29

They Remain Loyal to Each Other through Their Trysts

His Success Is Announced at the Jailhouse

As the poem says,

What’s the best way to succeed in this world?

Only exam success can save you from dire straits.

Consider how quickly relationships change!

Be sure to apply yourself to your books!

Our story begins with these comments: In the Han dynasty, men of ability gained office only through recommendation, hence the titles Virtuous and Upright and Brilliant and Exceptional Talent. Those eminently qualified but choosing not to seek office were also recruited, to serve as “men with no ambition for fame and gain.” As a result, no able man was denied office, and no talented man was left unemployed. During the Tang and Song dynasties, the emphasis was on success through the civil service examinations. Although the highest echelons of officialdom were still attainable via other avenues, success on the examinations was deemed the only true glory to be had. Cases abound in which candidates would choose to take the examinations again after each failure and therefore were stranded in the capital until they died there of old age.

This dynasty [Ming] began with a three-pronged approach, and there has been no lack of prominent officials who made indelible contributions to the imperial court and achieved undying fame without ever acquiring any academic degrees. Whatever gives one the idea that only those who passed the palace examinations can serve the empire? (MC: Good argument.) However, in recent years, the examinations began to assume ever greater importance, to the point that all positions of power are off limits to those who have had no success on the examinations. Those in power arbitrarily assign such men to the less coveted posts and locations. As for those of humbler educational background, even if they did take the right path, they are also assigned to out-of-the-way places, and after some time, their names are struck off the list of candidates for promotion. The long and the short of it is that these men do not rank high in the estimation of the powers that be. (MC: How pathetic!) Therefore, however capable such men are—and there is no shortage of mighty heroes among men with no success on the exams—they are given no chance to do justice to their talents. Since they know that they are denied any hope for career advancement, they don’t put their best foot forward even if at one time they did mean to acquit themselves well as officials. With such low morale, how can they be expected to render distinguished service?

As for those jinshi who pass the highest level of the examinations, even if they are as corrupt as Bandit Zhi of Liu and as cruel as Zhou Xing and Lai Junchen, and even if they are censured by inspectors or impeached out of consideration for public opinion, their names are not struck off the roster.1 As the proverb says, “A millipede does not die off quickly.” Such men may fare badly for a time, but they rise again soon enough, to resume their grand style of living as high officials with their ample remunerations. Their names certainly do not get struck off the roster, as is the case with men of lesser academic achievements. Since the examinations are given such importance, success on them is nothing less than a ladder to heaven.

But then, there is another laughable thing about all of this: Those who excel on the exams start out, without exception, as impoverished and pedantic students. And those who know no better find such students beneath their notice. Some well-heeled relatives of such students, never failing to play up to the rich and browbeat the poor, show them the utmost contempt. But when their names suddenly appear on the list of successful examinees, all spin around to dance attendance on them. And it just so happens that those who have snubbed and bullied them turn out to be the first to rush forward to render service. (MC: How true!) Indeed, in this world of ours, this is the only means by which, in an instant, the lowly rise to eminence, the poor gain riches, irreconcilable enmities vanish into thin air, and the most rugged and perilous terrain smooths out. The spineless behavior and disgraceful episodes of the past are thus covered up as if with an embroidered quilt.

Storyteller, is it really as bad as you say?

Dear audience, if you don’t believe me, listen to a story that will make you laugh at some people’s snobbish ways.

In the Tang dynasty, there lived a juren-degree holder named Zhao Cong. Quite a few times he joined government auditors on their way to the capital. There, he took the national-level examinations, but each time he failed. Without a penny to his name, he had to depend on his father-in-law, a general, for a living. His other in-laws, enjoying the thriving prosperity of the clan, which boasted military officers among its members, all looked down on him, for he was but a miserable untitled scholar who had failed the national-level examinations again and again. As for his parents-in-law, with their kith and kin treating him with such disdain, they also were disappointed by his failure to bring them credit and make something of himself. Though he was a member of the family, they grew sicker and sicker of him until he became quite a nuisance to them. To make things worse, with such a bias against him, the more they looked at him, the more they found him too shabby and pathetic to deserve respect. There was one thing that tormented their minds: They could not very well drive him out. As for Zhao Cong and his wife, they not only had to put up with the scornful looks of other people but were also cold-shouldered at every turn by Mrs. Zhao’s parents. However, unable to do anything to salvage his pride, Zhao Zong saw no option but to swallow the humiliation and put it down to his own ill fate.

One day, Zhao Cong left again for Chang’an to sit for the examinations. It happened to be a day of festivities for ushering in spring. The local garrison engaged multiple theater troupes to provide entertainment in what was called during the Tang dynasty a “spring celebrations event.” All the residents of the town, male and female, turned out to join the fun. Prominent families put up tents in which they set out wine and food and invited their relatives to join them at the feast and watch the shows. All the members of the general’s household gathered in the family’s tent. The women were dressed in all their finery, competing to flaunt their wealth. Zhao Cong’s wife was the only one in rags. Knowing all too well that she would be conspicuous in the crowd, she nevertheless felt that she could not very well decline the invitation since everyone else was going. So she braced herself and followed the crowd into the tent. The women detested her for her shabbiness and, afraid that her presence among them would be unseemly, put a screen between her and the rest of the company (MC: How abominable people can be!), so that she sat all by herself rather than sharing their tables. Being used to such slights, she knew her place and, submitting to their will, sat down in silence.

The feast was in full swing when a messenger appeared before the general and said, “The surveillance commissioner requests your presence, sir.”

In astonishment, the general thought, “On such an occasion, when officials are supposed to share the joy of the people and put official business aside, why would the surveillance commissioner want to summon me? Could there be anything the matter?” This thought filled him with fear. In trepidation, he went to the surveillance commissioner’s office. Holding a scroll in his hand, the commissioner asked him, all smiles, “Do you have a son-in-law named Zhao Cong?”

The general replied, “Yes.”

“Congratulations!” said the commissioner. “A messenger just came from the capital with the news that your son-in-law has passed the exams.”

Modestly, the general said, “I’m afraid that may not be true.”

The commissioner held out the scroll to him and said, “This scroll is from the capital. It’s a complete list of all the successful candidates, your son-in-law among them. Please take it and see for yourself.”

The general took the scroll with both hands and, with a sidelong glance, did indeed see Zhao Cong’s name there, big and clear. With mixed feelings of surprise and joy, he thankfully took leave of the commissioner and hurried home. Approaching the tent where members of his family were watching the show, he held the scroll high and shouted, “Young Master Zhao has passed!”

Everyone who heard him was quite taken aback. They all turned around to look at Zhao’s wife and found her still sitting gloomily by her forlorn self on the other side of the screen. (MC: Yes, it is indeed time for them to turn around.) But she did hear the announcement. She exclaimed to herself, “My goodness! I never expected I’d live to see this day!”

Those on the other side of the screen hastened to remove it and offer her congratulations, saying, “You’re the wife of a fifth-grade official now.” With one accord, they tried to haul her over to their tables. (MC: Such are the wonders that success on the exams works.)

Young Mrs. Zhao said, “In these rags of mine, I wouldn’t dream of inserting myself into your company and bringing you disgrace. I’ll just stay where I am.”

Feeling uncomfortable on hearing those barbed words, her relatives all forced ingratiating smiles onto their faces and said, “Oh, good gracious, no!” Those fawning women among them took their own changes of clothes out of their bags and offered them to her. When one took the lead, the others joined in competition. Some pulled out their hairpins; some removed their hair ornaments and earrings. In an instant, they had dressed up Mrs. Zhao. They dolled her up. Their only fear was that she might not like the effect. For the rest of the day, none of them cared anything about the shows. Everyone fussed over her and took cues from every change in her facial expression. She used to be an outcast, but the moment news came that her husband had passed the exams, she took on a new identity even though nothing else about her and her relatives had changed. So fickle are the ways of the world!

Why did I begin with such a prologue story? It’s because our story proper is about a man whose trysts with his lover got him into trouble. In his darkest hour, he suddenly received news that he had passed the examinations. He was not only absolved of his trespasses but also able to salvage his marriage. This bears out what this humble storyteller has said before about glory and honor covering up past spineless behavior and disgraceful episodes. Dear audience, please listen to the testimony of the following poem:

They shared the same birth date and the same classroom;

They became husband and wife in the end.

The road to happiness never runs smooth;

Obstacles were laid all along the way.

Their trysts were exposed, but the court ruled in their favor;

Success on the exams brought about their marriage.

Our story takes place in the Duanping reign period [1234–36] of the Song dynasty. In the Eastern Circuit of Zhejiang, there lived a xiucai named Zhang Zhongfu, descendant of a distinguished family of generations of officials. Now in reduced circumstances, he made a living by hiring himself out to officials as a secretary or family tutor at their duty stations. He had a neighbor named Luo Renqing, a self-made rags-to-riches man. Their wives gave birth on the same day. The Zhang family had a son, whom they named Youqian, and the Luo family had a daughter, whom they named Xixi. When the children reached school age, the Luos sent their daughter to the Zhang family’s tutorial school. Since the two were of the same age and were also well matched in appearance, some people commented jestingly, “Those born on the same day should, by rights, become husband and wife.” The two children, not knowing any better, took such words to be true and privately acknowledged each other as such. Each wrote a pledge, vowing to remain true to the other till death. (MC: A childish thing to do, but they do have a marital bond.) Their parents knew nothing about any of this.

After four or five years of schooling together, they reached fourteen years of age. Experiencing the first stirrings of love, they took note of people’s idle comments about what went on in conjugal chambers and said to each other, “Aren’t we also husband and wife? Why don’t we try it out?” Since the two had the most tender affections for each other and knew nothing about what was at stake, what was there to hold them back? In front of the classroom stood a pomegranate tree with a stone stool under it. With Luo Xixi seated on the stool and leaning against the tree, Zhang Youqian raised her feet, held her in his arms, and began to make his moves, but at their young age and uninitiated in the art, they were just having some fun out of their affection for each other. But later, after they had a taste of the sweetness of it, they began to go at it every day.

In the middle of winter, the teacher dismissed the class, and Xixi went back home for the new year. After the New Year celebrations were over and Xixi was fifteen years old, her parents decided to stop letting her take lessons outside her own home because she had reached puberty. (MC: Too late now.) Every so often, Youqian went to the Luo residence and loitered around the gate, hoping to run into Xixi, but how could a girl from such a wealthy family be let out of the depths of her boudoir without a good reason?

Xixi had a maid called Feiying who often served her in the study and accompanied her on her way to and from the school at the Zhang residence. Now that Xixi’s lessons were over, Feiying also stopped going, and she could leave the house only when she needed to pick flowers in the morning to put in Xixi’s hair. Sorely missing Xixi, Youqian wrote two poems the following winter, meaning to give them to Feiying when she was out so that she could transmit them to Xixi. The first one was a ci poem to the tune of “A Spring of Plum Blossoms”:

Sharing the same birth date and the same classroom,

If we are not a pair of phoenixes, who are?

Time rushed by under the pomegranate tree;

The lovebirds, alarmed, are driven apart!

Your yearlong absence from the classroom

Cannot but stir sad thoughts in me.

From morning to night, I burn incense,

Praying that a wedded couple we will soon be!

While he was waiting for Feiying after completing the poem, he wrote another:

The ancients, when away from their dear ones,

Sent plum blossoms to the distant hills.

The flowers here are in bloom, but where are you?

They face a lonely soul torn with grief.

Just as he finished the poem, Feiying came to the school to pick plum blossoms. Youqian broke off a sprig and gave it to her, along with the two poems. He whispered into her ear, “With the plum blossoms in bloom, why don’t you use flower picking as a pretext and bring me a reply from her?”

Feiying promised to do his bidding, took the poems, and, on returning, showed them to Xixi. Shedding furtive tears, Xixi meant to write a reply poem using the same rhyme scheme, but because it was the end of the year, there were so many demands on her time that she did not do this.

In the following year, the prefect of Yuehou [in present-day Zhejiang] hired Youqian’s father, Zhongfu, as his secretary. And so Zhongfu took Youqian along and tutored the boy himself. Youqian did not return home until two years later. On hearing of his return, Xixi quietly told Feiying to deliver a small box to him, since she still owed him a reply from two years ago. (MC: Paying a debt.)

Youqian took the box, opened it, and saw that it contained ten gold coins and one red love bean. The symbolism was not lost on Youqian: The round coins stood for a reunion, and the meaning of the red love bean was self-explanatory. Jubilantly he said to Feiying, “I’m grateful to your mistress for kindly keeping me in her thoughts, but how I wish I could meet her somewhere!”

“My mistress can’t come out, and you can’t go in. How would it be possible for the two of you to meet? The best I can do for you is to deliver your letters.”

Thereupon, Youqian wrote another poem for Feiying to take back as a reply. The poem read:

One day without you is as long as three years;

Imagine the misery of three long years!

Gold coins can hardly buy your smiles,

But one love bean is worth dying for!

After Feiying departed, Youqian tied the coins to his undergarment, and whenever he missed Xixi, he would take them off and toss them by way of divination or toy with them. Coming upon him as he was doing so one day, his mother asked, “Where did those gold coins come from? You’ve never had such coins.”

“Mother, I wouldn’t hide anything from you. They’re a recent gift from my classmate Miss Luo.”

Catching on to the situation, Mrs. Zhang thought, “My boy is now of marriageable age. He and Miss Luo have been classmates since they were small. Sending gifts is an indication that they’re in love. What’s more, when Miss Luo was here in our home, I was impressed by her character as well as her looks. Why don’t I ask a matchmaker to make a marriage proposal? Wouldn’t that be a happy arrangement on both counts?”

There lived next door to them a flower seller, Madam Yang, who was an experienced matchmaker and a frequent visitor to both the Zhang and Luo families. So Mrs. Zhang invited her home and confided in her, saying, “We’re too poor to aspire to a marriage alliance with such a wealthy family, but Miss Luo has been visiting this house since early childhood as a classmate of my son’s, and they were born on the same day, too. Perhaps the Luo family will stoop to accept him out of these considerations.”

“That’s no way to talk!” said Madam Yang. “You may be in reduced circumstances now, but yours is a family with a long line of officials. The Luos may be flush with cash now, but they’re only upstarts. If you compare the two families, yours comes out ahead! (MC: People nowadays certainly don’t look at things the way she does!) I’ll talk to them.”

“Thank you so much for your trouble!” said Mrs. Zhang.

Youqian talked to old Madam Yang in private and enjoined her repeatedly to give Xixi his regards. Madam Yang promised to do as instructed and went straight to the Luo residence.

When Luo Renqing and his wife asked Madam Yang about the purpose of her visit, she said, “I’m here to make a marriage proposal for the young lady.”

“Which family is it?” asked Renqing.

“In fact, you need not even produce your daughter’s natal chart, because the young master I have in mind was born on the same day she was.” (MC: She does have a glib tongue.)

“So, you’re talking about Zhang Zhongfu’s son.”

“None other. And what a fine young man he is!”

“Yes, he does come from a long line of Confucian scholars. The family background is distinguished enough, but they’ve fallen on hard times. What can be expected of him if his father makes a living as a traveling tutor?”

“The young master is exceptionally brilliant. He’ll surely make his mark in the world.”

“But in this day and age, what matters is the here and now. Who can say for sure what will happen in the future?” (MC: Yes, indeed, this is the way vulgar people see it.) The young man does seem to be nice, but a successful career is a matter of fate. Who knows what’s in store for him? If he wants our daughter, I’ll give her to him only if he passes the exams and becomes an official.”

Madam Yang said, “I believe he will someday.”

“If so, I won’t go back on my word.”

Mrs. Luo said the same.

“All right,” said Madam Yang. “I’ll relay your words to Mrs. Zhang and tell her to urge her son to apply himself to his studies and get himself an official post.”

“Yes, please,” said Mrs. Luo.

“May I also visit the young lady in her room?” asked Madam Yang.

“Yes,” said Mrs. Luo. “This will be a good time to sit in her room and have a cup of tea.”

As a frequent visitor to the Luo residence, Madam Yang needed no help in making her way to Xixi’s room.

After asking Madam Yang to sit and instructing Feiying to serve tea, Xixi asked, “What brought you here, ma’am?”

“I’m here to make a marriage proposal on behalf of young Mr. Zhang next door. He wants me to give you his warm regards and said, ‘We’ve shared the same classroom since early childhood. (MC: They have shared more than that.) I haven’t seen her for so long. She’s never absent from my thoughts.’ I’m here by his order, to ask your parents for permission, and he wants you to think of a way to make your voice heard, so as to be sure of success.”

“But this is up to my parents. How can a daughter bring up such a matter? What did my parents say?”

“Your parents, as they told me a moment ago, find the Zhang family not wealthy enough and said that they wouldn’t give you to young Mr. Zhang unless he passes the exams and gets an official post.”

“Brother Zhang will surely do so someday. (MC: Good guess.) I’m only afraid that my parents may not have the patience to wait and therefore may go back on their word. But since they’ve already promised, please tell him to try hard. I’ll wait for him, and him alone.” Then she furtively took out two gold rings, as an incentive for Madam Yang to deliver messages between her and young Mr. Zhang, and said, “In the future, please deliver his messages to me quietly. You’ll be generously rewarded. Don’t let my parents know.”

Dear audience, won’t you agree that those old women specializing in arranging illicit love affairs know all too well what is expected of them? Having rightly surmised that the two youths were in love, she was ready to render her services as the secret go-between even if marriage was off the table. There was a great deal of money to be made that way. At the sight of the two gold rings, she switched on an ingratiating smile and said, “Young lady! Just leave everything to this old woman! I won’t fail you.”

After leaving the Luo residence, Madam Yang went back to the Zhang residence and repeated everything to Mrs. Zhang. On hearing the report, Zhang Youqian said with a scornful smile, “Succeeding on the exams is no more nor less than what a real man is supposed to do. What’s so difficult about that? She’ll surely be my wife!” (MC: He does have ambition.)

Madam Yang added, “The young lady is also confident that you’ll make it someday. She’s afraid only that her parents may grow impatient and change their minds, but she’s determined to be loyal to you and wants you to study hard.”

“It’s so good to hear this from her,” said Mrs. Zhang to her son. “Don’t fail her!”

In private, Madam Yang said to Youqian, “Miss Luo is deeply in love with you. Before I left her, she told me to deliver messages for her on the quiet, and she gave me two gold rings. This young lady will indeed make a very caring and loving wife.” (MC: So, a gift of gold rings elevates her to a caring and loving wife!)

“When I ask favors of you in the future, please don’t turn me down!” said Youqian.

“Of course not!” promised Madam Yang. With that, she took her leave.

The next year, Zhang Zhongfu sent a messenger home from Yuezhou to say that he would be accompanying the prefect of Yuezhou to the capital to await a new appointment and, afraid that Youqian’s studies would suffer, wanted the young man to join him in the capital. Youqian saw nothing for it but to oblige his father. Enough about Youqian for now.

Let us turn our attention to Luo Renqing. He was in fact against the idea of marrying his daughter to a poor family. He did not mean it when he said he would let Mr. Zhang have his daughter as soon as the young man landed an official post. He could not afford to wait until that happened. His daughter was getting older year by year. If Mr. Zhang landed his post late in life, like Lü Wang, who met King Wen when he was eighty years old, wouldn’t his daughter be an old lady by then?2 Also, the Zhangs’ frequent trips did not bode well for a successful future. What did he care about his daughter’s heart?

In the neighborhood, there was an immensely rich man named Xin, whose son was also eighteen years old. Having heard about Miss Luo’s beauty and talent, the Xin family engaged a matchmaker and made a marriage proposal. The Xins’ wealth impressed Luo Renqing. (MC: As is usually the case with such despicable people.) What’s more, the Zhang family had made nothing more than an oral offer. Since no betrothal gift was given, he could not be accused of breaking off an engagement. And so, his promise to the Zhangs did not carry the least weight with him. He readily gave his consent to the Xin family and chose a date for the betrothal ceremony.

On learning the news, Xixi could do nothing more than groan to herself. Unable to open her heart to her parents, she fretted inwardly but confided in her maid Feiying, saying, “I was born on the same day as Mr. Zhang, and we went to school together. Everyone said that we were born to be husband and wife. Since childhood, we’ve been as close as brother and sister and as affectionate to each other as husband and wife. (MC: Maybe more than affectionate.) How can they marry me off to another man? I’d be better off dead and be done with it! It’s just that I can’t rest easy without seeing Mr. Zhang once more.”

“Mr. Zhang also said to me the other day that he wanted to see you, but I said it wasn’t possible, and so he gave up the idea. And now Mr. Zhang is away. Even if he were at home, you wouldn’t get a chance to see him.”

Xixi said, “I’ve got an idea that will bring us together. But I’ll have to wait until he comes back. Go outside from time to time and make inquiries.”

Feiying kept her instructions in mind.

By the time Zhang Youqian returned from the capital, another year had gone by. On hearing that Luo Xixi was now betrothed to the son of the Xin family and that no objections had been heard from Xixi, Youqian said bitterly, “I don’t blame her parents, but how can she be so obedient without ever letting out a peep?” (MC: He is quite unforgiving.) In a towering rage, he picked up his writing brush and wrote a ci poem to the tune of “Eternal Longing”:

The gods in heaven and the gods on earth

All witnessed our vows of eternal love

Written in ink that is fresh to this day.

As the years go by, one after another,

The gold coins changed to tons of silver.

How could you have forgotten so quickly?

After he finished writing the poem, he stuffed it in his sleeve and hastened to see Madam Yang. Madam Yang led him into the house and asked, “What brought you here, young master?”

“Madam, do you know that Miss Luo has been betrothed to another man?”

“Yes, I’ve heard about it, but I’m not the matchmaker. What a nice young lady she is, and she’s so fond of you! Too bad you’re not fated for each other.”

“I don’t blame her parents. I blame her. How can she let her parents give her away to someone else without raising any objections?”

“But how can a girl do that? She must have a reason for it. Don’t blame her unjustly!”

“That’s exactly why I’d like you to deliver a little poem of mine to her, just to sound her out. Please take this to her.” So saying, he took from his sleeve the poem as well as the tael of silver that the prefect of Yuezhou had given him as a gift, which he now presented to Madam Yang as a tip. Drawn to the sight of money as flies are to blood, she would do anything for money. Gladly, she accepted the mission and went off.

She went straight to the Luo residence, ostensibly to sell flowers, and entered Xixi’s room. Xixi greeted her and said, “You haven’t been to our house for quite some time now.”

“Nothing has happened all this time, and I wouldn’t presume to come without a good reason. But Young Master Zhang has come back, and he has a message for you, which is why I’m here.”

On hearing that Youqian was back, Xixi said, “I’ve told Feiying to find out news about him, but I had no idea he was already here!”

“He’s very upset that you’ve been betrothed to the Xin family. He told me to bring you a message.” So saying, she extracted the letter from her sleeve and handed it to Xixi.

With a sigh, Xixi took it, opened it, and saw that it was a poem. After reading it from beginning to end, she said tearfully, “He’s being unjust to me.”

“I can’t read. What does he say in the letter?”

“He accuses me of having forgotten him. He has no idea that the betrothal is my parents’ idea. I have no say in the matter!”

“What are you going to say to him, young lady?” (MC: A true go-between!)

“Ma’am, since you delivered the message for him, you must have his trust. May I tell you something from the bottom of my heart?”

“I received a hefty gift from you last year without having done anything for you so far, and Young Master Zhang has also taken me into his confidence. Whatever job you have for me, I’ll make every effort to do it, even if I have to walk through water and fire. I’ll never breathe a word!”

“Thank you for your kindness, ma’am. First, please tell him about my feelings. I’ve been keeping myself under control because I haven’t been able to see him. If I get to see him just once, I’ll be with him until death rather than marry someone else and hang on to a life of shame.”

“Of course I’ll relay this message to him, but seeing him will be out of the question. Your family’s compound is many layers deep. Mr. Zhang can’t fly, and I can’t fit him in my sleeve. (MC: Sheer nonsense, when her wit fails her in the rush of the moment. This is exactly what is likely to come out of a go-between’s mouth.) How am I going to bring the two of you together?”

“I have a plan to make him come,” said Xixi. “It’s a surefire plan, but it needs your help.”

“Didn’t I just tell you that I’m at your disposal? As long as you have a good plan, I’ll go to any lengths to carry it out.”

“My room, in the last row of rooms, is separated from the rest of the compound. The gate downstairs leads to a small garden with a low wall all around it. Beyond the wall is a patch of weed-covered land that’s not part of our residence. On this side of the wall, there are four or five large camellia trees that can serve as a ladder up the wall. Please tell him to wait outside the wall. After nightfall, I’ll tell my maid to climb up the wall by grabbing the branches and then put a bamboo ladder on the other side. Mr. Zhang can climb up the ladder and use the branches of the camellia trees to get down into the yard. He’ll then be able to come straight to my room. Please have pity on us two lovers and transmit every detail of this plan to him.” Having said that, she went to an inner room, groped around, and produced an ingot of silver that probably weighed four or five taels. Stuffing it into Madam Yang’s sleeve, she said, “This is just for you to buy some simple snacks with.”

Madam Yang feigned demurral. “Surely I don’t deserve such a hefty reward without having done anything yet. But if I don’t take it, you may suspect me of harboring other intentions, so let me be so bold as to accept it.” She thanked Xixi and went off to make a full report to Youqian.

After being informed of the plan, Youqian could hardly wait for nightfall. The Zhang and Luo residences being near each other, Youqian went before dark to check out the grounds, and, sure enough, he saw four or five camellia trees with branches overhanging the wall. Confident that this was the designated spot, he went there again after dark. He waited and waited, but no sound came from inside, to say nothing of the appearance of a bamboo ladder. It was in the wee hours of the next morning, when the street night-watch drum sounded, that he made his way home in dejection. The next night went the same way, and the night after that. After waiting in vain for three nights (MC: Hard to bear.), he thought, “Could she be pulling a prank on me? Or maybe something was lost in the transmission of the message. Or she may have slept so well, at her age, that she forgot about it, little knowing what I have to go through, waiting outside.”

And so, as is only to be expected, he asked Madam Yang to get to the bottom of the matter. Again, he wrote a poem on a piece of paper:

The camellia trees block the east wind

Like ten thousand cloud-crested mountains.

While she dreams behind her gilt bed curtains,

He waits in the wind, on moonlit dewy ground.

After completing the poem, he went to Madam Yang’s home and asked her to deliver it for him and find out the reason for Xixi’s failure to keep the assignation.

What happened was this: Since the management of the Luo household was in Xixi’s capable hands, an aunt of Xixi’s came for a visit on the very day Youqian was supposed to meet Xixi, and so Xixi was obliged to keep her aunt company and sleep in the same room with her at night. (IC: Here is the problem.) Thus she was not at liberty to do anything on her own. (MC: The aunt is of no help. Must be her karmic enemy.)

The aunt did not leave until the day Madam Yang went to deliver Youqian’s poem to Xixi. On reading the poem, Xixi exclaimed, “Mr. Zhang is again accusing me unjustly!” Turning to Madam Yang, she said, “My aunt shared my room for three days and nights. I didn’t sleep one wink all three nights but still didn’t have a shadow of a chance. It’s not that I deliberately stood him up. Now that my aunt has left, tell him to come tonight at lamp-lighting time. I won’t fail him again!”

Thus instructed, Madam Yang went to report to Zhang Youqian, saying, “She didn’t have a chance to send out a message for three days, but she won’t fail you tonight, at lamp-lighting time.”

At the appointed time, Youqian strolled to the fence and saw that there was indeed a bamboo ladder leaning against it. Beside himself with joy, he climbed up the ladder, rung by rung. (MC: Like going up a scaling ladder to take a fortress.) When he got to the top of the wall, he was startled to see a dark shadow by the branches of the camellia trees, but it was Feiying waiting there for him. After a cough as a signal that reassured them both, they got down by means of the branches. Feiying then led him to Xixi, who had been waiting for him on the ground floor. Hand in hand, Youqian and Xixi went up the stairs. By lamplight, each found that the other’s looks had changed for the better. Overwhelmed with joy, they said in unison, “Imagine our getting to meet today!” Oblivious to Feiying’s presence, they fell into an embrace. Feiying had the good sense to depart, taking the lamp with her. (MC: What a tactful girl!)

By the moonlight that found its way through the window, the two lovers, in each other’s arms, went to bed and brought their desires to fruition.

Apart for four years, joined for one brief moment,

They recalled the dreamlike sweetness of their childhood.

What had been skirmishes then was total war now.

The bud burst and bled; the rod grew robust;

Because of the love that filled both hearts,

They banished their parents from their minds.

After their passion abated, they began to talk, spilling their hearts out to each other. But then Youqian said, “Our joy is only temporary. You’ll eventually belong to another man.”

“Why do you still not know my heart?” said Xixi. “Since I was betrothed, I’ve often thought of death, but the wedding date hasn’t come, and I wanted to have a happy reunion with you, my love. If I yield my body to someone else, I’ll be worse than a pig or a dog! You’ll see when the time comes.”

The two of them talked the whole night through. At dawn, Xixi told Youqian to rise, put on his clothes, and leave. When Youqian asked her if he could come again that evening, she replied, “Things come up frequently in this household, so I may not be available every evening. Let’s settle on a signal. The west chamber of this row is visible from afar outside the fence. From now on, whenever three lamps are lit in that room, the bamboo ladder will be there for you. (MC: Wonderful signal. This goes to show Xixi’s efficiency in getting things done.) If you see only one lamp on, you can’t come, and don’t stand outside waiting as if you’re under some spell, as you did last time. You’ll only be tiring yourself out for nothing.” (IC: This shows her affection for him.)

Having settled on the signal, they took leave of each other. As before, Youqian lifted himself up by means of the camellia branches and descended by the bamboo ladder, after which Feiying scaled the fence and withdrew the ladder, unbeknownst to god or ghost.

Henceforth, Youqian went regularly to watch for signals from afar. Whenever he saw three lit lamps, he would approach the fence, use the ladder that never failed to be in place, and enter the residence for a union of delight with Xixi. They managed to enjoy four or five nights together in a row. If something came up in the household, the break would not be more than one or two nights. More than a month went by in like fashion. They were at the height of their enjoyment when something happened. Indeed, the road to happiness never runs smooth.

The marshal of Hubei, out of admiration for Zhang Zhongfu’s reputation, hired him as secretary. So Zhongfu resigned from his tutorial post with the prefect of Yuezhou and returned home to pack for his next job, and he wanted to take Youqian with him so that the young man could take the provincial-level civil service examinations there. (MC: The marshal may seem to be Youqian’s karmic enemy at this point, but he will turn out to be of great help.) This news upset Youqian. However much he hated to leave Xixi, he could not bring himself to counter his father’s wish. No alternative was left him but to tell Xixi about it. As they bade each other a mournful farewell, Xixi produced a great deal of valuables for him to use as travel money. Tearfully, she said, “I’ll wait for your return if I remain unmarried until then, but if I’m forced to marry before you come back, I’ll throw myself into the well in the courtyard and fulfill my marriage bond with you in our next lives. In the event I don’t see you again in this life, this will be our last parting.”

The two of them sobbed half the night through. Even in their intimacy, their pleasure was diluted by sadness. Before Youqian’s departure, Xixi held his hands and enjoined him, “Don’t ever forget our love. Seize the first opportunity to come back. The earlier, the better, if only by one day!”

“You don’t need to tell me that. If not for the sake of the exams, I’d surely find a pretext for not going. But I can’t turn down this opportunity. And yet this is by no means something I look forward to! I’ll return at the first opportunity. It will give me such joy to see you again, if only one day sooner!”

After staying in each other’s embrace for the longest time, hating the thought of parting, they bade each other a tearful farewell.

It goes without saying that the sights he saw along the way to Hubei with his father saddened Youqian because they brought back memories of his loved one. The examinations took place soon after their arrival. Indulging in wishful thinking, Youqian said to himself, “If I win first place, I may still be able to marry my love, for all I know!” He poured all his talent and learning into the composition of the essays on the examinations. After leaving the examination grounds, he said to his father, “I miss Mother. I’d like to return home.”

Zhongfu said, “Can’t you wait until you see the list of successful candidates?”

“If I don’t make the list, how will I be able to show my face again? What’s more, Mother is lonely at home and sorely misses me. (MC: Attachment to his mother doesn’t explain such eagerness.) And this place is so far from home. Unlike in Yuezhou, where we were constantly in touch, how am I going to stop worrying about her? Literary honors and official rank are but external things and are preordained by destiny. What’s the use of reading that list?” He pestered his father for several days before his father finally gave in and released him. Another few days and he was back at home.

The Xin family had already chosen a date in the coming winter for the wedding. Xixi grew desperate. She wore her eyes out looking for Youqian to return and sent Feiying on frequent missions to Youqian’s home on all sorts of pretexts to find out how things stood. That day, on learning that Youqian had returned, Feiying flew back to tell Xixi about it.

“Go quickly and tell him not to fail to come here tonight! He can enter the house the usual way.” She wrote a ci poem, sealed it, and asked Feiying to deliver it.

Thus instructed, Feiying went to the Zhang residence and found herself face-to-face with Zhang Youqian at the Zhangs’ gate.

“Good!” exclaimed Youqian. “I was on my way to see old Madam Yang and ask her to deliver a message, and now here you are!”

Feiying said, “My mistress misses you so much that she often cries, and every day she tells me to ask for news about you. As soon as she learned you’d arrived, she sent me to ask you to go and see her, using the bamboo ladder as before. She also has a letter for you.”

Youqian opened it and saw that it was a ci poem to the tune of “Song of Divination”:

How shall I make him come

Now that luckily he has returned?

Missing him all night and all day,

I just cannot dismiss him from my heart.

It was to be a good marriage bond;

My fear is that it will melt away.

Should I be given to another man,

I will see him under the Yellow Springs.3

After reading the poem, Youqian said, “I understand.” When Feiying left, he carefully put the poem away.

At nightfall, on seeing from afar three brightly lit lamps in the west chamber, Youqian rushed over and saw the bamboo ladder already in place against the wall. When he entered and saw Xixi, she put her arms around him as if she had found a treasure and grumbled, “How can you be so heartless, returning so late when my wedding date has already been set! Even if you and I meet every night, we have only a little more than two months left. When our time is so limited, I should enjoy life to the fullest with you before I die, so that I’ll have no regrets. (MC: What deep passion!) You, in your youth and with your talent, will have boundless prospects. I wouldn’t presume to force you to die with me, the way ungracious people do. But in the future, after you’re married, don’t forget me!” With that, she broke down in violent sobs.

Youqian also burst into tears. “How can you talk like this? If you die, I die! After I left you, not a day passed that I didn’t miss you. That’s why I wanted to come back as soon as the exam was over, without even waiting to learn the results. I’m a few days late only because I yielded to my father’s insistence. Please accept my apology and don’t hold me to blame. I thank you for your new poem. Let me write a reply poem using your rhyme scheme and lay my heart bare to you.” Taking Xixi’s writing brush and paper, he wrote:

I left because to pressure I succumbed,

Nor had I much say about my return.

Our lovers’ knot is tied all the way.

Why despair and lose heart?

All my heart to you belongs;

To you I shall always stay true.

If my late return warrants strokes of the cane,

I will gladly take three thousand beatings.

On reading the poem, Xixi stopped complaining, understanding that he was not in a position to do otherwise. They got into bed behind the bed curtains and experienced the very height and fulfillment of love. As the saying goes, “The joy of reunion after a long separation exceeds that of newlyweds.” Moreover, aware of the limited time they had left and the preciousness of each moment, they fulfilled their desires to the utmost, oblivious to all consequences.

After half a month went by in like fashion, Youqian began to grow a little afraid. He said to Xixi, “I’ve been coming every night, and you go to bed early and get up late. I think we’ve been too imprudent. What if word should get out, and we’re caught?”

“I’m determined to die anyway, sooner or later. So why shouldn’t I enjoy life while it lasts? Even if we’re found out, nothing can be worse than death. What’s there to be afraid of ?” (MC: What a daredevil girl!) Indeed, she was too reckless.

Mrs. Luo noticed her daughter’s listlessness and frequent yawns during the day, as well as her red eyes and puffy eyelids some mornings. She wondered to herself, “This girl is not quite her usual self. I hope she hasn’t done anything improper.” She began to keep a watchful eye on her.

One evening, when all had become quiet, she tiptoed to her daughter’s room and listened at the door. On hearing her talking in a subdued voice, she said to herself, “How very strange! At this time of the evening, she can’t very well be talking to Feiying. And why does she have to keep her voice so low? I can’t make out anything she’s saying.” After listening intently for a while, she heard the sound of snoring coming from below. Even more surprised, she thought, “She’s talking with someone upstairs, and someone else is sleeping downstairs, so there must be three people!” (MC: She is right.) If the one who’s asleep is Feiying, to whom is my girl talking? Something is wrong here!”

In great haste she went to tell her husband about this. Alarmed, Luo Renqing said, “With her wedding day around the corner, she’d better not cause trouble!” (MC: The approaching wedding day is exactly the reason for this.) He told his wife, “Don’t hesitate! Let’s force our way into her room, and we’ll know immediately. There’s no escape route from the second floor of that wing.”

Mrs. Luo hauled two maidservants out of bed. Each holding a lamp, the girls followed Mrs. Luo to Xixi’s door with the father, cudgel in hand, bringing up the rear. (MC: How formidable!)

On finding the door tightly bolted, Mrs. Luo cried out, “Little Feiying!”

Feiying was asleep and did not answer, but the two lovers upstairs heard her. Xixi said, “It’s my mother. It must be some family affair for me to take care of.”

Youqian began to panic.

“Don’t panic,” said Xixi. “Stay where you are. Let me go down. She doesn’t usually come up in the evenings.” So saying, she rose, put her clothes on, and went downstairs. Feeling ill at ease, Zhang Youqian also got dressed, afraid that he might be caught naked. Without an escape route, he could do nothing more than dive into a dark corner to listen.

Xixi thought that her mother was there just for a brief question and therefore would be easy to get rid of, but as soon as she opened the door, she was startled to see two bright lamps. Even her father was there. Before she found her voice, her mother snatched a lamp from one of the maidservants and, along with her cudgel-wielding father, stormed up the stairs. (MC: Now he is really desperate.)

Seeing the ugly turn of events, Xixi knew that her secret was out. Heading for the courtyard, she made as if to throw herself into the well. One of the maidservants, wondering why the mistress was in such a hurry, followed behind, lighting the way with her lamp. The other maidservant, with hands now free, quickly put her arms around Xixi before she could jump and exclaimed, “Why would you want to do this?” Then she cried out at the top of her voice, “The young mistress is about to throw herself into the well!”

The commotion awoke Feiying. She rushed to the scene and saw her mistress trying to struggle free from the two maidservants, who were holding her back with all their might. Feiying leaned against the railing around the well and cried, “Mistress, don’t do this!”

Let us leave this scene of chaos and come back to Luo Renqing and his wife. They found a man hiding in a dark corner upstairs. Renqing’s cudgel was about to land on him when Mrs. Luo’s lamp lit up his face, and Renqing recognized him as Youqian, son of Zhang Zhongfu. He stayed his hand and cursed, “You little beast! You swine! You’re as close to me as a nephew. How could you do such a vile thing to sully this family’s name?”

Youqian fell to his knees and pleaded, “Uncle, please forgive me! I’ve been in love with your daughter since childhood. We were born on the same day, and we shared the same classroom. Two years ago, when a marriage proposal was made on my behalf, you, Uncle, promised that you would give your daughter to me once I passed the exams. So I’ve labored at my studies in the hope of bringing about the marriage. Little did I know that you’d suddenly betrothed her to someone else. (MC: He’s turning the tables on Mr. Luo and accusing him of lack of faith! Desperate, he could not think of anything better.) It was in anger that your daughter asked me to come for a secret rendezvous. We pledged to die on the same day, just as we were born on the same day. Now that we’ve been found out, your daughter will surely die, and I don’t want to live without her. Please beat me to death!”

Renqing said, “I did give that promise, but have you passed the exams? How can you turn around and blame my family for betrothing her to someone else? (MC: Renqing is right.) A foul beast like you won’t succeed on the exams anyway. You’ve committed a serious crime. Since the law will deal with you, I’m not going to beat you in private.” With that, he seized Youqian with a firm grip.

On hearing the commotion outside, Mrs. Luo rushed down the stairs and urged her husband to do the same, afraid that their daughter might kill herself. Renqing dragged Youqian down to the reception hall, trussed him up with rope, marched him to the study, and ordered male servants to watch him and, as soon as it was daylight, deliver him to the authorities. By the time he returned to check on his daughter, he saw her hair all loose and in disarray from the tussle, and his wife and the maidservants still in a tangle, screaming. In a rage, he roared, “Let that good-for-nothing die! Why hold her back?” He was about to hit her with his cudgel when his wife and the maidservants herded her up the stairs, leaving Renqing alone. Raising his head, he saw Feiying still by the railing of the well. (MC: Bad luck for her!) With no outlet for his pent-up anger, Renqing grabbed her hair with one hand, pulled her up to him, and began to rain blows on her, saying, “You must have acted as the go-between and caused all this mess! Out with the truth now! How did it all begin?”

At first, Feiying pleaded ignorance because her sleeping quarters were downstairs but, unable to hold out against the blows, came out with all the details, adding, “My mistress and Mr. Zhang often wept and wanted to die together.” (MC: This is an important point.)

Having heard her out, Renqing sharply dismissed her. Feeling slightly remorseful, he thought, “If I had accepted him as a son-in-law, things might not have come to this. But now, with the Xin family involved, this has grown into a complicated case. I’ll have to appeal to the authorities.”

The sky turned light, but the commotion went on. In fact, during a crisis, dawn always seems to arrive earlier. (MC: Easily said!) While Mrs. Luo and the maidservants kept a close eye on Xixi to prevent her from doing violence to herself, Renqing marched Youqian to the county yamen. The county magistrate opened his court session and took the accusation paper. On realizing that the perpetrators in this case of illicit fornication had been caught red-handed, he was relieved that evidence was not lacking. Since the accusation mentioned the offending party’s status as a xiucai, he told Zhang Youqian to approach the bench and said to him, “You should be well read and sensible. Why did you do such a filthy thing?”

“Your Honor,” said Youqian, “I won’t conceal anything from you, but there’s more to this case than meets the eye. It’s not a case of sexual depravity.” (MC: Clever words.)

“Do tell,” said the magistrate.

“Miss Luo and I were born on the same day in the same month and the same year, and we shared the same classroom in my home since childhood. We understood each other perfectly and took secret vows to live our lives together as husband and wife. Later, a matchmaker made a marriage proposal on my behalf, and the Luo family responded, ‘The marriage will take place only after his success on the exams.’ Then I followed my father on his journey and pursued my studies at his workplace. By the time I returned two years later, the Luo family, to my surprise, had broken their promise and betrothed their daughter to the Xin family. Miss Luo, however, stayed loyal to our pledge and planned to commit suicide on the wedding day as a gesture of gratitude to me. Therefore she invited me over to bid me farewell. We weren’t careful about covering our tracks and were caught. If Miss Luo is forced to marry, she’ll surely die, and I won’t live either, out of loyalty to her. (MC: Forceful words.) But since the secret is out, I’m ready to accept any legal punishment.”

The magistrate was impressed by his refined look and his articulateness and had a good mind to help him. So he asked Luo Renqing, “Did he speak the truth?”

Renqing replied, “Yes, what he said is the truth, but what he did was wrong.”

Meaning to test the young man’s written skills, the magistrate handed him paper and a writing brush, saying, “Such being the case, a verbal statement doesn’t count. I need a written deposition of all the facts.”

Youqian took the writing brush and wrote the deposition without a single pause:

Devotion is a quality that forms part of character. As long as loyalty is not lacking, I give no thought to rumors. Born on the same date in the same year and having shared the same classroom, Miss Luo and I are perfect soul mates. This is by no means a case of scaling walls for illicit love affairs. What delighted Sima Xiangru lay beyond the notes of the zither.4 Song Yu was not guilty of lust for being admired.5 The pledge tying marriage to success on the examinations did not upset me. However, her parents offered her to another family, thus inflicting aching grief on the lovers. Her determination to die before the wedding date testifies to her unparalleled chastity. My decision to return from afar for the appointment and lay down my life as well was made for the sake of our profound love, however far apart we were. (MC: He praises himself instead of confessing his faults. This is a continuation of Dongfang Shuo’s style.)6 Since I have run afoul of the law, I will gladly take my due punishment. But I humbly pray that the previous engagement be reinstated, out of your sympathy for our deep attachment, and the punishment be magnanimously dispensed with, out of sympathy for our profound love. If so, the winter-devastated valley will come back to life with the breath of spring, and the dying embers will regain their glow. Your kindness in bringing about our marriage will be remembered even unto our next lives.

The county magistrate sighed in admiration at the deposition and said to Luo Renqing, “Isn’t such a talented young man good enough to be your son-in-law? Since what your daughter has done cannot be undone, why don’t you just compromise and bring about their happiness?” (MC: What a good magistrate!)

“But I’ve already accepted betrothal gifts from the Xin family,” said Luo Renqing. “I’m not at liberty to step back from the commitment.” (MC: True.)

“When the Xins hear about this, they may not want to honor their end of the agreement,” said the magistrate. He was about to dispense more advice to Luo Renqing when the Xin family also came to the county yamen to present their complaint and ask for punishment for the adulterer. The Xins being an immensely rich family and well acquainted with him, the magistrate thought he could not turn them down out of hand because, after all, they were in the right. He was also afraid that if he set Zhang Youqian free, both the Xin and Luo families, at the height of their anger, might beat him to a pulp. (MC: Truly a good magistrate!) So he accepted the Xin family’s indictment paper and sent Zhang Youqian to jail for the time being. He also summoned Mrs. Luo for interrogation.

In the meantime, Mrs. Zhang did not see her son at breakfast that morning, nor did she find him in his study. She was wondering where he could have gone (MC: Mrs. Zhang is in the dark.) when old Madam Yang showed up, looking alarmed, and asked, “Ma’am, do you know that your son has been caught committing adultery and is now in jail?”

Mouth agape with astonishment, Mrs. Zhang said, “No wonder he’s been absentminded lately. So he has indeed got himself into a scrape!”

“The Luo and Xin families are both very rich. I’m afraid the yamen will come down hard on your son. What can we do to save him?”

“Let me send a messenger to his father and ask him what to do. Being but a woman, I can do no more than deliver his meals to jail.” Whereupon Mrs. Zhang told a servant who often served as a messenger to go to Hubei with a letter and ask Zhang Zhongfu for ideas. (MC: Good move.) The servant left before the night was out.

Now, Zhang Youqian in his cell thought, “The county magistrate means so well that I may not be sentenced to death after all. But I wonder if Xixi survived last night. I’m afraid I may never see her again.” While he was shedding tears, his thoughts with Xixi, the wardens approached to ask him for tips. Even though the magistrate had already instructed them not to be hard on Youqian or raise a hand against him, they still hurled verbal abuse at him. (MC: But that’s not as bad.) Being a scholar and in a dejected mood, Youqian could hardly take the insults. At this juncture, there burst upon everyone’s ears the sound of gongs from outside. The next moment, a group of men barged in. (MC: What occasion could be happier than this?) Everyone in the jailhouse was taken aback. Youqian saw that the leader of the group was carrying on his shoulder a red banner from which hung copper bells. On the banner were inscribed the characters “Good tidings from the Marshal.”

“Who is Scholar Zhang Youqian?” clamored the men.

“He is,” said the wardens, pointing at Youqian. “Who are you?”

Without bothering to answer them, the men gathered around Youqian, saying, “We’ve been sent by the marshal of Hubei to inform you that you’ve passed the exams. Tips, please!” With that, one of the men whipped out a slip of paper and a writing brush, took Youqian’s hand, and asked him to write a slip for three hundred or five hundred strings of cash.

“Not so fast!” exclaimed Youqian. “First, I need to see my place on the list before I write you the slip.”

“You got a high pass!” said the men as they produced a red scroll that showed Youqian was the third one on the list.

“I’m a criminal in jail,” said Youqian. (MC: At this time, he can afford to stress the word “criminal.”) You should have gone to my home to make the announcement instead of making so much noise here. You’ll only be upsetting the county magistrate.”

“We did go to your home and were told that you were here, and we did send someone to report the matter to the county magistrate. This is good news. His Honor won’t be upset.”

Youqian continued, “My life is still in His Honor’s hands. I’m in no position to write you slips for tips!” (MC: Good excuse.)

The men kept clamoring for tips, and the wardens also took up the cries, throwing the entire jailhouse into an uproar.

At this point, the voices of yamen criers were heard, shouting to clear the way. The wardens scattered, crying, “The county magistrate is here!”

Soon, the magistrate came in, smiling. On seeing a group of men gathered around Youqian, refusing to let go of him, the magistrate barked, “What do you think you’re doing?”

The men replied, “We’re looking forward to your coming, sir! Scholar Zhang refused to give us a tip because he says he’s still a criminal. Please do right by us!”

With a laugh, the magistrate said, “Quiet! To celebrate Scholar Zhang’s high pass on the exams, I’ll give you fifty strings of cash from the county coffers. Go to the county treasury to claim it.” He took the writing brush and wrote down the number. But the men found the sum too paltry and did not leave until the magistrate added ten more strings.

The magistrate invited Zhang Youqian to the yamen, where the young man was given a change of clothes and a hat. After a proper salute, the magistrate ushered him into the main hall and said, “Congratulations on passing the exams with such high distinction!”

Youqian said, “Thanks to Your Honor’s kindness, I got lucky this time, but please be lenient in the case against me.”

“That’s a trivial matter. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

Before this, the magistrate had summoned Luo Xixi to the yamen for interrogation, but she had not yet arrived. Right there in the main hall, the magistrate issued another order, saying, “Mr. Zhang, who has just passed the examinations, will be escorted home by percussionists. Miss Luo need not be brought to court but will await further decisions by the prefectural yamen.” Having written that, he ordered the yamen’s runners to prepare an artificial flower, red bunting, musical instruments, and a horse. After the magistrate offered Youqian three cups of wine, the artificial flower and the red bunting were put on Youqian, and, with Youqian on a horse and the band of percussionists leading the way, the procession went out through the county gate. (MC: How thrilling!) Truly,

Yesterday he was in the jailhouse;

Today he is up on a high horse.

The world of love takes on new colors;

The god of marriage is filled with joy.

When Youqian’s procession had covered about half the distance, a woman’s sedan-chair preceded by two yamen runners came into view, heading toward the county yamen. Sobs were faintly audible from the sedan-chair. The runners in Youqian’s procession, realizing that Luo Xixi must be in the sedan-chair, cried out, “Stop! You don’t have to go! Scholar Zhang has passed the exams, and Miss Luo need not be brought to court!” They then produced the magistrate’s note to show to the runners escorting Xixi.

In the sedan-chair, Xixi heard everything loud and clear. She raised the curtain and saw a smiling Mr. Zhang approaching her on a horse, making an impressive sight. Her heart overflowed with joy, but she did not show it. (MC: Her joy is not any less than his.)

The sight of Xixi in the sedan-chair lifted a heavy weight from Youqian’s mind. It was now obvious that she had not died that night. As their eyes locked, grief and joy intermingled. Xixi’s sedan-chair carriers turned around to walk behind Youqian’s horse. As they went along, they presented the picture of a bridegroom leading his bride’s sedan-chair. The only thing missing were the festoons on the sedan-chair. When they came to a fork in the road, they threw each other significant looks and parted ways.

After returning home, Youqian greeted his mother and gave tips to the members of his procession and the welcoming party. After they all left, Mrs. Zhang said, “A fine thing you did! I almost died from all the worrying! If Heaven hadn’t sent this fortune, how would this case have ended? When the announcers came in with all that noise, I thought they were yamen runners, and I was so afraid that I couldn’t find a hiding place quickly enough! It wasn’t until they explained everything that I relaxed. I told them that you were in jail, so they headed for the jailhouse. Why did the county yamen set you free just like that?”

“I’m so sorry, Mother, for having done something improper in my passion and made you worry. The county magistrate was full of good intentions and meant to reinstate my marriage to Miss Luo, but the Xin family objected. Now, with this lucky break, the magistrate is delighted. He sent me home and called off his summons for Miss Luo. My wishful thought is that I’ll not only be exempted from punishment but may even hope for something more.”

“Yes, the magistrate is kind enough, but I heard that the Xin family refuse to call it quits. They think themselves so important because of their wealth that they’re going to appeal to higher authorities, and that may be bad for us. I sent a messenger to your father. I wonder if he can find someone to help us out.”

“We need to see how the prefectural yamen reacts to the county magistrate’s report before we know what to do next. Don’t worry, Mother.” (MC: Mr. Zhang can now afford to be audacious.)

In the twinkling of an eye, the neighbors swarmed to their door to offer their congratulations. Old Madam Yang also came, to Mrs. Zhang’s great joy, but let us pass from this to other matters.

The prefect, on opening his court session, received a letter from the marshal of Hubei. He opened it and saw that it was a plea for him to take care of the case involving Zhang Youqian and Miss Luo. The letter, ostensibly from the marshal at Zhang Zhongfu’s request after the latter had received information from home, was in fact written by Zhongfu himself and therefore intensely earnest. As the marshal was in a powerful position at the time, the prefect felt obligated to do his best to help them. However, knowing nothing about the details of the case, he wanted to summon the county magistrate for information. It just so happened that the county magistrate’s report arrived that very day, and after reading the letter, the prefect learned the ins and outs of the case and was determined to do something for the scholar who had just passed the examinations.

At this point, Mr. Xin appeared in court and made this accusation: “The county magistrate practiced favoritism and freed Zhang Youqian, who was in jail for the crime of illicit fornication. The magistrate is guilty of bending the law.”

The prefect told him to approach the bench and offered him this advice: “The way you put it, Miss Luo is a fallen woman. So why do you still want to fight for her? Even if the court of law judges in your favor and gives her to your son, she stigmatizes your name. Why don’t you take back your betrothal gifts and find a girl of spotless chastity? Won’t that be better? Unlike the Luos, yours is a family with a stainless reputation. Why be so hard on yourself ?” (MC: He is talking to Mr. Zhang, but his words have universal applications.)

Impressed by the logic of the prefect’s words, Mr. Xin found himself tongue-tied for a moment. Then he kowtowed and said, “Whatever you say, Your Honor.”

The prefect ordered that paper and a writing brush be brought over and made Mr. Xin write a pledge to release Miss Luo from the betrothal. (MC: He does take care of details.) He then drew up an order for the county yamen to recover the betrothal gifts from Luo Renqing and return them to Mr. Xin.

Mr. Xin dared not raise objections to the prefect’s decision. He kowtowed and left the court. Then and there, the prefect wrote a personal note to the county magistrate and attached it to the official file. The note said, “Mr. Zhang and Miss Luo make a nice couple. It would be good if you could bring about their marriage. I’m writing this based on information provided by the marshal of Hubei. Please give the matter the importance it deserves.”

After reading the file and the private note, the county magistrate prepared two invitation cards and ordered one runner to invite Luo Renqing and another to invite Zhang Youqian. The two runners went in obedience to this command.

Luo Renqing, a rich man of humble origin, dared not drag his feet on receiving an invitation from the authorities. He promptly put on a small cap and a robe with multiple folds and presented himself at the county yamen. The magistrate, determined to bring about the marriage, treated him with great courtesy and said, “Zhang Youqian makes a nice son-in-law. I tried the other day to talk you into accepting him as such. Now that he’s succeeded on the exams, it will be good if you accept my judgment.”

“I wouldn’t dream of contradicting you, Your Honor! But Miss Luo has been promised to the Xin family, and the Xins are determined to have her. How am I supposed to turn them down? Please understand my dilemma.”

“As long as you agree to my idea, you need not worry about the Xin family.” Gleefully, he told a runner to retrieve Mr. Xin’s release pledge from the file and show it to Luo Renqing. The county magistrate said, “Since the Xin family has agreed, please accept my congratulations on your gaining a good son-in-law!” (MC: What a good magistrate! But such happenings were not so unusual in those times.)

Renqing thought for a moment before saying, “Why was Mr. Xin willing to write the pledge?”

With a smile, the magistrate replied, “For your information, it was the prefect’s idea. The prefect made him do it in order to bring about your daughter’s marriage.” So saying, he extracted the prefect’s note from his sleeve and showed it to Renqing. With both the prefect and the county magistrate bending over backward to bring about this marriage, how could Renqing reject them out of hand? He saw no option but to say thankfully, “With two such weighty personalities going to such trouble over such a trivial matter, I’ll surely comply.”

At this time, Zhang Youqian also arrived. The magistrate greeted him and said with a grin, “Your father-in-law has given his promise.” With that, he showed Youqian the prefect’s personal note and Mr. Xin’s release pledge and acquainted him with all the details.

Overjoyed, Youqian thanked the magistrate profusely. The magistrate told Youqian to bow to Luo Renqing right there in the courtroom and acknowledge him as his father-in-law. Luo Renqing was also pleased. Then the magistrate invited them into a rear chamber and treated both men to a feast. Luo Renqing demurred and refused to take his seat at the table, but the magistrate said, “With your son-in-law also here, what’s the harm?” He obliged, and they did not part company until they had thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

After returning home, Youqian told his mother about how his father had asked a favor of the marshal of Hubei, how the marshal had, in turn, asked a favor of the prefect, and how the prefect had instructed the county magistrate. Mrs. Zhang was beside herself with joy. As for Luo Renqing, the magistrate’s feast took a great weight off his mind. (MC: It was a stroke of luck for him.) Since this had been made possible out of deference to Zhang Youqian’s status, his son-in-law rose considerably in his estimation. Mrs. Luo, having always doted on her daughter, naturally glowed with pride on learning from her husband about the way both the prefect and the county magistrate had judged in favor of the successful candidate. The next day being an auspicious day, the Luos engaged the services of old Madam Yang, the matchmaker, and brought Zhang Youqian over as a live-in son-in-law, pleading aversion to being separated from their daughter.

On the wedding night, the bride and the groom, being old friends and having experienced so many trials and tribulations, shed so many tears, and even had a brush with death, were ecstatic over their reunion. As husband and wife, they went to the Zhang residence to greet Mrs. Zhang. With joy flooding her heart at the sight of her beloved son and daughter-in-law, she advised them, “You mustn’t forget the kindness of the prefect and the county magistrate. Now that you’re married, you must go express your thanks to them.”

Youqian said, “That’s exactly what I was planning to do.” So he told Xixi to stay at home and keep her mother-in-law company. Having known Xixi since she was a little girl, Mrs. Zhang now found her even more endearing. In the meantime, Youqian went to offer his thanks to the prefect and the county magistrate. After he returned home, the prefect and the magistrate had gifts of congratulations sent over. After the porters left, the newlyweds went back to the Luo residence.

The next spring, Youqian sat for the examinations held by the Ministry of Rites and also passed. He rose through the ranks of officialdom until he became administrative aide to an imperial inspector. He and Xixi lived to a ripe old age. As the following poem says:

The jailhouse turned out to be a blessed land

Where the bridegroom’s success was announced.

Without a bone-chilling cold spell,

Fragrant plum blossoms are not to be had.