Zena knew how to act.

The following week, the troupe rehearsed intensively, and "The Hunt" was finally ready to officially take the stage.

……

February 1, 1902, evening.

Natsume Soseki is packing up his things and preparing to go out,

"Lu, we'd better hurry. Let's not forget that when Roman Holiday was performed at the Royal Opera House, the gate was so full of water that we almost didn't squeeze in. ”

Lu Shi was typing on a typewriter,

He didn't lift his head,

"Wait a minute."

Natsume Soseki leaned over and looked at the manuscript,

——

Peter I was undoubtedly the greatest tsar in the history of the Romanov dynasty,

Under his leadership, the country began to turn:

Say goodbye to the East and go to the West;

Say goodbye to the Middle Ages and move towards modern times;

Say goodbye to ignorance and backwardness, and enter modernization.

At the same time, he also continued to strengthen the country's military strength, established military schools, vigorously strengthened the quality of officers, strengthened army equipment, and built a strong army.

……

——

"Poof!"

Natsume Soseki couldn't help but laugh,

"'Peter I is undoubtedly the greatest tsar in the history of the Romanov dynasty'. Seeing this, Nicholas II probably vomited blood. ”

Lu Shi shrugged,

"I don't think even the most revolutionary ethnic Russians can refute this. They hated the Tsar, but they also had to recognize the great achievements of Peter I. ”

It's a given.

In a game like Civilization 6, there will always be only two leaders in Russia:

Peter I and Catherine II.

Recognized by the world, who can refute it?

Of course, this is Tsarist Russia, and the giants behind are not discussed.

Natsume Soseki chuckled,

"However, I always feel that Nicholas II will not agree to the publication of The Rise of Great Powers: Russia."

It doesn't matter when it's land,

"In the context of Tsarist Russia, I didn't expect it to be published."

Natsume Soseki secretly admired,

Lu Shi is like this,

Always warm, always speak up, and will not bend over for the sake of gold.

Natsume Soseki read a few more paragraphs, and then asked, "Then after you finish writing, are you going to send someone to Moscow or Petersburg?" ”

Lu Shi said "um",

"Send it to try~ Maybe Nicholas II will agree to publish it~ A hundred gold bars is not a small amount."

Natsume Soseki: "......"

The heart says,

Those thoughts just now were out of their own.

Lu Shi stretched his waist and put the manuscript aside to tidy it up.

"Let's go."

He turned a wooden plate upside down on the fish tank to prevent our generation from tossing and being lazy again.

Subsequently, the two went out.

The weather is cold,

The sun had set, and the sky was a deep blue, dotted with a few early stars.

RUDDER'S WINDOW WAS OPEN,

There is a mixed smell of wine and spices.

Natsume Soseki said, "Look, there's a poster of 'Hunting' next to the tavern gate. ”

The poster was designed by Kandinsky,

The central part is the name of the play, which is in striking white font, simple and elegant, without excessive ornamentation, and makes a great impression.

Below the name is a beautiful illustration,

In the painting, a deer runs through the woods, which is vivid and realistic.

Miraculously, the deer's body exudes a soft glow, giving it a mysterious and dreamlike feeling.

Natsume Soseki groaned,

"In 'The Hunt', the deer has a symbolic meaning, right?"

He had read a lot of books, and he knew that there must be some way to them.

Lu Shi said: "You have heard of a disease...... To be precise, it should be regarded as a symptom, which is called 'buck fever'. ”

Natsume Soseki is a little dizzy,

"Infectious diseases caused by animals?"

Lu Shi laughed,

"No, no, I just said, it's not a disease. The term 'buck fever' actually first emerged in North America, which means that after a hunter sees a beautiful buck, his body will have the symptoms of a fever patient, in short, he is too excited. ”

Natsume Soseki scratches his head,

As an otaku, he doesn't understand the fun of outdoor hunting.

At this moment, a carriage came,

The coachman poked his head out,

"Sir Lu?"

Natsume Soseki poked Lu Shishi's waist with his elbow and quipped in a low voice, "You're a celebrity now." ”

Lu Shi didn't feel pressured, and told the coachman the destination.

The two boarded the carriage.

After that, he continued the topic: "Why did you notice the deer?" ”

Natsume Soseki was stunned by the question, and then replied, "I don't ...... either I think it was an association that came after seeing the poster. Pictures are always more visual than words. ”

That's the difference between text and picture.

Take movies as an example,

Many directors will use special animals as symbols,

The lamb represents the crucifixion or atonement;

The black cat represents ominousness;

The snake represents regeneration, change, wisdom;

……

The directors use close-ups, guidance and other film lens techniques to attract the attention of moviegoers.

But it's hard in this regard,

Words alone create associations that are weak.

Lu Shi said: "The deer is actually the incarnation of Lucas. Deer are perfect prey, large in size and do not appear to be too simple to hunt; The temperament is quiet and elegant, and it will not make the hunt unfulfilling; It is not aggressive and does not raise the threshold for hunting; At the same time, deer heads can be used as decorations, venison is delicious to eat, and furs are beautiful and can be used as carpets...... All this ensures that hunting is not indiscriminate, but makes full use of all the resources of the prey. ”

"It's not a ...... of indiscriminate killing"

Natsume Soseki chewed on this sentence,

"It's about making the most of all the resources of the prey."

He shuddered and said, "Did you just say that the deer is the incarnation of Lucas?" ”

Lu Shi did not answer positively,

"That's why 'The Hunting' needs to be brought to the stage. Sometimes, the power of words is limited. ”

Natsume Soseki deeply sympathizes,

He thought of "Yes! Prime Minister,

Humphrey would be a very obnoxious guy who only talks about it.

But when it comes to acting, it becomes the most popular role.

Natsume Soseki's eyes were full of admiration,

"Lu, your understanding of drama is far deeper than that of ordinary writers. It's no wonder that you can point out Picasso's drawing skills because you know the connection between images, words and imagination. ”

This sudden Dihua caught people off guard.

Lu Shi coughed lightly,

"Not so ~not so much~"

The two chatted for a while, and the carriage slowly stopped.

The driver's voice came from outside: "There are too many people in front, and some can't walk." ”

Natsume Soseki shrugged,

"Look. I said we had to leave early. ”

The two got out of the car.

The front of the Royal Opera House is crowded and lively.

But the miraculous thing is that the doorman did not check the tickets, but just directed people to line up in an orderly manner, waiting for admission.

Lu Shi and Natsume Soseki squeezed through the crowd,

The doorman immediately recognized them,

"Come in, please."

The two then walked into the theater.

Unlike during rehearsals, the theater has been re-cleaned, and the smooth marble floor even reflects the brilliant sheen.

The crystal chandelier on the ceiling also shines brightly, illuminating the entire space.

At this time, someone came over,

"Sir Lu."

It was Stephenson.

Lu Shi immediately understood the reason why the ticket inspection had not started outside,

"Your Majesty is here?"

Stephenson nodded,

"Originally, Your Majesty wanted to share Box No. 1 with you, as well as Mr. Xiao, but because there were guests, ......"

Lu Shi waved his hand,

"It's okay, just give it to Your Majesty."

Stephenson was stunned for half a second, then smiled: "He has already gone to the second box with the archbishop." ”

That's all about Edward VII—

Do not use privileges when enjoying with the people.

Lu Shi said "um", and was just about to praise His Majesty, when he suddenly showed a puzzled expression,

"You just said the archbishop? The Holy See of Canterbury? ”

Canterbury Holy See,

The Bishop of the All England Church, the Bishop of the Anglican Church of the World, the Spiritual Leader of the Ecumenical Episcopal Church,

Named because the first bishop was St. Augustine Canterbury.

Lu Shi said: "The archbishop also watches the play? ”

"Of course!"

Stephenson blinked subtly and replied, "I've also heard that he particularly likes your Yes! Prime Minister", I have watched it several times. ”

"Ah......h

Lu Shi was speechless.

Stephenson added: "But the Anglican Church has always been busy, so the archbishop has always been fond of joining in the fun when the play first appeared on the stage." Today is because the Patriarch of the Diocese of Venice happens to be visiting London...... Forehead...... Do you know the title? ”

Lu Shi: "......"

"I understand and I don't understand. If you understand. ”

Stephenson couldn't help but laugh,

"Actually, I don't really know. I only know that the so-called 'patriarch' has a slightly higher status than the cardinal. ”

Lu Shi was curious,

"Then why does the patriarch of the Diocese of Venice want to watch 'The Hunt'?"

Stephenson replied: "Because of "Roman Holiday"~ You used a lot of Roman religious landmarks in it, such as the classic passage of the mouth of truth, and the church people in Italy are looking forward to your play. ”

I see.

"Tsk......"

Lu Shi was speechless, and was about to say something, but was interrupted by a noise.

I saw people pouring into the theater like a tidal wave.

In a few minutes, the drama will begin.

Lu Shi gestured to Stephenson's chin,

"I'll go first."

He and Natsume Soseki went upstairs and entered Box No. 1.

George Bernard Shaw was already waiting at this point,

He beckoned them to take their seats.

It didn't take long for

Boom –

Drums rang out in the theater.

Everyone subconsciously looked at the stage and saw that the curtain was slowly raised.

Through the set, you can see that it is a forest,

Several middle-aged men appeared,

They were armed with crossbows or bows, and were engaged in a hunting competition.

Natsume Soseki groaned, "Mr. Xiao has changed well. ”

The opening scene of the version is a scene of several middle-aged men in the town swimming by the lake, but now it has been changed to hunting.

But the effect is the same, leading to the protagonist Lucas,

The second is to introduce Lucas's rapport with the townspeople.

And there is another benefit to the beginning of the theatrical version -

Implicit title of the play.

The corners of Lu Shi's mouth are hooked,

"That's why I believe in Mr. Shaw."

The big and small sycophants made George Bernard Shaw very comfortable,

While shaking his head, he said "modestly": "It should ~ should be ~ mainly the level of the original work is high." I've only done some minor work, and I don't deserve such a compliment! ”

said that this old brother was fat, and he really gasped.

Lu Shi tried to hold back his laughter,

"Let's see first."

The first act of the play mainly introduces the cause of the incident.

It starts with Lucas's kindness to Clara and ends with Clara becoming angry and falsely accusing Lucas of failing to confess.

The curtain is closed.

Faintly, there was a whisper from the auditorium on the first floor,

"I don't know how Lu's brain grows, and he can write such an outrageous plot, which is scary."

"This situation seems desperate......"

"Despair indeed. Whoever is Lucas should be irrefutable. ”

……

George Bernard Shaw was afraid to pat Lu Shi on the shoulder,

"It seems that this drama will also be like Yes! Prime Minister", "Roman Holiday" were equally successful. ”

What did he think of again?

"And the "Upside Down", why did you just let it tour in colleges and universities in the United States?"

Lu Shi spreads his hands,

"Drama also has to consider the soil of the performance."

George Bernard Shaw sighed slightly,

"Yes."

……

Box 2.

There were four people in the house,

The two familiar faces are Edward VII and Margarita.

As for the other two,

Frederick Temple, Holy See of Canterbury.

He was dressed in a gorgeous red robe with gold motifs,

The neckline and cuffs of the robe are decorated with delicate lace, adding a touch of delicacy and femininity.

But even if it is so luxurious, the old man is eighty years old after all, and it is difficult to hide his old age after all.

And one more,

Giuseppe Melquiore Sarto, Patriarch of the Diocese of Venice.

He was dressed in a dark robe, which was very modest, but because of his youth, he appeared more authoritative as a sect leader.

The relationship between the two bigwigs doesn't seem to be good,

Although their seats were facing each other at a slight angle, it is not known whether intentionally or unintentionally, and both of them deliberately deflected their bodies as if they were moving away from each other.

In the box, there was silence,

“……”

“……”

“……”

The atmosphere was a little weird.

Suddenly, Temple spoke,

"Cardinal Salto, just now you said that you were appointed Patriarch of the Diocese of Venice in 1893?"

Salto nodded,

"Yes."

Temple let out a shallow "um",

"Strange and strange, why did you arrive at the beginning of 1894?"

Salto's right eyelid jumped,

He knew very well that the other party was knowingly asking.

The reason why he postponed his appointment was precisely because of the tense relations between the Holy See and the Italian government, which made his face a little ugly.

Of course, this must not be said explicitly.

Salto groaned for a moment,

"Mainly because I did some background checks. You know, in the Diocese of Venice I have always been concerned about social and economic issues, supported social movements, and also participated in the Venetian Workers' Association, which opposed political interference in religious affairs. ”

The box fell silent again,

“……”

“……”

“……”

Temple's face darkened.

During the Reformation in the 16th century, England wanted to strengthen the power of the king, weaken the church, and get rid of the control of the pope.

As a result, Henry VIII forbade the Church of England to pay tribute to the Holy See, and the Act of Supremacy stipulated that the Church of England should have the king as the supreme head.

But what did Salto say about "opposing political interference in religious affairs",

Isn't this a slap in the face?

The two looked at each other,

Where the lines of sight met, there seemed to be the sound of "crackling" electric sparks.

"Goo......

Edward VII subconsciously swallowed his saliva,

His gaze wandered between the two of them with a very fast frequency, as if he was watching a fierce table tennis match, and he almost twisted his neck.

He looked at Margarita and mouth-shaped, "What to do?" ”

Margarita also replied silently: "I don't know." ”

Both of them were in a rut, staring at each other with big eyes.

At this moment,

Boom –

The drums of the second act sounded.

Salto looked squarely at the stage and muttered, "In terms of the structure of the play, the second act must be the most depressing. Lucas would be ostracized, verbally abused, and even beaten up by the whole town. ”

Temple said, "Cardinal Salto, it seems that you have read 'The Hunt' before?" ”

Salto pursed his lips,

"Of course."

The hottest author in Europe at the moment is Lu Shi, there is no one,

As long as you like literature, you can't avoid his works.

Temple coughed lightly,

"What do you think ......?"

The two are about to fight again.

Edward VII raised his eyebrows,

"Two, it's better not to talk when watching a play, it's etiquette, right?"

was scolded by the king, and the two could only shut up honestly.

As previously anticipated,

The second act could have been called "The Passion of Lucas".

But for some reason, the more Salto and Temple looked, the more awkward they felt,

Especially when Lucas was betrayed and beaten by his friends, this awkwardness reached its peak, as if there were countless ants crawling on his body, making them uneasy.

Before, I didn't think there was anything,

But the drama is different,

It's so vivid, so immersive.

On the stage, the atmosphere of the town is created to be terrifying and oppressive, and the trial of Lucas by the residents makes a medieval historical event appear in the minds of Salto and Temple -

Witch Hunt.

In an instant, the two of them felt like a basin of ice water was pouring down from their heads.

Reminiscent of Lu Shi's previous works,

"Yes! Prime Minister",

"Upside Down",

Animal Farm,

……

Which is not sarcastic?

Which does not have a metaphor?

This Lu Shi wouldn't be so bold as to dare to grab the church to black, right?

But......

"Hiss ......" ×2

Salto and Temple gasped at the same time.

Witch hunt still black?

Just telling history as it is ironic enough!

Edward VII looked over,

"Cardinal Salto, Holy See, are you unwell?"

Salto: "No~No~"

Temple: "Hahaha! It's comfortable~ It's very comfortable! ”

Edward VII: "......"

Cold sweat had begun to break out on both of the old brothers' foreheads, there must be something wrong.

Moreover, the two of them were arguing just now.

How did it become harmonious now?

His Majesty looked at Margarita again and said, "What is the situation with them?" ”

Margarita, of course, didn't know,

She coughed lightly,

"Holy See, you don't seem to like this work?"

Salto: "No~No~"

Temple: "Hahaha! I like it~ I like it very much! ”

The structure of the two of them has not even changed,

There must be a problem!

Margarita was a little anxious,

Although the Church's influence in Europe is declining, it still has a deep influence in many ways.

If they don't like Professor Luk, will the marriage be affected?

Her Royal Highness looked down and thought about how to tempt.

Unexpectedly, Temple spoke first: "If I'm not mistaken, the background of "Hunting" is in Denmark? ”

Although this is a question, it is more like a statement,

So, no one answered.

Temple continued: "From a Danish pronunciation point of view, the 'L' of 'Lucas' will change, something like 'Wicca', right? ”

This question made Edward VII and Margarita not react for a while.

After being stunned for a few seconds, Margarita suddenly thought,

Wicca, which is an abbreviation for 'Witchcraft', that is, witchcraft,

This witchcraft is biased towards voodoo, Reiki healing, etc.

Thinking of this, Her Royal Highness the Princess understands everything,

Someone watches the fun;

Someone looks in the mirror.

Temple and Salto are looking in the mirror!

And Edward VII is still ignorant,

"What...... What do you mean? Wicca？ WIKA? ”

Margarita glared at him,

"Your Majesty, please be quiet when watching a play, this is etiquette."

"Hmm......"

Edward VII was hit in the back of the head by a boomerang, and in an instant he wilted,

"Okay, okay."

Seeing that His Majesty was well governed, Margarita said to Temple, "The Holy See does not need to think much about it. The play ......"

The voice did not fall,

"Ahem......"

Edward VII cleared his throat,

“

'Please be quiet when watching a play, this is etiquette. ’

”

However, Margarita did not pay any attention to him, and continued: "Have you forgotten that one of the most insightful words in The Hunt was spoken by the clergy. ”

Temple frowned,

Obviously, I couldn't remember it for a while.

On the contrary, Salto read the book more carefully, quoting:

“

We always thought that children don't lie, but alas, they lie a lot. ’

”

Margarita gave this example to prove that the Church is a great image in The Hunt.

But who would have thought,

"Alas......"

Salto sighed helplessly,

"It seems that in Sir Lu's eyes, our clergy are always suspicious of this, of that, even of children...... Alas......"

Another deep sigh.

Margarita suddenly had a head and two big,

These two old men, can you not look in the mirror, hey!

(End of chapter)