Chapter 14 A Play
A few days later, the sky cleared up.
The dappled sunlight spilled onto the road, bringing a touch of warmth.
However, the sunlight falling on the sedan chair of the old lady of the General's Mansion could not dispel the gloom that had accumulated in her heart for days.
Only a few days after that jinx from Ruixue Tower returned home, the mansion was thrown into chaos, and even the old matriarch lost all her dignity.
The most frustrating thing is that we can't punish her right now.
At this time, the old lady was unaware of what had happened at the flower viewing banquet. Those around her dared not tell her, for fear that she would faint from anger.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been in the mood to come out and watch the play today.
"Madam, we've arrived at the teahouse."
Outside the sedan chair, the voice of her trusted confidante, Granny Zhou, rang out, interrupting the old lady's troubled thoughts.
This has been her habit for many years; every week when the weather is nice, she always chooses a day to go to Qingwen Teahouse to listen to a few excerpts of opera.
"Hmm." The old lady responded heavily and got out of the sedan chair with the help of Granny Zhou.
The best private room on the second floor, Tingxuexuan, by the window, had already been booked, filled with the finest agarwood incense, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
As soon as the old lady sat down, the waiter served her exquisite tea and snacks.
Downstairs on the stage, the gongs and drums were beating loudly, and a lively martial arts play had just finished, winning cheers from the audience.
"What would you like to hear today, Madam?" the waiter asked respectfully.
The old lady, fiddling with her prayer beads, waved her hand listlessly: "Whatever, just sing it for me."
"Alright!" The waiter bowed and withdrew.
Before long, the stage was cleared of the weapons and staffs used by the martial arts performers, and replaced with a more elegant set design.
The sounds of string and wind instruments begin.
With a gentle tap of gongs and drums, the curtain was drawn back. On the stage, a young man in brocade robes appeared, his brows revealing a hint of heroism, but his eyes were unfocused, carrying a sense of superficiality born of indulgence in wine and women.
He sang:
Born into a noble family amidst splendor and luxury, their lives are quite different from those of those born into wealth and privilege.
Father is a pillar of white jade supporting the sky, mother is a beam of purple gold bridging the sea!
But I, the eldest son, dread the sound of the night watchman's drum.
The flickering candlelight makes my heart race; without my servants, I cannot sleep.
"What a waste of this man's tall stature!"
As the lyrics began to play, the old lady paused almost imperceptibly in the teacup she was holding.
Are you afraid of the dark at night? Can't sleep without your servants?
Why does this sound so familiar?
Her mind involuntarily flashed Xie Sangyu's pale, handsome face, which always carried a look of panic, and the ever-burning light in his room.
An inexplicable sense of unease crept into my heart.
The play continues.
The eldest son was even more outrageous during the day, his lyrics filled with stories of cockfighting, dog racing, squandering money, associating with thugs, and wasting his family's martial arts skills.
He was surrounded by a group of sycophantic hangers-on:
"Young Master, what impressive skills you have! Such extravagant spending—truly a case of like father, like son! Your spirit is truly boundless!"
"Exactly! What do those pedantic scholars know? Our young master is just being true to himself! For a wealthy and idle man, enjoying life to the fullest is the right thing to do!"
The performance on stage was lively, and the audience below either sighed or looked down on it, but the old lady's face grew increasingly gloomy.
She watched as her "eldest son," instigated by his sycophants, squandered vast sums on useless antiques, got into fights over a favorite girl, and even reprimanded and drove away the loyal butler who offered him advice...
Xie Sangyu... He may not be that bad, but his playboy attitude and his strange habit of needing someone to keep watch over him at night are so similar to this good-for-nothing on the stage!
The men of the Xie family should be upright and indomitable warriors! How could they have such a fatal weakness?
The play is reaching its climax.
The old marquis fought for his country, shedding blood on the battlefield, and ultimately died on the battlefield.
When the bad news came, the eldest son was not grieving. Instead, he got into a fight with the clan elders in front of the mourning hall over a trivial matter and smashed his father's memorial tablet!
Even during his mourning period, he was lured by his bad friends and signed a huge gambling contract that mortgaged his ancestral home and land!
What a misfortune to have such a traitor in our family! A century-old foundation crumbled in a single day!
Optimus Prime is about to collapse, the great edifice is about to crumble, you unfilial son, open your eyes and look at your ancestors!
How can your father rest in peace now that he's in the afterlife?
The old woman sang with heartbreaking emotion, every word dripping with tears.
Especially the phrase "A century-old foundation collapsed in a single day!" struck the old lady's heart like a heavy hammer!
She seemed to see the plaque of the General Zhenguo's Mansion being taken down, and she saw herself go from a high-ranking noblewoman to a homeless old beggar!
This made it difficult for her to breathe, and she gripped the chair armrests tightly with her fingers.
She unconsciously clenched the prayer beads, the hard beads digging painfully into her palm.
On the stage, the spendthrift son was eventually driven to desperation by his creditors, so he set fire to his ancestral home and perished in the flames.
"The spring colors of the Jade Hall have turned to ashes, and the noble achievements of a hundred years have vanished like smoke and clouds!"
I urge you not to emulate the纨绔子 (spoiled brat), for maintaining a business is far more difficult than starting one!
The final chorus, like a death knell, resounded in the old lady's ears!
As the play ended, cheers and murmurs filled the hall, but she seemed to have all her strength drained away, slumping into the large chair, her clothes soaked with cold sweat and clinging stickily to her body.
"Madam? Madam?" Granny Zhou called out several times before finally waking the old lady from her terrifying hallucination.
She looked blankly at the noisy tea drinkers around her, then at the empty stage, and felt extremely frightened.
"Go back...go back to the manor." She didn't want to stay in this place for another second.
The atmosphere on the carriage back to the mansion was so oppressive it was suffocating.
The old lady closed her eyes and leaned against the soft pillows. The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became, and the more her heart pounded with fear.
Is Xie Sangyu's problem...more subtle and dangerous than the one in the play?
They seem fine most of the time, but what if they break down at a crucial moment, like in the movies?
The General's Mansion may appear splendid now, but in reality, it's like walking on thin ice!
The Emperor already had a bad impression of Zhenting... If there were another incompetent or even insane heir... The old lady shuddered and dared not think any further.
As soon as the sedan chair came to a stop in front of the General's Mansion, the old lady was almost staggered as she was helped out of the sedan chair by Granny Zhou, her steps unsteady.
She walked straight into the small Buddhist shrine where the ancestral tablets of the Xie family were enshrined.
The air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere, yet she felt an unprecedented sense of panic and unease.
She knelt on the prayer mat, her hands clasped together, her lips moving as she tried to pray for the blessings of her ancestors and calm her mind. But the scenes from the play appeared even more clearly in her mind, as if all the ancestors of the Xie family were staring at her with disappointed eyes.
Just then, a clear and gentle greeting came from outside the Buddhist hall:
"Grandmother? I heard you came back from the teahouse, so I came to visit you."
Thank you for your consideration.
He was dressed in an elegant moon-white brocade robe, with a tall and straight posture, clear and bright eyes, and he was holding a food box in his hands.
He walked slowly into the Buddhist hall.
"Grandson saw that it was cold today and that Grandmother had gone out, so he specially asked the kitchen to stew a pot of the finest bird's nest. He simmered it over a low flame for two hours, making it the most nourishing and warming dish. Grandmother, watching the opera must have been tiring, so please eat some while it's hot."
Xie Wulu gently placed the food box on a low table beside him, opened it himself, and carefully took out the steaming bird's nest soup.
He lowered his eyelashes, his expression focused and devout.
The old lady stared blankly at her grandson.
Compared to Xie Sangyu, the carefree person before me is so comforting and so reassuring.
He was well-mannered, gentle and refined, diligent and eager to learn. More importantly, he was in good health, had clear eyes, and had no hidden illnesses that could be exposed!
Seeing that the old lady was just staring at him blankly without saying a word, Xie Wulu's worry deepened.
He knelt gently on the prayer mat beside the old lady, tilted his head slightly, and looked up with eyes full of affection and concern: "Grandmother, you don't look well. Is something troubling you? Why don't you tell your grandson? Although I am dull-witted, I am willing to share your worries."
That gentle demeanor and soothing words suddenly shattered the last bit of hesitation in the old lady's heart.
A crazy idea instantly took root in her mind:
Xie Sangyu...he can't bear that responsibility!
The way he looked was like a powder keg buried under the Xie family's legacy!
The great fire in the play is a foreshadowing of the Xie family's future! For the Xie family! For the family fortune and glory that Zhenting fought so hard for! For our ancestors!
We absolutely must have a truly healthy, reliable successor who can uphold the family name!
But Wu Lu... he is the Xie family's true hope!
He is the one who can preserve the century-old foundation! He is filial, sensible, polite, healthy, and clear-headed!
“Adoption…” The old lady uttered these two words almost absentmindedly.
"Grandmother?" Xie Wulu showed a hint of doubt at just the right moment.
However, a fleeting, triumphant smile vanished beneath his lowered eyelids.
It's done.
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