Poet Immortal, Poet Sage, Duke of the State!

Chang Le Opera House.

Backstage.

The so-called backstage area of ​​the opera house was actually just a shed made of a few old tarpaulins, supported by four crooked wooden pillars, and covered with several layers of patched tarpaulin.

On sunny days, the shed is alright, it can barely block out the sun, but when it rains, it leaks everywhere, and you can only use various pots and pans to catch the water.

The troupe leader, surnamed Liu, was in his early fifties with sparse hair and a thin tuft of short beard on his chin.

At this moment, Master Liu sat on a bench with a missing leg backstage, with the coins given by the audience as tips in the previous performance placed in the gong in front of him.

He counted the coins twice and poured them all into a tattered cloth bag.

Today's income wasn't bad; the performance of "The Battle of the Golden Palace" was very popular, and many viewers were willing to give tips.

But Master Liu knew that the people loved to watch new plays. They would get tired of a play after watching it three or four times. Even the most popular play would lose its appeal if it was performed for three months in a row.

If no one comes to watch the show, the troupe will go back to its old ways, earning only a few dozen copper coins a day, not even enough to cover their food expenses.

Several actors from the opera troupe behind him were removing their makeup. A young man took off his costume, looked up, and asked, "Master, are we still performing 'The Battle of the Golden Palace' tomorrow?"

Master Liu nodded and said, "Perform it. The people love watching this. I'll think about it tonight and add an extra scene tomorrow, including the role of that young master Chen, to attract some viewers who have seen it before..."

The male performer then asked, "And what about after that?"

After a moment of silence, Master Liu sighed and said, "Let's talk about the future later..."

He had absolutely no idea what the future held.

If he can hold on for another month or two and still can't produce a new play to keep things going, he will disband the troupe and let everyone find another way to make a living.

Just as he was thinking this, the tattered curtain behind him was lifted.

Master Liu looked up and saw a young man walk in.

The young man looked to be under twenty years old. He was dressed in a silk robe, looking clean and neat, and exuded an indescribable aura.

Master Liu stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to the young man, and said, "Young master, today's performance has ended. If you wish to see more, please come again tomorrow..."

Chen Chang'an stood at the entrance of the shed, glanced at the leaks and mold on the walls, and looked at the rudimentary conditions inside the shed. He already had a good idea of ​​what to expect.

He looked at the old man in front of him and asked, "Where is the head of your opera troupe?"

Master Liu stepped forward and said, "This is indeed the old man. May I ask what business you have with me, young master?"

Chen Chang'an didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "I plan to support a theatrical troupe. I'll cover your food and lodging, and I'll give each of you two taels of silver a month. I wonder if the troupe leader would be willing?"

Master Liu froze on the spot, thinking he had misheard.

With room and board included, plus a monthly allowance of two taels of silver, how is this any different from a pie falling from the sky?

He never dared to dream of such a good thing.

Master Liu sized up Chen Chang'an a few times and asked, "Young master, maintaining a theatrical troupe is no small expense. Our troupe has thirteen people, and the monthly wages alone are almost thirty taels. If you want to listen to a play, you can come anytime. What's the point...?"

He firmly believed that there was no such thing as a free lunch, and that this young master was supporting them for some reason.

Although such conditions are indeed very tempting, if this young master were to do something illegal or criminal, it would be a loss that outweighs the gain.

Thirty taels of silver was indeed a huge sum of money for Chen Chang'an in the past.

But now, the profit is only from a few bottles of perfume.

He supported this opera troupe not to make money, but for other purposes.

He looked at Master Liu and said, "Don't worry, I won't let you do anything dangerous. You can continue performing your shows as usual..."

Master Liu still didn't believe it. How could there be such a good thing in the world?

Just as he was about to ask a few more questions, a girl of about fifteen or sixteen years old leaned over, her eyes fixed on Chen Chang'an. She tugged at the sleeve of the troupe leader, Liu, and said excitedly, "Troup leader, this is Young Master Chen Chang'an, the great hero who defeated the Yan Kingdom's envoy. Our play, 'The Battle of the Golden Palace,' is about him. I saw him at the county government office the other day..."

Master Liu was stunned. The young man in front of him was the protagonist of the play that had become a hit these days.

Recognized by the young girl, Chen Chang'an didn't hide anything and nodded with a smile, saying, "I am Chen Chang'an. To tell you the truth, troupe leader, I really like your play. I'm not short of money. I not only enjoy listening to operas, but I also enjoy writing them. So I want to support an opera troupe and let you perform the plays I wrote. If you agree, I can give you a month's salary today and help you settle down. If you don't agree, I'll find another opera troupe."

Master Liu realized what was happening and nodded repeatedly, saying, "We're willing, we're willing!"

He wouldn't believe a word if someone else made that request.

But the person before them was a hero of Da Ning and a renowned talent in the capital; he certainly wouldn't lie to them!

Chen Chang'an took out a fifty-tael silver note from his sleeve and handed it to him, saying, "Take this silver note. Rent a small courtyard to settle down, then buy some food and daily necessities. With your monthly salary next month, that should be enough. I'll come to the theater to find you tomorrow..."

Master Liu subconsciously accepted the silver note, and Chen Chang'an didn't say anything more, simply turning around and leaving.

The actors from the troupe quickly gathered around, staring in disbelief at the silver notes in Master Liu's hand.

However, they quickly came to their senses and cheered.

"Two taels of silver a month!"

"We'll be able to have enough to eat from now on!"

"I'll never have to live in this awful place again!"

"Oh my god, am I dreaming?"

……

Qing Shuang Fang.

Princess Zhaoyue has already returned to the palace. Qing Shuang, who had been suppressing her doubts all the way, finally couldn't hold back any longer and looked at Chen Chang'an, asking, "Why are you running an opera troupe?"

Chen Chang'an smiled and said, "Didn't I say that I like to listen to and write plays in my spare time? Wouldn't it be fun to support a troupe of opera perform my own plays...?"

Qing Shuang said speechlessly, "What time is it? You're still thinking about playing? Aren't you going to take the imperial examination?"

Chen Chang'an waved his hand and said, "The imperial examination is a piece of cake. In a few days, I'll show you the play I wrote..."

Chen Chang'an walked into the counter, took out a stack of paper, and ground the ink.

Chen Wenyuan and Zhao spread rumors that he had molested Zhao Wan'er; it would be impolite not to reciprocate.

Chen Chang'an stood there for a while, then picked up his pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote three characters on the first page.

The case of Chen Shimei...