Chapter 55: Begin Your Performance

The Pear Garden is a "comprehensive arts school" founded by Li Longji; its main duties are arranging music and writing lyrics, training instrumental performers, and also cultivating dancers.

It, together with the Imperial Music Office (Taichang Temple) that oversees rites and music, and the inner and outer teaching workshops that handle staged songs, dances, and instrumental pieces, form a trio responsible for supporting royal and official entertainment.

The top administrator of the Pear Garden is called Lord Cui (also known as Lord Yan).

This position has always been personally held by Li Longji himself, equivalent to a principal (or dean), and has never changed hands.

Below Lord Cui are two groups: the Editors and the Music Camp Generals (also called Kui Ling).

Editors, as the name suggests, are responsible for arranging and composing; they have a small fixed staff, but Li Longji often uses his authority to have Hanlin scholars or famous literati, such as He Zhizhang and Wang Wei, draft programs.

Li Longji, Lei Haiqing, and Gongsun Daniu have all served as Music Camp Generals. The current holder of the post is Lei Haiqing. Li Longji has long become a hands‑off manager.

They are the leaders in charge of the concrete performance affairs; that is, after Li Longji gives a directive, the Music Camp General organizes and arranges the shows.

At this moment, the Pear Garden's restricted courtyard had already set up tables; the guests' dining tables were on a high platform, while the stage was low, a layout very reminiscent of the theater of Fang Chongyong's previous life, only on a much smaller scale.

It must be said that, although Li Longji is not very diligent in governing the state, he truly understands art and knows how to have fun. Just by looking at the banquet's venue layout, one can tell that someone who rarely watches performances and organizes shows could never have conceived this.

Although the banquet venue was huge, Fang Chongyong immediately spotted Old Zheng, dressed in Tang brocade, bragging with his colleagues, his spirits high.

The Tang dynasty was a transitional period between China's "separate dining" and "communal dining" systems, so large banquets often had several people seated on separate high stools sharing a long table, their meals not interfering with each other—a "separate dining while sitting together" arrangement.

"Come, come, let me introduce you: this is Wei Jingzhao (Wei Jian), aren't you going to bow?"

Zheng Shuqing invited Fang Chongyong to sit and introduced the official in the round‑collared purple robe beside him: "Jiedushi Fang's only son Fang Chongyong, Chang'an prodigy."

Wei Jian forced an awkward smile, crossed his arms to salute Fang Chongyong, unsure what to say to this half‑grown child.

Fang Youde's face must still be given, but nothing beyond that is necessary.

Unlike Zheng Shuqing, the current Wei Jian already has two identities.

One is that he is a core partisan of Li Linfu. Because he married Jiang Jiao's daughter, and Jiang Jiao is Li Linfu's uncle, the two are essentially relatives. Li Linfu treats Wei Jian warmly and helped him attain the post of Jingzhao Yin.

But Wei Jian has another identity: his sister is the princess consort of Li Heng!

Li Heng is not yet the Crown Prince, so his relationship with Li Linfu has not soured. Therefore Wei Jian's fence‑sitting approach can still continue for now.

But Wei Jian, who knows the ducks are the first to feel the spring river's warm water, has already sensed the subtle shifts in personal relationships caused by the dramatic political changes, as well as Li Linfu's slight change in attitude toward him.

No one expected that the much‑watched Prince of Longevity, not only permanently lost the Crown Prince throne because his mother Empress Wu Hui died, but also had his princess consort snatched away by Li Longji!

Now this mud‑bodhisattva crossing the river can hardly safeguard himself!

Moreover, with Zhang Jiuling dismissed as chancellor and Zhang Shougui entering court, the central ministries underwent a massive turnover, forcing Wei Jian to tread carefully.

He cannot be as carefree as Old Zheng.

"Why are you wearing Tang brocade!"

Fang Chongyong pulled Zheng Shuqing aside and whispered his complaint.

"Why? Of course it's to start a fashion of wearing Tang brocade; you don't understand the court's unwritten rules."

Zheng Shuqing waved his hand and said dismissively.

What else is there? As the official overseeing Tang brocade, leading by wearing it is the era's "hidden rule."

Wearing it is universally acceptable; not wearing it would raise suspicion.

You, who personally supervise this fabric, don't even wear it yourself, yet dare to present it to the Son of Heaven—what motive do you have?

This basic logic is obvious.

Wearing a Tang‑brocade robe at the banquet could spark a trend among the aristocracy, thereby influencing the tastes of the empire's upper echelons.

Zheng Shuqing felt that such a "only great talents understand" matter need not be explained in detail to a half‑grown child like Fang Chongyong, especially in this setting. Otherwise, Zheng Shuqing wouldn't have sent someone today to deliver a robe for Fang Chongyong to wear to the banquet.

"There's something crucial."

Seeing Zheng Shuqing pick up a steamed "Yuan family pear" and about to put it in his mouth, Fang Chongyong leaned over, lowered his voice and said: "Besides a few disciples of Gongsun Daniu, only three people are wearing clothes made of this Tang brocade."

Fang Chongyong, with a plaintive expression, continued: "You yourself, Deputy Minister Zheng, plus me, plus… the former Princess Consort of the Prince of Longevity."

Clack!

Zheng Shuqing's chopsticks fell onto the table! The pear he had half‑bitten but not yet swallowed dropped to the floor. Instinctively swallowing the bite, he stammered, "So, so, would this…?"

"Will."

Fang Chongyong nodded and said.

If Yang Yuhuan can wear it, why can't Li Longji wear Tang brocade at this banquet? The reason is simple; it's the same as why Zheng Shuqing wears Tang brocade.

If the trend catches on, Li Longji will wear it after the banquet—someone will smooth the path for him; if this fabric is ridiculed as low‑grade and vulgar at the banquet, the one who looks shameful is Zheng Shuqing, not the Son of Heaven.

Since he is the sage of Chang'an, he naturally puts face first.

No matter how ugly, he cannot make himself look ugly.

"How does she have such a garment?"

Zheng Shuqing calmed down and asked, puzzled.

"Because the sage is the most important person in the Tang realm; how does Deputy Minister Zheng think he can shield the heavens single‑handedly?"

Fang Chongyong stared at Zheng Shuqing as if looking at a fool and retorted.

If we follow official procedures, the garment could never now reach Yang Yuhuan's hands.

However, the so‑called "official" hierarchy still ranks after the Son of Heaven, Li Longji.

"Act One! Military Recruitment Play!"

A Pear Garden performer raised a placard to announce the act on the stage.

"What is a Military Recruitment Play?"

Fang Chongyong tugged Zheng Shuqing's sleeve and asked.

"Do you still have the mood to watch a play? If we can't think of a solution, we'll all have terrible luck today!"

Zheng Shuqing was puffing his beard and glaring beside him, so anxious he was about to cry.

"You won't give Yang Yuhuan a fine garment, yet you put one on yourselves first—does that make sense?"

"She may choose not to wear it, but you cannot refuse to present it!"

If Yang Yuhuan had not put on the Tang brocade, Zheng Shuqing could have gotten away with it, because Li Longji could not imagine how the brocade would look on her, so he would not pursue the matter.

But now the situation is that Li Longji already knows the robe made of that fabric looks beautiful on Yang Yuhuan, so Zheng Shuqing's "ill‑intent" is laid bare.

"Deputy Minister Zheng, later when Princess Shou appears as a dancing companion, if the sage sees that we are wearing the same style as her, might he think you are the Son of Heaven, she is the noble consort, and I am the young Crown Prince?"

Fang Chongyong whispered teasingly into Zheng Shuqing's ear.

"Exactly! So why can you stay so calm!"

Zheng Shuqing sighed, evidently having thought of this round.

"Relax and watch the play; later I guarantee you'll be fine. If anything goes wrong, I'll give you my head."

Fang Chongyong said with an indifferent expression.

"Sure?"

Given Fang Chongyong's past miraculous performances, Zheng Shuqing also calmed down.

"Of course I'm sure; have I ever set you up? Later, as long as you have a thick enough skin, you'll be fine."

Fang Chongyong chuckled, noting that many dishes on the table were unfamiliar to him, some rustic and bold, others delicate and exquisite.

Among them seemed to be a "Jade Buddha Guanyin" that wasn't meant to be eaten, but displayed purely as a decorative piece to add a sense of ceremony to the banquet.

Only a handful, like Jushengnu, have ever seen these dishes, let alone tasted them.

The horse‑rider, Li Longji is truly boundlessly extravagant.

Fang Chongyong silently complained in his mind, but it didn't stop him from feasting here.

As a member of the "ruling class," this status is not something he can simply shed.

"Need a thick skin? I'm not going to be a mad scholar like Ni Heng."

Zheng Shuqing said with a wary expression.

"Relax, watch the play, watch the play. By the way, what the announcer just mentioned—what is this 'Canzun play'? What is it?"

Fang Chongyong grabbed a piece of Jushengnu from the table, ate it while watching the play and asked.

"Later Zhao's Shi Le, after a military officer was corrupt, ordered an actor to impersonate a military officer, while another actor mocked him from the side, thus the so‑called Canjun play originated.

The person being mocked was called the Canjun, and the mocker was called the Canghu, and the two roles performed a comic dialogue and act, giving the play its name.

"In short, stop asking so many questions; this play isn't meaningful, just watch for fun."

Zheng Shuqing waved his hand dismissively and said, giving a brief explanation of what a Canjun play is.

What does "comic" mean?

Sima Qian's *Records of the Grand Historian* includes a "Biographies of Comic Performers" that explains this.

In it, comic performers are called "actors," whose duty is to amuse the ruler and relieve his boredom; they are merely the ruler's playthings, not folk‑originated.

Watching the stage performance, Fang Chongyong felt it resembled a skit from a past life, accompanied by melodic music.

It's somewhat interesting, but that's all.

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly, watching with great relish.

"Act Two, Stepping Ballad Lady!"

After the Canjun play ended, the announcer came out again, raised a placard, and shouted loudly.

"In Northern Qi there was a man surnamed Su, who never held office but called himself a 'Langzhong'; he loved drinking, and when drunk would beat his wife."

His wife, holding grief, complained to the neighbors, and people mocked her.

The husband donned women's clothing, walked slowly onto the stage singing; with each stanza, the audience chorused, "Stepping Ballad arrives! Stepping Ballad Lady suffers and arrives!" He sang while walking, thus it was called "Stepping Ballad"; because it expressed grievance, it was called "bitter." When the husband arrived, a mock fight ensued for amusement.

The announcer did not leave but stepped aside to begin a narration.

Fang Chongyong, with a stunned expression, turned to Zheng Shuqing and asked, "What is this about?"

"Tell the audience what's being performed."

Zheng Shuqing was left bewildered by the question.

"Watching the play is enough; why bother explaining these?"

"If we don't explain, who would know what the opera is performing?"

Zheng Shuqing, looking at Fang Chongyong with confusion, retorted that this prodigy Fang is indeed clever, yet often makes foolish mistakes on basic matters.

Soon another performance began: the Tang‑era version of "Farewell My Concubine," as well as the "Fairy Dance" featuring many young female dancers, and so on.

Not only were there these dances and operas, but also intricate acrobatic acts.

Fang Chongyong saw a small, thin boy standing on a horizontally placed rotating wheel, while someone kept turning the wheel beside him.

Astonishingly, the boy could perform all sorts of impossible high‑difficulty moves on the spinning wheel while simultaneously playing a flute!

Previously all musicians performed behind a half‑enclosed screen, visible only as silhouettes through the upper silk, but now Fang Chongyong was seeing someone play the flute in public for the first time.

What a remarkable skill!

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but comment.

"All 360 trades, each can produce a top scholar. This art of turning flute‑playing into an acrobatic feat surely requires ten years of polishing; otherwise it cannot ascend to the realm of high culture."

"Yang Yuhuan hasn't appeared yet."

Zheng Shuqing, with a strange expression, handed the program list to Fang Chongyong; this seemingly lively banquet performance actually concealed a hidden killing intent.

Anyone lacking vigilance, after the banquet ends and they return home, may be eliminated over some trivial pretext, and even in death won't understand where the problem lay.

"The next program is the 'Feathered Garment Song,' also the grand finale."

Fang Chongyong whispered.

Li Longji's seat was the main throne on the north side, relatively far from here, so only his general appearance could be seen, not the expression on his face.

In short, Li Longji now sat very calmly, barely moving, like a statue seated in place.

"Final act, Feathered Garment Song!"

The announcer shouted, then hurried offstage.

The hall, which had been buzzing with low talk, suddenly fell silent; a young woman in an elegant, splendid Tang brocade long robe, dancing gracefully on the stage, instantly attracted everyone's eyes.

It's her! She must be Yang Yuhuan!

Fang Chongyong felt a strong premonition; he needed no introduction—just one glance told him this woman could be no one else.

Soon the solo dance turned into a group dance; four dancing girls wearing slightly darker colors but the same style began to circle Yang Yuhuan as accompaniment. Fang Chongyong spotted that one of them was Li Shi'erniang, disciple of Gongsun Dangniang.

Yang Yuhuan's outfit was probably not a whim of Li Longji wanting to play dress‑up; it is more likely that she happened to see Li Shi'erniang and the others rehearsing in the Pear Garden, devised a plan, and had a Tang brocade robe made for herself to win favor in front of Li Longji.

This woman is not as simple as imagined. She also adapts well to her change of identity, remaining calm and composed.

At that moment, Gao Lishi summoned the palace eunuchs to distribute brushes, ink and the like to the guests present.

Li Longji's meaning was clear: this is my woman, you all hurry up and flatter her!

Whoever flatters best will be richly rewarded!

"Minister Zheng, please begin your performance."

Fang Chongyong handed the paper and brush brought by the eunuch to Zheng Shuqing and said.

"What performance?"

Zheng Shuqing had not yet come to his senses; his mind was full of the slender‑boned, voluptuous beauty.

"Perform your flattery skills; if you do it well, this matter will be resolved."

Fang Chongyong said with deep meaning.

"Flatter whom?"

"Yang Yuhuan."

"How to flatter?"

Zheng Shuqing stared, shocked—he couldn't write poetry or prose to flatter, let alone flatter a woman!

"'Clouds think of robes, flowers think of beauty; spring wind brushes the railing, dew glows thick.' What do you think?"

Fang Chongyong wrote these two lines on paper and asked.

"Excellent!"

Zheng Shuqing looked at him in utter astonishment.

"Since you know it, why not go up quickly?"

Fang Chongyong pointed toward Li Longji's seat and gave a meaningful glance.