The glazed roof tiles of the Imperial City reflected the golden light and reflected the clouds on the horizon. It was very magnificent.
The simple carriage parked in front of the vermilion gate finally welcomed its owner.
"Your Highness, you …" The guard in front of the carriage was shocked.
The short Seventh Princes patted him on the shoulder in a friendly manner. "It's just a normal meal." After saying this, the wound at the corner of his mouth was pulled and he hissed.
After going through the interrogation at the palace gate, the Seventh Prince quietly said to his bodyguard, who was from a great noble family, "Quick, let's leave the palace today and go to Qin Wa Lou. Let's go and listen to a few plays. "
"Your Highness, do you think you haven't been beaten enough by the Emperor? Let's do some serious business. "
The Seventh Princes kicked him. "You talk too much!" He waved his hand. "Father Emperor is furious because we don't have money. Serious business? Like my brothers? What's the point of provoking Father Emperor? It's better to be a guest at Qin Wa Lou. "
The bodyguard was stunned. In any case, his family was one of the founding fathers of the country. After hearing this, he didn't dare to mention "serious business" again. He quickly brought his horse over and followed The Seventh Princes. After changing into plain clothes, they went to the famous Gold Consuming Lair in the capital.
Qin Wa Lou was surrounded by brothels and taverns. Today was an auspicious day, several families came to visit the taverns, restaurants, and brothels, so they pooled their money together and built a fence around the building. They hung decorations on the attics, and invited the most popular opera troupe, saying that they were going to perform a new play from the south. Not only would it attract the guests, it would raise their reputation, and it would also 'liven things up' for the honored guests.
The attic was pulled up, and the red gauze welcomed the golden red light of dusk. Wine was opened, and charming women smiled as they shuttled through the people in brocade robes to pour wine.
Toasts were exchanged, and the atmosphere was intoxicated.
On the stage, there were instruments and music. The first song was played, and a popular girl sang a song. Silk flowers were thrown at her, and she went down contentedly.
Not long after, the curtain was pulled up and the background changed. It was said that the most popular new play began.
The first to arrive was a woman dressed in green, dressed as a widow. The scene was of a desolate night, surrounded by four or five black shadows.
The widow was very young. The actress was probably only eleven or twelve years old. Mournful and sorrowful, as soon as he appeared, he was forced to kneel on the ground, struggling to confess, singing, "Yu Yu's steps are difficult to walk, the spring cold river flows cold. Begging my head to pay my respects to my uncles and elders. My life is full of hardships, and I hope you will take pity on me. How would my daughter dare to go against human relations? Life and death is determined by the Yama Pen, my husband's hair turns white and his lifespan disappears. "
Among them was an old man dressed in black. He looked like he had almost blended into the darkness of the night. He didn't paint his face like the other older students, but judging from his age, he was probably an older student. Nian Bai said, "Woman, don't talk nonsense! You relied on your youth to be fierce and stubborn. You suppressed the sun and talked too much. When your husband died, you fled without discipline! Today, I should ask the Ancestral Code to punish you for your infidelity! "
As he spoke, he ordered people to put the young widow into a pig cage and prepare to drown her in the pond.
At the beginning of the play, the guests who were watching the play were all in high spirits.
The Seventh Princes sat on the second floor of the VIP seats. His ears were sharp, and he heard whispers coming from all around him. "The beginning of this clan's law to punish an unfaithful woman is a bit interesting. Could it be that this widow who ran away is the main character of this play? It's also rebellious. I've never seen such a beginning. What's the next play? Could it be something like Dou E's grievance, San Niang's complaint? "
He turned around and said to Wang Shiwei, "The beginning of this play is a bit interesting. Listen to it sing, read the dialogue, and dress up, it's very strange. It doesn't seem like any kind of play. What, there's a play that even I, a pear friend, haven't seen before? "
Wang Shiwei hurriedly replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, I heard that it was recently popular in the south. Originally, it was a new play that came from the west. It was called something like a 'play'. Later, when it entered China, it was changed by the people of the pear garden. It became the current play. "
"Oh? Play? Interesting, this consort likes new things. Is this play new as well? "
"Yes. I heard that it's based on a novel that's been popular recently. "
The Seventh Princes suddenly felt a bit interested. He braced himself to see how this play would develop.
On the other side, the widow was reading the dialogue, "My daughter doesn't dare to run away. She just misses home."
However, all of her excuses were useless. The people of her husband's clan were still chanting the "clan law" and dunking her into the ice-cold river.
At this moment, these shadows wearing black clothes without any patterns moved stiffly and uniformly. Their expressions were numb and fanatical as they chanted the "clan law, clan law!" in unison. They walked out from the darkness behind the curtain and pushed the pig cages into the river.
They seemed to be puppets that didn't listen to human speech. Their hands and feet were controlled by a huge, invisible thing.
At this moment, the cold sound of a flute rang out in the background. Several deathly pale fake corpses slowly hung down from the black curtain. They were all puppets that looked like widows. They were placed in wooden cages and made to look like bloated ghosts. As the background, they floated in the night sky behind the curtain. It seemed that the dead souls had been attracted by something and were hovering in the air.
At this moment, when these dead souls appeared, the young widow seemed to realize her fate. Her singing voice suddenly became extremely mournful. "My parents are dead, my brother is dead, my sister is married, and I'm alone. No one in my family can redeem my daughter. I ask where my elder sister is, I hope that my savior will be born in the sky! I ask where my elder sister is, I hope that my savior will be born in the sky! "
At this time, the night was already dark. The play was played with lanterns and western glass lamps. Because of the darkness of the sky and the appearance of the dead souls and the sudden mournful singing voice, this scene rendered an extremely frightening atmosphere.
The Seventh Princes heard a few screams from the woman, as well as gasps and the sound of tables and chairs falling over.
However, at this moment, his attention was completely attracted by this "play". He didn't care about the reactions of others.
Soon, the scene quieted down. Obviously, although everyone was shocked and inexplicably afraid, they were also attracted by this play. They were worried about the fate of the widow in the play.
The cold wind whistled, and the young widow's mournful cries became more and more pitiful. They gradually became weaker, but no one responded.
And her body, pushed by the black shadow on the ground, disappeared into the river inch by inch under the gaze of the dead souls in the sky.
Just as the river water (blue wave-like gauze) was about to overflow her chest, the mournful cries stopped. The black curtain fell.
The first scene was over.
Only then did the people who held their breaths realize that they were dizzy from holding their breaths. The maidservant who poured the wine quickly wiped the wine on the table. The servant who was sweeping came back to his senses and waved the broom again.
Although the plot had not yet unfolded, the beginning made them worried. They were immersed in the atmosphere and worried about the fate of the young widow.
Someone shouted loudly, "What about the next scene?! Why did it stop here?! "
Someone else commented, "It seems a bit like the Martyr's Shrine."
The troupe did not let the people wait for too long. The second scene began in full swing.
When the second act began, the one who appeared was not the young widow whose body was half submerged in the river, but rather an older pale young girl who looked somewhat similar to the young widow.
This was a poor family of five. A husband and wife with one son and two daughters.
The pale girl was the eldest daughter of the family, called Xiao Lian.
Xiao Lian's family was poor and could barely make ends meet. Soon, her father got a big belly disease.
When her mother gave birth to her younger brother and sister, she was not good at work when she was pregnant. She was crippled by the landlady and scalded in one eye, so she could not do heavy work.
Since then, the rich families in the clan used the excuse of "not being able to waste the land" to seize their land. Xiaolian's family relied entirely on the handouts of the large families in the clan to survive.
When Xiao Lian was eleven years old, she was taken away by the rich families to pay off debts and became a child bride of another family.
Although she was called a child bride, she was actually worse than a maidservant. She ate less than a dog, but did more than a cow. A few years later, Xiao Lian was not worthy of their son, so her "parents-in-law" sold her to a rich family who could not give birth to a child. She was sold for two strings of money.
Xiao Lian gave birth to a child in this family.
When the child was three years old, the family was short of money.
The husband and wife of this family sold her money to a brothel.
On that day, it was raining, and the child was celebrating his birthday. In the midst of the joyous music, the child was held in someone's arms. He was happily playing at the door when his biological mother walked past him, together with a cow and a donkey, and was docilely taken away to be sold.
The child clapped his hands and shouted with a smile, "Donkey, donkey!"
The trumpets on the stage played a festive effect, and unknown musical instruments created the sound of rain.
Xiao Lian was soaked from head to toe in the rain. The cow, donkey, and other animals' fur were also soaked.
People asked, "How much is this donkey?"
They also asked the same question, "How much is this woman?"
On the stage, Xiao Lian did not cry.
Below the stage, there were people who cried like rain.
One of the waitresses who was pouring wine suddenly dropped Tong Zhan. Her tears fell into the wine and the wine became bitter.
The maid who was sweeping the floor secretly pulled up her lapel to wipe the corners of her eyes.
In the VIP seats, several maidservants who had secretly followed their husbands here carefully lowered their heads and swallowed their sobs.
The eyes of a young hedonistic son who looked very gentle and affectionate were slightly red. He seemed to have thought of someone.
Above and below the pavilion, except for the sound of the wind and some sobbing, it was unexpectedly quiet for a while.
Life on the stage continued.
In the end, Xiao Lian was sold to a brothel.
Her younger brother was wearing a linen drape. When he found Xiao Lian, Xiao Lian was wearing red and green clothes, and her lips were covered with inferior and bright red lipstick. She was being held by a customer.
Xiao Lian was receiving the twelfth customer of the day.
Her younger brother kowtowed to the prostitute. "Elder sister, father died of illness. When mother found out about what happened to you, she cried her remaining eyes blind. "
This lowly prostitute moved her lips, unable to say a word. Her feelings were already numb. The best way she could grieve was to give some money to her younger brother and mother.
But all the money she earned from selling herself for a day went to the procuress. Her clothes and headwear were all the procuress' property. She had no right to use them.
In the end, she opened her mouth and let out an "ah" sound. She groped around and found a few cornbread. This was the only reward the procuress gave her for receiving more than a dozen customers a day — four cornbread.
Her younger brother did not take it. This was a sensible and stubborn boy. Because of years of work, his round face was purple and cracked. His eyes were black and bright. "Elder sister, I'm not here for money. I'm here to give you a hemp garment. Father passed away, and our family can only afford this hemp garment. I've worn it, mother has worn it, and sister has worn it. It's your turn. "
He took off his hemp garment and put it on his sister, covering the smell of inferior cosmetics on his sister's body. "I was still young. Elder sister, I was still young. I will redeem you. I will. "
Xiao Lian stroked the tattered hemp garment and looked at her younger brother, whose face was covered in dust in order to find her. For the first time in her life, she had hope.
Her hope was drowned.
The woman's head was tied with a white cloth and her body was draped with hemp. She looked like she was in mourning. She carried a broken basket and staggered forward. Finally, she fell into a patch of mud.
The huqin was playing. In the bleak sound, the woman seemed to be lying in the mud. She was dizzy and hallucinations appeared in front of her eyes.
The white gauze hung down, creating a dreamy atmosphere. A man with a round belly and strangely thin limbs appeared. His cheeks were sunken and his face was sallow. He read plainly, his tone intermittent and erratic.
Then a crippled and blind middle-aged woman and a little boy missing half of his head appeared.
Accompanied by the sound of the flute that suddenly became ghostly, the woman cried out with tears in her eyes, "Father, mother, brother!"
No sister … Sister is not dead yet, she is still suffering in the world!
The woman struggled to wake up from her coma. In front of her was a snow-white face. "You're awake. If you have nowhere to go, you can work with my family!"
The red candles in the Karaoke were warm and the curtain was dim. When Wang Shiwei supported the drunk The Seventh Princes out, it was already late. Everything was silent and the cold wind suddenly blew. Fine spring snow actually fell in the night.
Wang Shiwei was so cold that he shivered and muttered to himself, "Why is it snowing?"
The servant had already prepared the carriage. Hearing this, he dragged his snot out of the cold and bowed to reply, "Sir, it just started to snow."
The rumbling sound of the wheels, the neighing of the horse, the clatter of the horse's hooves on the stone floor, accompanied by the snores of the people in the carriage, echoed in the quiet street.
Wang Shiwei sighed and sat in the carriage. Looking at The Seventh Princes hugging Nuan Tan and sleeping soundly in the carriage, he could not help but frown and mutter, "We're going to break the curfew again."
He had to be punished for this prince again.
All of a sudden, the fine and soft spring snow outside was illuminated by a fiery light, and the sound of a loud crash could be heard. The silence was broken.
The servant called out in fear, "Sir!" The horse neighed and the carriage clattered. Wang Shiwei was almost thrown out of the carriage. The Seventh Princes crashed into the wall of the carriage.
Before he could react, he heard the servant say in a trembling voice, "Sir, there's a house confiscation in front."
"House confiscation?!" Wang Shiwei did not have time to lament the bump on his head. He quickly got up and rolled out of the carriage. At a glance, he saw a group of soldiers holding torches and blocking the street. They were surrounding a mansion with a stone lion in front of the door.
"Sir, this?"
"Go, go, go! Stupid thing, take a detour, don't cause trouble! "Wang Shiwei forced himself to calm down. He hurriedly glanced and immediately shouted.
The carriage took a detour around the small path.
When the carriage shook, the heavy curtain was thrown up and the cold wind poured in. The Seventh Princes' neck was hit by the cold wind mixed with snow. His whole body quivered and seemed to be a little sober.
He snorted with the smell of alcohol from his nostrils and lay down on the soft cushion. He cried out in pain and then heard the sound of the carriage wheels and smashing in the distance. He turned over and muttered, "Even an emperor can go crazy from poverty." Then he fell asleep again.
Wang Shiwei was left alone. He thought about his family and thought about his future. In the cold snowy night, he sat in the carriage and shivered.
Lin Wenhao was clear in his heart.
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