Chapter 89 - The Real Rong Qing
With nothing to distract him, "Rong Qing" immersed himself in the drama on stage and his performance got better and better. He seemed to know the script by heart and sang without a hint of hesitation, confidently enjoying the respect and admiration of the audience.
His skirt resembled the water of the Xiangjiang River and his hair was like the clouds of the Wushan Mountain. After his stunning first appearance, he went on to bring Du Shiniang to life with his light and graceful steps, his vivacious movements and expressive face. He finally recaptured the brilliance of Rong Qiuchen, that most famous actor of the Qing dynasty who had captured everyone's imagination and charmed the whole world.
"All the vows and promises have become illusions.
A match made in heaven has turned into nightmares.
The water glistens like a ribbon.
Beneath the fair exterior a mystery is hidden." .
He sang the aria in a clear voice. His eyes were filled with misery; his chanting was interspersed with sobs; his words were laden with regret. In a low voice he spoke of his sorrow and melancholy, and in a high voice he rose into the clouds.
"Wrong, wrong, wrong, I shan't complain.
Why can't I tell the difference between good and bad?
The more I think about it, the more confused I get.
I'm frowning and have nothing to say.
… …
I have a noble heart, but was born in the demimonde.
I have eyes but failed to see that he was unworthy of me.
As time passes by my remorse is endless!"
The final line was sung in such a long, high-pitched way that it gave one goose bumps. It sounded like a cuckoo crying blood[1], turning the anguish of the heart into a cry of grief, revealing the helplessness of the character at this moment, so heart-rending yet so soul-stirring!
Yuan Ge was so mesmerised by the performance that he was unable to move. The Rong Qing in his dreams and the Rong Qing[2] on stage had finally become one! THIS was the cinematic effect he had dreamed of!
Mr. Lee, the Operatic Director of the film, could not hold back his excitement and was the first to stand up and applaud when he heard Yuan Ge call "Cut".
"Great! That's great!" The 60-year-old gentleman was as excited as a child, repeating these simple words, completely overwhelmed by the performance of the man on stage.
"Catch him! Don't let him get away!"
A screeching, angry shout suddenly broke the mood of the set and snapped everyone back to reality!
Then, people saw a man, dishevelled and stumbling, rushing furiously towards the stage, pointing at "Rong Qing" on the centre stage and shouting, while several security guards from the Rong Mansion and assistants behind him pounced on the stage to grab him, completely ignoring the shooting in progress.
Yuan Ge was stunned, because this miserable-looking man was actually Yin Fenghua!
His forehead and the corners of his mouth were wounded, and his face was covered in blood mixed with tattered opera make-up, making him look even more wretched. He looked angrily at the crew who were all staring at him in disbelief and shouted hatefully, "What are you all standing around for! Someone's been going around pretending to be a ghost here! Stealing costumes and props, impersonating actors, and beating up the lead in the toilet! What an outrage! What is the use of security guards? If you can't catch this bastard, call the police!"
It was only then that the crowd finally realised that the superb actor "Rong Qing" on stage was not actually Yin Fenghua! And Yuan Ge instantly understood that the man on stage must be the loony boy "Rong Qiuchen" who he had been searching for all these days!
--------------------
[1] "Cuckoo crying blood" comes from an ancient Chinese legend.
Legend has it that in ancient times there was an emperor named Du Yu who was in love with his empress. He was later murdered by a traitor and died a miserable death. His soul was transformed into a cuckoo bird, which cried and wailed in the Empress' garden every day. The teardrops it shed were drops of red blood that stained the beautiful azalea in the Empress's garden.
When the empress heard the cuckoo's wail and saw the red blood, she understood that it was the spirit of her husband. In her grief, she wailed day and night, "You come back, you come back", and eventually died of depression.
Her soul was transformed into a red azalea that blossomed all over the mountain and the wilderness, accompanying the cuckoo bird, which is why the azalea is also known as Cuckoo Flower. This is the allusion to the cuckoo crying blood. This lifelong love between bird and flower is an immortal legend in the world.
[2] Rong Qing, Rong Qiuchen, Qingqing, are different names for the same person. Rong is the surname, Qiuchen is the given name, and Qing is a name/title used between close friends.