Chapter 387: The Incident Starts at the Su Zhou Guard

These names of the small theatrical courtesans were too familiar to Jia Cong.

In the original trajectory, about a few years later, Yuanchun was suddenly named the Virtuous Imperial Consort, and the Jia family of Rongguo entered the peak of cooking oil with fire.

In order to prepare for Yuanchun's visit, the Jia family let Jia Qiang go to Gusu to buy twelve small theatrical courtesans, and what he just heard were the names of these small theatrical courtesans.

In the current branch line, he changed the fate of Jia Cong who was unknown.

Just like the wings of a butterfly, many things have also undergone new changes because of his appearance.

For example, because of his reasons, the Ningguo mansion was raided and stripped of its title in advance, and Jia Qiang, as the great-grandson of the Ningguo mansion, had become a collateral descendant of the Jia family and completely withdrew from the core circle of the Jia family.

Therefore, it is impossible for him to go to Gusu to purchase theatrical courtesans again. Such things will mostly become things for Jia Lian or some steward of Rongguo to do.

And in the current situation, the person who purchased this batch of small theatrical courtesans changed from Jia Qiang to Zou Min'er, and I don't know what changes will happen to those old things related to it.

……

Zou Min'er chose five people from these small theatrical courtesans. She saw Jia Cong sitting there without saying a word, wondering what he was thinking, and was slightly strange.

Chen Youcai originally hoped that Zou Min'er could buy a few more small plays to solve his urgent needs, but seeing that she only chose five, he was slightly disappointed.

Zou Min'er said again: "Boss Chen, I still want to buy one person, and that is the Xiaofu girl who was washing clothes just now."

Chen Youcai's face changed when he heard this, and said: "Miss Zou, I'm sorry, Xiaofu cannot be sold to you."

Zou Min'er had listened to these small plays singing just now. Although the skills and qualifications were very good, none of them were as outstanding as Xiaofu.

Since she was purchasing theatrical courtesans for the Ministry of Rites Music Bureau, she naturally wanted to choose the best qualifications. This Xiaofu was the one she liked the most.

Zou Min'er wondered: "Boss Chen, the small plays that came in to sing just now all have their own stage names, but Xiaofu uses a nickname.

I understand the rules of the theatrical industry. If you don't have a stage name, you are not a formal small play, and she is doing miscellaneous work of washing clothes.

I don't understand, the formal small plays in the troupe, you let me choose at will, but you are not willing to sell a miscellaneous girl who is not a small play.

Could it be that she signed a living contract with the theatrical troupe, not a deed of sale?"

Chen Youcai's expression was a bit awkward, and said: "She signed a deed of sale with the theatrical troupe, but she has already been sold to someone else, and that person has already paid half of the deposit."

"It's just that it's not convenient to take her away now, and she will come to pick her up in half a month, so she cannot be sold to you."

The female teacher who led the small theatrical courtesans couldn't help asking: "Master, do you really want to sell Xiaofu to Commander Luo? His friends don't look like good people, they will harm Xiaofu."

Chen Youcai's face sank, and he shouted: "You teach the small plays well, other things are not your turn to manage!"

The female teacher looked ugly when she heard this, but didn't dare to say anything more.

But when Jia Cong heard the female teacher mention Commander Luo, his heart couldn't help but jump.

Asked: "Boss Chen, is the Commander Luo who wants to buy Xiaofu the Commander Luo Xiong of the Su Zhou Guard?"

Chen Youcai saw Jia Cong call out Luo Xiong's name, his expression was stunned, and said: "It is this person. Besides him in Gusu, who else can be called Commander Luo."

Jia Cong's eyes flickered when he heard this. He really didn't expect that he could encounter things related to Luo Xiong in this theatrical troupe.

Zou Min'er once helped him collect the service records of military officers above the fourth rank under the Jin Ling Regional Military Commission, including Luo Xiong, the Commander of the Su Zhou Guard.

The data said that Luo Xiong and Zhang Kangnian were close friends, and Zhang Kangnian had served as the Commander of the Su Zhou Guard. At that time, Luo Xiong was his trusted subordinate.

And since the Water Supervision Office case occurred that year, Zhang Kangnian had great suspicion in many things, and the connection between these two people was not a good one.

……

Zou Min'er's mind was sharp. As soon as she heard Jia Cong's question, she understood what he was thinking.

Said: "Boss Chen, the one I want to buy most is Xiaofu. If I can't buy her, we will have to reconsider the others."

"We can still stay in Gusu for two days. If you consider it well, you can send someone to Rongxiang Inn to send us a letter."

After speaking, she was about to get up and leave with Jia Cong.

Chen Youcai was overjoyed when he heard that the business was about to turn yellow, and he was very disappointed.

Hurriedly said: "Two superior officials, please consider it again. It's not that I don't want to sell Xiaofu to you. It is indeed someone who bought her before you. I can't afford to offend that Commander Luo."

Jia Cong and Zou Min'er didn't pick up Boss Chen's words, and went out of the main hall. Behind them, they heard Chen Youcai's frustrated sigh.

Jia Cong and Zou Min'er came to buy small plays, which was just a cover, and it was not a very important thing.

Now that they know that Xiaofu's background actually involves Su Zhou Guard Commander Luo Xiong, they have to be cautious, although this matter may not be related to Zhou Zhengyang's matter.

They decided to return to the inn first, and while Zheng Xiaohai had not returned to Gusu for these few days, they would understand the matter of Xiaofu and Luo Xiong clearly before deciding on countermeasures.

……

Moreover, for Jia Cong, he had a strange care for Xiaofu, who looked very much like Daiyu, and he definitely didn't want her to fall into an inhuman ending.

And he could guess who she was, but the name didn't match, so it should be someone else.

At this time, he suddenly heard fine footsteps chasing from behind. Jia Cong and Zou Min'er looked back and saw an eight or nine-year-old little girl.

It was the child who sent clothes to Xiaofu in the laundry room just now. Xiaofu called her Adou, and the female teacher also brought her in to sing for Zou Min'er just now.

Adou was the youngest among these small theatrical courtesans, playing the role of a small flower face, and her stage name was Douguan.

She saw Jia Cong and Zou Min'er looking back, and she seemed to have something to say, but now she seemed to be afraid to say it.

Zou Min'er remembered her name. She was meticulous and sharp, knowing that this little girl chased out, there must be something.

Smiled and asked: "Douguan, why did you chase out? Is there anything?"

Douguan said: "Young Master, Young Lady, I beg you, you must buy Xiaofu away. If she is bought by those people, she will definitely be bullied to death."

Zou Min'er smiled: "I heard your teacher say that the person who bought her is Commander Luo, but he is a big official. How can he bully her? Tell me the reason, and I will decide whether to buy her."

This Douguan was young, but she had been rolling in the theatrical troupe since she was a child, and her mind was very clever. Hearing Zou Min'er's words, she knew that this matter had some hope.

Hurriedly said: "I will tell you, I will tell you all. That day, Commander Luo brought some friends to the garden to book the venue to listen to plays, and the teacher let Xiaofu go on stage to sing Peony Pavilion..."

Zou Min'er asked: "Douguan, Xiaofu doesn't even have a stage name, she is not a formal small theatrical courtesan, how can she go on stage? This is not in line with the rules of the industry."

Douguan said: "Miss Zou, you don't know. Xiaofu's family is very poor. When her family sold her, it was also very cheap, and the troupe leader didn't buy it at the price of a small play."

"Xiaofu only did laundry and cooking in the theatrical troupe, but she was smarter than us. The teacher taught us to sing plays, and she learned it after listening twice, and sang better than us."

"At first we didn't know. Once she was humming while cooking, the teacher heard it and was very happy, so she began to teach her formally."

"It was only a year or so since she entered the theatrical troupe, and she had been formally learning plays for a shorter time, so the teacher hadn't even given her a stage name."

"Last time Commander Luo brought friends to book the venue to listen to plays, the teacher felt that Xiaofu practiced very well, so she let her go on stage for the first time."

"If she sang well, she would be given a stage name, and in the future, she would be a formal small play in the troupe, and she would no longer have to do rough work like laundry and cooking."

"That scene Xiaofu sang very well, we clapped our hands red in the backstage, the teacher said Xiaofu had a good appearance, beautiful singing, and was rewarded by the ancestor."

"The troupe leader was also very happy, feeling that he bought Xiaofu such a big bargain at such a cheap price."

"That day was the most glorious day for Xiaofu to enter the theatrical troupe."

"But later things became worse..."

……

From Douguan's words, Jia Cong heard that Xiaofu was a child from a poor family. She was sold to the theatrical troupe not to be a small play, but to be a miscellaneous maid.

But she had extremely high talent for singing plays, was discovered by the female teacher in the theatrical troupe, and began to formally learn plays, and the time for learning plays was very short, and she hadn't even taken a stage name.

Douguan continued: "That day Commander Luo brought his friends to listen to plays. After Xiaofu finished singing a scene, Commander Luo's friends seemed to like Xiaofu very much, and let Xiaofu sing a 'Golden Fan'."

Zou Min'er had been in the Music Bureau for several years and knew some news. As soon as she heard this, her pretty face sank and said: "That person is really not a thing, actually let Xiaofu sing this."

Jia Cong asked curiously: "Is 'Golden Fan' a bad song?"

Zou Min'er glanced at him and replied: "Golden Fan is a popular ditty in brothels, the words are vulgar, and they are all sung by prostitutes to male guests!"

Douguan heard Zou Min'er's words and also said: "I only knew later that this song was bad. At that time, the troupe leader and the teacher's faces were not good, but the other party was an official master, and they didn't dare to speak."

"Xiaofu said it would break the rules of the theatrical troupe, and she refused to sing even if she died. Commander Luo's men were very unhappy, came up to force Xiaofu to sing, and even used force against Xiaofu."

"Xiaofu was angry, took off the flower crown on her head, smashed Commander Luo's men, and then ran away by herself."

Jia Cong smiled: "This little girl is quite tough."

Douguan continued: "Xiaofu didn't know where to hide, and no one could find her. Commander Luo was very angry, and his men also wanted to make trouble. The troupe leader and the teacher were very scared, and we were also very scared."

"It was Commander Luo's friends who didn't want to make things big, so nothing happened. The troupe leader spent another 100 taels of silver to invite the man who was smashed the flower crown to drink tea, and the matter was settled."

"Because the headgear Xiaofu smashed was a very valuable thing in the theatrical troupe, and it would cost a lot of silver to repair it, the troupe leader was very angry."

"After Xiaofu came back by herself, the troupe leader beat Xiaofu hard, and didn't allow her to sing plays in the future."

"He also let her wash a lot of clothes all day, and didn't let her eat enough, saying she was a loser."

"Yesterday Commander Luo sent someone to find the troupe leader, saying he wanted to buy Xiaofu and give her to his friends, let his friends train her well..."

Jia Cong and Zou Min'er both heard how malicious Commander Luo's words were. Such a delicate little girl, falling into that kind of situation, the consequences were only afraid to be unimaginable.

Douguan said here, her mouth pouted, and she said with a crying voice: "The teacher said that if Xiaofu is bought by Commander Luo like this, she will definitely be tossed to death."

"Young Master, Young Lady, please do a good deed, you buy Xiaofu away, Xiaofu will not suffer, even if you don't buy us, it's fine."

……

Zou Min'er had been hardened since she was demoted to the Music Bureau, but after all, she was a daughter, and her sympathy was not much less.

Besides, she liked Xiaofu's appearance and singing style, and this little girl was also very courageous and had backbone, which made her feel pity.

She said to Jia Cong: "That little girl is quite pitiful, with talent and ambition. Since we met, we can't ignore it. You have many ideas, do you have any way to think about it?"

Jia Cong saw Douguan's eyes round, and the look of hope and pleading in her eyes, and smiled and touched Douguan's head.

Said: "I saw you two were close in the laundry room just now, you are quite loyal."

And smiled at Zou Min'er: "Originally I had some concerns, but now that I heard Douguan's words, Xiaofu's matter has nothing to do with the big things we want to do."

"This is even easier to handle. I have a ready-made method."

"He Luo Xiong is the Su Zhou Guard Commander, a local emperor in Gusu, but no matter how big he is, he is not bigger than the Jin Ling Regional Military Commission."

"I will send someone back to Jin Ling today to send a letter to Du Hengxin of the Jin Ling Regional Military Commission, saying that the Music Bureau is ordered by the Ministry of Rites to purchase theatrical and singing courtesans in Jiangnan, and now they have taken a fancy to Xiaofu's talent."

"Ask Du Hengxin to speak to Luo Xiong and let him let Xiaofu go."

"Du Hengxin is the Jin Ling Regional Military Commissioner, and the five major guards along the river are all under his command. He is Luo Xiong's immediate superior. Unless he doesn't want to mix, he has to agree if he doesn't agree!"

"However, Luo Xiong is the Su Zhou Guard Commander, and this three-hundred-mile Gusu is his territory. To be on the safe side, we will take Xiaofu away today to avoid extra trouble."

Zou Min'er thought about this and felt it made sense. She saw clearly in the main hall just now that the troupe leader Chen Youcai was very afraid of Luo Xiong.

If it drags on for a few days, in case he goes to report to Luo Xiong, so that he can get rid of the relationship, then the matter will become complicated.

Only Jia Cong's quick cutting of the mess, clean and neat ending of the matter, is the simplest and most effective way.

Jia Cong let Douguan go to explain the matter to Xiaofu, and he and Zou Min'er returned to the back garden main hall again.

Chen Youcai was surprised and happy to see the two return.

Hearing Jia Cong bring up the old matter again, saying he wanted to buy Xiaofu, he was suddenly sad.

Jia Cong said: "This official is Jia Cong, the Supervisor of the Firearms Division of the Ministry of Works in Jin Ling, the Count of Lord Weiyuan personally granted by the Emperor. Now the Music Bureau has taken a fancy to Xiaofu."

"I will let Luo Xiong's superior come forward to speak, so that he will not dare to buy Xiaofu from you again. Today we will sign the contract, and I will take Xiaofu away today."

"Other small plays will be picked up together when I leave Gusu."

Saying that, he showed Chen Youcai the seal of the Firearms Division Supervisor.

Although Chen Youcai was just a theatrical troupe boss, he was not completely ignorant. Seeing Jia Cong's personal steward seal, his face turned pale, and he couldn't help but gasp.

Surprised: "So Young Master Jia is the Count of Lord Weiyuan who swept the Jurchens!"

Jia Cong smiled slightly: "Why, do you think it doesn't look like it?"

Chen Youcai hurriedly apologized: "I don't dare, Young Master's bearing is extraordinary, it is my honor to see the Count of Lord Weiyuan today."

In fact, for Chen Youcai, Xiaofu is now a hot potato. It doesn't matter who buys her, as long as there is a reasonable excuse, let him get rid of it as soon as possible.

Now it is the famous Count of Lord Weiyuan who wants to buy people, plus the name of the Music Bureau, and the relationship with the Jin Ling Regional Military Commission.

Even if he is more careful, his fear of Commander Luo has gone more than half.

Besides, the arrow is on the string, and Jia Cong has said everything on the table. If he is still grinding, he doesn't need to wait for Commander Luo to find his trouble, this Count of Lord Weiyuan will clean him up first.

He, a troupe leader of a Gusu theatrical troupe, absolutely cannot compete with the dignified Count of Lord Weiyuan.

Chen Youcai took out the deed of sale of the five small theatrical courtesans and Xiaofu. Both sides signed the document, asked the person to press the handprint, and then filed it in the government office. The transaction procedure was complete.

At this time, fine footsteps sounded outside the main hall. Jia Cong saw Douguan pulling Xiaofu in, and the latter's small face was full of surprise and confusion.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 388 =====