Marriage of the Di Daughter

Chapter 89:

Jin Man Tang had recently replaced Xiang Si group, an outstanding and prosperous theatrical troupe in Yanjing.

Every time there's a popular theatrical troupe, they all seemed eager to receive Duke Su's approval and felt it necessary to first perform for Duke Su to watch. As long as Ji Heng affirmed that the singing was not bad, the theatrical troupe would certainly be pretty good. Just like the Xiang Xi group at that time, Ji Heng seemed to have the power over the life and death of theatrical troupes in Yanjing. He could bring a theatrical troupe to fame, and could equally make a theatrical troupe disappear quickly.

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Though in Jiang Li's opinion this was really inconceivable, a majestic duke, the descendant of a highly respected old general, yet unexpectedly rather like a manager of theatrical troupes. But there were also times she felt she probably could understand how a person like Ji Heng had some relationships with plays.

He was born very beautiful, even more so than the actors on stage. From birth, he deserved to stand in front of people, radiating brilliant rays. However, he was not suitable to perform on stage in person because he was too clear-headed and cold, unable to enter the mortal world and be involved in their predicaments. Such a proud heavenly child was probably only suitable to stand under the stage, watching other people's deception of joys and sorrows, even felt it was beneath his dignity to drop a tear or two.

He merely looked at them like a joke, only a mocking smile at the corner of his lips.

The entire second floor had perhaps been booked by Ji Heng as there were no other people. Jiang Li could go out of the tea room, walk towards the railings and look down to immediately see the stage.

Able to see the people on the stage clearly, but one floor higher than the audience on the first floor. Jiang Li surmised this was the angle Ji Heng liked, being in a high location, overlooking the scene below. She couldn't help saying, watching a play like this had a feeling of detachment compared to directly watching in the audience. How to say it, suppose a person sat too close to the actors, it's very easy for said person to enter the play. But a person that was nearby to the actors yet stood higher could more clearly perceive that it was just a play. No matter how wonderful the play was, it was difficult for the person to enter, thus would not be led along by the mood of the play.

The famous actor in Jin Man Tang was called Little Peach, a young woman. Because her face was always fully applied with cosmetics, her appearance wasn't very clear. But looking at her graceful figure and her soft voice, she should be a rare wonderful person. No wonder the audience rooted for her so much and cheered for her one after another.

This play was called: "Jiu'er's record".

"Jiu'er's record" was a very famous tale, the story of a woman from the previous dynasty. The young woman was called Jiu'er, who was married to a scholar in the countryside. They were in perfect harmony, the husband and wife had loving affections for each other. Afterwards, the scholar entered the capital to take the imperial examination, became the top scorer, was appointed as a big government official and attracted the attention of a wealthy young lady. The master of the wealthy young lady wanted to take him as the son-in-law, thus the scholar concealed the matter of having a wife in his hometown and married the wealthy family's daughter.

Jiu'er, who was far away in the countryside with their young son, wasn't aware that her husband had become other people's husband. A day came where the scholar no longer sent letters home. Rain fell on the leaking house that night, Jiu'er's young son fell into serious illness. The family was poor and had no money to treat the illness. With no other alternative, Jiu'er had to bring the young son to the capital to search for her husband. After going through difficulties and suffering other's indifference, she arrived at the capital at last. However, while on the streets of the capital, she saw her husband and another woman were behaving intimately.