows that Zexel had also prepare a talent. A talent that only seen right now.

It was a combination of drum beating, dancing and reciting a poem in one performance.

Fan Qinyou wanted to kill Zexel instantly but she manage to stop herself for the sake of her own face. Specially later, the Crown Prince will give him a title later and he will request to the Emperor to cancel the Engagement between him and Fan Yaoli.

Thinking how Fan Qinyou will become the future Empress of this Country, the bad mood she felt change into a good mood.

"Zhen[1] will now decide who wins in this round. Zhen choose the Seventh Daughter of the Prime Minister, Miss Fan Lihua," the Emperor smile and give her a nodded.

Zexel kowtow to the Emperor in front for everyone.

"This humble one thank your Majesty for your blessing," the Emperor let her rise so Zexel go back to her seat and lazily eat her food.

She can feel that Feng Zhengying was staring her ever since she start to perform.

He was emitting a dangerous aura right now, his eyes were blank, his face did not express any emotion and he was releasing a cold aura making his surrounding chilled up to their spine.

Zexel knows that Feng Zhengying was jealous but she will just deal him later after the banquet.

Although everyone knows that Zexel will be the winner, nobody expect that Fan Qinyou will he eliminated in first round. They all thought that she will be the toughest opponent they will have but now, they consider Zexel to be their toughest opponent.

The competition finish up and Zexel was the winner. She perform 5 different and unique performance to the front of Emperor.

The second performance was a painting using a Guqin. Zexel put a black ink to the Guqin and play it. She moves the Guqin according to the painting and the finish product was a painting of Guqin also.

The third one is a sword dance with paper cutting, using the sword, she cut the paper to become a different image she want.

The fourth one was instant making of poem that makes everyone cry for the tragic message of it that no one can't help but to admire her.

And the fifth one was stunt for archery, she did ten stunt that a normal archer can't do making her the winner of the whole competition.

This also make Fan Qinyou almost lost her Facade.

--*--

1:Zhen - Emperor's way to address his self

Resources of the poem:
http://www.chinawhisper.com/top-10-classic-chinese-love-poems/

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