Chapter 216: The Grand Finale
Author: White Pear Flower
Raws: https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/
Translated by Pill Bug
Edited by Gumihou
Gumihou was triggered by a scene here and had to consult reader Meiyu and… yeah, Gumi was right to be outraged by Note [c]
The day’s performances might not have been as exciting as the first day, but Fu Qiuning was still very captivated by the performance. Her level of concentration rivalled even that of the judges. There was even a minor incident where, after the final performance had concluded, some unknown person from an unknown country leapt onto the stage and declared that he wished to duel with one of the generals of the Great Ning Empire. He ended up being beaten up by one of the Emperor’s personal sword-carrying guards. Not only did he lose his face, the audience even pelted him with Chinese cabbages, tomatoes and rotten eggs. [a] Laughter filled the hall and the commotion lasted for quite a while.
[a] “… what the heck? Is this whole thing staged? Just what kind of security allows people to bring rotten eggs and tomatoes into an imperial palace…” muttered Fu Qiuning under her breath.
Later that evening, she brought up the incident to Jin Fengju, “Why did the common people bring rotten eggs, cabbages, tomatoes and other things with them when they went to watch the performance? This is really strange, aren’t there any security for this kind of thing at all?”
Jin Fengju chuckled, “That is because you have never seen this kind of event before. No wonder you don’t know. What is so special about today? In the past All Nations Cultural Festivals, when was there any time when several arrogant countries did not come and provoke us? Some of them were really repulsive, but over time, the common people learned from their experiences. This year, only one provocateur showed up, which is already considered very few.”
Fu Qiuning was taken aback, thinking: What? This kind of thing happens too? So it was basically a state-sanctioned heckling? Also, other countries provoking the Great Ning Empire? You’re saying this after making a grand fuss about being the best every year and not letting others win?
Back when Jin Fengju had said about the Festival representing the dignity of the nation, she had initially thought it was an overreaction, but now that she was even more convinced of it. It may have been just as significant as when Beijing successfully bid for the Olympics, where they had a pretty little girl lip-syncing to a song that was sung by another girl who was deemed ‘not photogenic enough’ [b]. Looks like the situation was even worse during ancient times, when people’s foolish blind loyalty to their rulers made their cohesion and unity even stronger.
The very next day was the third day of the All Nations Cultural Festival. There were not many performances left, however, they were deemed to be the best that each country had to offer, something that was suitable to be considered as their finale. Therefore, regardless of their alleged exhaustion, Old Madam Jin, Madam Jiang, Madam Fang and the rest of the people who came on the first day made sure to be at Lingji Palace. After all, it concerned the face of their dukedom since it was one of their own who introduced this new and cutting-edge opera.
As noon approached, all the other performances had finally concluded, leaving only <<Celestial Couple>> remaining.
Word had gotten out that this final performance was an opera created by the wife of the highly acclaimed Marquis of Jin Xiang. Thus, even though it was technically a secret, the news had already entered the ears of every noble and commoner in attendance. Whether they were people on the second, third, or fourth floors, or the wealthy merchants and ordinary citizens in the audience. All of them had flushed faces as they eagerly awaited the brilliant performance.
[c] Fu Qiuning had already seen and heard this opera over and over again and had worked with the singers and musicians in fine-tuning the result to the point that she thought her ears might grow calluses from it, but when the opening strains began to play, she could not help but be transfixed as the play she had worked on so hard with so many people were finally being performed on stage.
While she was busy being enthralled, she vaguely noticed the sounds of sobbing starting up around her. It wasn’t until someone suddenly let out a wail that she jumped and looked around. Just what was going on? If you want to cry, cry silently!
“If this woman ascends not to the heavens, I fear for Dong Yong’s fate! A torn brocade dress as paper, torn middle finger as my divine brush, I leave these heart-wrenching words in blood and tears for Dong Yong to behold upon waking! On the day when spring blooms under the shade of the pagoda tree, ah… my beloved Dong Yong, ah… let our souls meet in the afterlife. Fear not the heavenly rules bent on tearing us asunder. For we are connected, you and I, as heaven and earth are one!”[1]
It was the final heartbreaking refrain from the final act of <<Celestial Couple>>. Fu Qiuning stared at the few wailing women in stunned horror as she thought: It’s one thing to cry and be touched, but aren’t you being too dramatic right now? Are you so self-absorbed that you can’t bear to share the attention that you have to put on your own drama here? It was one thing to be ignorant, superstitious, and worship the heavens, earth, spirits and gods, and it is quite another to put on a deliberate act right when a play is going on, you know?!
It wasn’t until some maids, probably sent by the Empress Dowager, came over to shush them that the wailing women finally subsided.
Fu Qiuning nodded to herself, thinking: Good, if they can’t behave, they should be thrown out of this place at once.
The <<Celestial Couple>> is a passionate and beautifully emotive piece that resonates well with the audience. Moreover, the myth was something that was fairly widespread among nobles and commoners alike. While it was unlikely for the superstitious locals to curse the Heavens for being heartless, they could still express sympathy for Dong Yong and the Seventh Celestial’s fate. This was probably why the Emperor and Empress Dowager did not oppose Fu Qiuning’s choice of play.
As the Seventh Celestial gradually disappeared into the backstages, leaving Dong Yong lying tragically alone on the stage, cries of sorrow rose from the pit where the commoners were seated. After all, how could they not be sad for someone who was close to them in status and fate? As for the rest of the noble ladies, handkerchiefs abound as the air was filled with stifled elegant sobs. The noblewoman next to Fu Qiuning was dabbing her eyes and saying, “Does this mean Dong Yong and the Seventh Celestial will be separated forever?”
Fu Qiuning explained, “Surely Madam has heard the stories? Dong Yong would later marry a virtuous woman called Wang’shi. Later, after the Seventh Celestial gave birth to a child, she handed it to Dong Yong as promised before returning to the heavens to suffer a lonely fate.”
She was smiling through her teeth as she said this, thinking: Stories with trash men are popular even in the modern days. How many novels have I read in the past with scum CEO males with a happy ending? Looks like it was the same in this world. Dong Yong was portrayed as an honest and simple man who was deeply in love with the Seventh Celestial. His marrying again after she was out of the picture was a cheap slapped-on ending that was probably there just to generate more sympathy for the Seventh Celestial, while allowing men to have their own satisfaction at the expense of their so-called ‘first love’.
While Fu Qiuning was busy fuming in her mind, the noblewoman wiped her tears with relief and said, “Oh, so Dong Yong’s fate isn’t too tragic. But still, isn’t the Seventh Celestial just too pitiful? Having to endure loneliness for the rest of her life in the heavens.”
Fu Qiuning smiled her business smile at the woman, thinking: It was probably better for the Seventh Celestial to be at her maternal home and properly taken care off than be with this scum male who had married another woman even after her letter written in blood and tears.
Back at the Jin Estate, Fu Qiuning was still [c1] buzzed from the feeling of having seen her play acted out on stage. She spun around in place a few times, reliving the peak moments of the story before flopping down her back to stare at the ceiling.
It was at that time that Yu Jie entered to inform her that there would be a grand banquet at the palace that evening where the rankings for each of the performances would be announced. Fu Qiuning’s only inquiry to this marvellous invite was, “Is it mandatory? Am I allowed to not go?”
When Yu Jie said it was not mandatory, she said, “Tell everyone that I’m too exhausted to go. Look, I’m in bed, exhausted. Yawn. I’m asleep.”
Yu Jie was anxious, of course, and though she would love to see her mistress be properly acknowledged and stand among the glittering noble ladies of the estate, there was really nothing much she could do to persuade Fu Qiuning if she didn’t want to move.
That evening, Old Madam Jin, Madam Jiang, Madam Fang, and even Jiang Wanying and other titled noblewomen, dressed up splendidly and entered the palace with great excitement. It was only after they had all seated together at the banquet that they finally realised that Fu Qiuning, the most conspicuous person from the Jin Estate, was absent. Old Madam Jin’s smile stiffened as she looked around desperately, hoping that her granddaughter-in-law was just held up somewhere.
It wasn’t until the Empress Dowager nodded and said in a sympathetic voice, “A woman who truly personified the words ‘Swayed by neither fame nor humiliation’. Back then, when Fengju praised his wife for her modesty and benevolence, we were still a little sceptical. I see that Fengju did not exaggerate at all. How rare it is to find someone who is indifferent to fame and fortune? Fengju has indeed married a virtuous wife.”
If Fu Qiuning knew that she was praised thus by the Empress Dowager, she probably have spat up blood.
While Fu Qiuning was truly ‘indifferent to fame and fortune’, the rest of the Great Ning Empire’s nobles happily made use of the <<Celestial Couple>> as well as a few other solid performances which had won accolades before to oppress other nations and display their might.
As a result, the Emperor was in such high spirits that he not only rewarded the Jing Dukedom, but also various officials from the Ministry of Rites and some other noble families as well. The craze sparked by Huangmei opera among the common people was just beginning, but that’s a story for another time.
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After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the weather turned colder day by day, and a few bouts of chilly north wind began to blow. On this particular day, the pitter-patter of rain began to fall.
Fu Qiuning was strolling along a cobblestone path in the rain with an oil-paper umbrella from Jiangnan. All around, yellow leaves covered the ground and withered grass stretched into the distance, creating a truly desolate atmosphere of late autumn.
“After this round of autumn rain, the next one might bring snow,” she thought as she tightened her velvet cloak. Even so, the cold still stabbed through the material. It had not been raining when she left the house earlier, which was why she did not put on a raincoat. The umbrella in her hand was more pretty than useful and her clothes were quickly soaked by the rain.
After the All Nations Cultural Festival, Fu Qiuning took a few days off. Later, the Emperor ordered the construction of a large mansion next to the Duke of Jing’s Mansion. They selected some talented singers, dancers, and musicians and brought them over for Fu Qiuning to be personally trained. Of course, as the Marchioness, this teacher didn’t work for free, and there were various rewards, but there was no need to go into detail about each one of them.
Just as Fu Qiuning arrived at the gate of Elegant Mansion, she found Yu Jie already standing there with a large sturdy umbrella and a familiar cloak in hand. When she saw Fu Qiuning, she raised her eyebrows and smiled, “I kept telling myself that I didn’t know when Madam would return, so I would go and deliver a raincoat. Who would have thought Madam would be back so soon?”
As Fu Qiuning entered the building, she continued to chatter, “The weather can indeed be called cold. Madam should have some hot tea to ward off the chill. I will have them make a bowl of ginger soup for you.”
“The ginger soup will not be necessary, just have the kitchen send up some snacks,” Fu Qiuning said.
Jian Feng happened to walk in with a tray of snacks in hand and said with a smile, “These were just baked. This maid knows that Madam likes to have hot snacks, so this maid brought them here right away.”
Fu Qiuning was about to commend her on her service when a junior maid whispered anxiously, “Madam, there… there is someone here to see you.”
“What are you saying? Who wants to see Madam? You should explain more clearly. Why do you look like that for? Were you chased by a ghost?” Jian Feng scolded the young maid.
The timid maid flushed and replied, “This maid… this maid did not dare to ask. It is a young man. This maid was frightened and ran back. He tasked me to inform Madam.”
Fu Qiuning was surprised and said, “No wonder Mo Li looks so scared. When has a young man ever come to our courtyard? Oh, it couldn’t be the master from the Second Lord’s mansion, could it?” She stood up and instructed Jian Feng, “Go and have a look. Quickly escort the guest inside. The rain is getting heavier, and we do not want anyone to catch a cold.”
[Gumihou: Did anyone else get the feeling that the author wants this arc over with quickly so that she could get started on the next one? This one sounds like a potential ‘misunderstanding’ arc. Well, we’ll see.]
[a] I’m shocked that they are allowed to bring rotten eggs and tomatoes. If this is actually allowed, it was probably staged by the imperial family to make the Great Ning Empire look good.
[a1] Have Fu Qiuning address this curious incident rather than complimenting it
[b] Lolol, it was originally more ‘Yay China’ remark, but as a performer and a teacher, surely Fu Qiuning would be sensitive to this incident. No matter how China had explained it.
[c] Evidence that the author had never been involved in a musical or dramatic production:
However, Fu Qiuning no longer felt the same excitement. She had spent the past few months working tirelessly on this play at the Jin Estate, and even though she loved traditional Chinese opera dearly, she felt like her ears had grown calluses when the familiar intro began. She let out a yawn. The past two and a half days had depleted her physical and mental strength, so, seeing everyone’s attention focused on the stage, she discreetly leaned back and closed her eyes to rest.
If you are someone who has trained since your early years and left the stage to teach in the same field, trust me, you will never, ever fall asleep during the critical moment when your opera is being performed on stage for the very first time. It’s like saying a coach fell asleep when their athlete went up to do their thing. Dude, no. Delete.
[c1] Rather than giving the reason of ‘aahhh, tired~~’, better to just go ‘f*ck you guys’ and be a complete introvert about it
Pill Bug TL Notes:
[1] “为妻若不上天去，怕的是连累董郎命难逃！ 撕片罗裙当素笺。咬破中指当羊毫。血泪写下肺腑语，留与董郎醒来瞧！来年春暖花开日，槐荫树下啊……董郎夫啊……把子来交把子来交……不怕天规重重活拆散。我与你天上人间心一条！！”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dong_Yong_and_the_Seventh_Fairy
The complete play can be found on YouTube. The timestamp for this part is here: https://youtu.be/43EGlXeUgjw?t=5527
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