Chapter 127 - 107: Rival Show, Farewell My Concubine

Chapter 127: Chapter 107: Rival Show, Farewell My Concubine

Meanwhile, Yan Xun moved with incredible speed.

On the empty lot directly across from the Guangle Building, a brand-new stage was erected at a speed visible to the naked eye.

With carved beams, painted rafters, red curtains, and gold lacquer, it possessed a lavishness and ostentation unique to the Capital City, a stark contrast to the Guangle Building’s quaint elegance.

As soon as the stage was built, a massive banner was hung: "Pingjing’s top actor of female roles, Yu Fengxian, with the imperially bestowed Tongqing Troupe, presents a free three-day performance for the esteemed residents of Sea Guardian Guard!"

Free!

The moment that word appeared, even the most oblivious commoner could sense what was happening.

This wasn’t an artistic performance; it was clearly an attempt to crash the party.

Inside the Qingchun Troupe, the atmosphere was heavy.

"Master, what are we going to do?" Chunyan asked, her eyes red with anxiety.

Tie Dan stared at the ground sullenly, gripping a wooden practice spear so tightly it CREAKED.

Deng Ming, the manager of the Guangle Building, was even more frantic, pacing around the courtyard like an ant on a hot pan.

"Boss Chen, why don’t we... lie low for a while?" Deng Ming suggested, wringing his hands, his face etched with worry.

"Prince Yu is backing that Yu Fengxian! We can’t afford to offend him! Why don’t you head back to the Qingchun Troupe for a bit? We can wait until this blows over."

Inside, Chen Ye was painting his opera mask in front of a mirror. Hearing this, the brush in his hand didn’t pause for a second.

"We’ll meet soldiers with generals and floods with earth," he said, his voice as calm as still water, as if the storm outside had nothing to do with him. "They’ve built their stage right at our doorstep. If we hide, wouldn’t we be surrendering without a fight? We’d be a laughingstock."

But the calmer he was, the more anxious Deng Ming became.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside, and Lu Jinghong burst in like a whirlwind.

She glanced at Chen Ye, her eyes filled with an undeniable worry, but her words were firm and resolute.

"Boss Chen!" Lu Jinghong brandished a thick stack of ticket stubs. "I’ve rallied all my sisters in the city and all the ladies who love your performances the most. We’ve bought out all the tickets for the Guangle Building for the next few days!"

She puffed out her chest, a trace of pride on her face. "We’ve already spread the word. We don’t care about some famous actor from the Capital City. We’re only here to see Boss Chen’s opera!"

The tip of the brush outlining Chen Ye’s eyes paused for a moment. He looked in the mirror at Lu Jinghong’s determined face, and a wave of warmth flowed through him.

Meanwhile, thanks to Yan Xun’s financial assault, huge posters of Yu Fengxian were plastered all over the streets of Sea Guardian Guard overnight.

On the posters, Yu Fengxian wore a pearl and jade phoenix crown and a gold-threaded phoenix robe. His appearance was regal and magnificent, his gaze disdainful, his presence overwhelming. It was a stark contrast to Chen Ye’s cool, otherworldly beauty, which was like that of a banished immortal.

And this only made everyone anticipate the upcoming performance even more.

Finally, the day of Yu Fengxian’s arrival came.

The train’s whistle blew as it slowly pulled into the station. The entire station plaza was already packed to the rafters.

Nearly all of Sea Guardian Guard’s prominent merchants and gentry had come to welcome him.

Surrounded by the crowd, Yu Fengxian stepped off the train.

Yan Xun had already arranged everything, setting up a temporary platform in the station plaza specifically for a press conference.

Yu Fengxian stood on the platform, facing the reporters from every newspaper in Sea Guardian Guard. He didn’t even bother with pleasantries, cutting straight to the chase.

"I hear Sea Guardian Guard has produced an ’Immortal’?"

His voice carried the unique arrogance of a Capital City accent as his gaze swept over the crowd. "A minor actor who hasn’t even been in the business for a year dares to claim his singing can move the heavens? That’s the most preposterous thing I’ve ever heard!"

"I, Yu Fengxian, have been performing opera my entire life. I came here today to clean house and purge this kind of grandstanding, perverse trend from the Peach Garden Lineage."

His voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable authority.

"I’ll make this clear right now. That fellow, Chen Ye—if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll take down that ’Immortal’ sign himself and come apologize to me. But if he remains obstinate, then he can’t blame me, Yu Fengxian, for what comes next."

These words were nothing less than a direct declaration of war.

The reporters below went wild. The pop and smoke of flashbulbs filled the air.

Yan Xun watched it all unfold, a triumphant smile on his face.

One reporter boldly asked, "Boss Yu, what exactly do you mean by ’what comes next’?"

"Simple! In two days, my stage and his Guangle Building will start performances at the same time. We will perform for three consecutive days. After three days, the winner will be decided by the size of the audience and the word-of-mouth reputation."

Yu Fengxian paused, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes.

"The loser must serve tea to the winner in front of all the residents of Sea Guardian Guard as an admission of defeat, and personally take down their own professional sign, never to use it again!"

As soon as he said this, the entire crowd erupted in an uproar.

In the Peach Garden Lineage, having your professional sign taken down was a punishment more vicious than death!

It was equivalent to the complete termination of one’s artistic life. From then on, they would never be able to hold their head high in the industry again, becoming a laughingstock for all.

For a moment, everyone’s gaze turned toward the Guangle Building.

Faced with Yu Fengxian’s aggressive provocation, how would Chen Ye respond?

Would he retreat, or would he accept the challenge?

That afternoon, a group of reporters cornered them backstage at the Guangle Building.

Chen Ye had just finished his practice, dressed only in a thin training uniform, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

Facing the reporters’ barrage of questions, he simply took the towel Tie Dan handed him, wiped his sweat, and remained perfectly calm.

"Boss Yu says I’m grandstanding and demands I admit defeat and confess my wrongs."

"If that’s the case, then there’s nothing more to say."

Chen Ye draped the towel over his shoulder. His gaze was clear, and his voice, though not loud, was crisp and soothing.

"Go back and tell Boss Yu that I’ll be waiting for him at the Guangle Building in two days. Then, we’ll let our skills do the talking."

These words were tantamount to accepting the challenge!

The reporters were instantly in a frenzy. After all, this was huge news!

One was the Immortal who rose from the bottom and captivated a city; the other was the top actor who reigned over Liyuan, adored by princes and nobles. The duel between these two was destined to be recorded in the annals of opera history!

When the news spread, public opinion in Sea Guardian Guard was completely split into two camps.

One camp, naturally, consisted of Chen Ye’s die-hard fans, who firmly believed that Boss Chen was second to none.

The other camp argued that while Chen Ye was skilled, he was ultimately a regional talent with shallow roots. How could he compare to Yu Fengxian, the number one actor who had fought his way to the top in the lion’s den of the Capital City?

The two factions argued endlessly in newspapers, teahouses, and restaurants.

Meanwhile, outside the new stage Yan Xun had built, a program board was hung high.

On it was a title, written in large, flamboyant characters of cinnabar ink.

Imperial Consort’s Drunkenness.

This was the masterpiece that had made Yu Fengxian famous, and it was also his signature role.

He intended to use his greatest strength to crush Chen Ye openly and honorably.

All eyes turned once again to the Guangle Building.

Yu Fengxian had made his move. How would Chen Ye counter?

"It has to be Peony Pavilion. After all, Boss Chen’s Du Liniang is unmatched!"

"That’s right, I’m guessing Peony Pavilion, too."

But when the Guangle Building’s program board was hung, everyone was dumbfounded.

Because the title on the board was not Peony Pavilion, nor was it any other play they had ever heard of.

It was a brand-new name that no one recognized.

Farewell My Concubine!