Hou: Let each contribute a couplet. We may thus continue indefinitely.
Ch’en: Splendid! But who is to begin?
Hou: Of course you should, elder brother.
Liu: Are the rest of us just to sit here and doze while you three gentlemen spend the night composing poetry?
Ch’en: Never fear, we shall find you an occupation.
Su: What service can we render?
Ch’en: At the end of each stanza, you can play for us while we swallow a cup of wine.
Hou: Delightful! A blend of poetry, music, wine, and song.
Ch’en: Pardon my presumption if I take the lead. “Enjoying the festival from a pavilion on the Ch’in-huai River, we exchange hearts at a famous actor’s abode.”
Wu: “The willow leaves are burnished gold, the pomegranate blossoms flaming red.”
Hou: “As for the magic sword of the season[2] — we need not put its sharpness to the proof. The heart of the sunflower never fails to warm us.”
Ch’en: “While escaping the disasters of war, we have made a happy love-match. To ward off evil spirits, I have brought the philosopher’s stone.”
[While the poets drink, Liu plays cymbals, Su the “moon guitar,” and Fragrant Princess the pipes.]
Wu: “The mirage is distant and ethereal. We see the sloping curve of a rainbow bridge.”
Hou: “Lanterns evoke the chariot of the Sun God, and the boats resemble dragons.”
Ch’en: “The stars rise over the sea; the crystal vault glitters as if it had come from the goddess’s crucible.”[3]
Wu: “Light streams from the Milky Way; shadows of clouds float over the red city.”
[More wine, more music.]
Hou: “The Jade Tree melody is out of tune; the Yü-yang drum is pounded without rhythm.”
Ch’en: “The flutes and pipes are piercing shrill; the lute and harp are plucked incessantly.”
Wu: “The boats are moored by a thousand silken ropes; lanterns at windows, myriad gleaming eyes.”
Hou: “The pawns are slowly moved across the chess-board, while tea is poured from lustrous porcelain.”
[More wine, more music.]
Ch’en: “The fireworks resemble an ancient palace burning. The clamour swells like war-cries in mid-battle.”
Wu: “Thunder and lightning vie to vanquish night. Where are the jewels put away unworn?”
Hou: “Fireflies illuminate forsaken courtyards; through empty office buildings caw the crows.”
Ch’en: “Let us remain till the crowd disperses; then we may write an elegy for genius cut off in youth.”[4]
[More wine, more music, then All rise.]
Ch’en: That was a fascinating exercise. We have finished sixteen couplets. Tomorrow they can be sent to the printers.
Wu: We have all combined to express our deepest emotions, and the musicians have chimed in with harmonious accompaniment. But I doubt if those on the river could understand us.
Su [to Liu]: As we old storytellers say: festive times are few and all too brief. Let us have more songs and ask Masters Ch’en and Wu to pour wine. We wish the young couple in our midst to enjoy themselves.
Liu: I’ll be glad to entertain them.
Ch’en: Since Brother Wu and I were the first to arrive, we should act as hosts.
Wu: Then let us take our seats accordingly.
[Hou and Fragrant Princess sit in the center. Ch’en and Wu on the left, Liu and Su on the right.]
Hou [to Fragrant Princess]: Since our friends have so graciously seated the two of us in the center, we should share a loving-cup according to the old custom. [They drink together.]
Su and Liu [sing]:
The song has just begun;
The lamps are burning bright;
The stillness of the scene is deepened by the night.
A poem is written down when wine-cups touch the lips;
The dialogues of love this poet’s rhymes eclipse.
Boy Servant: The dragon-boats are returning.
Ch’en: But it is already midnight. Why are they coming now?
[They peer over the balcony. Juan Ta-ch’eng enters slowly, seated in an illuminated boat with soft singers and musicians.]
Su: Let us listen carefully: this must be some inveterate old rake.
Juan [standing on the prow of his boat]: I hired this boat to take me down the river with my players. I had intended to come earlier and enjoy the festival, but I was afraid of being molested again by those young featherbrains, so I had to wait till midnight. How maddening! But I see a few lights in Ting’s water-pavilion. Boy, run and find out what is going on there.
Boy [jumps to the bank and returns to report]: There is a notice on the lantern: “The Revival Club is holding a meeting. No outsiders admitted.”
Juan: Mercy on us! Stop playing at once and put out all the lights.
[The lights are extinguished, the music stops, and the boat glides off the stage.]
Ch’en: That was a perfectly handsome boat, I wonder why the music stopped and it vanished so suddenly.
Wu: How strange! We should investigate this mystery.
Liu: There is no mystery. Juan was on board. My old eyes detected him.
Su: I fancied I recognized his musicians.
Ch’en: What impudence the scoundrel has to parade in front of this house. Who does he think he is?
Wu: I’ll go and pull his whiskers.
Hou [restraining him]: Since he has fled, we need not take violent action.
Ch’en: Don’t you realize, Brother Hou, that unless we take violent measures, he will?
Liu: By now his boat is far away. It is too late to catch him.
Wu: He is lucky to have escaped in time.
Fragrant Princess: It is so late we should be retiring.
Liu: Fragrant Princess is thinking of her mother. Let us escort her home.
Ch’en and Wu: We shall be spending the night here.
Hou: Farewell then. Our boat will take us back.
Ch’en and Wu: Farewell!
Hou, Fragrant Princess, Liu, and Su [embark, singing]:
The merrymakers have departed.
Love speeds our homing oars;
We glide through bowers of sleeping flowers
Until we reach our doors. [Exeunt]
Hou:
The moon has set; dense mist enfolds the land.
Fragrant Princess:
Whose is the small red solitary window?
Liu:
We have rowed a full league down the Ch’in-huai River.
Su:
A spring breeze wafts the beauty home at midnight.
[1] Double Fifth, i.e., the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, is Tuan-yang a summer festival when the dragon, symbol of fructifying rain, is much in evidence. The day is commonly associated with the death of the poet Ch’u Yuan, whose works form the core of the Elegies of Ch’u (see Scene 1, n. 3). Ch’ü Yuan was slandered at court, went into exile, and drowned himself in the Mi-lo River about 288 B.C.. Offerings were made during the festival to appease his spirit, and the dragon-boats which ran races for prizes commemorated the search for his body.
[2] At the time of the Double Fifth (see n. 1), leaves of calamus and mugwort were hung up beside gateways to avert misfortune, in a survival of an ancient belief that the mugwort leaf resembled a tiger and the calamus leaf a sword.
[3] The goddess is Nü Kua, sister and successor of the legendary Emperor Fu Hsi. She had a human head on the body of a serpent and helped to arrange marriages. It was she who mended the visible Heaven, after a celestial revolt, by melting down stones.
[4] The allusion is to Chia Yi, second century B.C., precocious poet and essayist who became a Doctor of the Imperial Academy, but was so young that colleagues refused to consult him, whereupon the Han Emperor Wen-ti transferred him to the Privy Council.
SCENE 9
The Troops Mollified
1643, SEVENTH MONTH
[Two military Officers enter, followed b
y four Soldiers.]
All [sing]:
As soon as the banner unfolds, we warriors appear.
When we shoot arrows o’er the waves, the whales and sharks take fright.
With bows and swords we lead the cavalry,
While drum and pipe resound until the sunset.
[Speak]: We serve under the Commander-in-Chief, His Excellency Tso Liang-yü, who garrisons Wuchang city. The General will be attending today’s roll-call. We shall await him here.
[Flourish of trumpets and drums. Tso Liang-yü enters in full uniform.]
Tso [sings]:
Seven-foot stature,
Tiger’s brow and swallow’s beak,
Boldly all over the world I stride,
Meeting all manner of men,
Solving every problem in my path.
The winds and clouds move at the sound of my voice;
I pour out my blood in the service of my country.
[Recites quatrain]:
After a flourish of trumpets, all is hushed
While I march to the platform to take the salute;
I have given my heritage to win the hearts of men,
Leaving only my sword to serve the Emperor.
[Speaks]: I was brought up in Liao-yang, where for generations my family held high office; but being in reduced circumstances, I began my career as a common soldier. Fortunately I met General Hou Hsun, who recognized my merits and gave me a chance to distinguish myself in battle. Within a year I commanded a division. I led successful campaigns in the north and south and was rewarded with numerous titles. Now I am garrisoning Wu-ch’ang with a large army. [Strikes an attitude]: Behold me, Tso Liang-yü. I have been trained since childhood in the arts of war; I can bend the stoutest bow and shoot to the left or right with equal precision. It should not have been difficult to repress the rebellions of such bandits as Li Tzu-ch’eng and Chang Hsien-chung, but we lacked a wise statesman to direct our strategy. Many a fine opportunity was lost. Hsiung Wen-ts’an and Yang Szu-ch’ang failed because they were too self-seeking; Ting Ch’i-jui and Lü Ta-ch’i through negligence. Only my kind patron General Hou had sagacity and courage equal to the task, but he incurred the jealousy of an evil faction, and was forced to retire soon after his promotion. My blood boils within me. How vile to be denied the chance of serving my country! [Stamps his foot.] So be it, so be it! This large area round the Tung-t’ing lake may still be held as a strategic position. Fresh opportunities may favour us. [He sits down. There is a sound of shouting from soldiers behind the stage.] What is that noise outside the gate?
Officers: All is quiet, Your Excellency.
Tso [angrily]: Do you think I am deaf? What was that I heard?
Officers: That is no ordinary noise. It is an angry protest from the starving soldiers.
Tso: Impossible! During the past month we have received thirty full boatloads of provisions. Have these been consumed in so short a time?
Officers: The troops in this city have been increased to three hundred thousand, Your Excellency. How could the provisions we have received suffice for so many?
Tso [pounding on the table]: This is becoming a thorny problem. [Sings]:
Tigers and leopards run rampant all over the empire.
Though every eye is fixed on the Dragon Throne,
Who would raise a banner to defend His Majesty?
Veterans to lead the armies are lacking;
High officials behave like infants.
A single man is unequal to so mighty a task.
Then battle looms, and supplies run short.
The soldiers stamp their feet and shout in protest;
How can I answer them?
Listen! a noise like a swarm of angry bees.
[He sits down. There are noises from backstage, and Tso says]: Louder and louder, like a warning of mutiny. [To officers and soldiers around him]: Now hear me! [Sings]:
Do not be so unjust
As to blame me for this crisis.
We are all His Majesty’s subjects;
Three centuries his dynasty has protected us.
We should beat our breasts and examine our conscience,
Not beat at the gate and cry in rage.
Would you loot the treasury,
Destroy your barracks?
Eyes strain towards the east;
Will supplies never reach us?
[Tso sits down and throws the arrow of command on the floor.]
Officers [picking up arrow of command and shouting towards backstage]: His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief’s orders: All three armies at attention! Supplies have run short not because of incompetence, but because so many regiments have come to reinforce us. This is a sign of strength rather than weakness. Be loyal to the Emperor, obey the Commander, and keep discipline! There will be fresh supplies from Kiangsi within a day or two; listen to us now, and quit this hubbub. [They report back to Tso]: We have passed on your orders to the men. [Renewed murmurs from backstage.]
Tso: Why does the noise continue? It is drawing nearer and nearer. Repeat my orders to them. [Stands and sings]:
Control your hunger for tonight.
Supplies are due from Kiangsi;
Urgent dispatches have gone to Nanking,
With pleas for transfer to regions less distressed.
Once we move east,
Our needs will be supplied.
There men and horses may earn a rest,
Relaxing on barges under the Swallow Cliff.
Officer [towards backstage]: The Commander-in-Chief’s orders: All three armies at attention! If the supply boats arrive in time you shall have your provisions at once. But if they are delayed, you will not be left to starve. We shall soon withdraw from Hankow and find quarters in Nanking. There we shall enjoy a life of plenty without fear of hunger. Keep calm! No more shouting and yelling!
Voices from backstage: Good, good, good! Let us start packing. We shall soon be on our way towards the east.
Officer [to Tso]: Your Excellency’s order has restored confidence. The troops have withdrawn from the gate in better humor.
Tso: For the time being, there is nothing else we can do. We must fix a date to move the garrison and prevent their morale from collapsing. [Ponders]: But wait! If I lead my troops east without an explicit order from the government, though His Majesty might be so generous as to pardon me, I shall expose myself to suspicion. This puts me in a quandary. I might be condemned by popular opinion. [Sings]:
To appease my troops and silence their complaints,
I had to promise to remove the garrison.
But wherever I move my heart is like the sunflower,
Turned towards the sun.
[Tso exits, followed by four Soldiers. The gate is closed behind them.]
First Officer: Brother, I should like to hear your opinion on a particular matter. Our armies in Wuchang are the strongest in the land. Tomorrow we shall be sailing eastward down the river, and we shall meet with no resistance along the way. Why not persuade our Commander to seize control of Nanking, hoist a yellow flag, and then turn north to Peking?
Second Officer: Our General Tso is the most loyal of officers. This wild idea of yours should not be repeated. In my opinion we should only think of going where the army can be fed.
First Officer: Don’t you realize that we shall cause unrest as soon as we enter Nanking? Even if we do not take Peking, we have lost our reputation anyway. [They sing the next quatrain]:
Second Officer:
Every officer and man is anxious to move eastward.
First Officer:
In every camp under the willows the evening bugle blows.
Second Officer:
Heroes of every age must stand on guard.
First Officer:
This eastern drive may wreck a whole career. [Exeunt.]
SCENE 10
THE LETTER
1643, EIGHTH MONTH
Liu Ching-t’ing [enters, reciting quatrain]:
I’m
a proud old rover of the lakes and rivers,
Who lives by telling tales of past and present.
Loathing the patronage of profiteers,
I would sooner sit in the street and drink cold tea.
[Laughs and says]: Homeless since childhood, I have wandered in many places. Though a minstrel by profession, I never eat or drink without rendering some service to mankind.
[Bowing to audience]: Whom do you gentlemen think I resemble? I think I resemble Yama, God of the Underworld, who keeps such a bulky account-book. The names of innumerable ghosts are recorded in it. Perhaps I also resemble the Laughing Buddha. All the vanities of this world have been digested in this belly of mine. When I beat my drum and clappers, I seem to sway wind and thunder, rain and dew. Days, months, and seasons are bodied forth when I move my lips and tongue. I avenge the wrongs of filial sons and loyal ministers who suffered death unjustly, and make their spirits rejoice. To villains who led happy lives on earth I mete out the punishment their crimes deserve. My power, however limited, is genuine, and serves good causes well.
[Laughs again]: I, pock-marked Liu, invent all sorts of tales as they spring to mind, and they thrill all kinds of people. Yesterday Master Hou of Honan sent me some tea-money and made an appointment to hear my stories this afternoon. I shall practise on my drum and clappers till he comes.
[Beats drum and clappers, and sings]:
I say whatever I please, and at my leisure.
Each word I utter has a message, bitter or sweet.
A hundred and eighty thousand years have passed since the world’s creation,
Yet time has ever sped like the wings of a swan.
Fierce tempests come and go,
And strife is endless in this world below.
Only the Sleeping Immortal[1] knows true peace.
Hou Fang-yü [enters and says]: I search for powder and rouge in the fragrant grass, and talk of heroic deeds in the setting sun. I have come to listen to old Liu’s stories. Already I hear the sound of his drum and clappers. He must have an audience gathered around him. [On seeing Liu alone, Hou bursts out laughing and says]: There is no audience. Pray, whom are you entertaining?
Liu: Story-telling is my vocation. You play on your lute and chant poetry alone in your study. Why then should I require an audience?
The Peach Blossom Fan Page 10