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Then somewhere, there is a scholar by the name of Liu Mengmei. He happens to find a portrait of Liniang and expresses his admiration for her beauty. The spirit of Liniang is invoked, and despite the rift between the words of the living and the dead the two become husband and wife. For the sake of love, Liu gose to Liniangˇ¦s tomb to resurrect her and Liniang comes bake to life.
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Scene 1 - Hell |
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Judge Hu is newly appointed to fill a judicial vacancy in hell. His first task is to dispose of prisoners who may have entered hell by mistake. When Du Liniang is led before him, he is so flabbergasted by her beauty that he leaps high up in the air. He can not quite believe that her death has been caused by a dream and summons the Flower God to corroborate her story. After he ascertains that her crime is only in a dream, and in fact, she and Liu Mengmei are pre-destined to be married, he orders her release.
The audience would appreciate the fact that the judge from hell is more scrupulous and humane than most human judges.
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Scene 2 - On the Road |
On his way to Hangzhou, the capital city of Southern Song, Liu Mengmei is blown about like a dry leaf in a snowstorm. Sick and shelterless for the night, he is grateful to Chen Zuiliang, Du Liniang's former tutor, who leads him to the Plum Blossom Shrine and tends his illness.
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Scene 3 - Reminiscing about the Daughter |
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It has now been three years since Du Liniang's death. Her parents and Chunxiang, mourn her in their separate ways. In the intervening years, Du Bao has been promoted to Pacification Commissioner and transferred from Nan'an to Yangzhou in the Huaiyang region, where he is charged with defending the territory against the Jin incursion. Having buried Du Liniang in the garden according to her dying wish, they erected a Plum Blossom Shrine in her memory. Chen Zuiliang and Priestess Stone have been asked to watch over the shrine. |
Scene - 4 The Portrait Recovered |
Liu Mengmei regains enough strength to explore the garden. He finds Du Liniang's self portrait, which he mistakes for the Goddess of Mercy or the Moon Goddess. He reads the poem written on the painting and realizes it is a woman. He is amazed that the poem contains two characters of his own name, saying a union will come about by either a willow or a plum. He becomes obsessed with the woman in the painting, cooing lovingly to it morning and night, and praying that it comes to life. |
Scene 5 - The Wandering Soul |
Du Liniang's ghost returns to the garden which, to her dismay, has gone to seed. Priestess Stone is saying a mass for her in the Plum Blossom Shrine. She wonders where her parents and Chunxiang are. That everything has changed in such a short time saddens her. Soon, she hears Liu Mengmei calling out to the woman in the painting, ˇ§Jiejie, my dearest Jiejie!ˇ¨ His voice sends her heart pounding and she wishes she had someone who spoke to her that way, she did not know then, of course, that the object of his adoration is no other than herself. |
Scene 6 - Consorting with a Ghost |
Liu Mengmei wonders what the woman in the painting is really like, whether she could ever imagine that someone would treasure her portrait. Meanwhile, having watched Liu Mengmei several nights, Du Liniang finally understands that he is addressing herself in the portrait. She decides to show herself to him. Liu Mengmei is both delighted and scared to see her. Well aware that she cannot reveal herself as a ghost, she makes vague references to living nearby. He shows her the portrait and tells her he has once met this woman in a dream. Du Liniang resists identifying herself. Instead, she expresses her admiration for him and offers to share his pillow every night, should he care to. He hesitates, but then, is delighted to accept.
ˇ§A woman in traditional society can make such frank sexual advances only as a ghost.ˇ¨ |
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Scene 7 - Impending Danger over Huaiyang |
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The turncoat general Li Quan, ordered to harass the Huaiyang region, relies heavily on his pretty wife Yang for strategy. She advises him to lay siege to Yangzhou to cut off Huiyang's supply lines before the attack.
Instead of portraying these traitors as mean and despicable, the playwright endears this lively pair to the audience. Even traitors have love for each other. |
Scene 8 - Love Vows |
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Priestess Stone's suspicion of the nightly going-ons in Liu Mengmei's room puts pressure on Du Liniang to reveal her true identity. Before she does, she wants Liu Mengmei to commit himself to her. In his arms, she inquires whether he already has a wife back home. He, too, has many questions for this strange woman and asks what kind of man she likes. She replies, ˇ§A man who loves deeply.ˇ¨ He assures her he is that kind of man. Finally, Du Liniang identifies herself as the woman in the painting, and told him that her father is the governor. She would tell more only if he agrees to marry her. He is delighted but becomes fearful nonetheless upon finding out she is a ghost. In the end, love conquers his fear.
Even though lovers go through a process of mutual exploration and self revelation, all commitments involve a leap of faith. In Du Liniang's case, however, knowing how trustworthy Liu Mengmei really is, whether he loves her enough to overcome his fears, and whether he has the courage to carry out an utterly unconventional task, is crucial to her return to the land of the living.
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Scene 9 - Resurrection |
Liu Mengmei manages to convince Priestess Stone at the risk of being charged as a tomb robber, to help him open the tomb. Under the protection of the Flower God, Du Liniangˇ¦s soul rejoins her body. The flower fairies come to pay their tribute |
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