by Tang Xianzu
(Enter Princess Golden Branch, followed by court ladies carrying lanterns)
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH (To the previous tune):
I attended banquets several nights,
A favour bestowed by my parents.
With lanterns illuminating the street,
I hurry home behind curtains.
(Greets Chunyu Fen)
CHUNYU FEN:
I feel so lonely in the several nights when you were in the palace. Have you had my letter dispatched?
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH:
Please listen to me.
(To the tune of Yubaodu)
When I presented your letter,
His Majesty said that it was proper.
He had the letter dispatched at once
And gave advice time and again.
CHUNYU FEN:
I’m afraid that the reply will be delayed.
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH:
Since you have expressed your filial piety,
It does not matter when the reply comes.
(Enter a young soldier)
YOUNG SOLDIER:
“Never become a soldier in your life;
To be a soldier is full of strife.”
I am a young soldier from the north, carrying a letter of peace from the father of His Highness.
Here I am to deliver the letter.
(Kowtows to Chunyu Fen)
When I delivered your letter in the north, your father was very happy. Here is a letter of reply.
CHUNYU FEN (With a pleasant surprise):
Rise to your feet! Rise to your feet! Now I receive the letter of reply at last. Oh, my dear father!
(Opens the letter and reads)
“A letter of peace to my son Chunyu Fen.” Yes, these eight words do look like my father’s handwriting.
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH:
Would you read the letter for me?
CHUNYU FEN (Reads the letter):
“At the request of the King of the Great State of Peaceful Locust, I would like you to marry to the Royal Princess. When I receive your letter and the socks, I get to know that the wedding ceremony has been held. How elated I am that Her Highness the Royal Princess is so virtuous! Since we parted nearly twenty years ago, I have been missing you all the time. Now that you have become an intimate member of the royal house in the locust state, you should be prudent in everything you do. I always keep my old friends in my mind, but I do not know how many kith and kin are still alive. You’d better send me a more detailed letter to relieve me of my cares. I’d like to go and see you, but I am hindered by the hardship of the long distance. I am grieved that I cannot see you in person. Since it is not convenient for you to come to see me for the time being, I hope that I can meet you in the year of the ox.”
(Pats the letter and wails loudly)
I thought that he was dead since we have not seen each other for nearly twenty years. I did not expect that I should receive his letter and learn that he is safe and sound. What is the use of a son if he cannot see his father?
(Collapses on the ground for excessive grief)
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH (Helps Chunyu Fen to his feet):
Do not be over-grieved, Your Highness!
CHUNYU FEN (To the previous tune):
Safe and sound,
My father gives teachings as of old.
He asks about his kith and kin,
Full of grief for the vicissitude of life.
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH:
It is good that you shall meet him in the year of the ox.
CHUNYU FEN:
Can we meet each other at that time?
How can I sleep with ease of mind?
(Enter the Royal Envoy, holding the edict in his hands)
ROYAL ENVOY (To the tune of Fendie’er):
With the edict to appoint the magistrate,
I arrive at the residence of His Highness.
Here arrives the royal edict. Kneel on the ground and listen to the edict, which says, “Ours has been a state with wise people and royal relatives in the court, well-versed in civil and military affairs. As Nanke County is not well administrated, the former magistrate has been dismissed from office. I herewith appoint you as the magistrate and you can go with my daughter. The above is my edict. Give thanks to the Royal Grace!”
(Chunyu Fen and Princess Golden Branch rise to their feet)
ROYAL ENVOY (Kowtows to Chunyu Fen and Princess Golden Branch):
Congratulations to you on your appointment as the magistrate, Your Highnesses! His
Majesty has something else to say.
(To the tune of Yubaodu)
Tell the officials in charge
To prepare the luggage for the magistrate.
Excited at the departure of her dear daughter,
Her Majesty has prepared a sumptuous dowry.
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH:
Is there anything else to say?
ROYAL ENVOY:
With carriages and servants lining the street,
Her Majesty will see you off in person.
CHUNYU FEN (Elated):
(To the previous tune)
How could I expect this in the past?
I used to wander in the world and get drunk.
I have never imagined that I become a son-in-law
Who can drink tasty wine and serve in Nanke.
ALL:
A predestined marriage brings the couple together
To enjoy all the pleasures of life.
ROYAL ENVOY (To the tune of Coda):
To marry the royal princess brings distinction.
Get dressed for the morning court
And thank His Majesty before you leave!
(Exit)
CHUNYU FEN:
But for your recommendation, I would not have obtained this position.
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH:
The pleasure is mine.
CHUNYU FEN:
I have something else to ask you. It is difficult for me to manage such a large county as Nanke all by myself. Besides, as I have a casual disposition, I intend to have Tian Zihua and Zhou Bian to assist me in managing the county affairs with the consent of His Majesty. What do you think of it?
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH:
It’s up to you to decide.
Newly appointed as the Nanke magistrate,
Chunyu Fen thanks his wife for all the grace.
As tomorrow he has friends to nominate,
He wakes time and again for that case.
Scene Nineteen
Recommending the Assistants
(Enter the Royal Envoy, followed by attendants)
ROYAL ENVOY (To the tune of Shengchazi):
In charge of all the courtly manners,
I stay in the immortal cave at early morn.
Ten thousand tiny creatures are running
When I leave my grand sojourn.
ALL:
The general has arrived at the palace hall. As His Highness the Royal Son-in-Law is to leave the court today, all the ministers please wait on His Majesty here and now!
(Enter Chunyu Fen in court dress, holding a memorial in his hands)
CHUNYU FEN (To the previous tune):
With incense burners in the locust hall,
The forbidden palace favours all.
The magistrate hesitates to go
Along the palace ways that glow.
ROYAL ENVOY:
Please walk along the palace way, Your Highness!
CHUNYU FEN (On his knees):
I, Chunyu Fen, the newly-appointed magistrate of Nanke County and the Royal Captain, thank Your Majesty for your grace. As I shall leave for my office today, I have come to take departure.
(Kowtows and lies prostrate three times)
ROYAL ENVOY:
Please read your memorial of gratitude here and now, Your Highness!
CHUNYU FEN:
Besides showing gratitude on my departure, I shall recommend some wise talents to You
r
Majesty.
(To the tune of Guizhixiang)
I come from a general’s family,
But lack intelligence.
I am afraid that I might not be qualified
And thus fail to fulfil my job.
I am looking for wise talents,
Wise talents
As my subordinates
To give me assistance.
ROYAL ENVOY:
Whom are you recommending?
CHUNYU FEN:
As far as I know, Royal Captain Zhou Bian from Yingchuan is faithful and upright to be an assistant while Consultant Tian Zihua is prudent and compliant to handle administration. As they have been my friends for a dozen years, they are capable enough to be entrusted. I hope that Zhou Bian will be in charge of law and order and Tian Zihua will be in charge of farming. In that case, I shall distinguish myself in administration and in government by law.
As I am ignorant,
I hope that I shall have assistants
To handle the Nanke affairs.
ROYAL ENVOY:
Please rise to your feet and stand waiting!
CHUNYU FEN (Rises to his feet):
I suppose that His Majesty will agree to my proposal. Therefore, Royal Captain Zhou and Scholar Tian will have this opportunity.
ROYAL ENVOY:
This is the royal edict: “I am pleased that His Highness the Royal Son-in-Law recommends talented persons for the state. I give my consent to his proposal.”
CHUNYU FEN (Kowtows):
Long live the King!
(Rises to his feet)
(Enter Zhou Bian and Tian Zihua)
ZHOU BIAN, TIAN ZIHUA (To the tune of Shenzhang’er):
His Majesty has approved;
His Majesty has approved.
The magistrate of Nanke County,
Mr. Chunyu Fen recommends us
To be in charge of law and farming.
We are here to thank His Majesty.
(On their knees)
Zhou Bian, the newly appointed official in charge law and order in Nanke County and the former Royal Captain, and Tian Zihua, the newly appointed official in charge of farming in Nanke County and the Consultant, kowtow to Your Majesty to express our gratitude.
(Kowtow)
Long live the King!
(Rise to their feet)
CHUNYU FEN (Greets Zhou Bian and Tian Zihua):
Congratulations!
ZHOU BIAN, TIAN ZIHUA:
Thank you for your recommendation!
ROYAL ENVOY:
It’s time for Your Highness to set off as His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen are waiting to see you off in the pass to the south of the city.
(In the pattern of Selected Tang Poems)
To be married into a royal house,
He gets promoted because of his spouse.
With two friends to go the same way,
Together they will enjoy the day.
Scene Twenty
The Royal Farewell Banquet
(Enter two Royal Envoys)
ROYAL ENVOYS:
“Near the palace halls and inscribed boards,
Green canopies and red flags line the street.
When the king and queen arrive,
The princess and her spouse come to greet.”
His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen have prepared a farewell banquet for
His Highness the Royal Son-in-Law and Her Highness the Royal Princess to go take up
the official position in Nanke County. Here come the royal carriages.
(Enter the Ant King and the Ant Queen, followed by court ladies)
ANT KING, ANT QUEEN (To the tune of Chuanyanyunü):
From the misty palace cave
Arises a beam of sunlight.
When we look back at the palace,
We only see the green tiles.
COURT LADIES:
The court ladies in service
Accompany the King and the Queen.
ALL:
We see a pair of phoenixes,
Handsome and pretty.
ROYAL ENVOYS:
Long live the King!
ANT KING:
Is the banquet ready?
ROYAL ENVOYS:
Yes, it is.
ANT KING:
Have the officials concerned prepared the luggage for the magistrate?
ROYAL ENVOYS:
Yes, they have.
COURT LADY:
This is the edict from Her Majesty, “The dowry, jewellery, embroidered satin, carriages, horses and servants are to be displayed on the highway.”
ROYAL ENVOYS:
Yes, Your Majesty.
(Enter Chunyu Fen and Princess Golden Branch)
CHUNYU FEN, PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH (To the tune of Shuying):
In elegant dress,
The mirror reflects the image
In full splendour.
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH:
As if in a dream,
I am always shy,
But ride now in a carriage.
ROYAL ENVOYS (Urges Chunyu Fen and Princess Golden Branch):
As the royal banquet is ready,
You’d better hurry to the green locust.
ALL:
What a distinguished couple,
A perfect match for each other!
ROYAL ENVOYS (Reports to the Ant King and the Ant Queen):
His Highness and Her Highness have arrived.
CHUNYU FEN, PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH (Lie prostrate on the ground):
We are overjoyed and embarrassed to have the favour of your seeing us off far from the palace.
ANT KING:
I would not have parted with you, but I would not worry about Nanke in the south once you are there.
ANT QUEEN (Weeps):
You’ll suffer from the long journey, my dear daughter!
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH (Weeps):
Oh my dear mother!
ANT KING:
When you are at home, you are a princess; when you are married, you are a county lady. What sufferings are you talking about?
CHUNYU FEN, PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH (Kowtow):
Gratified with all the favours from you, we wish you a long, long life!
ANT KING:
The same to the couple of you.
(Chunyu Fen and Princess Golden Branch offer a toast)
ANT KING (To the tune of Huameixu):
When the flowers are bathed in the sun,
I drink toasts in the south of the city.
I rely on you
To keep peace in the south.
Your service in Nanke County
Will ensure the peace of the state.
ALL:
The grandeur of the Nanke magistrate
Will impress the people of the state.
ANT QUEEN:
From now on, Nanke will be your new home, my dear daughter. All the treasures in the palace will serve as your dowry. Look at the highway!
(To the previous tune)
The towering trees
Cast their shadows on the ground.
I have given you
All you need in your home.
The exotic treasures in the broad day
Will fill cartloads on the way.
ALL:
The grandeur of the Nanke magistrate
Will impress the people of the state.
CHUNYU FEN (To the previous tune):
To be a county magistrate,
I may not be up to the par.
How dare I bear the honour
Of having you to see us off?
I wish the hills and rills last forever
And the state remain in peace and order.
ALL:
The grandeur of the Nanke magistrate
Will impress the people of the state.
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH (To the previous tune):
A flower still in the bud,
I bloom in the eastern breeze.
<
br /> I shall go with my spouse
With cartloads of dowry.
Now that I belong to my man,
I have to leave my parents.
ALL:
The grandeur of the Nanke magistrate
Will impress the people of the state.
(Chunyu Fen and Princess Golden Branch kneel on the ground)
CHUNYU FEN:
What virtue am I endowed to have troubled Your Majesty? May I ask how I am to govern Nanke County?
ANT KING:
As a big county in the country with rich soil and a large population, Nanke is only to be ruled by lenient government. With the assistance of your two friends Zhou and Tian, I hope that you will do your best to relieve my worry.
CHUNYU FEN (Kowtows):
I will follow your decree.
ANT QUEEN:
Before you leave, my dear daughter, please listen to my word of advice. Chunyu is robust and vigorous, addicted to drinking. Besides, as he is still young, you’d better be a suppliant lady. If you behave yourself, I shall be free from worries. Nanke is away from here although it is not a long distance. As we are going to part with each other today, how can I refrain from weeping?
(Weeps with Princess Golden Branch)
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH:
I’ll follow your instructions.
(Kowtows and bids farewell)
ANT KING (To the tune of Diliuzi):
Nanke County,
Nanke County
Is by no means inferior.
When you are in office,
When you are in office,
Please forget about your wine.
Go among the farmers
Instead of remaining in office
And taking the leisure all the time.
The people and the affairs
Are rather complicated there.
ANT KING:
Now announce my decree, “Beat the drums, play the flutes and carry the flags to see them off till the Departure Pavilion.”
(Walks)
ROYAL ENVOYS, COURT LADIES (To the tune of Baolaocui):
Amid the hustle and bustle in the street,
Amid the hustle and bustle in the street,
The King and the Queen see the youngsters off
While music accompanies the procession.
The Royal Son-in-Law
Is riding
On a spotted steed.
The King and his son-in-law look so pleased
While the Queen and her daughter look so sad,
Hard to tear themselves away.
ROYAL ENVOYS, COURT LADIES:
We have passed the Departure Pavilion, Your Majesty.
ANT KING:
We shall part sooner or later. Chunyu and Princess, take care!
CHUNYU FEN, PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH (Lie prostrate on the ground):
We shall always keep your words in our minds. We wish you a long, long life!