novelraw Chapter 75 : Qin Wan is Missing
Chapter 75 : Qin Wan is Missing
75: Qin Wan is Missing
"Fuling!" Watching Fuling and Yue Ning grow farther away, Qin Wan could only frown helplessly. The human tide surged uniformly in one direction, and Qin Wan was forcibly swept along, drifting away from the main flow.
Meanwhile, Fuling and Yue Ning were also growing anxious. Fuling's voice held a sob. "Young Mistress has been separated from us. What should we do?"
Yue Ning quickly reassured her, "Don't panic. These two small streets converge at the end. We just need to follow the crowd. Your young mistress will likely wait for us there."
Fuling nodded hurriedly. Her young mistress was alone; who knew if she might get bumped or knocked over?
Over here, Qin Wan, listening to the chatter around her, finally understood where the crowd was heading.
"The Shuangqing Troupe last came to Jinzhou ten years ago."
"Indeed. Among southern opera troupes, they are the most renowned. I heard in the capital, only noble and prestigious families can get tickets to their performances. Now they've returned to Jinzhou, showing their roots, benefiting us common folk."
"True. How could we ordinary folks afford their performances otherwise?"
Listening to the discussion, Qin Wan was carried forward by the crowd. She suddenly realized: the Shuangqing Troupe had come to Jinzhou for the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration to perform. No wonder everyone was so eager. The Shuangqing Troupe rose to fame over a decade ago in the southern prefectures of Jinzhou and Jianzhou, a proper southern opera troupe. Over the years, their popularity grew. Even in the capital, their reputation rivaled that of northern troupes based there. While not exactly impossible to get tickets, many nobles and officials flocked to their shows.
But she wondered what attraction was on Fuling's side, causing the crowd to split.
A quiet doubt arose in Qin Wan's heart. She looked ahead and suddenly noticed that the end of this street seemed to converge with the previous one. Feeling somewhat reassured, she simply let the crowd carry her forward. Before long, she heard the stirring sounds of drums and music; the Shuangqing Troupe had already begun warming up!
Qin Wan wore her mask, which at first glance appeared rather fierce. Because of this, people around her gave her a wider berth. Qin Wan glanced around; most others also wore masks, but theirs were patterned with auspicious beasts and birds, pleasant to look at. Qin Wan paid no mind and continued moving with the tide. Soon, she saw the Shuangqing Troupe's stage.
The troupe had rented an entire teahouse. The teahouse had been cleared, and the stage extended from inside to the street outside. On the stage now, musicians were already seated on the left side. The main platform, however, had curtains drawn. Faint singing could be heard from within, likely actors rehearsing. Qin Wan had never been fond of opera, but her mother loved it. So, listening to the musicians' melody and the humming tune inside, Qin Wan could roughly guess which play was about to be performed.
"Will Master Qingli perform today?"
"Today's play is 'Meeting on the Immortal Bridge.' That's Master Qingli's specialty!"
"Probably not. Master Qingli became the troupe leader long ago. Unless a noble in the capital specifically requests her, no one gets to hear her sing anymore. Nowadays, the Shuangqing Troupe has two famous young actors, both trained by Master Qingli. One is named Qinglan, the other Qingxian. Today, it's Qingxian performing."
The person standing near Qin Wan seemed to be a devoted fan of the Shuangqing Troupe, casually listing the troupe's star actors. Qin Wan knew nothing of this. If Fuling and Yue Ning were here, she might have stayed to listen to "Meeting on the Immortal Bridge." But Fuling must be worried sick since she was missing. Qin Wan began pushing forward through the crowd. After just a few steps, a figure caught the corner of her eye.
In the crowd to her left front, someone else was also trying to push outwards. That blue robe looked extremely familiar, wasn't that Yue Qing?! Qin Wan frowned. Had Yue Qing finished escorting Grand Princess Jiayi and come looking for them?
She shook her head inwardly. Impossible. The Anyang Marquis's boat was in a different direction from where they came. If it really were Yue Qing, there was no way he could have gotten ahead of her. But if not Yue Qing, then who?
The question barely formed in her mind before her feet moved. She followed in that person's direction, squeezing through the crowd with difficulty. Finally breaking free, she saw the figure dart into a small alley beside the street, disappearing in a flash.
Qin Wan pressed her lips together tightly. She hesitated for only a moment before following.
Fuling and Yue Ning didn't know why the crowd was surging forward either, but before long, they found out. It turned out that at the end of this street, wealthy households of the city were distributing relief grain and blessing coins!
Fuling looked left and right. Most of the people crowding forward were plainly dressed commoners. Those dressed in fine clothes had all gone to Qin Wan's side. Fuling pressed her lips together, lowered her head, and pushed forward, wishing she could reach the street's end in two steps.
Fortunately, the line for grain and coins moved quickly. By the time Fuling and Yue Ning reached the end of the street, less than half a cup of tea had passed. Yue Ning crossed a side street and looked toward Qin Wan's direction. She immediately saw the Shuangqing Troupe's stage and gave a bitter smile. "So it's the Shuangqing Troupe performing. Let's wait. I'm afraid she's still stuck in the crowd."
Fuling also knew of the Shuangqing Troupe. In the current Great Zhou, actors and entertainers held low status, but once they became stars with patrons, their influence could be significant. For a troupe like Shuangqing, merely mentioning their name would have countless nobles and officials waiting to watch.
"Everyone's gathered around the stage. Why hasn't Young Mistress come out yet?"
Fuling twisted the cuff of her sleeve, worried. Yue Ning narrowed her eyes and took a couple of steps forward. Looking closely, her brow immediately furrowed. The crowd was packed three layers deep, blocking the street entrance. Qin Wan would need some effort to get through.
"Don't worry. She should be able to spot us. Come, let's stand somewhere conspicuous."
With the crowd gathered to listen to the opera, the remaining street entrance was relatively empty. Yue Qing led Fuling a few steps to the side, where they would be easily visible to anyone looking. Yue Ning believed that with Qin Wan's intelligence, she would surely know how to find them quickly.
Yue Ning and Fuling had moved fast. By Yue Ning's estimation, Qin Wan should have squeezed out within half a cup of tea at most. But after standing for nearly a full cup of tea, Qin Wan still hadn't appeared!
"Why hasn't Young Mistress come out yet? Did she take a wrong turn?"
Fuling was increasingly anxious. "Please wait here, Young Princess. This servant will go in to find my young mistress."
Yue Ning grabbed Fuling's arm, about to advise her to wait a moment longer, when a light exclamation came from behind.
"Little Sister, you also came to listen to the Shuangqing Troupe?"
Yue Ning turned to see Yue Jia and the others approaching. Yue Jia and Yan Chi carried nothing, while Wei Yanzhi held a lantern and a small peachwood sword. Yue Jia called out, then scanned the area, sensing something amiss. Before he could ask, Yue Ning said gravely, "Elder Brother, Qin Wan is missing..."
As her words fell, the faces of the three men opposite all changed.