by Tang Xianzu
What if Li Quan comes?
OFFICER A:
I’ll present them to him for you.
OFFICER B:
You’re a friend in need! A friend indeed!
(Drums and shouts within)
(Enter Messenger)
MESSENGER:
Report, report, report! An army from the south has broken through the enemy lines. Envoy Du is coming!
OFFICIALS, OFFICERS
Let’s open the city gate at once and meet His Excellency.
“Blood is shedding day and night;
Who’s come to join the fight?”
(Exeunt)
(Enter Du Bao, followed by attendants)
DU BAO (To the tune of Jinqianhua):
The battle cries soar to the sky,
To the sky.
The town is tightly besieged,
Tightly besieged.
The wind whistles;
The banners flutter.
Open the city gate
And let down the drawbridge!
(Enter the officials and the officers)
OFFICIALS, OFFICERS (Kowtow):
The local officials and officers are here to welcome Your Excellency.
DU BAO:
Stand up, please. I’ll meet you in the city tower.
(The officials and the officers respond, rise and exeunt)
DU BAO (To the previous tune):
The dust has soiled my battle-robe,
My battle-robe.
The blood has stained my treasured sword,
My treasured sword.
(Drums within)
Amid Huai’an drums
And Yangzhou flutes,
I hoist the flag
And mount the city tower.
DU BAO, ATTENDANTS:
Meet in the hall
And talk to all.
(Reach the city tower)
(Enter Clerk)
CLERK:
Please take the chair, Your Excellency.
DU BAO (To the tune of Fendieeryin):
Miles and miles the troops go,
But how can I expel the foe?
CLERK (Announces):
Officials and officers, come in please.
(Enter the officials and the officers)
OFFICIALS, OFFICERS (Kneel to greet Du Bao):
Our besieged city is in imminent danger. Your Excellency, an excellent warrior, has come to our rescue. The local officials and officers are most grateful to you.
DU BAO:
As I am slow in coming, you have suffered from all the trouble in the battles. Therefore, please accept my deep bow.
(The officials and the officers respond, rise and return a bow)
DU BAO:
It seems to me that this Li Quan is good at strategy. He must be playing a trick by letting me break into the city.
OFFICIALS, OFFICERS
He will rely on no more than digging the tunnels or raising the ladders. We know something as to take precautions.
DU BAO:
I’m afraid he’s trying to block the city.
OFFICER B:
May I ask what it means? Is he going to block from the inside or from the outside? To block from the outside, they’ll block Gilded Prince out; to block from the inside, they block me in too.
DU BAO:
Forget about it for the moment. How many troops are there in the city?
OFFICER A:
Thirteen thousand troops.
DU BAO:
What are the provisions in the city?
OFFICIAL B:
The provisions will last us half a year.
DU BAO:
As long as all the officials and officers share one mind, we can hold out and wait for the reinforcement.
(Drums and shouts within)
(Enter Messenger)
MESSENGER:
Report, report! Li Quan’s troops are closer to the city.
DU BAO (With a long sigh):
What a rascal!
(To the tune of Chanqiaoer)
With ample men and grain we can hold out,
But all of you must fight in one mind.
OFFICIALS, OFFICERS
We’ll keep watch day and night,
With all our efforts combined.
(Yells within)
ALL: (Weep):
Amid the alien yells,
Our silent hatred swells.
DU BAO (Kowtows to the sky while the officials and the officers join him):
With our tears rolling down the wall,
We pray that Heaven bless us all.
OFFICIALS, OFFICERS (To the previous tune):
A good commander can expel the foes;
To guard the frontier depends on the heroes.
DU BAO:
The Yangtze and Huai rivers are strategic parts,
So we have to take arms with all our hearts.
ALL:
Amid the alien yells,
Our silent hatred swells.
DU BAO:
From now on, the officials shall defend the city walls while the officers shall go out to fight. You must support each other as the situation demands.
OFFICER B:
But I’m afraid the main forces of the Jins will come soon.
DU BAO:
As to the Jins,
(To the tune of Coda)
It’s hard to say whether the Jins will come by now,
But you should not smear the banners of Zhao.
Even if they should come,
To fight to the end is our solemn vow.
OFFICER A:
The aliens run riot day by day,
OFFICER B:
With three thousand troops on the way.
DU BAO:
I have my scheme to quell the foe,
OFFICIALS, OFFICERS
A feat that will always stay.
Scene Forty-Four
Concern for Her Parents
(Enter Du Liniang)
DU LINIANG (To the tune of Juhuaxin):
When magpies greet me for my happy dream,
I tap my golden hairpins with a smile.
The incense smoke coils in autumn breeze
And makes me anxious for news all the while.
“A ghost expects to gain a second life;
A wretched scholar hopes to gain fame.
An honoured husband makes a glorious wife;
I do hope he indeed achieves his name.”
I’ve come with my husband Mr Liu to attend the imperial examination. It happens to be the right time for His Majesty to select talented scholars, but the announcement has not been made yet. It is true to say,
“The court is a distant place to seek fame;
Will my husband gain his name?”
(Enter Liu Mengmei)
LIU MENGMEI (To the tune of Chuduizi):
I was lucky in the imperial exam,
But news of war destroyed my dream.
Awaiting news of my success at home,
My wife expects the rise of my esteem.
Like a homeless soul,
She is adrift with the stream.
(Greets Du Liniang)
DU LINIANG:
I’m glad you’re back at last, Mr Liu. I expected you to come back in a grand carriage, but how is it that you come back on foot?
LIU MENGMEI:
Now, listen to my explanation.
(To the tune of Wapen’er)
As I was late for the exam,
The gate was locked and scholars gone.
DU LINIANG:
Oh, so you were late.
LIU MENGMEI:
I happened to meet someone I knew.
DU LINIANG:
Did he allow you to make up for the exam?
LIU MENGMEI:
He picked me as another pearl that shone.
DU LINIANG (Delighted):
Wonderful! Have you learned of the results?
LIU MENGMEI:
When we waited outside the palace gate
> For the announcement,
It happened ...
DU LINIANG:
What happened?
LIU MENGMEI:
Don’t you know that the Jins are sending their armies to the Huaiyang area?
As the troops are busy with the war affair,
The scholars’ business is put aside
And thus you are delayed to get your share.
DU LINIANG:
It doesn’t matter to be delayed for some time. By the way, you just mentioned Huaiyang. Is it the area where my father takes command?
LIU MENGMEI:
Yes, it is.
DU LINIANG (In tears):
Oh heavens, what’s happened to my parents?
(Weeps)
LIU MENGMEI:
You are nearly mad,
So sad
And depressed.
In the hell were you so distressed?
DU LINIANG:
Forget about it. But there’s something I hesitate to say.
LIU MENGMEI:
Go on.
DU LINIANG:
Mr Liu, as we have to wait a long time for the announcement, will you be kind enough to go to Huaiyang and try to find out about my parents?
LIU MENGMEI:
I’ll be willing to, but I’m reluctant to leave you here.
DU LINIANG:
Don’t worry. I’ll take care of myself.
LIU MENGMEI:
Then, I’ll be leaving in an instant.
DU LINIANG (To the tune of Liuhuaqi):
My parents lived below the distant clouds
While I was buried under the plum tree.
Away from the crowds,
My soul was bent on thee.
Between Huaiyang and here,
My soul wandered to and fro.
I’m afraid they will be filled with fear.
Oh, Dad and Mom,
As resurrection is something they hardly know,
How can they expect a son-in-law,
Who marries their deceased daughter
And comes to their door!
LIU MENGMEI (To the previous tune):
To go or not to go,
I’m in two minds.
My desires to stay with my dear wife grow.
DU LINIANG:
I have Sister Stone to keep me company.
LIU MENGMEI:
A nun won’t help you spend the long cold night;
I’m afraid you’ll change your mind
And wander again like a sprite.
DU LINIANG:
I won’t.
LIU MENGMEI:
In the exam I wrote the best essay;
I’m afraid I’ll miss the announcement day.
DU LINIANG (Weeps):
Oh, Dad and Mom!
LIU MENGMEI:
In view of your deep love for your parents,
I’m ready to meet them as a son-in-law.
My dear, as soon as I meet your parents, the first thing they’ll mention is how you came back to life again.
DU LINIANG (Sighs):
(To the tune of Yujiadeng)
As it seems to be a fantastic tale,
My dad might not believe what you say.
(Ponders for a moment)
Well, I have an idea. Bring my portrait with you.
When they see my portrait,
They’ll ask about you and me right away.
LIU MENGMEI:
What shall I say then?
DU LINIANG:
You just say that it’s our fate
To be man and wife
And you opened the grave for me.
LIU MENGMEI:
I should say you came to my study first.
DU LINIANG:
I don’t agree.
You’ll make them laugh at me,
But you can hint at it to Chunxiang.
LIU MENGMEI (To the previous tune):
I hoped to go with you in carriage and four
And see them as a man of renown;
But now I’ll go in times of war
And wear a shabby gown.
DU LINIANG:
It doesn’t matter for a son-in-law to be plainly dressed. I’m only worrying about your lonely trip.
LIU MENGMEI:
At autumn dusk,
The wild geese are on a returning flight.
On Qinhuai River I’ll spend the lonely night.
DU LINIANG:
My lord, this might be a lonely trip, but when you come back ranking first in the imperial examination ...
LIU MENGMEI:
What a splendour then!
It’ll make a grand show
When I meet them again.
(Enter Sister Stone)
SISTER STONE:
“As the umbrella shelters sun and rain,
So the portrait endures autumn and spring.”
Here’s the parcel and umbrella for you.
(Liu Mengmei and Du Liniang take leave of each other)
DU LINIANG (To the tune of Coda):
You’re going to the family of Du;
LIU MENGMEI:
At the news of your revival, great joy will ensue.
DU LINIANG:
Mr Liu, come back as soon as things are settled there.
Don’t let the Yangzhou music detain you.
LIU MENGMEI:
To Du’s family a scholar will go,
DU LINIANG:
Without a precious gift to show.
LIU MENGMEI:
On the lonely trip to Yangzhou,
DU LINIANG:
Both man and wife are filled with woe.
Scene Forty-Five
The Bandits’ Wily Scheme
(Enter two bandit sentries, patrolling here and there)
SENTRY A (To the tune of Baoziling):
Our prince came from the rank and file,
The rank and file.
His wife was once a female courier,
A female courier.
Not content with their rule on the mount,
They start to grab more land on no account.
SENTRY A, SENTRY B:
Up and down the hill we’re on patrol;
We strike the gongs to play our role.
SENTRY A:
Brother, our prince is besieging the city of Huai’an and he wants to find someone to bring a message to Envoy Du. As there’s not a single shadow on the highway, let’s turn to the byways.
SENTRY A, SENTRY B:
Up and down the hill we’re on patrol,
We strike the gongs to play our role.
(Exeunt)
(Enter Chen Zuiliang, bearing an umbrella and a parcel)
CHEN ZUILIANG (To the tune of Zhumating):
I used to teach in Nan’an,
But I’ve lost my position there.
If I want to be a millionaire,
I have to teach a thousand years
To get my share.
I, Chen Zuiliang, am on my way to Yangzhou to report to Envoy Du on Miss Du’s affairs. But who knows that he’s besieged in Huai’an with the result that I have nowhere to turn to. As it’s too dangerous on the highway, I’ll go along the byways.
Like Confucius who wandered here and there,
I am a scholar who lives in worry and care.
When tree shadows meet my eye,
The wails of apes and tigers make me sigh.
(Enter the two bandit sentries)
SENTRY A:
“Aware of tigers in the hill,
He goes to the den with a stubborn will.”
Where are you going, old man?
(The sentries catch hold of Chen Zuiliang)
CHEN ZUILIANG:
Mercy on me, rebel king!
SENTRY B:
There’s another king here!
CHEN ZUILIANG:
On, heavens! As the saying goes,
“With crows and magpies in the sky,
Who knows if I’ll live or die!”
(Exit C
hen Zuiliang with the sentries)
(Enter Li Quan, followed by his men and Lady Yang)
LI QUAN (To the tune of Puxiange):
When I become a bandit head,
Who says that I’m full of dread?
Although I’m alien to the south
And foreign to the north,
The heaven has reserved my bed.
My lady, we’ve besieged Huai’an for quite some time, but haven’t conquered it yet. We’d better find someone to bring a message there and find out what Envoy Du is up to. But I have no idea as to whom to send.
LADY YANG:
The man must know old Envoy Du well and can cope with the situation.
(Enter Chen Zuiliang, tied up and led by Sentry B)
CHEN ZUILIANG (To the tune of Fendieer):
I got caught on the byway;
Oh, heavens!
In the butcher’s house what could I say?
SENTRY B (Greets Li Quan):
My lord, we’ve captured a man from the south.
LI QUAN:
Well, it’s an old chap. Where are you from? What is your trade?
CHEN ZUILIANG:
Now, listen,
(To the tune of Dayagu)
I, Chen Zuiliang,
A scholar from Nan’an,
Am going to visit a friend in Huaiyang.
LI QUAN:
Who is it?
CHEN ZUILIANG:
It’s Envoy Du.
I used to teach in his home.
LADY YANG:
So you were a tutor in his home. How many pupils did you teach?
CHEN ZUILIANG:
His wife Lady Zhen gave birth to a single daughter.
Dead and gone was his daughter Du Liniang.
LADY YANG:
Who else is there in his family?
CHEN ZUILIANG:
His adopted daughter,
A former maid by the name of Chunxiang.
LADY YANG (Sniggers aside):
I’ve never heard about old Du’s family affairs. Now that I get to know of it, I’ve a scheme ready.
(To the attendants)
Take this pedant outside the camp.
(The attendants respond and take Chen Zuiliang off stage)
My lord, I’ve conceived a scheme. As we killed some women yesterday, we can pick out two heads and say that they are the heads of Du’s womenfolk, caught by my men and killed on their way back to Yangzhou. Then we’ll let the pedant go and pass the word to old Du. Overcome by grief, he will lose his heart in defending the city.
LI QUAN:
A good idea! A good idea!
(Rises to his feet and speaks in a low voice)
Call my adjutant.
(Enter the adjutant)
LI QUAN (To the adjutant):
When I speak with the pedant, you just come in to present two heads of the women killed yesterday and say that they are the heads of Lady Zhen and her maid Chunxiang. Do as I tell you.
(Exit the adjutant after a response)
LI QUAN:
Now bring the pedant in.
(Enter Chen Zuiliang, escorted by the attendants)
CHEN ZUILIANG: