by C. T. Hsia
SECRETARY: Mark the page once, and we’ll let you drink a cup of wine.
OLD CHILIARCH: A mark on the page for a cup of wine. Bring it on! Bring it on! I can mark it all day long.
SECRETARY: Sign your name.
OLD CHILIARCH: Signed.
SECRETARY: Old Wanyan has marked the page and signed his name.
SHANSHOUMA: Secretary, read out loud the deposition for him to hear.
SECRETARY (reads:) The person who signed the deposition is Wanyan Ake. Ake is now sixty years old and is in good health. He is a Jurchen under the command of the hereditary myriarch Hulidahai of the capital region. He responded to a call for military service and now serves as commander of the vanguard of the Southern Expeditionary Forces under the Bureau of Military Affairs. Recently His Honor the director favored him with a commission to lead the troops formerly under the director’s command to defend the mountain pass and ward off the bandits. Naturally he should have constantly kept the troops in battle order and guarded against the enemy. Yet on the night of the fifteenth of the eighth month, because he was heavily drunk, he suffered a defeat, permitting enemy troops to infiltrate and cross the border, bring down the pass garrison, capture men and women, and plunder cattle and horses. Now he received an order for his arrest from His Honor the director and should have come forward in accordance with the command. Yet he resisted and did not go forth to the director’s residence, deliberately flouting the director’s orders, and moreover had the officials sent to arrest him repeatedly beaten up. Now we have the deposition of Ake, the offender, based on his confession. If we act in accordance with the military ordinances, we will uphold justice and humbly receive the imperial decree. The sentence: item, for the border commander who heard the order but did not come forth in compliance, death sentence; item, for the border commander who was drunk and did not regularly drill his troops, death sentence; item, for the border commander who allowed bandits to infiltrate the border and did not go out to meet the enemy, death sentence. Deposition and indictment of the Wanyan Ake, dated the eighth month, such and such a day.
OLD CHILIARCH: So then I am to die! (Weeps.)
SHANSHOUMA (sings:)
[Strumming the Lute and Pipa]
For all my family sentiment,
I must attend to military regiment.
I charged you to array officers by your gate,
To have halberds in a ready state.
Why didn’t you meet your foe,
Why didn’t you fight a battle,
But drank yourself insensible?
Even if you were a master commander like Jiang Shang,
Guan Zhong of Qi, Fan Li of Yue, Zhang Liang of Han,46
What difference would that have made?
In vain do you now blubber. (Speaks:)
Secretary, bring that indictment over here.
SECRETARY: I have it.
SHANSHOUMA: Put down as judgment “decapitation.” Take him out, cut off his head, and report back to me when you’ve finished.
SECRETARY: Yes sir. Attendants, where are you? Take old Wanyan out and decapitate him. (They tie him up.)
OLD CHILIARCH: Heavens! Now they want to kill me. Isn’t there some way My Lady could come and intercede on my behalf?
(OLD LADY enters, in great distress.)
OLD LADY: Good men, stay a moment. I am the marshal’s own aunt; wait till I go and plead with him. (She sees the marshal, kneels and cries out.)
SHANSHOUMA: Please rise, Aunt.
OLD LADY: Marshal, it is not for me to come and speak up in this great hall of state justice. I know that your uncle wore the plain golden plaque, and because of his fondness for drinking, he lost the mountain pass and let enemy raiders capture and plunder the people. You, Marshal, hold him guilty and are about to have him killed. Just think: you lost both parents at a young age, and the two of us brought you up to be a man and to become such a high official. Although we two did not conceive and give birth to you, we suckled you for three years, changed your wet swaddling clothes, and fed you mouth to mouth, picking out for you the choice morsels and swallowing the lesser bits ourselves. You really must spare him the sword. For my sake, merely apply the stick to him to give him a warning for the future. Won’t that be good enough?
SHANSHOUMA: But you don’t know what that man did behind your back? (Sings:)
[Eighteen Beats of the Barbarian Fife]
He was befuddled with food and wine,
For song and women alone his heart would pine;
When was he ever willing to defend the narrow pass
And to repulse the mighty bandits?
All he did every day was play the flute, beat the drum, and hold banquets.
OLD LADY: Your uncle is an old man.
SHANSHOUMA: You say that Uncle is old; how old is he?
OLD LADY: He is sixty years old.
SHANSHOUMA (sings:)
So he is barely sixty. (Speaks:)
Jiang Shang was eighty when he met King Wen. One day he arrived with his troops at the River Meng, and six days later he captured the Shang capital, Chaoge, in a bloodbath and established the Zhou dynasty that lasted eight hundred years. (Sings:)
Next to Jiang Shang, who vanquished Zhou, he’s younger still by twenty years. (Speaks:)
Please rise, Aunt. This is a military matter, and I cannot pardon him.
OLD LADY (goes out:) Your Honor, he adamantly refuses to pardon you. What shall we do?
OLD CHILIARCH: How about you ask the young mistress Chacha to come and tell her to plead for me with the marshal?
(CHACHA enters.)
CHACHA: Uncle and Aunt, why are you so troubled and distressed?
OLD LADY: Chacha, your uncle lost control of the mountain pass because he was drunk, and the marshal is about to have him executed. You will go and plead for him—won’t you?
CHACHA: Uncle and Aunt, if I succeed, don’t rejoice too soon, and if I fail, don’t be distressed.
(She greets SHANSHOUMA.)
SHANSHOUMA (angrily:) Chacha, what business do you have that you should come here?
CHACHA: This is a court of justice, and it is not for me to meddle here. I only know that when you were young, both your parents died, and it was thanks to Uncle and Aunt that you were brought up to become such a high official. If you were to kill Uncle … How could you! You must pardon Uncle for my sake. What do you say to it?
SHANSHOUMA: Chacha, how can you, a woman, interfere with what goes on inside these official gates? Who let you become so bold and insolent? (Sings:)
[Rejoicing Over the Yuanhe Reign]
This is a place for major decisions,
Who told you that you could come here?
In these halls of legal disputations,
There’s no room for you, the wife virtuous and dear. (Speaks:)
Now my subordinate officials would say that when my uncle commits a crime, he can ask my wife to come and plead for him. (Sings:)
This dispensation of yours
Really comes all too quickly!
Chacha, if you don’t go back, (sings:)
You will make me lose face and rend my dignity in vain. (Speaks:)
Go quickly!
CHACHA: All right, all right, I’ll just go. (She goes out and sees OLD CHILIARCH.) The marshal adamantly refuses to pardon you. Isn’t it said, “With proper laws heaven will comply”?47 “When the officials are honest, the people are content with their lot”—that applies to you. “When the wife is virtuous, the husband will be spared calamities”—that applies to me. Alas! But no luck with this: “When the son is filial, the father’s heart is at ease.” (Exits.)
OLD LADY: In this case, what should we do?
OLD CHILIARCH: Your Honor, Chief Secretary, would all of you officials go intercede for me?
SECRETARY: Stay the execution. (All the officials kneel before MARSHAL.)
SHANSHOUMA: What are you all doing?
SECRETARY: Your Honor, one should punish without sparing one’s own fles
h and blood, and one should reward without passing over one’s enemies. How could we dare to intercede? It is true that old Wanyan, relying on his advancing years, gave himself over to wine and neglected his duties and thus let enemy soldiers infiltrate the border and bring down the pass garrison—indeed, his crime is no trifle. But Your Honor lost your parents at a young age, and your uncle raised you up to become a man—this beneficence is also great. In our foolish opinion, if old Wanyan is punished in accordance with the just statutes, though it will indeed show that Your Honor impartially uphold the law, yet in thus fulfilling your loyalty to the state, you will betray filial piety in your family. A worthy man may not approve of this. (Recites:)
We plead that Your Honor search his heart
And deliberate the law in all its concerns.
We dare not advance any opinion on our part
But hope your mirror of justice in due course leniency discerns.
SHANSHOUMA (sings:)
[Pretty with Every Step]
All my officials high and low are kneeling before these steps—
Truly each and every one of you is shameless.
He’s my uncle and I am his nephew—
A fire after all is no hotter than the ashes.
You may not bring up this matter again. (Speaks:)
My kinsman he may be, but when he has committed such a grave offense, I am still going to execute him. If any of you are to be remiss in any way— (Sings:)
Before you do anything, first look and learn from his example. (Speaks:)
Get up, all of you. I cannot spare him.
SECRETARY (goes out:) His Honor is not willing to pardon you.
OLD CHILIARCH: If this is how things stand, what shall I do?
SECRETARY: Old Wanyan, having lost control of the pass on the fifteenth of the eighth month, how is it that you did not pursue the enemy?
OLD CHILIARCH: On the sixteenth I mounted my horse, overtook the enemy, fought a battle, and recovered all the people, cattle, and horses they had captured.
SECRETARY: If that’s the case, why didn’t you say so earlier? (Greets SHANSHOUMA.) Your Honor, old Wanyan just said that on the sixteenth he mounted his horse and fought a battle with the enemy and recovered all the people, cattle, and horses they had captured. This is a case of merit canceling out the offense.
SHANSHOUMA: So he fought a battle with the bandits and recovered the captured people, cattle, and horses? This being the case, his merit cancels out his offense, and he will be spared the blade of execution. You may change the indictment and sentence him to one hundred strokes.
SECRETARY: Yes sir. (Reads the indictment:) The person who signed the deposition is Wanyan Ake. Ake is now sixty years old and is in good health. He is a Jurchen under the command of the hereditary myriarch Hulidahai of the capital region. He responded to a call for military service and now serves as commander of the vanguard of the Southern Expeditionary Forces under the Bureau of Military Affairs. Recently His Honor the director favored him with a commission to lead the troops formerly under the director’s command to defend the mountain pass and ward off the bandits. Naturally he should have constantly kept the troops in battle order and guarded against the enemy. Yet on the night of the fifteenth of the eighth month, he was remiss in keeping watch and allowed enemy troops to infiltrate the border, to attack, and capture a certain number of people, cattle, and horses. Then on the sixteenth of the same month, Ake personally led his troops and, braving all danger, went after the enemy, exerted himself, and proved his mettle, recapturing the people, cattle, and horses. In the area where the incursion had taken place he fought and repulsed the enemy, attained victory, and returned. The merit should really cancel out the offense, but Ake should not have been drunk, should not have resisted the director’s orders and failed to come forward as instructed. He was rightly considered to have committed a crime. Now we have the deposition of Ake, the offender, based on his confession. If Your Honor will accept the request for commutation of the sentence, we will uphold justice and humbly receive the imperial decree. Deposition and indictment of Wanyan Ake.
SHANSHOUMA: I approve this deposition. Give him one hundred strokes.
SECRETARY: Old Wanyan, by order of the marshal you have been spared the death penalty and will only receive one hundred strokes.
OLD CHILIARCH: Although you’ve spared me the death penalty, if you beat me one hundred strokes, I’ll be a dead man as well. Would Your Honor stay your hand a while, so that I could look for someone to save this life of mine. My Lady, we have a steward in our family called Puppy. He is here now, and I would like to ask him to intercede for me. (He calls out.)
(COMIC enters dressed as PUPPY.)
PUPPY: I am Puppy. I have humbly served His Honor the director and he dotes on me. If it were not for me, he would not eat and drink. Whenever he sees me, he rejoices, and in all matters he acts only upon my advice. I was just lighting the fire inside the kitchen range, and I don’t know who called me.
OLD CHILIARCH: Puppy, I called you. (Kneels.) I beg you …
PUPPY: I say, if it isn’t Uncle. Don’t pay obeisance to me; please get up. (Slips and falls down.) I’ve just hit my face. Uncle, what’s the matter?
OLD CHILIARCH: Puppy, the marshal wants to give me one hundred strokes. Have pity on me and go have a word with him on my behalf.
PUPPY: Uncle, don’t worry. I didn’t need you to tell me but already went and had a word with him last night.
OLD CHILIARCH: Go and intercede for me now.
PUPPY: Don’t worry, Uncle, it’s all on me. (He pays his respects to MARSHAL.)
SHANSHOUMA: What did you come for?
PUPPY: I wouldn’t have come for nothing. The thing is that Uncle happened to be drunk and neglected military duties, and you want to give him one hundred strokes. If it wouldn’t hurt him, that would be all right, but really, as the saying goes, “The great is able to cover up the small and the sea receives all rivers.” For my sake, don’t beat him. If you beat him, I shall be vexed. Please forgive him!
SHANSHOUMA (sings:)
[Buy Good Wine]
I see that he puts on a willful and insistent air
And turns to me all smiles, selling his unpersuasive ware.
“Pardon him,” so he said repeatedly,
But here I must think awhile—
How can this official case be dealt with lightly!
[Song of Peace]
I have turned him away several times,
But he implored me time and again.
Pointing to officials and clerks, all he does is make pleas
And calls on heaven and earth without cease. (Speaks:)
Puppy! (Sings:)
If you can intercede,
You surely can take some punishment in his stead.
PUPPY: I’ll take it, I’ll take it!
SHANSHOUMA: So, you’ll take some punishment in his stead? Attendants, get the big stick ready. (Sings:)
I’ll first beat you to smithereens; I’ll beat you till your waist snaps.
Attendants, take him down and beat him forty strokes. (They beat PUPPY.) You’re done beating him, drag him outside. (PUPPY stumbles out.)
OLD CHILIARCH: Well, how did the talk go?
PUPPY: I went and had a word with him.
OLD CHILIARCH: Go in again and plead with him.
PUPPY: He told me to come tomorrow.
OLD CHILIARCH (pushes him:) Go once more.
(PUPPY pays his respects to SHANSHOUMA.)
SHANSHOUMA: What did you come again for?
PUPPY: I came for a second helping. Your Honor, Uncle is an old man. Consider how he raised you when you were small. But even leaving Uncle aside, that aunt of yours used to hold you in her arms while you slept, and as a small child you would pee on her and get her all wet. So for Aunt’s sake, please forgive him.
SHANSHOUMA: Do you want to take punishment in his stead?
PUPPY: I’ll take it, I’ll take it.
SHANSHOUMA: Be
at him another twenty strokes. (They beat PUPPY.) Drag him out.
(PUPPY stumbles out.)
OLD CHILIARCH: Puppy, how did the talk go?
PUPPY (holding his buttocks with both hands:) This time I can’t go anymore. (OLD CHILIARCH pushes him again. To SHANSHOUMA:) Your Honor!
SHANSHOUMA: Take him down!
PUPPY (in distress:) Have pity! I can’t take any more of this.
SHANSHOUMA: Bring the bronze execution sword: we’ll lop off that donkey head of yours. (Puppy stumbles out.)
OLD CHILIARCH: Go in once more and intercede for me.
PUPPY: You old whoreson! Pull yourself together and go yourself! (Exits.)
SHANSHOUMA: Bring him here. How much did the other one take for him?
SECRETARY: He took sixty strokes.
SHANSHOUMA: Then beat him forty strokes. (They beat OLD CHILIARCH.) (Sings:)
[Wild Geese Alight]
Indeed there is strength in your wrists,
But in me the intent behind it hardly exists.
Truly in the kitchen there’s one with fervid capability,48
Yet between him and me there’s no hostility.
[Victory Song]
With this beating, a whack is like a blade’s pointed end,
And as each blow descends, a layer of skin it does rend.
He ends in that pool of blood, unable to bear the pain.
How can I, in the commander’s chair, my composure maintain?
But he was derelict in his military duty.
If he is absolved, who shall bear the blame? (Speaks:)
How many strokes has he been beaten?
SECRETARY: He has been beaten thirty strokes.
SHANSHOUMA (sings:)
We have only reached to thirty blows.
You damned fool!49 In your case, the official is not harsh, but harsh are the claws and fangs of your underlings. (Speaks:)
Go on beating him!
SECRETARY: The punishment is done. Help him out.
OLD CHILIARCH: My Lady, they have beaten me to death! Who could have known that he would take no pity on me but would instead give me such a beating! I am a dead man!
OLD LADY (crying:) Your Honor, what did I say? I told you to drink less.
OLD CHILIARCH: My Lady, he gave me such a beating that I am as good as dead. My Lady, if there’s some hot wine, pour me a cup.
