In the center of the room sat a worn-out book with the title "The Secret History of Fuyao" on its cover.
"These are all the big and small things that have happened in Jingning City since the establishment of the theater. Most of them are related to the late emperor. What you are looking for will be in there."
Wang Shu gently stroked the book's cover, as if she were stroking her own child.
Tang Nian knew that this was a treasure that Wang Shu had painstakingly preserved.
She solemnly took the book, gently turned the pages, and read it page by page, trying to find clues about the opera house and the late emperor.
It turns out that from the moment Wang Shu arrived at the Fuyao Opera House, it was already a trap set for the late emperor.
Although the late emperor did not exhibit his obsessive pursuit of immortality in his youth, signs were already present.
He secretly sent people to investigate, and anything related to immortality was taken into the palace.
But at that time his power base was not yet stable, and he feared it would cause a riot.
He even sent his trusted men to disguise themselves as bandits, burn, kill, and plunder, and then he ordered the bandits to be killed.
Wang Shu's home is one of them.
He wandered to the capital, and his outstanding opera skills quickly attracted attention, making him an instant star.
At this time, a mysterious person found him and told him the truth about the massacre of his family.
He never imagined that a mere fabricated rumor about his own family would lead to his death.
However, he had no intention of helping the person in front of him, but the person offered him a condition that appealed to him.
There's a newly opened theater in Jingning City. If I'm willing to do things for him, that theater will be his.
Of course, what he did was not to assassinate the emperor as he imagined; it was simply to run the theater under the guise of gathering information.
In Wang Shu's heart, nothing made him happier than having someone recognize his opera.
Not to mention Fuyao Opera House, which was already quite famous at the time.
He agreed immediately.
That person also gathered an entire opera troupe for Wang Shu to manage.
But gradually, Wang Shu felt that something was wrong.
The people in his opera troupe all seemed a bit abnormal.
When he pressed for details, the man told him.
He collaborated with a fairy; he created puppets, and the fairy imbued them with souls, giving them flesh and blood and restoring them to life.
Wang Shudong sensed something was wrong; he then realized what these people wanted to do.
They wanted to use this secret method to lure the Chu Emperor to his location.
Wang Shu wanted to refuse, but he had no way to escape.
As his anxiety grew day by day, the Chu Emperor arrived.
The opera was proceeding as planned, but at the very last moment, all the actors revealed their puppet faces.
Wang Shu was so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat.
After watching the play at the theater, the previously unknown Ye family found Emperor Chu, and Emperor Chu never visited the theater again.
Wang Shu did not dare to be negligent and wrote down everything she had found out.
After the Chu Emperor arrived at the Ye family, he seemed to be indulging in revelry every night, but in reality, he was discussing a deal for immortality.
Half a month later, the Chu Emperor left Jingning City.
Not long after, Wang Shu discovered the secret passage in the building.
He secretly entered the secret passage in the dead of night, keeping it a secret from everyone, but little did he know that this would be the end of his life.
He didn't know what had happened. When he woke up again, he was already standing on the stage, like a puppet, just performing every day.
No one remembers that he was once the head of a theatrical troupe; now he is the pillar of the theater.
At first, he still had his own consciousness, and he used all his strength to draw the portrait of the mysterious man bit by bit.
He was "respectfully" addressed as "Young Master Wangshu" by a group of mindless puppets.
Later, like those opera actors, he was sealed inside a puppet, knowing what was happening outside but powerless to do anything about it.
The last thing in the book is that portrait.
This was a sight Tang Nian had never seen before, yet it looked very familiar to her.
His eyebrows and eyes seemed to have an inextricable connection with the royal family of the Great Chu.
“He never came again after my death, and the late emperor’s death must also be related to him.”
The candlelight illuminated Wang Shu's face, making it difficult for Tang Nian to see clearly.
He then took out a seal from the corner of the room. The engravings on the seal had been worn away, but it was clear that the seal was quite valuable.
"This is something he left behind after visiting the theater once. Miss Tang, please keep it with you; you might see him again in the future."
"When the time comes, remember to seek justice for the people of Jingning City."
Tang Nian slowly raised her hands to take the seal, lowered her head as if trying to write something, and then clenched it tightly in her hands.
"Isn't it Ji Jingyu?" she asked softly.
Wang Shu paused for a moment, then shook her head with a smile: "You mean Master Ji? He didn't do any of this. He has no grudge against Jingning City. I should thank him for barely keeping this sliver of my consciousness alive until you arrive."
As Wang Shu's body gradually became transparent, and people could see what was behind him through him, Tang Nian's eyes welled up with tears.
"If I had the chance, I would really like to sing a song for Miss Tang again..."
With a flash of white light, Tang Nian returned to the stage, her finger still resting in front of the puppet's eye socket.
The puppets below stared at her blankly.
Tang Nian casually lowered her hand, letting the blood drip slowly.
She figured out a lot.
"Is there any need to continue this charade, Ji Jingyu?"
With a clap of applause, the puppets below the stage slowly moved to the sides, revealing the grand master's chair in the middle and the man on the chair.
The man had long, slender eyebrows and bright, sparkling eyes; he didn't resemble the demon Ji Shuhe had described as possessed.
He watched with a leisurely air as the man and the puppet confronted each other on the stage.
Is this play your answer?
Tang Nian nodded firmly.
"Alright, you pass." Ji Jingyu clapped his hands and stood up, and all the puppets disappeared into thin air.
Now, only the two of them remain in the entire theater.
"So, you're just like Jiang Chen, aren't you?" Tang Nian took a deep breath. Although it was a question, her tone was already certain.
“I have no grudge against you. If I hadn’t been asked to do this, why would I have gone to such lengths?” Ji Jingyu shrugged and smiled casually. “Since you have passed my test, then let’s stop here.”
"Why?" Tang Nian stared straight at him.
What are you asking?
"all."
Ji Jingyu waved his hand, and a grand chair appeared behind Tang Nian: "Sit down, let's talk slowly."
"This game was indeed played by me, but it wasn't just me who played it." He spoke slowly after Tang Nian sat down.
What does this mean?
"Has Ji Shuhe already told you all about my grudges with him?"
Tang Nian nodded, but the Ji Jingyu in front of him was nothing like the ruthless killer Ji Shuhe had described.
“I used to be exactly like he described, until I met someone.”
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