Lee Seung-hyun and Shi Xiaoqun are filming. Click to view more high-definition pictures>> >> & nbsp; You Xiaogang attends interviews with the actors. Click to view more high-definition pictures>> >> NetEase Entertainment December 7th report (Text by Zhi Rang, Photo and Video by Huang Shengchun) On December 6th, the first part of Director You Xiaogang's "Sui-Tang Secret History Series," The Secret History of Concubine Yang, officially wrapped up. NetEase Entertainment visited the film base located in the outskirts of Beijing, watched dozens of minutes of clips edited by the director, and interviewed Director You Xiaogang. In the drama, Xie Amian speaks in a martial arts tone within the palace, the emperor forces Li Bai to flatter him, Emperor Li Longji and Consort Yang have deep and sincere dialogues... Regarding these elements, You Xiaogang stated that The Secret History of Concubine Yang is a tragicomedy without the "Ching-yao style" dialogues.
On December 6th, the first part of Director You Xiaogang's "Sui-Tang Secret History Series," The Secret History of Concubine Yang, officially wrapped up. NetEase Entertainment visited the film base located in the outskirts of Beijing. First, we watched dozens of minutes of clips edited by the director. In the clips, Emperor Tang Minghuang often uses phrases like "nonsense" and "farting" in his dialogues; while the love dialogues between Concubine Yang and Emperor Li Longji are deeply affectionate and straightforward; Xie Amian's dialogues are filled with martial arts jargon. Regarding this issue, You Xiaogang provided an explanation on-site, stating that the dialogues in The Secret History of Concubine Yang do not have the "Ching-yao flavor." They are solemn in formal occasions and plain and domestic in daily life. As for Emperor Tang Minghuang frequently saying "nonsense" and "farting," he suggested people look at Yongzheng's imperial comments, which contain a large amount of phrases like "this is utter nonsense," "this is sheer nonsense," and "you damn fool," indicating: "There is no comedy in the feudal dynasty's palace, it's all tragedy, so this time we attempted to add comedic elements. The Secret History of Concubine Yang is a tragicomedy."
Observation One: Does Emperor Tang Minghuang have vulgar dialogues?
In the played clips, Emperor Li Longji occasionally uses words like "nonsense" and "farting" when extremely angry.
You Xiaogang's response: These terms are quite normal.
Regarding such seemingly crude dialogues, You Xiaogang suggests people look at Yongzheng's imperial comments, which contain a large amount of simple, street-level language like "this is utter nonsense," "this is sheer nonsense," and "you damn fool." He believes that emperors aren't always high and mighty or completely proper; their language can be very refined in certain situations but also very down-to-earth sometimes, which is quite normal.
Revealing: Reflecting the Culture of the Prosperous Tang Dynasty, Preparing to Make Documentaries
You Xiaogang mentioned in the interview that this TV series follows the style of "major history remains true, minor details may vary," showcasing many cultural aspects of the Tang Dynasty while focusing on love as the main storyline. It reflects a series of historical events during the Kaiyuan and Tianbao periods of the Tang Dynasty. For aspects not mentioned in historical records, there will be some fictional and expanded content. Director You specifically pointed out that regarding Yang Yuhuan becoming the wife of Prince Shou, there is only an 18-character record in the Records of the Grand Historian, leaving much room for creation. During the interview, Director You also revealed a piece of news: after the completion of this TV series, the crew will produce a documentary specifically reflecting Tang Dynasty culture, and he read out some titles of the documentary on-site, such as "Things Are Changing" and "The Life of a Beautiful Woman," giving a strong sense of "Stories of the Ming Dynasty."
Observation Two: Do Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan's Dialogues Have a "Ching-yao Style?"
In the played clips, Yang Yuhuan finds out in Huaqing Pool that one of her Pear Garden masters is actually Emperor Li Longji. Their dialogue about the difficulty of choosing love is quite sentimental, reminiscent of Ching-yao's style.
You Xiaogang's response: The dialogues in The Secret History of Concubine Yang do not have a "Ching-yao flavor."
In You Xiaogang's view, so-called "Ching-yao style" dialogues are overly sweet and sentimental. However, in The Secret History of Concubine Yang, the love dialogues between Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan are relatively straightforward, while their official conversations are very dignified. He expressed that if there is any style in the dialogues of The Secret History of Concubine Yang, it would be the "Zhang Jianwei style," showing his satisfaction and confidence in the script.
Revealing: Yang Yuhuan Only Learns Li Longji's True Identity in Huaqing Pool
The clips viewed were edited by Director You Xiaogang according to the needs of the television station, mainly following the love story of Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan. From the clips, it can be seen that Yang Yuhuan and Emperor Tang Minghuang had already met before entering the palace. To get closer to Yang Yuhuan, Li Longji concealed his identity, pretending to be a master of the Pear Garden to interact with her. When his identity might have been exposed, he used various means to cover it up. It was only when she was bathing in Huaqing Pool that Yang Yuhuan learned that Master Li Sanlang of the Pear Garden was actually Li Longji. The "incestuous relationship" between Yang Yuhuan and Li Longji has been reasonably portrayed, appearing both reasonable and emotionally coherent.
Observation Three: Humorous, Modern Dialogues
In the played clips, there are segments previously seen by the media, such as "famous people flattering, one flattery equals ten thousand," "flattery without effect is like not flattering," etc., where Li Longji and Li Bai debate "flattery." Xie Amian's martial arts-style dialogues are also frequently seen.
You Xiaogang: This is a Tragicomedy
You Xiaogang stated that there was no comedy in the palaces of feudal dynasties, only tragedies. Therefore, this time The Secret History of Concubine Yang attempts to incorporate comedic elements, making it a tragicomedy. You Xiaogang expressed his appreciation for the writer's style, finding it interesting and refreshing. Historical records only document events in front of the court, but there are few records about the harem. Since it's a secret history, the writers naturally need to play a role.
Revealing: Xie Amian from the Martial Arts World - Her Boldness in Love Rivals That of Post-90s
In The Secret History of Concubine Yang, Shi Xiaoqun plays Xie Amian, who is straightforward and acts as Yang Yuhuan's "guardian deity." You Xiaogang mentioned in the interview that Xie Amian comes from the martial arts world, with a cheerful personality. She is the only person in the entire court who can speak to Emperor Li Longji in such a manner. He also said, "Xie Amian's boldness in love is no less than that of post-90s."
In this drama, Shi Xiaoqun plays the role of "the first dancer of the Tang Dynasty" Xie Amian, while Gao Xianzhi is played by South Korean star Lee Seung-hyun. Japanese media once referred to Gao Xianzhi and Xie Amian as "celebrity couples" and "golden boys and jade girls." In response to this, Lee Seung-hyun's comment "we've kissed" made the reporters present gasp in surprise. Shi Xiaoqun beside him also showed a surprised expression. After the joke, Lee Seung-hyun quickly waved his hands, "That was just in the drama. We cooperated very well in the drama. Sometimes, a single glance could make us understand each other. When we weren't filming, she took good care of me."
Observation Four: Complete and Splendid Dance Segments - Every Costume and Prop is Exquisitely Detailed
In the clips viewed, the drama gathers numerous big-name actors such as Yin Tao, Anthony Wong, Ekin Cheng, and Lee Seung-hyun, creating a grand and splendid scene. Director You Xiaogang had mentioned at the start of filming that The Secret History of Concubine Yang would extensively showcase the culture of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, including poetry, prose, music, and dance. In the played clips, the costumes and props are meticulously detailed and splendid. Dance segments such as the Feathered Garment and Cloud-Riding Robe Dance, Ripple Dance, and Clown Dance are all complete.
You Xiaogang's Response: Fully Presenting the Culture of the Prosperous Tang Dynasty - The "Feathered Garment and Cloud-Riding Robe Dance" Can Compare to "Oriental Red"
You Xiaogang mentioned that The Secret History of Concubine Yang is actually the hardest to shoot. Other secret history dramas mainly involve war and hatred, which seem difficult but are actually easy to shoot. However, The Secret History of Concubine Yang needs to display many cultural aspects of the Tang Dynasty, so many dances are arranged in the TV series. You Xiaogang gave an example: "The Feathered Garment and Cloud-Riding Robe Dance" was a major event nationwide at the time, comparable to today's "Oriental Red" and "Revival Road."
Revealing: Emperor Li Longji Performs the "Clown Dance" to Apologize to Yang Yuhuan
In the played clips, Emperor Li Longji wants to bring Yang Yuhuan back to the palace. To give her an explanation, he specially choreographed a "Clown Dance" to please Yang Yuhuan and personally performed it. Eventually, Yang Yuhuan found Li Longji by the heaviness of his breathing. You Xiaogang explained that in the Pear Garden, the clown character is placed at the forefront because its ancestor is "Li Longji," all of which are historically recorded. The TV series will also popularize these cultural knowledge of the prosperous Tang Dynasty through many clips and narrations.
It is reported that after the official wrap-up, the drama will soon enter the final production stage and is expected to be broadcast on major satellite channels early next year.