Chapter 100

After Lin Yanzhao finished speaking, Xie Zhaozhe was taken aback: "A new play?"

Then he bitterly smiled and said, "How easy is it to talk about a new play? Not to mention composing the music, just finding someone to write the script is not easy."

Lin Yanzhao smiled and said, "I can't compose music, but I can help with the script."

Xie Zhaozhe was surprised and said, "Brother Lin? Don't tell me you're joking. Writing a play requires decades of experience, and one must be skilled in writing dialogues, lyrics, and recitations. Can you do that?"

Lin Yanzhao shook his head and said, "No."

Xie Zhaozhe sighed. Seeing that Lin Yanzhao was not believed, he did not continue and said, "Brother Xie, if that's the case, I won't say more. I still need to go home and study, goodbye!"

Just as Lin Yanzhao was about to get up, Xie Zhaozhe hurriedly said, "Brother Lin, please wait. Even a dead horse is worth a try. Please tell me, just as a casual chat after tea."

Lin Yanzhao smiled and said, "Brother Xie, are you serious?"

"Yes."

With Xie Zhaozhe's insistence, Lin Yanzhao sat down again and said, "Alright, I'll give it a try."

Lin Yanzhao recalled a movie script he had seen by chance in the university library in his previous life, and then thought about the plays he had watched over the past month. Following the style of the Confucian plays, he began to conceive a play in his mind.

In a play, each act involves a significant character's entrance and exit, similar to a scene in a script.

Lin Yanzhao then said, "Under the night sky, with no stars or moon visible, a few ghostly lights flicker in the desolate wilderness. A broken stone stele stands in front of a temple..."

"Wait," Xie Zhaozhe interrupted.

"What is it?" Lin Yanzhao asked.

Xie Zhaozhe sighed and said, "Brother Lin, before the play begins, there should be a poem recited as a prologue!"

"Oh, I forgot," Lin Yanzhao recalled the last play he had watched, "Dou E's Injustice," which began with a poem: "Flowers may bloom again, but youth never returns. No need for long-lasting wealth, happiness is the bliss of immortals."

Lin Yanzhao then recited, "A poem to start, the frost covers the ten-mile lake, inch by inch, the black hair worries about the passing years. Facing the moon alone, longing for protection, I envy the mandarin ducks, not the immortals."

After Lin Yanzhao finished, Xie Zhaozhe slapped his thigh in praise, "What a poem! What a line, 'I envy the mandarin ducks, not the immortals.' It's adapted from Lu Zhaolin's 'I would rather be a mandarin duck than an immortal.' Brother Lin, you truly have great talent. Please continue."

Xie Zhaozhe's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Lin Yanzhao couldn't help but smile, "Brother Xie, you don't doubt me anymore?"

Xie Zhaozhe, embarrassed, said, "Please finish, Brother Lin. I was impolite just now."

Lin Yanzhao nodded and said, "Under the night sky, with no stars or moon visible, a few ghostly lights flicker in the desolate wilderness. A broken stone stele stands in front of a temple, inscribed with three large characters: 'Lanruo Temple.' In the cold wind, withered leaves quietly fall, and the wind blows open the paper windows of the temple pavilion..."

"Under the candlelight, a young scholar is reading and reciting, 'I have studied hard for decades, and now I am passing through this temple on my way to the capital. It is so quiet here, I might as well study for a few more days before heading to the capital. If I can achieve success, it will fulfill my lifelong wish.'"

"Suddenly, a light veil passes by. Looking up, he sees a white-clad maiden dancing gracefully before him. The scholar recites, 'In the desolate wilderness, how can there be a virtuous woman? But after studying for so many days, my maid is not by my side...'"

"Hold on," Xie Zhaozhe said, "It doesn't have to be a maid; it could also be a handsome young servant."

Lin Yanzhao glanced at Xie Zhaozhe and continued, "The scholar, unable to resist the temptation, holds the veil and entwines with the maiden. He doesn't even notice when the candle on the table falls into the water basin."

"At the height of passion, the maiden's bells ring, startling the heart. Outside the pavilion, something is creeping closer to the building; inside, the scholar remains lost in the embrace of pleasure."

"Suddenly, his eyes widen in extreme fear, his face contorted as if he has seen the most unbelievable thing in the world."

"The scholar screams in terror, his legs trembling violently, but the woman beside him calmly pulls down the veil, as if everything has returned to normal."

"In the cold wind, a red silk ribbon suddenly sprays out."

Lin Yanzhao calmly finished the first act, took a sip of tea, and saw Xie Zhaozhe staring with his mouth agape.

Lin Yanzhao shook his head. This was expected. The play, blending elements of mystery, horror, ghosts, and romance, naturally stunned the ancient people with limited exposure. The roles of the scholar and the ghost maiden were also the most beloved by the common folk.

Moreover, it set the stage well, keeping the audience on edge throughout the performance of Ning Cai Chen.

Lin Yanzhao cleared his throat and said, "Brother Xie? Brother Xie?"

Xie Zhaozhe came to his senses after a while and said, "This is simply amazing! What's next? What's next? Brother Lin, if you don't finish, I won't be able to sleep tonight."

Lin Yanzhao, displeased, said, "I'm not a storyteller. And your hand, can you please not grab me so hard?"

Xie Zhaozhe quickly let go and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Brother Lin. I was carried away. Please forgive me."

"Stop, I don't like that. Go find your handsome young servant," Lin Yanzhao patted his sleeve and said.

Xie Zhaozhe hurriedly explained, "Brother Lin, you misunderstood. I just want you to give me the script. Rest assured, if this play is performed, my family won't take a single coin. All the earnings will go to Brother Lin."

Hearing this, Lin Yanzhao felt that Xie Zhaozhe was truly sincere and decided to befriend him. He said, "Brother Xie, don't say that. I came across this play by chance; I didn't write it."

"Is that so? I can see that you are young and talented, Brother Lin. I didn't mean to imply that you are obsessed with plays. However, if you know the person who wrote this play, I and my father will invite him back to lead the Qiantang troupe."

Lin Yanzhao thought of the elegant scholar in the movie, whose appearance could only be remembered by countless fans. He couldn't help but sigh, "The person who passed this play to me was someone I greatly respected, but unfortunately, he died young. I only keep this play as a memento. If you perform it, it will also help fulfill his wish and mine."

Xie Zhaozhe was immediately respectful and said, "Brother Lin, rest assured, I will make it happen. But have you seen this play before? Do you remember the music?"

Lin Yanzhao nodded and said, "I remember some of it, but it might sound a bit strange. Just listen."

"The road of life, the beautiful dream is long;

The road is full of wind and frost, the wind and frost hit the face.

In the red dust, how many directions does the beautiful dream have?

Finding the beloved in a dream, the road is vast and endless."

...

Lin Yanzhao sang, and Xie Zhaozhe didn't think much of it the first time, but by the second and third time, he praised, "This is a good tune, but it can't be used in the play... and Brother Lin, your singing isn't very good. Also, the lyrics are too plain."

Lin Yanzhao thought to himself, "That's obvious. This tune was composed by the master Huang Zhan, one of the last greats with a classical touch. Although it can't be integrated into the play, it's still good to sing alone. Even in the Ming Dynasty, the appreciation level wouldn't be so poor."

But Lin Yanzhao still asked, "If the tune doesn't fit the singing style, can you modify it?"

Xie Zhaozhe hurriedly said, "This is a masterpiece, and I would only be adding unnecessary embellishments. Brother Lin, let's spend the long night in conversation instead!"

Lin Yanzhao stood up and said, "No, I'm just passing on the work of my predecessor. I will focus on the imperial exams and won't be distracted by this. We'll talk again in three days, and don't look for me in the meantime."

With that, Lin Yanzhao turned and left, quickly escaping to avoid being detained.

"Brother Lin, please wait!" Xie Zhaozhe chased after him to the door, seeing Lin Yanzhao's figure disappear into the night, and couldn't help but stomp his foot, "Brother Lin left too quickly, I didn't even ask the name of the play!"

Playing chess, watching plays, fishing, enjoying the scenery, reading at night, and having a beautiful woman by his side, Lin Yanzhao's life seemed comfortable. In reality, he was like most scholars, studying hard from dawn till late at night. However, he managed his time well, leaving time for leisure to avoid a monotonous youth.

As the geese flew north in spring and returned in autumn, the double travelers from the south and north, with their old wings, could endure only a few more cold and hot seasons.

In the blink of an eye, more than half a year had passed, and the county examination in February of the following year was just a few days away.