Raising a wife? The mistress of the Hou family divorced and remarried her younger uncle

Chapter 309 Opera
Inside the Prince's mansion, the ladies admired the flowers and strolled around. Since its renovation, the mansion had not invited any outsiders. Because Su Qingwan was born in Huainan and loved peonies, the mansion specially built two peony gardens. Although it was not peony season, many rare peony varieties were still cultivated. The courtyards all had the Huainan style, quiet and elegant, unlike the heavy and grand style of the mansions in the capital. They were as soft as water, yet very gorgeous, pleasing to the eye. Onlookers could also see the Regent's care for the Princess.

With so many women in the household, there was plenty of gossip. Although Lady Hou and Lady Chen, among others, intended to guide public opinion, the women, being guests at the Prince's residence, certainly wouldn't dare speak openly in front of Su Qingwan. However, behind her back, they spoke unabashedly about her scandalous affair with Lu Jing, and the matter of Li Xueying and Lu Feng was also brought up, truly becoming a topic of conversation over tea and dinner, discussed with great relish.

The Lu family girls were all very angry. People were talking about Su Qingwan, Lu Jing, and Lu Feng, saying that pinning such accusations on them was ruining the Lu family's reputation. Although they had expected this, they did not expect to feel so uncomfortable when they actually heard the foul language.

In particular, the fact that Su Qingwan did not invite the female members of the Anping Marquis's family, and that the Anping Marquis's family was overlooked in the entire capital, caused a great uproar in public opinion that could not be stopped.

Lunch was held in the outdoor garden, not a banquet. The garden was spacious enough that dozens of tables could be set up without feeling crowded. Su Qingwan smiled and picked up her wine glass, first toasting everyone who had graced her with their presence, and then humbly said that this was her first time hosting such a large banquet, and that she hoped the ladies and young women would forgive any shortcomings.

No one else would dare to really blame the host, especially since Su Qingwan had done a wonderful job, and it was hard for others to criticize her. Su Qingwan said, "In order for all the ladies and young ladies to have fun in the mansion, I have also arranged a theatrical performance. You can enjoy it while you eat. This theatrical performance comes from Huainan and is known to every household. I hope you will like it."

This opera is not in the style of Kyoto. There are many types of opera in Dayuan, including those from Kyoto, Jiangnan, and the Northwest, each with its own merits. Kyoto is the capital and the most prosperous city, with the most complete range of operas. Famous opera troupes from the Northwest and Huainan are invited to perform in various prefectures, and the repertoire they arrange is very familiar to them.

Several ladies felt that Su Qingwan lacked experience, as setting up a stage during the meal was inappropriate and out of place. They usually arranged opera performances after the banquet when they were chatting.

"Perhaps it's the style of Huainan. The princess is not familiar with the customs of the capital. Although it is a bit undignified, it is not a big deal."

"People from the border regions are just ignorant. Oh, she's not from the border regions; she was raised in Jiangnan and has even organized banquets for the Lu family over the years. How could she have made such a huge mistake?"

"A merchant's daughter is just a merchant's daughter. Even if she is given the identity of the Princess of Huainan, she is still not respectable. She is not allowed to speak while eating or sleeping. Who would watch opera while eating? It's really laughable."

They only dared to whisper among themselves, afraid that Su Qingwan would hear them.

The opera performance began.

Su Qingwan sat at the main table, very close to the stage, calmly eating and watching the performance.

This is a famous opera troupe in the capital, performing a new story. A scholar on his way to the capital for the imperial examinations passes through a town and meets a young lady from a secluded family. They vow to stay together forever, and the scholar goes to the capital for the examinations. Two years pass, and the scholar still hasn't returned to the city. The young lady is anxious and impatient, so she secretly goes to the capital to find her beloved. Unexpectedly, she sees her sweetheart with a woman who looks just like her. The young lady is heartbroken and questions her husband about why he has changed his mind. The husband cries out that he is innocent, saying that the woman is his elder sister-in-law.

The scholar passed the imperial examination with flying colors and rose rapidly through the ranks, yet he never returned to see the young lady. It wasn't out of heartlessness, but because he had an elderly mother and a widowed sister-in-law to care for. His sister-in-law resembled the young lady, and he feared that marrying her would invite gossip and ruin his and his sister-in-law's reputation, as well as the young lady's. The young lady was heartbroken, and the two parted ways, returning to their hometown. Two years later, the scholar's sister-in-law passed away, and the scholar was transferred to the young lady's city. There, they reunited, their old feelings rekindled, and far from the capital, their past remained unknown. The scholar and the young lady defied societal prejudices and married.

With the help of the young lady, the scholar rose through the ranks and returned to the capital. Unexpectedly, rumors spread like wildfire, all saying that the scholar and his elder sister-in-law were having an affair. The scholar had already risen to the fifth rank and was backed by the prime minister. He used his power to arrest all those who spread the rumors, threw them into prison, tortured them to death, and even framed their families with false charges, resulting in the execution of the entire family and a river of blood.

Distinguished guests, "..." Marquis Ningyuan never expected that Su Qingwan would arrange such a play. He didn't know when she had the opera troupe rehearse it. The play was not yet well-rehearsed, but the plot was too explosive and different from the popular love stories in the capital.

In the capital, people are all interested in watching operas about scholars and young ladies getting married. Nobody likes to watch something bloody, dark, and too suggestive.

This was clearly a warning to the guests: anyone who dared to utter a single extra word or spread rumors was courting death. If they didn't want to live, fine, but they shouldn't drag their families down with them and have their property confiscated.

Absolutely!
Absolutely amazing!
Those who had been whispering behind the scenes broke out in a cold sweat and fell completely silent. At the beginning of the opera, when things got exciting, some people would applaud, discuss, and say they liked the new plot.

The more they read, the more they realized that things were not simple. The guests, who had been discussing the matter, fell silent, as if a pin drop had been made, and everyone looked at Su Qingwan.

Su Qingwan remained calm and composed, raising her wine glass. "The play was well-received. Were you all satisfied with it?"

She was stunningly beautiful, her smile more radiant than the blooming flowers in a garden, her eyes gentle, exuding a peaceful yet indifferent aura, while on the stage, a bloody storm raged.

They found it hard to connect the harmless princess with this theatrical performance; it was so abrupt and frightening.

"What a wonderful show! After so many years of tragic love stories in the capital, finally a fresh one has emerged. I thoroughly enjoyed it!" Madam Chen was the first to cheer, breaking the eerie silence.

No one dared to speak, only to force a smile. Those who had discussed Su Qingwan were especially terrified, as they broke out in a cold sweat.

Before the banquet was over, Fang, Li Xueying's childhood friend, held a glass of wine, her hands trembling, and said defiantly, "I don't believe she would really dare to kill someone. Even the Regent's wife can't kill people at will. Besides, we're just stating the facts."

Crescent Moon scoffed, "Then why don't you shout louder? Do you want me to shout for you?"

Miss Fang pursed her lips, unconvinced, "Why are you taking her side? Don't you dislike her too?"

"What's it to you?" Crescent Moon sneered. "I advise you not to be so stubborn. Your hands are shaking so much you can't even hold the wine properly. It's embarrassing!"

Miss Fang angrily put down her wine glass and truly dared not speak.

Regardless, Su Qingwan had the awe of all the guests present. She didn't need to waste her breath explaining; a single performance was enough to terrify everyone.