Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 67 Loyalty
Liu Qijiao, Deng Yao and Guan Can looked at each other, and a look of confusion flashed across their faces.

Could it be that the words of the eunuch just now actually did not have any hints, and their own plans were all just overthinking?
The generals below ate for a while, and when they saw that His Royal Highness the Regent really didn't care about them, someone finally lost his patience.
Several officers looked at the empty plates and did not call for the waiter. They followed the example of His Royal Highness the Regent and walked to the shed. They pointed at a few ingredients they wanted to eat and asked the chef to grill them.
After the roasting was finished, the generals put the food on the plates and ate it standing in the garden without returning to their seats.
It was only then that the generals realized that the chefs in the palace were really good.

Just now, they were sitting in the middle of the field, with His Royal Highness the Regent above them and the General in charge in the middle. They were even very careful when eating meat, fearing that it would make noise and attract others to watch. How could they have the energy to taste the meat?

The generals watched the chef in the pavilion flipping his hands, sprinkling spices with his fingertips, and roasting various ingredients. They felt that today's banquet was quite interesting. Everyone walked around freely and ate whatever they wanted.

In the past banquets, everyone sat upright, watching the faces of the people above them, ready to stand up and toast. This was not really a meal. In comparison, His Highness was eating more happily here.

When everyone thought of this, they couldn't help but feel a little favorable towards the Regent, whom they met for the first time.

It seems that this Regent is just like them, a generous and straightforward man!

As time went by, except for a few chief officers who never left their seats, the rest of the officers had already left their seats. Some went to get meat, while others turned to the side of the garden to compete with others in pitching pots.

Those who were confident in their archery skills took out their bows and shot willows to compete with others. The generals of each army also gathered together to cheer for their own people and refused to give in to each other.
The generals in the field were doing their own things, and nearly half of them went back into the garden. The regent above actually ignored them completely, sometimes chatting with a few nearby lieutenants, and sometimes watching the singing and dancing in the field and cheering.
After the singing and dancing ended, the musicians stepped aside, leaving an empty area in the middle of the stage. Several eunuchs also carried a few bowls and drums and placed them where the musicians gathered.

When all the instruments and musicians were ready, a middle-aged man in a long gown with a cross collar walked onto the stage.
The man first bowed to His Royal Highness the Regent above him, then bowed to all the generals in the field, and then stood up.
The man took out two bamboo boards from his sleeves. When the two bamboo boards touched each other, there was a light clicking sound, which immediately attracted everyone's attention.
The middle-aged man saw that everyone was looking at him, but his expression remained unchanged. He cleared his throat and spoke loudly.

"It is said that at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, a strange thing happened in a family in Xiangzhou. When the woman gave birth to a child, a large bird like a swan chirped and flew over the room."

"The strange bird flew around the room, with colorful clouds on its body. After flying and singing for half a quarter of an hour, it turned into a strange light and disappeared. At this time, the baby of that family was also born. The Yue family was quite surprised, so they named the baby Fei and gave him the courtesy name Pengju."

"Yue Pengju grew taller and taller, and was proficient in riding, shooting, and military books. He was also extremely strong, and was a heroic and majestic man in the village. At that time, the Jin people were rampant. Yue Pengju learned loyalty, righteousness, courtesy, and filial piety since childhood, and he also honed his skills. So he reported to his parents and joined the army."

"Yue Pengju joined the army and, relying on his martial arts, he defeated the Jin troops on the border. He was soon promoted to captain in the army based on his merits. It was really a case of a needle in a bag, and the benefits are obvious."

"But unfortunately, the Song Dynasty was weak and trusted the treacherous ministers, and finally the Jin army broke through Taiyuan. Although Yue Pengju won every battle and defeated thousands of Jin soldiers, he was ultimately unable to hold on alone and had to flee back to his hometown."

"But the world is in turmoil, and there is no place to stay. After the Jin army captured Taiyuan, they marched straight to Kaifeng and even surrounded the capital of the Song Dynasty."

"Yue Pengju returned home, only to find that his hometown, Xiangzhou, had also been plundered by the rebel army, and the people were living in misery. Seeing the chaos in the village, Yue Pengju wanted to protect his mother, wife and children at home and escape from the disaster."

"But the mother-in-law is also a remarkable woman. She sat in the hall and scolded Yue Pengju. As a general of the country, how could a man of seven feet tall sit idly by and allow the people of the Central Plains to be bullied when the country is in trouble?"

"After Yue Pengju was scolded by his mother-in-law, his face turned red and he felt ashamed. Then, his mother-in-law used a needle to tattoo the words "Serve the country with loyalty" on Yue Pengju's back, telling him not to worry about his family."

"After Yue Pengju was taught by his mother-in-law, he finally came to his senses. He settled his family and joined the army again. This time, he became a hero who shocked future generations."

"Let's talk about Yue Pengju's return to the army. At this time, the country was in turmoil, the barbarians were rampant in the Central Plains, and the Song Dynasty was in peace in the south. But it is in times of crisis that true heroes are revealed."

"Yue Pengju relied on his own bravery and repeatedly made extraordinary achievements. He suppressed the bandits, recovered Jiankang, and recovered six counties. He was eventually promoted from a commoner to the commander of an army and the Duke of Wuchang. He was a pillar of the country and a famous general in the world."

"It is said that the Duke of Wuchang has worked hard for ten years to unite the heroes on both sides of the river. Today, he has reported to the court and is about to cross the river to the north to recover our beautiful land of Central Plains."

The man in the long gown hit the bamboo board again when he said this, and then stepped back. Then several actors with heavy makeup on their faces and wearing military robes walked into the stage.

The young male and old female actors, dressed in military costumes, stood on the stage and spoke.

"How dare I disobey the imperial order to raise an army? We must say goodbye before the deadline."

"The family of nobles and nobles was reunited, but who would have thought that they would be separated again" "The young man was proud and mighty, and he followed the expedition to destroy the barbarians..."

Deng Yao looked at the actors in the arena, and suddenly he became alert. He said to himself, "Here comes!"
In fact, when the man mentioned Xiangzhou at the beginning, he knew that the next play would be the story of loyalty.
This opera is a classic play at that time. It was performed from the beginning to the end of the Ming Dynasty and remained popular. Every time it was performed, a large number of people would gather to watch it.
Regardless of whether or not the people of the Ming Dynasty had seen the complete set of 35 plays, almost everyone could sing a line or two of the lyrics of Jing Zhong Ji. As generals in the army, this play was one of the few that talked about military affairs, so of course everyone had seen it.

As expected, when the actor on the stage started to sing, Deng Yao immediately realized that the performance was the farewell scene from the sixth act of The Legend of the Conqueror.

Deng Yao's heart tightened slightly at this moment. His Highness was hosting a grand banquet for all the generals inside and outside the court today. Almost all the middle and high-ranking generals in the court were gathered here. How could it be that they were just having a meal?
This Jing Zhong Ji is not a cheerful piece of music. There are so many plays to choose from, but you chose Jing Zhong Ji. Your Highness must have a deep meaning behind this move.

Deng Yao glanced at Liu Qijiao opposite him, and found that he was also alert. Liu Qijiao whispered a few words to a general officer wearing a bear military uniform beside him, and then the general left in a hurry.
Deng Yao also suddenly realized what was going on. He called Yi Zhi over and whispered something to him. Yi Zhi's expression changed slightly, and he left his seat in a hurry to look for someone in the garden.
Looking at Guan Can standing by, his actions were similar to the others. The three of them ordered the generals to recall the generals in the garden, then looked at each other, picked up their glasses and took a sip.

Then the three of them continued to watch the show as if nothing had happened, but their eyes were secretly looking at His Royal Highness the Regent above.

The generals in the field were just listening to the play. The lieutenant generals called themselves back to watch the play. After returning, they found that the play was actually a play they knew, so they also sat down, ate the dried fruits on the seats, and watched the play.

The generals returned, but His Majesty above seemed to be unaware and just focused on watching the opera on the stage, as if he was really immersed in the opera.

The actors on the stage had already taken off their military robes and put on stage costumes and armor. The musicians beside them were also playing the pipa rapidly, producing a clanging sound.
"A large iron helmet with a red tassel, in the autumn when the west wind blows over the frontier, with a Pixiu under my tent, it is easy to seize the world"

"I am the fourth prince of Wuzhu. Now Yue Fei of the Southern Dynasty has led his troops to fight me. Who among you has the ability to defeat me?"

A black-faced general came on stage, and then a group of Jin generals asked to fight. Then the sound of the bells suddenly changed, and the martial artists on both sides pretended to be Yue Fei and Jin Wushu's generals and started fighting, singing the lines while fighting.
Of course, Yue Fei's side won a great victory. The generals of Jin Wushu's side were beaten to the ground with their armor and helmets thrown away.

The actors invited by the palace all sang with excellent postures. Even the generals who had watched Jing Zhong Ji were now immersed in it, sighing and clapping as the music progressed.

The music on stage keeps going, and the actors keep singing the lyrics, which also pushes the repertoire to its most exciting point.
"Leading troops to garrison the border, the murderous aura frightened the gods and ghosts"

"Restore Jinzhou City and save the lives of the people who have been devastated..."

At this time, an actor dressed as Yue Yun came on stage and discussed with Yue Fei about breaking camp, and then led the army out.

Yue Yun fought with the general sent by Jin Wushu for several rounds, and then defeated him in one blow. The actor who played the Jin general was also captured and knelt in front of the battle to be questioned.
By this time, Jin Wushu's army was naturally defeated by the Song army, and the actor who played Yue Fei also came on stage.
"My son, we are glad to have defeated the Jin soldiers today. Order the troops to camp in Zhuxian Town and not to return. Anyone who escapes will be beheaded and shown to the public. We will withdraw our troops now."

"Now the restoration of Tokyo is not far away. We will welcome the two emperors who have been buried in the dust, and we will travel to the capital with ease. Only then will we be able to fulfill our ambition of reviving the country in the past few years."

"The murderous aura swept across Wuwei, and the millions of Jin soldiers were defeated. They were so happy that they beat the golden stool with whips, and they sang triumphant songs together with smiles."

The actors on the stage finished singing the closing words, and the performance of the Zhuxianzhen victory was over.
The actors on the stage left the stage one by one. The play was performed for only three or four times before it stopped.
Of course, they had to stop here. If all 35 acts of Jing Zhong Ji were performed today, the generals would probably have to think carefully about whether there was a traitor in the court that they didn't know about.

When the actors left the stage, Deng Yao and other officers suddenly became nervous. If His Highness had any plans, he would have to speak out now. They held their breath and waited for His Highness the Regent's instructions.

However, His Royal Highness the Regent above only uttered a few gentle praises, and after the actors left, another group of palace maids came on stage to dance, as if they had just performed a play, and now that the play was over, it was time for the next show.

Deng Yao and several other lieutenant generals looked at each other, looking at the regent who was eating and drinking by himself, with stunned expressions on their faces, as if all their strength was hitting nothing.

When another song and dance ended, the young prince at the top finally waved his hand, and the palace servants below withdrew and no one else came on stage.

The scene was quiet for a while, and the few people who had just let go of their worries suddenly became nervous again.

(End of this chapter)