Chapter 144: The Purple Flower Reflected in the Sunset

The biggest difference between Tokyo and Otaru is probably the people.

Fujii Itsuki took the JR Hokuriku Shinkansen and transferred to the Marunouchi Subway to arrive at Ginza Station in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.

Today happens to be Saturday. As soon as I get out of the subway, there are crowds of people. The air seems to become dull and thin.

This was even more so when he got near the turnstile, where Fujii Itsuki was forced to follow the crowd and squeeze out.

This is a scene that you would never see in Otaru.

After exiting the subway, I arrived at Ginza.

People in Tokyo dress fashionably and look very young.

Fujii Itsuki walked through Ginza's most prosperous central passage, beneath giant screens and brightly lit billboards.

People were coming and going, and he suddenly remembered that he seemed to have walked here in the past.

Now I am walking in the crowd again, but I no longer feel the loneliness I felt when I was hidden in the crowd.

As for why I think so, it’s probably because my life is very fulfilling now?

Fujii Itsuki arrived at Hibiya, the entrance of the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater.

This is a commercial pedestrian street. Fujii Itsuki saw a poster for today's Takarazuka Revue performance in the window outside the theater.

The poster introduces the performance status and time of this and next episodes.

Fujii Itsuki saw this episode, which was the summer performance in early June.

The show was the same as the one on the ticket, "The Purple Flower Reflected in the Sunset" starring the Takarazuka Theater Company's Moon Group.

The protagonist on the poster, who is also the protagonist of the story, the eldest prince - Kazama Jin, is played by Jiu Huayue.

Fujii Itsuki knew this story in advance.

It is Takarazuka's original play.

The story is set in the Asuka period.

The plot is that the elder brother, the eldest prince, discovered that Zi Zhihua (the heroine), who had married his younger brother and had a child, was no longer the little girl who used to pester him when he was a child, but had grown into a great beauty, so he chose to forcibly snatch her back.

The plot is nothing special, it's an ancient Japanese palace drama, the struggle between power and desire between brothers.

But when Fujii Itsuki found out that Murasaki Hana was the daughter of the eldest prince, he actually became interested in the script.

but
Is this overly advanced script really suitable for a girl of Jiuhua's age to perform?

The next second after this thought came to his mind, Fujii Itsuki reacted.

Does this mean that I consider myself as Jiuhua's guardian?
The first thing I thought of was her mental health.

Fujii Itsuki couldn't help but frown and look at the poster.

Jiuhua in the poster plays the eldest prince.

She looks different in the stills.

In the poster, Jiu Huayue is wearing ancient men's clothing, looking sternly at the camera. She is holding the heroine of the show, the so-called "Purple Flower", in her arms.

Jiu Huayue in the poster has the domineering nature of a man like the eldest prince. Just from the eldest prince's temperament and unique purple eyes, Fujii Shu can vaguely feel that the eldest prince is a scheming and ruthless person, and he can't let go of beautiful women.

This is so strange.

Why would Jiu Huayue, who is only sixteen years old, play a character that is completely different from her gender?

When Fujii Itsuki saw the eldest prince in the poster, he would subconsciously think that he was an evil and handsome man, and would not think that it was Jiuhua at all.

If Fujii Shu hadn't carefully looked at Jiuhuayue's eyebrows
I really can't recognize her at first glance from this makeup.

Is this the male actor from Takarazuka?

Before handing in the ticket and entering the venue, Fujii Itsuki observed the audience watching the show.

My goodness, they are either rich ladies or "masters" of various noble statuses who accompany rich ladies out.

Fujii Itsuki saw the luxury cars outside driving into the basement one by one.

Some people met in the corridor and greeted each other in a familiar manner, chatting with smiles.

Fujii Itsuki felt that he had no way of communicating with them.

These are obviously upper class people.

Of course, there are also some young girls like him who belong to ordinary people.

Some couples also came to take a look.

The vast majority are women.

It makes sense. Although the members of the Takarazuka Revue are all women, the audience is also women. In Japan, many women regard the actors of the opera as idols.

Fujii Itsuki didn't know much about Takarazuka, but she knew that for some Japanese women, Takarazuka was a reflection of independence, ability, and status, which was why some people admired it so much.

Fujii Itsuki entered the theater and suddenly met a familiar person in the corridor - Mrs. Jiuhua.

She was wearing silver earrings today, and her speech and behavior were quite like that of a noble lady.

She was chatting with other wealthy ladies at the time and accidentally discovered Fujii Itsuki. After finishing the conversation with the wealthy ladies, she walked over here.

"Mr. Fujii."

"Hello."

Compared to Kuka Ryuichi, Fujii Itsuki had a better impression of Mrs. Kuka. Now that it was a formal occasion, they spoke very politely and the two of them bowed one after another.

"Mr. Fujii's temperament is not inferior to those of the young masters from big families." Mrs. Jiuhua said with a smile.

"No, I'm just an orphan from an orphanage."

"Mr. Fujii, are you here this time specifically to see Xiaoyue?"

"Yes."

Mrs. Jiuhua kept smiling. "Although Xiaoyue hasn't said anything this month, I can see that she really wants to go back to Otaru to find you. During practice, her teacher said that she has become less talkative and only focuses on practice."

"Are you and Jiuhua Longyi satisfied with her like this?"

"Of course." Mrs. Jiuhua smiled flawlessly.

"Have you ever considered what she wants?"

"Xiao Yue is still young and doesn't understand the principles of this world. How can you get whatever you want in this world? Before you get the rights you deserve, you are nothing more than a tool for others and your life and potential are exploited."

Mrs. Jiuhua is right.

Fujii Itsuki had thought so before.

People have to stand in a high position and have a certain amount of wealth and power to live comfortably.

But in fact, people think differently.

People also have different definitions of happiness.

Perhaps for Jiuhua, the life of ordinary people - the small happiness of cooking a delicious meal after coming home from work - is the happiness she likes.

As for the so-called exploitation, it depends on the working environment.

At least Fujii Itsuki thinks that Tachibana Kita is pretty good now.

"Mr. Fujii, please go first. Xiaoyue's performance will start in half an hour. I think Xiaoyue invited you this time because she wanted you to see her outstanding performance."

"Maybe." Fujii Itsuki responded casually.

After entering the auditorium and finding his seat, Fujii Itsuki discovered that the person sitting next to him was Mrs. Jiuhua.

"this?"

"Tickets for Takarazuka's shows are hard to come by. Xiaoyue gave you family tickets issued by the theater. The seats are connected. Mr. Fujii, you don't have to think too much."

This explanation makes sense.

Fujii Itsuki then waited quietly for the theater to open.

He took out his cell phone and took the time to reply to Qiansui.

The girl was asking herself why she hadn't shown up all day today.

Fujii Itsuki answered truthfully that he came to Tokyo to watch Kuka's performance.

The girl just replied with an "Oh".

I don't know if she was jealous or not.

Putting away the phone, Fujii Itsuki still feels that he doesn't have that much affection for Chitose that a lover would have.

I don't know when I will be able to truly fall in love with her.

"Mr. Fujii, how do you think it will feel to be on this stage?"

Mrs. Kuka stared at the tightly closed curtain of the Takarazuka Theater.

Fujii Itsuki followed her gaze. The lights in the theater were dim, but he could still see that the seats in the front were full of people.

"With so many people watching, it must be a great sense of accomplishment. After all, it's a big stage."

"Yeah. It's a great sense of accomplishment."

Mrs. Jiuhua couldn't help but sigh.

"There are more than 100 regular actors currently serving in Takarazuka, most of whom can only play supporting roles and run errands in the troupe. These people are all children who have been nurtured and selected by the Takarazuka Conservatory of Music since childhood.

“Every year they have to go through countless tests, trials and selections.

"I wonder if Mr. Fujii is aware that the roles in Takarazuka are divided into female roles and male roles, and male roles have a higher status. Among the more than 100 regular actors in Takarazuka, only Satsuki, who is only sixteen years old, has become the male role leader of the Tsukishikawa group. Everyone praises her talent."

Fujii Itsuki didn't say anything, just listened quietly to what Mrs. Jiuhua wanted to say.

"Mr. Fujii, I know you find it hard to understand why I insist that Xiaoyue come back. Maybe you think that Longyi and I have the same idea. But that's not the case."

"Ma'am, do you have any other ideas?"

Mrs. Jiuhua looked at the stage confidently. She seemed proud of her daughter. She said happily:

"I think Xiaoyue is born for this stage."

After waiting for about ten minutes, the theater "The Sunset Reflects the Purple Flowers" officially opened.

The curtain opened and the scene came into view.

Rain curtain.

There was a loud thunder in the theater, and in the midst of a strange storm, the protagonist of the play, the eldest prince of the current emperor, was born.

The eldest prince's cry was accompanied by a thunder that shook the earth.

The person in charge of the delivery discovered that the eldest prince's eyes were an unusual purple color, and was shocked. So she took the child to the empress, Empress Kōgyoku, for examination. Empress Kōgyoku was also very pleased and gave him the name Kazama.

As time went by, the prince grew from a baby to a teenager, and then from a teenager to a gentleman with elegant manners. His words and deeds were elegant and refined, which made everyone praise him. Everyone praised the talent and wisdom of this son of an extraordinary appearance. Then the eldest prince's younger brother was born. Compared with the eldest prince, he was very mediocre, but he and the eldest prince were like brothers and had a good relationship since childhood.

It was also at this time that Fujii Itsuki officially saw Jiuhuayue make his official appearance as the young eldest prince.

Jiuhuayue's appearance was also planned very carefully.

The story is told from the perspective of a palace maid.

The maid accidentally knocked over the meal for Emperor Kōgyoku and was caught by the eldest prince.

Instead of blaming her, the eldest prince took the initiative to take the responsibility on himself, thus freeing the maid from punishment.

When the maid saw the prince behaving like this, she burst into tears.

but.

This seemingly portrayal of a prince who is kind to the people was reversed the next second.

At night, the eldest prince called the maid to sneak into his room.

The reason, of course, was to have the maid serve him in bed.

How could the maid not fall for the prince, as she received such favor and was coaxed by his sweet words and attracted by his handsome purple eyes?

When Fujii Itsuki saw this, he realized that this plot was intended to portray the eldest prince's love for beautiful women.

At this time, the real reason why the eldest prince saved the maid was also revealed.

Saving her is nothing more than seeing her beauty.

Soon, the eldest prince, fearing that the maid would be exposed, decided to send people to kill and bury her.

The script is quite interesting.

That's it.
"How was Xiaoyue's performance?" Mrs. Jiuhua asked with a smile.

Fujii Itsuki sighed, "That's great."

"If it's 'good', why is Mr. Fujii sighing?"

Of course, we sigh because it is good.

The young prince played by Jiu Huayue was very natural in his manners, speech, expressions and movements, as well as the lines he said when he comforted the maids and coaxed the maids into sleeping with him at night.

Especially the look in the maid's eyes.

Fujii Itsuki could really feel that this "eldest prince" particularly liked beautiful women.

From an actor's perspective, it's impeccable.

But the problem is that Jiuhuayue is performed by a male!

It would be fine if she played a woman who liked men, because she is a girl herself, but... this was a perfect interpretation of the preferences of the opposite sex.

Anyway, Fujii Itsuki didn't understand why Jiuhuayue could perform so well.

"Doesn't this just show Xiaoyue's talent?" Mrs. Jiuhua was genuinely happy.

"we'll see"

Fujii Itsuki sighed and continued reading.

The following plot is probably based on the background of the Asuka period and borrows the example of the Taika Reform.

Basically, the eldest prince's mother, Empress Kōgyoku, abdicated the throne to Emperor Kōtoku, who then issued the "Reform Edict".

The "Edict of Reform" aimed to completely abolish the system in which the great nobles monopolized political power, learn from the political and economic system of the Tang Dynasty in China, and establish an ancient centralized state.

Once the reform decree was issued, it was bound to affect the interests of some groups, and naturally there were two factions: the reformists and the conservatives.

The eldest prince is a conservative, while his younger brother is a reformist.

The two factions were constantly arguing, during which time the eldest prince's daughter, the heroine of this work, "Purple Flower" - Feng Jianyue, was born.

The eldest prince's daughter inherited her father's purple eyes and was born cute and well-behaved.

Unfortunately, he was born in an era of factional fighting, and there were constant fights within the royal family.

Because her mother had no official status, the eldest prince announced to the public that Feng Jianyue was a baby girl he picked up in a bamboo forest when he was away from home, and because she had the same eyes as himself, he adopted her as his goddaughter.

Feng Jianyue believed since she was a child that she had no blood relationship with the eldest prince, and that her father took her in only because he took pity on her.

"I remember you, Madam Jiuhua, mentioned the name 'Purple Flower', right? Why did you say Jiuhua? Didn't she play the eldest prince?"

Madam Jiuhua smiled faintly, "This is the compliment everyone gives to Xiaoyue. In the past, Xiaoyue played the role of 'Purple Flower'. Everyone said that her beauty is the real 'Purple Flower'. It's just that she is playing the role of a prince this time."

"The Purple Flower once played the role of Falling? I see."

The plot continues.

Fujii Itsuki felt like he was somewhat immersed in this performance.

As time went on, the dispute between the two factions became more and more intense.

In order to maintain stability and consolidate the power of the reformists, the eldest prince deliberately married his daughter, Zi Zhihua, to his younger brother when she was young.

Thus the father and daughter were separated.

This younger brother is also quite weird. He says that he and the eldest prince are brothers in law, but when it comes to marrying Zi Zhihua, he did not hesitate at all.

The reason is explained in the script.

Because Zi Zhihua had spent some time alone with the Second Prince in the past, during which time the Second Prince fell in love with her cleverness and intelligence.

Many years passed, and the factional struggle had reached a white-hot stage.

There is no reconciliation at all.

During a negotiation, the eldest prince went to the palace where his younger brother was and met a girl by chance.

The eldest prince was immediately struck by the beauty of the girl.

How can there be such a beautiful woman in the world?

The eldest prince immediately had evil thoughts.

Even after he noticed a moment later that the other person had the same purple eyes as him, and now that she was his brother's wife, his mind did not waver at all.

Anyway, the conflict between him and his brother cannot be reconciled.

Why don't you take back everything that belongs to you?

Fujii Itsuki watched the entire plot with a frown on his brow.

Power struggles, brothers fighting, family ethics, emotions and memories.
Especially the relationship between the eldest prince and Purple Flower.

Zi Zhihua's feelings for the eldest prince are understandable.

This can completely bring in Qiansui's emotions.

But the eldest prince treated her——

Hallelujah!

This is outrageous!
Anyway, from a normal person's perspective, Fujii Itsuki felt very awkward.

But in fact, the ancient Japanese royal family was really that chaotic.

Even if Fujii Itsuki wanted to complain, he couldn't say that the script was too weird or something like that.

And what's even more awkward?

Jiu Huayue portrayed the image of the eldest prince to perfection, his methods, his eyes, and his heartbeat when he met Purple Flower again.

Fujii Itsuki could really feel it.

With the help of music and other actors, he could even understand a little bit why the eldest prince fell in love with the purple flower.

Not only her beauty, but also her intelligence and elegance.

This was something the eldest prince had not been able to possess in the past.

The eldest prince saw himself in her and wanted to make her his own. He couldn't keep his younger brother who wanted to reform and whose interests were completely in conflict with his own.

There are the eldest prince, the second prince, and the purple flower, and there is a very beautiful daily plot in between.

This made the already emotionally twisted plot, coupled with such an excellent performance by the male character, even more uncomfortable for Fujii Itsuki.

The eldest prince does have his charm.

He is handsome and steady, ruthless, yet very open-minded, and he has indeed made some contributions to the lives of common people.

This led to the audience's perception of him being both scary and evil.

But is this really something that Xiao Jiuhua can perform?
The two-hour-plus script is over.

The script ends when the second prince breaks into the eldest prince's room with a knife and discovers that the eldest prince has robbed Zi Zhihua. Zi Zhihua, who is lying in the eldest prince's arms, confirms her previous guess through some details about the second prince. She probably guessed the true relationship between herself and the eldest prince.

It can be said to have come to an abrupt end.

Fujii Itsuki didn't know how the other viewers felt.

He was relieved anyway.
After the show, dozens of actors stood in front of the stage to say goodbye to the audience.

Fujii Itsuki noticed that the "eldest prince" standing in the first row was looking at him specifically.

At this moment, there was no longer a trace of tyranny and iron fist in the purple eyes of the "Eldest Prince", only the girl's expectation when Jiuhuayue left Otaru City.

She was thanking herself for coming and being able to watch her perform this play.

Seeing the look in the eyes of the "Crown Prince", Fujii Itsuki was reminded of the look on Jiuhua's face during her official performance, and kept wondering about the purpose of Jiuhua inviting him to watch this performance.

What was her purpose in inviting herself to this show?
"how?"

While Fujii Itsuki was lost in thought, Mrs. Jiuhua smiled and asked the same question.

Fujii Itsuki closed his eyes. He didn't want to make any comments on the plot of the play. He only knew that Jiuhuayue's performance was very successful, but he was also very tired.

Combined with the contrast between Jiuhuayue’s eyes during the performance and after the performance.

Fujii Itsuki seemed to understand something.

"Can I go talk to Jiuhua now?"

Mrs. Jiuhua didn't expect Fujii Itsuki to ask for this, but she didn't ask further questions and agreed:
"Sure, she should be backstage getting ready to remove her makeup. I can take you to meet her."

"grateful."

Fujii Itsuki looked at the "Crown Prince" who was enveloped in lights on the stage.

Jiu Huayue wore gorgeous men's clothing and received countless compliments from the audience.

But in Fujii Itsuki's heart, he just wanted to sigh for Xiao Jiuhua for some unknown reason.

This child has suffered so much.

(End of this chapter)