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Eight Great Comedians of Ancient China
墨書 Inktalez
You Meng
Era: Spring and Autumn
Place of Origin: State of Chu
Occupation: Actor (Court Jester)
Specialty: Satirical Humor
Hobby: Imitation Show
You Meng, Chunyu Kun
Classic Show: After the death of Sun Shuao, the Chancellor of King Zhuang of Chu, his son fell into such poverty that he had to sell firewood to survive. You Meng felt deep sympathy for him and decided to advise King Zhuang of Chu on this matter. He disguised himself as Sun Shuao, mimicking his speech and mannerisms. After more than a year of practice, he reached a level where it was difficult to distinguish between the real and the imitation.
At a court banquet, You Meng appeared dressed as Sun Shuao. King Zhuang of Chu was taken aback, thinking that Sun Shuao had come back to life, and immediately wanted to appoint him as Chancellor. You Meng said he needed to discuss it with his wife and left the banquet.
Three days later, You Meng sought an audience with King Zhuang of Chu and conveyed his wife's words: "Sun Shuao served his country loyally throughout his life and was known for his integrity, which allowed the State of Chu to dominate the feudal lords. Yet after his death, his son is left in utter poverty, forced to sell firewood to survive. In this case, being Chancellor of Chu is not worth living for." At this moment, King Zhuang of Chu understood You Meng's intention and immediately summoned Sun Shuao's son to grant him new rewards.
Do not underestimate You Meng and these court performers; over two thousand years ago, they dared to satirize nobles and royals. It is no wonder that Sima Qian specifically reserved a place for them in the Records of the Grand Historian, prominently featuring them in the Biography of Jesters. You Meng's successful performance imitating Sun Shuao marks him as the first character actor in our country. Since he created his own character design, he is also considered the earliest character makeup artist in our history.
Zhuangzi
Era: Warring States
Place of Origin: Song Guo Meng (present-day Shangqiu, Henan)
Occupation: Freelancer (formerly a minor official)
Specialty: Writing Fable Stories
Major Works: "Zhuangzi" Hobbies: Traveling, Debating Similar Comedians: Hui Shi
When Zhuangzi was close to death, his disciples prepared a lavish burial for him.
Zhuangzi said, "Heaven and Earth are my coffin, the Sun, Moon, and Stars are the jade and jewels accompanying me in burial. Everything in the world is a gift from Heaven to me; do you think the things accompanying my burial are insufficient?"
The disciples worriedly replied, "But I fear that eagles and crows will eat you!"
Zhuangzi responded, "Being exposed will allow crows to eat me, and being buried will let ants consume me. Why should I be biased against what is taken from the crows to feed the ants?"
In Zhuangzi's view, death is a natural process, and more importantly, it is freedom and liberation. Thus, he could be so carefree and humorous in the face of death.
Some say Zhuangzi is an old-fashioned Absurdist; they have not understood this philosopher. In an era filled with talented individuals, he alone could truly break free from worldly constraints and communicate with the spirit of Heaven and Earth. He rightfully stands as the first person in our country to pursue individual liberation.
Dongfang Shuo
Era: Western Han
Place of Origin: Pingyuan Yanci (present-day Ling County, Shandong)
Occupation: Official (served as Grand Master of the Court during Emperor Wu of Han), Amateur Writer
Specialty: Skilled in Rhetoric
Major Works: "The Difficulty of Responding to Guests"
Hobby: Telling Jokes
Once, Dongfang Shuo accompanied Emperor Wu of Han to Shanglin Garden for a visit and saw a large tree with lush branches and leaves.
Emperor Wu of Han asked him what kind of tree it was, and Dongfang Shuo casually replied that it was "Shanzai." Emperor Wu secretly ordered someone to cut off the branches of the tree and marked the trunk.
Two years later, the emperor and his ministers passed by the tree again, and Emperor Wu deliberately asked Dongfang Shuo, "What is the name of this tree?"
Dongfang Shuo again casually replied that it was "Qusuo."
Emperor Wu of Han frowned and said, "How can the name of the same tree change in two years? You dare to deceive me!"
Dongfang Shuo calmly responded, "A young horse is called a 'foal,' and only when it grows up is it called a 'horse'; a chick is called a 'chick,' and only when it matures is it called a 'chicken'; a calf is called a 'calf,' and only when it grows up is it called a 'cow'; a person is called a 'child' at birth, and only when they grow old are they called an 'old man'; this tree is the same!
There is nothing in this world that remains unchanged."
After hearing this, Emperor Wu of Han chuckled.
Dongfang Shuo was knowledgeable and humorous, regarded as the ancestor of the crosstalk genre. He was known by the name "Manqian," and in the past, some referred to crosstalk as "Manqian art." The famous crosstalk performer Ma Sanli even bowed to this learned elder's statue when he was young.
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