Chapter 26 Chapter 5 Legend of Love and Marriage

There are many works of this kind in ancient times. In addition to the four legendary stories, the images of mountain ghosts, Lord Xiang and Mrs. Xiang, Bo He and Concubine Luo left in "Chu Songs Nine Songs" all show the love and marriage of the ancients. It is a reflection of the ancient family and marriage forms. Since the beginning of human beings, there has been mating of the sexes, but not necessarily love.Marriage based on love is at least after the emergence of monogamy, or after a relatively stable family of both sexes.In a class society, love is always branded by class, and the suppression of human nature and love makes young men and women look forward to a free and happy love life.Therefore, the vast majority of love legends are products of class society, fully displaying the emotional world of people, and there are many excellent works that are touching. "Han Ping Couple" is just one of them:

Han Ping was the servant (near attendant) of King Kang of Song Dynasty during the Warring States Period. His wife He Shi was very beautiful and was taken away by King Kang.Han was resentful and imprisoned by King Kang, who punished him to do hard labor every morning.Mrs. He secretly sent a letter to her husband, cryptically saying: "It rains for adultery, the river is deep and the water is deep, so be careful at sunrise." The letter fell into the hands of King Kang.People around him didn't understand what he meant, only a courtier named Su He said: "It means that I am worried and longing, but I can't communicate with each other. I really want to die." Soon, Han Ping committed suicide.He secretly rotted his clothes, and took advantage of the opportunity to go up to the high platform with Kang Wang, and wanted to jump off the platform to die.People on the left and right grabbed her clothes, and the clothes were all shredded.Her suicide note said: "The king hopes that I will live well. I think it is better to die. Please bury my bones with Han Ping." King Kang was angry and refused to listen. He just buried them in two places far away from each other, and said He said: "You couple love each other very much. If you can connect the tombs together, then I will not stop it." Suddenly, two big catalpa trees grew from the top of the two tombs overnight, and ten days later they became big trees with curved and connected bodies. , the roots of the trees are also crossed together.The branches are intertwined, and a pair of mandarin ducks perched on the tree, staying together day and night, crossing their necks and mourning, with a touching voice.People in Song Dynasty were sad for their couple, so they called this tree "Acacia Tree".Southerners say that the bird is the spirit of the couple. (Translated from "Sou Shen Ji" Volume 11)

The ending technique of this legend has a great influence on the creation of folk legends and literati in later generations. The Miao nationality has a love legend that personifies the sun, moon, dark clouds and water. It is very popular in the Miao nationality area in southeast Guizhou, and it is named "Yang Asha" after the heroine.The Chinese translation means "Miss Qingshui".She was born from the well, and she was very beautiful.Her singing and dancing can attract all kinds of birds and beasts to fall in love with her, but she does not accept their pursuit.Later, Sun took a fancy to her and sent Wuyun to be a matchmaker. Yang Asha believed Wuyun's words and married Sun.Taiyang's identity is an old man and businessman, very powerful, he goes out to do business, and he doesn't go home for six years.During this period, Miss Qingshui fell in love with Taiyang's younger brother Yueyue.The moon is hardworking and a long-term worker of the Sun family. After falling in love with Miss Qingshui, they fled to a distant place.Later, the sun and the two of them asked the old man to comment, and the old man supported the moon and Yang Asha to live together, but the country must be given to the sun.Legend has it that from that time on, the sun occupied the day forever.The rhyme of this legend has more than 1,200 lines, which is praised as a "beautiful song" by the Miao people, and prose is also circulated.

The work reflects the form of paired marriage family, so the marriage is not very fixed.The younger brother elopes with the elder brother's wife, which must be condemned by public opinion in a feudal society.On the contrary, Mr. Li supported this action, which shows that the original form of this legend is very old.Only later did the projection of class society gradually appear.