“Myth brother, that Li Tiao…”
"Please keep an eye out for her too. If we find her, I still have the same idea as before: if possible, let her continue to stay with Lao Si."
Previously, the concern was that the fourth brother might still be thinking about...
Now... with the Emperor's intentions already set in there, and Li Tiao by the Fourth Prince's side, do you think the Fourth Prince, even if he has designs on that position, can still get what he wants?
Once he manages to get Li Tiao by his side, it's tantamount to cutting himself off from his father, the Emperor.
This actually helped us.
Upon hearing what the Eighth Prince said, the Ninth Prince couldn't help but clap his hands and praise, "Brilliant! Eighth Prince, your method is truly ingenious, killing two birds with one stone!"
The Eighth Prince smiled and said, "So let's just watch the show now."
"Alright, let's watch the show. It's about myna bird... You were supposed to get married, but because Father Emperor is personally leading the army, your marriage to that Guo Luoluo woman has been cancelled..."
"Good things come to those who wait. Anyway, Father has already issued the decree of marriage, so we'll get married sooner or later."
"By the way, recently a brothel in the capital changed owners and madams, and the signboard was also changed. It's called something like Qunxinglou. They say the girls there sell their art, not their bodies. They just play the zither and sing songs. If you want to drink tea or eat some snacks or melon seeds, you have to pay money."
"Business looks good. Myth Brother, would you like to take a look? Anyway, Father isn't in the capital. Let's go relax a bit."
The Eighth Prince seemed quite intrigued: "Selling art but not sex? What do people get out of listening to music? Would those playboys really be willing to do that?"
"Of course they didn't want to, but it's said that the wife of some official in the capital or something has a share in this Qunxing Tower. They're all afraid that if there's any trouble, it will get back to their own homes. In short, it seems that those people are just listening to the music to avoid trouble."
"By the way, they used to just sing folk songs, but now they also perform operas. I heard there are opera troupes, and they even perform at private gatherings. In short, it's very lively."
"That sounds interesting. This boss is quite unique. Let's go check him out."
"Since Brother Ba is interested, then I will make the arrangements."
In everyone's impression, places like Qunxinglou are only lively at night, but Qunxinglou is only open during the day and closes when it gets dark. Even so, in such a short time since it opened, the owner has made a fortune.
Moreover, the boss has integrity; he won't take money he doesn't want, even if it's offered to him right in front of him.
For example, right now, the troupe leader is trying hard to convince the boss that tomorrow's performance will be more profitable, but the boss remains unmoved.
“Master Zhang, I understand what you’re saying, but I still stand by what I said: forget it.”
"But Mr. Li, this is a performance at the Fourth Prince's residence. If we win a standing ovation, we can perform for many more high-ranking officials and nobles in the future..."
"It's no secret that the Fourth Prince is not in the capital right now. When the Emperor personally led the expedition and left the capital, the city was bustling with activity, and the Fourth Prince went with him."
Now you go and give him a concubine or princess to sing at the private gathering..."
Perhaps feeling that this statement was somewhat disrespectful, the boss quickly explained, "Of course, I didn't mean to belittle Song Gege, the Fourth Prince's daughter. It's just that with her status... she can't really help promote our brand."
"But what if we don't go, and Song Gege whispers in the Fourth Prince's ear..."
"The Fourth Prince has gone to war with the Emperor. It will take several months. Even if he wins the war, it will take several more months to get back. The earliest the Fourth Prince will return is in the winter month. What's there to be afraid of?"
When the troupe leader saw that the boss wouldn't budge, he didn't insist. Although he really wanted to make the money, he knew he couldn't offend the boss for the time being, because before he joined this boss, his troupe had been struggling to make ends meet.
After the troupe leader left, the maid quickly handed a teacup to "Boss Li": "Master, please have some water to soothe your throat."
"Boss Li" was actually Li Tiao dressed as a man, and the maid was still Hongye.
After drinking the water, Li Tiao sighed, "How did Song Gege know about this opera troupe? If this troupe had been famous before, it would be understandable, but this troupe used to be struggling to make ends meet. How did Song Gege know about it?"
"This servant thinks..."
Li Tiao said, "Hongye, I've told you so many times, just say what you want to say."
"Yes, this servant thinks that the Thirteenth Prince said something to Consort Song."
Thirteenth Prince? Li Tiao pondered the name, considering the possibility of what Hongye had said.
Li Tiao understood that the thirteenth prince disliked her and felt that he had caused a lot of trouble for the fourth prince. However, she did not think that the thirteenth prince had developed any feelings for Song Gege.
At this time, due to the so-called strict adherence to etiquette, the Fourth Prince was not in the capital, and even if the Thirteenth Prince had a good relationship with Consort Song, he would not meet with her alone or have any involvement with her.
Li Tiao spoke her thoughts as if to herself. Hongye thought for a moment and said, "Master, if that's the case, then I think Consort Song should know that you are the owner of the Star Pavilion."
Li Tiao raised an eyebrow: "You still think we ran into Consort Song when we quietly left the Fourth Prince's residence that day?"
Hongye nodded: "After we left that day, when we came out of the secret passage, we saw the Emperor and the Fourth Prince heading towards the residence. At that time, we were only thinking about not being arrested, so we didn't think much about the people who helped us."
Later, after thinking about it carefully, I felt that I had seen that maid-like person somewhere before.
Back when you were still in the palace, you fell ill, and when Consort Song came to visit you, I saw her. Consort Song was of low status; she herself couldn't move around freely in the palace, let alone her maid.
That day, her maid didn't go to see you with Song Gege, but I did see Song Gege's maid when we saw her off.
Therefore, this servant believes that the maid who helped us leave that day must be one of Consort Song's people.
Li Tiao squinted, recalling what had happened back then.
The Fourth Prince said he would arrange for Li Tiao to leave, and Li Tiao guessed that if the Fourth Prince wanted to avoid everyone, he would definitely find a door that no one knew about, with guards at both the front and back doors. Li Tiao boldly wondered if the house had a secret passage or something, since that house was originally built to deceive Consort De.
It's said that the real eldest daughter of the Li family is hidden here, so this house must be quite extraordinary.
With this in mind, Li Tiao knocked and banged around the house, trying to find out if she could uncover any secrets, and in the end, she actually found them.
After escaping, the situation was urgent, and since someone was helping her, Li Tiao didn't think much about it.
It seems that this has sown the seeds of future trouble.
Gathering her thoughts, Li Tiao said, "If that's the case, then we absolutely cannot let the opera troupe go. I was careless back then because I didn't know that maid was Song Gege's person. Now that I know, we can't act rashly."
“But Master, what the troupe leader said is not wrong. After all, we are going to the Fourth Prince’s residence. Under normal circumstances, it would not be good to offend a prince if we do not know that the owner of Qunxing Tower is you, Master.” Hongye said worriedly.
This is indeed a problem, but after thinking for a moment, Li Tiao said, "There is someone who should be able to help us."
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