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Here’s how it happened.
Yesterday morning, there was a new development with the Old Marquis, witnessed by only Lu Man and the actor Xin Yu Tang who was performing.
Lu Man exclaimed loudly, “Oh my, Grandfather raised his hand again!”
The voice of Xin Yu Tang, who was singing, abruptly stopped, staring at the Old Marquis in surprise.
When the others rushed over, the Old Marquis had already lowered his hand.
Although Princess Changting didn’t witness the event, she saw Lu Man’s gestures and was delighted. She rewarded Xin Yu Tang and the two physicians with twenty taels of silver each, Lu Man received a pair of red agate earrings, and the others present were given two taels of silver each.
Since every time Lu Man saw Xin Yu Tang, she was dressed in costume, with heavy makeup and a large false beard covering half her face, and they had never spoken before, Lu Man had always assumed that Xin Yu Tang was a man.
Upon hearing the jokes about how Xin Yu Tang “sang” the Old Marquis awake, Lu Man suggested to Princess Changting, “In the future, let this little lad come here more often to perform…” Even though Xin Yu Tang was in heavy makeup, Lu Man could tell the person was quite young, hence the use of “this little lad.”
Before Lu Man could finish her sentence, Princess Changting and the others burst into laughter. Princess Changting was laughing so much that tears formed in her eyes as she pointed at Xin Yu Tang and asked Lu Man, “Do you think she’s a man or a woman?”
Bewildered by the laughter, Lu Man responded, “Of course, he’s a man.”
This led to more laughter in the room.
“Is she a woman?” Lu Man was taken aback, suddenly recalling a strikingly beautiful actress named Meng Xiaodong who specialized in male roles in her past life.
It was truly surprising. Regardless of Xin Yu Tang’s appearance, even her deep and resonant voice didn’t seem like it could come from a woman’s delicate vocal cords.
Granny Xie jokingly asked, “Third Young Madam, guess if Xiao Cai is a man or a woman?”
“Xiao Cai? He is even more beautiful than a woman, he can’t be a man, right?” Lu Man exclaimed in surprise.
In reality, Lu Man had already guessed that Xiao Cai was a man when Granny Xie asked. But for the sake of entertainment, she intentionally made that remark.
Upon hearing her words, everyone burst into laughter once again.
Wiping away the tears of laughter, Princess Changting pointed at Xin Yu Tang and said, “Xin Yu Tang, use your own voice to say a few words to Third Granddaughter.”
Xin Yu Tang gracefully greeted Lu Man and said with a smile, “This servant Xin Yu Tang greets Third Young Madam, may Madam be blessed and safe.”
Her voice was slightly deep and magnetic, but clearly feminine. However, hearing that voice coming from someone with a large beard, and seeing that person graciously greeting, was truly a sight to behold that challenged one’s perceptions.
As everyone struggled to contain their amusement, Guo mimicked Xin Yu Tang’s voice and greeting, which caused another round of laughter in the room.
Princess Changting jokingly scolded Guo, “If Xin Yu Tang saw you imitating her like this, she might be so upset. The poor girl isn’t that unattractive.”
More laughter erupted in the room.
The Third Madam wiped away her tears of laughter and explained to Lu Man, “Zhanwei’s wife, without your knowledge, our mansion supports two theater troupes. One is called the Qing Xi Troupe, with all male actors, and the other is the Qing Fu Troupe, with all female actors. The men usually listen to the Qing Xi Troupe for entertainment, while the women prefer the Qing Fu Troupe. On special occasions or when important guests arrive, both troupes perform together. Especially when Xiao Cai and Xin Yu Tang are on stage together, everyone enjoys it, saying they represent the masculine and feminine energies, turning yin and yang upside down…”
Although Lu Man had already inquired about these details when she returned to Orchid Pavilion yesterday morning, she still flattered, “Oh, I see, I’ve learned something new. It’s quite an eye-opener. Our mansion is indeed wealthy, I didn’t expect we would even support two theater troupes, and they perform so well.”
The Eldest Madam proudly added, “Indeed, our mansion’s theater troupes have even performed in the palace for the Emperor and noble guests, and the Emperor particularly enjoys Xin Yu Tang’s performances.”
Princess Changting smiled and said, “Once the Old Marquis recovers, we’ll invite some relatives and friends for some entertainment. In our theater troupes, not only Xiao Cai and Xin Yu Tang sing well, but several other young actors are talented too.”
Truly living a life of extravagance!
Lu Man chuckled, “I’ll certainly pay more attention to them.”
Jiang Zhanxun, the Sixth Young Master, expressed his enthusiasm, “Yu Qilin wields his silver spear skillfully and does great flips. I enjoy watching his performances.”
The Marquis scolded sternly, “You foolish boy, at such a young age, you already admire actors. If I catch you skiving off your studies to sneak off to watch rehearsals, I’ll break your legs.”
Eleven-year-old Jiang Zhanxun, the Sixth Young Master, was the eldest Madam’s spoiled child, lacking in academic dedication.
Seeing her son upset, the eldest Madam quickly interjected, “Dear, don’t be angry. Scolding him is minor, harming your health is major.”
Princess Changting added, “Our children should not be restricted. As long as they don’t cause trouble, watching a play is not a big deal.”
Upon the eldest Young Madam finishing her time with the Old Marquis and joining the group, she sat at the table and whispered to Lu Man, “Youngest sister-in-law, are there any servants you have in mind for our courtyard?”
Lu Man had already learned from Liu Ya about the staffing arrangements in the Eldest Young Madam’s courtyard. It was one stewardess, two senior maids, four junior maids, and four servant women. Her courtyard lacked one senior maid, one junior maid, and two servant women.
The shortage of one senior maid was easily resolved by promoting Lu Ying. As for the stewardess, if Mama Wang is found, she would be suitable for the role, otherwise, the position could remain vacant.
With one junior maid and two junior maids still needed, she decided to wait. Uncertain about her own future in the mansion, she questioned the necessity of hiring more staff.
Lu Man appreciated Han’s consideration. If she had assigned an unsympathetic stewardess, it would have been distressing.
She replied, “Thank you, Sister-in-law, the current staff in my courtyard is sufficient. If we find suitable candidates in the future, I’ll seek your assistance in transferring them.”
Young Madam Han smiled and nodded. She already had a candidate in mind for the stewardess role, ready to make the switch if needed. Since Lu Man declined, she left the matter for now.
Following her sister-in-law’s suggestions, Lu Man understood that regardless of her performance, she wouldn’t remain in this residence for long. Whether the Old Marquis recovered or not, her ultimate fate would be leaving. However, the treatment she received upon leaving would differ drastically. Knowing this, she remained cordial but reserved, avoiding unnecessary entanglements. Her grandmother-in-law emphasized that Lu Man must receive fair treatment, ensuring no one could question their relationship…
Lu Man added, “There is a suitable candidate for the senior maid position, Lu Ying.”
Young Madam Han remarked, “The maid who always accompanies you? She seems quite clever.”