by Tang Xianzu
I’ll bully Lu’s wife.
(Exeunt the eunuch and the Commissioner of the Weaving Mill)
(Enter Miss Cui and Meixiang, holding satins in their hands)
MISS CUI (To the tune of Poqizhen):
A weaver in the Weaving Mill now
Was First-Rank Lady for ten years.
Reduced to a wretched state
In the Weaving Mill,
I weave with a broken heart.
How can I bear the noise of the mill?
The satin is done,
But tears will soon exhaust.
(In the pattern of Tirenjiao)
A Weaving Mill
Is enshrouded in the mist.
I brighten the lamp
And stop my shuttles in a dream.
My man on exile
Returns at midnight.
We are approaching the palace wall
When I am awakened by the birdcall.
I gaze into the Milky Way
And weave with disheveled hair.
In the chilly night,
I try to embroider the mandarin ducks.
At the sight of the river over which birds fly,
My tears begin to gush in flood.
I am Miss Cui of Qinghe, wife of Minister Lu. When my man was sent in exile to the region of miasma, I was sent to the Royal Weaving Mill, with none but Meixiang to accompany me. When my man was serving in the court, the couple of us lived a life of abundance and distinction. For the hundreds of servant boys and servant maids, the boys were decorated with gold and mink while the maids were clothed in embroidery. Who knows the vicissitudes of life? Well, forget about it. How sad I am now that I am separated from my man and my sons!
(To the tune of Yujia’ao)
I stop weaving at the thought of my man and sons;
My man has gone south to Hainan,
A place hard to detect on a sea chart.
MEIXIANG:
It’s better for her man to stay with her,
Lest she should feel too sad.
Oh, Meixiang!
I used to stay amid silk and blooms,
But now work in the mill in plain dress.
MISS CUI, MEIXIANG:
We’ll ask the heavens
Why we should live through two worlds.
MISS CUI:
I have been confined here for three years. No one in the court has ever tried to redress the injustice done on my man.
MEIXIANG:
How miserable we are! How miserable we are!
MISS CUI (To the tune of Tanpodijinhua):
The grand foe
Has destroyed our career.
A swirl of dust
Has darkened the Heavenly Gate.
I’ll learn from the ancient wife,
Who wove a palindrome for her mate.
MISS CUI, MEIXIANG:
If we make a petition to the wise emperor,
There might be a day to get redressed.
MEIXIANG:
Madam, if you weave your petition in a palindrome and have it presented to His Majesty, there might be the possibility of bringing Master Lu home. Here is the ink and the ink-slab. Please write the words to be woven into the satin.
MISS CUI (Writes):
Here are two palace poems to the tune of Pusaman. I’ll get the gold and red silk threads ready and Meixiang will do the weaving with me.
MEIXIANG:
Yes, Madam.
MISS CUI (Gets the satin ready and starts to weave):
(To the tune of Tiyindeng)
I weave the messy silk in a dreary mood,
And try to find the broken thread.
The golden threads go with my endless woe;
My words are hidden in the flowery design.
MISS CUI, MEIXIANG:
The palindrome wears out my tender hands,
While the spindles pass through the stains of tears.
(Sound of hailing the way within)
MEIXIANG:
As the satin-collector is coming, you’d better hurry up, Madam.
MISS CUI (To the tune of Mapozi):
Woven into the royal satin,
My words are worn out.
On hearing crickets chirp in the cold,
I stop the spindles to look afar.
When I weave, tears blur my eyes,
With thoughts flying to the end of the earth.
(Sound of hailing the way within)
MISS CUI, MEIXIANG:
While satin-collectors are coming soon,
Woe and worry makes me all the more fragile.
(Enter the eunuch and the Commissioner of the Weaving Mill, hailing their way)
EUNUCH (To the tune of Fendie’er):
Wearing a hat with dumpling-shaped wings,
I walk in haughty strides.
COMMISSIONER OF THE WEAVING MILL:
Here we are at the Weaving Mill.
EUNUCH:
I haven’t seen the weavers waiting here to greet us. What a curse! What a curse!
MEIXIANG (Flustered):
The eunuch in charge of weaving has arrived. As we are in the mire, we have to greet them, Madam.
MISS CUI:
As I am a First-Rank Lady with dignity, you’ll go in my stead, Meixiang.
MEIXIANG (Responds and kneels to make a greeting):
The weaver is greeting Your Highness.
EUNUCH (Giggles):
Well, stand up, stand up. Are you Madam Lu?
MEIXIANG:
My name is Meixiang.
EUNUCH (To the Commissioner of the Weaving Mill):
Why is she called Meixiang?
COMMISSIONER OF THE WEAVING MILL:
Meixiang is a general term for the maids, which means fragrance of the plum-blossom. If you enter the residence in spring, you’ll be called Spring Plum-Blossom. If you enter the residence in winter, you’ll be called Winter Plum-Blossom. If you have scars on your head, you’ll be called Scarred Plum-Blossom. I don’t know when she entered Minister Lu’s residence that she is called by the general term Meixiang.
EUNUCH (Giggles):
Meixiang, Meixiang, what fragrance does she have?
COMMISSIONER OF THE WEAVING MILL:
Meixiang has secret fragrance hidden in the lower half of her clothes.
(In a low voice)
When she is hanged up in the hall, her fragrance will spread all over.
EUNUCH (Whispers):
Do you think she knows about the treasures you mentioned?
COMMISSIONER OF THE WEAVING MILL:
As she is a concubine of Minister Lu, how can she know nothing about it?
EUNUCH (Sighs):
Even if she is a concubine of Minister Lu, I don’t think she knows much about it.
COMMISSIONER OF THE WEAVING MILL:
Never mind. You just burst into anger at my signal.
EUNUCH:
All right.
(Makes a greeting)
Is that Lu Sheng’s wife?
MISS CUI:
Thank you, Your Highness.
EUNUCH (Annoyed):
Oh, as a weaver under my surveillance, you do not fall on your knees but just say “Thank you” to me. Am I to fall on my knees in front of you? Show me the satin for gifts to the Tubo envoys.
COMMISSIONER OF THE WEAVING MILL:
According to the order of the Thousand-Word Essay, there are eight kinds of satin as gifts to the Tubo envoys: “Display Power in Deserts; Subdue the Tubo Tribes.” There must be eight bolts for each word, sixty-four bolts in all.
EUNUCH:
Show me the satin samples.
MEIXIANG (Presents the satin):
This is the sample for “Display Power in Deserts”.
(The Commissioner of the Weaving Mill whispers to the eunuch)
EUNUCH:
Well, the satin is too thin. It won’t do. It won’t do.
MEIXIANG (Presents the satin):
This is the sample for “Subdue the Tubo Tribes”.
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(The Commissioner of the Weaving Mill whispers to the eunuch)
EUNUCH:
The satin is too soft.
MEIXIANG:
You don’t know that the satin with “Display Power in Deserts” should be as thin as gauze and the satin with “Subdue the Tubo Tribes” should be as soft as downs. This is the pattern decreed by His Majesty.
EUNUCH (To the Commissioner of the Weaving Mill):
Isn’t the pattern decreed by His Majesty? You go and count the bolts!
COMMISSIONER OF THE WEAVING MILL (Counts):
There are only forty-nine bolts, lacking sixty-four.
EUNUCH (Gets angry):
You are asking for a sound beating.
(Beats Meixiang)
(Meixiang shelters herself )
MISS CUI (Weeps):
(To the tune of Putianlefan)
The Weaving Mill
Urges me;
The weaving office pushes me.
(The Commissioner of the Weaving Mill whispers to the eunuch)
EUNUCH:
Yes, the silk in the satin is often broken. For the time being, I’ll beat the maid in her madam’s stead for her lovesickness and laziness.
MISS CUI:
How can she be lovesick now that she’s in custody?
I’m weaving and thinking of my man all the time.
(The Commissioner of the Weaving Mill whispers to the eunuch)
EUNUCH:
Yes, thinking of her man is lovesickness and lovesickness is thinking of her man. Give her a sound beating! A sound beating!
MISS CUI (Weeps aside):
With words woven into the satin,
Can’t you see tears mixed with silk?
(Turns to point at the Commissioner of the Weaving Mill)
You’re spinning yarns for no reason at all.
(Points at the satin)
The satin is as fine as the clouds in the sky;
Why on earth
Are you instigating the eunuch?
COMMISSIONER OF THE WEAVING MILL (To the eunuch):
She is calling you names. She’s calling you son of a bitch, a dog. It’s high time for you to burst out.
EUNUCH:
Oops, I am son of a bitch, and aren’t you? I am a dog, and aren’t you? I’d like to let you go, but you won’t allow me to let you go. I’ll question you by myself. Come nearer, you woman prisoner! I’ve heard that your husband had illicit relations with Tubo. How much treasure do you have? Share your treasure with me so that I can decorate my hat and buy a jade belt.
MISS CUI:
Now that everything has been confiscated, what do I have to give you?
(The Commissioner of the Weaving Mill whispers to the eunuch)
EUNUCH:
Yes, as the saying goes,
A horse won’t get fat if you do not hang it;
A man will not confess if you do not hang him.
Hang up Meixiang first.
(Hangs up Meixiang)
COMMISSIONER OF THE WEAVING MILL (Feigns to protect Meixiang):
Don’t beat her, Your Highness. Let her confess by herself.
(The eunuch beats Meixiang)
MEIXIANG (Refuses to comply):
Alas, while the treasure is all gone, there are some pearls.
EUNUCH:
Where are they?
MEIXIANG:
They are dripping inside my skirts.
(Pretends to piss)
EUNUCH:
The fragrance in Meixiang’s lower part is rushing out.
(Sound of hailing the way inside)
EUNUCH, COMMISSIONER OF THE WEAVING MILL (In a panic):
They are hailing the way for the eunuch in charge of gifts.
(Exeunt)
(Enter Eunuch Gao)
EUNUCH GAO (To the tune of Jinjijiao):
With my hat decorated in mink,
I wear a dazzling jade belt and a robe with pythons.
A pity that the lady stays alone at home;
When will good tidings come to her?
I am Eunuch Gao.
(Sighs)
I have kept a close friendship with Minister Lu for years. Once he was forced to go on exile, his wife was also compelled to work in the Royal Weaving Mill.
(Sighs)
As I haven’t seen her for quite some time, I don’t know how she’s getting along.
EUNUCH, COMMISSIONER OF THE WEAVING MILL:
(Kneel on the ground to greet Eunuch Gao)
Eunuch in charge of weaving and Commissioner of the Weaving Mill kowtow to greet Your Highness.
EUNUCH GAO:
Step aside.
(Enters the Weaving Mill to greet Miss Cui)
I bow to you, Madam.
MISS CUI:
Excuse me for not greeting you outside as I didn’t know you’re coming.
EUNUCH GAO:
Have you received the pickled vegetables and fresh vegetables I’ve sent you off and on?
MISS CUI:
Yes, I have.
(Weeps)
How miserable I am!
(To the tune of Zhunu’erfan)
The silk is brittle so that I have to take great care;
The silk is moistened when storm comes.
For fear that the lamps will burn out,
I make haste to weave the design.
EUNUCH GAO:
That’ll do. That’ll do.
MISS CUI:
I have one more word to say. Aside from the royal satin, I’ve also woven a bolt of pink satin with a palindrome on it to be presented to His Majesty, so that I can lay bare my heart.
EUNUCH GAO:
That’s fine. When it is presented to His Majesty, you might be rehabilitated.
EUNUCH GAO, MISS CUI:
For my miserable fate,
Who would like to care?
Gracious heavens,
Why are you punishing a poor weaver?
MEIXIANG (Cries aloud):
Spare my life, Your Highness!
EUNUCH GAO:
Just spare that maid, Madam,
MISS CUI:
It’s not I that have persecuted her. I did not dare to tell you that it was the eunuch in charge of weaving.
EUNUCH GAO:
What’s the matter?
MISS CUI:
When he came here, he neither urged me on satin nor had a look at the satin. He just made a chaos by extorting treasure or pearls from me. As a convict’s wife, what on earth do you think I could give him?
EUNUCH GAO (Annoyed):
Oh I see. Untie her at once, man.
(The eunuch unties Meixiang in haste)
EUNUCH GAO:
Military guard, arrest the eunuch and take him to the prison.
(Exit the eunuch under arrest)
MISS CUI:
The Commissioner of the Weaving Mill played a trick on him.
EUNUCH GAO:
Arrest the Commissioner of the Weaving Mill as well.
(The Commissioner of the Weaving Mill is arrested)
(To the tune of Coda)
Count the cases of satin and bring them with me;
MISS CUI:
What a depressing song the crickets are singing!
EUNUCH GAO:
Madam, Minister Lu
Will come back rehabilitated, I’m sure.
With drops of tears on window-sash like dew,
You wove a palindrome as your design.
If an edict is bestowed on you,
A better future life is sure to ensue.
Scene Twenty-Four
Revealing the Truth
(Enter Yuwen Rong with Xiao Song)
YUWEN RONG (To the tune of Liuyaoling):
As His Majesty is bright with wit,
I fear to wake the dragon when I get the pearl.
XIAO SONG:
We share the high positions
As prime ministers on earth
And immortals in the sky.
YUWEN RONG:<
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The gourd is bound onto the ancient branch;
The gourd is bound onto the ancient branch.
XIAO SONG:
Why do you mention the bound gourd?
YUWEN RONG:
As your feet cannot shrink without being bound, so your position cannot rise without being bound to someone. The Tubo envoys will come to have audience today and His Majesty is going to accept their greetings in the royal palace. It is an honour for all the ministers in the court.
XIAO SONG:
Minister Pei is in charge of foreign affairs in the position of Vice Minister of the Central Office. When he comes to present the memorial, there must be something spectacular.
(Enter Pei Guangting)
PEI GUANGTING (To the previous tune):
In the guest house of the heavenly empire,
A number of Tubo envoys have arrived.
They follow our etiquettes
And bow in the imperial court,
Calling His Majesty the heavenly khan,
Calling His Majesty the heavenly khan.
How do you do, Your Excellencies. The Tubo envoys have come to the court to greet His Majesty. According to the time-honoured practice, a dinner is to be set in the Royal Banquet Hall and satins made in the Royal Weaving Mill are to be bestowed to them as gifts. Now that everything is ready, we’ll wait for His Majesty to come.
YUWEN RONG:
The Tubo envoys should wait on the palace steps.
(Enter the Tubo envoys)
TUBO ENVOYS:
While envoys to Han bring a thousand piles of treasure,
Ten thousand bolts of satin are gifts to the kings.
YUWEN RONG:
Tell the Tubo envoys to wait for His Majesty outside the gate.
(Exeunt the Tubo envoys)
(Sound of guards of honour within)
(Enter Emperor Xuanzong, followed by Eunuch Gao and all)
EMPEROR XUANZONG (To the tune of Yexingchuan):
While the sun shines over the Ever-Bright Palace,
The flags flutter all over the country.
The chiefs of five states
And envoys from three states
Lie prostrate in the palace hall.
(Yuwen Rong and Xiao Song pay tribute to Emperor Xuanzong)
PEI GUANGTING (Pays tribute to Emperor Xuanzong):
Vice Minister of the Central Office in charge of foreign affairs Pei Guangting presents a memorial to Your Majesty: The Tubo envoy brings envoys from different states to pay tribute to Your Majesty.
EMPEROR XUANZONG:
Transmit my decree: Tell the envoys to listen to my decree outside the palace hall.
PEI GUANGTING:
Long live the Emperor!
YUWEN RONG, XIAO SONG, PEI GUANGTING:
We congratulate Your Majesty on your widespread power. We have prepared a royal banquet for Your Majesty.
(Make a toast)
(To the tune of Haoshijin)