Sizhou 1

She fell in love with a man.

At first she just thought he was interesting. Seeing him bow awkwardly in front of her, shaking his head and reciting Confucius' words, and talking about all sorts of nonsense, the scholar who she used to think was pedantic became shy in her eyes, and she couldn't help teasing him.

Books contain golden houses and beautiful women.

You fool, why are you still reading books when you have such a precious treasure right beside you?

She accompanied this man. When she was in a good mood, she would snatch his book and giggle at his helplessness. In her spare time, she would grind ink for him with her bare hands, add fragrance to his sleeves, listen to him talk about the past dynasties in the book, and lie in his arms to listen to his childhood stories.

She had forgotten all about the different paths of humans and immortals, and all about cultivation. If this was the love tribulation that her grandmother had mentioned, she was willing to endure it forever.

He used all his magic to help the scholar inquire about the secrets of the court and gain an advantage for him. He said that when he achieved success, he would give her a phoenix crown and a red robe. He said that he wanted her to be the little fox in his palm.

The sisters all said that men were unfaithful, but she knew that he was different from other men.

The scholar was so dull, with only sage books in his mind and only her in his eyes, he would never let her down.

She would soon wear the phoenix crown and bridal robe he had promised her and become his wife.

From then on, I only envied the mandarin ducks and not the immortals.

"In terms of love and affection, I will never let you down."

The melodious huqin played with a delightful sensibility, the gongs and drums were steady and powerful, the rhythm rising slowly and gradually leaping. On the stage, figures danced, their exquisitely embroidered garments intertwined, their graceful movements interwoven into a beautiful canvas. The scholar's performance was a masterful blend of singing and acting, his voice bolstered by his breath, a performance that was deeply moving and moving.

Beneath the stage, the vast teahouse was packed, with people sitting at tables of three or four, either enjoying a drink or listening to music. The occasional whisper drifted softly over the graceful Qinqiang music. Gradually, the scene shifted. The huqin stopped abruptly, the erhu's melodious and mournful music played, and the female lead, dressed in plain white, slowly entered the stage, shuffling lightly.

"If you kill me, I will have no regrets, but do you still remember the promise we made back then..."

The singing was poignant, melancholy, and gentle, like the gentle spring rain. The lyrics, like pearls, danced with every smile and frown, eliciting a round of applause from the audience. A young man in purple at one table paused, flickering his tea lid, and looked up at the actress on stage, a strange look in his eyes.

"Brother, do you think it sounds nice too?" On the other side of the table, a graceful woman was wearing a lotus-colored skirt. Her hair hung down, adorned only with pearls and jade. A few strands of black hair hung by her neck, making her face look otherworldly and her temperament as gentle as an orchid.

The person on the stage fluttered her sleeves, sang the lyrics in a melodious and sorrowful voice, and expressed the sadness of a woman who had been let down.

"What is this song about?" The young man in purple changed his sitting posture to a casual one and asked nonchalantly.

The woman was startled, then smiled helplessly. The play was almost over, yet she still asked this question. However, it was rare for someone to show interest in this kind of opera, so she happily replied, "Brother, this is a very popular piece lately. It's called 'Peach Blossom Story,' and it tells the story of a fox fairy and a scholar preparing for an imperial examination, who fall in love. The first part is about the scholar's original wife, who, out of jealousy, turns to hatred and becomes a fierce ghost. This part is her sobbing and helpless expression before she transforms into a ghost."

"Transformed into a ghost?" No wonder the lyrics sounded so plaintive and awkward. Su Zirui casually flicked his sleeves, idly watching the people dancing with their sleeves in the stands, their doubt turning into amusement.

"Yes, this play is newly staged. It is said that this troupe came from the capital, and they perform a show every time they arrive at a place. Now, drama fans along the way are waiting for the ending. I wonder if the scholar and the fox fairy can finally get married." The woman said softly.

Abandoning one's wife and hoping to finally get married? This kind of play has people listening to it with fascination. If there are really people who dare to sing it, there will be no shortage of fools to listen.

Su Zirui curled his lips into a faint smile, a hint of sarcasm flashed across his eyes, and he leisurely looked at his 'wife' who was about to turn into a ghost on the stage.

The huqin played rapidly, and as the vocals soared, the plain dress swirled, suddenly changing into a red skirt, and the female lead's fiery figure flew. Her feet bumped lightly, seemingly stumbling in grief, but in fact her body was almost unstable. Su Zirui saw it clearly and couldn't help but sneer softly.

Suddenly, a ball of green fell rapidly from above the stage and hit the stage with a bang, just at the feet of the actress in red.

"Ah——" The music stopped abruptly, and the Huadan's mournful singing voice suddenly turned into a scream, and she stumbled and fell onto the stage.

The audience looked at each other in bewilderment, unsure if this was the script or if something else had happened. Suddenly, the curtain dropped, and the troupe leader hurried onto the stage, announcing the end of the piece. He bowed and said, "To know what happens next, please listen to the next scene."

"What? You're keeping me on suspense. Did something fall?"

"How could this happen? He just transformed into a ghost..." The audience was slightly indignant, and there was a sudden uproar. The troupe owner was used to this, smiling and apologizing as he went from table to table, explaining. Suddenly, someone next to him whispered something in his ear, and the troupe owner's face changed, and he immediately went upstairs.

"Sir." Beili, who was sitting at the back table, came over. "The prefect is in the elegant room on the second floor. What happened just now..."

Su Zirui nodded slightly, frowning slightly, his expression slightly complicated, and glanced at Beili. The latter understood and took advantage of the noise to blend silently into the crowd.

"Brother, where did Brother Beili go?" the woman asked thoughtfully, "Did something happen?"

"It's okay, let's go. The music is over and people are leaving. I'll take you home first." Su Zirui turned his head and said to her, then walked out with his hands behind his back.

The woman lowered her eyes slightly, nodded softly, stood up, lifted her skirt and quickly followed him.

On the stage, behind the curtain, Aruo, dressed in red, crawled to the back, her hands and knees trembling with fear. Her heavy makeup concealed her pale face, and she bit her lip hard to stifle a scream of panic. From beyond the curtain came cheers and slightly surprised inquiries, as if separated from this side by a strange world.

"Aruo!" The scholar who had just come over ran over quickly. When he saw the green thing clearly, he was so scared that his legs went weak and he knelt down, hugging Aruo.

Aruo swallowed the breath that had caught in her throat and mustered up the courage to look over. Her turquoise dress was delicately embroidered, and beneath her pearly jade headdress, her makeup was half-smudged by blood. It was clearly the fox fairy who hadn't appeared yet. According to the original plot, after she transformed into a ghost, it would be the fox fairy's turn to sing a verse, and the performance would conclude today.

"This, this, this...someone's dead...someone come..." The musician who came running over was so scared that he was incoherent. Before he could even shout, someone covered his mouth.

"Don't shout, there are still many people outside!" The middle-aged man in blue who was in charge of rehearsing the play scolded Aruo and the others, "Hurry up and carry the people down. The troupe owner has already gone to call the police."

"Carry it, carry it away?" Aruo was startled and quickly stopped him, "Actor Zhang, are you okay? This is a crime scene, how can you destroy it?"

"The girl is right." Suddenly a figure emerged from the curtain and said slowly.

"Ah——" The scholar was frightened again and fell down beside Aruo.

"North, Beili?" Aruo said in surprise after seeing the other person's face clearly. He subconsciously looked back, but the curtain was hanging lightly and there was no movement.

"Miss Aruo?" Beili recognized the voice and hesitated. "Why is it you? So, this is... Miss Caixin?"

"You scared me to death, Beili." Cai Xin wiped her face and saw the mottled oil and powder on her sleeves. Her face twisted. She forgot that she had not washed off her makeup yet.

"What... is going on?" Beili checked the man in green and said with a stern expression, "He's dead."

"How could this happen?" The two girls and several men looked at him.

"What happened?" Then, a middle-aged man in a dark red official uniform walked in with several people dressed as yamen runners. Seeing the bloody figure on the stage, they were startled. "Who is this?"

"Sir, the person is dead. After identification, it was found to be the mainstay of the troupe, Zui Haitang." One of the men went forward with the troupe leader to check and replied.

"What?" The man's face changed drastically. "Zui Haitang is dead? Who killed him?!"

Aruo and others looked at him at the same time.

The carriage swayed slightly, and the woman inside couldn't help but reach out and lift the window curtain. She saw a tall figure on horseback in front of her right, with a gentle expression. She didn't dare to look any further and put it down again, causing the maid to laugh secretly.

"Miss, Young Master Su specially accompanied you to the theater and escorted you back home. I'm sure he was considerate of you." The maid said with a smile.

"Chun'er, don't talk nonsense. Senior brother is only doing this because of the instructions of Lord Su and the Second Madam. How can I know what he really thinks?" The woman frowned slightly.

"But Young Master Su put aside his official duties to accompany you to visit relatives in Sizhou. This is an opportunity anyway." Chun'er leaned close to her and lowered her voice, "Miss, have you forgotten what the Second Madam said?"

The woman raised her eyes in panic and shook her head vigorously.

"The Second Madam is ready to find a matchmaker for the young lady. If the young lady doesn't seize this opportunity, will she really marry someone else?" Chun'er has served her since she was a child, so she naturally knows what she is thinking.

"I..." The woman bit her lip, seeming to be both annoyed and embarrassed. She had her own thoughts, but the man had become increasingly distant in recent years. She could never grasp his thoughts and was unable to determine whether he was interested. What should she do?

The clattering of horses' hooves outside was as uneasy as the woman's mood.

Will this trip to Sizhou really make her wish come true?