by Tang Xianzu
But not until today do I know the hardship for a traveler.”
(To the tune of Jiang’ershui)
My tears are drained in meditation in the remote land,
While my eyebrows are knit in sadness in the green grassland.
My dress still bears the fragrance at home
And I act in the manners of a counselor like Xun Yu.
I recall the past in the moon shadow,
Fearing that the insects’ chirp will stop at moonset.
As the long distance is difficult to transcend,
I feel bored all day afraid of hearing the flute music,
For boudoir poems cannot be composed in the frontier.
I suppose that I can soon hand over military duties and take leave.
(To the tune of Yicuozhao)
Having made contributions and won honors,
I am eager to return from the frontier.
Sima Xiangru was good at wielding the sword and the pen,
Feigning to be ill to shun his official post.
After I return from the hard journey,
I will sip the wine in the night rain till dawn.
Xiaoyu, at that time,
We will face the stars and unfasten the waistband,
Indulged in our love with double affection.
(Enter the messenger)
MESSENGER (To the tune of Liuyaoling):
Peace reigns in the frontier,
Peace reigns in the frontier,
Where veteran soldiers drink to intoxication.
The distinguished Prime Minister has crossed the Great Wall
And dispatched us to pick up the military consultant
To return to the court by day and night.
Your Excellency, we have escorted Prime Minister Du to the Great Wall and come back to pick you up.
LI YI:
Oh, you’ve come to pick me up at last! I have handed the documents to General Hao and General Yan. Now I will bid farewell to them and start on my journey tonight.
(Enter generals Hao Pin and Yan Chao)
HAO PIN, YAN CHAO:
“The sad clouds carry the frontier thoughts for home;
The homesick heart takes wings with the moon.
It has always been the case,
Let alone when the consultant is to go back soon.”
We bow to you with respect! When we heard shouts from the beacon tower, we knew that Prime Minster Du had dispatched his men to escort you back to the south. We have come to inquire about the date of your departure, and hope that you can stay for several days more.
LI YI:
Both of you are very brave generals. You have awe-inspiring valiance and hardship-weathering royalty. You will be able to assist each other and support each other. The military affairs in the area of Shuofang, a spot of strategic importance, are entrusted to you. As it is very hot now, I’ll take leave and set out by night. I have two precious swords for you as souvenirs.
(Enter Qing’er with the swords)
QING’ER:
“The swords shimmer with blue gleams
In the military camp at the frontier.”
(Li Yi presents the swords)
LI YI (To the tune of Shanhuazi):
The swords are etched with lotus patterns,
Decorated with seven stars.
Their cutting edge induces a chilly feeling,
With glossy silk tassels hanging on their handles.
LI YI, QING’ER:
With golden gleams outshining the bright moon,
The swords are gifts from an old friend with goodwill.
When you command the army and quell the riots,
Your names will be passed down the generations.
HAO PIN, YAN CHAO (To the previous tune):
You are an Academician well-versed in essays,
Always in company of the heroes and the elite.
As we are in the low military rank,
How can we make the precious swords shine?
LI YI, QING’ER:
With golden gleams outshining the bright moon,
The swords are gifts from an old friend with goodwill.
When you command the army and quell the riots,
Your names will be passed down the generations.
LI YI:
Now I’ll be on my way.
HAO PIN, YAN CHAO:
Let’s escort you out of the pass!
(Walk)
(To the tune of Hongxiuxie)
The travelers and wagons are like meteors;
The travelers and wagons are like meteors.
The journey back home is made in the moonlight;
The journey back home is made in the moonlight.
The galloping horses
Will startle the sleeping crows,
Which peep at the black shadows
And listen to the sound of the wheels.
You serve as a military consultant
As well as a civil official at court.
(Bow and bid farewell)
(To the tune of Coda)
I present the swords to my bosom friends,
Not knowing whether I shall meet them again.
When you meet Prime Minister Du, please tell him that
We will guard the frontier and subdue the enemy.
The royal envoy leaves for south in grace,
Riding past the mountains topped with snow.
He commits to the moon his departing woe,
And gives his friends the precious swords in case.
Scene Thirty-Three
Coming Out of Seclusion
(Enter Shang Zipi)
SHANG ZIPI (To the tune of Juhuaxin):
Auspicious haze from Kunlun Mountains permeates the land,
Where twelve magnificent palaces mirror the capital town.
Long and sharp swords are produced in the western area,
Where letters are carried by wild geese to the Central Plains.
“When trees and leaves wilt in the west wind,
The immortal palace manifests its full splendor.
At the windows I gaze at the stars setting to the sea
And the rain showering over the river source.”
I’m Shang Zipi. My family name was Molu, and my first name was Zanxinya. I was a native of the Yangtong Kingdom, and my ancestors were prime ministers of the Tubo tribes. During the reign of late king, I was granted an audience together with my father Shang Jiezan at the Tang court by Emperor Xianzong, who appreciated my talents and enrolled me into the Imperial Academy to read the classical books and learn the ceremonial dances. At that time, I got to know Li Yi from Longxi and styled Junyu, Shi Xiong from Xuzhou and styled Ziying, as well as Hua Qing from Duling and styled Jingding. The three of them are full of soaring ambitions and substantial literary talents. We became bosom friends although we were together only for a short period of time. We first met in the hostel in spring and bid farewell at the city gate. We could not help weeping and could not refrain ourselves when Junyu asked me when we would meet again. I told him I would not intend to pursue the official career any more, but rather reside in the Kunlun Mountains reading Taoist canons, playing the music, worshipping the Sun God in the east, and begging for the elixir of life from Queen Mother in the west. If I should get entangled in worldly affairs from which I can’t extricate myself, or get into a serious strife, I would resign myself. If decrees should arrive from the Central Plains for me to go to the court in your country, I would take this opportunity to have a chat with you again. If I should fail to meet you again, I would have someone look for your whereabouts, from Mount Zhongnan to the Weihe River. It is said that disorders often arise in the Central Plains and traffic was cut off in the Hetao and Longyou area. Lunkongre of our kingdom controls a powerful army, while the king is incompetent and tyrannical in these years. Now I am past forty. Although I am not engaged in learning for an official career, I cannot help making some lamentations! Looking at my graying hair, I wonder how Mr. Li is g
oing on. It is true indeed:
“We parted as green grass
And lament as withered flowers.
When I ask my brothers in the Central Plains,
How many of them are alive and kicking?”
I cannot refrain from sighing to myself.
(To the tune of Jinluosuo)
I open the Buddhist scriptures and the River Diagram
In the stone house near the Mysterious Garden.
I recall the spring outings in the fields near Chang’an,
Drinking wine with my friends
Till we were drunk.
In the warm chamber with embroidered curtains and red stove,
We were so excited that we crushed the silver drum
And broke the jade spittoon in indignation.
I was enjoying the happy get-together with Li Yi, Hua Qing and Shi Xiong, when the Tang emperor hastened me to visit the Imperial Academy. At that time, the old scholar Han Yu was the instructor. All the scholars were supposed to recite his writings, but I consider his works dull and boring after I read a few of his essays.
I lived a leisurely life,
Studying like a bookworm in firefly gleams
And reading a bed of books each year.
Since we four parted at the Yanqiu Gate, we have had no contact for ten years because the traffic was cut off in the Hetao and Longyou area and the city of Songpan was besieged. Although I came from the Tubo tribes, my heart runs along the Han road.
With correspondence among friends cut off,
I have vague dreams as a Taoist master,
But still remember the way to the capital city.
(Enter the attendant boy reporting)
ATTENDANT BOY:
“In the splendid Queen Mother Temple,
We ride the bamboo-stick to become immortals.
Dongfang Shuo stained his dress in the Purple Mud Sea,
And so the one who stole the peach must have been a child.”
Master, I don’t know where the Tubo King has been hunting. There is much noise and it is said that he comes here to visit you.
SHANG ZIPI (Laughs):
I suppose he is led here by Shang Qixin, the head of the secretariat from my family, to coerce me back to assume an official post.
“How can I be driven by hunger and cold?
It’s only funny for him to force me with power and wealth.”
But I have to open the gate and welcome them.
(Enter the Tubo King, followed by Shang Qixin)
SHANG QIXIN (To the tune of Shuangtianxiaojiao):
When the clouds are golden and the dewdrops are blue,
The leopard hides in the den to keep away from the fog.
The immortal Queen Mother wears hair ornaments;
The reclusive scholar is greeted by noble attendants.
(The Tubo King and Shang Zipi greet each other, making long bows)
TUBO KING (Asks in anger):
You were born and grew up in the state of Yangtong bordering Tubo, and studied in the Central Plains, yet now you do not pay homage to your king. Where do you find your reason in the scripture?
SHANG ZIPI (Smiles):
“In the Guye Mountains resided a pure and noble immortal;
The Milky Way was visited by a man from the earth.
India’s Sakyamuni became Buddha in his old age;
Prince Moonlight followed Buddha from his childhood.”
Why have you come to visit me? I call this your philosophy of life for the moment. You’ve come to visit a reclusive scholar who does not wish to be an official and would like to close the door and never go out of the wall, but does not mind provoking the king. If you require courtly formalities, what is the necessity of seeking them from a reclusive scholar?
TUBO KING (Laughs and apologizes):
Just now I was trying to sound out your true intention, and you really deserve your reputation. Today I’ve come as your guest and implore you to tell me how to stabilize our state.
(Bows)
“You’ve long enjoyed a high reputation,
SHANG ZIPI:
But I keep to the mountains for convalescence.
TUBO KING:
Health and young appearance should be well preserved.
SHANG ZIPI:
What if I’m idle and indolent in nature?”
What do you have to ask about in my humble house on your hunting chase?
TUBO KING:
Please sit down and listen to me! My ancestors,
(To the tune of Dashengle)
King Nongzan, who was heroic and generous,
And King Lisuo, who was stout from childhood,
Presented gold and jade to marry the Tang princesses.
Today’s Tubo King
Is their descendent.
Now the Tang court looks down upon us and is more intimate with the Huihe nation. So I intend to lunch an attack on the Tang territory.
I am the leader of a big and powerful nation,
Above par with the smaller ones of Wuhe and Jitian.
What I’m concerned about now is that the important forts of Tang to be attacked are no more than the areas of Shuofang, Longxi and Songzhou. I’ve ordered Lunkongre’s army to attack and make a breakthrough into Songzhou and I suppose there won’t be any problem with that. As to Longxi, I hear that there is an audacious general Shi, who is hard to conquer. As to Shuofang, the prime minister and the consultant who used to be stationed there have been summoned back. I hear that there is left on the assistant generals Hao Pin and Yan Chao, who used to build the defense in the Linjing area and keep the guard of the Shazhou city respectively. I fought battles with them in the past. So it’s difficult to attack Shuofang with these two men guarding there. I want to march toward Longxi and wonder what the will of Heaven is.
As I will go on a southward raid,
I’d like to make a divination through the cloudscape
To know about the prospect.
SHANG ZIPI:
Let me make the divination outside!
(Aside)
Dear me! I’m glad that Li Junyu has returned and Shuofang is still kept in the guard. But I’m not sure whether Hua Qing in Songzhou is able to withstand Lunkongre’s attack. Shi Xiong will have a hard job if the Tubo King marches to Longxi.
(Sings in a low voice)
(To the previous tune)
His attack against Longxi is reckless
Because the army is not strong enough,
But to the Tubo King I must offer indirect and tactful advice.
(Turns round and sings)
According to the cloud and wind,
There will be loss and gain.
Your Highness, to the south of the Mao star and the Bi star, in the areas between Qing and Long, purple and auspicious clouds float in the sky; while to the north of the Mao star and the Bi star, west to the areas of He and Huang, there are dark masses of clouds. Besides, the sun’s aureole is in the east in recent days, which signifies the victory of the eastern army; the star flags fall in the north, which signifies the defeat of the western army. The momentum in the east is powerful and overwhelming, while the momentum in the west is like the swirling leaves, the hanging clothes or a carriage cover. Our mounted troops are deployed, but the moon aureole does not signify victory. Our noble steeds neigh, but the North Star signifies they will be harmed. So I advise you to forge a marriage with Tang because it’s hard to win if you attack Longxi.
You’d better welcome the Tang Princess in Fengchi and Bohai,
Instead of dressing the peaceful messenger general in war array.
TUBO KING:
If I fail to make a marriage with Tang, I will launch an attack.
SHANG ZIPI:
It’s not necessary.
You may as well take military actions against the Huihe nation
So as to avoid the momentum of the Central Plains
And handle the frontier affairs.
TUBO KING:
I ac
cept your advice. What about your coming along with me?
SHANG ZIPI:
I haven’t got married or taken up an official position, and am turning fifty. I reside in the Kunlun Mountains and when I look far into the distance, I see hustle and bustle everywhere in the earthly world. Indolent and unrestrained by nature, I go against the worldly ways of life. Besides, I lived in the Central Plains of the Tang Dynasty when I was very young, so I admire the people’s way of life there. I should evade anything that would bring aspersion by not being entangled in the important and confidential affairs. So I dare not obey your order.
TUBO KING:
How can there be aspersion between gentlemen? When the war is over and achievement is made, you can do whatever you want.
SHANG ZIPI:
Shall I make a divination outside by judging from the wind?
(Aside)
I have nothing to seek after in this world, but I’m concerned that the fate of the Tubo nation is declining as his top-rank general Lunkongre harbors evil intentions. I may as well take this opportunity to get away. Besides, it’s likely that I can get back to the Tang court and meet Li Yi, Shi Xiong and Hua Qing.
(Turns around)
According to prophecy by the wind, we use the word “date” instead of day. The date is the guest star while the hour is the host star. Today the wind comes from the southeast while I stay in the west. The date today is geng-xu and the hour now is from five to seven in the afternoon, nearing dusk. Both the date and the hour are positive. As “geng” indicates “righteousness” and “xu” indicates “impartiality”, I am able to go with you but won’t accept your conferment of the title. When the job is done, please allow me to go wherever I want!
TUBO KING:
That’s fine! That’s fine! Your nephew, Shang Qixin, head of the secretariat, is to stay and keep you company. You can take your time and join me, while I go back hunting at night.
(Bids farewell)
“The Shaowei star joins the invasion of the Beiluo star
When the Taibai star launches the western army.
If you had recognized the auspicious air moving to the east,
You would be a cloud leaving the mountains in vain.”
(Exit)
(Shang Qixin and Shang Zipi stay on the stage)
SHANG QIXIN:
It’s Tubo King’s goodwill to assign you the position of grand prime minister or military governor. Why should you reject his offer now that you agree to follow him? Besides, all our family members are Tubo officials, and the Tubo nation is strong and powerful now, so we should make contributions to its prosperity.