Void Historian

On the Water Stage, light and shadow intertwine, accompanied by melodious sounds.

The commotion caused ripples in the Great Marsh, and several eyes surfaced, staring intently.

Liang Qu straightened up, holding onto the chair handles, and looked left and right.

The villagers, eating melons and beans, crowded at the bow of the boat, laughing foolishly, their attention entirely focused on the stage; no one cared about him.

That makes sense. Liang Qu did attend academy for almost a year. If he couldn't understand it, how could ordinary people? They couldn't understand it either.

Especially the new play.

The same principle applies to many people listening to their idols release new songs. Without looking at the lyrics, most people can't understand what the lyrics are about after the first two listens; they can only feel the emotions within them.

So many people came mainly to watch the spectacle and find something new; they had no idea that the real-life figures on the stage were sitting across from each other.

Furthermore, it seems that Chen Zhaoan deliberately asked the troupe leader to remove the opening scene that explained the plot and background in order to give him a "surprise," making it even more confusing.

However, Master Tang, and others on either side occasionally glanced at Liang Qu, having discerned something, their lips curling into a half-smile.

Fortunately, they managed to save some face.

Liang Qu covered his face with his hands and slumped back in his chair.

That's so embarrassing.

Why can you recall exactly what he said back then?

Where did this invisible historian come from?

"Elder Chen..."

Chen Zhaoan turned to the side.

Liang Qu sat up again and carefully crafted his words.

"How come he can act out even what I said back then? Where did Elder Chen hear that from?"

Liang Qu had spoken to others about his dealings with the Whale Gang, but never in such detail, much less recounting everything he had said.

Where did Chen Zhaoan get his information? "This has nothing to do with me. I didn't direct this play."

Chen Zhaoan rested his wrist on his cane and waved his hand repeatedly.

"Not you, sir?"

"No, the troupe leader of this play is named Qian Tingzhi. He was originally from Feng Bu County and led a Little Opera Troupe. He was quite famous in Feng Bu County. However, eight years ago, a County Magistrate Big Belly came to Feng Bu County. Lord Liang should be familiar with him."

Liang Qu nodded.

Du Wenchang, you know.

She's such a drama queen, she even has a nickname, "Big Belly," which is absolutely true.

"That Big Belly was full of fat and bloated, but he had a penchant for refined pursuits, especially for listening to and writing operas. If it were just these things, it would be fine, but the key Big Belly he also liked to play with operas."

"Playing games?"

Seeing that Liang Qu was puzzled, Chen Zhaoan lowered his voice to explain.

"Playing with actors! This troupe leader Qian leads Little Opera Troupe, and the actors are all women, so naturally, he's Big Belly Baotian."

Liang Qu glanced at the girl on the stage and couldn't help but nod.

He knew about the Little Opera Troupe because his Master's Wife loved listening to them, and he had learned a little about it.

This is one of the most common types of opera in the Jianghuai.

It is said that initially, the Little Opera Troupe was full of male actors. Later, inspired by the "Fashionable Children Troupe" opera in the Imperial Capital, a master wanted to train a group of female actors in the troupe.

At that time, the "male class" and the "female class" still coexisted and competed with each other, but the actresses in the "female class" were very popular because of their beautiful appearance and elegant stage presence.

Over time, the performance of the "male troupe" deteriorated, gradually declined, and was eventually eliminated, replaced by the "female troupe," which then dominated the scene.

Since then, the Little Opera Troupe has consisted entirely of female performers, which has become a unique feature.

Therefore, the actors playing Liang Qu and Liu Jie's brothers on the water platform are all women.

Her skin was like soft, rosy jade, and her eyebrows were outlined with ink to deepen her features. She had a slender waist and an upright posture.

With every move he made, he exuded a heroic spirit, like a blooming golden chrysanthemum, often drawing cheers from the crowd.

To be a good actor, one must first be good-looking. They were all pretty girls, and when dressed as men, they looked even more dashing. It's not surprising that not only Du Wenchang would like them, but any normal man would.

"Then what?"

"Once or twice is fine, but that hungry ghost with Big Belly will never be satisfied. If this goes on for too long, the team will be completely drained."

Master Qian couldn't bear to see his hard-earned stars become playthings of nobles, so he took his troupe and began traveling to various counties, hanging around in the surrounding areas.

Until a few months ago, when he heard that you had destroyed the Whale Gang and that Big Belly had been imprisoned and tried, he searched everywhere for your deeds, personally went to the prison to ask those Whale Gang members, and went through all sorts of hardships to fabricate this great show.

When I went to invite him, the troupe leader, Qian, heard that Yi Xing Town was your hometown, so he didn't accept any money. Instead, he personally contributed twenty taels of silver to help us build the water stage, saying he would perform for three days straight without charging any fees.

Three days?

The people of Liang Qu were tired of hearing it.

He never expected that his provocation of the Falling Whale Gang would trigger further events.

Doesn't that mean many people have heard this play, and that the number will continue to increase in the future? The light and shadow moved across his body, swords flashed on the stage, and tumbles and somersaults occurred. With the villain's powerless struggle, he collapsed completely on the stage, spitting out a mouthful of bright red blood. The second act came to an end.

"Good!"

"Color!"

"Nice!"

Loud whistles echoed across the Great Marsh, and the shouts of hundreds of people were deafening—what a lively scene!

Outside the audience circle, water splashed and surged.

Round Head patted his belly happily, gesturing for Little River Porpoise beside him to watch the fancy tricks on stage.

Cannot Move, it raised its paw to scratch its scales, kicked the Fat Catfish that was excitedly rolling around next to it, but kicked itself away.

The Mirage Worm that was clinging to the Giant Crocodile's head lost its balance and fell into the water, but was caught by Fist with pincers.

The splashing noise attracted the attention of a fisherman in the back row. Upon seeing the several terrifying beasts, his legs went weak and he fell into the river.

He shouted a few times in a hurry, and his companions around him turned around to look.

The Great Marsh was tranquil, with waves lapping against each other; where were those catfish Fish Monster?

"You're not watching the good show? You must be drunk and confused."

"No, I really saw it!"

"Hey, alright, alright, you saw it, so what? The River God has manifested today, and there are more than a dozen Martial Master here. What are you afraid of?"

"Too..."

Below the water platform, Liang Qu scratched his temples, his ten toes clenching and unclenching inside his boots.

Human joys and sorrows are not shared; he only felt that everyone was making noise.

"Elder Chen, was it Master Qian's idea to omit the second lead actor from the opening act?"

"It was Master Qian's idea to bring up the theme at the very end."

Liang Qu pinched the bridge of his nose, his temples throbbing slightly.

"Let's skip the opening act for the second-to-last position."

"Why... Fine, I'll go talk to him."

It was midnight, and a light drizzle was falling.

The performance has ended.

The fishermen, soaked by the drizzle, rowed away with lingering enthusiasm.

The opening act did not take place. Liang Qu successfully controlled the scale of his troupe's death and also met Qian Tingzhi, the troupe leader mentioned by Chen Zhaoan.

Qian Tingzhi was a small old man nearing sixty, with gray hair and a height of only 1.6 meters. He came out to greet them with a group of girls in their teens and twenties, and they were incredibly enthusiastic.

"That Big Belly, it's worse than a pig or a dog! A birth within a birth! If it gives birth to a son, he'll definitely be born without an anus!"

"Lord Liang is a hero, having rid Feng Bu County of a great scourge! From now on, Lord Liang will be granted first-class seats when he brings people to see plays! No fees will be charged!"

"Master Qian, you're too kind. I only have one request. How about we change the program for the next three days? ' Yutang Chun,' ' Over the Wall to Ride a Horse,' and ' Legend of the Dragon Girl ' are all good."

"Um, why is that? Is it because Lord Liang is not satisfied with today's performance?"

Seeing the girls' disappointed looks, Liang Qu swallowed his words.

"It's not that I'm dissatisfied, it's just that it's not easy for the villagers to see a play, so please try to offer more plays..."

"Well, alright, since it's Lord Liang who asked, we should naturally agree."

After exchanging pleasantries, Liang Qu did not go home.

He sat alone in the boat for a long time, enjoying the river breeze for several quarters of an hour.

Fat Catfish and other animals poked their heads out of the water nearby, but no one dared to disturb them.

Ultimately, it was a good thing to do.

So be it.

With a soft sigh, Liang Qu gathered his thoughts and thought for a while before remembering why he had come out.