by Tang Xianzu
Hoping to be led out of the palace.
(Enter Yan Zunmei, shouting)
(Huo Xiaoyu bends over on the ground in alarm)
YAN ZUNMEI (To the previous tune):
With lanterns still hanging on the trees,
Orders are relayed to lock the palace gate.
Search everywhere carefully, my men, in case there should be a spy!
Is there anyone hiding in the corners?
CITY GUARDS (Shout):
We’ve arrested a young woman who stole Lady Taizhen’s purple jade flute and hid at the west end of the palace hall.
YAN ZUNMEI:
Well! She has broken the law!
Why did she steal the jade flute?
Ask her who she is!
Ask her who she is!
(Exeunt all)
(Enter Lady Guo)
LADY GUO (To the tune of Yijiangfeng):
With the kingfisher feather crowning my bun,
In the palace in early spring,
I feel chilly although my forehead is covered with a kerchief.
On the Lantern Festival night,
Trees and buildings are brightly lit
By lanterns and stars.
With smoke rising from the lion-shaped incense burner,
The courtiers are patrolling around the palace
While peace-eulogizing music is played in the spring wind.
(In the pattern of Genglouzi)
“In the palace,
By the lantern,
Bright light shines over noble men and women.
On the grand banquet
Where gorgeous candles are lit,
The spring breeze bathes the painted hall.
Under the pearl-like stars
And the silver moon,
The flute is played on the phoenix bridge.
I put on my headwear,
Select my silk skirt
And smoke myself with fragrant scents.”
I am Lady Guo. My ancestor is Guo Ziyi, Prince of Fenyang. My father is Guo Ai, a supreme official in charge of military affairs. My mother is Princess Taichang of the State of Qi. I became Prince Guangling’s concubine when I was very young, and I was promoted in rank after the prince succeeded to the throne. I am in charge of the jade seal of the Changqiu Palace. My daughter is Princess Taihe. I have only one nephew, Guo Xiaohou. As I was born in a noble family, I had a pleasant time with my mother in my childhood and my father was promoted to an official in Gaomi. Lady Ban Jieyu in the Han Dynasty refused to ride with the emperor on pleasure trips, but the pretty girls in the Ganquan Palace who bribed the painter so as to enter the palace did not enjoy life at all. Empress Ma Mingde confined herself in the back hall, instructing the Crown Prince and reading classics, but the nice royal instructors have never been commended in the court. Therefore, whenever I read the poems, I would recite the famous lines of “The Cooing” from The Book of Poetry, which is about the virtue of the king’s lady. It is pleasing to see in the candlelight the imperial concubines wait upon His Majesty in good order. After the banquet with His Majesty for the Lantern Festival today, I return to the palace and stay here on His Majesty’s decree to interrogate whichever maidservant who has committed mistakes or crimes. Here comes a courtier before I finish my words.
(Enter Yan Zunmei with the detained Huo Xiaoyu)
YAN ZUNMEI (To the previous tune):
With auspicious clouds floating in the sky,
And the palace curtains sheltering the spring dawn,
The dragon and phoenix candles burn with coiling smoke.
On the Lantern Festival night,
The halo of the moon
Shines over the lotus-shaped lanterns.
The court-maid
Is causing trouble
By offending the law
In stealing a jade flute.
His Majesty decrees, “On this grand festival, I attended the lantern fare and listened to the wonderful poems by the talents. I had a good time with the people until midnight. On their patrol duty, the courtiers caught a girl who stole Lady Taizhen’s purple jade flute. Is she a court-maid who went out of the palace because she got tired of the palace life? Or is she a palace musician who passed the flute out for her to play the music? Now she is sent to be interrogated in the Changqiu Palace. If she is from the capital city, ask her the reason why she was lagging behind!”
LADY GUO:
Long live the emperor!
(To the tune of Guizhixiang)
(Interrogates)
Are you a court-maid?
The light of the moon and candles shines
Over the beautifully dressed ladies amidst crowds.
Are you a maid in the palace
Who feels lonely behind locked doors,
Who feels lonely behind locked doors?
After the night candles are put out,
The chamber is lonely and desolated,
While the mirror reflects your pretty face in vain.
You were taking the chance to stroll about
And to look for someone who knows your heart.
Therefore,
You tried to steal the flute from the palace.
HUO XIAOYU:
How can I be disguised as a court-maid since I do not wear the right dress?
(To the previous tune)
As the fish in the palace pond
And the crane at the palace steps
Are both securely confined,
How can they find an escape?
The old courtiers,
The old courtiers
Will summon them according to the portraits
Or call their names according to the list.
When their duty is done,
They appear pale and languid,
Feeling ashamed when they walk across the yard.
LADY GUO:
If you are not a court-maid, you must be a palace musician who has the chance to use the purple jade flute.
(To the previous tune)
Look,
Your jade hairpins
And skillful make-up
Show that you must be a good singer like Han E in the State of Qi
Or a popular courtesan like Su Xiaoxiao.
In pleasing His Majesty,
In pleasing His Majesty,
You act as the plum-blossom to win a smile
And sing of the orchids to the tunes.
As your songs are accompanied by the flute,
You stole it
By taking the chance of a performance.
HUO XIAOYU:
I am no longer a court-musician.
(To the previous tune)
My career in the palace is gone like a dream
That fades away into the distance.
Your Ladyship,
If I am a palace singer,
Why don’t I wear a singer’s hat
And a dancing skirt,
And a dancing skirt?
I no longer clean the performing stage
Or dance on the red carpet
With the charming dancers.
Speaking of the flute,
It was once played by the slim-fingered fair lady Nongyu.
LADY GUO:
How can you be compared with Nongyu in the State of Qin? She was the king’s daughter. Now that you are not a palace musician, why did you come to the palace? Have you come to steal the flute? Who on earth are you?
HUO XIAOYU:
My name is Huo Xiaoyu, the daughter of Prince Huo.
LADY GUO:
Prince Huo’s fief is in the Huo area, while you are surnamed Huo. So how can you be his daughter?
HUO XIAOYU:
My mother is Zheng Liuniang, a former court musician. She was bestowed by the emperor upon Prince Huo and lived with him for twenty years. I am sixteen now. Prince Huo thought that I was born of a humble mother, so he changed my surname to Huo. He granted me a red mansion and ten caskets of jewelry and bid me to marry whom my mother may choose for me.
All t
hat I have said is the truth, Your Ladyship.
LADY GUO (Helps Xiaoyu up):
Prince Huo is the brother of Emperor Shunzong, bestowed the title of Supreme Duke. Since you are the daughter of Prince Huo, please get up and explain the matter!
HUO XIAOYU (To the tune of Jixianbin):
My mother
Used to enjoy pleasures with the emperor,
And she was bestowed upon a man of blue blood.
LADY GUO:
Why did he leave his home?
HUO XIAOYU:
He went to live in the mountains for Taoist ideals,
For he was bored with the life of a grey head and a young beauty.
LADY GUO:
Was he sad about it?
HUO XIAOYU:
Yes, he was.
His pretty wife
Is set free at her own disposal.
LADY GUO:
Has he succeeded in the Taoist practice?
HUO XIAOYU:
As he began to practice a long time ago,
He’s sure to be an immortal as Prince Liu An in the Han Dynasty.
LADY GUO:
Are you married, young princess?
HUO XIAOYU:
Yes, I am.
(To the previous tune)
A young scholar from a noble family in Longxi,
He is full of soaring aspirations.
He has refined and graceful bearings
And writes wonderful poetic works.
LADY GUO:
Did his ancestors serve in the court?
HUO XIAOYU:
Each dynasty has his ancestors in high ranks.
LADY GUO:
Who is he?
HUO XIAOYU:
His name is Li Yi.
LADY GUO:
It is often heard in the palace that there is a talent called Li Yi from the province. Is he the man you refer to?
HUO XIAOYU:
Yes.
He is famous for his grace and talent.
LADY GUO:
Has he achieved success as a scholar?
HUO XIAOYU:
He has entered the imperial examination and will soon be on the spring list of those who have passed.
As a successful imperial test candidate,
He will have a bright future within the sight.
LADY GUO:
How long have you been married, young princess? I suppose you two were viewing the lanterns in the Huaqing Palace?
HUO XIAOYU (To the previous tune):
As we have just formed the wedding-tie,
LADY GUO:
What a well-matched couple of a talent and a beauty!
HUO XIAOYU:
I feel ashamed that my humble body is not as precious as jade.
With the moon and the lanterns illuminating the streets,
I am excited at the bustling sight.
LADY GUO:
Why didn’t Shilang look after you as he was with you?
HUO XIAOYU:
As the watchtowers are magnificent late at night,
LADY GUO:
Were you two separated when the patrol general and the site-clearing courtiers locked the palace gate?
HUO XIAOYU:
Yes.
The wild goose has lost its way when it leaves the flock.
(Sad)
(Aside)
Shilang, my husband!
On pins and needles,
I shed tears at the extinguishing candles.
LADY GUO:
How did you steal Lady Taizhen’s purple jade flute?
HUO XIAOYU (To the previous tune):
Walking in the darkness with my small feet,
I picked up a jade flute at the west end of the hall.
At that time, I wondered how I could get back alone. On the lantern fair,
With light-minded youngsters sauntering in the streets,
I feared to be bullied if I walked alone at night.
If I fell victim to them, where would my grace be even if I were let go and returned home? I bring this flute along,
As I would rather be punished by the law.
If I am brought to the emperor and the empress,
I can explain to them what has happened.
I won’t regret even if I am executed in the palace, because
I shall be proved innocent in my deeds at night.
LADY GUO:
What a strong will you have! And how clever you are!
(To the tune of Hupomao’erzhui)
The young lady is bright
With incomparable wit.
She defends herself when suspected
And displays a noble mind.
At daybreak,
She is to be sent back
To where she lives.
HUO XIAOYU (Bows and begs):
(To the previous tune)
The sleeping birds get startled and wail
When the moon falls behind the dew-container column.
Your Ladyship,
I beg to thank His Majesty for being pardoned.
LADY GUO:
I am afraid that no report can be made now since His Majesty has gone to bed.
HUO XIAOYU:
Your Ladyship, amid merry laughter from the other palace
I hear His Majesty’s voice soaring to the sky.
LADY GUO:
But I am afraid that the day will soon break.
HUO XIAOYU:
The dawn has not arrived yet,
But I wish that the rooster will crow
So that I can soon return to my man.
LADY GUO:
If you are in a hurry to go back, you may as well come with me to the other palace and tell
His Majesty about Prince Huo.
HUO XIAOYU (To the tune of Coda):
I beg you to report to His Majesty
That I might be pardoned for my taking the flute.
LADY GUO:
You are welcome!
You are to be escorted out of the palace with respect.
LADY GUO:
When sandglass tells the midnight,
HUO XIAOYU:
In the palace yard alone I roam.
LADY GUO, HUO XIAOYU:
His Majesty will have the candles rekindled
And the gate unlocked for you/me to go home.
Scene Eighteen
Bestowing the Flute
(Enter the female courtier with court-maids)
FEMALE COURTIER (To the tune of Tianxiale):
The incense burner is tended by the court-maids,
Whose headwear glitters in the light of the lanterns.
As people disperse at late night,
Songs and music fade in the distance.
Good evening, everyone!
“The night is bright as broad daylight
With the lanterns on the city gates shining as stars.
In the shadows of flowers and candles,
We escort the beauty to her home.”
Lady Huo got lost from her husband when they viewed the palace lanterns. As she was afraid to be bullied by the dandies outside the palace, she would rather be caught in the palace when she found Lady Taizhen’s purple jade flute. She was brought to Lady Guo in the Changqiu Palace for an interrogation and finally had her integrity verified before His Majesty. We female courtier and court-maids are ordered to escort her home with four gilded lanterns. The purple jade flute she found and a palace decree were bestowed on her. She is now in the Changqiu Palace to express her gratitude to Her Ladyship. As she will be here soon, we are waiting for her at the gate of the Huaqing Palace.
(Enter Huo Xiaoyu, holding the flute)
HUO XIAOYU (To the tune of Wanxiandeng):
With the moon shining over my homeward path,
The palace is bathed in brilliant lights.
Thank you for taking all the troubles to implement His Majesty’s decree!
FEMALE COURTIER:
It is already past midnight. Please get on your way!
HUO XIAOYU (To the tune of Sibianjing):
The spring is in full swing in the palace,
Permeating the zigzagging corridors.
I make my way in the starlight
Passing by the tall copper dew-container.
ALL:
With hanging hairpins swaying with each step,
We walk lightly in soft socks.
FEMALE COURTIER (Supports Huo Xiaoyu):
We escort the beauty on her way back,
A file of ladies dressed in deep red.
HUO XIAOYU:
Don’t bother to support me!
(To the previous tune)
Now that the night is deep in the palace,
It is high time to remove the make-up.
One will feel the cold when she sits by the candle
And weeps over her fond dreams.
ALL:
We escort the beauty on her way back,
A file of ladies dressed in deep red.
HUO XIAOYU (To the previous tune):
The glazed brick road looks like a silk band,
On which I walk slowly and step on the moss.
Who will sleep soundly in the bright moonlight,
Facing the cloudless sky?
ALL:
We escort the beauty on her way back,
A file of ladies dressed in deep red.
HUO XIAOYU (To the previous tune):
Escorted by the court guards, the palace wagon rumbles
On this lantern-illuminated night.
One can hardly fall asleep
When the day is about to break.
ALL:
We escort the beauty on her way back,
A file of ladies dressed in deep red.
HUO XIAOYU:
Here we are! My Red Mansion is in sight.
While lights are dimly visible in the cold moon,
The tune of “Rainbow Skirts” swiftly fleets.
With the dance still lingering in my mind,
I turn my eyes toward the busy streets.
Scene Nineteen
Returning with the Imperial Decree
(Enter Zheng Liuniang and Li Yi)
ZHENG LIUNIANG, LI YI (To the tune of Fendie’er):
On holders in the shapes of camels and ducks
Are stuck the weeping red candles.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
“The lonely lamp is easy to go out
While the scattered moon is difficult to wax to the full.”
Shilang, you got married for only three days and should be enjoying the pleasant views on the Lantern Festival in the palace tonight. Who would have expected that you got severed from Xiaoyu? Now that she is nowhere to be found, I wonder whether she is left behind in the palace or somewhere else. How agonizing it is!
LI YI:
How painful my wife Xiaoyu must be now! If you are detained in the palace, I am afraid that your delicate body cannot withstand the inquisition by tortures. But if you are detained somewhere else, you would suffer more!