by Tang Xianzu
Mercy on me, my lord!
LI QUAN:
I won’t spare a spy of your sort.
LADY YANG:
Won’t you unbind him and let him speak something on the art of war, my lord?
LI QUAN:
In that case, do as you say and let him loose.
(The attendants let loose of Chen Zuiliang)
CHEN ZUILIANG (Kowtows):
Thank you, my lord and my lady, for sparing me my life.
LI QUAN:
Stand up and say something about the art of war.
CHEN ZUILIANG:
When Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius about the deployment of troops, Confucius refused to answer the question but said, “I’ve never met anyone whose desire for virtue is as strong as his desire for sex.”
LI QUAN:
What does he mean?
CHEN ZUILIANG:
As Duke Ling’s wife Nanzi was present, Confucius would not like to speak.
LI QUAN:
His wife’s name Nanzi sounds like a man’s, but my wife is a woman.
(Drums within)
(Enter the messenger)
MESSENGER:
Report, report! Our troops to Yangzhou killed the womenfolk of Envoy Du. They’ve come to present the heads for a reward.
LI QUAN (Looks carefully at the heads):
I’m afraid they are not the heads of Envoy Du’s womenfolk.
MESSENGER:
They are as true as can be. His wife is Lady Zhen, and his maid is Chunxiang.
CHEN ZUILIANG (Looks at the heads and wails in astonishment):
Oh heavens! This is Lady Zhen’s head and that is Chunxiang’s head!
LI QUAN:
Tush, none of your wailing, old pedant! We’ll soon break through the city of Huai’an to kill old Du as well.
CHEN ZUILIANG:
Please have mercy on him, my lord!
LI QUAN:
I won’t spare him unless he gives up the city of Huai’an.
CHEN ZUILIANG:
Will you please let me bring your words to him and report to you in no time?
LADY YANG:
If you want to save your neck, old pedant, get out of here at once!
(Drums and shouts within. The gate is opened)
CHEN ZUILIANG (In terror):
(To the tune of Coda)
The mighty Gilded Prince
Will always linger on my mind.
LI QUAN, LADY YANG:
Go and tell Envoy Du
To surrender and leave his airs behind.
We’re bound to grab more land,
With manoeuvres well designed.
(Exeunt)
CHEN ZUILIANG (Bows to see them off):
Sheer robbers and bandits! They’ve killed Lady Zhen and Chunxiang. I’ll bring the news to Huai’an.
The sea god blows an ill wind to the east
And swirls dusts when the sun sets in the west.
The present envoy is my former host,
Who’ll honour me as his distinguished guest.
Scene Forty-Six
Outwitting the Bandits
(Enter Du Bao, fully armoured and bearing a sword, followed by his attendants)
DU BAO (To the tune of Pozhenzi):
In various formations I deploy the troop;
To guard the frontiers I shall never stoop.
(Drums and shouts within)
DU BAO (With a sigh):
Like thunder the cannons roared;
Like whirling snow flashes the sword.
Li Quan, Li Quan,
To grab the land,
You have to grab it from my hand.
“Who can break through the siege in tease?
In the northern sky not a single bird flees.
Since rebels started skirmish in despair,
The worries for the war have greyed my hair.”
Since I, Du Bao, arrived in Huai’an, I have been involved in warfare. The city has been completely isolated and heavily besieged. As I can do nothing but manage the provisions and keep up the morale, I cherish no hope of returning alive and entrust the survival of the city to the heavens. Now that I sit upon the city tower, I cannot but think of the fall of the former capital and grieve at the sight of the lost territory.
(To the tune of Yuguizhi)
Oh heavens, what do you mean
By showing favour to the alien tribe?
The stink of mutton is hard to describe;
The desert sands are here to be seen.
(Annoyed)
How my anger rises!
How my anger rises!
Who is to blame
To bring our land to shame?
(Sighs)
Our central plains are in alien hands at last!
Entrapped in siege
And devoid of hope,
I’ll still defend Yangzhou
And Huai River in my scope.
With tens of thousands of troops, I don’t think it difficult for Li Quan to break our defence. There must be some reason for him to be hesitating.
To break the siege I have a plan,
But I fail to find a suitable man.
(Drums within)
(Enter a messenger)
MESSENGER:
“On the battlefield no wild geese dwell,
But a man has come from Hell.”
Funny indeed that a scholar has penetrated the siege and come to pay tribute to his patron. I’ll make a report all the same. Your Excellency, a former acquaintance of yours is at the gate.
DU BAO:
Would he be a spy?
MESSENGER:
He says that he’s Mr Chen, a scholar from Nan’an Prefecture in the south.
DU BAO:
How can a pedant like him break through the siege? Show him in at once.
(Enter Chen Zuiliang)
CHEN ZUILIANG (To the tune of Huanxisha):
The battle-flags provide a good display.
It’s not the Lantern Festival now,
But firecrackers crackle away.
Where is Lord Du?
DU BAO (Comes out to welcome Chen Zuiliang with a smile):
Which distant friend appears?
(Sighs)
Oh, it’s you, Mr Chen.
Your arrival startles me into tears.
CHEN ZUILIANG:
Your hair has turned completely grey, Lord Du.
DU BAO, CHEN ZUILIANG:
Two worried grey-heads
Meet again after three years.
(They greet each other)
CHEN ZUILIANG:
“A donkey ride is hard for a grey-head;
DU BAO:
This meeting makes me think of olden days.
CHEN ZUILIANG:
With a thousand li and more to tread,
DU BAO:
I now take Nan’an for my native place.”
CHEN ZUILIANG:
Lord Du, you always linger on my mind, but I do feel sorry that Lady Zhen on her way back to Yangzhou was captured and killed by the bandits.
DU BAO (Startled):
How did you get to know it?
CHEN ZUILIANG:
I saw with my own eyes her head in the bandit camp; Chunxiang was killed as well.
DU BAO (Wails):
Oh heavens! How my heart pains!
(To the tune of Yuguizhi)
You have shared my name and fame,
My lady, my dearest wife!
You deserve the highest claim,
A worthy mate all through your life.
When I recall our marital years,
Our marital years,
You seem to stand before me
And my eyes are filled with tears.
(Faints as he wails and is helped to his feet by the attendants)
CHEN ZUILIANG:
Oh respectable lady, respectable lady! How can you come to this! Join me in weeping, officers and officials!
ALL: (Weep):
Oh, respectable
lady!
DU BAO (Wipes off his tears in irritation):
Well, I shouldn’t have acted like this! My wife is a lady of an honoured title. It befits her to die cursing the enemy. How can I lose control of my temper and cause disturbance among my men?
As the commander,
I’ll do away with my private woe.
Come what may,
I’ll sustain the blow.
What did the Gilded Prince say, Mr Chen?
CHEN ZUILIANG:
His words are beyond mentioning. He said that he’d kill you.
DU BAO:
Oops!
Why does he want to take my life?
I’ll kill him for the national strife.
CHEN ZUILIANG:
In my opinion, there’s no sense in all the killings.
(Whispers in Du Bao’s ears)
The Gilded Prince intends to occupy the city of Huai’an.
DU BAO:
Shut up! Tell me whether there’s one seat or two seats in his camp?
CHEN ZUILIANG:
He sits side by side with his wife.
DU BAO (Laughs):
In that case, I’m sure that I can lift this siege. But may I ask why you came all the way here?
CHEN ZUILIANG:
If you hadn’t reminded me, I nearly forgot about it. I’ve come all way to report to you that your daughter’s grave was robbed.
DU BAO (Taken aback):
Oh, heavens! Her dried bones in the grave couldn’t have offended the robbers. They must have come for the buried treasures. Who were the robbers?
CHEN ZUILIANG:
After you had left, the nun took in a vagabond from Lingnan, Liu Mengmei, as her companion. With greed for the treasures, they robbed the grave and escaped by the night, casting her remains in the pond. That’s why I went all the way to report to you.
DU BAO (With a sigh):
My daughter’s grave was robbed and my wife was killed. As the saying goes,
“It’s hard to live a safe life
Before you are buried.
It’s harder still to keep a safe grave
After you are buried.”
There’s nothing we can do about it. But I must thank you all the same for your kindness.
CHEN ZUILIANG:
Since you left me, my life has gone from bad to worse.
DU BAO:
As I’m now in the camp, I’ve got no gift for you. However, I’ll give you a chance to do some service.
CHEN ZUILIANG:
I’m ready at your service.
DU BAO:
I’ve written a short letter to demand Li Quan to dismiss his army, but I haven’t found a suitable messenger yet. Will you go on the errand? Attendants, fetch the letter. If you can persuade Li Quan into surrender, I’ll report your meritorious deeds to the court and you will be offered a position.
ATTENDANT (Brings in the letter and some money):
“The scholar wags his tongue;
The general writes his letter.”
Here’s the letter and the travel fare.
CHEN ZUILIANG:
Thank you for the money, but this errand is risky indeed.
DU BAO:
Set your heart at ease.
(To the tune of Liuhuaqi)
Through the tightest blockade
The scholar will go.
With a letter from me,
He will appease the foe.
Mr Chen,
I’m sure you’ll convince the foe,
For, wicked as they are,
They’ll change with the ebb and flow.
CHEN ZUILIANG:
Scholars are not good at appeasement.
DU BAO:
You know, as he let you through the blockade, he had his ulterior motives.
To bring the message, you are the suitable man.
CHEN ZUILIANG:
With your letter to defeat the foe,
I’ll be as dignified as I can.
(Drums and bugles within)
DU BAO (To the tune of Coda):
On the watchtower our meeting is brief.
When you succeed,
You’ll be an honoured man.
This letter will bring
Safety to the city of Huai’an.
DU BAO:
Few soldiers come back from the battlefield
CHEN ZUILIANG:
When the prefect comes to meet his men.
DU BAO:
Your mission will foretell a bumper yield;
CHEN ZUILIANG:
I hope I’ll be lucky in the bandit den.
Scene Forty-Seven
Lifting the Siege
(Enter the interpreter)
INTERPRETER (To the tune of Chuduizi):
Under the selfsame sky,
A war begins between north and south.
A bandit gang lies in between,
Helping the aliens fight the Hans.
As an interpreter,
I meddle in disputes with my mouth.
Where there is a dispute, there is a root. I am an interpreter under the Gilded Prince. It’s ridiculous that our chieftain should assist the Jins to besiege the Hans and attack the city of Huai’an while the Jins sent secret envoys to negotiate with the southerners. The saying is true indeed,
“Even if you speak the words of the beast,
You don’t understand them in the least.”
(Exit)
(Enter Li Quan followed by his men)
LI QUAN (To the tune of Shuangquanjiu):
Across the river camps lie
While towering racks rise to the sky.
Amid sounding drums and waving flags,
Our armoured steeds and vehicles ally.
We have besieged the town,
Ready to bring it down.
Envoy Du,
Even if you have wings, we’ll catch you.
I am the Gilded Prince. For days we’ve been attacking the city of Huai’an, but without success. I put up a fierce appearance, but I’m filled with doubts within my heart. On the one hand, I’m afraid that there will be reinforcements from the south; on the other hand, I’m afraid that there will be reprimands from the north. Caught in a dilemma, I’m waiting for my lady for consultation.
(Enter Lady Yang)
LADY YANG:
“I’m a demon through thick and thin,
A leopard in woman’s skin.”
My lord, have you heard that the Jin messenger to the south is back at the gate of our camps?
LI QUAN:
Is that possible?
(Enter the Jin General on horseback, sword in hand),
JIN GENERAL (To the tune of Northern Yexingchuan):
I’m the envoy from the north,
With a passport shedding the light forth.
(Enter the groom, chasing after him)
GROOM:
Slippery! The ground is slippery!
JIN GENERAL:
Whose camp is this,
With soldiers running here and there?
Why is it
That no one comes to give me any care?
GROOM (Shouts):
Your Highness Gilded Prince, the envoy from the north is at the gate.
(Exit)
LI QUAN, LADY YANG (In a panic):
Send for the interpreter at once.
(Enter the interpreter)
INTERPRETER (Kneels to welcome the Jin General):
The Gilded Prince is too ill to meet you at the gate. Come in please, General!
JIN GENERAL:
Kubla kubla ...
(Dismounts and takes the main seat)
Durr durr ...
LI QUAN (To the interpreter):
What did he say?
INTERPRETER:
He’s angry.
(Li Quan and Lady Yang raise their hands in salutation, but the Jin General ignores them in anger)
JIN GENERAL (Points at Li Quan):
Tieli wendo dala ...
LI
QUAN (To the interpreter):
What did he say?
INTERPRETER:
I’m afraid to repeat — he wants to kill you.
LI QUAN:
For what?
JIN GENERAL (Stares at Lady Yang and grins):
Hulin hulin ...
(Lady Yang asks the interpreter)
INTERPRETER:
He admires your good looks.
JIN GENERAL:
Kulo kulo ...
INTERPRETER:
He says he’s thirsty after the long journey.
JIN GENERAL (Waves his hands and feet):
Ergai dala ...
INTERPRETER:
He wants horse-milk wine.
JIN GENERAL:
Yorr erchi ...
INTERPRETER:
He wants baked mutton.
LI QUAN (Aloud):
Get him some mutton and milk wine. Be quick!
(Enter the attendant with mutton and wine)
JIN GENERAL (Drinks by himself, slices the mutton and eats it, laughs, and wipes his greasy hands on his chest):
Yelu erlada ...
INTERPRETER:
He’s not angry now. He says you’ve done the right thing.
JIN GENERAL (Drunk):
Sodoba sodoba ...
INTERPRETER:
He says he’s drunk.
JIN GENERAL (Stares at Lady Yang):
Dola dola ...
LADY YANG (Smiles):
What did he say?
INTERPRETER:
He wants you to sing a song.
LADY YANG:
No problem.
(To the tune of Northern Qingjiangyin)
Ha,
The dumb Bodhisattva Guanyin meets a foreign guy,
And smiles with her face awry.
General from the north,
You’re welcome to come by.
We greet you with a loud cry.
Interpreter, I’ll pour a cup of wine and you’ll hand it over to him.
INTERPRETER (Hands over the wine):
Arar galie ...
LADY YANG:
What did you say?
INTERPRETER:
I said that you poured the wine for him.
LADY YANG:
Right.
JIN GENERAL (Stares at Lady Yang in a drunken state):
Bach bach ...
INTERPRETER:
He asks you to dance for him.
LADY YANG:
No problem. Get my pear-blossom spear.
(To the previous tune)
As I twist my pretty waist
And wield the spear like a whirl,
There flies a shower of cold pear blooms.
I show the foreign guy
A shower of pear blooms.
JIN GENERAL (Turns aside, flaps his sleeves and collapses with laughter):
Hulin hulin ...
(Lady Yang helps the Jin General to his feet)
JIN GENERAL (Waves his hands and collapses on the ground):
Ala bulai ...
INTERPRETER:
He’s encoring. He wants you to sing another song.
