After Xue Chongxun returned to Penglai Palace, he took out the memorial and read it carefully. The content was not new to Xue Chongxun. The strategy of focusing on Yingzhou was discussed as early as when he summoned Du Xian. The reason why he had more associations was that this memorial was delivered directly to him through eunuchs. At that time, he had no intention of handling official business and was traveling by the lake with Yao Wan. Since he ascended the throne, he has not been ignoring the government affairs for a long time. At least those high-ranking ministers in the court can meet almost every day. Du Xian was anxious and could not even wait for a day. He had to deliver the memorial to himself today.

What was he anxious about? Xue Chongxun thought about it for a while, and then threw the note on the table. He had to admit that the psychological pressure of working for the emperor was very high, especially for people like him who had a bad country.[]

Is Du Xian trustworthy? Xue Chongxun can come to the answer without much consideration. He has always felt that he had a subtle tacit understanding with this person. If it weren't for the relationship between the monarch and the minister, he might have become a close friend. But now he found that he actually had a guard against Du Xian, and he couldn't help but guard against everyone... No wonder the emperor claimed to be alone.

However, it is one thing to be careful in secret. Xue Chongxun will never act rashly on important officials, because there must be someone in this country to manage the affairs. Even if you have supreme power in your hands, you can continue to do whatever you dislike, but will the newly promoted person be better than before?

He sat alone for a long time, and in a daze, he felt like a butterfly. Then he came to his senses and found that it was the close servant Dong who was doing trivial matters beside her. There was a birthmark on her face, which looked like a butterfly. The birthmark on her face was originally very affecting the beauty, but her birthmark was just right and did not make people feel ugly. Instead, it had a strange beauty, just like a tattoo.

Starting from the evening today, Dong should be on duty. She is responsible for all the daily affairs of Xue Chongxun. Although Xue Chongxun was concerned about Yao Wan, who had just lost her virginity, she did not specifically re-arrange the order on duty, and everything was still the same.

Dong was not very beautiful, and there was nothing outstanding about her face except that birthmark. However, she was better than white skin and plump body, especially her breasts on her chest, and she was trembling when walking. She and two other servants had been serving Xue Chongxun's daily life for a long time, and Xue Chongxun trusted them very much.

However, Dong is not only worse than Yao Wan, nor is it because of her appearance. They are both plump and slim, and they are not easy to compare, but they have huge differences in temperament. The so-called temperament is nothing more than the usual movements and eyes. Dong is also quick to do things, but she still has the rough taste of the people in the city, simple but not the details. Xue Chongxun accidentally saw her standing posture when she lowered her head to look for something, with her legs crossed. Such movements are absolutely impossible to see in a palace lady.

At this moment, a female official called the door outside, and the palace maid inside went out to ask. The female official said, "Wang Princess Taiping learned that the county lord of Yonghe (Wu family) admired Li Guinian's talent, so she invited Li Guinian to Chengxiang Palace to perform. The queen, Princess Jincheng, and Princess Hezhong have all gone. Princess Jincheng sent me to ask His Majesty if she wanted to go there later."

After hearing this, the palace maid came over and recounted what had happened just now. As soon as she spoke, Xue Chongxun interrupted: "I have heard it just now, you don't need to say it again. Ask someone to prepare a car, I'll go there now."

Since Princess Taiping was interested and invited her family to listen to the opera, Xue Chongxun thought he should also participate. He was not very interested in these entertainment activities, but just to give Princess Taiping face.

Li Guinian is very famous and takes a high-end route. Generally, the places where he enters and leaves the performance are either royal nobles or official geniuses. His identity may be a star in modern times, but he is just an actor now. Xue Chongxun has also made friends with this person, and of course the deepest impression on him is from a poem by Du Fu, "Face of Li Guinian in Jiangnan". It is common to find it in the house of King Qi, and he heard it several times in front of Cui Jiutang. It is the beautiful scenery in Jiangnan, and I meet you again in the season of falling flowers... Not all stars can be famous for thousands of years.

Xue Chongxun picked up the memorial on the table and went out. When she saw Sanniang, she handed it to her for custody and sent it to the inner court tomorrow. There were no memorials and documents in the bedroom. A group of palace maids followed him to the corridor outside the bedroom and met Yao Wan. Yao Wan was not on duty today, and she didn't know why she passed by here. When she saw Xue Chongxun coming, she lowered her hands and asked her to bow to the side of the road as she bowed her knees. Xue Chongxun turned her head and watched her pass by, but didn't say anything.

At this moment, Yao Wan suddenly lowered her head and said, "Did Your Majesty go to see someone in this outfit?"

Xue Chongxun realized that she was still wearing a robe of flax (linen) cloth. This thing was naturally very irregular in dressing, but it was very breathable and comfortable and cool in summer. Dong, who was on duty just now, didn't remind him of his outfit. Maybe she didn't expect that much, but Yao Wan, who was resting, was more thoughtful.

Now I'm having a lot of time to go back and change it, Xue Chongxun said, "No matter what, I've eaten dinner, and I can't even be a banquet. Isn't it just listening to the opera?"

Sure enough, when the Chengxiang Palace paid homage to Princess Taiping, Princess Taiping said, "You are not as clever as you are." Xue Chongxun said, "I am in a hurry to come over to see my mother, and I don't even have to change my clothes." Princess Taiping couldn't help but smile: "Fortunately, I'm wearing shoes and didn't come over barefoot."

"My mother taught her lessons with allusions, and she was so ashamed." Xue Chongxun took the opportunity to fool her. She saw Princess Taiping wearing a bright red dress, with her head full of jade, and her face was even more meticulous. Her face looked white and red, and her complexion was very good. She could not tell her age just from her skin color. She was also a person in power, and obviously did not pay as much attention to dressing and appearance as she was.

There were almost all women in the hall, and the specifications were not as formal as modern evening parties. At most, it was a pastimes after dinner. Only the people in the palace were mostly palace ladies, princesses and concubines. The spectators were Xue Chongxun, and some of the people who performed operas were men. Li Guinian himself was a man, and there were also male musicians.

The Lord Yonghe County was staying in the palace for a while and would go back to his hometown in Hezhong. Tonight was also the play prepared by Princess Taiping for her. The Lord Yonghe County was impressed by Li Guinian's performance. In the first show, Li Guinian did not let him appear in person and chose the scenes he had rehearsed.

The eunuch came up to report the names of Princess Taiping and Emperor Xue Chongxun, saying it was "Taiyao Niang". Princess Taiping said: "Taiyao Niang in the teaching house is the protagonist of a woman. Isn't this Li Guinian coming up to perform?"

The eunuch hurriedly said, "Report to Your Highness, it was Li Guinian singing." Princess Taiping smiled and said, "This is a bit interesting." The eunuch said, "As long as your Highness is happy, everyone will be happy." Princess Taiping looked at Wu Shi sitting below and said, "After a while, Princess Yonghe has agreed, I will reward them more."

After a while, the musician played music to set off the atmosphere. A "woman" dressed in an actor slowly walked onto the wooden platform in front of the throne, and the play began. The "woman" wore a woman's costume and made up. In fact, it was Li Guinian, not only a man but also a middle-aged uncle.

Since ancient times, actors who sing opera have had the tradition of using men to play women. It is not surprising that Li Guinian dressed up as a woman. His current role is a wife from a commoner. He has just come on stage and has not made a sound. His walking posture and a series of movements are very similar to a woman. The audience on the seat suddenly laughed. At this time, Li Guinian sang in the sound of the pipa crying and complaining. The voice of the woman once again made the atmosphere rise, and some people cheered.

Princess Yonghe widened her eyes and asked excitedly: "Is he Li Guinian?" The eunuch next to her quickly replied: "Go back to the princess, it's Li Guinian, it's like a fake one." Princess Yonghe smiled and said: "If I hadn't known in advance, I would have thought he was really a woman."

Even Xue Chongxun, who usually doesn't listen to operas, became interested and watched with relish.

The musicians beside him sang: "Taisha, come with harmony! Taisha, come with pain, come with harmony!" The song became serene. In people's laughter, Li Guinian sang while dancing and complained. He claimed that he was a Hanoi native in the late Sui Dynasty. Her husband was evil in appearance and was addicted to drinking. He called himself a doctor, and when he got drunk, he beat her "her". "She" claimed to be beautiful and good at singing, so he used singing and dancing to express his grievances and suffering.

Then the role of "husband" who was wearing very ugly makeup came into the scene, and the performance was fierce and ugly. During this time, supporting roles came on stage, performing the dictionary in the pawn shop to claim the dictionary. The actors' performances were vivid and just like the real ones. The audience gradually got into the play, and naturally they had great sympathy for Tayao Niang. Although the play was fake, the feelings of the ladies who were boring in life were real at this time.

Against the backdrop of the supporting role, Li Guinian performed the role of "beautiful as a flower, able to sing and dance, and with a miserable fate" very successfully. As Xue Chongxun looked at it, he felt that the sage girl on the stage was pitiful, and he actually felt pity for her. If sage girl was an actress, Xue Chongxun might really like her, because her every word and action was really feminine... but she was dressed up with a disgusting middle-aged man.

Xue Chongxun couldn't tell what he felt. He was probably surprised that a man could actually make people feel itchy in his words and deeds. And that pitiful feeling was not like a show at all, just like the real one. If a woman who already has a lust can have such a certain degree of enthusiasm, can't she be very pampered? Xue Chongxun suddenly sighed in his heart, life is really like a show.

After the performance of "Taking the Shaking Mother" was finished, everyone said that Princess Taiping asked the county lord Yonghe to get a satisfactory answer, and asked the eunuchs to give some valuable toys in the palace on the spot. Li Guinian stepped forward to thank him. The man with a righteous and upright character emphasized that his demeanor was even more polite and not much more than the behavior of the princes in the temple.
Chapter completed!