SEHE Chapter 24

Idea 

 

Gu Jiuqing gave them five days to compile a list of household servants to be sold, and was in no hurry. After Pei Yanci and Yunsheng exchanged a few polite words, they went to the back courtyard. Not seeing Wushu and Yue Ting, they called for Wuli, and the two companions left the mansion together.

 

The coachman brought a horse-drawn carriage. Wuli took the reins and let the coachman go first, consciously sitting in the front.

 

Pei Yanci disliked others knowing his whereabouts, even when going about trivial matters.

 

Wuli had long grown accustomed to this.

 

Today, those examination candidates and academy people were hosting a banquet at Xiangqing Tavern, saying they wanted to invite Pei Yanci for a drink.

 

When Pei Yanci arrived, he saw that Jiang Yi was also there.

 

In the center of the tavern was a raised platform, surrounded by knee-high railings. On ordinary days, courtesans would sing ditties there, and there would be foreign dancing girls with prominent noses and deep-set eyes performing dances. At this moment, several calligraphy scrolls hung beside the platform – authentic works by calligraphers from the previous dynasty – while a storyteller in the center was recounting their life stories.

 

On the corridors of the second and third floors, hundreds of scholars and young students in Confucian robes and cloth caps leaned against the railings, some chatting and laughing, others drinking in silence.

 

Chongren and Pingkang districts had always been gathering places for examination candidates coming to the capital. Because Tang Xizhui’s Dugong Mansion had been located in Pingkang district in recent years, candidates in recent years had avoided frequenting Pingkang district, instead settling in Chongren district. Xiangqing Tavern was the largest tavern in Chongren district – the food and wine were cheap, there was song and dance, and right next to it were streets full of inns. Therefore, large groups of examination candidates loved to gather here.

 

Standing in the main hall, Pei Yanci felt as if he had returned to that day when he came back to life here.

 

The same scholars, the same location.

 

“Yanci, over here.” Jiang Yi called to them from the second floor.

 

With his shout, quite a few people looked over, and even the storyteller on stage paused briefly before continuing.

 

Pei Yanci had only taken a few steps when Jiang Yi came down from upstairs.

 

“Come on, we were just waiting for you.” He smiled and patted his shoulder.

 

Pei Yanci’s left shoulder still had whip wounds that had just scabbed over. These past few days he had been enduring the itching, so he turned aside to avoid his hand.

 

Fortunately, Jiang Yi didn’t notice his movement and glanced at Wuli instead. “How did this fatty come to freeload as well?”

 

“When we got you out of the Elu Bureau prison, I contributed too. Are you trying to be an ungrateful wretch?” Wuli said indignantly.

 

At this mention, Jiang Yi immediately had nothing to say – after all, this man had helped rescue him, so being humble was appropriate.

 

“You’re invited upstairs too.” He smiled apologetically.

 

“Hmph!” Having gained the upper hand, Wuli began to put on airs, folding his hands behind his back as he followed him up to the private room on the second floor.

 

Pei Yanci quietly reminded him from behind, “That’s about enough.”

 

“Why does he call you so affectionately but just calls me ‘fatty’?” Wuli’s face puffed up, making it even rounder.

 

“When he asks you later how you rescued him, how will you answer?”

 

Wuli’s mouth twitched, and he had nothing to say.

 

Inside the private room was a large table full of people. Seeing the two enter, they all stood up and bowed with cupped hands.

 

“Many thanks to brother Yanci for the rescue.”

 

This sound was deafening. The door was still open, and the attention that had just been withdrawn immediately focused on the private room entrance again.

 

“Gentlemen are too kind.” Pei Yanci raised his hand and pressed down in the air, indicating they need not be overly polite.

 

Composed, dignified, elegant and noble.

 

Though the thanks weren’t directed at him, standing beside Pei Yanci, Wuli couldn’t help but blush, his small round eyes darting awkwardly to the people nearby. For some reason, he always felt that Pei Yanci should rightfully receive their bows, even heavier ceremonies – as long as it was before this person, everything was as it should be.

 

Looking at those clothes again – they were just indigo coarse cloth of better material than his own. Far from diminishing his bearing, they brought out a leisurely air of floating clouds and wild cranes.

 

“You wouldn’t happen to be some aristocratic young master too, would you?” He tilted his head and whispered in his ear.

 

“Would an aristocratic young master make such sacrifices?” He secretly pointed with his index finger at his right nape, concealed by his collar.

 

“True enough.” Wuli felt at ease again.

 

Jiang Yi invited them to the main seat. An eighteen or nineteen-year-old young man was secretly peering at him through Song Qi’an’s shoulder, disappointment flashing thick in his eyes.

 

“Today I thought it would just be you few.” Pei Yanci said politely, “Such a grand display must have frightened the people downstairs.”

 

“They all wanted to see who rescued them,” Song Qi’an said joyfully, “In the future, we will repay this great kindness like a spring.”

 

Pei Yanci looked at the thirty to fifty young faces in the private room. At this moment, in their faces and eyes, there was still pure respect and enthusiasm, a spirited energy and courage of newborn calves unafraid of tigers.

 

Only such people would dare to stand up and speak for the truth when someone cried out against injustice, even if it meant casting aside their lives to oppose the all-evil Elu Bureau.

 

It had been a long time since Pei Yanci had seen this type of person.

 

This type of person was rarely seen in the imperial court.

 

“I wonder which one wrote the great work that could make even the Elu Bureau tremble?” Pei Yanci looked around the room, his gaze quickly settling on someone in the corner.

 

The person in the corner obviously hadn’t expected him to notice so quickly, and was momentarily stunned.

 

Sure enough, Song Qi’an waved for that person to come forward. “Sifeng, come over.”

 

Sifeng swayed his shoulders as he walked through the crowd to the table, looking at the person across from him. “I’m not from your academy.”

 

So he hadn’t come forward at Song Qi’an’s words, but out of respect for Pei Yanci.

 

“How did you rescue us?” he asked curiously, lazily glancing at Pei Yanci’s clothing. “Just a lackey beside the Crown Prince, yet you have such great ability? Then how was the Crown Prince also arrested, even implicating Great Scholar Fang?”

 

“How can you speak like that?” Jiang Yi was displeased.

 

“Some of these matters are not for you to know.” Pei Yanci said gently, his eyes taking measure of the man, forming a general impression in his mind.

 

“Why shouldn’t I know?” Sifeng said indignantly, wanting to get to the bottom of it. “In my family, servants don’t even have the qualification to lift their heads to look at people. What are you being so arrogant about here?”

 

“Could it be that your family is an even more powerful local emperor than His Highness the Crown Prince?” Pei Yanci asked him, his eyes showing certainty unmixed with any doubt.

 

Sifeng choked on his words under his gaze, not daring to claim more power, yet unwilling to be inferior.

 

“Everyone sit down, let’s begin the feast.” Song Qi’an timely smoothed things over, calling everyone to take their seats.

 

Pei Yanci sat between Jiang and Song. Occasionally catching sight of Wuli beside Jiang Yi making eyes at him, he thought something significant had been discovered. Using the opportunity of serving and eating food, he looked around at everyone present but found nothing particularly noteworthy.

 

The food in his mouth did indeed taste mediocre.

 

After moving his tongue around in his mouth twice, he saw Wuli’s secretly gloating expression.

 

“……” He shouldn’t have held such high expectations for this person.

 

“Is the food not to your taste?” Seeing him barely touching his chopsticks, Song Qi’an asked.

 

“Not at all.” Pei Yanci put down his chopsticks and asked with a frown, “What are your plans afterward?”

 

“Naturally to return to the academy,” Song Qi’an said. “Then come to the capital again in three years.”

 

He took out a money draft from his sleeve. “This is five thousand taels, as I promised you before.”

 

“It was just a joke, Brother Song needn’t take it seriously.”

 

Song Qi’an blushed at his address of “Brother Song” and said, “A gentleman’s word is his bond – it cannot be taken back. You may consider it a joke, but I do not. Since I promised you, how could I treat it as a joke?”

 

“Uncle, he already said it was a joke, don’t be so serious,” the young man beside him spoke up. “An innocent man is guilty of possessing a treasure – carrying such a large sum of money will inevitably attract trouble.”

 

“Suixi!” He glared at the person behind him. “You still have the face to talk about others attracting trouble.”

 

“This young brother speaks well.” Pei Yanci affirmed, then looked at the others in the private room.

 

“You were imprisoned in the Elu Bureau for many days. Do you still have travel money to return home?”

 

This question put quite a few people present in a difficult position.

 

Those who could attend the prestigious mountain academy were few, and those from prominent families even fewer. Most of their parents were still common people who faced the earth with their backs to the sky. It was only that in recent years under the current emperor’s governance, family circumstances had become somewhat more comfortable. With the strength of over ten family members, they supported one person’s education, hoping that someday he could rise above others.

 

After entering prison once, the family members and young servants who had accompanied them had long since spent all their silver on arrangements.

 

“You needn’t worry about them. They’re examination candidates after all – worst case, they can set up stalls by the roadside to write characters,” Song Suixi said.

 

“Yes, yes, Brother Pei needn’t worry about us,” the others chimed in.

 

“I actually have a better idea.” Pei Yanci looked at Song Qi’an again. “I cannot break your promise of integrity. I’ll accept these five thousand taels. I plan to use the silver to build a theater.”

 

“Theater?” This was something rare they had never heard of. Even Sifeng, who had been about to doze off, raised his head.

 

“Similar to the storyteller on the platform in this tavern telling stories,” Pei Yanci said, “but preferably with famous performers singing songs and dancing as well.”

 

“That’s just a tavern then,” everyone realized.

 

“No,” Pei Yanci said decisively.

 

“I wonder if you’ve noticed that on the streets and in alleys there are often some wandering performers who carry string puppets, making them perform hundreds of comical postures to catch people’s attention. The common people never fail to cheer when they see this.”

 

“Yes, yes, it’s quite amusing indeed,” Song Suixi’s eyes lit up as he immediately agreed.

 

“Making fun and providing entertainment is called ‘jest,’ which is why I want to establish a theater for performing puppet shows to entertain people,” Pei Yanci said.

 

“Interesting is interesting,” Sifeng pointed out sharply, “but back and forth, it always comes down to those few comical movements. It’s easy for people to lose interest, which is one reason why those wandering performers don’t stay in one place for long.”

 

“What if we incorporated storytelling and singing, and if we made the puppets more exquisitely crafted so they could perform dances?” Pei Yanci said. “Wouldn’t that be much more interesting?”

 

They had never heard of such a thing before. Without realizing it, they put down their chopsticks and spoons and began listening to his vision.

 

“Listening to puppets sing – how could that compare to real people?” Sifeng scoffed. “Those famous performers are beautiful with outstanding grace. Many people aren’t really there to listen to songs – why add unnecessary puppets?”

 

“It’s just for novelty,” Song Suixi said. “After that wears off, Uncle, your five thousand taels will be completely wasted.”

 

“How to maintain freshness and interest – this is where I need your help,” Pei Yanci smiled slightly, looking at the scholars present. “I want to hire you to write some interesting play scripts.”

 

—

 

According to old historical records, the founding emperor greatly enjoyed drama… At that time, none of the rulers could have imagined that this dodder flower, nurtured in the most proud “golden age” of Great Yu, would devour and strangle such a massive dynasty, giving birth to the most glorious empire on this continent. —[General History of Great Tao]