North and south of the Yangtze,
Affairs are tangled as a skein of hemp.
Among three chess-players there is no hope of a draw:
The southwestern pawn must be played with the utmost caution.
[1] Yi-yu is the year 1645. Yu-sung was the personal name of the Emperor whose reign-title was Hung-kuang. Ssu-tsung was the dynastic title of his predecessor, the Emperor whose reign-title was Ch’ung-chen.
SCENE 33
REUNION IN JAIL
1645, THIRD MONTH
[Enter Hou Fang-yü in shabby clothes.]
Hou [sings]:
The old sophora tree has seen many changes,
As it droops in mist above the ruined wall,
At last the spring breeze reaches this gloomy yard.
We three, close comrades, pace with our shadows,
And tell each other of our tribulations.
Where shall we borrow money for our wine?
[Speaks]: Already I have been in durance half a month, awaiting trial when the chief witness becomes available. I am fortunate in the company of friends who prevent me from feeling too lonely. Now there is moonlight on the wall; the sophora tree casts a shadow across it, so I’ll take a stroll in the courtyard. [Sings]:
Moonlight suffuses the azure sky,
But piercing lamentations rend the air,
As if the ghosts of the newly dead
Crept out of the wall to vent their grief.
We three comrades, together wronged in life,
Will share the same vengeance in death.
In our somber cell at midnight we glare our rage.
[Speaks]: Suddenly I feel my hair stand on end in fright. I’ll rouse Brothers Ch’en and Wu. A little conversation would be a solace. . . . Brother Chen-hui, please wake up. Brother Ying-chi, are you asleep? [Both come out, rubbing their eyes.]
Ch’en [sings]:
Now the moon rides high and the stars are glittering.
Why does he walk alone in the empty yard?
Wu [sings]:
Forget misfortune for a while.
Though we use ten thousand words,
What sympathy can we hope for?
[Speaks]: Brother Hou, why don’t you go to bed?
Hou: Since we cannot enjoy the spring in this dark prison, I thought of the moon as our sole companion and could not bear to leave it.
Ch’en: I can well understand. Let us wander in the moonlight.
Hou [sings]:
Cries of anguish fill the prison,
The clanging of fetters shakes the night.
Yet at least we three can stroll under the moon.
Light-bodied as sylphs in perfect freedom,
Let us cling to our prestige as scholars:
Many a hero has undergone such ordeals in the past.
Scorning the thorns of the prisoner’s life,
We discuss each other’s poems.
Liu Ching-t’ing [entering in shackles, recites]:
How to avoid the mail-clad steeds?
Half the heroes of our age are here confined.
[Speaks]: This is my first night in prison, and I’m already bored to death. I was about to fall asleep when I felt an urgent summons to relieve nature. What a nuisance to have to loosen my belt with these shackled hands! [Crouches and listens.] I hear a voice that sounds like Master Hou. I must investigate. [Rising to look]: I seem to be right. [Calls]: Are you Master Hou?
Hou [recognising him]: Oh, it’s our old friend Ching-t’ing!
Ch’en and Wu: What are you doing here?
Liu: I was about to ask you gentlemen the same question. Almighty Buddha! This meeting must be by the grace of God.
Hou: It is certainly an unusual occasion. Let us sit on the ground and converse. [Sings]:
Old friends may meet in a foreign land
More easily than behind these walls
Which divide us from the world like a range of mountains.
Forgetting our weariness, we gaze at the moon together.
Let us imagine that this is the Peach Blossom Cave,
And talk of our escape from the Ch’in tyrant.[1]
[Speaks]: What crime has brought you here in chains to suffer such duress?
Liu: No crime whatever. After you were imprisoned, Su K’un-sheng made a long journey to appeal to Earl Tso on your behalf. His Excellency was so indignant that he sat up all night drafting an impeachment and a public declaration against Ma and Juan. I conveyed these documents to the capital, and General Tso’s army is about to follow. It is hoped that Ma and Juan will be so alarmed that they will set you free. [Sings]:
The armies of Ning-nan were ready,
But no one stepped forth to deliver the declaration.
I alone braved water and fire
For the worthy scholars who have been so deeply wronged.
My spirit grows bolder as my hair turns white;
Under stress and strain my fortitude is strengthened.
To exterminate the villains and avenge the virtuous,
I care nought for these shackles.
Hou: I never dreamed you would endure all this for me, or that Su K’un-sheng would go so far to save my life. No words could express my gratitude.
Ch’en: Although I am sorry to say so, I fear that since General Tso has mobilized his army, our lives will be further endangered.
Wu: The Earl of Ning-nan is too guileless to succeed. With the noblest of intentions he cannot save us.
[Enter the chief warder, followed by four guards with ropes and lanterns.]
Warder [recites]:
From the four walls resound demonic wails,
At the third watch the prisoner’s courage fails.
[Speaks]: The Ministry of Justice has sent word that the prisoners are to be executed tomorrow morning. Bind them quickly with ropes.
Guard: Which prisoners, sir?
Warder: Their names are on this written verdict. The two rebels Chou Piao and Lei Yen-tso.
Guards [holding lanterns over Hou, Ch’en, Wu, and Liu]: These are not the fellows we are looking for.
Warder [shouting]: You have nothing to do with this. Clear out! [Exeunt warder and guards hastily.]
Ch’en [whispering]: Who is to be executed?
Wu: I heard the names of Chou Piao and Lei Yen-tso.
Hou: How iniquitous!
Liu: Let us wait and see.
[The chief warder re-enters, followed by guards with two prisoners stripped and bound. Exeunt hurriedly. Hou gazes at them stupefied.]
Ch’en: So they have sentenced these virtuous gentlemen to death!
Wu: They will be made examples to us.
Hou [sings]:
The downfall of the righteous is foretold in the almanac;
The world is topsy-turvy.
For this ruthless slaughter, Heaven should collapse.
Because of a secret scrap of paper,
They are taken in the dead of night to be beheaded.
My heart fails me; I am trembling to the marrow.
Heaven and earth turn black; we shall share the same doom.
[Says to Liu]: What other news did you glean while you were free?
Liu: I arrived in too great a hurry to hear much news. I could only see that mass arrests were being made.
Wu and Ch’en: Whom were they going to arrest?
Liu: Inspector General Huang Shu, Governor Yuan Chi-hsien, the Commander of the Imperial Guard Chang Wei, and many other officials and scholars.
Hou: Please try to remember their names.
Liu: There were so many that I can only recall a few. [He proceeds to mention several.]
Ch’en: Indeed an astounding galaxy!
Wu: We shall be able to hold a conference here of all the most eminent men of letters.
Hou: That should be memorable. [Sings]:
Our jail will become an oasis for men of letters.
There should be a portrait to commemorate the event:
A group of fallen I
mmortals,
Enjoying the spring moon, listening to the cuckoo,
Singing with the cicada in the autumn wind.
Wu: Restricted to such close quarters, we may converse at any time we please.
Hou: But while we three are able to move, poor Ching-t’ing is shackled like a dangerous criminal.
Liu: I should congratulate myself for not being clamped into a prisoner’s cage. [Sings]:
I can still join my hands in greeting
And observe the rules of courtesy.
I can even use my arms as a pillow.
Tonight I shall only miss a lady with slender fingers,
To rub my back before I fall asleep.
Liu:
We have met like four Immortals on an island.
Ch’en:
Across a vast expanse of boisterous waves.
Wu:
Here we may sing quite freely in seclusion.
Hou:
Though the sky be empty, the moon may still be full.
[1] See Scene 1, n. 10.
SCENE 34
THE RIVER FORTRESS
1645, FOURTH MONTH
[Enter Su K’un-sheng.]
Su [recites]:
The country is carved into three separate spheres of influence.
Over rivers and lakes, two armies are locked in battle.
[Speaks]: In order to save Master Hou’s life, I urged General Tso to mobilize his troops and fight his way eastward. Inspector General Huang Shu and Governor Ho T’eng-chiao are accompanying him. Today they entered Kiukiang, and they have invited Governor Yuan Chi-hsien to join them at Hu-k’ou to discuss plans for entering the capital. Ma and Juan have already sent General Huang Te-kung to stop their advance. The smoke of war is rising in all directions, and the future is unpredictable. General Tso’s son Meng-keng has been sent to oppose Huang Te-kung. I am following the camp as an intelligence officer. Truly the heavens reel, as dragon and tiger strive. [Exit.]
[A fortress with cannon is set up on the stage, and iron chains are stretched across to block the river. General Huang Te-kung enters, with a pair of whips, and is followed by soldiers.]
Huang [sings]:
I fight without a pause,
Against foes from north and south.
Now my cannons point west towards Chiang-chou,
To drive the enemy back in disarray.
[Speaks]: I am determined to devote all my loyalty and sacrifice my reputation to the service of my Emperor Hung-kuang. My ambition is to recover all the lost territories. Unfortunately, my colleagues are of scant assistance, and Tso Liang-yü is fomenting internal dissension. I have just received orders from Minister Juan, who is in command of the Yangtze river defences. Accordingly, I have moved to this area to stop the advance of Tso’s rebellious army. This is no laughing matter. [Calls]: Where is my brave adjutant T’ien Hsiung?
T’ien [entering in uniform]: Here, Your Excellency.
Huang: Muster all the men to hear my new command.
[Soldiers enter with a war-whoop and stand in two rows.]
Huang [sings]:
Rebels attempt to force his Majesty’s hand;
Bandit hordes would overturn the empire.
The Son of Heaven is weak and feckless,
His ministers devoted to private gain:
I stand alone to guard the public order.
On watch against the northern cavalry,
I learned of a great fleet sailing down the Yangtze.
Under flying banners, I marched my brave troops here,
Where our fortress hinders the foe from sailing downstream.
[Huang and his soldiers climb the ramparts. Enter Tso’s army with white banners and white uniforms. They utter war cries as they row downstream. Huang’s soldiers shoot at them and pursue them from the shore. General Tso Liang-yü in white uniform enters in a boat.]
Tso [sings]:
The worthless ruler allows his vile ministers
To wreck their vengeance at will:
Sycophants encourage him in every extravagance;
Self-seeking renegades have joined the enemy in the north;
Opportunists are ready to fawn on the nearest master.
I have risked being branded in history as a rebel,
But all my loyalty belongs to the late Emperor:
Let them pluck out my heart and show it to the people.
My aim is to rescue the wronged Heir Apparent;
I have nothing to be ashamed of.
Nothing can stop my boat as it sails eastward.
[Speaks]: But I am worried about my unruly son Meng-keng, who has been attacking cities at random along the route. I have often warned him, but I fear he is easily influenced by rash companions. We must concentrate all our efforts to storm this fortress ahead of us. I cannot punish him until we succeed.
Soldier [rushing in]: Your Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, I bring bad news. Huang Te-kung has blocked the road at Pan-chi. Our vanguard has been repulsed.
Tso: I’m aghast. Huang Te-kung was a man I though I could trust. How could he have been seduced by Ma and Juan? To think that he should support their puppet emperor without considering the Heir Apparent! This is abominable. [Calls]: Invite Their Excellencies Huang Shu and Governor Ho to join me for an urgent conference.
Huang Shu [entering, recites]:
Our banner of justice
Waves towards the sky.
[Speaks]: I appear at the Commander-in-Chief’s invitation.
Tso: So Your Excellency has come alone. Where is Governor Ho?
Huang Shu: He had to turn back halfway.
Tso: Why?
Huang Shu: Because he’s a fellow-provincial of Ma Shih-ying.[1]
Tso: Let him do as his conscience dictates. I won’t blame him for that. Now Huang Te-kung has blocked us at Pan-chi. Our armies cannot advance. What shall we do?
Huang Shu: This looks serious. Let us hear what His Excellency Yuan has to say about the matter.
Yuan Chi-hsien [entering with attendants, recites]:
Heaven frowns on the injuries of the orphaned Heir Apparent,
But the sun shines on the banners of the loyal.
[Speaks]: Here is General Tso’s boat. [To attendants]: Announce my arrival. [Guard does so.]
Tso: Please ask His Excellency to join me without delay.
Yuan [entering boat]: I have just been mobilizing my troops, and am now at Your Excellency’s disposal.
Huang: Our advance has been halted.
Yuan: How’s that?
Tso: Huang Te-kung has barred the way. Our vanguard has been repulsed.
Yuan: At this point we cannot retreat. We must send an envoy to negotiate with him.
Tso: Liu Ching-t’ing has left. There is no one I can send.
Su: I happen to know Huang Te-kung personally. Perhaps I may succeed in winning him over. At any rate, I can try.
Huang Shu: Master Su’s wit and integrity are equal to Liu Ching-t’ing’s. He’s the best man we could send.
Tso [to Su]: What will you say to him?
Su: I shall say [sings]:
When heron and oyster are locked in mortal combat,
The fisherman standing by is the one to profit.
A hero should look backward as well as forward.
Though you enjoyed the late Emperor’s favour,
You forget his injured son and poor Lady T’ung.
Bloody hands will be your only reward.
Why fight against your natural allies?
Yuan: Well spoken.
Tso: You must also enlighten him about my aims. He should know that the Heir Apparent must be rescued and that the country must be purged of corrupt officials. When these tasks are accomplished, I shall not disturb a speck of dust at Court nor touch a hair of the people. You should appeal to his sense of justice in this time of emergency.
Huang Shu: Precisely. He has always been a military man. If he understands the meaning of loyalty, he must admit that such as we could
never be rebels. Tell him to ponder this carefully.
Su: You may depend on me to make everything clear to him.
Messenger [rushing in]: Your Excellency the Commander-in-Chief! A conflagration has broken out in Kiukiang. His Excellency Yuan’s troops are ravaging the city.
Yuan: Why should my own troops have started this trouble?
Messenger: They are pillaging and looting.
Tso [angrily]: There’s no doubt that my son Meng-keng is at the bottom of this. He has made me appear a worthless renegade. I am too discredited to persevere. [He draws his sword as if to cut his throat. Huang Shu intercepts him. Tso clutches Yuan’s hand and gazes at him]: My dear friend, my dear friend! I have brought this misfortune upon you. [He vomits blood and collapses on a chair.]
Su [imploringly]: Your Excellency, please rouse yourself. Your Excellency!
Yuan: He does not answer. What are we to do?
Huang Shu: Perhaps he has only fainted. Let us give him a cordial.
Su [after trying to make him drink]: His teeth are tightly clenched. It is too late. [All wail and sing together.]
All [sing]:
The star of a great warrior has fallen;
The mast of our ship is broken.
How valiantly he fought a hundred battles!
How splendidly his coat of armour glittered!
Under this window now he lies:
The mortal fame is still intact,
But the Soul has flown to the summit of Coal Hill[2]
To tell its woes to the Emperor’s weeping Spirit.
Yuan: Now the Chief is dead, and all my troops are scattered. Tso Meng-keng has seized Kiukiang. Forward or backward, I don’t know where to turn. What shall we do if Huang Te-kung attacks us?
Huang Shu: We have lost our cities, and orders have been issued for our arrest. If we are captured, our doom is sealed. We had better return to Wuchang and join forces with Governor Ho.
Yuan: We have no alternative. [Exeunt Yuan and Huang Shu.]
Su [stupefied]: They have all departed. Only I am left to guard the Commander-in-Chief’s remains. What a pitiable sight. I’ll light candles and incense and lament his death. [He lights a candle and mourns beside the corpse, then sings]:
The Peach Blossom Fan Page 27