If one is a Xishi a legendary ancient beauty, one must have deep feelings between ruler and minister, father and son, brother and brother, friend and friend. Is this record not the same?
○ The wonder of this song lies in its subtle sounds. It is a single thread containing ten thousand sentiments, making the reader feel both the hidden sourness and the bright beauty. Everyone who reads it suffers from this "illness," as is appropriate for one standing shoulder to shoulder with the late Master Shifu referring to Wang Shifu, author of The Romance of the Western Chamber. Truly, the collection is a hidden treasure.

Flying Red and the Jealousy of the Fair Lady lead to repeated discord. The handsome young man admires beauty and, relying on family power, forces a marriage of the phoenix and the dragon.

The man and woman are united in heart, as firm as iron and stone; together they share the tomb, a pair of mandarin ducks.

The passionate and beautiful lady chooses a lover of deep feeling. Joining with Flying Red, jealousy obstructs true joy and affection.

The wealthy young gentleman forcibly enters the crowd of orioles and swallows. The righteous young man holds to his oath, and their feelings are joined in the Mandarin Duck Tomb.

Act 2: Taking Leave of Parents

Tune: Nanlü Introduction

Full River Red

The Student enters
Heaven has gifted me with much talent. Boasting of my youth, I have a spirit that surpasses the clouds. How can I reach the nine heavens and struggle to leave a mark? My whole body is rich in honor. The green sword at my waist roars for itself; the red thread at my heels, in what year was it tied? Can it be that I am like Pan An or Song Yu famous handsome scholars of antiquity, mourning the autumn? My feelings are endless. In the Partridge Sky tune, I have already served for eleven or twelve years. I am twenty now and still hesitant. The head of the dragon is not yet mine, my body is still lowly. The raven-hair bun—

Marriage. Student speaks
My ambition was set early on. ○ Truly, I am ill-fated, sighing as I drift. Until now, marriage and career are both unfulfilled. Sometimes I meet a fairy sister in the moon, slowly revealing the name of the twin phoenixes of Chengdu. I am surnamed Shen, given name Chun, style name Houqing. My ancestral home is Bianzhou. I followed my father to reside in Chengdu. By age six, I understood the Six Classics; by age ten, I could compose essays. I am also quite skilled in riding and archery. My brother and I both bear a reputation in the current times. Last autumn, my brother and I went to the examination hall together, but we returned without success. My heart is heavy and difficult to unburden. My maternal uncle, Wang Wenrui, is currently the Assistant Prefect of Meizhou. I now wish to use the pretext of visiting relatives to go there and relieve my melancholy. It will take half a year at the latest, or a month at the earliest. Returning, I do not know if my father and mother will permit it. While I was speaking, my father, mother, and brother entered. Wai, Lao Dan, and the Student enter

Same Tune

Wai and Lao Dan
Stay temporarily in the family garden. Follow the family traditions. Poetry, books, and etiquette—when will you be able to—