E Huangshi's expression shifted between light and shadow. She had known for some time that Young Master Duan's interest lay not in these three female performers, but in the Red Happiness Troupe.
As the largest, most famous, and longest-established theatrical troupe in the Jade Capital, the Red Happiness Troupe had long since become an indispensable part of its people's leisure, reaching every corner of the city's cultural life, from high officials and noblemen to peddlers and porters.
Every evening, the Red Happiness Troupe's featured plays would often open simultaneously on several stages throughout the city. It was a leader in its trade, but that was not her achievement alone; its reputation had been accumulated in every respect through generations of management.
What the Duan Household's young master coveted now was the Red Happiness Troupe's influence in this sphere, not the beauty of any one woman or handful of women. Although E Huangshi did not know exactly what he intended to do, she instinctively sensed the danger involved. It might destroy the enterprise her family had spent generations building.
And so she had flatly refused.
The Duan Household's young master had sent word to her through other channels long ago, offering a very sincere price. Then, as she played dumb and feigned ignorance, he had gradually grown impatient, leading to what had happened to these three female performers.
It was nothing more than the most commonplace loan-sharking in the streets. A few little tricks were enough to leave these borrowers unable to repay their debts. She could afford the money herself, but this was not a matter of money.
What would paying off the three women's debts accomplish? It would only resolve their immediate predicament for the moment, and then other troubles would follow, endlessly, unless she bowed her head and