The Columbia Anthology of Yuan Drama
Page 14
KUAI TONG: I know I am guilty. How dare I hope for reprieve?
XIAO HE: Didn’t you try to foment disaffection in Han Xin from the beginning?
KUAI TONG: I did try to foment disaffection.
XIAO HE: Now we have the Han emperor on the throne. Instead of assisting him, you threw in your lot with Han Xin.
KUAI TONG: Prime Minister, haven’t you heard? “Tyrant Jie’s hound barked at Sage-King Yao not because Yao lacked goodness: a hound must bark at the one who is not his master.”81 Back then there was only room in my heart for Han Xin, not for any Han emperor. I received food and clothing from Han Xin, how can I not repay beneficence with beneficence?
XIAO HE: Once he had pacified the three Qi regions, Han Xin requested to control the area as proxy king. This obviously showed his intent to rebel. It stands to reason that he deserved beheading.
KUAI TONG: Alas! Prime Minister, what are you talking about? How did the Han emperor come to rule over the entire realm? On whom did he rely? When it comes to grand strategy and major decisions, Zhang Liang could take the credit. As for important battles and crucial lines of attack, it was mostly the work of Marshal Han. And now the retired one has retired, and the beheaded one was beheaded. Does it not stand to reason? (Sings:)
[Stop the Horse to Listen]
Zhang Liang by able governance brought stability to the domain,
Helped the Han ruler define his reign, as the Chu overlord was slain.
As for Han Xin, leading troops and generals, the enemy he did assail
Until he finally made the true dragon prevail and the fake dragon fail.
With death-defying feats, he lay blood-soaked on the battlefield,
Thus earning the golden seal whereby power he could wield.82
And now you say “it stands to reason”: it’s reasoning free;
Wouldn’t it be like the phoenix alighting on the parasol tree?83
XIAO HE: From the beginning when our lord started the insurrection in Hanzhong, he was assisted by numerous officials and commanders. His success was not due to Han Xin’s effort alone.
KUAI TONG: When Chu and Han struggled for supremacy, the Grand Moat was the boundary between the two. At that point had Marshal Han supported Chu, Chu would have won, and if he had thrown in his lot with Han, then Han would have won. The balance of power in the entire realm was in the hands of one person. That was why I repeatedly urged Marshal Han to spare King Xiang and to decide on a plan for the tripartite division of the country. But what could I do when, heedless of my loyal words, he was mercilessly cut down? The greatest hero of our time thus suffered an unjust death. The pity of it all! Prime Minister, even you once vouched for him. His success was your doing; so was his demise. I cannot bear to enact this kind of about-face. Only by embracing death can I repay Marshal Han in the underworld. (He tries to jump into the cauldron.)
XIAO HE: Guards, block his way.
FAN KUAI: You were the one who incited Han Xin to rebel. You are complicit as coconspirator and should just acknowledge your guilt.
XIAO HE: General Fan, you are right. He served as Han Xin’s most trusted adviser. According to our legal code, if one person is guilty of treason, then nine sets of his relations are to be executed.84 How much more so when it comes to a coconspirator! For us to boil him alive in the cauldron today is not a miscarriage of justice.
KUAI TONG: Prime Minister, when the Han king was in Nanzheng, he had countless crack troops and brave generals, but none of them was a match for King Xiang. Later he obtained Han Xin, built a thirty-foot altar, and bowed to him as marshal. Han pressed Xiang Yu to such desperation that he refused to cross the Black River and fell on his own sword. Once the realm was at peace, what use could you have had for Han Xin? Executing him and being done with it—what harm was there? Moreover, Han Xin was guilty of ten crimes. Did you, Prime Minister, know about them?
FAN KUAI: You said Han Xin suffered wrongful death—how could he be guilty of ten crimes? Never mind ten, even one would suffice to leave him among the unburied dead.
XIAO HE: Kuai Tong, since Han Xin was guilty of ten crimes, why don’t you go over them in front of our officials?
KUAI TONG: First crime: he should not have openly repaired the plank road while secretly passing through Chencang.85 Second: he should not have struck the three Qin kings and won control of Guanzhong.86 Third: he should not have crossed the Yellow River west-ward and captured Bao, King of Wei.87 Fourth: he should not have crossed the Jingxing Pass, killing Chen Yu and Xie, King of Zhao.88 Fifth: he should not have caught Xia Yue and cut down Zhang Tong.89 Sixth: he should not have vanquished the Lixia army of Qi, driving Tian Heng away.90 Seventh: he should not have blocked up the upper reaches of the River Huai, putting to death the great generals Zhou Lan and Long Ju.91 Eighth: he should not have played a role in the Chu-Han confrontation at Guangwu Mountain.92 Ninth: he should not have set up the ambush on ten sides at Nine-Mile Mountain. Tenth: he should not have gone after Xiang Yu on the Yinling Road, forcing him to fall on his sword at the Black River. These then are Han Xin’s ten crimes.
XIAO HE (sighs:) These ten were Han Xin’s achievements; how did they become his crimes?
KUAI TONG: Not only was Han Xin guilty of ten crimes, he also made three stupid mistakes.
XIAO HE: What three stupid mistakes?
KUAI TONG: After Han Xin won control of Yan and Zhao and conquered the three Qi regions, he had four hundred thousand crack troops. Not to have rebelled then but to rebel now: that was his first stupid mistake.93 When the King of Han made his way out of Chenggao, Han Xin was at Xiuwu, exercising command over two hundred generals and eight hundred thousand crack troops.94 Not to have rebelled then but to rebel now: that was his second stupid mistake. For the great confrontation at Gaixia in front of the Nine-Mile Mountain, all of the million soldiers were under Han Xin’s command. Not to have rebelled then but to rebel now: that was his third stupid mistake. Han Xin bore the burden of ten crimes and three stupid mistakes; how could he not sow the seeds of his own downfall? Today Kuai Tong will be boiled alive. As the saying goes, “The fox sighs when the hare dies, the orchid turns when the fragrant herb burns.” Prime Minister, please think this over yourself.
(XIAO HE and the others show grief.)
FAN KUAI: Even I begin to feel sad and melancholy.
KUAI TONG (sings:)
[Fake Cards]
The various ministers are all affected and mournful;
All officials, civil and martial, give themselves over to sorrow.
Even for Xiao He, his brocade robe his tears do stain.
But you’re dead: all mourning is in vain!
[Hanging on a Jade Hook]
Just think: Marshal Han died by trumped-up charges at the execution ground,
His record of achievement a list of confessed crimes by inversion bound,
Just like the wordless woman who bore the cane for spilling the bane.95
Over five years he cleared the land of chaos, but for nothing.
He got to preside over the three Qi regions as king,
But it was not long before he suffered fortune’s sling.
Alas, who would have known that the prime minister’s hall
Would become the marketplace with its beheading stall!96
CAO CAN: Alas, Prime Minister. Han Xin did achieve all these great things. We should not have put him to death just like that.
XIAO HE: We know that Han Xin died an unjust death. But the dead cannot be brought back to life. At this point even if I wanted to save him, it would be too late. What can be done?
KUAI TONG (laughs and sings:)
[Wild Geese Alight]97
Laughable indeed! My eloquence may be impressive:
Yet it’s no match for the prime minister’s scheme excessive.
You want execution, and there’s execution by the blade.
You want pardon, and your mercy you parade.
[Victory Song]
Truly, the sage ministers
of Han are a fickle lot!
Reasoning most cruel you perversely sought.98
Had we known that Marshal Han would be unjustly killed,
Why shouldn’t we have kept the Chu overlord’s place filled?
How was the glory you hankered after well meant?
Instead of proudly presiding in the commander’s tent,
You should have been with the fields content,
You could have safely remained a farmer, suffering nary a dent!
XIAO HE: Since Han Xin is already dead, you, generals, should accompany me to court in the coming days. Together we will have an audience with the emperor and set forth the rights and wrongs of the matter. Han Xin’s grave will be marked with his restored titles, and Kuai Tong will be promoted and rewarded.
KUAI TONG (sings:)
[Buy Good Wine]99
Truly, when the hare is gone, the hound is drawn.
When birds are no more, the bows are held in store.
You vouched for him, but honor begot is all for naught.
Back then an altar was built, and you bowed to him as marshal;
Now the graveyard is readied for his funeral.
[Song of Peace]
Even if sacrifices will be offered every autumn and spring
For his forlorn spirit in the underworld, they will scarcely salve the sting.
It will be better to boil me in oil, bury me in flames,
So that through life and death we can to each other cling.
I have no fear.
In calmness sheer,
I will meet death with a smile and conscience clear.
Alas! In this your “promotion and reward” can inhere.
(EXTRA MALE dressed as PALACE OFFICIAL enters bearing gold and the official regalia of cap and belt.)
PALACE OFFICIAL: Your humble servant is a palace official. Xiao He hatched a secret plot to have Han Xin killed and is about to throw Kuai Tong into a cauldron of boiling oil. His Majesty got wind of it and has sent me to pardon Kuai Tong. Here I am already. Guard, report that the imperial decree has arrived.
GUARD: Reporting to the Prime Minister: a palace official has arrived.
XIAO HE: Invite him in. (The PALACE OFFICIAL pays his respects.)
PALACE OFFICIAL: All you generals kneel in the direction of the imperial palace. Pay heed to the His Majesty’s command. (The decree:) Sword in hand I started out in Feng and Pei. In scarcely five years I triumphed over all the other lords and kings, drove Xiang Yu to death, and took control over the entire realm. This was not the fruit of my striving alone—it was all due to Han Xin’s effort. Misguided by the words of others, I branded him guilty of treason. Thus in the Chamber of Bells in the Midnight Palace, the blood of injustice remains. I am indeed filled with pity and hereby return his office and titles, issuing the command that officials in charge should build his tomb and offer sacrifices. From the beginning Kuai Tong served others with his words, being active at the same time as Wu She.100 His heart is in the right place with his master; of what crime is “the hound barking at Yao” guilty? Gladly he marched toward the boiling cauldron, embracing death as sweet fare. He is indeed a brave man. We can spare him death, appoint him administrator of the capital, and bestow on him a thousand taels of gold. Alas, in life Han Xin achieved great merit, and we seek to repay him even after his death. Had Kuai Tong’s words been followed, there would not have been a crime left behind.101 Thus is the justice of rewards and punishments in our domain demonstrated. My command is not to be altered. As decreed. (KUAI TONG and the others bow in gratitude to the imperial beneficence.)
KUAI TONG (sings:)
[Mandarin Ducks Coda]
Had the Han emperor early on issued his clear command,
Marshal Han wouldn’t have faced a slanderous bind.
Then the vow of reciprocity for all time
Would not have ended up as a crime.102
Why would I resort to the pretense of insanity?
Or any tricks of vanity? (Returns the cap and belt while singing.)
This cap and belt add no glory to my value. (Returns the gold as he continues to sing.)
This gold cannot be cast as his golden statue.
I only want you, Prime Minister Xiao, to carefully ponder
How your unjust murder will be the subject of the people’s clamor.
XIAO HE: Kuai Tong, these gifts of cap, belt, and gold are what His Majesty bestowed on you. How can you return them to me? Isn’t that what we call “defying imperial command”? (Recites:)
Marshal Han, with great achievements and battles hard won,
Smote Western Chu and established the Han dynasty.
As king of the three Qi regions, he was given the seal,
With white lance and yellow banner, he could claim sole authority.
Prime Minister Xiao served his lord with utmost loyalty,
And secretly devised a plan to forestall future calamity.
Using the imperial excursion as excuse, Han was summoned as regent
And was mercilessly cut down at the execution ground.
Now the miscarriage of justice has been fully made clear,
And Han ministers regret the errant course they did steer.
Even the Sage-Emperor is moved to his core:
Pity the bows in store, as birds are no more.
Just think: back then we built an altar and bowed to him as marshal;
How can we bear that, after death, he’s forgotten as model?
On his tomb, restored titles and honors one inserts,
Seasonal sacrifices will be performed at the eastern outskirts.
Even Kuai Tong will have promotion and rewards;
In a word: all will come by their just deserts.
It is obvious that imperial beneficence is unerring:
Together we look up to a heavenly sun concurring.
Topic: Xiao He Brings Down Han Xin of Great Merit
Title: Sui He Tricks the Mad Kuai Tong
NOTES
1. See Hanshu 45.2159. The names of the ruler or of one’s parents become “taboo characters” that have to be avoided (hui 諱).
2. Ming manuscripts in the Maiwang Studio Collection (Guben xiqu congkan, 4th ser., no. 39, no. 134).
3. Ming manuscript, ibid., no. 137.
4. Xu Qinjun, Xin jiao Yuan kan zaju sanshi zhong, 676–705.
5. Zang Maoxun, YQX, 6:3222–68; Xu Qinjun, Xin jiao Yuan kan zaju sanshi zhong, 288–307.
6. “Palace manuscript” in the Maiwang Studio Collection (Guben xiqu congkan, 4th ser., no. 136).
7. Zang Maoxun, YQX, 1:343–79.
8. Qin ordered the burning of historical records of all states other than Qin and also banned private holdings of the classics and the masters’ texts (teachings of the various schools) to forestall “using the past to criticize the present” (Shiji 6.255).
9. Xiao He was a clerical officer (daobi li 刀筆吏) under the Qin before he joined Liu Bang’s insurrection in 209 B.C.E. When the Qin capital Xianyang fell, Xiao He collected Qin records that later facilitated the Qin-Han administrative transition (Shiji 53.2014). Mastery of the daobi, which means literally “carving knife,” the instrument of writing on bamboo strips, also comes to mean expertise in legal matters. Liu Bang is said to have simplified and ameliorated Qin laws by setting forth “three basic articles of the legal code” (yuefa sanzhang 約法三章) when he gained control of Guanzhong. However, Xiao He is not mentioned in connection with that event specifically, although he is known for his legal expertise (Shiji 8.362, 53.2014–15). Instead, Han Xin is supposed to have given Liu Bang the idea (Shiji 92.2612). After the founding of Han, Xiao He became Lord of Zan, and he played a crucial part in helping Liu Bang consolidate Han rule.
10. That is, the Feng settlement in Pei prefecture. Xiao He hailed from the same hometown as Liu Bang and shielded Liu from troubles in his capacity as officer and clerk.
11. Ying Bu (Qing Bu) first supported Xiang Yu, became King of Jiujiang, and then swi
tched allegiance to Liu Bang. He was made King of Huainan after Han unification. Driven to rebellion in 196 B.C.E., he was killed the same year.
12. Peng Yue’s support was crucial to Liu Bang’s success, but he was accused of treason and killed in 196 B.C.E. (Shiji 90.2591–95).
13. Since Xiao He recommends Han Xin but later plots his downfall, he may be regarded as inconsistent and arbitrary, hence the saying “It is Xiao He who makes him, it is Xiao He who breaks him” (Cheng ye Xiao He bai ye Xiao He 成也蕭何，敗也蕭何). Hong Mai (1123–1202) cites this as a popular saying in his time (Rongzhai suibi 8.312–13).
14. Fan Kuai was a dog butcher who rose to prominence as a military commander during the Qin-Han transition. He remained unscathed through early Han purges of regional powers in part because he was married to Empress Lü’s sister (Shiji 95.2651–60).
15. The Hongmen feast was a turning point in the Chu-Han struggle. In Sima Qian’s vivid account (Shiji 7.312–13), Xiang Yu’s adviser Fan Zeng signals to Xiang Yu to have Liu Bang killed during the feast, but Xiang Yu ignores him. Fan Zeng sends Xiang Zhuang to cut down Liu Bang in the midst of a sword dance, but he is foiled. Fan Kuai then bursts in to defend Liu Bang. As appreciation for his valor, Xiang Yu bestows on him wine and a pork shoulder. Sima Qian also depicts the same episode from different perspectives; see Shiji 8.364, 55.2038, 95.2654. Chata 蹅踏, rendered here as “bursting upon the scene,” means both “to tread over” and “to put down.”
16. The play is set, of course, at a time before chairs were used in China.
17. Palace manuscript: “I was drawing bodhi trees in my house for fun.”
18. As noted, Fan Kuai married the sister of Liu Bang’s wife.
19. Sima Qian tells the anecdote of how the starving Han Xin is fed by a washerwoman, whom Han rewards handsomely after he becomes a famous general (Shiji 92.2609, 92.2626).
20. This early episode in Han Xin’s life (Shiji 92.2609–10) is often adduced as evidence of his self-discipline and ability to bide his time so that he could eventually achieve great things.
21. Zhang Liang was Liu Bang’s major strategist and became Lord of Liu after Han unification (Shiji 55). Sima Qian implies that Zhang Liang might have had a role in the downfall of Han Xin, but in this play Zhang is Han’s defender.