I quickly pulled the conversation back to the main topic. "Sister, since you know Master Xingze’s true origins, don't you feel... a bit deceived?"
Hua Moli replied, "At first, I did. It felt like some illusory shell had shattered. But the more I associated with Xingze and Hu-zi, the more that feeling was replaced by the simple concern of a friend. As long as they live well, are loved by the people, and don't have to worry about their livelihood, that is enough." She added a very sensible remark: "Some expectations are merely the wishful thinking of us fans, aren't they? Isn't it too selfish to bind their real lives with these hollow fantasies?"
Deeply moved, I hugged her arm and smiled. "Sister, you are truly perceptive and kind!"
"Of course I am." She waved her fan triumphantly. Then, noticing the fresh folding fan at Wei Qingming’s waist, she snatched it away and snapped it open with a flourish. She clicked her tongue in admiration. "Third Brother, your calligraphy and painting are getting better and better. Can you give this one to me?"
I leaned in to look. It was an ink-wash painting of Mount Dongshan, inscribed with four lines from Ji Kang’s poem: *"The zither and poetry bring joy; distant travels are to be cherished."* The ink was vibrant and fresh, clearly a recent work.
"It’s too coarse for a girl to use," Wei Qingming said. "I will write a more delicate one another day and send it to the Hua Manor."
Seeing me glaring in frustration, Hua Moli giggled and tossed the fan back to her. "Fine then. Write an even better one and send it to the Wen Manor instead."
I was so annoyed I wanted to hit Wei Qingming, but mindful of Hua Moli’s presence, I settled for a verbal jab. "A worldly socialite like her—what interest could she possibly have in 'dwelling forever among the spiritual peaks'? How pretentious!"
Hua Moli laughed so hard she trembled, and amidst our bickering, Xu Xingze’s performance began.
The lights in the seating area dimmed, and silence fell instantly. As the strings and woodwinds began to play, I felt a dense, lingering illusory intent permeate the surroundings. Though I guarded my mind, I did not resist it; this way, it wouldn't ruin the mood of the play. A wave of tender sorrow washed over my heart. Hearing the music, I already felt the urge to weep. Even a veteran fan like Hua Moli, who had seen this countless times, had tears welling in her eyes.
During a pause in the music, the great curtains slowly parted to reveal a magnificent palace setting. A jade bridge reflected the moon, and water gurgled softly. A beauty in the attire of a palace maid leaned against the bridge, reaching out to brush away the fish eating duckweed in the river. The palace, the bridge, and the moon were all painted, yet they appeared three-dimensional and real. The flowing water was actually crafted from some kind of spiritual mist—it looked like water yet wasn't, adding a soft, dreamlike quality.
The palace maid was named Han Yunxi, and she possessed a graceful figure and cheeks tinged with sorrow. She was played by Meng Tingyun. She began to sing, her voice filled with mournful longing: *"Lush flowers bloom with dew against the rail, yet no one comes to walk the terrace pool. A new song charms the people of today, waiting only for Sima Xiangru to receive the imperial decree."*
Her voice was truly powerful enough to stop the clouds, and her posture was seductive to the bone. She lamented how a beauty like a flower was locked away in the deep palace, her looks and talent unappreciated. Within that sorrow, Meng Tingyun portrayed a sense of lonely pride. Paired with the cold, dissolving moonlight, her allure was tempered by a refined strength of character. Immediately, the audience erupted in a thunderous cheer: "Bravo!"
Today’s performance was the full version of *The Tale of the Inscribed Red Leaf*. Legend has it that during the Mid-Tang era, the poet Gu Kuang had just passed the imperial examinations and was in high spirits. While serving as the Editorial Director in Attendance, he went to the imperial gardens for a stroll. It was the season when all things wither, amidst the sorrowful winds of autumn. He saw several red maple leaves drifting in the water flowing out from the palace walls. One leaf, particularly large, seemed to possess a natural spirit as it swirled around a stone at his feet. Gu Kuang picked it up and was astonished to find that the floating red leaf was inscribed with ink: *"Old favors like the autumn fan, in the new palace, idle all day long. Earnestly I thank the red leaf, may it find its way to the world of men."* The calligraphy was elegant, clearly the work of a palace maid from the forbidden grounds.
Gu Kuang was delighted by the fresh and beautiful verse. He admired it for three days, keeping it in his satchel. Unable to restrain himself, he found the upper reaches of the imperial moat and released a red leaf of his own, inscribed: *"Flowers fall in the deep palace, the oriole grieves; 'tis the time of heartbreak for the maid of Shangyang. The imperial city cannot forbid the eastward flow; to whom do you wish to send the poem on the leaf?"*
He kept watch by the moat for over ten days until he finally found a second red leaf: *"A leaf with a poem leaves the forbidden city; who is it that responds with such solitary affection? I sigh that I am not as free as the leaf in the waves, drifting along with the spring as I please."*
Gu Kuang was ecstatic. The two continued to communicate leaf by leaf. Gu Kuang eventually signed his name on a leaf, but unfortunately, he was spotted by a jealous colleague while releasing it. The colleague intercepted the leaf and reported it to the Emperor, accusing him of illicit affairs with a palace concubine. The Emperor was furious and exiled Gu Kuang to the front lines to guard the border. Upon hearing this, Han Yunxi managed through various means to send a hand-embroidered padded coat and a poem to the frontier: *"A traveler on the sandy battlefield, how can you sleep in such bitter cold? This war robe was made by my own hands; I wonder by whose side it will fall. Intentionally I added more thread; with affection, I packed it with more cotton. This life is already spent; let us tie the knot for our next life's fate."*
The two were separated for many years. By the time Han Yunxi had grown old and her beauty faded, she was released from the palace. Gu Kuang had also wasted half his life and returned from the battlefield. A friend surnamed Han happened to introduce the two to be wed. In a trunk, Yunxi found the red leaves. They recognized each other and thanked the heavens, both weeping with joy as they said, "How fortunate to fulfill the bond of this life with you."
Later, during the Huang Chao Rebellion, Gu Kuang suppressed the revolt and earned military merit. He went to the capital to see the Emperor, and Yunxi, as a former palace maid, also saw the Emperor again. The Emperor then appointed Gu Kuang as a general and Yunxi as a titled lady, while severely punishing the treacherous former colleague.
The play consisted of eight acts. The intermission occurred when the villain made the false accusation. I watched with tears streaming down my face, but Hua Moli shook her head. "Tingyun’s illness still isn't better. Several parts were out of tune and off-beat. In less than ten days, they have to perform for His Majesty at the Purple Cloud Tower. This is going to be trouble!" As she spoke, she headed backstage to check on Xu Xingze and Meng Tingyun. I followed her hurriedly, with Wei Qingming trailing unhurriedly behind me.
There, we saw Xu Xingze, stripped of his usual mild and warm demeanor, berating Meng Tingyun. He pointed out every single flaw in her two acts—where she was too slow or too fast, where she was out of tune, where her emotions didn't reach the audience, and where her posture lacked beauty. He was meticulous and showed no mercy.
Hua Moli sighed. "Xingze is perfect in every way, except he’s too harsh regarding the craft. But I can't blame him; Sister Tingyun was truly..."
We heard Meng Tingyun crying, "Xingze, don't scold me anymore, please don't... I’ve already listened to you. Am I not obedient enough? Don't replace me. I want to stand on stage beside you forever! I beg you, I’ll do anything, I’ll listen to everything you say, just don't replace me..."
Xu Xingze continued his tirade, raising his hand as if to slap her. Hua Moli had come specifically to prevent this. She lunged forward, caught his hand, and snapped, "Xingze, what are you doing! The play isn't over yet. How is Sister Tingyun supposed to go back on stage if you do this?"
Meng Tingyun was already showing signs of madness, biting the sleeve of her costume and trembling. Hua Moli hurriedly pulled the sleeve from her mouth. Meng Tingyun began to drool, giggling foolishly, and suddenly started singing in a melodious voice: *"In the dream of the traveler's coffin, I yearn for my home mountains ten thousand layers away. I cannot be the sickly beauty living forever in the laurel grotto; I am destined to be a powdered skull facing the ancient plum blossom cave. I hate the heavens; the winds and rains that envy the flowers always come when the moon is bright..."*
Even though I knew nothing about opera, I could tell she was mixing her plays. She had slipped into *The Dream of Linchuan*, the play they had first met in.
Perhaps because we outsiders were present, Xu Xingze found it difficult to continue being physical. He let out a furious curse, threatened that she would pay if anything went wrong in the second half, and stormed out through the curtain.
I watched the second half of the play with double the sympathy—for the characters in the story and the people behind them. The first act was Han Yunxi’s *The Embroidered Robe*. Meng Tingyun’s voice was high-pitched and tragic, each note faster than the last, twisting and turning so much that the instruments could hardly keep up. It was heart-wrenching to hear. This wasn't the sorrow of parting with a lover; it was the pained cry before a beauty’s death, the angry lament of a female ghost’s reincarnation... Even the usually calm and composed Wei Qingming looked pained, her brow furrowed.
After the "happily ever after" ending, I had soaked all of my handkerchiefs and all of Wei Qingming’s handkerchiefs with tears. I collapsed into her arms and wailed loudly amidst the cheers of the crowd. All the characters came on stage together, happily holding hands and bowing. The female audience members threw blue cornflowers, still wet with tears, onto the stage. The apprentices sang the closing poem behind the curtain: *"A million households in Chang'an, the imperial water flows east every day. Upon the water is a red leaf; you alone found the beautiful verse. You then inscribed a fallen leaf, which flowed back into the palace. Thousands in the deep palace, the leaf returned to the Han lady. Three thousand left the palace, the Han lady was among their number. Looking back to thank the Emperor's grace, tears fall like rouge rain. Residing in a noble's house, only then did she meet you. The matchmaker completed the six rites; a hundred years as husband and wife. Children fill their sight, green and purple robes fill the gates. Such a thing has never been since ancient times; it shall be passed down for a thousand ages..."*
From both sides of the stage, maids walked out one by one, handing bouquets to each character. As the male and female leads, Xu Xingze and Meng Tingyun stood in the center, naturally being the last to receive flowers. Finally, the second-to-last maid stepped onto the stage and slowly walked toward Meng Tingyun. Meng Tingyun was lost in her own world, believing her performance had been flawless, and was excitedly waving her hands. The flower-bearing maid reached her and extended the red poppies that represented Meng Tingyun’s character.
Meng Tingyun’s smiling face suddenly froze as if she had seen something terrifying. She began to scream at the top of her lungs. The bright red bouquet began to emit black gas and withered rapidly. Black mist flooded the stage, so thick it was almost a physical manifestation of resentment!
The maid stiffly extended a clawed hand and lunged at Meng Tingyun!
Before the women in the front row could even scream, Wei Qingming had already flown onto the stage. Immediately after, another figure leaped up—it was Tong Jinhu, who had been guarding the side of the stage. He lunged to shield Xu Xingze, while Xu Xingze had already instinctively pulled the nearby Meng Tingyun back. The three of them rolled into a heap.
Before the maid’s claws could reach them, Wei Qingming grabbed her by the back of the collar and threw her violently toward the side of the stage. In an instant, she drew her blade. With a *shua*, she released a wave of saber-qi that severed the ropes holding the overhead curtains. Before the audience could see clearly, the great curtain fell, blocking their view.
I threw a quick instruction to Hua Moli: "Guard the doors! Don't let anyone leave!" Then, before the curtain fully settled, I rushed onto the stage.
Perhaps because she had been wary of the crowd and didn't want to start a slaughter in public, Wei Qingming had held back her first move. Now that those concerns were gone, her killing intent surged. She coldly commanded the other actors behind her, "All of you, leave." With a flick of her blade, she slashed at the maid.
Except for Tong Jinhu, who was protecting Xu and Meng, everyone else fled, screaming.
Up close, I could see that it wasn't a maid at all. It was a Copper Corpse controlled by a Resentful Wraith, possessing the cultivation of the Cloud-Swallowing Realm. It let out a strange cry and attacked with its claws. But Wei Qingming was incredibly powerful, and her cultivation technique specifically countered yin and evil. She parried the Copper Corpse’s claws with one strike, then followed with two more, hacking the corpse into three pieces as easily as slicing vegetables. The Still Water Blade glowed with a brilliant golden light, illuminating the stage as bright as day.
Wei Qingming sheathed her blade and produced a jade bottle. Before the Copper Corpse’s resentment could dissipate, she drew in a few wisps to keep for comparison.
Tong Jinhu and I were somewhat familiar with her strength and remained composed. Meng Tingyun was a madwoman and understood nothing. Only Xu Xingze, who had never experienced such a scene, turned pale with shock, his lips trembling. Not even his stage makeup could hide his terror.
Wei Qingming flew back to my side and asked softly with a frown, "Why did you come up? Don't get frightened." I shook my head. "Don't worry."
She then strode toward the trio. She drew her blade again, seemingly intent on killing the twitching, raving Meng Tingyun. Tong Jinhu, blinded by the golden light of the Still Water Blade, did not retreat. He shouted desperately, "Young Master Wei, please show mercy!" Xu Xingze was too terrified to speak, but he gripped Meng Tingyun’s hand tightly and wouldn't let go.
"Hiss!" Under the brilliant light, all evils were repelled. Stimulated by the golden glow, Meng Tingyun seemed to be in agonizing heat and let out a frenzied shriek. Her hair fell loose, and her floral ornaments tumbled to the floor. The black resentment on her body spread out, sharp as blades. She first clawed at Xu Xingze’s neck to break free of his hold, then lunged haphazardly at Wei Qingming!
Wei Qingming actually stopped using her blade. She watched coldly as the beautiful ghost rushed her, then raised her left hand and casually pinched Meng Tingyun’s throat, as if she had calculated the move perfectly. Meng Tingyun’s petite body was lifted a foot off the ground, her limbs flailing violently in the air.
Golden light erupted from Wei Qingming’s palm, coalescing into grand and righteous talismans that drifted through the air like silk ribbons. They gradually wrapped around Meng Tingyun’s entire body, overbearingly seeping into her to suppress the dense resentment. Finally, Meng Tingyun’s struggles ceased. Her body went limp, and she was caught in the arms of the rushing Tong Jinhu.
Xu Xingze seemed dazed. He looked at the scene with a complex expression, then forced himself up from the floor and knelt before Meng Tingyun. "Second Senior Sister..." he murmured. Blood flowed unceasingly from his neck, and a few crystalline tears rolled down his cheeks.
***
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