Infinite Mask Game.

Chapter 316 The Opera Emperor
Wei Miao pushed open the heavy door of the quiet room, and the cold wind from outside rushed in.

She squinted slightly to adapt to the bright light of the late autumn afternoon.

The quiet room is located in a shady place, in the southwest corner of the Imperial Garden on the north side of the palace. It can be used as a place for rest and meditation.

There was a stone staircase in front of the door. An old man with half-white hair was standing at the bottom of the staircase. He was wearing a dark blue Qilin costume and looked at her calmly with vigor and energy.

He is slightly plump, with a kind face and a calm and composed demeanor. His small eyes always have a hint of smile when he looks at people.

His identity information immediately appeared in Wei Miao's mind.

The personnel structure of the Dianmiyi is pyramid-shaped, with the Supervisory Censor as the highest commander, and under him are two Dianmi Envoys to assist the Supervisor in handling relevant matters.

This person is none other than Pan Junyang, one of the secret envoys who stayed in the capital.

Like Pei Wenwei, he was born a eunuch. He is over fifty years old and has served three dynasties. He knows all the ministers in the court and is familiar with all the ins and outs of the court.

His appointment was the result of consultation between Pei Wenwei and Lu Shaoqing.

Although Pei Wenwei tried his best to keep a low profile, the court officials were well aware of his tactics. Pan Junyang had been in the palace for many years, was good at networking, and had a wide network of contacts, so he could serve as a buffer between the two.

His familiarity with the court was also an irreplaceable help to the Secret Ceremony. After all, the main responsibility of the Secret Ceremony was to monitor the officials and detect any violations of the rules.

With such a mature and prudent person behind it, Dianmiyi has been able to act cautiously and steadily in recent years, and the backlash from court officials to this new institution was not as fierce as expected.

What's even more rare is that he possesses first-rate strength, enough to convince others and protect himself.

"Congratulations to the Governor for achieving the Seven Sects."

As if confirming Wei Miao's condition, Pan Junyang congratulated him in a warm voice.

Wei Miao closed the stone door with his backhand and smiled gently: "Everything is thanks to the support of Lord Pan and the teachings of His Majesty."

Pei Wenwei and Pan Junyang have always had a good relationship. Although he is his superior, due to seniority, he still respectfully calls the latter "Mr. Pan".

The only people who knew about this secret breakthrough were Pan Junyang and Lu Shaoqing. The former was invited by him to protect him, while the latter taught him some experience in breakthroughs and also served as a safety net in the palace to prevent Pei Wenwei from going crazy and killing people after a failed breakthrough.

Before Lu Shaoqing started the rebellion, he was already a top-notch master, but he had been stagnant at that level for a long time. However, within a few days after the rebellion, he achieved the seven sects, which greatly boosted the morale of the army and shocked the court.

Therefore, there is a saying that he already possessed the ability to break through the seven sects, but was held back due to the suspicion of the imperial palace.

In history, there were not many emperors who could reach the level of the Seven Sects. Not to mention the difficulty of breaking through, the imperial power needed stability, and the warriors of the Seven Sects needed to suppress their inner demons and maintain their self-identity with a strong will. They might be silently eroded one day, and the uncontrollable risks were too high.

The former emperor Lu Kaiyi was only a top-notch warrior before he disappeared.

"In just a quarter of an hour, the governor has risen to become one of the most powerful men in the world. The court needs to rely on you more and more." Pan Junyang continued his flattery and talked about another serious matter. "The emperor is still in Shuiyuetai and must be waiting for your news."

Shuiyue Terrace is an open-air stage located on the east side of the Imperial Garden. It is built by the pond and is filled with elegant music and operas all year round. It is a distance away from the Quiet Room, but it can be reached in a few seconds for the Seven Sects warriors. Before the breakthrough, Pei Wenwei had reported to Lu Shaoqing, who promised to help him at Shuiyue Terrace.

But I'm afraid that enjoying music is the other party's main job, and being the supporter is just a by-product.

During the six hundred years of the previous dynasty, there appeared the "Carpenter Emperor", "Alchemy Emperor" and "Foodie Emperor", who became the topic of conversation among the people.

Lu Shaoqing can be called the "Emperor of Opera". He renovated a large number of opera stages in the palace. After the morning court session, he would go to a certain place to listen to opera according to his interest. After nightfall, he would go back to his study to read the memorials submitted by the Imperial Household Department for about an hour. Then he would summon the opera troupe to perform opera again.

The founding emperor of the Darong Dynasty, Lu Boqi, was a workaholic who got up earlier than a chicken and slept later than a dog. Lu Kaiyi was also said to have worked diligently and was busy with government affairs.

When the throne was passed to Lu Shaoqing, the situation suddenly changed. In his early years as the King of Shuo, Lu Shaoqing guarded Jiangling and defended against Sala in the north. He fought on the battlefield all year round and fought against the main generals of Sala's frontier fortress many times. He won more than he lost, and his military talent was the most outstanding among all the kings.

Later, frictions on the border gradually decreased, and both sides entered a state of recuperation. Occasionally, there were small-scale military clashes, which did not affect the overall stability.

Over the years, King Shuo has been neither successful nor bad in his governance. He is not diligent in his work and tends to indulge in singing and dancing. Even so, Lu Kaiyi's suspicion has not diminished at all, and anyone can see how ruthless he is when it comes to reducing the power of the vassal states.

After several attempts, Lu Shaoqing was unwilling to sit and wait for death, so he started a rebellion. The so-called "clearing the court" was just a name for justice, and self-preservation and ambition were the main reasons behind it.

As a guard, Pei Wenwei could see it more clearly. But he thought that Lu Shaoqing's idleness in watching operas was just a way of keeping a low profile. He didn't expect that he would become even more outrageous after becoming emperor, which stunned all the old ministers who followed him.

However, Wei Miao has reservations about this. Those who can achieve the seven sects are all top-notch people, with good character, understanding, and talent. If they can indulge in entertainment and cannot extricate themselves, they would have been taken over by the inner demons long ago.

The Imperial Garden is full of rugged rockeries and clusters of flowers. Smooth and winding bluestone steps connect the exquisite pavilions with flying eaves. Stone sculptures of animals are dotted among the precious flowers. Whether it is a tall tree or a low shrub, its branches and leaves are carefully trimmed.

Wei Miao and Pan Junyang didn't have to walk very far before they quickly reached Shuiyue Terrace.

As soon as I got close, I heard the voice before I saw the person. The melodious and graceful opera tune was like rippling green waves, and every sound was pleasing to the ear.

Female voice: "After returning from a long journey, I have learned how to draw my eyebrows again..."

Male voice: "It's a good match to bring them together. Thanks to my father-in-law for finding a good matchmaker..."

After hearing this, Pan Junyang said with a smile, "It's The Kite Mistake."

"The Kite Mistake" is one of the famous songs. Not only Pan Junyang, but Wei Miao also knew its name from a sense of familiarity. It was almost an instinctive association.

In fact, most of the palace maids and ministers were not proficient in music. They were able to call out the names of operas by lyrics and tunes only because they worked for Lu Shaoqing. Unless it was an urgent matter, most of the time they had to accompany him to listen to a piece before they could find a chance to perform. Through learning from him, they gradually understood some of the plots.

Amidst the willow trees, a large artificial lake is in sight. A straight floating bridge extends from the shore to the center of the lake, with stone lions of various shapes carved on the tops of the white jade railings on both sides.

Shuiyue Terrace is built in the center of the lake, surrounded by water on three sides. It occupies a large area and is painted red. On the front background wall is a relief of a fairy embracing the moon.

Under the bright sunshine, only one person can be seen on the stage.