LI Bao-Chun on Traditional Chinese Operas
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9/4 Li Hui-Niang, the Young Lady-Ghost
“Li Hui-Niang” is an adaptation of one episode of Zhou Chao-Jun’s “Tale of Red Plum Blossom” in Ming Dynasty. In South Song Dynasty, Premier Jia Si-Dao abused his power and enjoyed a life of profligacy and gluttony. This was criticized by a young scholar named Pei Shun-Qing. Soon Pei was imprisoned because of his criticism. Li Hui-Niang, a mistress of Jia Si-Dao’s, saw Pei Shun-Qing and uttered just a brief remark, “What a beautiful young man!” she was killed by Jia Si-Dao. After her death, her ghost lingered on, rescued Pei and scared Jia Si-Dao to death as a revenger for herself.
9/11 Judge Bao and Qin Xiang-Lian
In Song Dynasty, Chen Shi-Mei became son-in-law of the emperor after getting the first place in the national examination. Later, when his original wife Qin Xiang-Lian arrived in the capital with their children, Chen Shi-Mei not only pretended not to have known them but tried to murder them. Qin Xiang-Lian sued Chen Shi-Mei, and the upright Judge, Bao Zheng, designed a plan to trigger Chen to confront his wife and children at court. Chen took himself for granted and refused to tell the truth. Both the Queen Mother and his current wife, the royal Princess, tried in vain to save him when he was sentenced to death by Judge Bao.
9/18 The Lucky Purse
Xue Xiang-Ling grew up in a wealthy and loving family. When she got married, her loving mother saw her off with a lucky purse filled with exotic jewelry. While she was on her wedding parade a storm struck, they rested at a pavilion with another wedding parade. The other bride-to-be, Zhao Shou-Zhen, wept seeing the luxurious wedding parade comparing to her own very humbled one. Xiang-Ling decided to give Shou-Zhen her lucky purse anonymously.
Six years later, Xue Xiang-Ling got separated from her family in a flood. She had nothing in a strange new land, so she took a job as nanny for the Lu family’s little boy. One day, while accompanying the little boy, Xue Xiang-Ling saw her lucky purse in the attic which all servants were forbidden to enter. That reminded her of her family, and she started to cry. Subsequently she found out that Lady Lu was the young bride she met years ago. With Lady Lu’s help, Xue Xiang-Ling was able to finally reunite with her own family.
9/25 14:30 KooCloud Live: Legend of the White Snake
A thousand-year-old white snake in the E-Mei Mountains decided to visit the famous West Lake. Together with her maid, a green snake, she transformed herself into a beautiful young lady. While touring the West Lake, she met a handsome young man in the rain. She and the young man shared an umbrella and fell in love with each other. Later on, the white snake married the young man.
A monk in the Jin-Shan Temple heard about this marriage. He encouraged the young man to serve liquor to his wife at the Dragon-boat Festival. After a few reluctant drinks, the beautiful lady revealed her true identity. The appearance of a snake in his bed frightened the young man into a coma. The white snake journeyed to a sacred mountain for the medicine which successfully helped her husband regain consciousness.
The monk came again to save the young man’s soul. He asked the young man to call at the Jin-Shan Temple, and, upon the young man’s arrival, shut him up in the monastery. The pregnant white snake, accompanied by the green snake, went for her husband and got into a battle with the monk who enlisted the assistance of celestial guards. The snakes, commending fishes and turtles, caused a flood, nearly destroyed the temple, and fled.
On their way home, the snakes met the young man who also fled the Jin-Shan Temple. They stayed at the young man’s sister’s where the white snake gave birth to a baby boy. A month later, the monk came again to save the young man’s soul. This time he succeeded in catching the white snake and throwing her into darkness under the Lei-Feng Tower.
