CHAPTER 472: 190 MINISTERS UNDER THE SKIRT

The willow branches swayed gently, sunlight playful and mischievous.

A wisp of violet smoke, ethereal like mist, drifted into sight.

Red-banded butterflies, deadleaf butterflies, dreamlike iridescent butterflies... with exquisite patterns that shimmered under the sunlight, dazzlingly resplendent.

As if one had inadvertently fallen into a fantastical dream.

Layer upon layer, the skirt adorned with butterfly motifs cascaded down, a slender waist outlined by bright yellow ribbons interwoven with multicolored palace sashes, their ends trailing long pale-yellow tassels. Various jade pendants, strung together with colorful threads, were tied at her waist, anchoring the skirt billowing in the wind, exuding elegance and majesty.

As she moved, the jade pendants and tassels collided, creating a symphony of opulence and unparalleled beauty.

The wind stirred, and the soft gauze draped between her arms fluttered like clouds gracefully dancing, alluring and captivating, ethereal like a celestial being.

With each step of her lotus-like gait, the drape swayed and flowed, resembling willow branches swaying in the breeze, a picture of idyllic beauty.

Everyone held their breath, as if afraid to disturb the enchanting figure.

Above that lithe, slender waist was a gracefully proportioned neck and shoulders. While the pursuit of square shoulders was a modern ideal, the true classical beauty, as described in Cao Zhi’s poetic verses, embodied the perfect balance of curves: shoulders delicately sculpted, a waist as refined as silk, a neck extending gracefully, the skin luminous and unblemished by artifice, pure as though untouched by the hands of this mortal world.

Sunlight filtered through the slits of the willow leaves, unabashedly lavishing its kisses upon that jade-like visage.

Unconsciously, Huang Chu whispered the latter verses of a poem: "The high-piled clouds, the elegant brows. Vermilion lips shining outwardly, pearly teeth glowing inwardly. Bright eyes glancing affectionately, dimples gracefully resting on her cheeks. Her rare beauty exudes an air of tranquility, her demeanor of refined elegance."

"Marvelous, absolutely marvelous."

Overcome with excitement, Huang Chu took a step forward, but as though fearful of disturbing her, he immediately pulled back.

Cui Jie was the first to regain his composure. Pinching his thigh hard to clear his mind, he quickly stepped forward: "So...So you’ve finally agreed to take the role?"

It turns out, beneath that mask was such a breathtakingly stunning face.

It was hard to tell whether it was the porcelain fairness of the girl’s skin or the overwhelming intensity of the sunlight, but her entire being seemed to shine. Only with squinting eyes could one bear to look at her without discomfort.

Sunlight was warm and beautiful, but to stare directly at it came at a cost.

Huang Chu gazed at the girl’s face with something close to reverence, his eyes filled purely with admiration and astonishment at her beauty, with not a trace of vulgarity.

Born into a renowned family of artists, he had always had a unique pursuit of beauty. As a child, while reading Cao Zhi’s "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River," he had often marveled at the exquisite language. What kind of opulent words could be used to describe a goddess of such unattainable elegance?

Any imagination, no matter how vivid, always felt sacrilegious to him.

At this very moment, it was as though the goddess from Cao Zhi’s ode had stepped out of the verses. He even felt that all the flowery words he once adored fell short—unable to capture even a fraction of the girl’s divine charm.

The goddess of the verses was, in the end, but a two-dimensional illusion. Yet, the beauty before him was vibrant, alive, and incomparable.

Cui Jie hadn’t missed Huang Chu’s expression of exhilaration. "Director, this is the newcomer I found to play the Commandery Princess. Do you think she’s suitable?"

Suitable?

He dared to ask if she was suitable?

Huang Chu coughed lightly, suppressing his slightly overexcited emotions. "What’s your name, Miss?"

"My surname is Shen."

Her cool, tranquil voice was like a clear spring, flowing endlessly through all seasons.

It also resembled the splash of a kingfisher on water, the trill of an oriole—melodic and enchanting.

Huang Chu couldn’t help thinking that such grace and beauty were far too exceptional for a mere supporting role like a Commandery Princess. Only a leading role could be worthy. In those fleeting seconds, he had already envisioned an entire storyline and script tailored just for her.

Gao Yuyue swallowed hard. "An’an? Is that An’an?"

Yan Lu stared unblinkingly at the figure in violet. "In this lifetime... I might never fall in love with a man again."

Gao Yuyue smacked her lips in awe. "Now I finally understand why she always wears glasses. Without them, she’s a living, breathing enchantress. If this were ancient times, she’d definitely earn the title of a calamity to nations."

"Kings waging wars over beauty seemed like literary exaggeration—but, when it comes to this girl in violet, it’s no exaggeration at all. Even I, as a woman, would bow down to her."

Gao Yuyue glanced at Liu Runxi and Gu Bichen disdainfully, curling her lips in contempt.

Their expressions were completely transfixed.

"Men. All the same."

"Alright then, Shen, the role you’ll be playing is that of a Commandery Princess. While taking a boat trip with friends, assassins lying in ambush on the lake attack, and you drown tragically. Let’s board the boat first, and I’ll explain the staging directions to you..."

Huang Chu, who was usually irritable, had suddenly transformed into an attentive guide, carefully leading Shen You’an to the docked pleasure boat.

Once aboard, Huang Chu came to his senses and extended a hand to the girl still on the shore.

The girl, with one hand lifting her skirt, leaped lightly, her movements as graceful as smoke, landing on the boat with ethereal ease.