Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 688 Southern Kunqu Opera Water-grinding Tune
Lee's House,

After what happened just now, the atmosphere seemed a little dull. The guests who came did not dare to speak loudly. Only the guests outside dared to gather together and whisper to each other.

The people inside naturally knew about this situation. As the disciple of the Prime Minister, Master Yang was unhappy when he saw this. How could the eldest son's wedding day be so dull? He immediately thought of the previous arrangements, turned around and called a steward, whispering in his ear,

"Go, call those opera troupes in, quickly, to liven up the atmosphere for the people outside."

"Yes, Master Yang!"

The steward knew what Lord Yang was talking about. It was the famous Plum Garden Opera Troupe from the capital that had been invited early this morning. They had spent a lot of money on it, and because they had a lot of things to prepare, they arrived a little later.

After the steward left,
Sun Boyan, who was beside him, looked at Master Yang's mysterious expression and asked curiously;

"Master, what are you whispering about?"

Master Yang looked around and saw that everyone else was eating quietly and not paying attention to this side, so he lowered his head and whispered,
"What else can we do? It's a bit quiet outside. We can invite the opera troupe from Plum Garden to sing a few songs in the yard. It will be lively soon. It's the eldest master's big day, so it's good to have some good luck."

After hearing this, Sun Boyan's expression became a little complicated. It turned out that the young master was thoughtful.

"You, you are still so thoughtful."

After a while,
There was actually a troupe of actors in the courtyard of the outer hall. They built a stage in the courtyard of the hall, and many people from the troupe were preparing. As soon as the stage was built, an old actor went on stage and started singing. With his loud voice, the outer hall immediately became lively and cheered.

The noisy atmosphere immediately spread inside. The noise was so lively that no one in the inner room could fail to hear it. It was obvious that Master Yang’s efforts were not in vain. However, the teacher did not say much and continued to eat.

After a while,

inner hall,

Li Shoufu sat in the main seat and put down his bowl and chopsticks. After three rounds of wine and five dishes, he was in a good mood and ate a few more bites. Now that he was in a good mood, it was time to talk about business.

As a disciple of Li Shoufu, Master Yang was very polite in recruiting people and receiving guests. Li Chonghou saw this and thought that although some of his disciples were useless, they were loyal people who were not disloyal. Loyalty is something that is done, not said. So he asked with a smile:
"Master, is everything okay at your house?"

When Master Yang saw the teacher asking, he was overjoyed. He quickly put down his chopsticks, rolled up his sleeves, stood up, bowed and said;
"Teacher, everything is fine at my home. There is nothing wrong. I am sorry to have worried you."

On the surface, everyone thought Young Master Yang spoke to the point, but careful people would notice that his hands shook unconsciously while he was speaking, showing that he was not calm inside.
How could he not see this inconsistency? Li Shoufu smiled and shook his head.

"You are very good, but you must remember that spoiling a child is like killing him. You have read so many books, you should know this truth. A few days ago, I heard that the boy in your house caused a lot of trouble and even had a big fight in Yanchun Tower. You should know what that place is."

After saying that, he took out a letter from somewhere and slammed it on the table. I don't know if it was a warning or what the letter was about.

Young Master Yang was sweating profusely. Of course he knew what that place was. Although it was a brothel, it was also the property of Princess Yueru. Although the matter was kept secret, those who were interested had already known about it. The dignitaries almost only went there to drink. Officials above the third rank would never stay overnight there. Only the minor officials and officials from other places who came to Beijing to report on their work dared to stay overnight.

Thinking of this, cold sweat seeps out.

He bowed again,
"Teacher, it is because of the student's failure to discipline himself that he has brought shame upon his teacher. When he returns, he will be disciplined strictly by the family."

"You are so confused. Are you trying to embarrass me? At my age, I am almost ready to die. I don't even know how many years I can live. Why are you still caring about these things? You are embarrassing the court. This letter is the bill of Yanchunlou. Your wife kicked the manager of Yanchunlou out, and he sent these to me. How can you not pay compensation and leave an excuse for destroying someone's brothel? I can't afford to lose face in this matter, so I will settle it for you first!"

When Prime Minister Li Chonghou received this letter, he thought a lot. It seemed that Princess Yueru had achieved her wish. As soon as she came back, Princess Yongcheng would be restless. These two princesses were not easy to deal with. Who knows what kind of trouble they would cause when they returned to the capital. What kind of trouble would those court officials and young talents from noble families cause? More importantly, she actually found his house. What was her intention?

But when Master Yang heard that his teacher had paid for his son's absurd mistake, his face changed drastically, cold sweat broke out, and he fell to his knees in fear.
"Teacher, it's all because of my poor discipline. I'm too ashamed to stay here any longer."

After saying this, her face turned red with shame and she covered her face with her sleeves. She was about to go back to teach her son a lesson. As soon as she stood up, she was pulled back by Sun Boyan and Luan Gongfu. How could she let the young master leave like this? Who knows what rumors would spread.

Young Master Yang's behavior made Li Zhonghou even more angry. He slammed the table and cursed.

"You are so confused. You can teach your son any time. Why do you say when? I am giving you some advice. I want you to keep it in mind. You don't have any consideration as a scholar. As an official, you should keep calm. You are already this age, but you still can't learn it."

"Yes, teacher, I am ashamed."

Young Master Yang blushed and lowered his head as he sat down. He had never expected that the events at the mansion would cause trouble for him.

Chang Zuo, who was at the same table, immediately spoke up to comfort him;

"Teacher, please don't be upset. This is not Brother Yang's fault. You don't have to be too harsh on me. Every family has its own problems. After all, I didn't make a big mistake. I also know that I am doing this for my own good."

"Yes, teacher, Senior Brother Yang also has something to hide."

Sun Boyan also began to explain to Senior Brother Yang. When Luan Gongfu was about to speak, someone outside the mansion sang a greeting again.
"Wang Mengshan, the Imperial Censor of Salt, specially presents a troupe of opera singers, and Shi Jingcun, the Inspector General of Jiangnan, presents the five arts of Jiangnan as a gift, and five thousand taels of silver."

Everyone in the hall was stunned by this shout. Although they all knew that Jing Cunliang was the eldest son's man, he had defected to Prince Zhongshun and was a member of the Li Party. Everyone knew it, so how could he come back?

But Li Shoufu was not in a hurry and replied,
"He is so thoughtful. I love to listen to opera. As the saying goes, happiness is better shared than happiness alone. Since you are here, please invite the troupe to the inner hall so that we can all listen together. What songs should be played? Butler, you can arrange them."

"Yes, sir,"

The butler beside him responded and led his people out of the inner hall. After a while, they began to move stools and chairs and placed them in the open space on the west side. They also placed a transparent screen in front of the table and chairs, not far away, to block the view.

As for Zhang Jinyu,

Although they were separated by a screen, as long as the screen was moved, one could directly see the inner hall from a corner. Everyone present could hear the noises at Li Shoufu's table. As for what Jia Zheng had just said about Rongguo Mansion, the three of them kept silent. Family disgrace should not be made public. Jia Zheng had drunk too much just now.
Zhang Jinyu didn't know anything about opera troupes, so he used this opportunity to change the subject and asked;
"Hey, what kind of troupe is so precious? They specially present it to us. Aren't they just performing operas?"

Zhang Jinyu picked up the tea and took a sip. He felt a little strange. After all, there were more people performing than listening to the opera. He was just joining in the fun.

But after he finished speaking, the three people around him all looked at him, and Shen Zhongxin clasped his fists and explained;
"Your Highness, you may not know that there are many opera singers in the capital, but only a few of them can sing famous songs, let alone Kunqu opera."

"My Lord, what Minister Shen said is right. Kunqu Opera is extremely challenging, especially because the pieces are so rare. The most famous piece of Kunqu Opera is the piece composed by Tianyazi, a famous zither player in the capital. There are less than 20 pieces left in the world. I heard that when he was dying, there was only one copy left in the world."

Bai Guangju, Marquis of Xiangyang, sighed a little. In those days, Tianyazi was famous all over the world, and there was an endless stream of people who came to learn the art of playing the zither. Unfortunately, he never accepted any apprentices, and after his death, no one surpassed him.

Jia Zheng also felt a little regretful. He also liked to listen to Kunqu opera, but he only heard ordinary songs sung in the theater and it was rare to see such talented people.

Zhang Jinyu was a little stunned by this explanation. There are so many details in an opera. What, Tianyazi, it seems like he has heard of it somewhere before. Oh, right, the maid beside the eldest princess in Yanchun Tower, isn’t that it? Damn, the apprentices are ready.

"Well, I am ignorant. In that case, let's wait and hear which master wrote it," Zhang Jinyu agreed casually. Then, everyone in the inner hall looked up at the entrance curtain and saw two figures entering the room, one old and one young, one man and one woman, wearing coarse cloth clothes, which were quite simple.
After entering the inner hall,
I bowed to all the adults.

The butler pointed to the table and chairs behind the screen, asked the two to sit down, and indicated that they could play and sing.
The two of them did not panic. They took out their zithers and old boards, tested the sound quality, and began to play.
Only Zhang Jinyu's eyes widened. Wasn't the person who came the girl who was taken in by Lord Xu in the Shuntian government office, the one who sang northern folk songs? How did she get to the Prime Minister's residence now? What was her name? Yes, Mei Shu, that's her. Interesting, very interesting.

Then I listened carefully.

The melodious singing sounded, and everyone was intoxicated by it.

Kunqu opera has gorgeous and graceful singing, elegant recitation and a rounded sound, which is extremely rare and requires repeated vocal training. Of course, the prerequisite is to have a good voice.

Li Shoufu nodded frequently, and unconsciously closed his eyes and listened carefully. The others followed suit.
Coincidentally, the voice of the person who came was particularly clear and melodious.
After a while, Li Shoufu suddenly opened his eyes. When the eldest son Li Chaosheng beside him saw it, he immediately shouted,
"stop!"

"This is the part about listening to the zither in Romance of the West Chamber. It doesn't look like the original Kunqu opera, the one composed by Tianyazi. It doesn't have these. Who changed the tune?"

Li Chonghou sat in his seat and murmured something.

Master Yang was amazed.

"You are really a master. This is the headmaster of the White Deer Academy in Jiangnan. Lian Yuming closed the door for a year and used ink and wash to create a new Kunqu Opera. People in Jiangnan call it Shuimo Opera. At present, no one in the capital can sing it. I don't know where Lord Wang found it. He said it was specially made to honor you."

"It's still the academy's president who is really amazing. Thanks to his one-year painting, the atmosphere of life has been lost."

Li Shoufu murmured. He loved Kunqu Opera the most, especially those performed by the great artists in Jiangnan. It was rare for him to hear such an authentic and even amazing piece of music at the banquet today. He looked at the woman playing over there, who didn't look like a professional performer, so he asked;
"Who taught you this song? Why are you dressed like this? You don't look like a professional singer or performer."

When Mei Shu heard the Prime Minister's question, she hurriedly pulled the people around her over, knelt down, and kowtowed.

"In reply to the elder master, I was originally a person in trouble. I depended on my father for life, and I had only this old servant by my side. When I was in Jiangnan, my father died of illness, and I sold myself to bury him. I was sent to the Yuelai Pavilion, a brothel in Jiangnan, where I studied hard for a period of time. This song was taught to me by the master of the pavilion. Later, my piano skills improved greatly, so I was bought by a wealthy businessman and presented to a master, and then I came here."

After saying this, he wiped away his tears, but unfortunately, Li Chonghou opened his eyes, stared at the woman in front of him, and said angrily;

"You are talking nonsense. If you bought it and gave it to me, the clothes you wear should not be bright and beautiful, but clean and simple. How can you wear it so shabby? Not only is the sound of the piano pleasant to the ears, but where did you get the piano in your hand?"

Mei Shu put the zither aside, crying as she spoke.

"Master, I didn't lie to you. This zither belongs to Yuelai Pavilion's maid Qin. There are only three of them, and this is one of them. The other clothes you mentioned are all in the package. The ones I'm wearing were sewn for me by my mother when she was still alive. I dare not throw them away. Please understand, Master."

This crying made the people at the table hesitate a little. The eldest son Li Chaosheng's face darkened, knowing that his father had doubts. He stood up and walked over, took the guqin in his hand and examined it carefully. The fine nanmu wood and the intricately carved patterns were not something that ordinary people could have. Looking at the signature on the back, "Qin by a Maid of Yuelai Pavilion", it did not lie.

He opened the package that had fallen to the side, and found that there were indeed clothes made of fine Jiangnan brocade and many silk skirts inside. Although they were women's clothes, Li Chaosheng actually reached out and flipped through them. There was nothing else except a few taels of silver. He stuffed them back in, tied the package, and returned to his seat.

"Father, that zither is carved from the finest nanmu wood, with gorgeous patterns. It must have been made by a master. The signature on the back does say "Yuelai Pavilion Maid Zither". The package also contains the finest Jiangnan brocade, tailor-made clothes and skirts, and some loose silver. There is nothing else."

"Oh, I see."

Li Shoufu raised his eyes to look at the woman and said;

"Get up. Selling yourself to bury your father is filial piety. Being able to keep your original intention is loyalty. Such a woman is extremely rare. Since you are here, just stay here with peace of mind. The housekeeper Li will arrange everything for you. Continue singing."

"Thank you, sir."

Mei Shu stood up and thanked him, then took the guqin and started singing "Yi Yi Ya Ya" again.

in this way,
Zhang Jinyu, who was sitting behind the screen, was watching in disbelief. A fugitive girl from the north was turned into a woman selling herself to bury her father and daughter in the south of the Yangtze River. The eldest princess had arranged this well. Her nose was more sensitive than a dog's. Before the marquis could find out anything, she had already infiltrated the inner circle. This was a powerful method.

"My Lord, my Lord, what's wrong?"

Bai Guangju, the Marquis of Xiangyang, was listening at ease. This kind of Shuimo tune was hard to hear in the capital, and he liked to listen to it himself. Unfortunately, the Marquis's family was short of money now, and they didn't want to waste it on this.

Looking at Luo Yunhou's eyes, staring straight at that place, he thought to himself, could it be that Luo Yunhou has taken a fancy to her, so he asked.

"Ahem, it's nothing. I think this song is similar to a northern tune, one is gentle, the other is sad. I just don't know how much silver it would cost to buy someone to sing this song."

Zhang Jinyu coughed twice and quickly changed the subject. After all, when he thought of these things, he remembered the promises Yang Hanyu had made for him, about palace dances and music, but now he hadn't even seen them.

As soon as he asked, the three people around him all looked at him. Shen Zhongxin laughed.
"My Lord, do you want a singer as well? There are many opera troupes in the capital. If you count the famous ones, a troupe would cost at least 100,000 taels of silver. A girl like this who has been trained and has potential would cost 50,000 taels of silver each. If she is famous, she would cost as much as an entire troupe. Most people can't afford her."

"Pfft,"

After hearing this, Zhang Jinyu spurted out the water he had just drunk. He couldn't believe it. One hundred thousand taels of silver. Could it be that it was all inlaid with gold? With this money, he could go anywhere. In an instant, he lost the idea of ​​​​liking to listen to music. He went back and asked Yang Hanyu to learn it. At least he could hum a few lines. Damn it, one hundred thousand taels of silver,

"My Lord, what Lord Shen said is correct. Even the opera troupe in the capital city needs ten big coins to listen to a song. It's not expensive after all."

Jia Zheng's face looked much better now. He became more excited when talking about listening to music. At home, he talked about Jiangnan Kunqu Opera with the guests and listened to a piece from time to time, which made him feel relaxed.

Until now, seeing that the three people did not seem to be lying, Zhang Jinyu finally understood that entertainment has never been cheap since ancient times. Ten big coins are enough to have a good meal at a stall outside.

Looking back at the main seat in the inner hall,

The Prime Minister, Lord Li, also drank the wine and ate the food.
The people of the Li Party came over and lined up to serve wine to the Prime Minister, but they were stopped by the eldest son, Li Chaosheng.

"My fellow brothers, my father is not in good health and cannot drink alcohol. I will take care of the rest for you."

After saying this, he picked up the wine cup and drank it all.

The people around him blushed and immediately shouted "OK!"

The atmosphere suddenly became lively.
"Master, the eldest son is becoming more and more like you. Look at him now. He has a great reputation in the court."

It was still Young Master Yang who couldn't stop flattering him. Chang Zuo was sitting opposite him, looking at Young Master Yang with some suspicion. What kind of drama was he playing?

(End of this chapter)