As everyone listened to Song Yaoyao talking to the one called Guagua, their shoulders began to shake. Holding back their laughter was painfully difficult!
One young gentleman simply could not help himself and laughed aloud.
The person beside him quickly clapped a hand over his mouth.
This was the first time any of them had experienced something as bizarre as hearing someone else's thoughts.
The emperor had not said anything, so none of them dared make a move.
Next, the young ladies from various aristocratic clans began competing to show off their talents.
Song Yaoyao watched with rapt interest.
After the young ladies finished performing, a group of dancers entered to present a dance.
Host, host! Danger, danger! The tallest dancer in the back row is an assassin!
Hearing this voice in their minds, everyone present turned their gaze toward the tall dancer in the back row.
An assassin? Oh, my dear father and mother! This is terrifying! How can I run into an assassination attempt just by attending a palace banquet?
Host, he's a man disguised as a woman, hiding among these dancers. He wants to seize an opportunity to assassinate the emperor. His weapon is a flexible sword wrapped around his waist. He also has a dagger hidden in his sleeve, and its blade is coated with deadly poison.
Song Yaoyao said anxiously in her mind:
What am I supposed to do? How do I warn the emperor and everyone here?
If I warn them outright, will the emperor think I'm an accomplice?
Let me think, let me think! What am I going to do?
Why can't this brain of mine come up with a single idea when it matters most...?
In the center of the hall, the dancers waved their long sleeves and began their graceful dance!
No one knew whether Song Yaoyao's thoughts were telling the truth, but several highly skilled guards had already gathered around the emperor.
While Song Yaoyao was still anxiously trying to think of a solution, the tall dancer suddenly drew the dagger hidden in his sleeve and charged toward the emperor. The guards surrounding him immediately rushed forward to intercept the assassin.
Everyone present began screaming.
Many were so frightened that they hurried out of the way.
Assistant Minister Song shielded his wife, and the Song Household's children hurried far away with them.
The sight gave Song Yaoyao a fright as well, and she quickly ducked under a table.
Once she had hidden herself, Song Yaoyao watched the fighting in the hall while muttering inwardly:
Guagua, I haven't even thought of a solution yet! How come they're already fighting?
Wow, wow, wow! Is that guard using the End-Your-Bloodline Kick? That's incredible! He's so cool! He's officially my idol!
Host, could you please stop making up ridiculous names for other people's martial arts? It's a perfectly respectable move. Why does it sound so sleazy coming out of your mouth? Stop watching the drama for now. Your bottom is still sticking out from under the table. Hide properly before you get caught in the crossfire.
Hearing her thoughts, everyone quickly looked toward Song Yaoyao.
Her upper body was under the table, but her lower body was still outside. With her bottom sticking up, she was wriggling desperately farther underneath.
The sight of Song Yaoyao chased away their fear, and some could not help covering their mouths and laughing.
This little girl from the Song Household looked so quiet and demure, yet she was so wild on the inside. What a character!
Just as Song Yaoyao was about to wriggle farther under the table, someone hauled her out.
Song Yaoyao turned and saw that it was her eldest brother, so she did not resist.
Holding Song Yaoyao by the back of her collar, her eldest brother brought them both somewhere relatively safe in the blink of an eye.
After the Songs had retreated, they realized their youngest daughter was missing. Then they heard her thoughts, and when they looked up, they saw Song Yaoyao under the table with her bottom sticking up.
She was already a young lady of twelve, yet she was sticking her backside into the air in full view of everyone. How utterly improper!
Seeing how angry her parents looked, Song Yaoyao reached out appeasingly and tugged on Madam Song's sleeve. With a pitiful expression and tears welling in her eyes, she said:
"Mother, there's an assassin! I'm scared!"
As she spoke, Song Yaoyao patted her chest as though she were still shaken.
Although Madam Song knew Song Yaoyao was putting on an act, the sight of her looking so pitiful still softened her heart.
What could she do? This was her own daughter, after all. She would just have to put more effort into teaching her once they got home!
Still, would it even be enough if she started teaching her as soon as they returned?
Madam Song suppressed her anger and scolded her:
"If you knew to be scared, why didn't you move farther away?"
"I understand. Next time, I'll make sure to hide far, far away."
Madam Song glared at Song Yaoyao.
"You're hoping there'll be a next time?"
"Mother, don't be angry. A slip of the tongue, nothing more.
"Once we get home, I'll massage your shoulders and legs. How does that sound?"
"Fine."
Song Yaoyao stuck out her tongue. She had finally managed to talk her way out of trouble.
In her previous life, Song Yaoyao had also been named Song Yaoyao, and she had been a military doctor with a comprehensive range of skills.
As a child, Song Yaoyao had been abandoned at the entrance to an orphanage. The director, whom she called Mom, had found her, and she had grown up there.
Song Yaoyao had been exceptionally bright from an early age. Even then, she had understood that she could only get the things she wanted through her own hard work.
So she had studied diligently and ranked first in her entire grade on every exam.
With her excellent college entrance examination results, Song Yaoyao had applied to the military medical university she wanted to attend.
After eight years in an integrated bachelor's, master's, and doctoral program, she had graduated with outstanding results, joined the military, and become a military doctor.
Song Yaoyao had worked as a military doctor for ten years. In her spare time, she had also learned a great deal about traditional Chinese medicine from an elderly practitioner.
She had thought she would spend the rest of her life that way. Instead, during a border clash, she had collapsed from exhaustion while treating the wounded and never woken again.
When Song Yaoyao regained consciousness, she had become a baby in Madam Song's womb, just about to be born, and had also bonded with a gossip system.
Only after safely arriving in this world had Song Yaoyao figured out that she was in a fictional dynasty that had never existed in Chinese history.
Her father, Song Xiuyuan, was an assistant minister of revenue of the principal fourth rank.
Her mother, Ning Wanying, was the legitimate daughter of the principal second rank Protector-General's Estate. Her parents were deeply devoted to each other, and there were no concubines or concubine-born children in their household.
Her eldest brother, Song Qingyu, was seventeen that year and excelled in both scholarly and martial pursuits. He was already engaged to Ji Minyue, the legitimate daughter of the principal fourth rank Loyal Warrior General. In a few more years, her sister-in-law would marry into the family.
Song Qingyu
Her second brother, Song Qinghui, was fifteen that year. He had loved practicing with spears and staves since childhood and usually trained at the military camp outside the city.
Song Qinghui
He had only returned from the military camp this time because of the palace banquet.
Her eldest sister, Song Qingling, was fourteen that year. Gentle, gracious, serene, and lovely, she excelled at everything from composing poetry and painting to playing the zither and embroidering. She was a quintessential well-bred young lady, and the family was currently considering marriage prospects for her.
Song Qingling
By the standards of a well-bred young lady, Song Yaoyao was utterly hopeless compared with her eldest sister!
In her previous life, Song Yaoyao had been an orphan who had to rely on herself for everything. She had had no choice but to work hard!