Chen Xi was casually chatting with Fan Jian, feeling somewhat aimless. Although the New Year celebrations were over, there wasn't much work for the people of Fenggao. Most of their days were spent gathering for drinks, watching plays, and listening to music. Recently, the theater at Manxiang Pavilion had been packed to capacity for every show.
"Zichuan, let's go drink!" Zhang Fei's booming voice echoed from outside the courtyard. His powerful shout made Chen Xi, who was inside the house, feel a tremor in his ears. Naturally, the maids within the inner courtyard started chattering away after hearing the loud voice.
One must say, Chen Xi was too good to his maids. Before the New Year, he had given them all generous allowances, similar to those of wealthy young ladies, and hadn't required them to do much work. As a result, after the holidays, the maids had become bolder.
"Every day it's drinking. Can't you come up with a new line? Who are you drinking with today?" Chen Xi sighed as he pushed open the door. "Just don't go drinking with Gan Ning—that drunkard is impossible to keep up with."
"There's a new play at Manxiang Pavilion today. You're not going to watch? It's performed by the famous actress Chen Yun, and she's fantastic," Zhang Fei said, slapping Chen Xi on the shoulder. The impact made Chen Xi involuntarily bend down slightly.
Zhang Fei was behaving like a complete fanboy. Well, in a time with limited entertainment options, a good play was the ultimate treat for those who were otherwise idle. Recently, Manxiang Pavilion had been making a fortune, and several "famous" performers had emerged.
"Oh, that's my maid. All the actresses at Manxiang Pavilion with the surname Chen are my maids who went there for fun," Chen Xi replied disinterestedly. He had enjoyed the first couple of shows, but after seeing them several times, his interest had waned.
During the New Year festivities, Chen Xi had allowed his maids to take time off and enjoy themselves. Some of them had gone back to Manxiang Pavilion to visit their former madam, Liu Luo, who had given them to Chen Xi when the establishment had ceased its previous business model.
It was during this time that Chen Xi learned that Liu Luo had personally raised the maids she gave him. It seemed clear she hoped to establish a connection with Chen Xi through them.
Chen Xi didn't blame Liu Luo for her actions. After all, without her care, these girls might not have survived.
When Manxiang Pavilion was short-staffed, Liu Luo had recruited her daughters to perform in the plays. Some did well, some didn't, but they all earned generous tips. The audiences, composed mostly of wealthy merchants experiencing such entertainment for the first time, were eager to reward the performances.
As a result, Chen Xi's maids had been drawn into the theater scene, and at that time, Manxiang Pavilion had been desperate for performers. So, Liu Luo, as the boss, didn't care about the qualifications of the actresses—newcomers were welcome, and the audience simply wanted to be entertained. Before long, several talented actresses emerged.
Now, five so-called famous actresses had risen to prominence, and aside from Chen Yun, two of them were currently in Chen Xi's household, studying poetry. During the New Year, these maids had earned enough to support themselves for life, yet none of them had left. Chen Xi knew why—survival in this world was too difficult, and being a maid in his household offered them security that was hard to find elsewhere.
"Ah, why aren't my maids as capable as yours?" Zhang Fei sighed. He was still single and hadn't shown any intention of marrying.
"You could try cultivating their talents," Chen Xi suggested as he stepped out the door. "I need to meet with Fengxiao and deliver some news to Zhicai. You should go to the theater with Xingba instead. I've had enough of it. If I want to watch a play, I can just arrange one in my garden. I don't need to go out."
"Such a waste—hogging three famous actresses all for yourself," Zhang Fei grumbled. However, he didn't suggest that Chen Xi send any of the maids to him. Almost everyone in Taishan knew about Chen Xi's peculiar hobby of keeping dozens of maids around.
People didn't criticize Chen Xi for this; after all, maids were just maids, and what their master did with them was none of the authorities' concern. Given that Chen Xi seemed to buy them simply for the pleasure of having them around, there was nothing wrong with it. Chen Xi didn't bother explaining either—his actions did indeed resemble someone collecting maids for fun.
At least Chen Xi had managed to establish a legitimate venue for cultural entertainment in Taishan. As for fostering a literary culture, that would take time. But those weren't pressing matters.
After finally getting Zhang Fei to leave, Chen Xi approached another courtyard and called out, "Kongming, how about I take you out for a bit?"
After a long pause, Zhuge Liang appeared with a book in his hands and shook his head. "I'm currently studying formations. Lord Li gave me a book on formation basics and said that once I've mastered it, he'll teach me a new formation. I'm deep into my studies, so maybe tomorrow."
With that, Zhuge Liang ignored Chen Xi and locked the gate. Chen Xi was just too much trouble—this was Zhuge Liang's biggest realization since living with him. Chen Xi would occasionally drop knowledge on him that was so overwhelming it made Zhuge Liang's head spin. The most frustrating part was that Chen Xi's books often contained flaws, forcing Zhuge Liang to figure them out himself.
Over time, Zhuge Liang had started to avoid asking Chen Xi questions, turning instead to the other scholars.
As time passed, Zhuge Liang realized that Guo Jia's carefree personality wasn't conducive to learning, Jia Xu was elusive, Lu Su was always busy, Liu Ye seemed a bit neurotic, Man Chong always looked like someone owed him money, and Fa Zheng exuded malice. Only Li You, the elder statesman, appeared kind and knowledgeable, always willing to answer Zhuge Liang's questions without causing him stress. Zhuge Liang felt as though he had finally found his mentor.
To be honest, Zhuge Liang no longer believed that his intelligence was unmatched. After all, Chen Xi, who wandered around aimlessly, would occasionally drop pearls of wisdom that left Zhuge Liang shocked and enlightened. Over time, he had become numb to these surprises, accepting them as part of everyday life.
"It's strange. Why doesn't Kongming stick to me?" Chen Xi muttered to himself as he stared at the locked door. He had taught Zhuge Liang so many things that didn't exist in this era, yet the more he taught, the more Zhuge Liang seemed to avoid him. What was going on?
If Zhuge Liang knew what Chen Xi was thinking, he would have burst into tears. Chen Xi's teaching style wasn't education—it was force-feeding! Whether the information was toxic or not, suitable or not, Chen Xi would shove it into Zhuge Liang's brain without a second thought. Fortunately, Zhuge Liang had a superior intellect, otherwise, Chen Xi's methods might have stifled his creativity.
Even so, Zhuge Liang was terrified by Chen Xi's overwhelming knowledge. He wasn't opposed to learning; he just couldn't handle Chen Xi's intense teaching style. Desperate, Zhuge Liang had resorted to locking himself away to process what he had already learned before taking on any more. Otherwise, he feared he might not survive the onslaught of information!