Chapter 101 [VIP]

In her previous life, the young master always said that she was too impatient. No matter what she did, she liked to see the results immediately and couldn't wait even a few days.

The young master was completely different from her. He would spend months, or even a year and a half, slowly laying out his plans, and then strike with lightning speed. Therefore, Gu Zhizhuo never asked him what he was planning; if she knew, she wouldn't have the patience to wait.

Even now!

Upon hearing that there was excitement to be had in the capital, Gu Zhizhuo was eager to go, but they were still made to wait two more days before they left the camp to return to the capital.

Gu Zhizhuo sat in Xie Yingchen's carriage, with the jade lion following behind at a leisurely pace.

Upon entering the capital, Xie Yingchen did not send her back to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, but went straight to the Xiangxi Tower.

"Watching a show?"

"Watching a show."

Xie Yingchen said gently, "We only saw half of the last play."

That's true!

The opera house wasn't scheduled to start until after noon, and it was still early, but the lobby on the first floor was already quite full of patrons, excitedly discussing the upcoming performances. The waiter recognized Gu Zhizhuo at a glance and greeted her with a smile: "Greetings, Miss, this way please."

He led the guests up to the second floor.

They walked along the corridor to the central box. This box was different from the one they had sat in last time; it had a better view, allowing them to see the entire stage from the front.

Moreover, Gu Zhizhuo had visited before.

Seeing Sheng Jiang standing in front of the private room, Gu Zhizhuo greeted him cheerfully.

The waiter respectfully withdrew.

Sheng Jiang stood ramrod straight, knocked twice on the lattice door, and reported, "Master, the person has arrived."

He then opened the partition door and said expressionlessly, "Please."

Behind the door was a pearl curtain, each pearl perfectly round and about the size of a thumb. Hundreds of pearls of the same size and color were strung together to form the curtain, a display of extravagance that left her speechless.

They lifted the curtain and went inside; the sliding door closed behind them.

A huge glass screen blocked the view of the octagonal table behind it. The screen's pattern was exceptionally vibrant, as if painted by a Western craftsman. She had seen similar ones in Minzhou, but only the size of a table screen.

Meow!

A soft, meowing sound rang out.

The cat squatted on the octagonal table and greeted her, then glared at Xie Yingchen and hissed twice. After intimidating her, it acted sweetly and coquettishly towards Gu Zhizhuo, rolled over on the octagonal table, exposing its belly. As soon as Xie Yingchen approached, it quickly rolled up, arched its back, and stuck its ears back.

Extremely busy.

Shen Xu leaned against the armrest of the grand master's chair, his arm resting on a large cushion. His red clothes were without a single wrinkle, dazzling like fire.

In the corner of the private room, incense burner emitted a faint, sweet fragrance.

Gu Zhizhuo walked over on the soft white cushion, patted the cat's head, and curtsied, saying, "Lord Supervisor."

Shen Xu stared at the footprints she left behind with annoyance and displeasure.

Gu Zhizhuo said skillfully, "I just came back from the military camp, so it's normal for my shoes to be muddy, right?"

Shen Xu didn't want to pay any attention to her.

Gu Zhizhuo sat down in the armchair with a smile, and patted the cat that came over to act cute. Its collar had been changed again, and this time it was inlaid with a huge ruby, which looked very expensive.

"I made you a new collar, come find me to play next time."

"Meow~"

Xie Yingchen nodded slightly to him as a greeting, then sat down next to her. The cat suddenly stood up, its tail lashing out at his face before moving far away from him.

Gu Zhizhu chuckled and rested his chin on his hand, saying, "Young Master isn't a jinx anymore. It doesn't like you, how pitiful."

She smiled, her eyes crinkling and sparkling.

"This pearl-shaped tart is quite nice, you should try it."

The eight-immortal table was covered with snacks and treats. Xie Yingchen picked up a small steamed bun, placed it on a plate, and brought it to her. The bun was small and round, like a pearl. Gu Zhizhuo took a bite; it was filled with jujube paste. Delicious! Store-bought pastries often mixed walnuts into the jujube paste, but she rarely ate jujube-filled pastries because she didn't like the taste of walnuts. This bun didn't have walnuts; instead, it had some flower petals added, making it sweet and fragrant.

"This one is good too."

Xie Yingchen picked up another translucent steamed dumpling: "It's made in the Minzhou style."

"Young master, you should eat too!"

"Young master cannot drink alcohol or tea, do you have fruit syrup?" she asked.

Shen Xu's forehead veins throbbed, and he impatiently said "No," then ignored them and looked out the window, preferring to stay out of sight.

"Master, this wine of yours..."

Shen Xu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Drink if you want."

Gu Zhizhu suppressed a laugh, tugged at Xie Yingchen's sleeve, and looked up to signal him to look.

The cat used its paws to rummage through the wine glass, glancing furtively at Shen Xu as it went. Seeing that no one was paying attention to it, the cat's whiskers twitched with excitement, and it dipped half of its paw into the wine glass, getting it covered in wine.

It raised its paw, sniffed, stuck out its little red tongue, licked it, and its golden cat eyes widened in an instant.

Ptooey!

It slapped the wine glass away.

The wine glass rolled around on the octagonal table and fell to the ground, spilling amber-colored wine that stained a large patch on the snow-white carpet. The cold wine splashed onto Shen Xu's ankles, causing him to turn around and glance at it. At this glance, his brow twitched, and his beautiful face was full of suppressed anger.

Gu Zhizhu skillfully distanced himself from the situation: "I was just about to remind you."

"Cat, come here!"

His voice was cold and menacing.

Cats are animals that never think they are wrong. When they heard him calling them, they trotted over and happily rubbed their soft heads against him, patting his cheeks with their still-dampened paws.

Shen Xu's fingers were curled up tightly, as if he was suppressing some kind of impulse.

Even though he's so angry, he still hasn't thrown it away. The cat is pretty amazing. Gu Zhizhuo thought to himself with amusement, until Xie Yingchen reminded him, "It's here."

They're here? Who's here?

Gu Zhizhuo turned to look out the window, where Gong Hai, with a gloomy expression, dismounted.

The window was only half open, so as not to be noticed unless one deliberately peeked out. Staring at Gong Hai, Gu Zhizhuo finally remembered the purpose of his trip.

The waiter came out and greeted loudly, "Master Gong, please come in."

His attitude was warm, just like before, but the words "Master Gong" still made the hall fall silent.

Normally, the imperial court's appointments and dismissals are not made public in a grand manner. However, this time, after Gong Hai was suspended from his post, the news spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys in a short period of time.

Unfortunately, Gong Hai's reputation has recently become quite prominent again.

"Didn't they say he was suspended? Why is he still here to watch the show?"

"Even if he's suspended from his post, he's still a big shot. He's been receiving a salary for so many years without working, so why would he be short of money?"

"Could it be because of Sese? I heard that Sese has been spending the last two days with the eldest princess. Sigh, I lost a tael of silver because of her."

The betting odds have been open for a while now, with bets on "who will bet on today." Gong Hai has more wins, but the odds on the "Big Princess" are higher; you can usually bet on her once or twice out of ten, at least ten times your initial investment. (Yue Ge)

Despite the constant murmurs around him, Gong Hai ignored them, coldly went upstairs, and after sitting down in the reserved private room, he asked in a cold voice, "Where is Se Se?"

"Master Gong, Sese still has to go on stage today."

The waiter was as enthusiastic as ever, but Gong Haineng could clearly sense that he wasn't as attentive to him as he used to be.

"Go and call Serser here."

Gong Hai said expressionlessly, "Even if I'm down on my luck, it would be easy for me to tear down this dilapidated theater."

"Look at what you're saying." The waiter bowed his head and served him tea, saying solicitously, "I'll talk to the troupe leader and ask if it would be alright if Sese could come and keep you company after she finishes this performance."

Gong Hai sneered: "Was it the eldest princess who ordered it?"

The waiter smiled but said nothing.

Gong Hai could easily see through this perfunctory attitude; his face was so gloomy it seemed a storm was about to break.

He gripped the wine cup tightly, the muscles in his arm taut.

"Master Gong, I'll take my leave now..."

Snap!

A silver ingot was thrown onto the Eight Immortals table.

"Thank you for the reward, Master Gong." The waiter called out, and his smile warmed up as he picked up the silver.

He glanced around cautiously and whispered, "The eldest princess has instructed the head servant not to allow Sese to serve you anymore."

When did this happen?

"Just the day before yesterday."

The day before yesterday, right after he was suspended from his post.

"It was also the eldest princess who told you about your suspension..."

Click!

The wine cup was crushed to pieces in his hand, and the broken porcelain cut his fingers.

"Will the eldest princess be coming today?"

"I wouldn't know about that..."

The waiter's words traveled along a thin brass pipe to the next private room, clear as if they were right next to him.

Gu Zhizhuo could hear not only their voices, but also the sound of Gong Hai crushing the wine cup.

Gu Zhizhuo had come here to watch a few plays before, and she always thought that the soundproofing of the private boxes was very good. As long as the partition doors were closed tightly, even the sound of the gongs on the stage could be blocked out. She never expected that there would be such a mechanism.

Shen Xu simply turned a copper pipe by the wall, and all the movements next door were transmitted to him, and it was a one-way transmission.

She asked, "Whose side is Serser on?"

Sese is the woman in green that Gong Hai and Princess Zhaoyang fought over endlessly.

"The Prince of Jin," came the reply from Xie Yingchen.

"Huh?" Gu Zhizhuo said, somewhat surprised. "I thought..."

Xiangxilou was under the control of the Eastern Depot, and she assumed that everyone in the opera troupe was also from the Eastern Depot.

Shen Xu, looking annoyed, picked up a piece of meat from the fish's belly, placed it on a small golden dish, and pushed it towards the cat.

Meow~

The cat was being incredibly cute, burying its little head in the small dish and happily eating.

Shen Xu lifted his eyelids and said coldly, "The Eastern Depot doesn't need to use its beauty to please people."

Xie Yingchen said with a faint smile, "The Prince of Jin is a man who is good at opportunism."

To rise from a minor member of the imperial clan to his current position, Prince Jin has taken each step steadily and surely, without making any mistakes.

"Many people in the court have people planted by Prince Jin around them, especially concubines and dancers. Every year, Prince Jin would send a few 'skinny horses' to each household."

"Send a horse?"

Gu Zhizhu tilted his head, his eyes crystal clear.

Xie Yingchen cleared his throat and said, "Beauty."

Oh! I understand.

Those who casually take in beauties deserve to have their spies buried.

“Prince Jin initially only wanted to send Sese to Princess Zhaoyang’s side, but Gong Hai also took a fancy to her.”

Xie Yingchen tried to keep things simple, not wanting to offend her ears with such sordid matters.

In the eyes of the King of Jin, it was a pleasant surprise that a single pawn could keep two people hooked. The actor was just a slave he had paid a high price to raise, and it didn't matter who got him.

The gong sounded, and the play began.

Gu Zhizhuo took out a compass and started playing with it.

"With Lu Cun in the Life Palace, Gong Hai was destined for a prosperous official career and abundant wealth, and he still is!"

Gu Zhizhuo had calculated Gong Hai's fate several times, and the conclusion was always the same: after Gong Hai was suspended from his post, his fate remained unchanged.

If things were like they were in his previous life, Gong Hai would indeed continue to be successful. He would side with Xie Jing and eventually hand over the three major military camps in the capital to Xie Jing.

Shen Xu suddenly asked, "Do you believe in fate?"

I don't believe it.

Shen Xu chuckled, as if to say: Lie.

Gu Zhizhuo: "I'd be a dog if I lied to you."

Xie Yingchen pushed the peeled pine nuts to her: "Eat slowly, I'll peel some more for you."

Shen Xu: "..."

He must be crazy to cooperate with them!

Gu Zhizhuo ate pine nuts, leaned against the lattice window, and listened to the singing below.

The man in green had an excellent figure, gracefully swaying his water sleeves. He tilted his head slightly, revealing half of his stunningly beautiful face, which was alluring and captivating with every glance.

After one act ended, amidst cheers, a voice came from the next box: "SeSe! Come here."

The man in blue robes lowered his sleeves, his eyelids drooping, exuding a desolate air, and slowly descended from the stage. His steps were extremely slow, as if he were very unwilling, and then he slowly walked up the steps.

Anyone looking at him could sense his helplessness and his reluctance to comply.

Many people followed him to the second floor, where he stopped in front of a private room. Then, a pair of hands pulled him inside.

"ah--"

The sliding door blocked out the screams that were about to spill out.

Even the most popular actor is still just an actor, and actors are considered to be of low social status.

The hall was silent for a moment, then some rustling sounds arose again: "I heard that the eldest princess has been coming every day these past two days."

"The eldest princess said yesterday that Sese is her person."

"Perhaps the princess and her husband have already agreed to each take a day. We common folk should refrain from making a fuss."

"..."

The whispers continued intermittently, then the gong sounded again, and amidst the melodious sounds of string and wind instruments, the second act of the play began.

The play consists of four acts. The gentle and melodious voice of the female lead quickly captivated the audience, making them forget everything else.

"Is Gong Hai here?!"

A sharp female voice suddenly rang out, and the second act was just halfway through.

The audience was startled and instinctively looked outside. Princess Zhaoyang strode aggressively across the threshold, her voice arrogant and rude to the point of being repulsive.

Zhao Yang's black hair was styled into a bun, her bright red lips exuded arrogance, and a dozen guards stood behind her.

They were just talking about the eldest princess when she arrived. Everyone looked at each other in surprise, and some even glanced subconsciously at the second floor.

"Princess."

The shopkeeper personally went to greet them.

Zhaoyang was a frequent visitor and never concealed her identity as a princess, so she naturally didn't shy away from using the proper titles.

"How many acts will Se Se perform today?" Zhao Yang asked in a cold voice, slightly raising her chin.

"One-tenth of the original price," the shopkeeper said, rubbing his hands together.

Where are they?

"Master Gong called him away."

Zhao Yang gritted his teeth.

Sese sent a young maid from the opera troupe to ask her for help, only to find out that Gong Hai was still not giving up.

In the past, she had no choice but to give Sese to Gong Hai because he held military power and was her father's favorite minister. But now, Gong Hai has been suspended from his post. How dare this old man with no official position and disliked by her father try to take her away?!

Her voice grew even colder: "It seems you haven't taken my words to heart."

"Your Highness, how could that be? We can't afford to offend Master Gong..."

"Smash it!"

She gave the order coldly, and the guards immediately swarmed forward, flipping the table with a clatter.

"Ouch, stop smashing it! Stop smashing it!"

The shopkeeper and waiters wanted to stop them but dared not, and were in a state of great anxiety.

The music stopped, and the actors stood helplessly on the stage.

"Don't let them leave! Open your eyes wide and see for yourselves! Gong Hai is useless; he can't turn things around! From now on, anyone who dares to oppose me for the sake of this wretched old man shouldn't blame me for being impolite!"

Bang!

The partition door of a private room on the second floor was kicked open from the inside, and Gong Hai walked out with a gloomy face. Sese, who was still wearing her costume and heavy makeup, stood beside him.

Princess Zhaoyang looked up and saw that Sese had his eyes lowered, his makeup smudged, as if soaked with tears.

Gong Haiyin smiled slyly and said, "Your Highness is in high spirits."

"Princess, please don't forget that I am your future husband. I have only been suspended from my post. The Emperor has not said that the engagement should be called off."

Gong Hai stared at Zhao Yang below with a sinister gaze, sneering repeatedly: "A decrepit old man who has been suspended from his post and is disliked, yet the Emperor still appointed you as his consort. Tell me, what are you anyway?"

Zhao Yang: "You!"

"The birth chart has changed."

Gu Zhizhu stared intently at the corridor outside, his peripheral vision falling on her compass.

Gong Hai's fate has changed.

"When the Li trigram enters the northwest, it signifies certain death."

A note from the author: