British writer

It's easy if Zena knows how to act.

In the following week, the troupe rehearsed intensively, and "Hunting" could finally be officially staged.

…

February 1, 1902, evening.

Natsume Soseki was packing his things and getting ready to go out.

"Lu, we'd better hurry up. Don't forget that when "Roman Holiday" was performed at the Royal Opera House, the gate was so blocked that we almost didn't squeeze in."

Lu Shi was typing on a typewriter.

He didn't even raise his head,

"Hold on."

Natsume Soseki came over and looked at the manuscript.

——

Peter I is undoubtedly the greatest tsar in the history of the Romanov dynasty.

Under his leadership, the country began to:

Farewell to the East and head towards the West;

Say goodbye to the Middle Ages and move toward 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 improved the quality of officers, strengthened military equipment, and established a strong army.

…

——

"puff!"

Natsume Soseki couldn't help laughing,

"'Peter I is undoubtedly the greatest tsar in the history of the Romanov dynasty'. Nicholas II might vomit blood after reading this sentence."

Lu Shi shrugged,

"I think even the most revolutionary Russians cannot refute this statement. They hate the Tsar, but they have to admit the great achievements of Peter I."

This is inevitable.

In games like Civilization 6, there are always only two Russian leaders:

Peter I and Catherine II.

It is recognized around the world, who can refute it?

Of course, this is Tsarist Russia, and those giants behind are not included in the discussion.

Natsume Soseki chuckled,

"However, when you write this, I always feel that Nicholas II would not agree to the publication of "The Rise of the Great Powers: Russia"."

Lu Shi didn't care.

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

Natsume Soseki secretly admired him,

This is what Lu Shi was like,

Always speak passionately, always speak uprightly, and will not bend for a mere piece of gold.

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

Lu Shi said "hmm\

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

Natsume Soseki: "..."

My heart said,

The thoughts I just had were abrupt.

Lu Shi stretched himself, put the manuscript aside and sorted it out.

"Let's go."

He flipped a wooden dinner plate upside down on the fish tank to prevent us from torturing the lazy boy again.

Afterwards, the two went out.

The weather is cold,

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

RUDDER's window is open,

There was a mixed smell of wine and spices inside.

Natsume Soseki said: "Look, there is a poster of "The Hunt" next to the door of the tavern."

The poster was designed by Kandinsky.

The central part is the name of the drama, using eye-catching white fonts. It is simple and elegant without excessive decoration, leaving a deep impression on people.

Below the name is a beautiful illustration,

In the painting, a deer is running in the woods, the image is vivid and realistic.

Miraculously, the deer's body exudes a soft light, giving people a mysterious and dreamy feeling.

Natsume Soseki pondered,

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

He has read many books and knows that there must be some knowledge in them.

Lu Shi said: "You have heard of a disease... To be precise, it should be regarded as a symptom, called 'Buck Fever'."

Natsume Soseki felt a little dizzy.

"An infectious disease caused by animals?"

Lu Shi laughed,

"No, no, I just said it, that's not a disease. The term 'buck fever' actually first emerged in North America. It means that after a hunter sees a beautiful stag, his body will show symptoms of a fever patient. To put it simply, it is So excited.”

Natsume Soseki scratched his head,

As a homebody, he doesn't understand the joy of outdoor hunting.

At this time, a carriage came,

The coachman stuck his head out,

"Sir Lu?"

Natsume Soseki poked Lu Shi in the waist with his elbow and joked in a low voice: "You are a celebrity now."

Lu Shi didn't feel any pressure, and told the coachman his destination.

The two boarded the carriage.

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

Natsume Soseki was stunned for a moment when asked, and then replied: "Me neither... I think it should be the association after seeing the poster. Pictures are always more intuitive than words."

This is the difference between words and pictures.

Take movies as an example,

Many directors will use special animals to symbolize,

The lamb represents suffering or atonement;

Black cats represent bad luck;

The snake represents regeneration, change, and wisdom;

…

Directors use film camera techniques such as close-ups and guidance to attract the attention of moviegoers.

But novels are difficult in this aspect.

The association created by words alone is weak.

Lu Shi said: "Deer is actually the incarnation of Lucas. Deer is the perfect prey. It is large in size and will not make hunting too simple. Its temperament is quiet and elegant, which will not make hunting unfulfilling. It is not aggressive and will not It raises the threshold for hunting; at the same time, the deer head can be used as decoration, the deer meat is delicious, and the fur is beautiful and can be used as a carpet... These all ensure that hunting is not indiscriminate killing, but makes full use of all the resources of the prey."

"It's not indiscriminate killing..."

Natsume Soseki chewed on these words,

"But it makes full use of all the resources of the prey."

He said shudderingly: "Did you just say that the deer is the incarnation of Lucas?"

Lu Shi did not answer directly.

“That’s why ‘The Hunt’ needs to be brought to the stage. Sometimes words have their limits.”

Natsume Soseki felt the same way.

He thought of "Yes!" prime minister\

,"On paper, Humphrey would be an extremely annoying guy who only knows how to talk.

But after the performance, he became the most popular character.

Natsume Soseki's eyes were full of admiration,

"Lu, your understanding of drama and novels is far deeper than the average writer. It's no wonder you can point out Mr. Picasso's painting skills because you know the connection between images, words and imagination."

This sudden change caught people off guard.

Lu Shi coughed slightly,

"Not to the point~ not to the point~"

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

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

Natsume Soseki shrugged.

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

The two got out of the car.

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

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

Riku Toki and Natsume Soseki squeezed through the crowd,

The guard immediately recognized them;

"Please come in quickly."

The two then walked into the theater.

Different from the rehearsal, the theater has been newly cleaned, and the smooth marble floor can even reflect a bright luster.

The crystal chandeliers on the ceiling also sparkle, illuminating the entire space.

At this time, someone came over,

"Sir Lu."

The person coming was none other than Stephenson.

Lu Shi immediately understood the reason why ticket checking had not started outside.

"Your Majesty is here?"

Stephenson nodded,

"Originally, His Majesty wanted to share box number one with you and Mr. Xiao, but because there are guests..."

Lu Shi waved his hand,

"It doesn't matter, just leave it to Your Majesty."

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

That's the good thing about Edward VII——

Do not use your privileges when enjoying yourself with the people.

Lu Shi said "hmm" and was about to praise His Majesty a few times when he suddenly showed a puzzled expression.

"Did you just say Archbishop? The Holy See of Canterbury?"

Canterbury Holy See,

The Bishop of the Church of England, the Bishop of the Anglican Communion around the world, and the spiritual leader of the universal Anglican Communion,

It was named after the first bishop was Saint Augustine of Canterbury.

Lu Shi said, "The archbishop also goes to the theater?"

"of course!"

Stephenson winked subtly and replied: "I also heard that he particularly likes your "Yes! Prime Minister" and has read it several times."

"Ah this..."

Lu Shi was speechless.

Stephenson added: "But the Anglican Church (i.e. the Anglican Church) has always been busy with academic affairs, so the archbishop has never liked to join in the fun when a play debuts on the stage. Today is because the patriarch of the Venice Diocese happened to be visiting London... Well …Do you know this title?”

Lu Shi: "..."

"I understand but I don't understand. I understand."

Stephenson couldn't help but laugh,

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

Lu Shi was curious,

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

Stephenson replied: "Because in Roman Holiday, you used a lot of religious landmarks in Rome, such as the classic scene in the Mouth of Truth, so the Italian church people are looking forward to your drama."

So that's it.

"Tsk..."

Lu Shi was speechless. He was about to say something, but was interrupted by a burst of noise.

I saw people pouring into the theater like a tide.

In ten minutes, the drama will begin.

Lu Shi nodded to Stephenson,

"I go first."

He and Natsume Soseki went upstairs and entered box number one.

Bernard Shaw was already waiting,

He invited the two of them to sit down.

Not long after,

boom--

Drums sounded in the theater.

Everyone subconsciously looked towards the stage and saw the curtain being slowly raised.

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

Several middle-aged men appeared,

They were holding crossbows or bows and were engaged in a hunting competition.

Natsume Soseki said thoughtfully: "Mr. Xiao did a good job."

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

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

Then there is the introduction of Lucas’ harmonious relationship with the town residents.

And the beginning of the drama version has another benefit -

It coincides with the title of the play.

Lu Shi raised the corners of his mouth,

"This is why I trust Mr. Xiao."

The flattery, which is neither too big nor too small, makes George Bernard Shaw very comfortable.

While shaking his head, he said "humbly": "It should, it should, mainly because the level of the original work is high. I only did some minor work, so I don't deserve such praise!"

Saying that this old man is fat really makes him breathless.

Lu Shi tried hard to hold back his laughter.

"Let's take a look first."

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

It starts with Lucas being kind to Clara and ends with Clara getting angry because she failed to confess her love and falsely accusing Lucas.

The curtain closes.

Faintly, there were whispers from the auditorium on the first floor.

"I don't know how long Lu's brain is, and he can write such outrageous plots, which makes people scared."

"This situation seems very hopeless..."

"It's really hopeless. If it were Lucas, it would be irrefutable."

…

George Bernard Shaw was afraid of patting Lu Shi on the shoulder.

"It seems that this drama will be as successful as 'Yes! Prime Minister' and 'Roman Holiday'."

What else did he think of?

"And that "Upside Down", why did you only let it tour in American colleges and universities?"

Lu Shi spread his hands,

"Drama must also consider the soil in which it is performed."

Bernard Shaw sighed slightly,

"Too."

…

Box number two.

There were four people in the room.

Two familiar faces are Edward VII and Margaretta.

As for the other two,

Frederick Temple, Apostolic See of Canterbury.

He wore a gorgeous red robe with gold patterns on it,

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

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

There is another person,

Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, Patriarch of Venice.

He was wearing a dark robe and was very simple, but because of his youth, he seemed more authoritative as a sect leader.

The relationship between the two bosses seems not to be good.

Although their seats were facing each other at a slight angle, either intentionally or unintentionally, they both deliberately turned their bodies away from each other.

There was silence in the box,

"..."

"..."

"..."

The atmosphere is a bit weird.

Suddenly, Temple spoke,

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

Salto nodded,

"Yes."

Temple said softly, "Yeah."

"It's strange, but why did you only take office in early 1894?"

Salto's right eyelid twitched.

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

The reason why he delayed taking office was precisely because of the tense relationship between the Holy See and the Italian government, which made him lose face.

Of course, this cannot be said explicitly.

Salto pondered for a moment,

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

The box fell into silence again,

"..."

"..."

"..."

Temple looked dark.

During the Reformation in the 16th century, England hoped to strengthen the royal power, weaken the church, and get rid of the control of the Pope.

As a result, Henry VIII prohibited the Church of England from paying annual tribute to the Holy See, and the "Act of Supremacy" stipulated that the Church of England should have the king as its supreme head.

However, Salto said that he "opposes political interference in religious affairs".

Isn't this a slap in the face?

The two looked at each other,

Where the eyes met, there seemed to be a "crackling" sound of electric sparks.

"Gu..."

King Edward VII swallowed subconsciously,

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

He looked at Margarita and mouthed: "What should I do?"

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

Both of them were confused, staring at each other.

at this time,

boom--

The drum beats for the second act.

Salto looked directly at the stage and murmured to himself: "Considering the structure of the play, the second act is definitely the most depressing scene. Lucas will be ostracized, insulted, and even beaten by people in the whole town."

Temple said: "Cardinal Sarto, it seems that you have read the novel "The Hunt" before?"

Salto pursed his lips;

"certainly."

The most popular author in Europe right now is none other than Lu Shi.

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

Temple coughed slightly,

"You feel……"

The two were about to confront each other again.

Edward VII raised his eyebrows,

"You two, it's best not to talk when watching a drama. This is etiquette, right?"

Being scolded by the king, the two could only shut up.

As expected,

The second act could very well be called "The Passion of Lucas."

But for some reason, Salto and Temple felt more and more awkward as they watched.

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

When I read the novel before, I didn’t think it was anything.

But drama is different,

It's so vivid, so immersive.

On the stage, the atmosphere of the town was created to be terrifying and depressing. The residents' trial of Lucas brought a medieval historical event to the minds of Salto and Temple——

Witch hunt.

For a moment, the two of them felt as if a basin of ice water was poured down from their heads.

Reminiscent of Lu Shi’s previous works,

"yes! prime minister\

,""reverse\

,""Animal Farm\

,"…

Which one is not ironic?

Which one has no metaphor?

This Lu Shi wouldn't be so bold as to dare to seize the church to hack him, would he?

But……

"Hiss..."×2

Salto and Temple gasped at the same time.

Is it still necessary to use black in the witch hunt?

Just telling the history as it is is ironic enough!

Edward VII looked over,

"Cardinal Salto, Holy See, are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"

Sarto: "No~no~"

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

King Edward VII: "..."

Cold sweat has begun to break out on the foreheads of the two brothers. There must be something wrong.

Moreover, the two of them were arguing with each other just now.

Why has it become harmonious now?

His Majesty the King looked at Margarita again and mouthed: "What is their situation?"

Of course Margarita doesn't know either,

She coughed lightly,

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

Sarto: "No~no~"

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

The two of them didn't even change the structure of their conversation;

There must be something wrong!

Margarita was a little anxious,

Although the power of the church in Europe is gradually declining, it still has a profound influence in many aspects.

If they don't like Professor Lu, will their marriage be affected?

Her Royal Highness lowered her head and thought about how to test.

Unexpectedly, Temple spoke first: "If I remember correctly, the novel "Hunting" is set in Denmark?"

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

So, no one answered.

As expected, Temple continued: "From the perspective of Danish pronunciation, the 'L' of 'Lucas' will change, somewhat similar to 'Wicca', right?"

This question made Edward VII and Margarita unable to react for a moment.

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

Wicca is the abbreviation of ‘Witchcraft’, which is witchcraft.

This kind of witchcraft tends to favor voodoo, reiki healing, etc.

Thinking of this, Her Royal Highness the Princess understood everything.

Some people are having fun;

Someone looks in the mirror.

Temple and Sarto are looking in the mirror!

And Edward VII was still confused,

"Wha...what do you mean? Wicca? Wicca?"

Margarita glared at him,

"Your Majesty, please remain quiet while watching the drama. This is etiquette."

"Well……"

Edward VII was hit on the back of the head by a boomerang and fell instantly.

"Alright alright."

Seeing that His Majesty the King was treated obediently, Margarita said to Temple: "The Holy See does not need to think too much. This drama..."

Before the words fell,

"Ahem..."

King Edward VII cleared his throat;

"

‘Please keep quiet when watching a play, it is etiquette. ’

"

However, Margarita ignored him at all and just continued: "Did the Holy See forget that the most insightful sentence in "The Hunt" was said by the clergy?"

Temple frowned;

Obviously I can't remember it for a while.

On the contrary, Salto read the book more carefully and quoted:

"

'We always thought that children would not lie, but unfortunately, they often lie. ’

"

Margarita gave this example to prove that the church has a great and upright image in "The Hunt".

But who would have thought,

"well……"

Salto sighed helplessly,

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

Another deep sigh.

Margarita suddenly grew bigger than her head.

These two old men, could you please stop looking in the mirror?