Chapter 452 Liaoyang’s No. Dan!

In Dongning, in the backyard of the Governor's Mansion, a drama troupe was performing on stage.

A generation of honest officials Black Bao Gong
Three bronze guillotines shine brightly

At five o'clock, I received the order from the King of Song

Eight-man sedan chair left Beijing

Banquet in the Ten-mile Hall

Civil and military officials came to see him off
A thousand words in one sentence
Wish the release of grain is successful

･･･････
･･･････
The actors on the stage were singing very passionately, and some female members of the Ye family, led by Ye Cui, were listening with great interest and were fascinated.

Just seven days ago, time officially entered the eleventh year of Anhe in the Great Zhou Dynasty. The New Year is getting closer and closer, and the streets and alleys are beginning to be filled with the festive atmosphere of the New Year.

Because in this era, there was a lack of entertainment options. Men were relatively better off as they could go out and entertain themselves. But for women, especially those from officials' families, it was very difficult. They usually stayed at home and were bored to death.

The same was true for the women in the Ye Mansion. Even though Ye Mingsheng had invented mahjong and landlords to entertain everyone, playing mahjong every day would eventually get boring. Now was the end of the year, so Ye Mingsheng found the most famous Dongting Theater in Liaoyang and asked them to send their best troupe to perform at the Governor's Mansion for a few days to make everyone happy...

The piece being sung now, "Bao Gong Compensates for the Love", is exactly the famous piece that my mother, Ye Cui, likes to listen to the most. At this moment, the old lady is all smiles, and accompanied by An Miaoyi, she unconsciously hums along. Seeing this, Ye Mingsheng, who is sitting next to her, has a look of relief on his face, and secretly makes up his mind that even if it is just for my mother's happiness, he should invite more opera troupes in the future.

After singing the song of Bao Gong's apology, the satisfied Ye Cui felt a little exhausted, and returned to the yard accompanied by her maid. An Miaoyi was pregnant and could not sit for a long time, so she followed Ye Cui and left.

After An Miaoyi and Ye Cui left, other female relatives present, such as Jinyu and Bai Yuanyuan, also became active. Due to his busy official duties, Ye Mingsheng basically did not get involved in the affairs of the women in the backyard, and he did not have the energy to get involved.

Therefore, these matters were mainly handled by Ye Cui, the mother-in-law, and An Miaoyi. Although Ye Cui was in charge in name, in reality, she was just a figurehead because she was obsessed with vegetarianism and Buddhist chanting, and she didn't have enough energy...
Therefore, all matters, big or small, in the backyard are actually handled by An Miaoyi. Although An Miaoyi appears to be very kind and smiling on the surface, she is very strict in managing the affairs of the women in the backyard, making Ye Mingsheng's concubines dare not act rashly!

Because of this, when we were watching the play together just now, although everyone was happy, they also felt a little restrained. Now that Ye Cui and An Miaoyi are gone, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's the next scene?" Bai Yuanyuan asked the troupe owner Chen Shengcai:
Hearing the question from the military governor's concubine, Chen Shengcai quickly bowed and said with a smile on his face:
"Madam, the next scene is the Empty City Strategy!"

Before Bai Yuanyuan could say anything, Jinyu, who was eating melon seeds, said with some disappointment:

"What's so good about the Empty City Strategy?"

"Yes, why don't we change one!" Bai Yuanyuan echoed:

Seeing the two concubines of the governor-general singing the same tune here, Chen Shengcai felt a little embarrassed. Although he was the owner of the opera troupe, it was not up to him to decide what to sing in the opera in the governor-general's mansion...
These plays were all selected personally by the wife of the governor. As a small troupe owner, he dared not change them casually. Thinking of this, Chen Shengcai could not help but look at Ye Mingsheng who was sitting aside drinking tea silently, hoping that the governor could give him some advice.

The older Bai Yuanyuan was more reserved, but Jinyu was not so cunning. Seeing that An Miaoyi and Ye Cui were not there, she became bolder and sat directly next to Ye Mingsheng, shaking his hand while saying delicately:
"Master, people want to hear the imperial concubine get drunk, just ask them to change one!"

Seeing Jinyu acting like a spoiled child with him, and the other female relatives seemed to have no interest in the Empty City Plan, Ye Mingsheng didn't want to spoil everyone's fun, so he scratched Jinyu's face and then instructed Chen Shengcai:

"The Empty City Strategy will be performed later, let's sing the Drunken Concubine first!"

Hearing the words of the commander-in-chief, Chen Shengcai naturally had no scruples and immediately bowed and said:
"understand!"

Then he turned around and began to urge the actors in the troupe to get ready...

Seeing that Ye Mingsheng had met her requirements, Jinyu was so excited that she let herself go. She ignored the gazes of the other women present and gently pecked Ye Mingsheng on the side of his face. Then she happily introduced him to him:
"Master, I have heard that Shen Yutong's performance of the Drunken Concubine in the Dongting Theater is a masterpiece! Every time she performs in the Dongting Theater, the theater is always packed with guests!"

"Is this Shen Yutong you are talking about the one who is known as the best actress in Liaoyang?" Ye Mingsheng asked thoughtfully:

"Yes! Besides her, is there another Shen Yutong in Liaoyang?" Jinyu nodded and said without hesitation:
The speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously. Jinyu hasn't noticed anything wrong yet, but Bai Yuanyuan's face suddenly changed as she thought of something. She took the opportunity to wink at Jinyu, but Jinyu's attention was on Ye Mingsheng at this time, so how could she notice her...

Hearing this and thinking of the rumors about Shen Yutong, Ye Mingsheng, who had originally not cared about the Empty City Scheme or the Drunken Concubine, could not help but feel a little excited. The Drunken Concubine was about to begin.

Recently, a lot of things have happened in Liaoyang, such as the snowstorm and typhoon, and the dispatch of troops to the palace. Ye Mingsheng has been very busy. He hasn't been to the teahouse to drink tea or listen to opera to relax for almost two months. But even so, he has heard that Shen Yutong, the number one actress in Liaoyang, has recovered from her illness and made a comeback in the Dongting Theater!

Speaking of Shen Yutong, we must first mention her life experience. Like the other actors in the troupe, she was from poor people who had not had enough food to eat since childhood. In order to ensure that her children would have enough food to eat in the future, they sent their children to the troupe to learn skills since they were young.

But this Shen Yutong was different. She was born into a scholarly family and was the biological daughter of former censor Shen Hui. In the fourth year of Anhe, Shen Hui was defeated in the Luoan factional struggle, and he was beheaded and his women were sent to the Jiaofangsi. As a result, Shen Yutong, who was only thirteen years old at the time, was transformed from a daughter of an official family into an actress in the Jiaofangsi... Although Ye Mingsheng had never met Shen Yutong, he had heard some rumors about her, such as that Shen Yutong was extremely beautiful, with a cold temperament, which made people very pitiful. In addition, because she was born into a scholarly family, her literary talent was very good, even not inferior to that of ordinary Jinshi.

In addition, she learned from the famous Kunqu opera artist Song Rushi and the famous Peking opera artist Sun Baimen in the Jiaofang Bureau, so she played the pipa very well and acted very well. She was praised for her talent and skills. Such a wonderful person should have been taken away by some powerful person in Luoan and kept as a concubine. It is impossible for her to end up in such a bitter and cold place like Liaoyang.

But it was precisely because Shen Yutong was very attractive that she offended many people in the circle of noble ladies in Luoan. Although she was famous for selling her art but not prostitution, many noble ladies still regarded her as a vixen who seduced their men. She was regarded as a thorn in their eyes and a thorn in their flesh, so she was plotted against and exiled to Liaoyang.

Even in Liaoyang, the snow and wind in the north could not hide Shen Yutong's unparalleled beauty. As soon as Shen Yutong appeared in Liaoyang, she was regarded as a goddess by the Liaoyang people who had never seen much of the world. From then on, every play in which Shen Yutong appeared on stage was absolutely packed, with people jostling each other and tickets were hard to come by. There were even people waiting outside the venue just to catch a glimpse of Shen Yutong's appearance...

However, just when Shen Yutong was at the height of her fame, news broke out that broke the hearts of countless admirers. That was that Shen Yutong was seriously ill, reportedly suffering from tuberculosis and unable to perform on stage, so she withdrew from the stage indefinitely to recuperate.

In this feudal era with limited medical conditions, once tuberculosis is contracted, it is an incurable disease and the patient is not far from death. Therefore, countless people sighed for Shen Yutong, thinking that God was jealous of her talent. After Shen Yutong became seriously ill, there was no news from her again. However, just a few years later, when everyone thought that Shen Yutong had passed away, news came again that Shen Yutong's lung disease had recovered and she could perform on stage again!

However, there is another piece of news that spreads more widely than this one!
That is, Shen Yutong doesn’t have tuberculosis at all...

As for why she pretended to have tuberculosis even though she didn't, it was because when Shen Yutong was at the peak of her fame, Song Wenhui, then governor of Liaoyang, wanted to take her away to be his 21st concubine. Shen Yutong, who was in her prime, was unwilling to commit herself to the vulgar Song Wenhui, who was over fifty years old.

But how could a weak woman like her in Liaoyang fight against the powerful Governor of Liaoyang who had a large army under his command?
So Shen Yutong came up with a bad idea, and said that she had tuberculosis. Because tuberculosis is an infectious disease and an incurable disease, even if Song Wenhui was attracted to her beauty, he would not dare to put himself in danger for a mere woman!
Moreover, Song Wenhui was very powerful in Liaoyang back then, and countless young girls and wives offered themselves to him just by opening their mouths, so he soon forgot about Shen Yutong, which is why Shen Yutong was able to escape the disaster. Now that Song Wenhui has fallen, the family name in Liaoyang has changed, and Shen Yutong, who is no longer in danger, is back on stage...

Shen Yutong, who took the stage again, was as famous as ever. On the contrary, his fame had reached a new level. He also made the Dongting Theater famous in Liaoyang, and it became the largest theater in Liaoyang!

Knowing that Ye Mingsheng was waiting, the troupe owner Chen Shengcai naturally did not dare to neglect him. After a cup of tea, the actors singing "The Drunken Concubine" began to perform on stage.

The island's ice wheel begins to turn.
See the Jade Rabbit, it rises early in the east again.

The ice wheel left the island, and the world became exceptionally bright.

The bright moon in the sky is just like Chang'e leaving the Moon Palace.
I am like Chang'e leaving the Moon Palace, and I am also like Chang'e descending to the ninth heaven.

Qingqing was lonely and desolate in Guanghan Palace, ah, in Guanghan Palace.

The Jade Bridge leans against the railing,
Mandarin ducks come to play in the water, golden carp swim on the surface of the water.

Ah, on the water, the geese are flying in the sky, oh, geese,

The geese fly together, hearing my voice, the flowers fall in the shade.

This scenery is so fascinating that I came to the Baihua Pavilion without realizing it.

············
············
Listening to the melodious singing voice and looking at the pretty face of the "Royal Concubine" on the stage, Ye Mingsheng frowned slightly, and then waved to the troupe owner Chen Shengcai standing beside him. Chen Shengcai, who had been serving carefully, saw Ye Mingsheng calling him, and immediately a professional smile appeared on his face. He bent over and approached Ye Mingsheng and asked:
"Sir, what do you want?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Mingsheng did not bother to be polite and asked indifferently:
"Is that Shen Yutong on the stage?"

Although the "Imperial Concubine" on the stage is very beautiful, with delicate features and a pretty face, and she sings very well, but Ye Mingsheng doesn't believe that she can earn such a big name in Liaoyang with her shyness and singing voice!

Hearing Ye Mingsheng's question, Chen Shengcai's smile froze. He hesitated for a while but still did not dare to lie to Ye Mingsheng and said:

“My Lord, the one performing on the stage is Su Xiaolian. Shen Yutong is not feeling well today. If you want to see her performance, I will bring her here tomorrow…”

Ye Mingsheng didn't say anything when he heard this, but just looked at Chen Shengcai quietly. Under Ye Mingsheng's gaze, Chen Shengcai's heart was beating fast, cold sweat was pouring down his back, and his calves were trembling.

Shen Yutong was certainly not sick. Her illness was just a polite way for Dongting Theater and Shen Yutong to refuse to go on stage. As actors, they open their doors to welcome guests and make money by being friendly. They dare not offend those rich and powerful guests, so they can only make up a reasonable reason to refuse!

Being able to be the owner of Dongting Theater, Chen Shengcai not only has connections, but is also a smart person!

He knew very well how much men liked Shen Yutong, and how much women hated her, so for things like this, when he went to perform at the homes of the rich and powerful, he simply didn't bring Shen Yutong with him. Wouldn't it just upset the hostess if he brought her along?

Moreover, Shen Yutong is now the mainstay of the entire Dongting Theater. If she is really targeted by that powerful noble and becomes his mistress, then without Shen Yutong, will the Dongting Theater still be as popular as before?···············

(End of this chapter)