Actor——Lian Guo

In the twelfth year of the Republic of China, actors were in power in Beiping City, and the world called them actors, and they were awarded the title of Jiuliu.

Going out of Dongzhimen and heading north, there is an old opera troupe. The master was a famous actor in the south when he was young. When he got old, he settled in Peiping, changed his singing method, and founded the opera troupe Bailiyuan.

Emperor Puyi still lives in the Forbidden City, and the old habits in Peiping have not disappeared. Master Yu Beile, who has braids, is a frequent visitor to the White Pear Garden.

As for Yu Baylor, he was also a popular person around the Queen Mother back then. He would accompany the Queen Mother to the theater every day. beg.

Later, he insisted on leaving, but the Queen Mother could not keep him, so she gave him 20,000 yuan in silver and three old houses in Hangzhou, and he settled down in Hangzhou.

Beiping has not yet been liberated, but there is more momentum to return to the Qing Dynasty. Yu Beile bought the family property in Hangzhou, came to Peiping with several large boxes of gold and silver, and recruited the maids and father-in-law from the palace. , calling Lord Baylor to carry him in and out every day, just like a real prince.

On this day, Yu Beile went to Bailiyuan to watch a play as usual. He had watched "The Peach Blossom Fan" a hundred times. This time, he couldn't help but cheered when he saw the excitement. On the stage was Bailiyuan's recent performance. The new character to be admired - Lian Guo.

Just after the curtain call, Yu Beile had already hurried to the stage and looked at it carefully. The class leader came up and bent down beside him. Lian Guo was not afraid of life, and his big eyes took advantage of the tears in the play, really like a The pear blossoms were about to bloom, and she blinked her eyes. For a moment, Belle was stunned on the spot.

Seeing that this person was still staring at her, Lian Guo pulled the master's sleeves and hid behind him.

Yu Beile woke up, said with a smile that he was rude, turned around and left without saying anything else.

The next day word spread in the streets that Lian Guo from Baili Garden sang a wonderful song "Peach Blossom Fan", which stunned Yu Beile. Suddenly, Baili Garden was overcrowded. , the ticket price has been increased to ten times the original price, and every seat is still packed every time it opens.

This Lian Guo suddenly became a famous actor in the opera house, and her past events were also widely known to the world.

Lian Guo was supposed to be a lady in the family, and she was from the south, but I couldn’t confirm it. She was less than six years old when she was abducted by human traffickers and brought to Suzhou. She met her current master in Suzhou and found her to be pretty good-looking. She was beautiful, so he took her in as a handyman and was not allowed to learn opera, but gave her the stage name Lian Guo.

The old master taught the opera to be passed on to men but not to women. Everything else was easy to say, but this song "Peach Blossom Fan" was in trouble. Among the men in the room, no one could sing the strong character of Xiang Jun. .

That day, the old master was drinking in the house, and suddenly he heard a few words of drama coming from the backyard.

"Seeing him building a tall building, watching him entertaining guests, watching his building collapse."

The song "Qi Cheng Zhuan He" really sang into the heart of the old master. When he opened the door, he saw that it was exactly the opposite. The peach tree is used as a bow.

Lian Guo said that he listened to his master's speech every day and silently memorized the singing method. He had already sung "Peach Blossom Fan" to himself a hundred times.

From that day on, Lian Guo formally became a disciple and became his master's disciple.

Although there were so many fellow apprentices, none of them bullied Lian Guo. Everyone looked at her very seriously. Every time the master beat her, a group of fellow apprentices would lie on the wall to beg for mercy. The master said that if you want to be a good actor, you have to be beaten enough and no one can persuade you. This is your future.

Although Lian Guo was famous, she was not an ungrateful person. Whenever Yu Beile came to the scene, she would always look at him with a vague expression while singing deeply. Every time, his eyes met. .

Yu Beile listened to the seventy scenes for a month, but apart from the original joke, he never said a word to her.

But Lian Guo was moved.

At the end of the day, Yu Beile closed his eyes to reflect as usual. When he opened his eyes, he saw Lian Guo standing beside him. He took a sip of tea and stood up to leave. Lian Guo mustered up the courage to step aside to block the situation and raised his head. Staring at him with a straight face.

Yu Beile asked: Is something wrong?

Baylor, what do you think I sang just now?

Very good

So what does Baylor think of me?

Yu Beile looked at Lian Guo, such a bold and strong woman could really play the role of Li Xiangjun.

Lian Guo didn't know whether the affection in his eyes was for Xiangjun or her, but in her heart, she could only tolerate Yu Beile.

The next day, Yu Beile came to propose marriage in person, bringing with him a hairpin given by Cixi. The emerald beads on it looked like Lian Guo's eyes.

The master didn’t say anything, but the brave brothers spoke up. Yu Beile was nearly fifty, but Lian Guo was only 18. How could he marry such a bad old man? The master quickly knelt down to apologize. Yu Beile was not annoyed and just asked Lian Guo behind the crowd.

The senior brothers all turned to look at Lian Guo. She was not wearing any makeup. This was the first time he had seen her without makeup. Lian Guo helped his master up, glared at the senior brother who asked the question, and moved slowly to the In front of him, her red lips parted lightly, "I'll marry you."

Peiping has not been so lively for a long time, but even though it was a happy event, it hurt the hearts of many talented people in Peiping who had fallen in love with Lian Guo.

During the preparation period, the storm in the city was rough. It was a pity for Lian Guo. He scolded her for being greedy for money and everything. But Lian Guo didn't reply. Only she knew why she wanted to marry him.

There are no wives or concubines in Yu Beile's family, and this is still the case when he is nearly fifty. Everyone used to be just curious, but now it's better, Yu Beile has become an infatuated man who can marry astonishingly.

After marrying Yu Beile, Lian Guo left Bailiyuan and became the wife of Lord Beile, so she could not be a low-class person.

This was originally a good story, but it became a joke two years later.

In the past two years, Lian Guo was rarely seen in the city of Peiping, and she never even went back to the theater troupe.

Lian Guo secretly ran back to the troupe when she was young. Even the senior brother who opened the door didn't recognize her.

Lian Guo, who was married two years ago, is not only a charming woman, but her watery eyes are also unforgettable.

When he came back, his clothes were disheveled and he looked confused. His eyes were swollen and red, as if he was crying every day.

Only then did the people in Peiping know what Yu Beile was thinking. He had never thought of marrying Liang Guo, and he would not marry anyone else, because the famous Lord Beile was a eunuch.

Yu Beile was also an actor before he entered the palace. It was because when the Empress Dowager Cixi went to Jiangnan to listen to Kunqu opera, he talked too much and his singing was not in the right tune. This allowed the Empress Dowager to see his acting ability. From then on He went to sing operas for the Queen Mother every day and was deeply loved by the Queen Mother.

Then why did he still marry Lian Guo?

Before Yu Beile, he was afraid of poverty. Only when he entered the palace did he realize that only by being in favor of the people above him could he have a good life. He used to be the Empress Dowager Cixi, and now he is Puyi in the Forbidden City.

Yu Beile has always believed in the emperor's orthodoxy. No matter how the world changes, the emperor will always be the emperor. There will be a restoration sooner or later, so he must take advantage of the current downturn to curry favor with the good emperor. Lian Guo , which is the coming-of-age ceremony he prepared for the emperor.

Yu Beile took her to see Pu Yi. Pu Yi waved his hand to let Yu Beile go down without singing a few words. Lian Guo pulled his clothes tightly, and Yu Beile gave her a slap in the face and leaned over. Go out and close the door.

When he returned home, Yu Beile hurriedly asked if Pu Yi had said anything. Lian Guo just looked at him coldly without saying a word, but Pu Yi never summoned her again.

Yu Beile provided Lian Guo with support from the beginning. As time went by, he felt that Lian Guo was deliberately uncooperative. This displeased Pu Yi. He beat or scolded him every day, and even used force after drinking. He slapped her in the face, and if a guest came to the house the next day, he would tell her that he accidentally fell down last night, and even touch her pretending to be distressed. It wasn't that Lian Guo didn't want to resist, it was because she couldn't. Yu Beile said that if she dared to speak out, Bai Liyuan would be finished.

In the past, they always endured the beatings and scoldings for the sake of the master. This time it was different. Yu Beile brought Puyi’s teacher to the house and told her to stay well. She couldn’t bear it anymore. He pushed away and barely escaped until he was forced to die.

The next day Yu Beile came to ask for someone. The brothers took the troupe's weapons and stood at the entrance of the theater from the intersection. If Yu Beile dared to enter this door, he would be cut into pieces.

Who is Yu Beile?

Master, I’m afraid you don’t want this troupe anymore.

The master lit up his cigarette, shook off a few ash, and asked the brothers to come back. Yu Beile burst into laughter and was about to come in. The master took the big knife from his apprentice's hand and slashed at him. Go and stop in front of his nose.

If you come again, I will kill you even if I die.

Everyone in Yu Beile was frightened when they saw this posture. Yu Beile said harshly that the White Pear Garden would be destroyed within three days.

Lian Guo cried and knelt in the master's arms. The master patted her back: "Don't be afraid. The master is here and you have been wronged."

Lian Guo stayed at the troupe and started singing again. The audience did not buy it and said she was a slut who seduced the emperor and was not worthy of playing the role of Li Xiangjun. They were all bruised and bruised after being beaten, and the master was so angry that he vomited blood on the spot and became bedridden.

Lian Guo knew that it was Yu Beile who was responsible. She also knew that if she didn't go back for a day, Bailiyuan would not be able to live well.

The master held her hand on the bed and said: At worst, we won’t be able to open this pear orchard.

There are dozens of people in the troupe, large and small, so why don’t you just say it won’t open? They all point to the career of singing opera.

The master passed away three days later, and the pear garden was passed on to Lian Guo, and everyone in the garden observed mourning for one month.

Although Yu Beile was powerful, at that time, the liberation of Peiping was a foregone conclusion. In the city of Peiping, the majority of people were ordinary people who liked to listen to operas.

Bai Liyuan became busy again, and Lian Guo never sang on stage again. She imitated her master and played tricks on the children who wanted to be the protagonist.

Two years later, Puyi moved to Tianjin, Yu Beile also followed, and Bailiyuan established a foothold in Peiping under the leadership of Lian Guo.

In the 20th year of the Republic of China, with the support of the Japanese, the puppet Manchukuo was established. Puyi returned to Beijing and proclaimed himself emperor, and Yu Beile also came back. He came to Bailiyuan with a team of soldiers. , asked Lian Guo to sing a song to the emperor to wish him happiness.

What are you wishing for? Is there a country without a country, wishing the Japanese prosperity?

The answer to Lian Guo was a gunshot, which hit the bright blue sky hanging high in the main hall.

Yu Beile walked up to her and touched her face, saying that if she didn’t sing this time, it would be the troupe who would be shot next time.

Lian Guo stared at him again, the intensity in his eyes was exactly the same as before, I'll go.

The news quickly spread throughout the city. At the enthronement ceremony a week later, the leader of the White Pear Garden was preparing to congratulate the Japanese.

No one buys theater tickets in Bailiyuan anymore. Traitors, traitors, and all other unpleasant things are called out. Even when they go out to buy groceries during the day, people say they won’t sell traitors.

If no one is watching, can the play still be performed?

Sing!

Lian Guo taught the senior brothers that according to the rules of the ancestors, the opera cannot be stopped after it has started. There are gods in the four directions and ghosts in the three directions. One person is missing, and there are still seven parties listening to the opera. If it stops, wouldn't it ruin the fun of the ghosts and gods?

The Baili Garden was much deserted that day, and the busy brothers and sisters were nowhere to be seen. In the entire troupe, only Lian Guo in costume was applying makeup.

She is red and has raised eyebrows. She hasn’t been on stage for a long time, so her skills are quite rusty.

Listening to the sound of cars outside, Lian Guo knew that this time she could play the real Li Xiangjun.

Yu Beile followed behind the Japanese officer. The room was full of high-ranking Japanese officials, sitting upright. The Japanese had great respect for Chinese opera.

Yu Beile saw that the troupe was deserted, so he went up to the stage and asked Liang Guo: Where are the others? Lian Guo shook off his costume and used Xiangjun's dramatic voice: They were all dismissed by the slave family

Do you want to die? Yu Beile pulled out a gun and pointed it at her. Lian Guo was not afraid and just continued singing to the audience: I remember when you and I were by the Qinhuai River, watching the flowers in the evening and the moon together.

After talking, the Japanese didn't care so much, and shouted "Ba Ga Ba Ga Ga" to tell Yu Beile to get out. Yu Beile put away the gun and waited for Lian Guo to stop singing for a while, so he would naturally have a reason to kill her.

Lian Guo just sang: Look at the city, backed by the surging river, the Parrot Island is wide, the Yellow Crane Tower is high, the chickens and dogs are lonely, the population is bleak, and the market is depressed. They only feed the jackals, and the good river city is broken and the picture is thrown away. The ears are full of howling, the sound of drums and drums is loud, and the iron horses are arrogant.

The Japanese people in the house were all fascinated, and could not hear the voices on both sides at all.

A Japanese officer said something, and everyone looked down, only to find that the ground was full of oil under their feet.

Lian Guo ignored them and sang to the climax: Seeing him building a tall building, seeing him entertaining guests——

Several Japanese people had already stood up, and everyone began to commotion. Some people He went to push the door, but found that it could not be pushed open. Yu Beile rushed to the stage and just took out his gun, but he was knocked unconscious by the headlight. The gun went off, and there was a loud sound in the sky. The flames outside the door burst in instantly, and the whole stage changed. Into a sea of ??fire.

Lian Guo looked at the running and screaming Japanese soldiers, took off the hairpin from his head, and let his hair hang down.

Once this play starts, it cannot be stopped. It is the rule of our ancestors!

Lian Guo’s clothes were also on fire. She waved her sleeves, and the Japanese officer at the front had already pulled out his gun. Lian Guo turned her back, in the middle of the sea of ????fire, and bowed deeply to the back of the stage. Bow

——Seeing his building collapse.