by Tang Xianzu
PRINCESS QIONGYING:
It’s of great benefit.
The ferryboat turns out to be
The lotus throne over the Hell of Bloody Basin.
ANT QUEEN (To the previous tune):
Buddha is so benevolent
That he reveals the truth to the world.
It is women alone that are to suffer, but the sons and daughters belong to both men and women. When women get dazed at childbirth, it is men’s fault to pour the dirty water into the streams. In the sutra,
It is overtly stated that dirty waters run outdoors,
Why are women alone to be blamed?
Summon an envoy and tell him to set out at once with a thousand copies of The Nativity Sutra and make his way by day and night!
The royal envoy will bring the sutra to the princess
Lest she should go to the hell in Zhuiyang.
Tell Princess Golden Branch
To distribute the sutra far and wide
So that I can also ascend to the paradise.
Where there’s mother, there’s maternal love;
Every mother shares her children’s woe.
If only she chants the sutra and repents her sin
Can she be blessed wherever she is to go.
Scene Twenty-Four
Street Ballads
(Enter the Royal Envoy on horseback, carrying the sutra in his hands and the royal edict on his back)
ROYAL ENVOY (To the tune of Qingjiangyin):
On my ride to Nanke County,
I see the mountain scenery like a picture.
While the princess is fine and sweet,
The royal son-in-law fares well in his career.
Here I am,
To dismount the horse and tidy myself up.
Things may vary, but they always follow a course of development. I am the Royal Envoy. Under the royal edict of His Majesty and Her Majesty, I’m here to give the princess the Buddhist sutra for worship and to bring the edict to announce the promotion of the royal son-in-law. No sooner have I entered the Nanke territory than I see the verdant mountains, the blue winding rivers, the flourishing grass and trees, and the thriving birds and beasts. The residential houses are surrounded by tidy gardens and pools, and decorated by orderly eaves. Besides perfect beauty and affluence, they seem to enjoy benevolence and forbearance. On the straight streets, men and women are walking on separate sides. The old and the young bow to each other when they meet in the fields. Much have I traveled but seldom have I seen such a peaceful life. Let me see! I’ll ask how the princess is going on so that I can know how the people think of her. Now some villagers are coming this way.
(Enter some senior villagers, holding joss-sticks in their hands)
SENIOR VILLAGERS (To the tune of Xiaobaige):
With little corvée enforced
And many grains hoarded,
The officials and civilians are in good terms.
The seniors drink to their hearts’ content
While the juniors sing in full throat.
What do you think
About our holding
The joss-sticks?
(Royal Envoy approaches a senior villager and asks)
ROYAL ENVOY:
Excuse me, sir! How is the princess going?
SENIOR VILLAGER (With an exclamation):
(To the previous tune)
What do you think
About our holding
The joss-sticks?
(Exeunt)
ROYAL ENVOY:
The villagers look so happy, but what is it that they are singing? Some scholars are coming this way, too.
(Enter some scholars, holding joss-sticks in their hands)
SCHOLARS (To the previous tune):
When village stipulations are followed
And poems set to the music,
Everybody in every family obeys the moral codes.
One learns from all
And all learns from one.
What do you think
About our holding
The joss-sticks?
ROYAL ENVOY:
Excuse me, sir! How is the princess going?
SCHOLAR (With an exclamation):
(To the previous tune)
What do you think
About our holding
The joss-sticks?
(Exeunt)
(Enter some village women, holding joss-sticks in their hands)
VILLAGE WOMEN (To the previous tune):
With moral codes in sway
And no family violence,
Our marriage life is fit and proper.
Each family lives in peace;
Each family abounds with children.
What do you think
About our holding
The joss-sticks?
ROYAL ENVOY:
Excuse me, ladies! How is the princess going?
VILLAGE WOMEN (With an exclamation):
(To the previous tune)
What do you think
About our holding
The joss-sticks?
(Exeunt)
(Enter a merchant, holding joss-sticks in hand)
MERCHANT (To the previous tune):
With equal tax
And no extra burdens,
Merchants from afar settle down in this place.
You can pass the checkpoints at any time,
Always safe and sound.
What do you think
About our holding
The joss-sticks?
ROYAL ENVOY:
You look rather familiar to me, brother.
MERCHANT:
I come from the capital and am doing business here.
ROYAL ENVOY:
So that’s it. Do you know how the princess is going?
MERCHANT:
We are on our way to pray in the memorial temple of the magistrate. We wish His Highness and the princess a long, long life.
ROYAL ENVOY:
You are not a native here. Why do you wish them a long, long life?
MERCHANT:
Since Magistrate Chunyu came to office twenty years ago, the place has been in such good order that people have no need to lock the door at night and even the dogs are set free. As traveling merchants, we come and go in great ease and comfort. So why shouldn’t we acknowledge the duty to requite his kindness?
ROYAL ENVOY:
Before I met you, some senior villagers, scholars and village women had passed, holding joss-sticks in their hands. Where are they going? And what are they singing?
MERCHANT:
There’s something you don’t know. Since Magistrate Chunyu came to office, Nanke County has always enjoyed timely wind and rain, with contented people living in a country of peace and tranquility. People are enjoying themselves all the year round and singing praise of his benevolent government. A tablet is erected in every village with the name of His Highness inscribed on it. Here is a big temple built in honor of His Highness, with nine rows of walls altogether. The main hall is thirty feet tall, with several fifteen-foot steles to commemorate his virtuous deeds. Within these twenty years, he has done at least 7,200 good deeds, even if he does just one good deed a day. These deeds are really beyond words.
ROYAL ENVOY:
These deeds must have been concocted by some scrupulous scholars or rascal villagers.
MERCHANT (Annoyed):
(To the previous tune)
What do you think
About our holding
The joss-sticks?
(Exit)
ROYAL ENVOY:
How ridiculous! How ridiculous! I wonder if there indeed exists such a government as enjoys the ardent support of the people!
For his twenty years of virtuous deeds,
They honor him with ballads and incense.
Each stele praises the life he leads,
And each word in the edict makes sense.
Scene Twenty-Five
Enjoying the Moon
(Ent
er the secretary)
SECRETARY:
“As the secretary to the magistrate,
I know something about bookkeeping.
When the magistrate is not in office,
I’ll take care of the official seal but have no income at all.”
Something extraordinary has been accomplished recently. The princess, who was brought up in the deep palace, has not got used to the heat in Nanke for all these twenty years. When she got to know that it was cool to the northwest of River Town, she ordered that the Jade Terrace be built for her to shelter from the heat. Zhou Bian and Tian Zihua took charge of the whole project and had it completed in a short time. You may ask why it is called the Jade Terrace, and I can tell you that tall terraces of delicate jade are built outside the four gates. His Highness and the princess will soon arrive to enjoy the moon. Here come Zhou Bian and Tian Zihua.
(Exit for the moment)
(Enter Zhou Bian and Tian Zihua)
ZHOU BIAN, TIAN ZIHUA (To the tune of Raodiyou):
What about human life?
We serve as officials beneath the earth,
But accompany His Highness in leisure times.
Now that the moon has risen
And stars twinkle in the sky,
The perfect couple is coming from the palace.
ZHOU BIAN:
I am Zhou Bian, director of justice and order.
TIAN ZIHUA:
I am Tian Zihua, director of farming affairs.
ZHOU BIAN:
Thanks to the magistrate’s favor and trust, we have assisted him in his administrative affairs for many years. The Jade Terrace has just been completed as a summer resort for the princess on the western bank of River Town. His Highness and the princess are coming soon. Today is the fifteenth of the month with the full moon. This is really a joyous occasion.
TIAN ZIHUA:
In my opinion, for all the splendor of the Jade Terrace, it is close to the State of Sandals and Vines. I don’t think it convenient for the princess to dwell for long.
ZHOU BIAN:
With the garrison stationed in River Town, safety can surely be ensured.
(Sounds of clearing the way within)
TIAN ZIHUA:
Now come His Highness and the princess. We’d better stay away for a while.
(Exeunt for the moment)
(Enter Chunyu Fen and Princess Golden Branch, followed by attendants)
CHUNYU FEN, PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH (To the tune of Poqizhen):
Towering above all the surrounding houses,
The Jade Terrace nearly levels the Milky Way.
Under the moonlit sky,
The royal couple
Have dismissed all the officials.
Together we leave the sweet smelling chambers
And ride in the carriage in the evening haze.
Where on earth is better than Nanke County?
(Enter Zhou Bian and Tian Zihua)
(Enter the clerk to report)
CLERK:
Director of justice and order and director of farming affairs are waiting for an audience.
CHUNYU FEN:
Bring my word that as the princess is here, it is inconvenient for me to see them here. Tell them to go home first.
(The clerk responds)
(Exeunt Zhou Bian and Tian Zihua)
CHUNYU FEN:
I had this palace built especially for you, my dear princess. Piled with jade, the five gates and the twelve bowers really constitute a fairyland. With the bright moon above us, let’s drink to our hearts’ content.
(Enter two maids of honor with wine)
MAIDS OF HONOR:
“A perfect couple resides in the gilded bower
While the moon shines over the Jade Terrace.”
Here is the wine.
CHUNYU FEN (To the tune of Putianlefan):
Bathed in the moonlight,
The magnificent palace
Looks like a glaring tower.
Dear princess, you were born in the palace
And are married to me the magistrate.
With incense so fragrant
And flowers so colorful,
Why are you wearing no smiles
But frowning all the time?
In the bright moonlight,
Let me fill your cup with vintage wine.
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH (Sighs):
The scenery is beautiful indeed, but I am not in the right mood. I can’t help it! I can’t help it!
CHUNYU FEN:
Well, as you don’t feel like drinking, I’ll let our children to urge you. Bring our sons and daughters here!
(Enter two sons and two daughters)
SONS AND DAUGHTERS:
“Under the bright moon, under the bright moon,
Let’s burn incense under the luxuriant tree.”
Dad and mom, won’t you have a drink?
(Urge Princess Golden Branch to drink)
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH (Smiles):
I’ll drink. I’ll drink.
(To the tune of Yanguoshafan)
The Moon Goddess,
I am not as carefree as you.
With so many untrammeled children to raise,
I have to care about each of them.
As twenty years have passed,
My eldest son is studying at school,
My second son is as clever as his brother,
And my little daughters have learned to dress up.
Seeing them in front of me now,
I am brightened up again.
CHUNYU FEN (To the tune of Qingbeifan):
The bright moon
Above the Jade Terrace
Is like a newly polished mirror,
Hanging in the blue sky
For the people to admire.
SONS AND DAUGHTERS:
Come and enjoy
The caresses of the gentle breeze
And the coolness of the limpid dew.
The lingering evening glow
Adds a mystic tint to the moon.
That’s why you are called an immortal,
Living in the cool cave,
Inclined to dance off and on.
ALL:
The Great State of Peaceful Locust
Is enshrouded in the moonlight
Of happy reunion in Nanke.
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH:
Together with my man and children, I do enjoy the family reunion. The only thing that worries me is that my two sons have come of age, but neither of them is betrothed yet.
SONS AND DAUGHTERS:
Mom, if you stay up here, won’t it be too high and cold?
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH (To the tune of Shantaohongfan):
The thought that occupies me all the time
Is hard to reveal at this time.
The Jade Terrace is no ordinary place,
Rising lonely into the cold sky.
The Moon Goddess seeks shelter in the moon,
But how can I be compared with her?
VOICE WITHIN:
Your Highness, here comes the royal edict.
(Enter the Royal Envoy to announce the royal edict)
ROYAL ENVOY:
Here arrives the royal edict. Kneel on the ground and listen to the royal edict, “I am fully aware that the way to run a country well is to respect the virtuous and the able and to love one’s kith and kin. This is the basis for bestowing favors and rewards. Princess Yaofang and her husband Chunyu Fen, magistrate of Nanke County, the royal son-in-law and the honorary captain, have taken office in Nanke for twenty years. I am deeply impressed that people sing praise of him for his benevolence. Hence he is to be conferred a fief town of 3,000 households, the title of the Grand General, the post of Grand Secretary of the State Council, and the rank of dukedom. Yet he still holds office in Nanke County. His two sons and two daughters are offered hereditary posts and allowed to be married with members of the royal family and to share the weal and woe with the state. The above is m
y edict. You are to show your gratitude.”
CHUNYU FEN, PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH (Kowtow):
Long live the king!
ROYAL ENVOY (Kowtows to Chunyu Fen and Princess Golden Branch):
Congratulations to you for your promotion!
CHUNYU FEN (Holds the royal envoy by the arm):
Thank you very much!
ROYAL ENVOY:
Here is another edict from Her Majesty the Queen: “Here are a thousand copies of The Nativity Sutra for the princess to worship and distribute, so that she can evade ill fortune and enjoy good
fortune.”
CHUNYU FEN:
To run a family and a country well, we need nothing but the Confucian doctrines. Buddhism is entirely out of the way.
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH:
I do not know what the Confucian doctrines are.
CHUNYU FEN:
The Confucian doctrines expound the righteousness between the ruler and the subject, the affection between father and son, the distinction between man and wife, the orderly sequence between old and young, and the fidelity between friends.
PRINCESS GOLDEN BRANCH:
How would you explain the fact that although Confucian doctrines have never been preached in our country, we have righteousness between the ruler and the subject, distinction between you and me, affection between you and your children, and orderly sequence between brothers and sisters?
CHUNYU FEN (Smiles):
For all I have said, I’ll distribute the sutra for you.
When the princess stays ill in her estate,
The edict brings forth joy to man and wife.
May she live a long and happy life,
As her man will follow the Buddhist fate.
Scene Twenty-Six
Incurring the Covetousness
(Enter Fourth Prince of the State of Sandals and Vines)
FOURTH PRINCE (To the tune of Lihua’er):
Born in this small State of Sandals and Vines,
As a prince, I am for noise and excitement.
As a widower, I am clumsy and muddle-headed,
Well,
But my late wife used to beat me.
I am the fourth prince of the State of Sandals and Vines. With Sandal Boy as my pet name, I’m of loose and lighthearted personality. My father His Majesty has assigned me three thousand red ants to guard the west region of our state. Yesterday my wife died and I am eager to get a new one. The opportunity to a happy marriage has just fallen upon me. Princess Golden Branch of the Great State of the Peaceful Locust, who married the magistrate of Nanke County and followed him to the post, was so afraid of the heat in their residential place that she got a Jade Terrace built in River Town, which is quite near our country. Heavens! Heavens! How could it be that she fears the heat? She must have got bored with her marital life and want to have fun away from her husband. Obviously this will be a heaven-ordained marriage for me. I will muster one thousand hand-picked soldiers, smash the Jade Terrace and grab the princess. I just wonder whether she falls for me or not. I’ve already sent a scout to fish for information there disguised as an itinerant peddler of headdress flowers. When will he be back?