Chapter 319 Free Performance
Young Master Cai had already spread the news throughout the capital city as Qianhuan had instructed. The stage plays in the No. 1 Garden in the World, which usually cost several taels of silver to watch, could be watched for free today in the four street centers in the southeast, northwest, and northeast of the capital city.
So, when Qianhuan brought the made-up actors, musicians, and soldiers to the first stage performance location, there were already huge crowds of people around, and everywhere was filled with ordinary people who wanted to watch the show for free.
Qianhuan served as the main musician for the entire situational drama. As her delicate hands plucked the strings of the zither, a background music piece, "Besieged on All Sides" by Li Yunwen, slowly flowed out from her hands.
Along with the sad and desolate tune, a loud and low narration sounded: In the Central Plains, there was a country called the Great Song. Because of the fertile land of the Great Song, it had always been coveted by the people of the Jin State. Finally, one day, the Jin soldiers could no longer hold back and sent troops to invade the Great Song.
The Jin people not only occupied a large area of territory in the Central Plains of the Song Dynasty, but also abducted two emperors of the Song Dynasty. This is known in history as the Jingkang Shame.
There was a young hero named Yue Fei. He had practiced martial arts since he was a child and had a patriotic sentiment. When he saw his country and people being trampled upon by the Jin people, Yue Fei resolutely decided to join the army.
After Yue Fei joined the army, he founded the Yue Family Army, which was brave and good at fighting and invincible.
Just before Yue Fei left home to lead his troops to war, his mother-in-law called her son to her side.
On the stage, the actress who played Yue Fei's mother stepped forward and chanted: "When the Jin soldiers invaded, the country was in turmoil. My son led the troops to kill the enemy chieftain. When the Central Plains is recovered, all the people will drink together to celebrate the victory!" Yue Fei, my son!
Yue Fei stepped forward in military uniform and said: Mother, I am about to go to the battle. He wrote a couplet to express his determination to serve the country and recover the lost territory.
The actor who played Yue Fei showed the inscription. Yue Fei's mother read it and chanted: "Give me back my country! Good! My son has lofty ambitions." The mother wanted to carve this inscription on a plaque and hang it in the middle hall to establish the family tradition of our Yue family.
Yue Fei (saluting with fists): Thank you, mother.
Mother-in-law: Mother also wants to give you four words.
Yue Fei (looking around): Where is the word?
Mother-in-law pointed in front of her and said: Come, undress and kneel down.
Yue Fei was startled, but still knelt down obediently (facing the audience, with his back to his mother-in-law) and took off his clothes to expose his back.
Mother-in-law (tattooing): My child, your mother is tattooing on your back. Does it hurt?
Yue Fei: It hurts, but the more it hurts, the more I will remember my mother’s tattoo.
Mother-in-law: Good! My son is loyal, brave and filial, worthy of being a descendant of the Yue family (the mother-in-law’s hand was trembling as she tattooed the words)...Okay, get up.
Yue Fei stood up and asked: What words did your mother tattoo on you?
Yue Fei's mother pulled him up with his back facing the people in the audience. On the back of the actor who played Yue Fei, there were four bright red characters "Serve the country with loyalty and devotion".
My mother-in-law read aloud: "Serve the country with loyalty and devotion!" My son must keep these four words in mind.
Yue Fei answered loudly: I will serve my country with all my heart and soul, and I will never forget it until my death!
(At this time, the rapid sound of war drums, horse neighing, and horns were heard)
Yue Fei (bows on one leg): Mother, the war drums are beating, the horses are neighing, I am about to lead the troops to kill the enemy!
Mother-in-law (excitedly): Okay, mother will see you off, let’s go!
Yue Fei helps his mother down (the sound of war drums continues).
Scene 2: Qianhua quickly changed to Tu Honggang's "Loyalty to the Country". Qianhua first played the accompaniment, and the passionate pure music sounded)
Amid the pure music of "Loyalty to the Country", the narration sounded again: Yue Fei led the Yue Family Army in bloody battles for more than ten years, fought thousands of miles, and recovered a large area of land from the Jin soldiers.
At the same time, the fifty soldiers behind him danced with their swords and guns in unison and sang the song taught by Qianhuan:
The smoke of war rises and the country looks north
The dragon flag rolls, the horse neighs, the sword energy is like frost
My heart is like the vast water of the Yellow River
Who can resist in twenty years?
Hateful and mad, the long sword points to
How many loyal brothers and sisters are buried in other places?
Why would you die to serve your family and country?
I can't help but sigh and feel sad, I'm speechless, my eyes are filled with blood and tears
Horses are heading south, people are looking north
People look north, the grass is green and yellow, and the dust is flying
I am willing to defend the land and restore the borders
Dignified China wants to make the Quartet
Come and congratulate!
The awe-inspiring song "Serve the Country with Loyalty" made the people in the audience excited and they all applauded. They seemed to see the scene of countless soldiers fighting bravely, and also seemed to see the sad scene of countless brothers and sisters being buried in a foreign land.
At this time, Qianhuan changed to a guzheng concerto called "Lin'an Regret" (played by Chen Aijuan). This song vividly expresses the treacherous people's pursuit of glory, unfulfilled ambitions, and eternal regrets.
The narration slowly began to sound amidst the heart-wrenching music:
Yue Fei's father led the Yue Family Army to defeat 12 Jin soldiers in Zhuxian Town. When they were about to attack Huanglong, Qin Hui, a treacherous minister and prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty who was heavily bribed by the Jin Kingdom, insisted on surrendering and negotiating peace. So he issued golden medals in a row to forcibly recall Yue Fei, who was determined to fight, and fabricated the charge of treason to put Yue Fei in the Dali Temple Prison, which staged an unjust case in the history of the Central Plains...
Qin Hui, the traitor, comes on stage (to the officer): Bring up the guilty minister Yue Fei!
The officer shouted: Bring Yue Fei——!
The jailer roared murderously: "Go!" Two jailers handcuffed Yue Fei and escorted him in.
Qin Hui: Yue Fei, have you finished writing the confession letter I asked you to write?
Yue Fei: He broke free from the jailer, took out a piece of calligraphy from his body and unfolded it, saying: I wrote it ten years ago! Look!
Qin Hui took a look and said: Give me back my land!
Yue Fei: Yes! Return my country to me. This is my crime!
Qin Hui: How dare you! (He grabs the letter and throws it on the ground) You have your own army, you are colluding with the Jin people, and you are disobeying the emperor's order. Isn't this a crime of treason?
Yue Fei: Rebellion? Bring me the evidence!
Qin Hui: I have prepared it for you a long time ago. (Takes out an envelope) This is the evidence of your treason. You colluded with the Jin people and exchanged letters. Isn't this called treason?
Yue Fei (howling angrily and painfully to the sky): Hahahahaha… (grabbing the envelope, tearing it into pieces, and throwing it fiercely in Qin Hui’s face), Humph, you want to destroy my reputation of more than ten years with just a fake letter? If you want to accuse me, you can always find a pretext. ——!
Yue Fei, who was bound by iron chains on the stage, raised his hands high, looked up to the sky in grief and loudly read "Man Jiang Hong". The fifty soldiers behind him also read in unison:
The rain stops
Look up and howl to the sky
Fierce
Thirty Fame Dust and Soil
Baiqianlilu Yunheyue
Don't wait until your hair turns grey
Empty and sad
The Humiliation of Jingkang Has Not Yet Been Revenged
When will the hatred of the ministers be eliminated?
Driving a long car to break through the Helan Mountain
Ambition hungry eat barbarian meat
Laughing about thirst for Xiongnu blood
Waiting to start over and rebuild the old mountains and rivers
Chaotianque
The thought-provoking and deafening sound of poetry made the people in the audience tremble in their hearts.
At this time, Qianhua sang Teacher Han Hong's "Man Jiang Hong" again.
When will I return home to wash my guest robes?
Silver-letter Sheng Tune Heart-letter Incense Burns
Time flies by and people are left behind
The cherries are red and the bananas are green
When will I return home to wash my guest robes?
Silver-letter Sheng Tune Heart-letter Incense Burns
Time flies by and people are left behind
The cherries are red and the bananas are green
bristle
Leaning on the railing
The rain stops
Look up
Scream up to the sky
Fierce
Thirty Fame Dust and Soil
Baiqianlilu Yunheyue
Don't wait
White boy's head
Baiqianlilu Yunheyue
Don't wait
White boy's head
Empty and sad
The Humiliation of Jingkang
No Snow Yet
Ministers' hatred
When will it be eliminated?
Driving a long car
Breaking through the Helan Mountains
Ambition hungry eat barbarian meat
Laughing about thirst for Xiongnu blood
Wait from the beginning
Cleaning up the old mountains and rivers
Chaotianque
Chaotianque
When the song was over, the people in the audience were already covering their faces and crying, unable to speak.
At this time, the actor Yue Fei on the stage knelt on the ground and cried out to the sky in pain: Mother... I, your son... will die before my ambitions are fulfilled, and I have no way to serve my country with my loyalty!
Qin Hui picked up a rope from the ground, threw it to the jailer, and shouted: Execute!
The jailer put a noose around Yue Fei's neck. Yue Fei struggled to stand up, pushed the two jailers away, and said, "No need to wait on me!" (He turned around and laughed at the sky) and stepped onto the execution platform step by step.
The two jailers followed behind, each pulling a rope. Yue Fei grabbed the ropes on both sides with both hands, raised his hands and shouted: "Subjects of the Song Dynasty, don't forget to recover the lost territory and unify the land of China!"
Qin Hui shouted at the jailer at the top of his lungs: "Strangle him to death!"
The two jailers trembled as they pulled the rope tighter and sat down on the ground in fear.
Qin Hui also curled up, covered his face and hid aside.
Yue Fei trembled and shouted with great vigor: "Give me back my country! Serve my country with all my heart!"
Yue Fei died of suffocation, his eyes fixed like a sculpture, and the whole situational drama came to an end.
The common people in the audience were filled with grief and indignation. They clenched their fists and glared at the treacherous minister Qin Hui on the stage, wishing they could rush up and kill this evil man on the spot.
Amid the sad and mournful background music, the narration began again: Yue Fei, a loyal minister of his generation, was killed by a traitor. Many years later, people found out the truth and proved that Yue Fei was innocent. The traitor Qin Hui became a sinner for all ages. Later generations made a kneeling statue of Qin Hui to express their repentance for Yue Fei.
After the whole play was performed, Qianhua struck while the iron was hot. She called out loudly, "Fellow villagers, the Song Dynasty had heroes like Yue Fei, and we in Dayuan also have loyal and patriotic generals like General Qian and General Zhanshen. When the Canglang Kingdom invaded our Dayuan Dynasty, burning, killing, looting, and abusing, it was the Qian family who led the Qian Family Army and the Shen Ce Army led by General Zhanshen to fight bravely on the battlefield and save the people from danger. Madam Qian had five sons in her life, and the other four died on the battlefield, leaving no descendants. Now the Qian family only has General Qian and Young Master Qian. We must not forget their contributions to the people of Dayuan, and we must not let our heroes be killed by traitors like Yue Fei. The tragedy of history must not be repeated."
After saying that, Qianhuan quickly signaled fifty soldiers to come forward and asked them to take off their shirts to reveal the scars on their bodies.
"Look, folks. This is the Qian Family Army led by General Qian. Each of them has countless knife and sword wounds on their bodies. This is the best proof of their loyalty to the court and the people. And our General Qian has more than a hundred scars on his body. Folks, do you believe that a general who would not even care about his own life and death to protect his people would collaborate with the enemy and betray his country?"
The people's eyes were red and they shouted in unison: No, we don't believe it.
Qianhuan quickly signaled to Master Cai to have someone bring the documents, pens and ink pad to the table.
Qianhuan then stepped forward and appealed in grief, "Fellow villagers, please sign your names and put your fingerprints on the petition. We cannot watch a loyal family being wrongly accused and killed. Please give the Qian family a chance to clear their name. Please save our general, save our hero!"
The fifty soldiers with scars exposed behind him cried out in unison, "Please save our general!"
The people's emotions had been pushed to the extreme at this time, and everyone's blood was boiling. After Qianhuan's passionate speech and the unanimous cries of fifty soldiers covered with scars, everyone was no longer afraid of being implicated and came forward to sign and put their fingerprints.