Chapter 18 - The Qing Dynasty Is Over!
"How can this beest? Thee mustn't talk tush tush!"[1]
Rong Qiuchen shook his head repeatedly, but seeing that Yuan Ge did not seem to be lying, tears quickly welled up in his eyes again as he looked around at the unfamiliar furnishings and filming equipment in the room. Holding back his tears, he grabbed Yuan Ge's hand in fear and asked in a trembling voice, "Childe Yuan, is this the fourth year of Guangxu?"
"Yes, yes, the fourth year of Guangxu. You seem to have put a lot of effort into trying to get into my cast. The acting isn't bad at all. The tears come naturally enough, and the basics are all there." Yuan Ge still had the same mirthless smile on his face as if telling him to stop fooling around. "By the way, I say Rong - Qiu - Chen, are you a student of NATA[2] or IFA[3]?"
"Student?" Rong Qiuchen looked puzzled, "But I am an act'r."
"Okay, so you must be from NATA. Now, let's stop playing games, and tell me honestly, how on earth did you get my script?" Yuan Ge waved the master copy in his hand. He had come back specifically to get this, and it looked like this kid had probably gone through it first. If he didn't get to the bottom of it, and it did leak out, the damage would be unthinkable..
Seeing that the boy still looked confused and frightened and had no intention of telling the truth, Yuan Ge decided to apply some pressure even though he felt pity for him.
"In the film I'm making now, the male lead is called Rong Qing, who is based on a real historical figure happened to be called Rong Qiuchen[4], but Flowers of the Opera Stage, which records this fact, is a rare ancient book that I've never shown to anyone, not even the actors in our cast. How could you, a student, know about it?" Yuan Ge pulled down his face and stood up, towering over him, assuming the stance of an official interrogating a prisoner.
The boy still looked confused, "I... I am Rong Qiuchen."
When Yuan Ge saw how stubborn he was, he couldn't help but raise his voice impatiently, "Still talking tough, right! Believe it or not, if I tell your school about you sneaking into my film set, stealing my script, and doing porcelain bumping stark naked, you'll be expelled immediately!"
"I might not but beest dreaming, dreaming! Wherefore art thee falsing to me? This might not but not beest the fourth year of Guangxu! Whither is the emperor? Whither is the Empress Dowager?" [5]
Rong Qiuchen, however, ignored Yuan Ge's threats and instead carefully surveyed Yuan Ge's clothes, hairstyle and the various filming equipment in the room, shrinking on the sofa and clutching his knees, terrified and unsure of what to do.
"I say, little fellow, stop acting! The Qing Dynasty is long over! No more Tongzhi, no more Guangxu, no more Cixi! It's the People's Republic of China now! PRC!"
"The Qing Dynasty is long ov'r? 't's long ov'r! 't's ov'r ..."[6]
Rong Qiuchen mumbled at Yuan Ge's words and suddenly stood up like a madman, stumbling towards the door.
"Stop! I haven't finished! Come back, it's cold outside! Ah... That's my overcoat!... " When Yuan Ge put down his coffee and hurried out after him, there was only darkness outside, and no sign of the boy anywhere.
The only sound coming from the distant wind was the clear, melodious and mad chant of the boy, "The Qing dynasty is ov'r… "
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[1] How can this be? You mustn't talk nonsense!
[2] NATA: National Academy of Theatrical Arts
[3] IFA: Imperial Film Academy.
[4] The name Qiuchen is made up of two Chinese characters that literally mean 'autumnal person' or 'autumnal theme'. Autumn has a number of specific metaphorical meanings in the Chinese literary tradition. It usually evokes a noble feeling of both melancholy and solitude.
[5] I must be dreaming, dreaming! Why are you lying to me? This must not be the fourth year of Guangxu! Where is the Emperor? Where is the Empress Dowager?
[6] The Qing Dynasty is long over? It's long over! It's over.