Break a leg, Yin Yu!

Extra ~ The Red Carpet

From all cities in the Three Realms, there's one where any business, no matter how ground-breaking and revolutionary, and sometimes plain crazy, flourishes: Ghost City. This is mainly thanks to its ruler, Hua Cheng, truly a business-minded man ahead of his time. This also applied to the theatre business, brought to the city only a few decades ago.

Esteemed reader, remember me? I'm back! Alright, let's continue...

In the Mortal Realm, within the four occupations – the shi (scholars), the nong (farmers), the gong (artisans) and the shang (merchants) – entertainers didn't belong to any, being considered of little use to society, associated to the immoral pleasure districts, citizens of low status. Of little use to society, how could that be?

They were good-looking, highly skilled, talented: in Ghost City they were celebrated as the yishujia, or artists, indeed very important people, as all theatre professionals. It started with that play, and soon the entertainment industry boomed, new theatre companies springing up everywhere like bamboo shoots after a spring rain!

After The Wind and Water Productions – Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan – staged that play at The Butterfly and Flower Pavilion and Yin Yu established his own company at the Waning Moon Theatre, other two or three were also operating in the city. There was even a Shadow Play Theatre, its licence granted by Hua Cheng himself – but this would be a story for another day.

"One day, there will be as many theatre companies as stars in a night sky", Hua Cheng said, passing to Xie Lian a scroll he had just received: an invitation to an award ceremony organised by the recently-established Juyuan Hanghui, or theatre guild.

Hua Cheng himself had come up with the idea of an award, giving his blessing – as he liked to say with an ironic smile – to Ghost City's stage productions; after all its theatre district was bright and exciting, rivalling even Royal Capital's. Now getting all the yishujia together, that'd spice up business!

Reader, that's our lord Hua Chengzhu alright: business-minded and ahead of his time!

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Somehow word went out, and on the streets as well as in all spiritual communication arrays everybody was bursting with excitement, wondering what kind of event would that be, a theatre award. This was something unheard of, and heated debates were seen anywhere.

"An award? Like 'the biggest pumpkin' prize? How would that work for theatre?"

"If we have to see all plays then vote it'll take years, we'll be dead before that..."

"We're already dead, duh!"

It doesn't end up there most esteemed reader! This is Ghost City remember? People like to talk...

"A ceremony? Like in a temple? Don't think that's what our lord is thinking of..."

"We'd be dead before we knew if we set foot inside his Qiandeng Temple!"

"Again: we're already dead!"

Others, being true Ghost City residents, had his own ideas about it – and they weren't far off!

"This awards ceremony, sounds more like a party right?"

"A party, with the yishujia and the very important people? Whoa I'll have the time of my life!"

"You mean your after-life".

As days went by and preparations were being put in place, it became clearer what the purpose and structure of this event was: The Butterfly and Flower Pavilion received new lights and banners announcing the award, and a long red carpet was laid at its stairs, as the walkway for the yishujia and the very important people.