The Silver-Tongued Dynasty

Modern crosstalk performer Shen Xiaohan transmigrates into the body of a starving orphan called “Dog Leftover.” With a battered gong and a silver tongue, he fights to survive in ancient times. He adapts modern crosstalk into a gift for witty banter, performing on street corners with his “Starving Ghost Tongue-Twister” to earn steamed buns and making the common folk laugh with “Zhuge Liang Begs for Alms.” After lampooning corrupt officials, he is brought to the capital by the Seventh Prince. In the Golden Throne Hall, his “Song of Rulers and Ministers” earns him the title of “Court Jester.” He uses crosstalk to remonstrate with the court, audit accounts, and even broker peace with the Khan of the Northern Di. After repelling an enemy through “cross-border crosstalk,” he is made Marquis of Pacifying the Nation. He establishes the “Laughing Peace Mansion” and gathers comedic performers from across the martial world. With crosstalk, he resolves disputes within the Beggars' Sect, exposes con artists, and uses rapid-fire patter to uncover corruption at court. He even improvises his way out of a crisis involving a forged imperial edict. On a diplomatic mission to the Western Regions, he serves as an interpreter through multilingual crosstalk. When Persian merchants try to cheat him, he turns contract law into a clapper talk routine. When Japanese pirates invade, his crosstalk pamphlets break the enemy's morale.

In his later years, he writes The Complete Compendium of the Laughing Woods, establishing a theory of crosstalk, then retires to the countryside to run a teahouse and comment on state affairs. After the Seventh Prince ascends the throne, Shen uses “Tales of the New Emperor” to offer advice on governing. When natural disasters strike, his “Disaster Relief Clapper Talk” rallies the people. On his deathbed, he passes his art to an orphaned disciple, leaving behind his “Three Laughs Testament.” Comedians from across the realm come to see him off, and crosstalk becomes part of the Great Sheng Dynasty's cultural heritage. The common folk say, “Listening to the Laughing Marquis's stories beats eating braised pork,” and his legend lives on as the man who “won the realm with words.”