After returning home with trepidation, Liu sat down. Everyone noticed that she had returned alone, and her maid, Cuizhu, was nowhere to be seen. They all looked at her suspiciously.
Meanwhile, Wu and Song were whispering to each other, Fucha glanced at Liu with schadenfreude, and Lanqin and the Fourth Master looked at each other sideways.
"Liu, where is your maid?" the Fourth Master asked.
"Thank you for your consideration, sir. I forgot to bring my cloak, so I sent Cuizhu back to get it. It's already getting a bit chilly in the late autumn nights," Liu said, bowing slightly.
"Sit down. If your maid hasn't arrived by then, I'll have Su Peisheng escort you back," the Fourth Master said.
"Thank you, sir, I'm fine," Liu said, seemingly flattered, with a slight blush on her face.
As the play began again, everyone's attention was focused on the stage.
Sun Wukong began his rampage in the Heavenly Palace, beating the Jade Emperor so badly he was scattered everywhere. The sounds of gongs and drums filled the air, creating quite a spectacle. However, Liu Shi, watching the Jade Emperor on the stage, had no interest in the play. She wondered if Steward Lu would immediately send people to search after Cuizhu informed Xiao Jinzi. If they found them, how could they lead the investigation to Mu Qingyang?
Suddenly, Madam Liu realized this fatal flaw: had she been too hasty? As soon as she learned where the package was, she immediately sent people to search for it. Thinking of this, Madam Liu immediately felt extremely uneasy.
The play on the stage had come to an end, and Sun Wukong was slapped down by the Buddha and placed under the Five Fingers Mountain.
"Reward them!" Fourth Master led the applause; this was the first time he had ever seen a performance by the Mu family troupe.
"Prince Yong said, 'Reward!'" Upon hearing this from the Fourth Master, Old Liu immediately took the lead and shouted, signaling the actors to stand up and express their gratitude!
The actor on stage walked to the front, bowed to the Fourth Prince and Lanqin, and said, "Thank you for your reward, Your Highness! Please select a performance, Your Highness!"
"Qin'er, what other opera would you like to hear? Why don't we go and request one?" Fourth Master said.
Lanqin wasn't really interested in plays like "Havoc in Heaven," she was just joining in the fun with Fourth Master. These were plays that older people and children liked; if she wanted to request one, she'd choose a romantic drama like "The Peach Blossom Fan," "The West Chamber," or "The Peony Pavilion."
"Why don't we let Old Madam Song choose? It was Sister Song who chose it for her today," Lanqin declined. When she wanted to watch it, she only wanted to listen alone, or at most with Fourth Master, rather than dragging so many people to watch that melancholic and sentimental show. Besides, there were children involved; they definitely wouldn't understand it.
When Old Man Liu saw that Fourth Master wanted to choose a play, he quickly brought the play script to Fourth Master.
"Let the old lady order it over there," Fourth Master said, declining.
Old Liu, carrying the opera script, ran to Old Madam Song again, and the children also crowded around, wanting to watch some operas. Lanqin watched them chattering away, and Old Liu, standing to the side, was almost sweating profusely.
"Master, the children are just making a ruckus. Why don't we get them to sing?" Lanqin said to the Fourth Master.
Seeing that, Fourth Master felt it was inappropriate and quickly said to Old Man Liu, "Why don't you just act as you like? Whatever you act, we'll watch."
“That’s a good idea; it has a sense of novelty,” Wu said.
So Old Liu, carrying the play script, happily went backstage to start preparing for the new play.
Lanqin looked at the other princesses. Except for Liu, she seemed anxious and worried about something. But when asked, she always said that it was nothing and that everything was fine.
"My lords, today our young master Mu Qingyang will be performing a new type of opera for you, which came from the West." Old Liu suddenly ran out from the left and said to the Fourth Master and the other princesses sitting below.
“Alright, let’s take a look at this new genre today,” Wu said with a smile.
"Let's do as Princess Wu wishes and hold a party," said the Fourth Prince.
Having received his orders, Old Liu immediately turned and went backstage.
Then, for the first time in her life, Lanqin saw a Western-style stage play on a Qing Dynasty opera stage. These people are absolutely amazing! Damn!
After discussing the matter with several fellow disciples, Mu Qingyang decided to put on a Chinese-style Western-language play for Fourth Master and his group. It would involve no singing or dancing, only dialogue. This was something Mu Qingyang had insisted on doing, taking his fellow disciples to see a Western-language play and then figuring it out at home.
"Senior brother, are you sure you want to put on this show?" Several fellow disciples looked around in confusion.
"I'm asking you guys whether you're going to act or not. Senior brother has already said so, so why are you still spouting so much nonsense?" Mu Qingying said.
“Since Qingying said he’s going to act, then we should all act along,” the others said.
Mu Qingyang usually practices martial arts with them. After only a few minutes of discussion, they can perfectly convey the emotions that Mu Qingyang wants to express.
Outside, Fourth Master and the others were already muttering to themselves, "Why hasn't the show started yet?"
After a loud commotion of gongs and drums, Lanqin saw actors dressed in ordinary clothes enter the stage. Lanqin was very surprised, but Wu Shi and Song Shi, and naturally the children, were even more surprised.
Watching them perform so naturally on stage, without any stage fright, it seemed as if they had rehearsed countless times.
"My God, are they learning Western theatrical styles?" Lanqin muttered to herself.
"What are they doing?" Fourth Master asked, looking at the people who came out to speak on the stage one by one, somewhat puzzled.
“Sir, this is how Westerners perform. They might be reciting poetry,” Lanqin said.
In fact, not only did Fourth Master not understand it and want to call for his mother, but even the others who came with him were starting to get impatient.
"Westerners always stand on stage like this when they act, and then do nothing?" Fourth Master said.
“Yes, they are all expressing long monologues, revealing their emotions. Master, look at that Young Master Mu, his performance today is truly amazing.” Lanqin guided the Fourth Master to look.
The story on stage tells of two brothers who both fall in love with the same girl. However, in the end, the girl chooses neither of them and marries a local wealthy man.
When Liu saw this, she almost jumped up from her seat. She hadn't expected Mu Qingyang to suddenly perform such a strange Western play.
"Is he alluding to me?" Liu thought to herself. She stared at Mu Qingyang on the stage in disbelief, when suddenly a very bad premonition rose from the bottom of her heart.
Sure enough, when Mu Qingyang started reciting his lines, Liu was almost certain that he was bringing his own story with him into this so-called Western play.
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