by Tang Xianzu
Old treasures shining with youthful brilliance,
The pearls and mirror serve as betrothal gifts.
For the princess to be happily married,
A maid is sent on an errand as makeshifts.
Scene Thirteen
Accepting the Betrothal Gifts
(Enter Huo Xiaoyu)
HUO XIAOYU (To the tune of Fanbusuan):
Leaning against the incense burner outside the screen,
I find the rouge on my lips faded after a night’s sleep.
With the floral fragrance return the bees
Flapping their wings to wilt the flowers.
(In the pattern of Manjianghongqian)
“When the sun shines through the mist,
I sleep soundly behind the bed curtains.
I may have disturbed the birdlings in pairs
On the warm embroidered quilts.
I mess up the rouge in my sleep,
Leaving a red trail on my pillows.
Leaning against the painted railings,
I watch the aquatic fowls.”
I am Huo Xiaoyu, fully aware of the worldly affairs although I am still young. But my old mother does not know that many things are now different from those when she was young. This morning I sent Yingtao to coax Li Yi into telling the truth about himself and report to me first when she comes back. The sun is setting, but she has not come back yet. How bored I am!
(To the tune of Sanhuantou)
After a sound sleep,
I can hardly remember the dream when I wake up.
When blooming flowers bend the tree branch
And dust falls on my sleeve,
I feel weak all over in the spring.
The young lass,
Without rhyme or reason,
Turns lovesickness
Into love affairs.
In the late spring afternoon,
I rub the tassels on my dress
In a trance and in indolence,
Wondering why the reply has not come yet.
(Enter Yingtao and Bao Siniang)
BAO SINIANG (To the tune of Chuanyanyunü):
With a chill in my sleeves,
I walk on the spring roads.
YINGTAO:
The dress shows my emaciation in the spring,
When dusk clouds enshrouds the sky.
YINGTAO, BAO SINIANG:
In the fading sunlight,
Curtains are raised at sunset.
YINGTAO:
Here we are at our residence, Siniang. Please sit in the east hall and wait to offer the betrothal gifts! When I come back with words from the princess, the old mistress will come to accept the betrothal gifts.
BAO SINIANG:
Yes, I see.
(Exit Bao Siniang)
(Yingtao greets Huo Xiaoyu)
HUO XIAOYU (Asks in a haste):
So you’ve returned at last! What did you find out about that man?
YINGTAO:
Congratulations! Congratulations! How elegant and amorous the man is! He is perfect for he has not married and has settled down in the capital.
HUO XIAOYU:
How can he be willing to discard his hometown?
YINGTAO:
He is a native of Longxi. As it has been occupied by the Tubos, he has no hometown to turn to now.
HUO XIAOYU:
I see! It’s just the thing I want.
YINGTAO:
My princess, he is to sleep with you tomorrow.
(Huo Xiaoyu is shy)
YINGTAO (To the tune of Sanhuantou):
He is young and good-looking;
His words are affectionate and loving.
He will be a good husband,
Like a butterfly enchanted by the flower,
Panting while twisting his waist.
My princess, how happy you will be on the day when you are called “wife”!
Here comes
Your beloved one.
When he calls you “wife”,
How would you react at that time?
You would answer in a trembling voice,
With your mind in a trance.
Please remember your maidservant,
Who has contributed to this blessed marriage!
HUO XIAOYU:
You want to be remembered before the matter is settled. Did he say when he will present his betrothal gifts?
YINGTAO:
Bao Siniang has been waiting outside with his betrothal gifts.
HUO XIAOYU:
Make haste and invite my mother here!
(Enter Zheng Liuniang)
ZHENG LIUNIANG (To the tune of Shenghulu):
A bright and beautiful make-up is done
For the marriage over which we still hesitate.
The future son-in-law
Is extraordinary in looks and talents.
I’m afraid he is already married
And will one day leave for good.
(Enter Bao Siniang with Yingtao)
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
Oh! Yingtao is back. What did you find out?
YINGTAO:
It’s really good that he is unmarried and has settled down in the capital city. He has offered the betrothal gifts and Bao Siniang is waiting outside.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
Invite her in!
BAO SINIANG (Greets Zheng Liuniang):
The curtains embrace the spring breeze while the lintel of the door is decorated with blessings.
The young princess is as beautiful as jade, while Li Yi is as firm as a rock. The marriage across a thousand miles will last as long as a hundred years. You can prepare the red candles for me to display the mirror and the pearl-decorated hairpins.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
Siniang, please hold them for a while! Yingtao, where did you meet Siniang?
YINGTAO:
On my visit to find out the details about him, Mr. Li mistook me for Siniang’s daughter, so he told me to forward the two treasures to you as his betrothal gifts. On my way back, I met Siniang under the plum tree around the corner of the Five-Phoenix Gate. So she came back together with me to give you the reply.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
Oh, I see.
BAO SINIANG:
You are really prudent!
ZHENG LIUNIANG (Smiles):
Yingtao will get half of the wedding gifts tomorrow.
(To Huo Xiaoyu)
From now on you are the wife of Mr. Li. Have a look at the betrothal gifts!
HUO XIAOYU (In shyness):
Your inspection is enough.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
You can get ready for the wedding ceremony.
(To the tune of Yueshanghaitang)
In full brilliance,
The lamps and candles send up a scented smoke.
The fragrance of the spring breeze
Permeates in the princess’s boudoir.
The pair of jade hairpins in the locket shine with luster,
While the beloved daughter wears interlocked jade pendents.
ALL:
A marvelous match it is,
With the precious mirror and hairpins
Lasting forever as love tokens.
BAO SINIANG (Congratulates):
(To the previous tune)
I am an enthusiastic matchmaker,
Who ties the true love-knot with silk threads.
The moon rises from behind the laurel-tree,
When the phoenix hovers above the locust-tree.
The wife is like the courtesan Biyu playing the flute;
The man is like the prefect in the court of the Han Dynasty.
ALL:
A marvelous match it is,
With the precious mirror and hairpins
Lasting forever as love tokens.
ZHANG LIUNIANG (Looks at the mirror and hairpins):
He comes from the family of a prime minister. When I was in the palace, I heard of a mirror forged in the middle of the Yangtze River during the reign
of Emperor Xuanzong. But I did not know then that it belonged to the Li family. Xiaoyu, I heard that there were two dragons guarding the boat where the mirror was being forged, so the back of the mirror bears the design of two coiling dragons, which was created by nature rather than by man. The pair of swallows carved on the jade hairpins are so lifelike, rarely seen in the world. The day after tomorrow is an auspicious day. As Mr. Li stays in the hostel in solitude, we might as well have the wedding settled on that day. Siniang, you just stay here with Xiaoyu and I will arrange with Huansha a dinner for you.
BAO SINIANG:
All right!
(Exit Zheng Liuniang)
BAO SINIANG:
Today is a good date. Yingtao, hold the mirror and hairpins! I will adorn her hair with the hairpins in her room.
HUO XIAOYU:
It is brighter here in the hall.
BAO SINIANG:
But it is more convenient in your room.
(Walks)
YINGTAO:
This is where the princess washes and dresses.
BAO SINIANG:
I see. Let’s put up the mirror beside the gauze window! Please look into the mirror, princess!
HUO XIAOYU (In shyness):
(To the tune of Erlangshen)
Behind the gauze window,
The coral headwear in the mirror
Turns the moon-lit sky into a vast expanse of sea.
The moon-goddess in the mirror
Sees the dawning clouds approach her terrace.
The pair of green and red swallows in the mirror
Reflect the two tranquil and pure hearts.
BAO SINIANG:
Don’t mention
The wandering shadows any more,
For you’ll see a pair of smiling faces!
Let me plant the hairpins into your hair!
HUO XIAOYU:
Just leave that till tomorrow!
BAO SINIANG:
They should be planted in your hair today.
(Puts on the hairpins)
HUO XIAOYU:
Be careful! It hurts.
BAO SINIANG:
It surely hurts to have something stuck in.
HUO XIAOYU:
Pooh!
(To the previous tune)
It is resplendent
That green buds are set in the jade flowers
And carved swallows hold scented grass in their mouths.
The decorative silk button-loops are exquisite;
The jade swallows seem to flutter with feathers spread.
The swaying pendants of the hairpins hang on the temples
And the thin rods are stuck into the smooth thick hair.
BAO SINIANG:
I’m afraid that the rod thrusts into your hair too loosely. You’ll thrust it more tightly tomorrow.
HUO XIAOYU:
Pooh!
BAO SINIANG:
Don’t make haste to contradict,
As you’ll soon lie on the same pillow with your man.
HUO XIAOYU:
Siniang, what you say sounds scaring because it is vulgar!
BAO SINIANG:
You’ll be scared by your man, not me!
HUO XIAOYU:
Why should I be scared by him?
BAO SINIANG:
Because he will ask you to cook for him.
HUO XIAOYU:
That is not difficult for me.
(To the tune of Fengrusong)
I would cook for him with pleasure.
BAO SINIANG:
He will ask you to prepare wine for him.
HUO XIAOYU:
With good grace,
I would fill the jade cup with the silver pot,
Warm the mellow wine as Zhuo Wenjun did
And present it to him with due respect.
BAO SINIANG:
He will ask you to sing for him.
HUO XIAOYU:
It’s no problem.
I would sing songs of devoted couples.
BAO SINIANG:
He will also ask for several night meals to trouble you.
HUO XIAOYU:
He can eat to his fill as long as he has the appetite.
A talent like him can have a feast of the eye at will.
BAO SINIANG:
You are really not afraid of these troubles. He will also ask you to put on his cap.
HUO XIAOYU:
It’s no problem either.
(To the previous tune)
I’ll brush his official hat and put it on for him.
BAO SINIANG:
He will ask you to make clothes for him.
HUO XIAOYU:
It is easy.
With sharp scissors,
I’ll cut and sew at quick speed
To display my needlecraft.
BAO SINIANG:
How can you know his height? And how can you be familiar with his waist-size?
HUO XIAOYU:
I can figure that out.
I’ll figure that out by stealthily wrapping a band around his waist.
BAO SINIANG:
His waistband must be very long.
HUO XIAOYU:
You have a discerning eye in match-making. How come you are so familiar with him?
You have sharp eyes but evil sentiments.
BAO SINIANG:
As my disciple, you should not scold your matchmaker. I used to teach you music, so I am your teacher. Now I’ll teach you something, which your mother is not fit to do.
HUO XIAOYU:
What is it that you’ll teach me? There are no early learners or late learners because those who have mastered come first.
BAO SINIANG:
Don’t be pretentious! The newly-weds will feel very shy in facing the red candles on silver stands.
(To the tune of Yujiaozhi)
Sitting alone listless in the candlelight,
You’ll fondle your jade hairpins,
Expecting your love to embrace you.
You should put on some airs by
Knitting your brows, sheltering with your sleeves and shyly evading him.
Don’t respond immediately when he speaks to you!
You should pretend to be reluctant in response.
When he flirts with you with trifles,
You should respond with tactics.
When he asks you to go to bed, you just wait by the bedside until he carries you onto it.
The embroidered bed-curtains will be opened with trembling hands.
You should not undress by yourself. Rather, you should refuse him at first, preferably wait for him to snap open your band,
And unloosen the knots from the loops on your short red coat.
HUO XIAOYU:
I see. You are babbling too much.
BAO SINIANG:
I’ll tell you some sex techniques. When you go to bed, you should go to the west side if he lies in the east side and go to the east side if he lies in the west side.
(To the previous tune)
You should pretend
To be startled by the blissful delight;
You should pretend to pinch him with your finger-nails
And push him away with your slim fingers.
He will definitely not give up,
But try to reach the lilac bud of your virginity.
You just give him the chance,
Not caring about getting pregnant at your age;
And you should prepare a white silk handkerchief because
You’ll see red stains when he breaks the path.
Oh! That really hurts. Listen!
The juice will be drawn out to spray inside you.
The climax will come in a full blast
When your waist and limbs quiver.
HUO XIAOYU:
Master, how can you know the ropes so well?
BAO SINIANG:
I have my life experience. On my wedding night,
(To the tune of Jiangshuiling)
I was pre
tty and young
When I first experienced the ecstasy
Of flirtations in the arms of my man.
I took off my socks beside the smoking-oven,
And laid my embroidered shoes on the bedside.
My slim body lay on the bed,
And my eyebrows were frowned,
When I tasted the joy and endured the hurt.
I cleaned the stained silk,
I cleaned the stained silk,
And cast a side-glance by the candlelight.
I moved the pillow,
I moved the pillow,
Pulled the quilt tight and feigned to reject.
HUO XIAOYU:
You do have much to say!
BAO SINIANG (To the previous tune):
I got off the bed with my make-up messed up,
And sat at the dressing mirror facing the Jade Terrace,
Giggling and sighing at my recent experience.
I stole a glance at the blood-stains
And wiped the scratched spot in sorrow.
In front of the clothes-stand
And outside the curtains,
I made deep bows to the bridegroom in the bridal room.
Congratulations on the newly-weds,
Congratulations on the newly-weds,
Who glowed with happiness!
My bridegroom,
My bridegroom
Had such tenderness and affections!
HUO XIAOYU:
No wonder you are so shrewd!
BAO SINIANG:
Tomorrow you will be shrewd too.
(Enter Zheng Liuniang)
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
The evening dinner is ready in the hall. Bao Siniang, what have you got to say to keep you in the room for such a long time?
BAO SINIANG:
Just an idle chat.
ZHENG LIUNIANG:
We haven’t prepared many dishes today.
(To the tune of Coda)
On the green jade plate
And in the purple glaze cup,
There are delicious food and mellow wine.
When Shilang moves in here,
The matchmaker will be entertained with a candle-lit banquet.
(Exit)
Scene Fourteen
Borrowing a Stalwart Steed
(Enter Li Yi)
LI YI (To the tune of Yueyungao):
With the thick scented smoke,
My heart goes out of the bamboo curtains.
The smoke coils like the swallow tails
Or the floating ribbons.
The tender willows sway in the sun
While plums come into full blossom in the breeze.
The butterflies stop at the flower petals
In the warm courtyard.
The albizzia flowers that are about to bloom
Come into my dream hand in hand with my love.
(In the pattern of Baizilingqian)
“The windows of the hostel
Shut out the spring and shut in the woe.
