Chapter 88 The old minister wants to return but can't
Update time:2012-11-25
Luo Yaoniang came up with an idea for Zhang Ning. The theater troupe asked her to bring back a "cut first and then play". Then she asked her father to invite Zhang Ning over when he invited his colleagues to the theater, so that they could have a way to meet each other.
Once you start interacting with each other, it will become natural.
When the actors entered the Yang family, Yang Shiqi heard about this and immediately understood the general idea. However, his noncommittal behavior made Luo Yaoniang a little anxious, and she kept saying good things about Zhang Ning in front of him.
Yang Shiqi stroked his beard and listened to her with a smile, still not expressing his attitude.
Yang Shiqi is not a person who will let others influence his thoughts. He will know what you say. When the emperor uses Yang Shiqi so highly, it is not unreasonable for the prince to treat him as a national scholar. It is not because the Zhu family likes Yang Shiqi.
This person, Yang Shiqi, actually never tried to please the emperor. Sometimes he would not approve of something he thought was bad no matter what. At that time, the emperor would be a little angry, but every time when the anger subsided, he would find that Yang Shiqi's words were really good. Listening to Shi
It's amazing that it can solve the problem... As time went by, Emperor Hongxi would always ask Yang Shiqi's opinion on everything. If Yang Shiqi disagreed, the emperor would think about it several more times.
Of course, Yang Shiqi is not the kind of official who directly accuses the emperor of being unethical. He is different from the so-called "direct ministers". Unless the emperor can't make up his mind and really wants to hear other people's opinions, then he will express his opinions.
opinion and stick to it; if the emperor has issued an edict and decided something, he will not go against it, and he will never talk about the good or bad of his superiors in private. Such a pragmatic and moral minister is also Zhu Gaochi's former official in the East Palace.
, so it was regarded as a treasure by the Zhu family and his son.
This is his attitude towards his superiors. But he is not so conniving towards his subordinates. For example, he has his own opinions on the marriage of Luo Yaoniang's children... Originally, Luo Yaoniang also respected her father, and Yang Shiqi's views had a great influence on her.
Big, maybe there is no need for Yang Shiqi to intervene forcefully when a conflict occurs, and she will listen.
Luo Yaoniang said a lot of nice things and looked at him with very expectant eyes: "Dad, just tell me if it works out!"
"I have never met Zhang Pingan, but I have only heard about him. What do you want me to say?" Yang Shiqi paused and asked, "How much did the troupe cost him?"
Luo Yaoniang was immediately stunned by the question, and said sheepishly: "I really don't know this, but he said that he wrote the opera, and the things he made at home shouldn't cost much."
"Just ask the people from the troupe to come over and ask," Yang Shiqi said.
Luo Yaoniang asked in confusion: "Why would dad go and ask about such a trivial matter in person?"
Yang Shiqi smiled and said: "Looking at people is not a trivial matter. If a person is good at doing things, he must first be a good person. What's more, if you are talking about marriage, you have to live with him in the future. Let's not talk about whether you can live a good life and suffer less hardships and troubles.
It’s always better to be homeless…”
As he spoke, his smile showed a sense of vicissitudes of life, as if he was thinking of his mother, who lived with a son in the Luo family, and experienced a lot of ups and downs.
Luo Yaoniang followed Yang Shiqi's words and went out to call two people from the theater troupe. One of the foreman was older. In fact, it was the most important role on the stage, and he also had a relatively high status in the theater troupe. However,
Most of these actors are mainly members of one family, with the older ones having higher seniority; the other is a young man who claims to be the son-in-law of the foreman.
Yang Shiqi was wearing a gray cotton-padded jacket, but his posture looked very distinguished. Even the "future wife" of the official Zhang family was standing next to him. She might be the head of the family. The old man who was the foreman knelt down to talk, and another person knelt down.
Say hello.
Yang Shiqi kindly called them up and asked them tactfully how much they were worth. Unexpectedly, the old man who was the foreman was so loud that he shocked Luo Yaoniang when he said: "When we were in Nanjing, someone offered 5,000 taels to buy our team."
Luo Yaoniang immediately reminded him with disbelief: "Speak carefully!"
At this time, the price of a slave was about the same as a horse. How much could a dozen people be worth, plus musical instruments, costumes, props and other items, one or two hundred taels would be a lot! No wonder Luo Yaoniang thought it was a fantasy... (five thousand
Two is roughly equivalent to three to four million yuan in modern times, which is not a small amount of money anywhere.)
The foreman said sternly: "How dare I tell you nonsense? The music of "The Peony Pavilion" was written by Mr. Su, who "relegated the immortal in the song". It is said that Mr. Su spent several years seeking a breakthrough in the northern and southern music, and once it was released,
It was dubbed the most popular "Suzhou Opera" and became a genre of its own. Our group was the first group of people to be able to sing Suzhou Opera, and we were personally taught by Gu Chunhan, a rising star in Nanjing. Who is Gu Chunhan? Jiangsu and Zhejiang
The four richest and most talented young masters have never seen her true face, and the fourth young master is not allowed to ask for an audience, let alone a mortal! I'm not talking big words, even if there is a group in the future who learns Su Qiang, they will definitely not be able to sing as well as us.
!Our "Peony Pavilion" troupe is from this background, is it not worth a few thousand taels? Someone wants to pay 5,000 taels but has not yet bought it, so maybe it is not worth this amount."
Luo Yaoniang frowned and said, "Didn't you say that your opera was written by Zhang Ping'an, so why did you become Mr. Su or Gu Chunhan?"
The foreman said: "Master Su composed the music, Mrs. Gu taught the opera, and the newly famous Mr. Ping'an first wrote the script and then revised the lyrics. It is not easy to do the music, lyrics and opera well, but
Comparatively speaking, words are the easiest. Is Xiao Xiao right?"
Yang Shiqi nodded and said, "He's right. An average literati can write a decent book if they put their mind to it. Putting it on stage and performing it is another matter."
Luo Yaoniang asked curiously: "How much money does that Zhang Ping'an cost?"
"Two thousand taels of silver." The foreman said, "Everyone in Chunhan Liyuan has heard about this. I'm not making it up. Don't believe me. Find someone to find out."
When Luo Yaoniang saw that Yang Shiqi stopped talking, she sent them down. She looked a little embarrassed and said: "If I had known it was about so much money, I should have discussed it with my father. Will this...will I be impeached?"
It's all Zhang Ping'an's fault. He didn't say a word, but just said that you always like to listen to operas, so he brought a troupe with him. I thought it was an ordinary thing, so I took it upon myself to bring it back."
"It's okay." Yang Shiqi said calmly. As soon as the news spread, everyone guessed that Zhang Ning might be his son-in-law. What the son-in-law gives is a family matter and has nothing to do with others. What is there to say?
Luo Yaoniang asked carefully: "Are you ready to accept it?"
Yang Shiqi smiled and said: "Whether you take it or not, I have to finish "The Peony Pavilion". The old man boasted so much just now. If I don't listen to the play with my own ears, how can I call myself a theater fan?"
Luo Yaoniang immediately beamed and said, "That's right, daddy can tell when he hears it. If it doesn't look good, what can the singer say? Humph!"
"Mencius said: It is better to have fun alone than to have fun together. This play cannot be enjoyed by our family alone. You ask the housekeeper to send a message to some colleagues who like this thing to come and listen together... Zhang Ning is also invited."
Luo Yaoniang was so happy that she rushed to spread the word, and her "treacherous plot" succeeded!
…
Most of the people who came to the Yang Mansion that night were high-ranking officials. The low-ranking officials were not even qualified to listen to the opera with Yang Shiqi. A few of the smaller officials from the capital also had very close relationships. For example, Zhang He was with his father-in-law because he was the son-in-law of Minister Lu Zhen.
Also getting up was Yu Qian, the censor of the seventh rank, who was a student of Yang Shiqi; needless to say, Zhang Ning’s relationship was also known to the public: he wrote the lyrics of "The Peony Pavilion", and you can still see the author when you listen to the play.
Why not?
It is obvious that this play is of a very high standard, not to mention that the costumes and props are all made of good materials, which cannot be compared with those mobile grass-roots troupes. From the singing to the postures and dances, everything is very novel and tasteful. I saw Yang Shiqi's face was intoxicated when he heard the wonderful points.
, his head swayed slightly to the melody... Yang Shiqi, a first-rank official, is usually very steady, and it is rare to see him show a relaxed and happy side.
During the interval between the two performances, Yang Shiqi spoke: "I assert that in a short time all troupes will learn Suzhou opera, and both Northern and Southern operas will be overshadowed!"
Everyone agreed for a while, and Yu Qian congratulated Zhang Ning: "It is people who admire peace."
Zhang Ning could tell that Yu Qian was sincere, because he, Yu Qian, and Yang Shiqi were all people who could take care of each other. It was a good thing in itself for one of them to become famous and gain momentum.
Zhang Ning was so happy that he offered his hand to Yang Shiqi and said: "The best singer of Su Qiang is Gu Chunhan. The younger generation had the honor to hear it in Nanjing. The Zhizhijiao music has been heard in March. It is a pity that Gu Chunhan is a noble man.
It's rare to see him once, let alone invite the capital to come, which is really a pity."
"Oh?" Yang Shiqi chuckled, "It's reasonable for talented people to be so noble. I'm blessed to be able to hear the drama she taught me. Well..." He stroked his beard.
"When I retire to the mountains and forests, I must go to Nanjing to see if I can hear the opera sung by Mrs. Gu in my lifetime."
Lu Zhen laughed and said: "Your Majesty is reluctant to let you go back to seclusion. When you go to seclusion, you still don't know whether you can move around!"
Yang Shiqi also laughed: "The emperor's favor is too heavy, and the old minister wants to return but can't."
Because of this incident, a group of officials noticed Zhang Ning and at least remembered his name. Some people had heard about Yang Shiqi's personal affairs before, and this time they may have guessed that Zhang Ning might become Yang Shiqi's son-in-law.
Many ministers have observed this young official privately and have a good impression... Even ministers with high status in this era pay great attention to appearance when looking at people, not because they are superficial, but because they believe that appearance is linked to character. Zhang Ning's appearance
Although he does not have a good-looking face, he is well-proportioned, has bright eyes, and is tall and has a good posture. He is not like that sinister person. Yang Shiqi will not lose face by having such a young bureaucrat as his son-in-law.
However, when listening to the play, Zhang He's compliments seemed unfriendly to Zhang Ning's ears, with a bit of sourness and hostility. Coupled with the feeling of meeting at Lu Zhen's house last time, Zhang Ning became more and more interested in this person.
He had an antagonistic mentality... In fact, he did not want to have a conflict with Zhang He. Lu Zhen and Yang Shiqi were not political enemies in the first place. Zhang Ning did not want to fight against each other unless necessary.
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