Shang Xirui's name stirs Beiping

## Synopsis

Shang Xirui is the star performer of Beiping Opera and Cheng Fengtai is a businessman. Shang Xirui doesn't attend a senior's birthday, Jiang Rong Shou, which makes him angry. Cheng Fengtai hears a lot about Shang Xirui, and how he is different from others. When Cheng Fengtai goes to Huibin Tower, he sees Shang Xirui, and right away thinks of his mother. Some people paid by Jiang Deng Bao make a scene at Huibin Tower, during Shang Xirui's performance.

## PLOT

The story is set in the world of Opera, where a famous actor has a masterful voice; Shang Xirui. There is a businessman in the same city, who knows how to turn the tables around, and get things which benefit him the most; he is clever.This is also a time when tensions between China and Japan start to brew. The location of the drama is Beiping.

The episode starts with **Jiang Rong Shou** coming to his own birthday party with **Jiang Deng Bao**, his son. He is a respected member in the Peking Opera, and has many students who come to pay their respects to him, except one. Jiang Rong Shou waits for Shang Xirui, who has recently become popular in Peking Opera, because of his unique style. Rong Shou wants to see Shang Xirui perform at his birthday, but he is left disappointed as Shang Xirui never comes to pay his respects. Everyone at the gathering talks about how **Shang Xirui** never follows any rules, and his choice of plays. There, someone mentions Shang Xirui's father, **Shang Jiuzheng**, and says that the reason why Xirui behaves this way, is because he is from an influential family.

However, Jiang Rong Shou defends Xirui and says that he is the nephew of his teacher, and since all the elders departed early, no one ever taught Xirui any formalities.

**Xiao Lai** is the maid that looks after Shang Xirui, and when she reminds him that Jiang Rong Shou's birthday is today, and everyone would be waiting for him, he refuses to go, and that too, through a note. He is actually with some prostitutes, judging how they hold their cups and use their fans; he doesn't find them feminine at all. This is where another character is introduced in the story; **Lao Xian**. He is an old man, who likes to make tunes, but Shang Xirui thinks that he only wants money to buy prostitutes and alcohol. He tells the old man that he has sent a gift to Jiang Rong Shou, but doesn't want to go there, because he is trying to figure out how to play Su'san, his next character. Here, Shang Xirui makes it clear that he doesn't want to perform the same way that his predecessors did.

Now the scene changes, and we are shown Cheng Fengtai's house, where his sister, **Cheng Meixin** is coming back from a late night party. She is on good terms with Fengtai's wife, **Fan XiangEr**, and they talk on the breakfast table. Meixin wants XiangEr to get out of the house and socialize, and to better train the maids. However, XiangEr is worried about Cheng Fengtai, who usually goes on business meetings. XiangEr believes that woman should stay in the house, and be proper wives, not go out, party, play and drink.

In the next scene, we finally get to see **Cheng Fengtai**, who has a blood on his cheek, which shows that whatever he was doing, things got a little out of hand. Here, the audience gets to see an important person in Fengtai's life, **Lao Ge.** He is Fengtai's driver, and is also loyal to him. Fengtai goes to a Chamber of Commerce meeting, where he explains how he has control over the eastside road, and has to pay money to the bandits, so he will be taking money from those who want to use the road. While people are against him, they don't say much because Fengtai's sister's husband is the Commander, **Cao Si Ling**. He changes, and then goes to find his Wife's brother, **Fan Lian**, who is with his girlfriend, **Zeng Aiyu**. They both go to Fengtai's house, where he receives a warm welcome from his sister, and wife. Another character, **Cha Cha Er** is introduced here, who is a teenager and Fengtai is very affectionate towards her. He has a son, and has a loving moment with his wife.

It is on the breakfast table that Cheng Fengtai first hears about the Shuiyun Tower Theater Troupe, which belongs to Shang Xirui. Meixin clearly states that she doesn't like him, and so does XiangEr, because of her cousin and his wife. Jiang Meng Ping used to be in Xirui's troupe, but when she married XiangEr's cousin, Chang Zhixin, Xirui was very angry with her. Here, Fengtai is led to believe that Xirui was in love with MengPing, but it is a whole different story.

The next time Cheng Fengtai hears about Xirui is when he receives a call from **Manager Ma** from his costumes shop, that Shang Xirui wants to change a costume because a thread was out of place. It is a costume that Shang Xirui wants to wear on his play called 'Battle of The Golden Mountain Play'. Fengtai tells Manager Ma to compensate Xirui. This is where Fengtai learns that when Commander Cao was attacking Pingyang, Xirui stood at the top of the tower, and sang opera which impressed Commander Cao. When Fengtai goes to **Huibin Tower** with his sister, Cha Cha Er, Shang Xirui is also performing there that day. There, he also meets Chamber President Zheng, who is there to convince Fengtai to lower his fee for using the road, but Fengtai is not interested in talking about it.

While they talk, Shang Xirui comes out to perform, and when he is looking at him, Fengtai takes a pocket watch out of his coat, and sees a picture of a woman, who is wearing a similar costume. His expressions change, that of shock, and nostalgia. He stands on the railing of the balcony, and gives his own ring to Cha Cha Er. He tells her to throw the ring at Xirui, as a sign of appreciation. However, the ring hits Xirui, but he doesn't stop performing. Soon the people in the audience don't like what they are listening to, and get up to throw things at Xirui. However, he doesn't stops performing, and we see a worried expression on Fengtai's face.

#### CHARACTERS

*In order of Appearance*

* Jiang Rongshou (姜荣寿)
* Jiang Dengbao (姜登宝)
* Xiao Lai (小来)
* Shang Xirui (商细蕊)
* Lao Xian'er (老弦儿)
* Cheng Meixin (程美心)
* Fan Xiang'er (范湘儿) aka Er Nainai (二奶奶)
* Lao Ge (老葛)
* Cheng Fengtai (程凤台)
* President Zheng (郑原木)
* Ceng Aiyu (曾爱玉)
* Fan Lian (范涟)
* Cha Cha'er (察察儿)
* Manager Ma (马掌柜)