Day 4 ( And last date that i am watching) 斬龍孫 - 18/7/09

Jennifer say:

When mum first watched the beginning of this show, she told me that we had already watched this show before. After some thinking, i realised that i had watched the same storyline but by another taiwan opera troupe in Feb this year before. But nevertheless, i still love watching the performance by a different troupe again.

During the performance, the xiao sheng, Chen shao xiang went down the stage selling pear at 1 for $5 for charity.I managed to take some photos for the xiao sheng

Mum and I were sitting at Row T so the front rows got the attention first.

At last, had come to our row - did a close up

斬 龍 孫
大清三刺，『刺熊、刺馬、刺龍』「刺龍」即為斬龍孫，大清朝十五阿哥愛新覺羅－永成，乃乾隆皇帝之子，奉乾隆皇帝之命，到交趾國催收貢品，竟遇交趾國內亂，女皇兵敗如山倒，同為邦交之國，永成王爺出手援助，幫忙交趾國平定內亂，女皇感念恩情，將獨生女－范阿春，下嫁永成王爺為妾，一回到中原，范阿春竟爭風吃醋，亦殺元配－劉靜如，因而鬧上慈甯宮，在太后做主，平息家變，並由乾隆皇帝為首，上三寶佛寺上香，就在太后為永成王爺之子，愛新覺羅－龍孫，身上刺金龍時，乾隆與范阿春竟犯下違逆五倫之事，為止眾人指責乾隆逼殺親兒、追殺媳婦，在老和尚－圓真幫忙下，愛新覺羅－龍孫倖免于難，圓真和尚帶著龍孫，逃到鎮江金山寺，一躲七年，但紙包不住火，龍孫得知自己身份，亦認祖歸宗，而此時傳來，乾隆皇帝最後一次下江南…

The storyline:

During the Qing dynasty, 乾隆 - 爱新觉罗·弘历 Qian Long sent his second son, Yong Cheng to go to visit the border nation.

Yong Cheng, the second son of Qian Long was asked to visit the border nation - the first sight of trouble for Yong Cheng - Yong Cheng casted by Chen Shao Xiang - dressed in red clothing

Han soldier informed their king that Yong Cheng had arrived. The lady in white is Han only daughter, Ah Chun. Ah Chun is casted by Sun Si Wen.

The emperor of the border nation was a guy surname, Han. Han emperor had a daughter named Han Ah-Chun. In order to save Han nation, Han emperor asked his daughter to marry Yong Cheng as his concubine (妃嬪). Ah Chun agreed reluctantly as she being the only daughter of Han emperor was spolit from tender age.

Han emperor (The one is green) Begged his own daughter to marry Yong Cheng to save his nation

Ah Chun performing a dance to entertain Yong Cheng.

There is a Powerpoint slide showing the word of the songs that the cast were singing. Here the words are showing Ah Chun feeling toward the dance

Yong Cheng had a wife named Liu JinRu (刘静如) whom had born the Qing family a son. When Yong Cheng went home with Ah Chun, Jingru was furious initally. But Kind by heart, jingru forgave yongcheng.

Yong Cheng explaining to Jingru his difficulties as he had to take Ah Chun as his wife

The words that Yong Cheng singing to JingRu. It said that he is explaining to his wife how he had to accept the Han daugher with little choice.

However Ah Chun had no respect for jingru and even tried to murder jingru. Fortunatly, Yong Cheng came back and stopped Ah Chun.

Yong Cheng took Ah chun to see his father, QianLong. When Qianlong learnt that Ah Chun tried to kill her older sister(jingru), he was angry and asked Ah Chun to lift her head to look at him. Qing Long loved Ah Chun at first sight and that was the beginning of trouble for Yong Cheng and his wife.

Yong Cheng took Ah Chun to see his father, Qianlong

Qian long then asked Yong Cheng to bring Ah Chun to Empress Dowager for decision of how to deal with Ah Chun. Empress Dowager upon seeing Ah Chun beauty requested her to live in harmony with JingRu. Empress Dowager then asked YongCheng to bring his newborn son to 三寶佛寺 to tattoo the dragon on the chest of the baby boy. This is a indication that the child was a son of the imperial family. At the temple, the whole imperial family were there - Empress Dowager , Qianlong, his first son, cheng, yong cheng, jingru and Ah Chun. While Empress Dowager was taboo the baby boy whom now had a offical name known as 爱新觉罗龍孫, Ah Chun and Qianlong left the room quietly. Cheng and YongCheng upon seeing this found it strange and follow them into the temple's garden. Ah Chun declared her love for Qian long. The wrong was done - grandfather taking over his own son's wife. They declared their love for each other in the garden. Yong cheng found them in the garden and cannot take the blow, vommitting blood on the spot. Yongcheng left in disgrace. Cheng found out his father wrong deed but when qianlong appeared with Ah Chun, Cheng was warned not to mention anything.

Back in the palace with Ah Chun, Qianlong declared Ah Chun as his new concubine. Ah Chun asked Qianlong to kill YongCheng whole family as she said that if yongcheng saw her as the new concubine, what must he call her - mum or wife? Qianlong initally have hestiated as he told Ah Chun that Yongcheng was his own son. However Ah Chun informed that she can only gave Qianlong sons. Qianlong agreed and sent his officer, He Kun to surround YongCheng whole family. Qianlong and Ah Chun then visit YongCheng whom was very ill due to the heavy blow he received when he found about the incest of his own father and his wife.

Ah Chun encourage Qianlong to kill Yong Cheng whole family

Qianlong gave Yongcheng a sword, hinting yongcheng to end his own life. Qianlong then hugged Ah Chun saying that he will not waste time talking to dead people. When Qianlong left, yongcheng told jingru to leave the house with longsun. Jingru and Longsun left the house in tears. Yongcheng then killed with the sword. When HeKun arrived, he found Yongcheng had died but jingru and longsun were both missing. Hekun informed Qianlong but Ah Chun demanded that all people whom knew about their relationship must be killed as they may revealed this incest deed to the qing citizens. So Hekun gave chase. When the first son of qianlong, Cheng knew about this, he left the palace to try to save jingru and her son.

Jingru ran to the temple and informed the head monk of her own misfortunate. The monk asked jingru to stay at his temple. Hekun arrived and knocked open the temple door. Hekun stabbed jingru. Cheng arrived and managed to stop hekun from killing longsun. Cheng slapped Hekun and chased him away. Dying, jingru asked cheng to take care of her son before she died. The monk promised cheng to take care of longsun and asked cheng to return to the palace. The monk decided to bring longsun to jingshan temple.

7 years later, Longsun and a group of children played but the children laughed at longshun for having a monk as his father. Upset, longsun fought and his monk father managed to stop the fight. The monk informed longsun of his true identifty. Just then, there was public announcement that the emperor, qianlong was in street. The monk took longsun wishing for his grandfather to acknowledge his own grandson. Hekun stopped them and qianlong ordered both to be taken away.

In the street, Qianlong met His grandson, Longsun and the old monk

In the court, Longsun announced to Hekun that his real name was 爱新觉罗龍孫. 爱新觉罗 was a imperial name that only the loyal family had so hekun ordered his guy to slap longsun for telling lies. Cheng arrived at the court and stopped Hekun to investiage this case. Cheng ordered Hekun to step down and he himself will investigate if longsun was the grandson of qianlong. Cheng asked longsun to strip as the child should have a dragon tattoo on his chest. Longsun did have the tattoo of a dragon but hekun declared that anyone could have tatto on his own chest.

Just then, qianlong and ah chun arrived.

Qian long and Ah Chun arrived at the court hearing

Under ah chun influence, qianlong wanted to silence longsun and the monk. Qianlong qustioned the monk whom insisted that longsun was his grandson. Hekun tortured the monk by using a item to clip on his fingers. The monk fainted and longsun decided that he would not want to have anything to do with qianlong. The monk woke up and scolded qianlong and announced that he will told the world of the emperor deed. The angry qianlong ordered his guards to beat the old monk to death. Longsun upon seeing his monk father dead, told qianlong that he will also informed the world that his grandfather had sleep with his aunt(Ah Chun).

Qianlong took a sword and tried to stab longsun. Just then, the spirt of Yongcheng and Jingru appeared. They reminded qianlong not to do a wrong deed again. Qianlong asked Ah Chun if she had seen the spirit of cheng and jingru. Ah Chun kept inisted qianlong to kill longsu and in the end, she herself was killed by Qianlong. Qianlong then realised his own wrong and woke up.

He acknowleged longsun as his grandson and announced cheng to be the new emperor.

Qianlong let his first son become the new emperor

Goodbye time