Chapter 00267: The Hit Drama
# The Hit Drama
Chapter 267
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 267: The Hit Drama
"Chen Shimei!"
"These are the ancestral tablets of your parents! How dare you deny your own flesh and blood?!"
"You madwoman! How dare you repeatedly force me to acknowledge some baseless kinship? Utter nonsense! Get her out of here at once!"
"Lord Bao! This humble woman accuses him of five grave crimes—deceiving the emperor, forsaking filial piety, abandoning his wife to remarry, disowning his humble origins, and severing ties with his family!"
The first episode of *Judge Bao* told the story of Qin Xianglian, whose hometown was struck by disaster, leaving her parents-in-law dead.
She took her children to the capital to find her husband, only to discover that Chen Shimei had become the top scholar in the imperial examinations and married a princess—though this part was rather far-fetched, as top scholars rarely became imperial sons-in-law.
Chen Shimei not only refused to acknowledge his humble wife but also disowned his children and even knocked over his parents' ancestral tablets.
Stranded in an unfamiliar place, Qin Xianglian happened to stop Prime Minister Wang's sedan chair to plead her case.
Prime Minister Wang helped her confront Chen Shimei, but he still refused to acknowledge her.
So, the prime minister advised her to take her case to the Kaifeng Prefecture.
Thus, she beat the drum to demand justice, and Judge Bao ascended the tribunal, listing Chen Shimei's five grave crimes!
And then—it ended!
Nowadays, provinces across the country were developing their television industries, but local audiences usually only had access to two channels—their provincial station and CCTV.
As the national authority, CCTV was the first to expand its coverage.
Almost every household that could afford a television could receive CCTV, and at the very least, they could watch CCTV programs relayed by local stations.
The abrupt ending of *Judge Bao*'s first episode caused an uproar, especially in the capital.
It was the New Year, and even the officials were on break—who wouldn’t glance at the TV during the holidays?
While Chen Qi and Yang Jie were peacefully celebrating the New Year at home, others were suffering.
"Ding-a-ling!"
"Ding-a-ling!"
"Good heavens!"
On the morning of New Year's Day, the phone at home rang for what felt like the hundredth time.
Ruan Ruolin clutched her chest, feeling like she might have a heart attack.
As the deputy director of CCTV and head of the TV drama department, she had a telephone at home—a symbol of status.
But the same meant that those who could call her were even more influential.
"Hello?"
She answered with a grimace, and sure enough, the voice on the other end said, "Xiao Ruan, your *Judge Bao* is excellent! The actor playing Bao Zheng is perfect—broad-faced and big-eared, full of authority. Gongsun Ce is lean and scholarly, Chen Shimei is dashingly handsome, and Qin Xianglian is especially well-cast... I was wondering, will it continue airing today?"
"Yes!"
"How many episodes?"
"One episode per day, six in total!"
"I’m not interfering with your work, just offering a small suggestion as a viewer. One episode is too little. During the New Year, shouldn’t the people be happy? Why not let them watch it all at once?"
"Uh, we’ll seriously consider your suggestion!"
"Good. Happy New Year to you! I won’t disturb you further!"
*Click!* The other end hung up.
Thankfully, Ruan Ruolin was older and didn’t have to go out for New Year visits—she could wait for relatives to come to her.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared to leave.
A short while later, the phone rang again.
She picked it up:
"Hello, Xiao Ruan!"
After several such calls, Ruan Ruolin couldn’t take it anymore.
She called the director of CCTV directly: "The response from leadership is overwhelmingly positive, but they all feel it’s not enough. Let’s air two episodes a day—unless you want to explain it to them!"
"But then it’ll finish by the third day of the New Year. What do we air after that?"
"Reruns!"
"..."
The other end sighed helplessly.
"Fine, two episodes a day starting today. By the way, since the response is so good, why not film a few more episodes? Have Judge Bao try a few more cases. Can you organize that?"
"It’s difficult. Yang Jie has already taken on *Journey to the West*, and the screenwriter Chen Qi isn’t part of the TV system."
"Try to work it out first. We’ll talk later."
Ruan Ruolin hung up and sighed. *Why did I have to schedule this during the New Year? Where am I supposed to find people now? Who visits someone’s home to discuss work during the holidays?*
......
While she fretted, the audience rejoiced.
Starting from New Year’s Day, *Judge Bao* aired two episodes back-to-back.
Qin Xianglian accused Chen Shimei, only wanting her husband back.
But when Judge Bao told her that if convicted, Chen Shimei would be executed by law, she hesitated.
She withdrew her accusation, refused Bao’s offer of silver, and settled in a town near Kaifeng.
But hardships followed.
First, she was nearly assaulted by a rogue innkeeper—played by Zhang Tielin.
Luckily, she was rescued by Zhan Zhao, who was investigating another case in the area.
Wang Qun, who played Zhan Zhao, wasn’t as dashing as the original actor, but he was competent and had good martial arts skills.
After saving her, Zhan Zhao returned to Kaifeng to report—his investigation involved another case: six corpses piecing together a seventh!
This plotline mainly showcased Bao Zheng’s extraordinary wisdom and investigative prowess.
Frankly, the original *Judge Bao* emphasized his integrity more than his deductive skills.
The original ran over 200 episodes, eventually devolving into absurdity—even ghosts and monsters appeared, turning it into fantasy.
Meanwhile, Qin Xianglian was hunted by assassins sent by Chen Shimei and wrongfully accused by the local magistrate.
Zhan Zhao rescued her again.
This time, she resolved to press her case.
"Princess, I’ve already yielded my husband to you. What more do you want?"
"Silence!"
In the tribunal, the princess, played by Zhou Jie, was radiant and imperious, glaring at Qin Xianglian.
"The imperial son-in-law was always mine. How laughable to say you ‘yielded’ him! But this isn’t over. Today, we settle this once and for all!"
"From now on, you are no longer Chen’s wife, and these children shall not bear the Chen name! Only my children with the imperial son-in-law may carry the Chen surname!"
The princess summoned the empress dowager.
Judge Bao had been ready to compromise, but the princess pushed too far.
Enraged, he resolved to execute Chen Shimei.
The empress dowager intervened: "Bao Zheng! If you dare execute the imperial son-in-law, I will strip you of your rank!"
"This is too much!!!"
"This princess is despicable! I wish she’d die!"
"Judge Bao already backed down, and Qin Xianglian gave up her husband. How can she still bully them like this, denying the children their family name?"
At that moment, across the nation, the ten million households with televisions erupted in curses, their indignation boiling over.
Then, with bated breath, they all stared at the screen, fixated on the dark-faced Judge Bao.
The tribunal seemed frozen, the only movement the escalating drumbeat of the soundtrack, heightening the tension.
Judge Bao raised his hands and removed his official hat, staring fearlessly at the empress dowager.
Wang Chao, Ma Han, Zhang Long, and Zhao Hu stood in a row, all removing their hats in unison.
"Bao Zheng would rather lose his rank than let the imperial son-in-law go unpunished!"
"Bring forth the Imperial Sword!"
The empress dowager tried one last stand: "The Imperial Sword was bestowed by the royal family, and the royal family can take it back!"
"Empress Dowager, do you not know that the emperor’s word is law?"
At these words, the empress dowager faltered, stepping back, her authority crumbling.
She slumped into her seat, leaving only the princess’s wails.
"Ah! This scene is brilliantly written!"
"It elevates the entire story!"
Many applauded, while others explained to the less educated: "The Imperial Sword was granted by the emperor himself. How could the royal family betray their own decree? Though the empress dowager dotes on the princess, compared to the emperor, the princess is nothing. As a member of the royal family, she must uphold its dignity."
The princess knelt, weeping and screaming.
Qin Xianglian also knelt, dressed in mourning robes, tears glistening in her eyes, a picture of heartbreaking beauty.
Chen Shimei, in prison garb, knelt as well, disheveled and pale.
As the order rang out—"Open—the guillotine!"—he was forced onto the dragon-headed blade.
"Bravo!!!"
At that moment, families and neighbors crowded into rooms across the country, countless voices cheering in unison.
*The Execution of Chen Shimei* had long been a popular opera, but who had ever seen it adapted into such a melodramatic—no, such a thrilling—TV drama?
In those days, audiences immersed themselves deeply in TV shows.
In the 1990s, when *Water Margin* aired, some viewers were so enraged by Song Jiang’s surrender that they smashed their televisions...
(End of Chapter)