by Tang Xianzu
In the place where I stayed.
In a dream I’ve traveled to the South Sea
And embedded my name in the blockhouse.
County Official, take good care of these Black Ghosts when I am gone, so that
These black uncles
Enjoy their life as woodmen,
And men and their wives
Live well in their fishing boats.
I’m leaving now.
(Walks on)
(To the tune of Hongxiuxie)
The imperial edict brings me to the capital,
To the capital.
The horse hooves kick up dust,
Kick up dust.
The vicious minister
Has eaten the bitter fruit.
I owe my gratitude
To the imperial grace.
On my black head is stuck
The former court hairpin,
The former court hairpin.
(To the tune of Coda)
Now that I’ve cleaned off stains of slander
I’ll wash my warrior-coats in the palace lake.
From now on,
The far-away hills and rills
Will serve as scenes on paintings.
On exile I went in plight;
As the Prime Minister I come back.
I look up and see the capital coming into sight
And white clouds hanging over my track.
Scene Twenty-Six
Celebrations
(Enter Chief Commissioner of the Ministry of Works)
CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF THE MINISTRY OF WORKS (To the tune of Dayagu):
I serve in the Ministry of Works
To build houses for meritorious ministers
And erect memorial archways.
While Carpenter Lu Ban’s rules never change,
High mansions are decorated with gold and jade.
ALL:
We’ve received numerous rewards from him
And thus wish him high positions and a long life.
CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF THE MINISTRY OF WORKS:
I am Chief Commissioner of the Ministry of Works. By the imperial edict I have erected a memorial archway for the great meritorious Minister Lu, plus about twenty-eight mansions such as Royal Studio, Treasure Mansion, Drinking Hall, Jade Terrace and a garden of rockery and lakes. The Lu family has given me three thousand pieces of silver and plentiful wine. How generous he is!
(Enter Chief Commissioner of the Horse Stable)
CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF THE HORSE STABLE (To the previous tune):
I serve in the Horse Stable
To reward meritorious ministers with steeds,
Both white and yellow.
Well-shaped.
The steeds will gallop safe and sound.
ALL:
We’ve received numerous rewards from him
And thus wish him high positions and a long life.
CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF THE HORSE STABLE: I am Chief Commissioner of the Flying Dragon Stable. When His Majesty gave audience to Minister Lu’s sons, he saw from the palace that their horses were of different sizes and shapes. He decreed that thirty horses from the Royal Stable be brought to Minister Lu’s residence. The Lu’s family has given me a piece of gold and given the ninety-odd horse-keepers a hundred strings of coins each. How munificent he is!
(Enter Chief Commissioner of the Ministry of Revenue)
CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF THE MINISTRY OF REVENUE (To the previous tune):
I serve in the Ministry of Revenue
To allot fields to meritorious ministers
And establish farms.
How expansive can the farms be?
The well-known farms are better than those in Luoyang.
ALL:
We’ve received numerous rewards from him
And thus wish him high positions and a long life.
CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF THE MINISTRY OF REVENUE:
I am in charge of the Registration Office in the Ministry of Revenue. By the imperial edict I allot fields and gardens to meritorious ministers. Thirty thousand hectares of land and twenty-one gardens are allotted to Minister Lu. I have been given ten thousand coins for the contract. How charitable he is!
(Enter Chief of Musicians, wearing a green coat and a flowery hat)
CHIEF OF MUSICIANS:
I serve in the Troupe of Court Music
To entertain meritorious ministers
And provide concubines.
VOICE WITHIN:
Even the bawd went to Minister Lu’s residence.
CHIEF OF MUSICIANS:
I’ve sold a female singer by stealth and my wife went there instead.
I’ve prepared music, song and dance;
The only thing is that his wife might interfere.
ALL:
We’ve received numerous rewards from him
And thus wish him high positions and a long life.
CHIEF OF MUSICIANS:
I am the newly-appointed Chief of the Troupe of Court Music. His Majesty has bestowed female singers and dancers to the meritorious minister, twenty-four of them from the School of Fairy Music, in accordance with the twenty-four solar periods. At the order of Minister Pei of the Ministry of Rites, they have been brought to Minister Lu’s residence. I have been given a flowery hat, a colourful coat, and a thousand strings of coins. How munificent he is!
ALL:
We’ve received numerous rewards from him
And thus wish him high positions and a long life.
CHIEF OF MUSICIANS (Greets the three Chief Commissioners):
My respects, worthy chiefs.
THREE CHIEF COMMISSIONERS (Annoyed):
Ridiculous! Ridiculous! The bawd of a chief musician is greeting us!
CHIEF OF MUSICIANS:
How high is your rank of offices?
THREE CHIEF COMMISSIONERS:
Our rank of offices is not high, but we have all passed imperial examinations, once in three years and thrice in nine years. We are of the sixth rank, serving as magistrates for the common folk. What kind of person are you, just greeting us like this?
(Beat Chief of Musicians)
Well, let him go and watch his girls.
CHIEF OF MUSICIANS:
Your Excellencies, Your Excellencies, not only my girls but also my wife has been brought to Minister Lu’s residence.
THREE CHIEF COMMISSIONERS:
In that case, we just take you as a girl and you’ll sing us a song. If you sing well, we’ll let you go. If not, we’ll report to the Ministry of Rites and have your head broken.
CHIEF OF MUSICIANS:
Well, I’ll act as a girl and sing a song by the title of Yinniusi’er.
(Sings)
So pretty am I
That I bring my sisters to Lu’s house,
A magnificent house.
I return home alone,
When the wind blows at my green kerchief,
Revealing my nosegay,
My sleeves and my little shoes.
He puffs up his lips,
Oh devil,
And kisses me on my back,
Leaving me powerless in his hands.
Oh my dear lover,
I’m willing to play with you.
THREE CHIEF COMMISSIONERS:
Wonderful! Encore! Encore!
CHIEF OF MUSICIANS:
That’ll do.
(The three Chief Commissioners make jokes)
(Sound of hailing the way within)
ALL:
His Excellency has left the imperial court. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go! Indeed,
A man smiles when he’s in a good mood;
He returns with flowers on his hood.
Scene Twenty-Seven
Extreme Luxuries
(Enter Miss Cui, followed by Meixiang)
MISS CUI (To the tune of Ganhuang’en):
As Prime Minister again,
He returns from a banquet on the bank
While men vie to have a look at him.
On his robe sleeves,
There remains the imperial grace.
How deep is the imperial grace?
As deep as the immense sky.
MEIXIANG:
In the royal garden,
Beside the royal study,
The royal music is ready.
MISS CUI:
Blessed by my man, my sons grew up in luxury.
And now all serve in the court.
Time, please stay with us,
So that we can enjoy.
(In the pattern of Collected Poems)
When dust floats into the palace hall,
The scattering flowers bring sweet scents.
Who is not aware of hardships along the borders?
The mansion is what His Majesty presents.
Since his return from the south, my man has been Prime Minister for twenty years. And now he is entitled Duke of Zhao with nine thousand tenant households and is promoted to the position of First-Rank Instructor. All our sons have been promoted as well: Our eldest son Zun becomes Scholar of the Imperial Academy, our second son Ti becomes Assessing Secretary in the Ministry of Personnel, our third son Jian becomes Commander of Royal Guards, our fourth son Wei becomes Palace Announcer. As a concubine to my man, Meixiang also gave birth to a son by the name of Lu Yi. He has been nominated Assistant to the Seals Department because he is still young. Over a dozen of our grandsons are all attending the Imperial Academy. We have enjoyed extreme honour and distinction. A few days ago, when my man and sons attended a royal banquet, His Majesty saw from above that our horses were of different sizes and shapes. He decreed that thirty horses be selected from the Royal Stable and brought to our house. When the banquet was over, His Majesty heard that there were no female singers and dancers in our house, and decreed that twenty-four be brought to our house from the School of Fairy Music, in accordance with the twenty-four solar periods. His Majesty also bestowed us land, gardens, mansions and houses, all of grand size. Now that it’s time for my man to leave the palace, I’ve had a family dinner arranged. I suppose that the dinner is ready by now. My man is coming.
(Enter Lu Sheng, followed by his attendants)
LU SHENG:
I entered the palace at dawn
And had dinner at court site.
Soaked with imperial grace,
I return late at night.
I, Lu Sheng, have been Military Commander and Prime Minister at court for over fifty years. Now I have been entitled Duke of Zhao with nine thousand tenant households while my sons are all promoted to high positions. My honour is above all the other ministers and my distinction pervades the whole family. When the royal banquet is over, I now leave the palace and return to my residence. I’m ambling my way home.
(To the tune of Northern Zhonglü Fendie’er)
How splendid is the Tang Dynasty!
How splendid is the Tang Dynasty!
During the banquet I alone got drunk
Amid toast after toast.
Along the river bank,
On my gentle horse,
I’m intoxicated with the wine.
Turning round the Donghua Gate I see my house,
Ready to drink another cup with my wife.
(Greets Miss Cui)
Congratulations, Madam, on your promotion to Lady of Zhao. When the royal banquet is over, the moon is already high in the sky.
MISS CUI:
Since His Majesty has bestowed upon us a few pavilions, I’ve prepared a family dinner accompanied by the female singers and dancers. I’ll drink with you overnight in the Emerald Pavilion.
LU SHENG:
Wait, wait. With guards of honour in front, your four sons wearing jade are coming home on horseback.
(Enter four sons fully dressed)
FOUR SONS:
We four brothers are promoted on the same day. Let’s go and pay respects to our parents.
(Bow to Lu Sheng and Miss Cui)
As descendants of Confucian tradition,
We live in a house of distinction.
The southern mountain is a land of longevity;
The east sea abounds in auspicious clouds.
Please accept our toast of congratulations, Dad and Mom,
(To the tune of Southern Qiyanhui)
Holding cups of sweet wine in our hands,
Your successful sons rise in positions.
We come and go in the palace,
As if visiting a relative’s house.
Dear Dad,
Since your place is firm in the court,
The whole family gains distinction.
May Heaven bless you and bring you fame
So that we can also have a good name.
MISS CUI:
Butler, invite them to drink in the hall.
FOUR SONS (On their knees):
Dad and Mom, under your auspices, we have received new favours from His Majesty. Therefore, we have formal dinners in our respective offices.
LU SHENG:
Yes, you shouldn’t be late for your formal dinners in your offices.
FOUR SONS (Bow and retire):
To attend the official dinner,
We’ll stride to the jubilant hall.
(Exeunt)
(Music within)
(Lu Sheng gasps in admiration)
MISS CUI:
You don’t know, Master, His Majesty decreed that twenty-four female singers and dancers be brought to our house from the School of Fairy Music, in accordance with the twenty-four solar periods. They can play music, sing and dance. They are charming indeed.
LU SHENG:
Alas, I thought that they just played soft music for the family, but they are girls from the School of Court Music. I should not get close to them.
MISS CUI:
Why should you not get close to them?
LU SHENG:
Ordinary girls are pretty but do not have a good voice: this is “dumb beauty”. Other girls may have a good voice but are not necessarily pretty; they may dance but cannot sing. Only girls from the School of Court Music not only put on performances like Zither Music, Fairy Dance, Comic Talk, Ballad Singing, Solos and Duets but also are attractive and charming, knowing almost all the ropes. Therefore, a gentleman can watch them but not be indulged in them, can abandon them but not be attached to them. They were fresh and pretty in their earlier years and their teacher taught them to be exquisite. They are beautiful in figure and eloquent in conversation. They will look too pale if they put some white on their faces and they will look too red if they put on some rouge on their faces. They will look too tall if they grow one inch more and they will look too short if they grow one inch less. As The Book of Poetry has it:
How fair the moon shines in the sky!
How lovely is the lady passing by!
Complement her dimpled cheeks
And make her black eyes glow.
Their glowing eyes will trap your heart and their smile with dimpled checks will entice your soul. Therefore it is said, “White teeth and crescent eyebrows are axes that maim your nature; billing and cooing are owls that murder your life; slobber and slaver are poisons that corrode your bowels; bed play is the game that makes you impotent.” In Laozi’s words, “The five colours can blind one’s eyes, and the five tones can deafen one’s ears.” Therefore, to refrain from sex, an inferior man must refrain his feet; to refrain from sex, a gentleman must refrain his eyes. And so I should not get close to these female singers and dancers.
MISS CUI:
In that case, you are a genuine orthodox scholar. Why don’t you present a memorial to His Majesty and send them back?
LU SHENG (Smiles):
That won’t do. According to The Book of Rites, “Never neglect the gifts from the king.” That is what we mean by the paradox “To reject is to imply disrespect while to accept is to feel ashamed.”
MISS CUI:
Master, as I listen to your preaching, I’ve missed a few songs. Tell the female singers and dancer
s to come forward and persuade the master to drink.
(The female singers and dancers kowtow)
LU SHENG:
You’ve come here by imperial edict. Rise to your feet, rise to your feet. You just sing and dance.
SINGERS (To the tune of Northern Shangxiaolou):
Like fairies dressed in court fashion,
As if walking on the moon palace in purple dress,
We sing and dance in the best style.
We sound hardwood clappers
And beat exotic drums.
The zither chords ring aloud
And flute music spreads afar.
We sing in full-throated ease
Till yellow millets awake the dreams.
LU SHENG:
Why do you mention yellow millet?
SINGERS:
Oops,
Till music resounds around the beams.
LU SHENG (To the tune of Southern Qiyanhui):
Dignified
And splendid in the magnificent hall,
Stand the court beauties, tinkling with jade.
I thank my wife for her kind heart,
Who tolerates the dozen of beauties.
The flowery girls hold cups at the table,
In coy smile.
I’ve eaten all kinds of delicacies
And shall taste the beauties as well.
MISS CUI:
May I remind you that we can also wine and dine in the Emerald Pavilion to warm up the new house?
LU SHENG:
What a virtue of a wife! Under moon and cloud, we can enjoy the scenery on the steps. Maidservants, light a hundred sash-lanterns and play some soft music to lead the way. Madam and I shall stroll for a while.
(Meixiang and servants walk with lanterns amid light music)
LU SHENG (To the tune of Northern Huanglonggunfan):
Flat and wide are the three step-ways;
Smooth and even is the stretch of plain.
Misty and foggy is the moon-lit sky;
High and bright shine the sash-lanterns,
Which likewise light up the suburb ways.
(Laughs and stumbles)
I’d better stop laughing.
But for the support of these tender hands,
I would have stumbled my bowels out.
(Music, laughter and hailing the way within)
LU SHENG:
Who are they that are hailing the way with dozens of sash-lanterns?
(Meixiang and servants ask about it)
VOICE WITHIN (Responds):
The four young masters are returning to their private residences from banquets.
LU SHENG:
What a prosperous family! The Emerald Pavilion is right ahead.
(To the tune of Southern Pudeng’efan)