Chapter 11 Section 4 Other Love and Marriage Dramas

Love and marriage are an important part of life and an eternal theme of literature and art.There are a lot of dramas that express love and marriage in Yuan Zaju. In addition to the popular ones, "On the Wall", "A Chinese Girl's Departing Soul", and "Leaving Shoes" are also famous love dramas. "On the Wall" is one of Bai Pu's masterpieces. Pei Shaojun, the son of Pei Shangshu, was ordered by Tang Gaozong to go to Luoyang to choose exotic flowers. He rode past the garden wall of Mr. Li. Li Qianjin, the daughter of Mr. Li, was standing on the wall to watch Chunjing.The two looked forward to falling in love, wrote poems and sent fans, and had a tryst in the garden that night, then quietly fled Luoyang and came to live in the back garden of Pei Shaojun's house.Seven years later, she gave birth to a pair of sons and daughters, who were accidentally discovered by Pei Shangshu.Under Pei Shangshu's pressure, Pei Shaojun wrote a letter of divorce, and Li Qianjin left a pair of children and returned to her mother's house.Later, Pei Shaojun, the number one scholar, went to Luoyang to become an official. He wanted to recognize his daughter-in-law, and Pei Shangshu also recognized his daughter-in-law.But Li Qianjin thought the Pei family father and son were snobbish and unfeeling, so he sternly refused.Later, only after the begging of the two sons and daughters did they reconcile as before.This play was created based on Bai Juyi's "Silver Vase at the Bottom of a Well", but it is used against its meaning, breaking through the ideological limitations of Bai Juyi's maintenance of feudal ethics-"stop prostitution and run away".Through the love stories of Pei Shaojun and Li Qianjin, it extols the pursuit of love by young men and women in feudal society, and affirms the rationality of free love.Although Li Qianjin was born in a famous official family, she was not shackled by feudal ethics. Contrary to the shyness and reserve of a girl in a boudoir, she dared to choose her own spouse and eloped desperately to achieve her marriage autonomy.She refuted Pei Shangshu's accusations and slanders to her face to face, exposing Pei Shangshu's coldness and hypocrisy, and his rebellious spirit was very strong.Such a unique and distinctive character like her is rare in Yuan Zaju.

Zheng Guangzu's "A Chinese Girl's Leaving Soul" is based on the legendary novel "Leaving Soul" by Chen Xuanyou in Tang Dynasty.The story is that Zhang Qiannv and Wang Wenju were married with their fingertips. At the age of 17, Wang Wenju came to visit his mother-in-law, Qiannv's heart was moved, and she was attracted by her affection; but her mother felt that Wenju's family was in decline and had no fame, so she refused to recruit a wife, so Wang Wenju was forced to go to Beijing to rush for the exam.After the parting, Qiannv lost her sense of loss, became sick with sentimentality, and left her body as a wandering soul, chasing after her lover.Wen Ju was worried that "running would be a concubine" and "dirty", and begged her to return.Qiannv walked firmly together.Later, Wang Wenju became a Jinshi, and returned home with the soul of Qiannv, and the soul merged with himself.Qiannv got love and happiness, but what a price she paid for it!Not only does she have to fight against feudal ethics with her whole body and mind, but she also needs to shed her soul to complete the pursuit of ideals. "There is nothing in reason, but everything in love." The plot of "A Chinese Ghost Story" is very strange, and the romanticism is very bright, but it conforms to the logic of "infatuated illusion".The play is not divorced from real life, and it shows the inner world of the repressed young woman quite realistically.Through the comparison of the dual mentality of the body and the soul, it makes people feel the heaviness of being imprisoned and the refreshment after breaking free from the snare.Zheng Guangzu was a well-known dramatist in the late Yuan Dynasty. His language is modern but not vulgar, beautiful but not obscure, delicate but not delicate, exquisite but not polished, which is in line with the character of the characters and full of poetic beauty.A Chinese Girl's Soul Chases Wang Wenju, and through the singing of the soul, it not only depicts the moonlit night scenery on the river bank in autumn, but also depicts the soul's hurried demeanor and the anxious mood of missing her lover.The faint moonlight and light smoke, like a thin veil covering the river, constitute a blurred painting, blending with the erratic soul, bringing people into the quiet, deep and fantastic art. realm……

"Leaving Shoes" is Zeng Rui's representative work. The heroine Wang Yueying in the play is the only daughter of Grandma Wang of the Rouge Shop.She lost her father since childhood, and lived with her mother in a small shop.The scholar Guo Hua likes Yueying's innocence and simplicity, and often takes the opportunity of buying rouge to meet her.The two meet to visit the Xiangguo Temple on the night of the Lantern Festival.But when Yueying arrived, Guo Hua was still drunk.Yueying waited until the fourth watch, so she wrapped an embroidered shoe in a handkerchief and left it in Guo Hua's arms.Guo Hua wakes up and doesn't see Yueying. He regrets it very much and commits suicide by swallowing pa.When Bao Zheng tried the case, Wang Yueying went to court to identify the shoes, and pulled the handkerchief from Guo Hua's mouth. Guo Hua slowly regained consciousness, met Bao Zheng, and explained the whole story.Shengdan was reunited under the auspices of Bao Zheng.Wang Yueying is bold and generous, daring to act, but lovesickness is too bitter, so she asks Guo Hua for a tryst.When the maid raised her concerns, she said without shame: "Why do you need to find the moon, you are a good match." "So you committed the crime of being romantic, and secretly made an appointment for the rain and cloud period. As the saying goes, even people know about romantic affairs?!" In the court, Bao Zheng taught him a lesson: "An unmarried girl should not do such a thing." Yueying replied: " I expected to sleep with my quilt [kinsmen], but instead I put them in chains and shackles, all these romantic talk, but also a happy friend." She took Zhuo Wenjun and other women as her role models, boldly confessed her feelings, and spoke confidently Maintaining legitimate love reflects the awakening of women in the bourgeoisie, and has a fiery temperament and demeanor.

The democratic spirit of pursuing love freedom and marriage autonomy between men and women is also reflected in the love stories of humans and gods.Li Haogu's "Zhang Sheng Boils the Sea" and Shang Zhongxian's "Liu Yi Biography" are the twin jades of mythological love dramas in the Yuan Dynasty. "Zhang Sheng Boils the Sea" tells that Zhang Yu, a scholar from Chaozhou, travels to Shifo Temple, where he borrows to study and plays the piano in the clear night to express his feelings.Qionglian, the third daughter of the Dragon King of the East China Sea, came to hear the sound of the zither, and met in the study room, and presented a crocodile silk handkerchief as a token of love. They met on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.Zhang Yu was very disappointed when the Dragon King refused.The fairy sympathized with the couple and gave Zhang Yu three magic weapons: a silver pot, money, and an iron spoon.Teach Zhang Yu to scoop seawater with an iron spoon, put it into a silver pot, put money in water, and boil it on fire.If the water in the pot is reduced by one point, the water in the sea will be ten feet dry.The Dragon King couldn't stand the torture, so he would definitely agree to the marriage.Zhang Yu acted according to plan, but saw the sea water boiling, and the aquarium was in a mess.Sure enough, the Dragon King came to Shifo Temple to make peace with Zhang Yu and agreed to the marriage.Zhang Yujin and Qionglian tied the knot in the Dragon Palace.

"Liu Yi's Biography" writes about the marriage of the three daughters of the dragon girl of Dongting Lake and the little dragon of Jinghe River.Jinghe Xiaolong dotes on his maidservants and concubines, and abandons the dragon girl Sanniang.The parents-in-law also listened to the slander and punished her to herd sheep by the Jing River, where she suffered a lot.On the way home, Liu Yi, a failed scholar, meets Sanniang, a dragon girl, who sympathizes with her and sends a message for her, asking her parents to come and rescue her.When Longnu Sanniang's uncle, the Dragon King of Qiantang, heard that his niece was suffering, he was furious and drove up to the Jinghe River to punish Xiaolong in Jinghe River, and rescued his niece Longnu Sanniang.The Dragon King of Dongting wanted to recruit Liu Yi as his son-in-law, but Liu Yi refused.When he got home, his mother had already chosen his wife Lu's daughter.On the wedding night, Liu Yi discovered that Lu's daughter was Sanniang, the dragon girl.The dragon girl built a colorful bridge with a flying rainbow to welcome Liu Yi's mother and son to live in the Dragon Palace.

The above two dramas are full of magical and magnificent romanticism, fully affirming the character and pursuit of both men and women, and praising the mighty power of love and the victory of man over God.The dragon girl Qionglian loves life in the world, dares to break through the barriers of ethics and ethics and the boundaries between humans and gods, and privately orders lifelong events.Zhang Yu is passionately in love with the dragon girl. In order to find his sweetheart, he treks among the cliffs and capes, boils the sea, and forces the Dragon King to beg for mercy.Liu Yi is passionate and pure, anxious for justice, and spreads letters across thousands of miles to rescue the weak, and he spares no effort.The image of the dragon girl Sanniang is particularly glorious.Although she suffered from misfortune, she did not succumb to the arrangement of fate.After a brave and persistent pursuit, finally the bitterness is sweet and happiness is obtained. "Zhang Sheng Boils the Sea" describes the sea scenery full of poetic and picturesque flavor. "Liu Yi's Biography" has a rigorous structure, alternating sorrow and joy, and the plot is full of ups and downs and swaying.Describing the scene of the battle between two dragons, the smoke is treacherous [juejue], vivid and vivid.

In addition, "Wu Tong Yu" (Bai Pu) and (Ma Zhiyuan), which express the love of the emperor and concubine, also enjoy high reputation. "Wu Tong Yu" is a tragedy describing the love between Tang Minghuang and Yang Yuhuan.The lyrics are beautiful, especially in the delicate and realistic portrayal of the characters' psychology.Tang Minghuang cried and sacrificed to the fold of the jade ring in the rainy night, and wrote all the love and love, thoughts and thoughts. The sentimental mood is intertwined with the atmosphere of autumn raindrops on the leaves of the phoenix tree, which is desolate and sad.

It narrates that after the Minwang Queen Qiang (Zhaojun) was elected to the palace, because she refused to bribe the painter Mao Yanshou, Mao deliberately vilified her so that she could not be summoned.Once, Zhaojun played the pipa to relieve his melancholy. Emperor Yuan heard it by chance, and was shocked to be the first person in the harem, and he was doubly favored.Mao Yanshou fled to the Xiongnu in fear of crime, offered a portrait of Zhaojun, instigated Shanyu to ask for Zhaojun, and forced him to invade with a large army.All officials were incompetent, so Emperor Han Yuan had to send Zhaojun and Fan.Emperor Yuan and Zhaojun Ba (Ba Ba) Lingqiao were reluctant to leave, and parted with tears.Zhaojun traveled to the junction of Fanhan and Han, and threw himself into the water.Emperor Yuan hung a portrait of Zhaojun in the palace to express his lovesickness.In the dream, I met Zhaojun, but when I woke up, I heard the wailing of the lonely geese, which made me even more depressed.Later, Shan Yu sent Mao Yanshou back to the Han Dynasty, and Emperor Yuan ordered Mao Yanshou to be killed in honor of Zhaojun.This play is based on the article "Wang Qiang" in Ge Hong's "Xijing Miscellaneous Notes" in the Jin Dynasty. It also absorbs and concentrates the essence of many stories about Zhaojun and his relatives. It rises to the height of the rise and fall of the country and the prosperity and decline of the nation.The lyrics are beautiful, the scenes are blended, and the sadness is touching. It is a rare masterpiece among Yuan operas, and there are English and Japanese translations.

The writers of Yuan Zaju used beautiful writing to sing the praises of the sincere and pure love between men and women, and the warm and beautiful family; at the same time, the writer's writing style also touched on the tragic fate of women under the male-centered feudal system, and created a number of heartbreakers. Among them, Yang Xianzhi's "Xiaoxiang Night Rain", Shang Zhongxian's "Back to Guiying", and Shi Junbao's "Autumn Hu Opera Wife" are the most famous. "Xiaoxiang Night Rain" plays Zhang Cuiluan and his father Zhang Tianjue, who was relegated to Jiangzhou, on a boat to the Huaihe River. The boat capsizes and the father and daughter are separated.Cuiluan was rescued by fisherman Cui Wenyuan, adopted as a foster daughter, and married with her nephew Cui Dianshi.The two vowed to each other, but Cui Dian turned his back on Cui Luan after being the number one scholar, and recruited a family member to the examiner's family.Cuiluan goes to find her husband, but Cui Dianshi falsely accuses her of being a fugitive maidservant and assassinates her on Salmonella Island.When they arrived at the Linjiang post, it was raining heavily, and Cuiluan was crying endlessly, which alarmed the visiting envoy Lian who was sheltering from the rain in the post—it turned out to be her long-lost father Zhang Tianjue.The father dismissed the chief examiner and arrested Cui Dianshi and his wife. After Cui Wenyuan pleaded repeatedly, Cui Luan married Cui Dianshi again.This play exposed Cui Dianshi's ugly soul, despicable deeds, and vicious methods, criticized his behavior of liking the new and loathing the old, and breaking contracts, and reflected major social problems.The whole play runs through wind and rain, and the bitter wind and rain set off Cuiluan's tragic situation and enhance the tragic atmosphere.

"Losing Guiying" plays the prostitute Gui Guiying who takes in Wang Kui, a failed scholar, and helps him to study and improve.The following year, before Wang Kui went to Beijing for the exam, the two made an oath at the Sea God Temple and promised to never give up.But Wang Kui abandoned Gui Ying after high school, forcing Gui Ying to sue Wang Kui in front of the Sea God Temple, hanged herself to death, and turned into a ghost after death to catch and kill Wang Kui.This play vividly portrays Guiying's infatuated and fiery character. Qiuhu in "Qiuhu Playing Wife" is a native of Lu State in the Spring and Autumn Period. He was conscripted into the army after three days of marriage with Meiying.The husband and wife separated for 10 years, and Mei Ying worked hard to support her in-laws.Unchanging his will in poverty, guarding his body like a jade, he sternly refused the forced marriage of the rich man Li Dahu, and waited wholeheartedly for her husband's return.However, when Qiu Hu Yijin returned to his hometown and met Mei Ying in Sangyuan, he didn't recognize her, so he lured him with gold and threatened her with force to moles her.After Meiying recognized her husband, she was very disappointed, and called him "the crown of the monkey, the skirt of the cow and the horse [juju]", and asked for a divorce letter. After her mother-in-law tried hard to persuade her, she forgave her husband.