Chapter 00129: Li Hanxiang
# Li Hanxiang
Chapter 129
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 129: Li Hanxiang
"Can we do it like this?"
"Not the full scene, just focus on Yang Yuqian's hand movements. After a flurry of action, the camera shifts, and Feng Hualian is already tied up."
In the editing room, Chen Qi was having his usual friendly chat with the old master.
After spending days on the project, the old master had gained a good understanding of Tai Chi and indeed felt that this "fast and sharp" style was more appealing.
The old master, surnamed Fu, had been reported by his colleagues for taking on private jobs outside the factory, which prevented him from joining the Party.
Without Party membership, certain titles and benefits were out of reach, and the old man harbored resentment, finding fault with everyone around him.
But since he had accepted favors from Chen Qi, he got along with him fairly well.
Occasionally, they even chatted, and over time, he began to feel a sense of camaraderie with Chen Qi, as both had been reported by petty people.
"We can edit it like that, but your binding technique is quite unique. Where did you learn it?"
The old master watched the footage.
Feng Hualian, a ninja skilled in using flying claws and ropes, fought with Yang Yuqian and was eventually tied up using a technique called "rope art," then hung from a beam.
This was naturally Chen Qi's idea.
In his past life, he had... well, seen others do it.
"Director Li Wenhua came up with it. I don’t know the details, so let’s just edit it like this."
As usual, Chen Qi shifted the blame.
While the two were discussing, someone came in from outside and said, "Xiao Chen, the factory director wants to see you."
"Alright!"
Chen Qi stood up, left the editing room, and headed straight for the main building.
At the entrance, he noticed a small car parked outside and wondered, Who’s here?
...
In the factory director’s office, Wang Yang was entertaining a guest.
The guest had thick eyebrows, small eyes, and wore black-framed glasses.
His skin was dark, his mouth large, and he was dressed in a neat suit with a tie, his hair meticulously combed.
He exuded an air of both refinement and cunning.
His name was Li Hanxiang, and he was 54 years old.
Born in Liaoning and raised in Beijing, Li Hanxiang had studied painting before moving to Hong Kong in 1947 to break into the film industry.
He was a trailblazer, one of Hong Kong’s top directors.
His notable works included The Kingdom and the Beauty, The Love Eterne, A Chinese Ghost Story, The Warlord, Fengyue Fantasies, and The Golden Lotus.
Jackie Chan even had a minor role in The Golden Lotus, playing a fruit seller in the story of Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian.
The film faithfully recreated the infamous scene of "Pan Jinlian hanging upside down on a grapevine": Pan Jinlian, with her legs spread, was tied to a grapevine while Ximen Qing sat opposite her, aiming and tossing grapes into her... well, you get the idea.
Li Hanxiang’s brilliance needs no further elaboration.
Suffice it to say, he had a deep appreciation for classical art and a strong desire to make historical films.
However, in Hong Kong, it was difficult to produce truly authentic historical films.
Moreover, he was tied to Shaw Brothers, a studio that prioritized profit above all else.
Li Hanxiang had two passions: classical art and romantic tales.
To cater to the market, he combined the two, creating a unique genre: classical romantic films.
Hong Kong didn’t introduce a film rating system until the late 1980s.
Before that, such films were simply called romantic films.
So, in essence, classical romantic films were period dramas with adult themes.
Li Hanxiang had been making these films for years until 1978, when he secretly traveled north to visit relatives and friends.
During that trip, he visited the Beijing Film Studio and met Wang Yang.
His mainland colleagues strongly urged him to return and make films here.
Li Hanxiang, too, wanted to create genuine classical films and readily agreed.
Initially, he considered adapting Lao She’s Teahouse in collaboration with the Beijing Film Studio.
However, after much deliberation, he feared he might not do it justice.
Then he turned his attention to Puyi’s From Emperor to Citizen, but the authorities advised against it, as some individuals mentioned in the book were still alive and their stories not yet finalized.
After much deliberation, Li Hanxiang decided to focus on the history of Empress Dowager Cixi, which later became The Burning of the Imperial Palace and Reign Behind a Curtain.
The project had been finalized last year, with a contract signed with the Changchun Film Studio.
However, the studio ran into financial difficulties and couldn’t provide the necessary funds.
Progress stalled, and Shaw Brothers began pressuring Li Hanxiang to renew his contract.
Needing to make a living, Li Hanxiang had no choice but to return to Hong Kong and continue making films for Shaw Brothers.
"Old Director, it’s been a while! You’re still as robust as ever!"
He spoke fluent Beijing dialect and was quite the conversationalist.
"This time, I was invited to the 30th anniversary celebration of Rongbaozhai (a renowned shop selling traditional stationery). Over 200 distinguished guests gathered, and I was fortunate to be among them. That’s why I’ve come north again and decided to visit you."
"You’re quite knowledgeable about antiques. You should definitely go. I, on the other hand, know nothing about such things and would be out of place."
Wang Yang wasn’t smoking his usual cigarettes but instead tried the foreign ones Li Hanxiang had brought, finding them milder.
"How’s your film coming along?"
"Not much progress. The mainland side hasn’t provided a concrete plan, so I can’t start filming. I’ve written several drafts of the script. Tomorrow, I’ll visit the screenwriter, and the day after, I’ll head back... sigh!"
Li Hanxiang sounded a bit despondent.
"I’ve signed another ten-film contract with Shaw Brothers. Back to working for them."
"Still making your romantic films?"
"What else? Romantic films sell, and Run Run Shaw never loses money. By the way, I heard your studio is making Teahouse?"
"Yes, directed by Xie Tian, with the original cast from the People’s Art Theatre: Yu Shizhi, Zheng Rong, Lan Tianye, Ying Ruocheng, and Huang Zongluo."
"Stop, you’re making me jealous!"
Li Hanxiang chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"When you become famous, you start to worry about your reputation. I was afraid I wouldn’t do Teahouse justice and ruin my name. Hearing you talk about it makes me regret not insisting on making it back then."
Knock knock knock!
"Come in!"
At that moment, Chen Qi knocked and entered.
Seeing the man on the sofa, he was pleasantly surprised.
Oh, it’s Li Hanxiang, the dark-skinned one!
But he had to pretend not to recognize him.
"Director, you wanted to see me?"
"Xiao Chen, come here! Let me introduce you to a great director from Hong Kong!"
Wang Yang stood up with a smile and personally made the introduction.
"This is a young screenwriter from our studio. He’s already written three scripts for Great Wall."
Li Hanxiang, being a proud intellectual, would have dismissed Chen Qi if Wang Yang had mentioned Romance on Lushan Mountain.
But hearing that Chen Qi had written three scripts for Great Wall, he couldn’t help but take a closer look, feeling somewhat impressed.
"How old are you?"
"Twenty!"
Twenty years old!
Li Hanxiang raised an eyebrow, acknowledging that Chen Qi had earned his place here.
At twenty, he himself hadn’t been nearly as accomplished.
Chen Qi secretly rolled his eyes.
Hmph! You look down on me, but I look down on you too.
You’ve done plenty of shady things.
But he didn’t dwell on it.
Li Hanxiang’s misdeeds were, at most, lapses in a scholar’s personal ethics.
Hadn’t he signed a ten-film contract with Shaw Brothers?
Before completing it, he came north to make The Burning of the Imperial Palace and Reign Behind a Curtain.
Shaw Brothers reported him, and Li Hanxiang was blacklisted in Hong Kong and Taiwan, forcing him to work in mainland China—bringing along Tony Leung Ka-fai as a bonus.
Thus, he was also a target for united front efforts.
At that moment, Li Hanxiang was sizing up the young man.
Little did he know, the young man was thinking about how to recruit him.
Wang Yang wanted Chen Qi to make a good impression on the great director and said with a smile, "Don’t let his age fool you. He’s also into collecting antiques. He has two chairs in his room, from the Qing or Ming dynasty, I think?"
"Two chairs from the Ming dynasty."
"Right, right. And old books, piled all over the place."
"Oh? You’re into that too?"
Li Hanxiang’s eyes lit up.
"I know a little. I like to browse around in my free time. Nowadays, many treasures are scattered among the people. Some even use Qianlong-era porcelain to pickle vegetables. It’s heartbreaking to see."
"Exactly! It’s our duty to collect and preserve these treasures, so they don’t fall into obscurity!"
Li Hanxiang had spent his life collecting antiques and, before his death, entrusted them all to Ma Weidu—or so Ma Weidu claimed.
Now, he couldn’t sit still.
"This is a rare opportunity. Can I go take a look at those chairs?"
(End of Chapter)