The Double
Chapter 774 - 229: Ambush_2

Chapter 774: Chapter 229: Ambush_2

There were officials in government dress, scholars in white, swordsmen with their blades on their backs, and dandies in their frivolity. A single night here was merely sought for solace and warmth in the winter, for the highborn and the lowly, there was no difference.

On the second floor, beaded curtains separated each room. The shimmering bead curtains, under the illumination of the lights, resembled the crystal flowers fluttering about in the legendary dragon palace. They were also akin to icicles hanging from the trees on a snowy white ground in winter, compelling one to cherish the fleeting beauty that would soon melt away, with the advent of spring.

There was a performance on the stage.

In the Red Building, there had never been an opera troupe performing before. Only women’s singing, dancing, and zither music could be heard here; opera troupes were favored by the ladies of affluent families. Everything here was for men, and today’s performance was naturally a man’s idea, and the guest who had convinced the landlady of the Red Building to change her ways must have made a grand gesture indeed.

The opera troupe on stage was not performing any ordinary piece, but the one many ladies treasured, "Farewell My Concubine." The scene of a beauty parting with a hero has always been a poignant truth throughout history. People lamented for the hero’s plight and admired the beauty’s loyalty and devotion. Some believed in the survival of the fittest, others considered that all were but the joys and sorrows of others, a play, forgotten once watched.

There were beauties in the hall, beauties on the stage, and behind the bead curtains sat another beauty clad in red. His red robe was as resplendent as flowing fire, unfolding gently. The collar of his robe was embroidered with a black python, adding a touch of gloom to the radiant color. Yet his face was exceedingly beautiful, even more attractive than the reputedly stunning Yu Ji on the stage, painted in thick makeup. His amber-colored, phoenix eyes appeared intoxicated but were not, and his lips carried a faint smile. The pearlescent glow reflected off the bead curtains, glided across his long eyelashes, straight nose, and down to his rosy, thin lips. He was holding a lavish folding fan, fanning himself at a leisurely pace.

As if to dispel the frivolity and heat in the room.

Next to him sat several other individuals, all in brocade and jade belts, looking nothing more than ordinary young noblemen. However, their faces showed no hint of joy, serving merely as a motionless backdrop, six in total. Sitting to the left and right of the man in red were none other than Zhao Ke and Wen Ji.

The colors behind the bead curtains were more enticing than all the girls in the entire Red Building, yet the beads blocked the voyeuristic eyes of outsiders. In the teacup on the table, the aftertaste of tea lingered, while waves of fragrance wafted from the incense burner at the side.

On the stage, an actor was singing, "Dare to intrude the tiger’s den, draw the dragon to the sandbank. The renegade Li Zuoche greets the Overlord, long live the king!"

In the room next door, suddenly, the word "Bravo!" erupted! After the applause, a voice called out, "Reward!" From one of the rooms on the second floor, a gold ingot soared out, flying over the head of the actor on the stage, landing squarely on the silver plate at the table in front used for the teapot, perfectly positioned in the top-left corner.

The audience below was momentarily stunned, then burst into cheers, looking up towards the second floor.

Jih Heng’s playful fanning continued as he slightly tilted his head, as if trying to look through the bead curtains at who was in the next room.

But the actor on the stage paid no mind to such matters and kept on singing. It was unimportant what the nobles did, even if someone suddenly charged the stage to carry out an assassination, the play had to go on as long as no one died. Such was the life of the disciples of the Pear Garden—for upsetting a noble could lead to a tragic end.

As the performer continued to sing on stage, the cries of "Bravo!" from behind the adjacent bead curtains came incessantly, a gold ingot after another flew downstairs, each landing precisely on the silver plate, stacking up neatly. The cheers from below grew louder, and the actors sang with even more vigor, their voices resonating with such passion that it almost stirred the blood and broke hearts.

When the line, "My resolve is firm, no need for further counsel, as surely as meeting the sage ensures victory, we shall raise our troops and shatter the Han army today," was sung, Jih Heng closed his folding fan and stood up.

He pushed aside the bead curtains and walked out.

The others in the room followed suit, and soon the young man in red approached the room next door—the room that had been throwing the gold ingots. With his fan he lifted the curtain and entered uninvited.

There sat a group of guests.

The table was laden with fine wine and food, all beef and strong liquor, robust to the extreme. Seven men in total, dressed in plain clothes with leather boots, appeared to be from the ranks of the military. The leader, a middle-aged man, was both tall and handsome, rugged and resolute. He held a dagger and was forcefully cutting a piece of beef, chewing heartily, then took a swill of strong liquor with his head thrown back, stirring a sense of fervor in the onlookers. This man was none other than the Commandery Prince of Xia County, Yin Zhan.