Chapter 29 Deciphering "Our Jing Ke"

On August 20, the 8th Mao Dun Literature Award was announced, and Mo Yan won the prize with his works.For a writer who has dominated the Chinese literary world and is internationally renowned, this award does not seem to have much suspense.The expectations of readers, the recognition of the industry, each of Mo Yan's works is not lacking in attention.And this fall, his name is sure to be mentioned more times.On this side, he won the Mao Award, on the other side, his first drama work for the Grand Theater has also entered the final stage of synthesis, and will officially appear on the stage of Beijing People's Art Center on August 31.Mo Yan, who has been rarely interviewed after winning the award, still prefers to talk about his own works rather than his feelings about winning the award.From literature to drama, Mo Yan’s conversations with us all revolved around his debut work in the big theater. He didn’t mention awards but only talked about creation. And the suspenseful drama came to a spoiler-style big reveal.

The truth about Jing Ke's assassination of Qin Dynasty—for the world?For princes?For gratitude?In the name of a knight? Q: Why did you write this play in the first place?And why did you choose Jing Ke, a well-known historical figure, as the protagonist of your story? A: The motivation for writing dramas is firstly interest; secondly, there is something to say deep in my heart.The choice of the theme of this play is quite accidental.I once wrote a small theater play for the Air Force Repertory Troupe, which was a great success after the performance, which also inspired my enthusiasm for writing historical plays.After that, the Air Force Repertory Troupe also hoped to stage another historical drama, and invited a screenwriter to write the story of Jing Ke, and the Repertory Theater Troupe hoped that I would participate in the adaptation.After I read it, I thought it was well written, but I didn't want to follow the routine of traditional historical dramas to write this story. I hoped to be able to deconstruct it and raise it to a philosophical level to discuss it.So, during the SARS period, I was bored at home for a week and wrote this script.Later, the army was reorganized, and the troupe no longer existed.The script was left idle until Director Ren Ming of Renyi took a fancy to it.

Question: Whether it is in the literary or historical circles, there are many versions of Jing Ke's assassination of Qin Dynasty. How do you interpret this story, or what is the reason for Jing Ke's assassination of Qin Dynasty? Answer: This story is a story that almost everyone is familiar with, no matter the source is "Historical Records", unofficial history or drama opera.For me this is both an advantage and a difficulty.Everyone has their own Jing Ke in their hearts. How can I use rigorous deduction to tell the story in my heart so that others can understand and accept it? This is a question I have been thinking about.

In the novel, Jing Ke was initially involved in the assassination of the Qin Dynasty apparently in order to follow a very conventional rule of chivalry, including various explicit and dark rules.His purpose for assassinating Qin was vague from the beginning.He is also constantly looking for the fulcrum of his behavior and constructing a purpose for himself to assassinate Qin.But with the development of the situation, every reason is difficult to convince itself.Not established for the sake of the people, not established for the sake of justice, not established for the sake of justice... So he found an eternal meaning as his assassination of Qin, a seemingly exciting meaning.However, as the time to assassinate the Qin Dynasty approached, and as the communication between him and Yan Ji gradually deepened, the meaning of eternal beauty was actually dispelled.In the end, Jing Ke's assassination of the Qin Dynasty just became an unavoidable matter.There is no purpose at all!Naturally it doesn't make sense either.

Question: How do you define Jing Ke's final assassination, tragedy or farce? Answer: This is a drama that is difficult to define based on our current drama concept.It has elements of tragedy, it has elements of comedy, it has elements of farce, or we could call it drama.But I think it is more accurate to define this play with the tragedy of the ancient Greek concept (rather than the tragedy that is currently regarded as the opposite of comedy). Q: The truth about Yan Ji - fiction or historical fact?Is Yan Ji a character you created for the plot?Does she have a historical prototype? Answer: It is recorded in "Historical Records" that Prince Dan of Yan did send a "beauty" to Jing Ke, so it can be regarded as a prototype.It's just that it was just such a Ji Ren who was sent to him at that time, and it was his own Ji Ren, and it was also the Ji Ren that Ying Zheng gave him at the beginning, then it is not known.

Question: Regarding Yan Ji, why did you give him and Jing Ke such an unexpected ending in the end? Answer: I don't know.It wasn't originally designed that way.As I wrote this, I felt that it should be like this, so my pen became a knife.Maybe it's because "you know too much", maybe it's because "is she in love with King Qin", maybe it's because "the story of Xi Shi and Fan Li is too impossible", maybe it's because "I see you as if I'm watching Mirror"...it's an open design.No matter what the audience thinks it is, I think it is right.

Question: She is the only woman in this play. What is the meaning of making this only woman the most sober existence? Answer: When the matter of Jing Ke's assassination of Qin reached a certain level, this woman became the biggest promoter of the plot.In my works, women are often great, while men are rather weak.I have always felt that men are responsible for fighting the country, while women are responsible for cleaning up the country. At critical moments, women are more tenacious and powerful than men.Homes and countries are sustained by women's sewing and mending. Question: When Yan Ji had a conversation with Jing Ke, she offered to serve as the Deputy Assassin of the Qin Dynasty. Does this mean that she is not exempt?

Answer: People are always changing each other.Jing Ke is undoubtedly being changed by Yan Ji, but Yan Ji is likely to be changed by him, or by what the two of them discussed.However, I think it is also possible that she just wanted to escape from the Yan Kingdom, and she was attracted by the vision of Xi Shi and Fan Li planned by herself.Even if she is sober, who said that the most sober person will be able to avoid the vulgarity? The truth about Prince Yan's Pill—Is it national hatred or personal grievance? Q: Your shaping of Yantai Zidan is more derived from history or interpretation?This character seems to be different from our previous impressions, even a bit funny like a clown. Is it your original intention or just the effect of the stage presentation? Why do you deal with this character in this way?

A: As I said, there are no purely bad or good people in this work.The character Yan Tai Zi Dan has no historical position, and there is no psychological depiction of this character.As a hostage in Qin, this person managed to escape from the hands of the King of Qin, and organized this failed assassination case. In people's minds, this person must have a palace.I haven't seen the performance yet, although I don't know that he can be funny, but I can at least make sure that I didn't design it to be sinister and vicious, and the secondary creation made this character present this effect, which I can quite agree with.It was a windfall.

Question: What do you think is the purpose of Prince Dan of Yan organizing such an assassination? Answer: I think that among these cadres, the purpose of Prince Dan's assassination of Qin should be relatively simple and relatively clear-to save Yan.His desire to save the country must be sincere.But it is worth mentioning that, as his ruler, saving the country is saving himself.For him, national enmity and personal grievances are inseparable. Mo Yan's truth—from "We are all Jing Ke!" to "I am Jing Ke!" Question: You said, "The people in this play are actually people living around us, or ourselves." Did you convey some of your own values?Is there a shadow of yourself?

Answer: Definitely yes.I went through this kind of process myself, and later found that fame and fortune are nothing, and "the horses are just clouds".But there must always be something to support us to live. Everyone is flawed. You can't achieve perfection, but you can at least pursue purity.When I was writing this script, the first few drafts were all pursuing commonality. I hoped to express "We are all Jing Ke!" When I changed to the last draft, I gave up my previous position, and I just expressed clearly "I am Jing Ke!".My eyes have also turned from the outside to the inside, which also makes my creation turn from complex to simple. Question: You also said that "our criticism of others must be based on self-criticism." So did you create this play with a critical attitude? A: There must be criticism, but there are also praises.Criticize excessive desires and praise people's awakening.As the play says, everyone is both a hero and a coward; a gentleman and a villain.I don't know about others, but that's how I see it anyway.When Jing Ke walked on the road to assassinate Qin with a sword in his hand, he was still a villain; but when he called for a "superior" by the Yishui River and saw himself like an ant, he had already become a hero.He has not waited for salvation from other forces, but he has completed his own redemption.This awakening is worthy of our admiration and praise.