novelraw Chapter 1620 - 1627: Competition (1)
Chapter 1620 - 1627: Competition (1)
The Grand Hongyun Theater is located in the bustling Goldfish Lane. Heading east along Imperial Street, passing through the Jinhua gate, you reach Goldfish Lane, and in the middle of the alley, you will find the famous Grand Hongyun Theater.
When Cai Wei arrived, it was almost Sishi. The front of the theater was already crowded with horse carriages. Looking at the markings on each carriage, they all belonged to the noble families in the capital, ranging from the great families like Duke Li Guo’s Mansion and Prime Minister Ning’s residence to the sixth rank officials. Ordinary people, no matter how much silver they have, simply cannot enter.
It seems that the contest between Liu Xi and Jing Shizi has caused quite a stir in the capital!
Cai Wei got down from the carriage from a distance and walked through the carriages of various mansions into the theater.
Upon entering, the theater was packed, with no seats available. It was filled with people. Many nobles usually occupy private boxes here, but the available boxes were limited and were reserved for princes, princesses, or top dignitaries like those from Duke Li Guo’s Mansion or Prime Minister Ning’s residence. The rest sat in the scattered seats on the second floor, eating snacks brought by the shop assistant and whispering among themselves.
Cai Wei went up to the second floor, came to her reserved private room, and after settling in, looked towards the stage leaning on the railing. Neither Liu Xi nor Jing Shizi had taken the stage yet. On the stage, a lively short play was being performed to entertain the audience. The actor on stage was singing in a high-pitched falsetto with great effort, but the audience was not interested in listening. They were whispering among themselves, discussing the upcoming duel!
One is the heir of the Marquise Mansion, and the other is the confidant of the Empress Dowager. The duel between two people of such high status before the eyes of the public was indeed sensational, enough to pique everyone’s gossiping interest.
Cai Wei took out a plate of homemade chestnut cake, a dish of boiled peanuts in salt water, and a pot of fragrant flower tea from space, and started eating leisurely. Since she was already there, she didn’t have to worry about Liu Xi being in any danger.
When the two of them duel later, if it’s a fair fight, even if Liu Xi loses, she would only feel regret and would never help him cheat. However, if Jing Shizi cheats, she would definitely not sit idly by and would help Liu Xi seek justice.
The actor on the stage soon stepped down, and amidst the eager anticipation of the audience, Liu Xi finally took the stage.
Today, he wore a green short coat with sword sleeves, loose cotton trousers, and a pair of soft-soled low-top cloth shoes. At first glance, he looked much like a long-serving worker of a landlord. He didn’t even wear a crown or hairpin on his head, only a cloth scarf wrapped around his hair bun, appearing extremely simple.
Once on stage, he politely cupped his hands towards the audience and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for sparing your precious time to witness the contest between Jing Shizi and myself. As you may have heard, there has been some discord between Liu Xi and Jing Shizi. Who is right and who is wrong, Liu Xi does not wish to dwell on it, and for those who know, you know well enough. Today, by challenging Jing Shizi, Liu Xi aims to show everyone that although his body is disabled, he is not weak and easily bullied. Liu Xi never bullies others with his power, nor will he allow others to bully him without reason..."
"Ha, if you don’t want to be bullied, you better defeat me first!"
Jing Shizi walked out leisurely from backstage with his hands behind his back. He wore a purple-gold crown embedded with jewels on his head, a bright red sword-sleeved outfit with a hundred butterflies pattern embellished, tied with a palace ribbon with colorful silk clustered flower knots and long tassels, and black satin pink-bottom boots on his feet.
This outfit might look handsome and refined, but it was very hindering in a fight. However, Jing Shizi obviously didn’t regard Liu Xi in his eyes, believing that just three punches and kicks would be enough to knock Liu Xi to the ground. As for how to torment and humiliate him after knocking him down, that was something to be dealt with later...