"Oh, go tell your parents that I don't like watching plays and that I've disappointed their good intentions." Yan Ning felt it was best not to meet with Heshen to avoid revealing more clues.
Hearing Yan Ning's decisive refusal, Liu Quan looked troubled. He glanced at Yan Ning and said timidly, "But Miss, my master is already waiting for you at Chunxi Garden. My master also said that if you want to ensure your safety, he will definitely help you."
Yan Ning straightened her back and said calmly, "I don't understand what your master means. How could I, a mere woman, trouble you with my safety? However, considering your master's sincere invitation, I can't refuse him." These words were meant for Liu Quan, and also for Zhao Xing and the others.
Liu Quan got off the carriage and helped Yan Ning down. This was a two-story theater with a dark green background and three large gold characters engraved on the plaque: "Chunxi Garden".
When Yan Ning entered, the opera hadn't started yet, but the first floor was already packed with people, bustling and lively. Liu Quan led Yan Ning up to the second floor, where there were several separate rooms, some seating seven or eight people, others only two. Liu Quan led Yan Ning into a room that could seat four or five people. Apart from the servants waiting nearby, Yan Ning didn't see anyone else, so she asked Liu Quan beside her, "Where is your master?"
"Young lady, please watch for a moment. My master will be here soon." As soon as Liu Quan finished speaking, the play began with the sound of gongs and drums, and a young man dressed in a dragon robe appeared on stage.
Yan Ning had never seen traditional opera before, so she had to ask Liu Quan beside her, "What is this?"
"Reporting to Miss, this is the Hall of Longevity," Liu Quan replied. The Hall of Longevity? Although Yan Ning still didn't know what the Hall of Longevity was, she didn't ask any further.
When the female lead appeared on stage, Yan Ning felt that the person looked somewhat familiar; those captivating eyes resembled those of Heshen. In ancient times, actors were considered the lowest of the low, so how could a court official possibly appear on stage to play a female role?
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