Chapter 161: Great Han Version of White-Haired Girl

The success of the song and dance troupe let many people see its huge publicity and commercial value.

Especially Liu Xiaojun, who single-handedly founded the Great Han Women's Newspaper, after hearing of the great influence of the Great Han Song and Dance Troupe and discussing with the pregnant Li Yan, full of enthusiasm, rushed travel-worn from Chang'an to Yan Capital.

She first reported the work situation to Liu Ju, clearly stated her intention to participate in the publicity and construction work of the song and dance troupe, and also expressed Li Yan's idea.

Liu Ju immediately expressed agreement; he could not ignore his wife's and sister's words.

Thus Liu Xiaojun, relying on her unique insight into art and outstanding leadership ability, quickly took personal charge of the song and dance troupe's work.

Under her meticulous management, the song and dance troupe's performances became increasingly exquisite, program forms more rich and varied, and increasingly popular with the public.

At the same time, following Liu Ju's directive, Liu Xiaojun began earnestly preparing the Great Han Drama Troupe.

However, the preparation process was not smooth sailing; the primary difficulty they faced was a lack of suitable scripts.

Existing stories were either too outdated to attract audiences, or too simple to show the charm of drama.

Liu Xiaojun worried about this, repeatedly discussing countermeasures with Liu Ju.

Liu Ju deeply understood the importance of scripts for the drama troupe and swiftly took action.

He first summoned several well-read, talented ministers from the court to discuss together how to solve the script problem.

Wei Xiang suggested: "Your Majesty, we can widely post notices to solicit scripts from scholars across the land; with generous rewards, there will surely be brave contributors, and we will certainly obtain many excellent works."

Liu Ju deemed this plan feasible and immediately ordered notices posted throughout the Great Han, promising generous rewards for those who submit excellent scripts.

Moreover, Liu Ju personally visited the countryside, listening to the folk tales passed among the people.

And he directed Liu Xiaojun and others to go deep into city alleys and rural fields, conversing with the populace to uncover the odd tales hidden among the people.

These stories sourced from life might become precious material for the drama troupe.

Liu Ju eagerly reviewed the scripts submitted from various places, thinking that since he had come to the Great Han and carried out a series of educational and ideological reforms, there should be some results, right?

However, as one story after another was examined, his brow grew ever tighter.

These stories were either filled with outdated, pedantic notions, throughout full of flattery toward the powerful and stiff piling of traditional rites, making them hard to move hearts;

or they were as bland as water, as simple as a ledger of daily trifles, lacking any conflict or spectacle to catch the audience's eye.

Liu Ju rubbed his weary temples, his heart full of helplessness and anxiety; a good script decisively determines the drama troupe's success, yet he still could not find that brilliant work that would make people's eyes light up.

Just as Liu Ju was agonizing over it with no clue, Jin Fu came to present an official report.

After finishing the report, Jin Fu noticed Liu Ju's worried expression and asked concernedly about the cause.

Liu Ju sighed and told him about the script matter.

Jin Fu pondered a moment and said: "Your Majesty, I recall that when I was in Double Lake Village earlier, I once heard of the tragic affairs of some commoners exploited by Li Wan; perhaps this could give Your Majesty some inspiration."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ju's eyes instantly lit up, his thoughts racing like a horse freed from its reins back to Double Lake Village.

He recalled the villager trembling in the cold wind, forced by the landlord to have no way out, with scene after scene continually piecing together and recombining in his mind.

Suddenly, a story outline gradually became clear in his mind, and he also thought of a story that perfectly matched the recent troubled land reform.

Thus he decided to adapt it into a story set against the Western Han background, naming it White-Haired Girl.

This time, let him do it himself.

Hoping those pedantic scholars would produce it? That might not happen till the Year of the Monkey and Horse!

Liu Ju immediately spread out the paper, picked up the brush, and plunged into tense creation.

The story is set in a remote mountain village of a commandery county in the Western Han, where the land belongs to the powerful clan Lu Batian.

The poor peasant household of Yang Dalang relied on renting a few mu of thin fields from the Lu family to barely maintain a livelihood.

In the Western Han, taxes were heavy; besides land tax, there were also poll tax, grain levy, and many other miscellaneous exactions.

This year, heaven sent a great drought; the crops were nearly a total loss, yet Lu Batian had no intention of reducing taxes, instead intensifying his demands.

Lu Batian was cruel and greedy, having long coveted the beauty of Yang Dalang's daughter Xi'er.

He used Yang Dalang's inability to pay taxes as a pretext, plotting to forcibly take Xi'er as a concubine.

Yang Dalang, though full of anger and resentment, being powerless, could only go around pleading for help.

He borrowed grain from fellow villagers, but they too could barely survive; he also asked the local village chief to intercede, but the village chief, fearing Lu Batian's power, paid no heed.

With no other recourse, Yang Dalang ventured into the mountains on a stormy night to hunt for money to pay rent, but unfortunately encountered a ferocious beast and lost his life in the forest. Upon hearing of her father's demise, Xi'er was overcome with grief.

And Lu Batian, seeing Yang Dalang dead, became even more unscrupulous, directly showing up to seize Xi'er by force.

In the deep mountains, the environment was harsh, lacking clothing and food. To survive, Xi'er could only subsist on wild fruits and vegetables; prolonged hardship turned her hair gradually white, making her look like a savage.

Yet Xi'er harbored hatred toward Lu Batian in her heart and stubbornly survived.

In the creation process, Liu Ju meticulously depicted the hard life of Western Han peasants.

From their dwelling in crude thatched huts built of earth lumps and straw, leaking wind everywhere; to their bodies clad in patched, tattered hemp garments, this was a true picture of their hard labor yet inability to fill their stomachs.

He also emphasized depicting the extravagant licentiousness of such powerful clans as Lu Batian; they dwelt in lofty mansions, with numerous servants, going out with retinues, forming a stark contrast to the life of poor peasants.

At the same time, Liu Ju skillfully incorporated the Western Han social system, such as the administration of the village pavilion; the village chief being controlled by the powerful clans, turning a blind eye to the people's suffering, further highlighting the miserable plight of the lower classes under feudal oppression.

In language expression, Liu Ju adopted simple, unadorned terms with Western Han characteristics, such as "land tax", "grain levy", and "village chief", giving the whole story a sense of historical authenticity.

As the text on the paper grew, a vivid and tragic White-Haired Girl story gradually took shape.

Liu Ju set down the brush, exhaled deeply, looked at his work, his heart full of anticipation; he believed this script, blending Western Han reality with deep emotion, would surely shine on the drama stage.

However, when Liu Ju finished the manuscript and considered how to reveal that he himself had written it, he hesitated.

As the Son of Heaven, if he submitted it under his real name to White-Haired Girl, it would likely provoke many unnecessary speculations and discussions, possibly leading some to misconstrue his intent, bringing unexpected trouble to the drama troupe's development.

Thus, after careful consideration, he decided to submit the manuscript anonymously.

At that time, Liu Xiaojun, as the editor of the drama troupe, was anxiously eager due to not receiving suitable manuscripts.

She sat all day at her desk, scrolling through manuscripts piled like a mountain yet none satisfying her, brows knotted, eyes full of anxiety and fatigue.

These days, she hardly rested at all, her mind solely fixed on finding a script that would let the drama troupe shine brilliantly.

One day, an anonymous letter was delivered into Liu Xiaojun's hands.

She had thought it was just another ordinary submission, not holding much hope, but when she opened the letter and saw the title White-Haired Girl, a faint expectation inexplicably welled up in her heart.

She couldn't wait to unfold the manuscript and began reading it.