"Your Highness, Commander Huang would like to see you."
"Let him in."
Deep in Prince Fu's Mansion, Zhu Changxun was still leaning on the couch with his fat body, as lazy as a pig, but his eyes looking at Huang Qirui were full of participation in research.
"My in-laws are here today to complain to Gu on behalf of your daughter, right? Is it King Dechang who favored the two beauties he sent to Gu the day before?"
Huang Qirui looked like a friendly and good old man, as if what he was humiliated and ridiculed by Zhu Changxun half a month ago had never happened.
"Hey, your highness, don't worry. I don't have the skills of the official, but I am proud to teach my daughter well. Princess Dechang is not as narrow-minded as a market woman."
Zhu Changxun waved his hand to signal his relatives to sit down, and asked leisurely: "Then why did you come to see me? If you are like the old-fashioned Huang Bingshi, who is trying to persuade you, don't blame me for kicking you out right now."
Huang Qirui smiled so hard that the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were like chrysanthemum petals, and said earnestly: "Xiaguan and Huang Changshi are indeed cowards. His Highness took the lead and reprimanded him rightly. It seems that the eunuch surnamed Wei also
Just turn your lips around and show your anger."
Zhu Changxun sneered: "Otherwise, what else can he do? Is his surname Zhu, or is this king's surname Zhu? He gets angry when he talks about this. Huang Bingshi actually stopped Gu's school captain that day. Gu just wanted to arrest Wei Zhongxian and beat him
Have a meal. How many vassal kings in our previous dynasty were able to beat the governor and the general soldier in the vassal territory, so if you teach a eunuch alone, could you be accused of any other crime of rebellion? "
Huang Qirui tried to excuse his old friend: "Wei Zhongxian, after all, he is an imperial envoy, and even Huang Changshi has been careful to sail the ship for ten thousand years. Oh, not to mention how troublesome this time is, I have sent two gifts to His Highness today.
Here comes the wonderful man."
After saying this, Huang Qirui turned around and shouted to the door.
I saw two girls, fifteen or sixteen years old, walking lightly into the house.
Zhu Changxun became energetic as soon as he saw it. He squinted his eyes to look at the beauty's face and body, pointed at Huang Qirui and said with a smile: "My dear, you know how to repay the gift to me on behalf of your son-in-law?"
Huang Qirui pretended to be mysterious: "What these two little girls can do is not only their eighty-nine-point excellent looks. Their singing is even comparable to the sounds of nature."
"Let me sing a piece for you to listen to."
With a look from Huang Qirui, the girl in the light green skirt opened her red lips and began to sing: "I have left this troubled world long ago. I look back in horror at the crisis. Accompanying the floating gulls on the sand spit at the head of the creek. Learn from Minghong
Looking for a pair and chasing a pair. From now on, I will drive my carriage and my horse. It’s a good time to say goodbye to Ishae. Yeah, I’ll take advantage of the wind and the boundless sea and sky.”
Such low-pitched singing, with a melodious tone, and a soft and waxy Suzhou Mandarin blended with a very dramatic charm, made Zhu Changxun's bones go numb.
After the girl finished singing, Zhu Changxun was so happy that he clapped his hands and said to Huang Qirui: "The one who sang this is Kunqu Opera. Can both of them sing?"
Huang Qirui nodded.
Zhu Changxun did not hesitate to praise: "I can't believe it, my dear, you, a scholar from Shu, can find such stunning beauty from the south of the Yangtze River."
At this moment, Huang Qirui saw Zhu Changxun's ugly appearance and his mouth was drooling, and he believed that Zheng Haizhu was not tricking him.
Zheng Haizhu told Huang Qirui that day that the Taizu's saying is still circulated in the capital: The Four Books and the Five Classics are like grains, which every family can have, but Kunqu opera is like delicacies, which are indispensable for wealthy people.
The nobles of the Tian family, especially Zhu Changxun, who was pampered by the emperor since childhood, often listened to Kun opera when they were in the Forbidden City. But at that time, in order for Prince Fu to leave the country as soon as possible, the court was in chaos, and Concubine Zheng and her son were scolded by the Donglin officials.
After getting their heads wet, the mother and son took a rest for a while after receiving the huge sum of money. How dare they openly go to Jiangnan to recruit opera troupes to Luoyang.
Today, he suddenly got two beauties who are as beautiful as flowers and are good at Kunqiang. Zhu Changxun was so happy that he couldn't open his mouth from ear to ear.
Huang Qirui explained flatteringly: "In the lower official's house, I do some business in Shu brocade, and I also sell it to the south of the Yangtze River. I went back and forth, got to know some scribes from Wu, and bought such high-quality actors."
Zhu Changxun said cheerfully: "Since you have this knowledge, you should find something good for Guduo."
Huang Qirui nodded repeatedly and said with a smile: "Your Highness, these two are just appetizers. Xiaguan's friend in Nanzhili also found a better-looking one. It is said that when he sings, it is even more like listening to the music of immortality.
I am temporarily on my way to Luoyang by boat."
In this way, Zhu Changxun waited for seven or eight days like a cat's claw scratching his heart before Huang Qirui came to the palace again.
"Where are you? Haven't you arrived in Luoyang yet?" Zhu Changxun couldn't help but feel disappointed when he saw Huang Qirui coming alone.
Huang Qirui looked helpless and funny: "I'm not afraid of His Highness's jokes. This is the first time that a girl of seventeen or eighteen years old has taken advantage of me. I don't know how the middleman passed it on. Then
The girl thought she was coming to Luoyang to set up a tent and accept disciples, but yesterday she heard that she was here to serve His Highness, so..."
The fat on Zhu Changxun's face flickered: "Why, she is not happy to serve the majestic Prince of Ming Dynasty? Isn't this a big joke?"
Huang Qirui continued to fish: "How could she not be happy? It's just that she was spoiled by a group of literati in Nanzhili. She was very angry and refused to follow the official here like a maid." She said
, Your Highness please condescend to go to the Yalu where she lives, and first listen to her sing a song for Your Highness. If Your Highness does not feel that her ears are dirty, then you can invite her into the palace with the etiquette of the chief musician and dancer of the palace."
Zhu Changxun sneered: "Is this Chang'e? Did you wrong her when you came to earth?"
But his tone didn't sound angry at all, but rather a bit of playful anger.
Huang Qirui controlled the heat and added more firewood: "It's really Chang'e. I saw it with my own eyes, and then I realized that the two dolls sent to His Highness in the first place were Pu Liuzhi. Oh, that Chang'e's
With such a glance in her eyes, and such a pout on her mouth, her jade-like face became stern, and all I could think about was that I would promise her anything."
Zhu Changxun pointed at him and said with a smile: "They are all about to have grandchildren, so they can't control themselves. Now, go and tell her that she is also going to play "Huansha Ji". Tomorrow, when I wake up to take a nap, you can lead me
Gu, go to the place where she lives. Gu take this Chang'e down from the moon."
The next day, at the unofficial meeting, Zhu Changxun, escorted by two captains and ten sergeants, followed Huang Qirui out of the mansion.
About half an hour later, several of Huang Qirui's servants arrived at the palace carrying two large boxes.
"This is the first costume of an actor from Nanzhili. Your Highness and my master asked us to send it over first."
The palace steward recognized the leading servant and asked politely: "Your Highness and your master, are you still listening to the show?"
"Well, we have a banquet over there, so I won't be able to go back home for a while."
The steward of the palace leaned over to open the box, but Huang Qirui's head servant did not stop him. He only reminded: "Be careful, sir. Our master has told us that any of the heads and faces of these red actresses, whether dotted with emerald or inlaid with gold, will be damaged."
It has to be sent back to Nanzhili to be repaired, it will be troublesome."
"Save it, save it."
The steward simply squatted down, gently lifted the lid of the box, and saw clearly the three or four heads piled with pearls and greenery inside.
Then I looked at another box, which contained neatly arranged embroidered costumes.
The steward called a maid: "Take them into the house and put the box in the courtyard."
The head servant of the Huang family said with a smile: "I have to trouble you to get us some snacks to eat. We have to guard this box. When our master comes back with His Highness and Hongling, I will ask the aunt to check it.
That’s it.”
The steward nodded: "It's a small matter. The musicians in the left and right courtyards also want to serve dinner, so you can eat together."