I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 909 What the people like is good!

"Specialize in Huangmei Opera?" Yu Qiaolian couldn't believe it.

Among the three major theaters on Yuhuang Street, Wanhelou mainly performs Kunqu Opera, and Guangdexuan mainly performs Anhui Opera. When the main theater troupe is not available, other theater troupes will be invited to perform.

There is no restriction in the entertainment venues, they sing whatever is hot.

However, it is generally recognized in the industry that Wanhelou is the home of Kunqu Opera, and Guangdexuan is the home of Hui Opera.

With these two main theaters as the foundation, everyone agrees that Kunqu Opera and Hui Opera are mainstream operas and major genres.

The rest of the plays do not have a main theater and can only be performed in other theaters on Yuhuang Street, or be performed in the three major theaters when they have time. They are the second tier and are small types of plays.

Yue Opera, Henan Gaodiao, Shu Opera, Xiqin Opera, Qingyang Opera, Haiyan Opera, Yiyang Opera, Han Opera, Nanyin, no matter which one was particularly popular in the capital at a certain time, a certain troupe or actor would be enthusiastically sought after.

But they are just small genres.

One of the reasons is that they have just emerged and are in the process of maturing and are not yet perfect.

Another major reason is that they don't have a home theater.

The main theater is actually very simple, and Yue Opera is popular among Zhejiang officials and businessmen.

The Zhejiang Association was also very wealthy. They spent money to buy a theater on Yuhuang Street to perform Yue Opera.

But the truth is not that simple.

Otherwise, anyone who pools money to buy a theater can try to perform a major drama.

The reason why Kunqu Opera and Hui Opera have reached this stage today is that they have a group of literati helping them.

For example, the Drama Research Institute headed by the Wang Shizhen brothers wrote reviews of Kunqu Opera, which were very pertinent, and helped to summarize, determine the pitch, and regulate the tunes, and improve the singing style and characteristics of Kunqu Opera.

He also wrote plays himself, gradually bringing Kunqu Opera to its present stage.

Most of the people who love Kunqu Opera live in the Three Wus, where talented scholars, high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen are born. They are not only talented and wealthy, but also have a lot of connections in the government. The government and the people have worked together to push it to where it is today.

Hui Opera is similar.

Behind it stood the Hui merchants and Hui officials headed by Hu Zongxian.

Hu Zongxian was a giant of the New Party and a leader of the Southeast faction.

From Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou to Liu Tao, Lu Tong, from Tan Lun, Wang Chonggu to Pan Yinglong, Wang Yi'e, all have received his support and favors, and they should give him some face.

The opera industry is aware of these situations, and Yu Qiaolian is also aware of them.

But if any local opera troupe wants to come to Beijing and become famous in the capital, they have to go through several steps.

First, there are theaters willing to give them the opportunity to sing on stage.

The second is to gain a certain level of fame, accumulate a certain number of audiences, and have a permanent theater.

Resident theaters are completely different from home theaters.

Being a resident in a theater means that you sing well in various theater troupes and can earn money. The theater is willing to sign a one-month or three-month contract with you and book the entire theater for you to sing.

But the audience's tastes change. After one or three months, the audience will get tired of your performance and start to like the plays of other troupes. The theater will terminate the contract with you, and you will have to leave and start performing in other theaters again.

The main theater is a theater that only performs a certain type of drama.

Wanhe Building is the home of Kunqu Opera. It has two to three Kunqu Opera troupes that take turns to perform all year round. From time to time, it also invites several Kunqu Opera troupes that are famous in Jiangnan from Suzhou, Yangzhou and Nanjing to perform.

Troupes of other operas also have the opportunity to perform at Wanhe Tower. There are three to five days a month reserved for other operas, allowing audiences who love Kunqu opera to listen to something new and change their taste.

Who would have thought that Huangmei Opera, just after it came to Beijing and became popular, would have the opportunity to own its own theater?
Although it is just Roma Street next to Yuhuang Street, it is enough.

Dong Li is more sensible than Yu Qiaolian.

If local operas want to become mainstream, they must first have strong skills and sing well so that everyone likes them. Second, they must have connections.

The eldest princess plus the Minister of the Imperial Household Yang Caishen are enough to make Huangmei Opera popular.

He hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "I would like to thank the Princess and Eunuch Yang. It is the wish of the people of Anqing and all the Huangmei Opera colleagues to make Huangmei Opera famous in the capital.

Today we hope to get what we want. On behalf of hundreds of thousands of Anqing folks and thousands of colleagues, I would like to thank the Princess and Eunuch Yang for their great kindness.

You are living Bodhisattvas, with immeasurable benevolence and virtue."

Zhu Xuanni waved her hand to stop Dong Li's flattering compliments.

"My father once said that Kunqu opera is very popular because of its elegant lyrics, graceful intonation and delicate performance. But it is too elegant and has many bad habits of scholars. The words are difficult and the allusions are implicit. Now it has almost become a word game for scholars.

Hui Opera is based on Qingyang Opera and Yiyang Opera, and absorbs the characteristics of Kunqu Opera and Haiyan Opera. It is eclectic and draws on the strengths of various operas. It can be euphemistic and delicate, or fiery and fierce. It covers a wide range of themes and has flexible and diverse performance forms.

But too much emphasis on historical themes, divorced from reality, sometimes leads to historical nihilism."

Yu Qiaolian looked in awe as she listened. She never thought that the emperor, who was the most absent-minded when she was singing at the Xiyuan Pear Garden, actually had such in-depth research on opera.

After listening for a while, Dong Li began to understand Zhu Yijun's stance and perspective on opera.

Having a far-sighted vision has a completely different perspective from that of ordinary people.

Zhu Xuanni continued, "I listened very carefully to the opera performed by your Qingmeixi Opera Troupe in the Xiyuan Liyuan. When we had dinner together afterwards, my father also mentioned it casually."

What did the emperor think of the opera I sang? Well, what did he think of our Huangmei Opera?

Yu Qiaolian was very nervous and held the sleeves of her costume tightly with both hands.

The others also listened carefully.

"My father said that Huangmei Opera is very bold and that most of the actors are women, which is very bold.

The two classic plays, "The Female Prince Consort" and "Meng Lijun", are also unique. They are different from the talented scholar and beautiful lady plays of Kunqu Opera, and also different from the generals and emperors plays of Hui Opera.

It is completely from the female perspective. It is the first time in history. This is worthy of praise." Yu Qiaolian was very excited, and her chest under her costume was rising and falling violently.

Dong Li breathed a sigh of relief.

He was born as a scholar and knew how much "The Female Prime Minister" and "Meng Lijun" were hated by Confucian scholars.

Although the pedantic Confucianists were gradually swept into the corners of history after the Wanli period, the thinking that had been passed down for thousands of years could not be completely reversed in a short period of time.

After the publication of "The Female Prime Minister" and "Meng Lijun", although they were widely loved by the people in Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan and Nanjing, they also attracted criticism from many scholars and writers.

Sensational, treasonous, corrupting morals, moral degradation, vulgarity and shallowness.
In particular, the Opera Research Institute headed by the Fengzhou brothers criticized "The Female Prime Minister", "Meng Lijun", and Huangmei Opera in "Opera Review", which has a great influence in the opera industry, and "Ci Lin", which has a great influence among literati.

The Committee for the Construction of Spiritual Civilization also criticized several times in the Wencui Daily without naming names.

This made Dong Li and his Huangmei Opera colleagues very nervous.

However, there are also people who support Huangmei Opera.

For example, Tang Xianzu, a backbone figure of the Chinese Opera Research Institute.

He happened to listen to "The Female Prime Minister" and "Meng Lijun" in Nanjing and was very impressed. He went up the river to Anqing and helped to improve several new scripts, including "The Cowherd and the Heroine" performed today.

Zhu Xuanni continued, "My father said that Huangmei Opera has another very valuable point, which is that it is down-to-earth."

Grounded?
What does the emperor mean by this?
".Being down-to-earth means singing plays that the common people can understand and stories that the common people like to hear.

Opera was an important entertainment activity in the Ming Dynasty and also an important propaganda tool. It should not be restricted in the name of elegance or vulgarity and turned into a special entertainment tool for a certain group of people.

At first I didn’t understand the profound meaning of what my father said, but today, after listening to you singing “The Legend of the White Snake”, I suddenly understood.”

Zhu Xuanni sang in a very realistic way, "The fishermen live in the middle of the water, and the reeds on both sides are like walls."

Yu Qiaolian also started singing beside her, but her voice was very low, completely supporting Zhu Xuanni's voice and carrying her accent.

"Holding an axe in hand, carrying a shoulder pole up the hill. Farmers are busy, facing the loess and back to the sky. Scholars sit by the window, studying hard day and night. The world is different from heaven, men and women marry in pairs.

The auspicious clouds of rosy clouds spread out, floating down to the earth. I don’t like the immortal years, I wish to be a mandarin duck flying side by side. "

Following Yu Qiaolian's lead, Zhu Xuanni finished singing a section, nodded to Yu Qiaolian with satisfaction, and continued.

"This part is very, very." She turned to look at Yang Jinshui, her eyes blinking with desire.

“It has a breath of life.”

"Yes, Eunuch Yang is indeed an old man who followed his father. This verse is full of life. Fishing, woodcutting, farming, reading, a simple description, but vivid.

Fishing, chopping wood, farming, studying, and getting married are all things that ordinary people encounter in their daily lives and are of great concern to them.

Talented men and beautiful women, generals and emperors are too far away from them. The things sung in Huangmei Opera are close to them, and they will definitely like them.

My father said at the opening ceremony of the Second Ming Federation of Literary and Art Workers, "We literary and art workers must create and perform literary and artistic works that are popular with the people. They must be easy to understand and have profound meanings.

Don't always classify literary works into different levels, or into elegant or vulgar ones. What is elegant and what is vulgar?

What you like is elegance, and what the masses like is vulgarity?
Who are you? How dare you speak so brazenly! '"

Everyone was shocked.

Zhu Changhao and Zhu Changhan applauded enthusiastically, "Well said, big sister!"

Although the eldest sister often makes everyone "feel like dying", the brothers and sisters are all convinced by her. Why?
For example, none of the brothers and sisters could say what they said just now, but the eldest sister could explain it very clearly. Even ordinary adults could not say such words.

Yang Jinshui sent Zhu Xuanni and the other three back to the inner courtyard of the Western Garden, and went to the Ziguang Pavilion to report to the emperor.

Zhu Yijun put down the political affairs at hand and asked, "Did elder sister and elder brother have fun today?"

"In reply to the emperor, my eldest sister, eldest brother, second sister and second brother all had a lot of fun today, and they also felt it was very meaningful."

Yang Jinshui narrated to Zhu Yijun what happened in Chang'an Theater today and what Zhu Xuanni said.

Zhu Yijun smiled with relief and stood up. "I've been reading official documents for the whole afternoon. I'm tired. Jinshui, accompany me for a walk."

"According to the order."

Qi Yan took out a cloak, put it on Zhu Yijun and tied it up, then followed the two of them silently.

Zhu Yijun and Yang Jinshui walked slowly beside the solemn and lonely lake.

"I said, the one who looks most like me is my eldest sister. She is ten years old in a blink of an eye. She has grown up and become sensible, but when I think that she will get married in a few years, I feel heartbroken."

Yang Jinshui lagged behind by half a body length, bent slightly, and said with a smile.

"Your Majesty, find a suitable husband for my eldest sister and grant her a house in the capital. If your Majesty misses my eldest sister, you can summon them to the West Garden."

Zhu Yijun waved his hand, "My eldest princess is restless. I'm afraid it won't work if I ask her to stay at home and take care of her husband and children."

She can choose her own son-in-law.

However, I have to build her a platform where she can show her talents.

As a father, I cannot wrong my own daughter. Don't you think I am right?"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty."

"By the way, have you sorted out what happened to my elder sister today and what she said?"

"In reply to the emperor, it has been sorted out."

"After we leave Xiyuan, go look for Zhang Siwei."

Zhang Siwei?
Yang Jinshui's heart moved.

(End of this chapter)