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The Morrison Collection | |
| Morrison Texts |
This is the second part of a three-part play belonging to the Cantonese Opera (Yueju 粵劇) tradition. The first and third parts are missing. The extant middle part, comprising four pages, is bound with a number of other miscellaneous works into a volume labelled "Pamphlets" (SOAS callmark RM c.500.y.2). See Catalogue of the Morrison Collection of Chinese Books p.261 for details.
The story of Li Qi is found in the repertoires of a number of regional dramatic traditions, including Kunqu 昆曲, Cantonese Opera 粵劇, and Huaibei bangzi 淮北梆子. It is commonly known as "TheTale of the Horse Peddlar" 販馬記, or sometimes as "The Strange Double Meeting" 奇雙會 or "Baocheng Prison" 褒城獄. Commonly performed scenes include "Cries from a Prison Cell" 哭監, "Writing the Petition" 寫狀, "The Three Pulls" 三拉 and "The Reunion" 團圓. The Morrison text represents the "Three Pulls" scene.
There are a number of variations to the story, but the most authentic recension seems to be as summarised below :
During the Ming dynasty there was a horse peddlar named Li Qi 李奇 who lived in Baocheng 褒城 county of Shanxi 陕西 province. He had two children, the eldest a girl called Li Guizhi 李桂枝 (in one tradition written as 桂芝), the youngest a boy called Li Tai 李泰, known by his childhood name of Baotong 保童. After Li Qi's wife, née Wang 王氏, dies he marries a new wife called Yang Sanchun 楊三春.
His new wife is the archetypal cruel and deceitful step-mother. Whilst Li Qi is off on a horse-trading trip to Xiling 西陵, his new wife openly carries on an affair with her lover Tian Wang 田旺. At the same time she cruelly mistreats her two step-children.
Whilst Yang Sanchun and her lover are away from the house, the maid, Chunhua 春花 (or 春華), plans with Guizhi to secretly send Baotong to the capital to take part in the imperial examinations. After Baotong has been safely sent off, Yang Sanchun and Tian Wang arrive back, with the intention of killing Guizhi and her brother before Li Qi returns. Guizhi flees, and collapses outside the house of Liu Zhishan 劉志善 in the neighbouring village. Liu Zhishan takes in Guizhi, and treats her as his own daughter.
At the same time, a young scholar, Zhao Chong 趙寵, and his younger sister Lianzhu 連珠, have been thrown out onto the street by their step-mother on the death of their father. They throw themselves on the mercy of their uncle, Liu Zhishan. Liu Zhishan arranges the marriage between Li Guizhi and Zhao Chong.
Zhao Chong also goes to the capital to take part in the imperial examinations. He passes the examinations, and is posted to Baocheng 褒域 as the County Magistrate.
Meanwhile, Li Qi returns home, and finds his children missing. Yang Sanchun maintains that the two children have died, but Li Qi interrogates and beats the maid in order to find out the truth of the matter. In order to protect Guizhi and Baotong, Chunhua takes her own life by hanging herself. Yang Sanchun and Tian Wang then falsely accuse Li Qi of raping and murdering the maid, and they bribe the local magistrate, Hu Jing 胡敬, to ensure that Li Qi is found guilty and sentenced to death. Li Qi is put in prison awaiting his fate.
Shortly after arriving at his post, Zhao Chong goes off on a tour of the rural districts under his jurisdiction. One night whilst her husband is away, Guizhi hears the sound of crying from the prison (in one tradition it is her sister-in-law Lianzhu who first hears the crying). Guizhi recognises the voice as being that of her father, and goes down to the prison where she finds that it really is her father. He was crying out in pain because he had been beaten up by the prison guard, Li Hu 李虎, for not bribing him.
When her husband returns, she pleads with him to help her save her father'e life. Zhao Chong cannot overturn the case as it was decided by the previous incumbant, and is thus out of his jurisdiction. Instead he writes a petition on Guizhi's behalf, and tells her to dress up as a man, and present the petition to the Visiting Censor who is currently touring the region, and will be stopping there the next day.
The censor turns out to be Guizhi's long-lost brother, Li Tai. When Li Tai realises that the petioner is none other than his sister, he pulls her into his private quarters to avoid the attention of the public. Zhao Chong does not realise what has happened, and fearing for his wife, charges into the hall and stirs up a great fuss. He too is pulled off by Li Tai into his private quarters. Li Tai overturns the case against their father, and has him released from prison. Li Tai then pulls his unsuspecting father off into his private quarters, and the family are reunited.
The story of Li Qi is also told in the sung story-telling form of Pingtan 評彈 from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. The pingtan performance artist Xu Yunzhi 徐雲志 (1901-1978) from Suzhou included "TheTale of the Horse peddlar" 販馬記 in his repertoire, and his rendition of scenes from the story such as "Cries from a Prison Cell" 哭監 and "Reunion in the Prison Cell" 監會 are available on record.
The following is transcription of Xu Yunzhi's performance of the scene "Cries from a Prison Cell" 哭監 :
（表）李桂枝因為小官人趙寵去接巡按大人，今朝是九月半，衙門後頭就是花園，丫頭天香，陪夫人到花園里賞賞月。
天香：（白）夫人走好仔啊！
桂枝：（白）嗯，是。
（唱）颯颯金風夜月明，追思往事倍傷神。想我爹爹販馬離家去，屈指而今杳無音；這六年來無日不思親。可恨那惡賊田旺心狠毒。
（白）田旺搭伲晚娘，暗通私情。
（唱）將我姐弟雙雙趕出門。可憐那時保童年還小，到如今未知胞弟死與生。
桂枝：（唱）但見那一輪皓月當空照，難照我桂枝這悲苦心，我今宵怕看團圓月，但是我要團圓竟萬不能；夢魂中常見白頭親。
（白）桂枝在此想著奴的爹爹。呵！天香。
天香：（白）有。夫人！
桂枝：（白）如今我要拜月焚香，與我安排香案！
天香：（白）啊，是哉。夫人，香案擺好哉。
桂枝：（唱）桂枝是三炷清香爐內插，深深稽首暗通神。
桂枝：（白）啊！
（唱）聽譙樓，打三更。
李奇：（白）苦呀！
桂枝：（白）奇嚇！
（唱）听聽那隔牆兒傳來淒慘聲。
（白）天香，那是什麼地方？
天香：（白）啊，隔壁就是牢監嚇。
桂枝：（白）啊！
（唱）未知何人夜半受非刑。
禁卒：（白）呃嘿！
（念）我做禁班管牢囚，管牢囚，十人看見九人愁，九人愁；有銅鈿，是朋友，無銅鈿，打不休，罵不休，哪怕犯人做對頭，做對頭。
（白）嘿！我叫錢通神，當仔禁班，只有李奇，進來嘸沒好處撥我，我現在拿俚綁在夾床浪向，嘿嘿！收作俚格毛病。李奇呀，今朝夜里你阿拿點出來？你曉得我伲靠點啥過日腳？叫「靠山吃山，靠水吃水」，照你這種犯人勿拿點出來，叫我伲屋里向哪亨養家活口？
李奇：（白）啊喲，禁長哥，我其實拿不出。
禁卒：（白）蠻好，蠻好，拿勿出，收作你格毛病。
李奇：（白）啊喲，禁長哥呀！
（唱）公門里面好修行，切莫今宵再動刑，我是海底沉冤難伸雪，我既無親戚又無銀。
禁卒：（白）啊？你嘸沒親戚，嘸沒朋友，那末你伲子、媛吾總有格？到伲子媛吾格搭去拿點來開銷。你不能去，我來搭你去通個信。
李奇：（唱）我末一雙兒女無消息。
禁卒：（白）到啥場化去哉？
李奇：（唱）死活存亡也不明。
禁卒：（白）實頭嘸沒，好！
李奇：（白）啊喲！我的桂枝。
桂枝：（白）啊？
桂枝：（白）奇嚇！
（唱）忽聽有人喚我名，這聲音好像我老嚴親。我是心中常把爹爹想，所以耳內常聞老父聲。
李奇：（白）桂枝！
桂枝：（白）啊！
（唱）聽那桂枝兒，又一聲，這淒慘聲音令人驚。
（白）奇嚇！
李奇：（白）保童！
桂枝：（白）啊！
（唱）桂枝兩字同名有，難道保童我弟也同名？難道我爹爹早已歸家轉，被那田旺陷害入牢門？她是心忐忑，意不寧，她心亂如麻欠調停。
貼引：奉命代天巡狩，鉄面興情青年早發甲，又喜聯及第。
白：本院姓李名太字定国，身父李奇，販馬為生。只因前母早喪，復娶繼母楊氏，通奸田〇〔旺〕，朝夕凌逼，將我趕出在外。多感莫者收留，撫養成人，奮志攻書多感倉天怜，念得中黃甲蒙聖恩，出授山陝巡按。今日來到褒城縣下馬，但不知爹爹身住何所哎呀。
唱：好傷悲痛傷情，一家骨肉兩離分。他道我一命喪空溝渠下，又誰知今日裡得身榮。
雜：請老爺更衣。
小生：卑職參見老大人。
貼：貴縣，你在此為官須要清慎、愛民如子。倘有過犯，皇命森嚴。
小生：是。
貼：請回衙理事。
小生：人夫須要小心。
旦：爺爺告狀。
貼：是何人喧嚷？
雜照問□稟介：有一漢子告狀。
貼：帶進來。
丑：報告狀人進。
貼：取狀子上來。具告狀人李桂枝，想這桂枝好似個女子，名字告狀天，冤枉，超生父命事。身父李奇。李奇唔。這李奇乃是我爺爺名字。為何寫在上面？待我往後看便知明白。身父李奇販馬營生，只因前母早喪，復娶繼母楊氏，私通田〇〔旺〕。尤忠姐弟在家碍眼，朝夕凌逼，弟命不知下落？逼奴投水多蒙義父收留撫養成人，配與趙龍為妻，身父不見。姐弟拷打使女春花。春花畏惧三春，不敢寔告，走至後園，懸梁自縊。毒婦以財買通衙門，屈打，成招。問成死罪，伏乞大老爺速整風化超生，父命合家感恩無盡。且住看這狀子上乃是個女子替父伸冤。為何無男子告狀，其情有弊。左右看刑具伺侯。
旦：哎，爺爺，我是他丈兒李桂枝，替父伸冤的哫。貼掩門。
拉下，小生上：哈，夫人前來告狀，被大老爺扯入後堂，便怎庅处吓也吓也罷。我拼子這小小前程，待我趕進去。
丑：赵大爺，這是甚庅地方，這等叫喊。
小生：卑听有一漢子前來告狀，只見其入，不見其出，為此我要進去。
丑：進去不得。
小生：我要進去。
貼上：咬，姐姐呀。
旦：大老爺不要錯認了，我是沒有兄弟的。
貼：姐姐，我就是你李太，李寶童兄弟在此。
旦：哦，你是我兄弟李太李寶童哎！兄弟吓。
仝唱：只說是姐弟們不能相會，誰知道兩下相逢。
小生內白：我要進去。
眾：進去不得。
貼：什庅人喧嚷。
眾：褒城縣知縣。
貼：唔，他多大的官兒，抎敢喧嚷。待我出去看來。
旦：兄弟那就城縣的知縣，就是你姐丈到了。
貼：哦，那就是我姐丈吱呀。待我出去會他。
旦：兄弟□事要看你姐姐面上，不要难〇〔為？〕也。
貼：兄弟知道。
貼：姐姐，請更衣，開門，知縣，你在外面喧嚷，敢是欺壓本院庅？
小生：大老爺方才有一漢子前來告狀，只見其入，不見其出，故此卑職大胆。
貼：我且問你告狀的是你什庅人？
小生：這個唔吓我的妻子掩門。
貼拉小生下復上：姐丈請坐。
小生□立，旦上：坐下子罷。這就是你的大舅，哎喲，大老爺。
跪介貼：姐丈請起請坐。
小生：大老爺請坐。
貼：姐丈，我父犯罪在獄，你該相救才是。
小生：大老爺，卑職不知其情，若知令尊在獄，那有不救之理。大老爺現掌朝廷生死之簿答，救令尊可也不难。
貼：你乃是起脚衙門。
小生：此乃前官問的。
貼：請到後衙仝議。
小生：情。
卷下
Not Yet Available.