The art form of cross talk gradually took shape in the last years of the Qing Dynasty, and Zhang Sanlu was the first cross talk artist in history with accurate records. Subsequently, an outstanding figure emerged in the cross talk industry, he is Zhu Shaowen, who is known as "not afraid of poverty". On the basis of the original, Zhu Shaowen made bold innovations and created counterpoint comedy, group comedy and Taiping lyrics, which made indelible contributions to the prosperity of cross talk later. Therefore, Zhu Shaowen is respected as the founding ancestor of the cross talk industry, and is worshiped by later generations of cross talk artists. It is worth mentioning that there is also a highly respected ancestor in the cross talk world, that is, Dongfang Shuo in the Western Han Dynasty.
In the various industries of the rivers and lakes, an ancestor is usually enshrined to show the source of inheritance, and at the same time as a god to regulate the ethics of the industry. Most of these ancestors were celebrities or great men in ancient times, who could not only add luster to the industry, but also serve as a model for future generations. Dongfang Shuo is recognized as the ancestor in the cross talk world, so why can he get such an honor?
During Dongfang Shuo's tenure as a Lang official in the Han Dynasty, it was an eventful time in the imperial court, and most of the literati were sent to various places to send envoys, only Dongfang Shuo, Mei Gao, Guo Sheren and others accompanied Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and they brought joy to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty with their witty and humorous words and demeanors, so they were called comics by the people of the time. Dongfang Shuo's funny words and deeds are especially recognized and praised by the world. It can be said that Dongfang Shuo played a role similar to Haiyu in the Han court and was a favorite of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. With his wit, humor, and versatility, he won the affection of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
It is true that Dongfang Shuo has a funny personality, but his witty and funny in the Han court is not without purpose. Throughout his life, his comic humor served different purposes at different times. In the early stage, he used humorous words to please Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty in order to gain official positions, and in the later period, he used this humor to maintain his dignity in front of the noble. He not only hoped that Emperor Wu of Han would appreciate his humor, but also hoped that Emperor Wu of Han would attach importance to and support his views and propositions, and adopt his advice.
If his early comical words and deeds pleased Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty but offended the dwarfs and Guo Sheren, then his later comical words and deeds offended the entire ruling group of the Han Dynasty, including Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Therefore, Dongfang Shuo's comical character not only allowed him to survive politically, but also determined the tragic outcome of his life's political pursuit and official life.
To be clear, Master Zu is not the founder, and we cannot simply equate Master Zu with the founder. Master Zu is an industry person who respects the most well-known or respected figures in history as the god of the industry, and they are not necessarily the ones who have contributed the most to the industry. Specific to Dongfang Shuo, he is respected as the ancestor master, mainly because he is known for his witty humor and is a well-known humorous figure in history. He was an elder full of wisdom, known for telling jokes and humorous words in front of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, so the descendants of the cross talk world worshipped him as his ancestor.
When Mr. Ma Sanli apprenticed, he not only worshiped Zhou Deshan as his teacher, but also bowed to Dongfang Shuo. Cross talk actors usually have the characteristics of being witty and humorous, and are good at being funny, which makes them have a strong resonance with Dongfang Shuo. In addition, Dongfang Shuo is extremely smart, which coincides with the characteristics of cross talk actors who require them to be smart and responsive. Therefore, Dongfang Shuo naturally became the ancestor of cross talk actors.