Xiao Jingnan often found himself with a splitting headache.
To be fair, in the political arena of the court, he supported Zhao Yanke.
On the one hand, they had grown up together since childhood. On the other hand, he knew that Zhao Yanke supported the recovery of the southern border.
If he wanted the six cities in the southern border to return to the Great Sheng Empire and fulfill the long - cherished wishes of his father, elder brother, and uncle, he had no choice but to rely on Zhao Yanke.
However, on another level, he would occasionally doubt whether his choice was the right one.
Zhao Yanke seemed to be a carefree and playful person on the surface. His words and deeds were rather outlandish and extremely unsteady.
But in fact, he was not without any schemes.
Otherwise, he couldn't have gradually strengthened his own power under the strict surveillance of Empress Dowager Kang and subtly formed a force that could rival hers.
However, just when you thought he might be reliable, he would immediately do something outrageous!
For example, right now, Xiao Jingnan was truly confused.
Zhao Yanke had just told him that he was only trying to deceive Empress Dowager Kang and not really fooling around.
But the next moment, he was arguing vehemently with Fang Zhi over which role to play!
...
Are you really trying to deceive Empress Dowager Kang?
You just want to have fun yourself!
...
Li Wanming also had a headache.
It was not until this moment that she understood how capital intervened in artistic creation and forcibly added characters... It was simply using power to blatantly add scenes!
No wonder the shows on the stage were getting worse and worse. It was all the fault of these idle and wealthy playboys!
But there was nothing she could do. She was just an ordinary civilian.
In the face of power, she didn't dare to say no.
Seeing that they had added two more roles in an instant, she could only grit her teeth and agree.
Anyway, she had finally managed to appease the three of them. Otherwise, she really didn't know how to end this evening.
However, there was still one person left...
Zhao Yanke looked at Princess Danyang and asked, "Sister, who do you want to play?"
He was really afraid that Princess Danyang would suddenly say that she wanted to play Du Liniang. If so, his role as Liu Mengmei would probably be in vain again.
- Princess Danyang was not Fang Zhi. He didn't dare to compete with her for a role...
Zhao Yanke licked his lips and tentatively asked, "Sister, there's also a role of a Taoist nun. How about you..."
Princess Danyang shot him a fierce look, which immediately silenced him.
After a long while, Princess Danyang said indifferently, "I won't play anyone."
She pointed her slender finger forward and said, "I'll just sit down there and watch them perform!"
...
They really treated their inn as a stage!
Li Wanming was just about to explain, "Our way of playing here is different. If you sit outside, you may not be able to see anything..." when she felt someone gently tugging at her sleeve.
She looked back and saw Xiao Jingnan winking at her.
Xiao Jingnan whispered, "Perform it like on a stage."
"What?"
Xiao Jingnan continued, "There's an extra bosom friend and a young general, and there are only three guests... Now, except for the original roles of Du Liniang and Liu Mengmei, the script has been completely changed. How can we still perform it?"
"Rather than that, it's better to just let Su Xiaozhu perform the original opening dance and then let those three come up and take a turn. That's it."
Li Wanming was a bit reluctant, "But in this way, there will be no sense of experience..."
The design of the activities in the inn had cost her and Qinglan ten days of hard work.
She had high hopes for the first day of business today, hoping to shock the capital again. But now, it had been completely messed up by these four royal relatives.
Going on stage, dancing, and taking a turn...
How was this different from the fire - spitting show in an ordinary theater?
Xiao Jingnan said, "Don't worry about the sense of experience. Let's just get through this evening safely first."
"If we follow our previous plan, we'll have to ask His Majesty to memorize the character settings and lines of Liu Mengmei. Do you think he'll obediently do it?"
Li Wanming looked at Zhao Yanke and shook her head hopelessly.
Zhao Yanke came here to have fun, not to study.
He probably wouldn't follow the rules they had originally set. And the most troublesome thing was that neither she nor Xiao Jingnan had the ability to monitor him...
Moreover, there was also a part of treasure - hunting and puzzle - solving in the script. If they really followed the original plan, Zhao Yanke might even tear down the inn to solve the puzzles.
Forget it, forget it.
It's better to avoid trouble. Just do as Xiao Jingnan said.
Li Wanming ordered someone to fetch a set of more gorgeous women's clothing and then took Fang Zhi to a private room on the other side to change.
This was the clothing of Concubine Yang from another script, The Palace of Eternal Youth. They were taking it out for temporary use - because based on Li Wanming's understanding of Fang Zhi, as long as there was any woman's clothing on the stage more gorgeous than hers, she would cause trouble.
Seeing them leave, Xiao Jingnan also bowed to the princess and then took Zhao Yanke and Feng Xiao into the room to change clothes.
As soon as they entered the door, he pulled Zhao Yanke aside and asked, "Why are you constantly provoking the princess? And you deliberately asked her if she wanted to play the Taoist nun. Are you afraid she won't go crazy?"
Zhao Yanke blinked his eyes and said indifferently, "Don't you know my sister? Does her going crazy have anything to do with being provoked?"
"Moreover, I think you should thank me!"
"Sister clearly came here to pick a fight today. If I hadn't left the palace today and muddled the waters for you, you really wouldn't have been able to handle it."
"If I provoke her like this, maybe it will even prevent her from losing her temper."
Xiao Jingnan gritted his teeth and said, "I really appreciate you!"
Zhao Yanke patted him on the shoulder and said, "It's okay. We're brothers. No need to be polite!"
He threw the clothes aside. The frivolous look on his face faded, and his black eyes turned as calm as an ancient well.
"Sister is a person with a perverse temper and is unpredictable. But I always have a feeling that there doesn't seem to be complete harmony between her and the empress dowager."
Xiao Jingnan's heart skipped a beat and he asked, "Your Majesty means..."
"The empress dowager always hopes that sister can be a stupid and wealthy idle person, living a carefree life. So she never asks too much about her amorous affairs. But sister herself may not think so."
Xiao Jingnan pondered and said, "I've also noticed this."
"My cooperation with her has been going too smoothly."
"I once worried that the princess would set a trap for me in the chamber of commerce. But up until now, except for the transfer of money, there has been nothing else wrong."
Hearing their conversation, Feng Xiao also realized something and asked, "You mean the princess has other plans?"
The princess was of noble status, second only to the emperor and above all others.
She was extremely wealthy. If she had other plans, what could they be?
"No way..."
Feng Xiao rolled his eyes and exclaimed in disbelief, "Now all the power in the court is in the hands of Empress Dowager Kang. If the princess were to rebel, wouldn't it be equivalent to treason and regicide?"
"Playing such a dangerous game, what does she want?"
"Even if she were to adopt a prince from the royal clan, she would still be a princess. She couldn't be an empress dowager to rule behind the curtain!"
Xiao Jingnan pondered and said, "We don't know yet. But anyway, we should be careful."
Zhao Yanke smiled. His eyes flashed, and then he resumed his previous innocent and stupid look, "So, let's just have fun first. Maybe we'll find out while having fun."