Jiang Changning returned to Qiyuan Palace and summoned the chief eunuch Dong Qu and Xiulan, "There are many people summoned to the palace this time, let the guards keep watch, and don't let any trouble happen."
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. People from the common people are allowed to enter but not leave the palace. There are also three layers of guards guarding the palace, so there will be no problems." Dong Qu replied.
"That's good." Jiang Changning handed him the list, "You guys go and make the arrangements."
The next day, folk artists entered the palace one after another and lived in Gan Tang Palace.
Dong went to find Chang Youzhong and said, "Eunuch Chang, everyone outside the palace has been arranged. Would you like to go over and take a look?"
Without waiting for Chang Youzhong to speak, he added: "With your supervision, we will feel more at ease."
"Slippery." Chang Youzhong cursed with a smile, "Where's Miss Xiulan?"
"Send someone to invite him." Dong Qu replied.
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiulan came over from the other end.
Xiulan walked up to the two men and knelt down, "Eunuch Chang, Eunuch Dong."
"You little rascal, let's go to Gan Tang Palace to take a look at those artists. Miss Xiulan, please." Chang Youzhong said with a smile.
Without Chang Youzhong's explanation, Xiulan also understood why Dong went to find her and Chang Youzhong to go to Gan Tang Palace.
Dong Qu was not the one who served Emperor Xuanzhi and Jiang Changning personally, so they were dragged into the group because they were afraid that the people they arranged would not suit the two masters' wishes.
Xiulan smiled politely and said, "Eunuch Chang, please."
Gan Tang Palace is very spacious and has many rooms, but it is located in a remote area, far away from the three main palaces. Even if these folk artists practice music and dance in the palace, they will not disturb the three masters in the palace.
If anyone has evil intentions and wants to do something, he may be shot into a sieve by arrows before he even leaves Gan Tang Palace.
As soon as I arrived at the palace gate, I heard the sounds of various musical instruments and someone warming up his voice. "Ah!"
"It's too noisy." Xiulan frowned.
Dong Qu winked at the young eunuch guarding the gate. The young eunuch was quite smart. He went in immediately and asked the artists to stop rehearsing.
After the music stopped, Chang Youzhong and his companions went in.
Entering the gate is a spacious courtyard. The artists who came to the palace stood obediently one by one.
Actors and singing girls are all people of the lowest class. Even if they are sought after, some of them do not recognize their status and dare not show off when they first enter the palace.
Xiulan glanced around and didn't see any kind of enchanting, worldly-minded woman. She nodded slightly, thinking that Yufutai had done a good job.
Chang Youzhong asked, "Are these the artists invited from the public?"
"Yes." Dong Qu nodded.
Then he said to the folk artists, "This is the chief steward of the imperial court, Eunuch Chang, and this is Miss Xiulan, the chief maid of the Empress. You should greet Eunuch Chang and Miss Xiulan quickly."
These folk artists had long guessed that Chang Youzhong and Xiulan had important identities. Now they learned that one served the emperor and the other served the queen. They were both nobles!
Everyone bowed their heads and saluted, "Greetings to Eunuch Chang and Miss Xiulan."
But they were too nervous, their manners were uneven, and their postures were not nice. Xiulan frowned slightly and said, "Eunuch Chang, should we ask someone to teach them some rules?"
"It's time to teach them some rules so they don't lose their manners in front of the nobles," said Chang Youzhong.
Dong Qu nodded and said yes, and took note of it.
"The palace has strict rules. Anyone who dares to break the rules or offends a noble will be beaten." Chang Youzhong coldly criticized everyone.
The beatings in the palace are real. If you get twenty beatings, you're basically half dead. If you get fifty beatings, you're very likely to die.
"Miss Xiulan, please say something too." Chang Youzhong said with a smile.
"I don't have much to say, except to say, learn the rules well and don't be careless. Otherwise, if you break the rules, getting scolded is a small matter, but if you lose your life, it will be too late to regret."
"Okay, we've already seen the people, there's no big problem." Chang Youzhong glanced at the folk artists again, and when he saw them lowering their heads one after another, he withdrew his gaze with satisfaction.
After Chang Youzhong and others left, the frightened artists temporarily had no energy to rehearse and gathered in groups of three or five, whispering to each other.
Among them, there was a girl wearing a white cotton gown embroidered with daffodils, who left alone.
"Chao Yun, why aren't you wearing your peacock dress today?" a dancer asked.
"If she dares to dress up extravagantly after entering the palace, she'll be courting death," another dancer curled her lips.
"She has always been very arrogant, always dreaming of being favored by princes and nobles so that she can become a good wife. Why has she become obedient after entering the palace this time?" The malice in her tone was not concealed at all.
"This is the Imperial Palace. What can we do if she is dishonest? Is that person someone she can deceive?"
"Oh, you all don't understand what I mean. Is she the kind of person with a brain? There must be someone behind her, I always feel that she has some ulterior motive."
"What can she want?"
"How should I know?" The dancer rolled her eyes.
"No matter what she wants, just don't let her get us into trouble."
"I'm just worried that it might get you into trouble."
All the dancers sighed and fell silent.
After a while, the dancer who first discovered that something was wrong with Chao Yun said, "Yao Niang, you and Chao Yun live in the same room, keep an eye on her and don't let her do anything wrong."
"Got it." A petite dancer agreed, "I'll go back to my room now."
When Yao Niang entered the room, she saw Chao Yun looking at herself in the mirror.
Chaoyun is very beautiful, with delicate features and a delicate and charming appearance.
The playboys in Beijing admired her very much and all wanted to be her lover.
"Chao Yun, we came to the palace to perform dance, so don't do anything else." Yao Niang said cautiously.
"What did I do?" Chao Yun turned and looked at her, "Are you afraid that I will climb up the social ladder and take revenge on them?"
"Chao Yun, we have good intentions. The emperor is not someone you can cling to."
"So far, no man has been able to refuse me, Chao Yun." Chao Yun touched his face, "The emperor is also a man."
"I heard that the Emperor and the Empress have a very good relationship. If you do this, you will anger the Empress."
"So what if I anger her? As long as I hold the emperor's heart, it doesn't matter if she is dissatisfied." Chao Yun said proudly.
Yao Niang was stunned for a moment, and said: "Chao Yun, you haven't even seen the emperor yet, so don't be too delusional."
"What do you know?" Chao Yun curled his lips in disdain.
It might be difficult to achieve success relying solely on beauty, but she has the help of noble people.
The noble man said that he would definitely help her.
In history, there were singing girls and dancing girls who became queens. Chao Yun was so beautiful, could it be impossible for her to become a concubine
Just as Chaoyun was dreaming of becoming a concubine in the future, Xiulan returned to Qiyuan Palace and reported to Jiang Changning what she saw in Gantang Palace, "Those people are quite honest."
Who do you think is the noble person who wants to help Chaoyun
(End of this chapter)