Chapter 774 - 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!"