Chapter 50 New Questions
Although the props are limited, there are so few entertainment activities nowadays, and the development of opera is far less than that of Peking Opera in later generations. Yan Xuanyu restored the stage as much as possible, which was enough to give them a little shock.
The plays presented by Yan Xuanyu at the Jixiang Theater are gradually progressive, from the simple scenery at the beginning to the very elaborate arrangement of today's play.
Wang Qinyao felt that this trip out of the palace was worthwhile.
The three of them left the Auspicious Theater from the backyard in advance and got on the carriage back to the palace.
Wang Qinyao was still unsatisfied: "It's better to see it with your own eyes than to read it in a book."
Compared to Wang Qinyao who was simply immersed in "The Song of Everlasting Regret", Zhang Yuezhi was more sensitive. The first thing she thought of after watching the play was -
The protagonists of this play are the emperor and his favorite concubine, and there are exactly two of them in the palace now.
It would be fine if she didn't know, but knowing that the emperor was the man behind the Jixiang Theater, she couldn't help but think too much.
...
The carriage looked simple on the outside, but was extremely comfortably furnished on the inside. When the carriage entered the palace, the three of them felt as if they were in another world when they changed into the concubines' luxurious dresses.
The palace is decorated with carved beams and painted buildings, but it lacks the lively atmosphere compared to the area outside the palace.
Concubine Wang looked at the huge gem ring on her hand and said, "It may be lively outside the palace, but the wealth and splendor inside the palace is real."
They have no special feelings for the emperor, especially when they first entered the palace, they were frightened by the emperor who was still a prince at the time. Although the emperor's temperament has changed drastically now and he is very good to them, they will not fall in love with him.
After returning to the palace, Li Zhiwei brought a book with her. She wanted to read it, but she couldn't help but sit in the soft chair in a daze.
Of course she wouldn't tell anyone, but when she was alone, a slight panic welled up in her heart.
Especially the fact that Zhang Yuezhi was assigned to the hot pot restaurant by the emperor. She also knew that Zhang Yuezhi was the daughter of a merchant family before coming to Beijing. The emperor also found a job for her this time. Li Zhiwei was also happy for her. After all, after Zhang Yuezhi took over the hot pot restaurant, although she had to take care of everything and it was inevitable that she would be a little tired, her complexion was getting better day by day.
Wang Qinyao was a simple-minded person who only liked beautiful clothes. She also had the most contact with the emperor. Li Zhiwei intuitively felt that there was something between Wang Qinyao and the emperor that she didn't know about. For example, the conflict between Concubine Wang and Concubine Shen in the imperial garden that day seemed to be the emperor's intention.
Otherwise, based on Li Zhiwei's understanding of Wang Qinyao, she would have asked the palace maid to slap her in the face. No matter what kind of imperial concubine she was, she was still inferior to her.
But Wang Qinyao didn't, and she actually argued with Shen Lian in a serious manner.
Then Concubine Wang was confined to her house by the emperor, but secretly her treatment became better than before.
But Li Zhiwei had nothing to do in the palace right now. She had barely spoken to His Majesty, and her presence in the palace was not strong. She didn't want to stand out, but she wanted to show her loyalty to the emperor, but she didn't know what to do...
Never mind. There's no point in thinking too much.
She sighed inwardly.
...
Since "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow" was performed at the Jixiang Theater, there has been an endless stream of people coming to see it, and some have even come to see it multiple times.
Yan Xuanyu was amused when he heard the report from the manager of Jixiang Theater. Isn't this the second or third time watching?
Zhang Yuezhi was right. Yan Xuanyu also had ulterior motives in doing this.
In any era, the power of public opinion is enormous. Now that the capital is full of rumors about Chen Lian being a scoundrel and evil concubine, Yan Xuanyu knows that the other party's motives in approaching him are not pure, and he has determined that she is a spy sent by a certain party.
But Yan Xuanyu also took advantage of her a lot. First, he used her to earn a lot of system points, and then he built the official road in the name of the emperor building it for Concubine Shen.
What kind of play is performed at the Jixiang Theater is up to Yan Xuanyu. As long as he writes down the script and gives it to the troupe, they can stage a new play.
Yan Xuanyu intended to divert the attention of the people in the capital to the emperor's romantic affairs, which was at least much better than focusing on Concubine Shen - the literati in the capital also followed the hot topics. The literati who had previously hinted at the emperor's plan to repair the official road were not all doing so for the people's livelihood. Many of them were just "riding on the popularity". Now that "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" was released, their eyes naturally turned to the so-called "love".
This is all he can do. If he does more, it will affect his own affairs.
The hotpot restaurant is also very popular, making a fortune every day. Not to mention the auspicious theater, the gold membership alone brings in a huge amount of money, not to mention the daily tips from the audience.
Especially under Yan Xuanyu's packaging, the female role originally in the Jixiang Opera Troupe has now become Miss Ruxin, a guest of honor in the mansion of a noble in the capital.
Not long ago, she played the role of a favorite concubine in "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow". The stunning glimpse when she left at the end made countless young men in the capital obsessed with her.
The money of the capital's nobility is the easiest to earn, and they're willing to spend it for the sake of prestige. Imagine if everyone else has it and you don't, wouldn't that be a loss of face? That's why some people are still paying exorbitant prices for private rooms at the Jixiang Theater.
Yan Xuanyu felt happy every time he thought about this. The officials in the court tried their best to suppress the military officers, but they didn't know that their wives, sons, and even themselves had contributed to the development of the surrounding cities.
If it weren't for them, the soldiers might not be able to have a hot meal every day.
Yan Xuanyu touched his chin and thought, we can't just fleece the rich in the capital, we can't let the rich in other cities go either. It's time for Jixiang Theater to open branches in cities that are less important than the capital. Also, Fengxian City where Feng Guangwei is located has been renovated and can be opened to the public after this winter.
Yan Xuanyu did not forget his previous plan, which was to build a "model city" first. Feng Guangwei had been sent out by him for such a long time, it was time to inspect the results.
Yan Xuanyu hadn't received any letters from Feng Guangwei in the past few days. Yan Xuanyu called them "work reports," but the content didn't seem as serious as Yuan Kang's letters...
For example: Your Majesty, on a certain day of a certain month, the pilot project of toilets in Fengxian City was completed.
The word "toilet" was blurted out by Yan Xuanyu, who explained it as a place to go to the toilet. Unexpectedly, Feng Guangwei actually remembered it and even tried it out in Fengxian City.
The most important event was that Feng Guangwei made fragrant pancreas. One of the things Yan Xuanyu asked him to do was to make pancreas made of wood ash and other materials, to change the situation in the Great Zhou Dynasty where pancreas made from pig pancreas could only be used by the nobles.
Feng Guangwei ordered people to try for several months before they were able to make a decent pancreas. He also suggested to Yan Xuanyu that they use flowers to grind the pancreas, and the workshop in Fengxian City actually made it. Yan Xuanyu also knew the flowers they used, which were the nameless wild flowers he had seen in Fengxian City.
The incense made from this nameless wild flower has a fresh fragrance and is milky white in color. After bathing with it, the fragrance can linger on the body for a while.
Yan Xuanyu also received a sample. It must be said that Feng Guangwei was really smart. Fortunately, he came to this world and was not buried like the original owner in his previous life.
The sample is very exquisite. Feng Guangwei asked a skillful embroiderer in the city to design the pattern. The shape of the pancreas is an ingenious floral pattern. The pattern is printed on the pancreas. When the petals unfold, there is a refreshing fragrance when you sniff it.
The important thing is that this wild flower has strong vitality and is available all year round. If it is planted on a large scale, there will be no shortage of raw materials!
In addition to the story of Jiang's daughter that was circulated during the severe flood in Fengxian City, Feng Guangwei named this wild flower ginger flower. Legend has it that after knowing that her husband had passed away, Jiang's daughter did not show any sadness, but wiped away her tears and participated in the ladies' porridge distribution activity, helping the people in distress around her, continuing her husband's will, and was even criticized by the neighbors for this. Who knew that after the flood was over, Jiang's daughter actually committed suicide at the place where her husband died. Only then did people realize that Jiang's daughter was not a heartless person.
A field of wild flowers grew where the childhood sweethearts met, blooming all year round and emitting fragrance.
The unusual phenomenon of these flowers blooming in large numbers was discovered and reported to the prefect. The prefect of Fengxian City was moved by the couple and named them Jianghua.
After hearing this story, Yan Xuanyu couldn't help but be amazed. He didn't expect that Feng Guangwei also learned some skills from him!
But this story is truly fitting. Regardless of whether it's true or not, it captures not only Jiang's infatuation but also her righteousness – donating all her wealth to help the people affected by the flood – and her childhood sweetheart's selfless sacrifice for others despite the flood.
Later, Yan Xuanyu received several more "work reports." Fengxian City used ginger flowers as a unique flower in Fengxian City, and derived many products from them...
Although Feng Guangwei only said a few words, it made Yan Xuanyu really want to go over and take a look!
After all, this is the first Fengxian city to be renovated under his guidance.
Yan Xuanyu does not plan to open the Jixiang Theater in Fengxian City for the time being. He wants Fengxian City to have more of its own characteristics. Of course, this requires Feng Guangwei to explore.
After receiving the sample flower pancreas, Yan Xuanyu sent it to Concubine Wang in Feiluan Palace. During this period of time, he discovered Concubine Wang's peculiarity - in the modern world, it is that she is particularly sensitive to fashion trends, and the things she likes are often welcomed by most of the noble ladies in Beijing after they are launched.
So Yan Xuanyu has developed the habit of giving a portion to Concubine Wang first whenever he has something.
...
If we were to ask who is the most popular person in the capital recently, Lord Wen is undoubtedly the first.
His Majesty even granted special permission for Lord Wen to enter and leave the palace without notification.
However, not many people envied this honor. He was just a little emperor without real power or popular support, surrounded by aristocratic families and officials in the capital.
Haven’t you seen that there are so many poems in the capital that implicitly satirize the emperor, but the emperor doesn’t even react with anger!
The officials and the aristocratic families in the capital are intertwined and have long formed a relationship of interest with each other.
Han Yuan, the Duke of Han, who enjoyed some prestige among the civil officials, had long stayed indoors, and his disciples rarely showed up.
Yan Xuanyu was a little puzzled when he heard the news. In the original owner's memory, Han Yuan did not leave so easily.
Although Han Yuan also made a fuss in the court after he arrived, Han Yuan was not like him, an emperor without real power. He was a veteran of three dynasties. If he really wanted to make a fuss, it would be a big trouble for Yan Xuanyu.
Yan Xuanyu thought about the policy he had adopted towards Han Yuan, conferring him the title of Duke and commanding the cabinet... There was not even a hint of suppression.
What he didn't know was that in the minds of Han Yuan and others, the emperor's behavior had already revealed that he was far from being the brutal new emperor he appeared to be. To describe Yan Xuanyu's various actions towards Han Yuan in one sentence, that is - a random punch kills a master.
It’s a pity that Yan Xuanyu doesn’t know yet...
He is now paying special attention to the situation in the border town.
Yan Xuanyu has always firmly believed in one sentence: political power comes from the x pole.
He is not such a willful person. He should think about it. If he arrests all these people, won’t the court be empty?
But he felt that he was a willful person, and if these people were not removed, the Great Zhou would never be able to completely eliminate all the ills.
If it can be used, then use it. If it can't be used, he will have to find another way...
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