The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 268 Goulan House
"The people of Qi simply ran to the streets to hold parades and rallies when they had nothing to do, and blocked the roads! Oh, if we leave this to Daqin, I'm afraid we won't be sued. The government will take them all away, and then accuse them of gathering a crowd to rebel. Even if they don't have their heads chopped off, they will probably be sent to the northwest, where they will be forced to live in the wind and eat sand for the rest of their lives. "

In the bustling train station, a group of Qin people dragged their large and small luggage and walked quickly towards the waiting room along with the turbulent flow of people.

On their way here, they were blocked by a group of workers. After waiting to no avail, they had to abandon the carriage and rush towards the station on foot.

Hurrying slowly, I finally arrived at the train station within the time specified by the train I was taking. Then I kept pushing through the crowd and rushed towards the ticket gate.

The weather was hot, and everyone was sweating profusely from walking all the way, and their clothes were soaked through. The noisy and crowded train station and the dense flow of people seemed to make the entire air stagnant, emitting even greater heat, making it particularly hot and unbearable.

There were several huge steam fans hanging on the ceiling of the station. The rapidly rotating fan blades did not bring any coolness, but only made the slightly turbid and humid air flow.

All the passengers kept complaining about the hot weather while wiping the sweat from their foreheads. Many men even opened their clothes and exposed their chests in order to dissipate excess body heat.

Wu Weining looked at the long ticket check-in line in front of him, let out a long breath, then put down the luggage bag on his shoulder, lifted up his clothes, wiped the sweat from his face, and looked back and forth to confirm that he was All my companions were there, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Shh..., keep your voice down, don't talk nonsense." When he heard the complaints from his companion Ni Qiugui, he couldn't help but frowned and looked around carefully, seeing that the passengers were all minding their own business and waiting for the bus. The man noticed their conversation and gave him a hard look.

"I didn't say anything." Ni Qiugui muttered, "We have been in Qi for almost four months, and we all know that their officials will not punish people for words, let alone take people at will. Besides, those who rallied and marched None of the workers in Qi are afraid of getting into trouble. Are we going to get arrested if we talk about it in private? "

It is nothing new for mainland Chinese opera artists and even folk circus and acrobatics to be invited or take the initiative to organize groups to perform in Qi to make money.

Of course, over the decades of development of Qi State, in addition to actively introducing Chinese culture, many endogenous art types have also been produced based on the interactive influence of world civilizations.

To be honest, in terms of the degree of openness of culture, the richness and variety of entertainment, and the endless joy of the people, it should be compared to the Qi State, which is comparable to the Goulan tile houses in the Song Dynasty, and the prosperity and liveliness like fireworks in the world.

For example, the combination of dramas from Europe and traditional Eastern operas has formed a popular stage performance similar to that of later generations. The content includes joys and sorrows, trivial matters in the market, love and friendship, and is all-encompassing. It is a Chinese drama.

It is said that Qi State implemented a city curfew for a period of time except when it was fighting the Dutch red-haired ghosts in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Since then, no night curfew has been imposed in Hanzhou mainland and surrounding overseas territories. As long as you have money and leisure, you can have fun all day long from morning to night. You can choose restaurants, teahouses, goulanwase snack shops, and the sky is high and the sea is vast.

China has a long history and possesses extremely rich and diverse musical cultural resources. Its complexity, breadth and diversity are rare in the world.

Last year, Shao Zhengli, the fourth master of "Taishunxing", admired their performance of "The Peony Pavilion" in Suzhou City. He was so impressed that he not only rewarded them with a lot of money, but also invited their entire opera troupe to Guangzhou to perform for Mr. Shao. At the woman's 80th birthday party, the performance lasted for three consecutive days and won unanimous praise from countless dignitaries and businessmen.

During this period, a big businessman from Qi State was so happy after watching their opera that he invited them to Qi State for a tour.

The Qi State is prosperous and the people are well-off. Many artists who go to Hanzhou to seek a living have earned a lot of money. A considerable number of artists will directly settle in the Qi State after they have a small fortune, buy houses and land, and teach apprentices and skills. Come back again and enjoy a stable, peaceful and wealthy life.

Wu Weining and others are Kunqu opera performers from Wuzhong in the Qin Dynasty. The "Tan Family Troupe" they formed is also a relatively famous opera troupe in Suzhou and even the entire Jiangnan region. It has a long-standing reputation and is deeply loved by many people.

"...Having said that, we are foreigners after all, and we are still a group of low-class actors." Wu Weining couldn't help but be startled when he heard this, and then said with a wry smile: "The people of Qi have given face, so we must be more careful in everything. Don't get into trouble for no reason because of your quick words...at least don't bring unnecessary trouble to Shopkeeper Shao and everyone."

The way of a great power is not only reflected in its strong economic and military strength, but also in exerting far-reaching influence and radiation in the fields of culture and art. "Both material civilization and spiritual civilization must be grasped", "Both hands must be strong" "Fang is an example of a world power.

For another example, influenced by a certain time traveler, popular songs were born in this world hundreds of years in advance. At first, existing ancient poems were sung with various melodies and accompanied by various musical instruments. Later, many new composers and lyricists gradually emerged, creating many popular classic songs and spreading to other countries and regions.

Although the Qi State has been in existence for more than ninety years, the country is strong, the people are prosperous, and all kinds of folk entertainment life are relatively rich and diverse.

Even though there are many low-class opera performers or jugglers among the immigrants, after they were transported back to Hanzhou, their "artistic talents" were basically ignored, and they were all stuffed into factories or assigned to farmland. , and dedicated his whole life to continuously increasing the material civilization of Qi.

Later, the State of Qi gradually began to become stronger, the population also reached a certain scale, and the types of immigrants began to diversify. In addition to continuing to increase the introduction of various technical talents and specialized craftsmen, there were also traditional folk artists, operas, juggling and the like. Many special channels have also been opened for personnel to provide a certain degree of convenience for them to settle down and settle down, in the hope that their arrival will promote and enrich domestic artistic and cultural life.

"..." Ni Qiugui was still waiting to refute, but when he saw the sullen expression on the other side, he said nervously: "Bantou Wu, I think the people of Qi are actually quite reasonable. Whether it is their government or their ordinary people, There is no malicious discrimination or bullying against people of our status...Well, at least they treat us as normal people. Haven't you seen that we have been doing this a lot in the past few months? Invited by the dignitaries of Qi State, not only the banquet was extraordinarily sumptuous, but the reward was also extremely generous."

"Tell me about it... as long as you are not afraid of getting into trouble, you can talk nonsense as you like." Wu Weining was a little annoyed, "We are not familiar with the place in Qi State. If we don't be careful in our words and deeds, be careful in what we do, and cause trouble, who will come? Save us? Don’t you think that if Shopkeeper Shao brings us to Qi, he will try his best to protect our safety. If something happens, they will probably abandon us casually and won’t do their best to protect us. Follow us."

But after all, the cultural heritage and folk art are still a bit weaker than those of China mainland, which has thousands of years of history. In addition, when Qi State launched large-scale immigration, the first choice of immigrants was various types of craftsmen, craftsmen, and farmers. , doctors, literati, and a large number of specialized personnel with special talents, resulting in some congenital deficiencies in culture and art.

According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 300 types of operas and more than 400 types of folk arts handed down in mainland China. There are more than 600 types of ethnic folk instrumental music, with nearly 10,000 pieces of music. There are also a vast number of recorded Chinese tunes, folk songs, and ballads. The Qi State alone has reprinted and recorded more than 24,000 songs in the past few decades.

In many large and medium-sized cities in Hanzhou, the night market ends at the third watch and opens again at the fifth watch. There is an endless stream of people coming and going all night long. Even in midsummer, with scorching heat and heavy rain, the night market is still there waiting for you, full of men showing their breasts and enjoying a drink.

In Jianye City, the most prosperous place at night is the Wanguo Street, with bright lights, huge crowds of people, bustling with people, and the smell of fireworks everywhere. "Lamps shine in the sky, and every night late at night, it seems like there are no more mosquitoes or gnats."

Look, the oil lamps that are burning all night are so smokey that even the mosquitoes can't stay there, which shows the prosperity of Qi's night market. China has always been famous for its delicious food, and the best food is often made from the simplest ingredients. In Qi State, there are not only countless traditional ingredients, but also rare and exotic ingredients from all over the world. There are also rich and abundant foods of all kinds, and there are countless restaurants and big shops.

Jianye City alone has more than 60 "five-star" restaurants and countless types of snacks. Even when customers need it, many restaurants will have "takeaway" boys to deliver the food to their doorsteps, just like in the pre-Song Dynasty.

There are also many kinds of food in the night market. If you are tired from shopping at night, you can sit down at the food stalls, eat some delicious food and drink some tea.

If you have more money, go shopping in a restaurant. When you arrive at the restaurant, the waiter immediately comes forward and announces the dishes: "Welcome, sir, our special dishes are braised lamb's trotters, braised crab, tuna dumplings, spicy canned lungs, spicy vegetarian rice soup, and bacon. , fine flour noodles, ginger shrimp, grilled lamb chops...what do you want?

When I heard this menu, I couldn't help but salivate. When I was excited, I waved my hands and served them all. There is wine today and I will be drunk today. Food is served with good wine. This is the only pleasure in the world.

There are many Qi-style food stalls, hot pot stalls, and barbecue skewers in the night market. For just a few cents, you can eat with a full belly and leave satisfied.

When the stall owner shouted: "Two cents for the whole place! You can't buy it for two cents and you will suffer a loss! You can't be fooled for two cents! It's really worth the money!" You excitedly put your parents in the cloth No matter how many times I ask you to buy soy sauce, you will be able to buy a portion of braised lamb or golden roasted lamb chops.

Moreover, in order to attract those workers who work all-night shifts, many night markets operate very late, and some will operate until the early morning. After you finish eating this stall, when he closes the stall, the morning market operator will leave the stall, and you still have to rush to eat. I also envy such a happy life.

When the night market starts, ordinary people can also go to restaurants and teahouses to enjoy music and dance. dignitaries and businessmen dance and play music in the magnificent theater, while ordinary people follow the trend in the private sector and enjoy temporary entertainment.

I have to say that Qi is indeed a very enjoyable country.

Of course, as a Kunqu opera troupe from Daqin, it will definitely pay close attention to Qi's "goulanwashe", and even look forward to the entertainment and entertainment activities of Qi's people.

Similarly, Qi's "Goulan" culture is in the same vein as that of the mainland, and the types of programs are also beautiful and diverse, including singing, puppet shows, acrobatics, storytellers, and commentaries on domestic events.

Moreover, with their abundant financial resources, some of the "Goulan Houses" built by the Qi people were extremely magnificent and large-scale, and could even accommodate more than four to five thousand people, attracting many opera troupes and dramas from the mainland. , everyone was shocked by it.

I still remember that a few months ago, when the Tan members of the theater troupe stepped onto the Imperial Theater in Jianye City for the first time, they were stunned by the densely packed audience. In the semicircular theater, almost more than 4,000 spectators poured in. Under the bright lights, rows and rows were raised backwards, so that every spectator could see without any obstruction. The stage ahead.

In an instant, an invisible sense of pressure arose in Tan's heart, causing him to play several tunes in a row after the opening few breaths before he could calm down.

Darling, the largest theater in Daqin can only accommodate a few hundred people, and the entire venue is flat. If the audience in the front row is taller, or stands up when they are excited, it will inevitably block the audience behind.

If you want to gather more than a thousand viewers, you can only build a temporary stage outdoors to meet the viewing needs of so many people.

In Jianye City, the large-scale theater and the enthusiastic audience allowed "Tan Family Class" to earn in just over four months the appearance fees that it once took two to three years to earn.

No wonder, those who have been to Qi state say that even if you are only engaged in sweeping the streets and washing dishes in Qi state, you can earn wages several times higher than those in Da Qin.

Even those street jugglers who couldn't make it to the stage in Daqin were able to earn a lot of money in a short period of time in Qi, relying on the enthusiastic rewards from street audiences.

Therefore, the "Tan Family Class" stayed in Jianye for more than four months, performed more than 20 times in several large theaters, and made a lot of money, but they did not intend to stop and return to Daqin. It is to accept the suggestion of shopkeeper Shao Da and start touring in many big cities in Qi State to earn more money and seek happiness for everyone in the troupe for the rest of their lives.

Of course, if possible, it would be best to stay in Qi and not go back.

Although they are well-known in Suzhou and even the Jiangnan area, and are welcomed and loved by many audiences, in their eyes, they are always actors, the lowest class in society.

There are three religions and nine schools, but the actors are at the bottom, not as good as the witches, beggars, thieves, and robbers.

How sad!
However, in Qi State, the legal principle that all citizens are equal has been stipulated since the Taizu period.

No matter whether this principle is really implemented in all aspects of society or even extended to everyone, at least the people of Qi do not discriminate against people like them who are actors.

Among the three religions and nine tiers, the fifth-rate craftsmen and the sixth-rate medical farmers had a very high status in Qi State. Some craftsmen even received royal titles and titles because of their major inventions and improvements. Although the titles given are to the lowest baron, he is still a serious noble.

Of course, as an actor, there is nothing beneficial to the country. He can only entertain the people, and there is no hope of being knighted. But at least he can live like a human being in Qi State and be regarded as a normal and equal person by others.

This is enough.

(End of this chapter)