Chapter 13 Section 6 Gongan Opera and Water Margin Opera

The politics of the Yuan Dynasty was dark, officials were corrupt and perverted the law, imposed punishments indiscriminately, and killed human beings indiscriminately.According to the "Yuan History Chengzong Benji" records, only seven years of Dade, 18,473 corrupt officials were found at one time, and 5,776 cases of unjust imprisonment.At that time, the lives and property of the Li people were not guaranteed, and the grievances were so deep that they had nowhere to appeal.How they wish someone would shout for it!As a result, a large number of koan dramas appeared, exposing the social foundation of the powerful and influential—how local tyrants, evil gentry, hooligans, cunning women and treacherous people colluded with the government and the evil deeds of disabling the people.Some historical figures popular among the people often appear in the play, such as Bao Zheng, Fan Zhongyan, Zhang Ding in the Song Dynasty, and Wang Xiao (Xiao Xiao) Ran in the Jin Dynasty.The author entrusts them with a strong desire to defeat evil and realize clear politics, and praises their spirit of defying violence and pleading for the people and their superhuman wisdom.These operas are widely performed, warmly welcomed, and handed down from generation to generation, with strong artistic vitality.

There are about 20 kinds of koan dramas in Yuan Zaju, nine of which have Bao Zheng as the main character.Such as "Lu Zhailang", "Fei Yi Meng", "Sheng Jin Ge", "Chain Circle", "Contract Text", "Pan'er Ghost", "Chenzhou Tiao [tiao] Rice", etc., here we focus on Introduce Anonymous's "Chenzhou rice dumpling".During the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a severe drought in Chenzhou for three years, and there was no harvest.The imperial court decided to open granaries and distribute grain to the hungry people.Liu Yanei, a dignitary in the court, saw that it was profitable, so he recommended his son Xiao Yanei and son-in-law Yang Jinwu to go there, and invited the emperor to give him a purple gold hammer, which can be cut first and then played.When Xiaoya Nei and Yang Jinwu arrived in Chenzhou, they used methods such as raising the price of rice, mixing sand and chaff, collecting cash on large scales, producing rice from small buckets, and "beating chicken coops" to deceive the people.The stubborn old farmer Zhang (忄啊) [pie笑] Gu couldn't bear it anymore, and he tried to argue, but was beaten to death with a purple gold hammer by the small yamen.Xiao (忄唯) Gu found Bao Zheng and asked to avenge his father and eliminate harm for the people of Chenzhou.Bao Zheng was about to resign, but in order to relieve the people, he disguised himself as a country old man and went to Chenzhou in person.Lu met the prostitute Wang Fenlian, and Bao Zheng drove the donkey for her. From her mouth, he found out the crimes of Xiao Ya Nei and Yang Jinwu. Die Xiaoya Nei.Bao Zheng also used tricks to earn the imperial decree "forgive the living but not the dead" that Liu Yanei had begged for, and pardoned Xiao (忄唯) Gu.

In the play, Bao Zheng is an ideal image of an upright official in the minds of the people in the feudal society, which has both historical basis and folk imagination.What is commendable is that the author did not deify Bao Zheng, but started from life and shaped him into a man of flesh and blood.Bao Zheng is upright and upright, but he also has troubles. He deeply feels that the officialdom is dangerous, so he wanted to retire bravely, resign and go home.But after all, he is an upright official who loves the people like a son. After hearing Xiao (忄唯) Gu's cry, he is determined to eliminate harm for the people.As an imperial envoy, he brought only one entourage, Zhang Qian, and refused to accept the reception of state and county officials along the way, and only drank gruel to satisfy his hunger.In order to find out the truth, he disguised himself as a country man and led a donkey for the prostitute Wang Fenlian, gaining her trust.Bao Zheng's simple, honest, funny, witty and flexible, full of local flavor image is very lovable.

This play positively shows the fierce conflict between the poor people and the powerful and powerful, and portrays Zhang (忄嘉) Gu's moving artistic image.He shouted when he was injustice, and dared to speak out, saying: "There is nothing softer than stream water, even on uneven ground!" He was full of class hatred for the powerful representatives of the small yamen, calling them "eating warehouses [ao Ao] ]’s rat consumption, and flies sucking pus and blood.” Condemning them for taking advantage of the opportunity to distribute food to harm the people is “a hungry wolf snatches a fragile bone, and a beggar looks for leftovers at the bottom of a bowl.”The little yamen threatened him, but he was not afraid. Before he died, he told his son to avenge him, and vowed to "never forget his love, wait to tell the gods, take it to the court, take down the inheritance, and pay for my remaining life. Only bitterness and hatred will be flattened." If it is not sandy (not like this), then my pair of falcons [hulinghuling] are also like eyes in the eyes, and they should not be closed."Zhang (忄商) Gu's ending is tragic, but his spirit of resistance is eternal.

The spirit of resistance and struggle of the people in the Yuan Dynasty was more concentrated and vividly reflected in the Water Margin Opera (Green Forest Opera).Long before the advent of Shi Naian, the stage of Yuan Zaju had already begun to reenact the stories of the characters of Water Margin and Liangshan.There are more than 20 types of Water Margin dramas, and six types have been preserved to date, namely: "Shuang Xian Gong" (Gao Wenxiu), "Yanqing Fighting Fish" (Li Wenwei), "Li Kui Bearing Jing" (Kang Jinzhi), " "Huanghuayu" (Anonymous), "Striving to Repay Grace" (Anonymous), "Return to the End of Prison" (Li Zhiyuan).These Water Margin dramas have shaped many heroes of the Water Margin, especially Li Kui's image is the most vivid and full.

Kang Jinzhi's "Li Kui Bearing the Thorn" is an excellent representative of the Water Margin drama, and the story is roughly the same as the seventy-third chapter.It is about gangsters Song Gang and Lu Zhien pretending to be Song Jiang and Lu Zhishen to snatch Mantangjiao, the only daughter of the old man Wang Lin in Xinghua Village Hotel.Li Kui went to Wanglin Hotel to drink, and when he heard about it, he believed it to be true and was furious.He turned around and returned to the cottage, made a big noise in the Zhongyi Hall, reprimanded Song Jiang and Lu Zhishen, and wanted to cut down the Xinghuang flag that "walked the way for the sky".In order to clarify the facts, Song Jiang, Lu Zhishen and Li Kui issued a military order and went down the mountain to confront each other.After the truth came to light, Li Kui deeply regretted his recklessness and pleaded guilty to Song Jiang.At this time, Wang Lin went up the mountain to report to the two gangsters to take Mantangjiao back to the hotel.Song Jiang ordered Li Kui to go down the mountain to capture the two thieves alive for atonement, and Wang Lin's father and daughter were reunited.

In Kang Jin's writing, Liangshan, which was slandered by the feudal rulers as a lair of thieves, has beautiful mountains, sweet water and righteous people.The heroes of the Water Margin act as chivalrous men, fight against violence and bring peace to the good, and maintain blood and flesh ties with the common people.Li Kui has a bold personality and a sincere heart, and he loves the honor of Liangshan like his eyes.In order to maintain the purpose of "doing justice on behalf of the heavens", he hates evil like an enemy and disowns his relatives.Because of his recklessness, he caused misunderstandings and triggered a series of contradictions and conflicts, forming a comedy scene that makes people laugh.This play uses a lot of space to write about Li Kui's recklessness and misjudgment, but objectively, it has received an artistic effect of praising Li Kui's integrity.In his recklessness, he highlights his character of hatred and hatred, and shows his open mind.The idea is unique and the technique is ingenious.The structure of this play is compact and concentrated, and the plot has ups and downs.The prose is charming, the words are vivid, the artistic conception is beautiful, and it appeals to both refined and popular tastes.

Gao Wenxiu's "Double Contributions" also takes Li Kui as the protagonist, and writes that Sun Rong, an old friend of Song Jiang, is honest and kind, and his wife Guo Nian'er had an affair with Bai Yamen and was abducted.Sun Rong reported to the government, but was imprisoned by Bai Ya Nei, who borrowed the yamen.Li Kui volunteered and disguised himself as a young man from Zhuangjiao. As Sun Rong's cousin, he visited the prison and delivered meals.Immediately afterwards, Li Kui pretended to be a waiter again, sneaked into the inner room of the Baiyamen, killed Guo Nian'er and Baiyamen, and took the two heads to pay orders to make contributions.Li Kui in this play is no longer rude and reckless, but because of the heavy responsibility on his shoulders, he is cautious and forgiving.He is rough and fine, not lacking in wit, showing unique character traits.