The teahouse itself wasn't anything special, but because it had received a plaque from the late emperor, it was quite famous. Even with the Lunar New Year approaching and everyone busy visiting relatives and friends and preparing for the festivities, it remained bustling and lively. (Source: qiushu.cc)
Emperor Deqing sat in the innermost private room on the third floor, leisurely sipping a pot of Biluochun tea, enjoying some fruit, and watching the drum storytelling on the stage set up in the courtyard through the open window.
After finishing the pot of tea, the storytelling performance came to an end. While Liang Sansheng was preparing new tea for the tea master, the program on the stage changed.
"I never thought that after all these years, I could still watch shadow puppetry in a teahouse?" Emperor Deqing chuckled. In the past, shadow puppet troupes could only set up stalls on the street.
The tea server, unaware of his identity but recognizing his wealthy and noble appearance, seized the opportunity to say, "Sir, you may not know this, but our young master took over the business from the old owner a couple of years ago. He's young and quick-witted, and felt that having only storytelling and singing in the shop was too rigid and monotonous. So he arranged some fresh entertainment, inviting a group of performers from the old Tianqiao area. At first, many people thought the young master was being ridiculous, but believe it or not, our business has really been booming..."
As they were talking, the shadow puppet show had already begun.
Emperor Deqing waved his hand to signal the tea server to stop talking, and said to Liang Sanxing, "Give him a reward."
Liang Sansheng then took out two taels of silver.
The tea server was beaming with joy after receiving the reward. He thanked Emperor Deqing profusely before leaving the private room with his large iron kettle.
"Go and see what kind of people are in the private rooms, upstairs and downstairs, so you don't run into them when you leave," Emperor Deqing instructed again.
Liang Sansheng received the order and went outside the private room to instruct the eunuch who had come with him to inquire.
Emperor Deqing, holding his teacup, watched the shadow puppet show with great concentration.
"The young lady is sixteen, a beautiful age, and has married into the Xu family, a family of scholars in the western city. Her husband is refined and courteous, but the imperial examinations are tough. Dear readers, please wait while I deliver this stew to him."
The silhouette of a young woman with her hair styled in a side bun flickered past from behind the curtain.
The following part of the story depicts the loving relationship between the young master of the Hanlin family and the young lady. The lyrics are not particularly elegant, but they are witty and not vulgar. Some of the little details often bring a smile to the reader's face.
Liang Sanxing relayed what the eunuch had found out to Emperor Deqing. During the process, he saw Emperor Deqing staring intently at the stage with a smile on his lips, so he quietly stepped back and said no more.
The young woman soon became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy baby boy. After the child turned one year old, with her in-laws' permission, she took the child back to her parents' home to visit her maternal grandparents. However, they were robbed on the way... When the bad news reached the capital, the Xu family was devastated. But just a year later, the young master Xu had no choice but to marry the princess by imperial decree.
To everyone's surprise, the young woman was not dead, and the baby in her arms had escaped death because the wet nurse had swapped her own child for hers.
During their escape, the mother and son overheard the bandits talking. They discovered that the husband was handsome and had caught the eye of the princess. The princess's family held immense power, so they decided to send the mother and son to their deaths to satisfy the princess's longing.
The young woman dared not return to the capital, much less seek refuge with her parents. She took her child and went into hiding, settling in a small county town. Fearing recognition, she cruelly disfigured her beautiful face.
But that child was intelligent from a young age, excelled in his studies, and had the help of a benefactor. At a young age, he passed the imperial examination and became an official in the capital.
Then, the same thing happened again. The princess and the young master Xu's only daughter took a fancy to the young master Xu and plotted to frame his fiancée.
The scene shifted; to the left stood an ancient tree, and to the right a blue-brick meditation room. A little girl with her hair in two buns sat on the ground, hugging her knees, crying out, "I have never done anything against my conscience in my life, and I have always been kind to everyone. Why have I suffered such a calamity, having my marriage ruined and my innocence destroyed..."
Emperor Deqing suddenly stood up, and Liang Sansheng, who was standing beside him with his head bowed, also looked up, only to see that he had clenched his fists and sat back down.
Emperor Deqing watched the entire shadow puppet show without showing any emotion, but upon returning to the palace, he flew into a rage.
Although their identities and details differed, he could tell what the play was alluding to.
When He Yao framed Jun Wushuang, Emperor Deqing didn't delve into the details, but he wasn't entirely unaware of the situation afterward. Especially since the eldest princess, in pleading for her daughter, had mentioned to him that the Grand Prince Consort had an improper relationship with the female tutor at the Marquis of Runan's residence. He didn't believe it at all, but he still summoned Chu Yao to inquire. He learned that the female tutor had been disfigured in an accident years ago, and her son was already an adult. He naturally concluded that the Grand Prince Consort was blinded by greed, preferring to risk his life for a mistress rather than choose such a woman.
A woman whose husband's family was cursed, whose face was disfigured, and who raised her son alone.
A princess and her husband who were incompatible and had only one daughter.
A young girl who was engaged was taken by a complete stranger who took her personal belongings and went around the streets shouting that he was having an affair with her.
There was also the county princess who used her status to plot and scheme, and was eventually sent to a royal temple to become a nun.
All of them align with reality.
Is it really that much of a coincidence?
Did the princess's maternal family ever bully others by abusing their power?
He wants to find someone to investigate.
But if it's true, what should he do?
What if it's not true?
Emperor Deqing grew increasingly agitated and shouted, "Where is Zixiu? Go to the Prince of Ying's residence and bring him here. I have something I need him to do."
Liang Sanxing, steeling himself, stepped forward and reminded him: "Your Majesty, His Highness Prince Ying went out to investigate a case in mid-September and has not yet returned to the capital. Do you mean to immediately write a letter to him and summon him back to the capital?"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Deqing calmed down. How could he be so foolish? Those plays and storybooks were all about blurring the lines between fiction and reality, telling tales of either the prime minister's daughter or the emperor's son. They were nothing but fabrications, meant to entertain ordinary people; how could anyone believe them?
"No need," he waved his hand. "Let him take care of that matter first."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a young eunuch entered and reported, "Your Majesty, His Highness the Prince of Ying requests an audience."
None of the palace maids and eunuchs standing guard in the main hall found it strange. His Highness Prince Ying had a waist token bestowed by the emperor, which allowed him to enter and exit the palace at any time without being restricted by the opening and closing of the palace gates. They were already used to it.
For Emperor Deqing, this was like a pillow being handed to him just when he was about to doze off, and he hurriedly ordered a eunuch to summon Chu Yao in.
Chu Yao strode into the palace, his face showing signs of hardship, indicating that he had traveled a long way and had not returned to his residence for a short rest before going directly to the palace.
Based on Emperor Deqing's understanding of his nephew, he must have encountered a very difficult situation, fearing that correspondence would leak the news, and also fearing that delaying his report would cause problems.
As expected, after Chu Yao gave a brief and clear report on the results of the case, he took out a letter from his pocket and presented it to Emperor Deqing: "During the search of the Baoding Prefectural Government Office, a letter was found in a secret compartment in the Prefect's study."
Emperor Deqing took the teacup and glanced at it. His face turned pale and then flushed, and veins bulged on his forehead. He swept the teacup off the table with a wave of his hand and exclaimed, "This is outrageous! I thought they were always so low-key, but they've actually gone so far as to murder for their children's marriages. What's the difference between them and bandits!"
He had just been thinking of having Chu Yao stop the shadow puppet troupe from performing that play, lest someone with ulterior motives make wild accusations and damage the Yu family's reputation.
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