Capital, high noon.
A eunuch wearing a dark red python-patterned robe knelt on the ground, holding an urgent secret memorial with both hands, his forehead covered in cold sweat. On the cover of the memorial, a few numbers were circled in cinnabar.
Emperor Tiansheng sat on the dragon throne without taking it, instead rolling two walnuts in his hand. The crunching sound made people's hearts pound in this great hall.
"Read."
Emperor Tiansheng didn't even raise his eyelids, just spitting out one word.
"Yes..." Eunuch Li's voice trembled, "Secret report from Jiangning, the first night of Hundred Flowers Pavilion's opening, the ticket sales alone brought in ten thousand taels. Plus tips, drinks, and the auction of VIP seats, in one night..."
"Why are you stammering? Could I be scared to death by silver?"
"Fifty-three thousand taels of silver in cash in one night! In addition, there are three title deeds, several antique calligraphy and paintings, equivalent to no less than eighty thousand taels of silver!"
Clack.
The walnuts in Emperor Tiansheng's hand stopped.
The entire great hall was so quiet that a needle dropping on the ground could be heard.
Eighty thousand taels in one night, what kind of concept was this.
Emperor Tiansheng stood up, didn't call anyone to wait on him, walked to the bookshelf, and took down a dusty abacus.
Clack, clack, clack.
His thin fingers moved the abacus beads, making crisp clashing sounds.
"Companion Li, what was the total tax revenue of that poor Changfeng County in the north last year?"
Eunuch Li buried his head even lower, "Answering Your Majesty, Changfeng County suffered a disaster last year, and the whole county only managed to scrape together sixty thousand taels."
"Heh."
Emperor Tiansheng chuckled lightly and casually pushed the abacus onto the imperial desk.
"What a Xu Qinghuan, what a Hundred Flowers Pavilion."
"One of my counties, tens of thousands of commoners working for a year, can't even match the sensual pleasures of one night in her pavilion."
"Your Majesty, appease your anger!" Eunuch Li was so scared that he kept kowtowing, "That daughter of the Xu family is simply rebellious, this kind of wealth-gathering method is simply..."
"Simply what? Simply satisfying!"
Emperor Tiansheng turned around suddenly, without the slightest anger in his eyes, but instead shining with a shrewd light.
"Are those censors outside the hall still kneeling?"
"Answering Your Majesty, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate has been kneeling with over a dozen officials for two hours. The memorials submitted have piled up like a mountain, all impeaching Xu Qinghuan, saying she is a witch confusing the public, corrupting morals and shaking the foundation of the state, requesting an edict to immediately seal up the Hundred Flowers Pavilion and bring her to the capital."
Emperor Tiansheng casually picked up that pile of memorials, didn't even look at them, and threw them directly into the charcoal basin.
Instantly, those memorials filled with benevolence, righteousness, and morality turned into ashes.
"Shaking the foundation of the state? I think it's shaking their money bags!"
Emperor Tiansheng paced back and forth in the great hall with his hands behind his back, his voice very cold.
"Where did these eighty thousand taels come from? They were dug out from the backyards of the prominent families in Jiangnan, scraped from the hands of those madams and misses who never step out of their main doors!"
"These old geezers cry poor to me every day, saying the taxes in Jiangnan are heavy and need to be reduced or exempted every year. As a result, their own wives watch a play and can throw out thousands of taels in one night!"
"This Xu Qinghuan, where is she some witch?"
Emperor Tiansheng stopped walking, his gaze passing through the hall doors to look towards Jiangnan.
"She is a knife of mine, able to stab into the hearts of the prominent families and bleed them for me!"
Eunuch Li's heart pounded with fear as he tentatively asked, "Then... what about the Censorate?"
Emperor Tiansheng sat back on the dragon throne, his tone indifferent.
"Pass my verbal edict."
"Among the three thousand articles of the Great Qian's laws, which one says women cannot spend money to watch plays, and which one says men cannot perform on stage?"
"Since it's not illegal, the imperial court has no justification."
"Tell Shen Lian to find something for those censors to do. Investigate if the families of these kneeling officials have purchased properties in Jiangnan. If they have, tell them to shut up and go back to manage their own account books!"
"Yes!" Eunuch Li hastily complied.
...
Capital, Third Prince's Mansion.
By the pond in the back garden, the Third Prince was scattering a handful of fish food.
The koi in the pond scrambled for food, churning up splashes.
"Eighty thousand taels in one night..."
He muttered to himself, a curve hooking the corner of his mouth.
The aide behind him said in a low voice, "Your Highness, this daughter of the Xu family now has tremendous momentum, even the Holy One... If she is allowed to continue causing such a commotion, the situation in Jiangnan might slip out of our control."
"I misjudged."
The Third Prince let go, pouring the whole jar of fish food into the pond.
Instantly, the school of fish swarmed up madly, making the water surface violently chaotic.
"I thought that going from Taoyuan County to Jiangnan, even holding an auspicious sign, she would just be at the mercy of others."
"I didn't expect..."
The Third Prince clapped his hands to remove the residue, his eyes gloomy.
"Where is this a sheep? This is clearly a gold-swallowing beast."
"To be able to tear open a gap in the territory of the prominent families and make Imperial Father willing to be her protective umbrella."
"Go, send a message to our people in Jiangnan."
"Don't rush to make a move, let the Zhao family and the Wang family be the ones to stick their necks out first. We... will just wait behind to collect the corpses."
"The muddier the waters of this Jiangning, the better."
...
Jiangning, Hundred Flowers Pavilion's back courtyard.
The afternoon sun spilled onto the bluestone slabs. From the front building, the sounds of workers repairing the floorboards and sweeping melon seed shells could still be heard.
But it was very quiet in a side room of the back courtyard.
Scholar Xu was wearing a washed-out scholar's robe. His original leather pants and shiny oil had long been washed clean.
He sat upright, with a cup of tea and a thread-bound book placed on the desk in front of him.
That was just brought in by Li Sheng.
"Scholar Xu, the Eldest Miss said."
Although Li Sheng still had that fierce look, there was a bit more respect in his tone. After all, this master had driven all the noblewomen in the city crazy last night.
"This new storybook, you have to memorize it thoroughly within three days. Whether it's the lyrics, the spoken parts, or the emotions inside, they must be carved into your bones."
Scholar Xu looked at the crooked handwriting on the cover, his brows tightly furrowed.
He instinctively resisted.
Last night, he was forced by helplessness. To take revenge and to survive, he had no choice but to dance that kind of dance.
Now... what did she want him to act out again?
Could it be those unspeakable lewd songs and obscene tunes?
"I won't read it." Scholar Xu turned his head away with a cold face, his scholarly stubbornness flaring up again. "A scholar can be killed but not humiliated. If I have to take off my clothes again, I..."
"The Eldest Miss said, no taking off clothes this time."
Li Sheng chuckled, revealing two rows of teeth.
"This time, what you need to take off are the hearts of those noblewomen."
"You read it first. The Eldest Miss said, if you can still say the word 'unspeakable' after reading this script, she will never force you to take the stage again."
Scholar Xu was taken aback.
Looking at Li Sheng's certain gaze, he hesitated for a moment but still reached out his hand.
His fingers touched the paper, and several large characters were written on the cover—
"Butterfly Lovers".
This name... was quite interesting.
With a bit of criticism and pickiness, Scholar Xu opened the first page.
The room was very quiet, with only the sound of turning pages.
At first, he turned the pages very quickly, his face still bearing the aloofness and disdain of a scholar.
"Becoming sworn brothers at Caoqiao... cliché."
"Classmates for three years... This Zhu Yingtai is also shameless, actually disguising herself as a man to mix into the academy."
He read while coldly snorting in his heart.
But gradually, his hands slowed down.
When he read the chapter of the Eighteen Miles of Send-off, Xu Zijin's eyes changed.
The lyrics were no longer blatant provocations, but subtle and deeply affectionate.
Every line seemed to describe the scenery, but in reality, they were all expressing love.
It was a cry from someone bound by etiquette and worldly conventions, yet desperately trying to break out of the cage.
Xu Zijin's breathing quickened.
He saw himself.
He saw the self who had no way to serve his country, trampled underfoot by aristocratic families and the powerful.
He also saw the women screaming crazily in the audience last night.
Why did they scream? Because they had been trapped in the cage of wealthy families for too long. What they craved was not just the physical bodies of men, but the freedom and true love that could break through all restraints!
Turning to the chapter of the Meeting at the Pavilion.
"Brother Liang... we have no destiny in this life, but even after death, we must turn into a pair of butterflies..."
Drop.
A tear smashed onto the page, smudging the ink.
Xu Zijin's hands were trembling.
He abruptly closed the book and shut his eyes, his chest heaving violently.
How was this just a storybook?
This was clearly a soft knife, more vicious than the leather whips from last night!
Last night's frenzy only made those women impulsive for a moment.
But this Butterfly Lovers was meant to carve their hearts out alive and stomp on them ruthlessly. It would make them cry, make them ache, and make them willingly empty their family fortunes for this romance, even defying the men in their households!
"To kill the body is nothing compared to destroying the mind... destroying the mind..."
Xu Zijin muttered to himself.
His heart was filled with awe, and even a trace of fear.
"Manager Li."
Xu Zijin stood with his back to Li Sheng, his voice hoarse but firm.
"Report back to the Eldest Miss for me."
He slowly raised his hands and gave a formal scholar's bow to the empty air, bending at a ninety-degree angle.
"I originally thought the Princess reeked of copper, but I never expected that the one who understands the word 'love' best in this world, and knows best how to use etiquette to kill, is actually her."
"Once this book is published, the price of paper in Jiangning will skyrocket."
"I, Xu Zijin... concede."
Top floor, private room.
After listening to Li Sheng's report, Xu Qinghuan was leaning against the soft couch, toying with an exquisite jade teacup in her hands.
There was no surprise on her face; instead, a profound smile curled the corners of her lips.
"Of course he would concede."
Xu Qinghuan took a sip of tea and looked out the window, as if seeing an invisible giant net through the clouds.
Li Sheng scratched his head. "Eldest Miss, how can you be so sure? With Scholar Xu and his stubborn mule temper, I was afraid he would tear the book apart just now."
"Because there is no one more suitable to play Liang Shanbo than him."
Xu Qinghuan put down the teacup, her fingertips tapping lightly on the tabletop.
In her heart, she silently added a sentence:
Because this Xu Zijin was the official male lead in the original novel Records of the Great Qian's Winds and Clouds!
The male lead who, in the original book, was brilliantly talented but had a life full of hardships, eventually holding supreme power over the world yet dying alone!
