CHAPTER 465: 355. FOUR DREAMS OF BIANLIANG

The Ning Dynasty’s Imperial Music Bureau is divided into the North and the South.

The Northern Imperial Music Bureau is in the Imperial Capital, while the Southern Imperial Music Bureau is in Jinling. The Northern Imperial Music Bureau retains a Danbi Grand Music Hall, nurturing some actors to perform plays and music, maintaining some dignity; the Southern Imperial Music Bureau, however, has thoroughly degenerated into an official brothel.

The Northern Imperial Music Bureau is further divided into the North Courtyard and the South Courtyard. The North Courtyard is the Danbi Grand Music Hall, a place for rituals and music; the South Courtyard is a suite of brocade corridors, a place for romance and leisure.

Chen Ji walked alone into the North Courtyard, and the clerk at the entrance of the Imperial Music Bureau politely asked, "May I ask this lord’s official position?"

Chen Ji casually answered, "Hundred Households of the Yulin Army."

The clerk cupped his hands and said, "My lord, our Imperial Music Bureau has a rule; only civil servants of secondary fifth-rank or above wearing red robes are allowed to enter."

Chen Ji took out Qi Zhenwu’s invitation from his sleeve and handed it to the clerk.

The clerk unfolded the tassel and, after just a glance, hastily bowed down: "I didn’t realize you were Lord Qi’s guest, please come in."

He returned the invitation to Chen Ji, but Chen Ji did not take it back and directly walked into the Imperial Music Bureau.

Chen Ji slowly walked through the dim corridor, and suddenly the view opened up. A carpeted path extended inward, and inside the halls, candles hung high, the lights dazzling.

Placed on the Han Baiyu platform were bronze bells and a stone chime rack; behind the gold and copper peacock patterned chimes, musicians dressed in crimson collared robes played the Taiping songs, solemn and elegant.

Below the stage, square tables were laden with melons and candied fruits, surrounded by officials and noble men and women in silks and satins.

This was the so-called romance and grand illumination of a prosperous era.

Chen Ji didn’t recognize the guests within the Imperial Music Bureau, so he could only quietly walk along the edge of the Danbi Grand Music Hall. He seemed like an observer in this grand era, quietly passing through the lavishness and bright lights.

He scanned the crowd, searching for the figure of Huang Que.

At this moment.

"Brother Chen Ji!" Shen Ye of the Huqiu Poetry Society waved and shouted.

This shout suddenly silenced the noisy Danbi Grand Music Hall, and the musicians on the stage of the Imperial Music Bureau thought their ears were playing tricks on them.

All eyes turned towards the edges, fixing on Chen Ji.

A young man of seventeen or eighteen years, not dressed in splendorous clothing, with his hair simply tied with a wooden hairpin at the top.

His figure was slender, and his appearance could only be considered delicate, far from the handsome and graceful Chen Yu and Li Xuan, like a rough blade.

"Is he Li Changge?"

"What Li Changge, he’s called Chen Ji, from the Chen family on Fuyou Street."

"Is he the one who debated Bodhisattva Wuzhai? He doesn’t look like it."

"Nonsense, whether one can debate the Bodhisattva has nothing to do with one’s attire!"

Chen Ji smiled and waved to Shen Ye, walking towards him: "Brother Shen."

As he walked over the red carpet, people occasionally rose to bow: "Young Master Chen, I am Yuan Liyu of the Ru Nan Yuan Family."

"I am Yang Yuzhan of the Hongnong Yang Family."

As he walked, countless people left their seats, coming to the front of the red carpet, eager to acquaint themselves with Chen Ji. Chen Ji returned their greetings, overwhelmed by the attention.

Near the table closest to the White Jade Platform, Qi Zhaoning watched Chen Ji in the crowd with bright eyes and said to Qi Zhaoyun beside her, "Sister, I’m afraid tonight many are not here for the Four Dreams of Bianliang, but to see him."

Qi Zhaoyun glanced at Qi Zhaoning: "This is just your imagination, most guests tonight are here for the Wang Family’s Daughter. The Wang Family was raided and exterminated, and today two girls of marriable age from the Wang Family have been sent to the Imperial Music Bureau. Someone has spread the word that sixty thousand coins could buy one, so the newly affluent from the Ru Nan Yuan Family and the Hongnong Yang Family are here."

Qi Zhaoning mumbled: "Newly affluent families rarely follow proper etiquette. It’s all Zhang Zhuo’s fault, becoming the Left Assistant Minister of Personnel, dares to take silver from anyone and sell positions to anyone, allowing these vulgar sorts to enter the hall!"

Qi Zhaoyun nodded in agreement: "Indeed, buying girls from the Wang Family at the Imperial Music Bureau is no different than adding insult to injury. The crime is Lord Wang’s, and even if his children are guilty, they shouldn’t be publicly sold. If one day the Qi family falls, wouldn’t we also be placed on this White Jade Platform?"

Qi Zhaoning was nonchalant: "Don’t worry, our Qi family won’t fall... Zhenzhu, go make another pot of tea; the tea on the table is cold, and when Chen Ji comes, we don’t want to be impolite."

Next to the two Qi family girls, Qi Zhenzhu remained with her face veiled; upon hearing Qi Zhaoning’s instructions, she quietly acknowledged and turned to ask a clerk for tea.

After Qi Zhenzhu left, Qi Zhaoyun turned to Qi Zhaoning: "Didn’t you say last time he left without saying goodbye and was very rude, and you planned not to pay him attention for a month?"

Qi Zhaoning stiffened her neck and defended: "This time our brother sent an invitation to him, and our brother was caught up in official duties and couldn’t come. You and I represent our brother and cannot be impolite."

Qi Zhaoyun smiled and no longer made fun of her, turning to look for Huang Que among the crowd.

At this moment, Chen Ji managed to extricate himself from the crowd and came forward. Qi Zhaoning instinctively smoothed the creases in her clothes, straightened her back, making her neck look longer and more slender.

She pretended to look elsewhere casually, but her peripheral vision was drawn to Chen Ji.

When Chen Ji’s gaze swept over, she hurriedly averted her eyes completely.

Qi Zhaoning noticed Chen Ji was approaching, closer and closer.

The next moment, Chen Ji softly asked, "Might I trouble you to ask if this seat is taken?"

Qi Zhaoyun politely said, "To Young Master Chen, it’s not taken."

"Thank you," Chen Ji picked up a chair and walked towards Shen Ye and Huang Que, squeezing beside the already full square table. In this Danbi Grand Music Hall, typically only three would sit around a square table, leaving no seat back to the White Jade Platform for it obstructs viewing the performance.

But Chen Ji sat down with his back to the White Jade Platform, smiling and greeting Shen Ye and Huang Que.