Chapter 100 - 99 Backdoor
Under the system of the Immortal Palace, the administrative body managing rituals and music has two branches: one is the Taiwei Yuan Tai City Temple, responsible for the worship of heaven and earth, national ceremonies, and court rituals.
This part is extremely formal, consisting of old scholars past their prime, who play Do, Re, Mi, Sol; sing in archaic, convoluted language, specializing in vassal tributes, vassal alliances, great sacrifices to heaven and earth, and grand assemblies of the Three Constellations. Every step, every movement has precise guidelines, ancient rituals passed down from generations of Immortal Venerables. If anyone dares to sing off-key, expose a chest, or show a leg, believe it or not, those old scholars might just lift a bronze chime and throw it at you.
The other is the Imperial Court Music Bureau of each country, directly subordinate to the Ziwei Constellation and the Twelve Royal Families, essentially private property of the royal family, managed by eunuchs and palace maids. This is purely for entertainment, primarily providing entertainment services such as music, theater, singing, dancing, performances, and acrobatics for the Imperial Family, Merit Nobles, and Gate Valve Nobility.
Since the personnel of the Imperial Music Bureau are mainly selected from the finest and most renowned artists from the common people, as well as chosen from the families of criminals who must meet certain criteria, their standards and performance levels are naturally far superior to any grassroots performers from the private sector.
Apart from occasionally participating in fixed palace sacrifices, ceremonies, and welcoming guests, the main function of the Imperial Music Bureau is to carry out sideline activities, providing paid, customizable services for the nobility, which helps to enhance the inner treasury of the King, while also promoting unity and harmony among the ruling class.
After all, when you are a victor in political struggles, enjoying your spoils, and watching those noblewomen, whom you once could not even approach and could only gaze upon from the ground, now crawling at your feet, it does make one reflect. Should you go against the King’s wishes, do you want your own family members, wives, and daughters to also fall into such a miserable state of being trampled upon?
Of course, the losers couldn’t all be slaughtered or wiped out, nor would they willingly let their families be humiliated within the Music Bureau, hence there are always desperados attempting to break into the bureau to rescue people.
Naturally, the court can’t let them succeed, so although theoretically the Music Bureau isn’t a military institution, it’s usually directly controlled by the Inner Court Eunuch and constructed along with the Forbidden Army camps like the Imperial Stables, Yulin Army, Imperial Guard, etc. This arrangement facilitates tight supervision and also helps to draw the Forbidden Army into indulgence, thereby preventing them from gathering for salary demanding or staging coups during idle time.
To break into such a perilous place, Tie Dan wasn’t very confident. He thought to first have a look since it’s a place you can enter by spending money. He originally wanted to find Manager Qiao, borrow some money to visit the Music Bureau, and meanwhile leave his burden with him.
However, Zhen Baiyu insisted on following him to see her mother one last time, and she provided a reason Tie Dan couldn’t refuse.