Hearing Reports

Chen HengqingNanhai Publication Company · ChinaJun 2024

3.2

Word count: 520 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

On the day the metropolitan examination results were posted, the proceedings began at the chen hour. The candidates either went to the theaters to watch plays or gathered in the quarters of courtesans and actors to drink. A friend went to Liulichang to listen for the herald on my behalf, mostly within the Fire God Temple. Every ten names were posted on the wall, starting from the sixth place. I placed ninety-sixth; my friend read as far as the ninth sheet before he knew. Xu, the provincial governor of Linqing, said: nine times he went to the capital for the examination, and on the day of the posting he would go straight into a theater. In one play, a man in green armor had a large coin painted on a green mask, like what is commonly called a boluo coin; he did not understand what play it was. Eight times he went to the capital and saw it each time, and each time he failed. The ninth time he did not see it, and he passed. He once asked me to investigate what play it was. I asked old actors, and all said it was an old play taken from Investiture of the Gods, now become a Guangling San. I too failed the metropolitan examination several times, and sometimes gathered to drink in the actors' quarters. When word of an actor spreads in the capital, there must be a note; I saw his servant holding a note and thought it was a report slip, but when I hurried to look, it was not. After getting drunk I returned to my lodging, with still no good news.

Editor's review

“Listening for the Results” takes the day the metropolitan examination results are posted as its point of entry, describing candidates either going to theaters or gathering to drink in actors' quarters, while a friend goes to the Fire God Temple in Liulichang to hear the herald post the list—written with fine detail and a touch of self-mockery. Interwoven is the experience of Xu, the provincial governor of Linqing, who went to the capital nine times: eight times, on the day of the posting, he entered a theater and saw the same play with green armor and a painted coin, and failed; the ninth time he did not see it and passed, so he asked the author to investigate the play. An old actor answered that it came from Investiture of the Gods and had now become a Guangling San. The author also recounts his own several failures and his melancholy upon returning drunk to his lodging with still no good news. The piece is short but interweaves examination anxiety, capital customs, and theatrical anecdotes; it has historical value and the lingering charm of notebook literature. Readers can glimpse the complex state of mind of old candidates awaiting results, and how spaces such as theaters, actors' quarters, and the Fire God Temple bore the anxiety and diversion of scholars. Suited to readers interested in examination culture, Beijing customs, and traditional opera.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of cultural history and scholars' daily life interested in the examination system
Readers who enjoy records of old Beijing customs, theaters, and actors' quarters
Opera enthusiasts interested in traditional theatrical anecdotes and the transmission of plays
Readers who prefer short notebook pieces with subtle humor and self-mockery

Not a good fit for

Serious researchers seeking a complete history or general survey of the examination system
General fiction readers expecting strong plot and fast-paced narrative
Readers unaccustomed to classical-language notebook style who need plain vernacular retelling

Reading tips

First read through to grasp the scene of the results posting, then return to the details of Xu seeing the play eight times.
Mark places such as the theater, Liulichang, and the Fire God Temple as you go, to feel the relation between space and mood.
When you reach the old actor's remark that the play has become a Guangling San, pause and consider why the author recorded this.
If you know Investiture of the Gods, try to guess which character or episode the play with green armor and painted coin might correspond to.

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.

版权信息
听报

FAQ

What exactly does “listening for the results” refer to?

It refers to candidates, or their friends, waiting and checking at the place where the metropolitan examination list is posted to see the successful rankings. The text says a friend went to the Fire God Temple in Liulichang to hear the herald post the list on my behalf; every ten names were posted on the wall, starting from the sixth place; the author placed ninety-sixth, and his friend only learned after reading the ninth sheet.

Why is the play with green armor and a painted coin important?

It is the same play Xu saw each of the eight times he failed; the ninth time he did not see it and passed, so he regarded it as a strange matter worth investigating. The author asked an old actor and learned it came from Investiture of the Gods and was by then nearly lost, so the record carries value as theatrical material.

Is this text suitable for people studying opera?

It can be used as a notebook anecdote for reference: it records one account of a play's origin and its state of transmission, “now become a Guangling San,” but it is not a systematic treatise on opera. Researchers should treat it as supporting evidence or a clue, not complete textual research.

Does reading this require a foundation in classical Chinese?

The original is a concise classical-language notebook, but it is short and the events are clear; readers with basic classical Chinese can understand it. If it feels difficult, read a vernacular translation or annotated edition first, then return to the original to appreciate the tone.

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About the author

Chen Hengqing Author · Chinese · 1844–1920

Chen Hengqing (1844–1920), courtesy name Zijiu, was a native of Weixian in Shandong (present-day Weicheng District, Weifang). A late Qing official and scholar, he passed the provincial examination in 1873 and the metropolitan examination in 1886. He served successively as a secretary in the Ministry of Works, rising through the Waterways, Construction, and Colonization Departments, and later held posts as Supervising Censor of the Ministry of War, Investigating Censor of the Henan Circuit, and Chief Supervising Censor. In 1908 he was appointed prefect of Jinzhou. He retired at sixty and wrote works including Jianshu Xian Notes (also known as Jili Qingtan) and Unofficial Gleanings of the Late Qing. His extant writings are considerable, with 154 titles held in our collection, many drawing on folk literature and Eastern philosophy. They touch on modern upheavals such as the militia conflicts, the Boxer movement, and the Nian rebels, as well as rural tales and social types like foxes and swindlers, and social issues such as Manchu-Han differences, bearing the documentary flavor of note-style historiography. Public information is limited, and his literary standing and influence await further study.