The Return of the High Ancestor is a divertimento by Sui, a writer in the Yuan Dynasty. Through laughing and cursing, and through the tone of a villager who knows all the details of Liu Bang, this song wrote Liu Bang's funny farce of "returning home at home and abroad", and exposed the ugly behavior of Liu Bang in his humble period with spicy language, thus exposing Liu Bang's rogue origin and stripping away the sacred mask of feudal emperors and the true face of oppressing the people.
The whole song is vivid in plot, vivid in image, unique in angle, simple in style, witty and pungent, revealing the essence by contrast, with strong comedy and satire, lively in language, colloquial in characters and vivid in image, with the style of comics and unofficial history.
The Creative Background of Gao Zu Jia Yu
Sui was an influential Sanqu writer in Yuan Dynasty. In A.D. 1303 (the seventh year of Yuan Dade), I went from Yangzhou to Hangzhou and met Zhong Sicheng who wrote ghost books. It can be seen that he lived from the end of 13 century to the beginning of 14 century, but the exact date of birth and death is unknown. The ghost book says that he is "arrogant and indifferent." Only three pieces of Sanqu are preserved, which is his masterpiece.
A Brief Introduction to the Author of "Returning Home with Few Borders and High Ancestors"
Sui (about 1264 ~ about 1330) was a famous writer of Sanqu and Zaju in Yuan Dynasty. Chen Shun was born in Yangzhou (now Yangzhou), Jiangsu Province. He wrote a lot in his life, including the Collection of Sanqu by Sui. Yuan Zhongsicheng's Ghost Record listed him as a "famous public talent". Miscellaneous plays include Yingying's Peony, Throwing a Thousand Miles at People, and Throwing Quyuan into the River, among which the most famous one is The Return of the Great-ancestor.