Turn the gold into iron?

In the Ming dynasty, Li Rihua 李日華 (1565-1635) adapted Wang Shifu’s王實甫 (fl. 1295) Xixiangji into Nan Xixiangji so that Xixiangji can be sung in Kunqiang 昆腔. The adaptation received many criticisms such as Li Yu 李漁 (1611-1680) criticizing it as “turning the gold into iron” 一片精金, 點成頑鐵. Most criticisms towards Nan xixiangji are as vague as what is previously mentioned, yet some of the criticisms are clear - they concentrate on the choice of words and plots that Li Rihua adapted. However, after early Ming, Nan Xixiangji gradually took place of Wang Shifu’s Xixiangji 西廂記 on the stage. Such a contrast between the negative evaluation of Nan Xixiangji among literati and Nan Xixiangji’s popularity in performance makes me wonder the potential cultural and historical reason behind it. In the discussion of the acceptance, I am also wondering if and when the literati’s mainstream opinion towards Nan Xixiangji changed. By comparing the textual differences between Nan Xixiangji and Xixiangji, this paper first explores Li Rihua’s rewriting towards Wang Shifu’s Xixiangji. This paper also seeks to justify Li Rihua’s motivation of adaptation and the criticisms he received.

Trying to figure out the reason by comparing the textual differences, I also notice that the character Crimson and her relationship with Yingying are very different in Bei xixiangji and Nan xixiangji. Not only her characteristics change. Most importantly, in the Bei xixiangji, Crimson shows partiality to Student Zhang. In Nan xixiangji, Crimson deals with the conflicts between Yingying and Student Zhang more fairly.

1.Literati’s criticisms#

Before diving into the texts, I want to sort out the criticisms of Nan xixiangji first. The two most famous literati against Nan xixiangji are Ling Mengchu 凌濛初 (1580-1644) and Li Yu 李漁. They both use the phrase “turning gold into iron” to describe their opinion on Li Rihua’s adaptation.

Ling Mengchu’s judgments were built on the musicality and the lines. He thought Li Rihua was editing the lines and the arias in disorder: “Adding or deleting words and lines so that it can be sung, I already felt it was like cutting part of the crane to join the wild duck…” 增损字句以就腔, 已觉截鹤续凫, “as for those unchangeable, Li messes the aria to the lines” 更有不能改者,乱其腔以就字句. Therefore, Nan xixiangji’s lines are messed up and the meaning might be senseless. Ling summarized his idea: “What a hand of turning gold into iron” 真是點金成鐵手.

Li Yu’s criticisms are very strong but vague: “It turns the finest things into the worst things, turns the most beautiful things to the ugliest things” 变极佳者为极不佳, 极妙者为极不妙. Only from one line we can assume what Li Yu’s criticisms focused on: “What is the biggest sin of Nan xixiangji? It cuts the fox’ underarm fur which worth thousand pieces of gold into feather” 所谓罪之魁者, 千金狐腋, 剪作鸿毛. With the word “cut” 剪, Li Yu and Ling Mengchu hold the same opinion that Nan xixiangji is cutting lines in the Bei xixiangji, making it fragmentary.

2.Plots and textual differences – to be creative or original#

Since the literati’s criticisms are clear – almost all of them are criticizing the change of words and plots in Nan xixiangji, I want to show concrete examples and see how Li Rihua adapted it. Below is a form of the comparison between the 22nd act in Nan xixiangji and the second act in the third volume in Bei xixiangji. In short, this plot basically talks about the story after Crimson’s visit to Student Zhang: Crimson put Student Zhang’s note on Yingying’s dressing box, Yingying blamed Crimson, and Crimson responded to Yingying. I divide this plot into three parts in this order and compare each part in Nan xixiangji and Bei xixiangji. In this plot, we can see that Li Rihua was trying to balance the original words and his adaptation.

In Bei Xixiangji, Crimson’s thoughts before her action of putting Student Zhang’s note were carefully described. Wang Shifu firstly wrote about the display of Yingying’s bedroom, and then Crimson’s peak at Yingying – she was lazy and worried. After observing Yingying, Crimson decided to put the note on her dressing box because Crimson assumed Yingying would put on some show.

(中呂) (粉蝶兒) 風靜簾閑, 透紗窗麝蘭香散, 啟朱扉搖響雙環. 絳臺高, 金荷小, 銀釭猶燦. 比及將暖帳輕彈, 先揭起這梅紅羅軟簾偷看. (醉春風) 則見他釵軃玉斜橫, 髻偏雲亂挽. 日高猶自不明眸, 暢好是懶, 懶. (旦做起身長嘆科.) (紅唱) 半晌抬身, 幾回搔耳, 一聲長嘆. 我待便將簡帖兒與他,恐俺小姐有許多假處哩. 我則將這簡帖兒放在妝盒兒上, 看他見了說甚麼. (旦做照鏡科, 見帖看科.) [Zhonglü mode:] “Fendie’er” (Crimson sings:) Breeze stilled, hanging screen undisturbed, through gauzy windows scatters perfume of musk and orchid. I open the vermilion leaves and shake the doubled rings aclatter; The scarlet candlestand is high, the golden lily is small, the silver lamp still glitters. Before I tap lightly upon the warmed bed­curtains, I'll first lift this plumrose, silken­soft hanging screen and steal a peek. “Zui chunfeng” (Crimson sings:) All I see are her hairpins drooping, their jades slipping askew, Her coif awry, the clouds disheveled. The sun is high, but still she is not bright­eyed. Oh, she is really lazy, lazy—A long while to raise her body, Many times to scratch her ears, A single sound of lengthy sigh. (Crimson speaks:) I'd like just to give her the note, but I'm afraid that my young mistress will put on some show or another, so I'll place this note on her makeup box and see what she says when she finds it. (Female lead acts out facing the mirror. She acts out finding the note and reading it.)

In Nan xixiangji, there are some textual differences: (祝英臺) 啟朱扉, 開繡榻, 風靜夜簾閒. 香冷篆烟, 燒燼銀缸, 金荷上夜燈猶燦. 姐姐還睡哩! 慵懶. 比及將暖帳輕彈, 先揭起羅幃偸看, 只見玉釵橫, 日高不理鬟. 昨日張生着我寄這緘帖兒與俺小姐，我欲待就與他，恐小姐反有怪意。我且把來放在妝臺裏面，看他見了，說些甚麽。正是風暖鳥聲碎。日高花影重。〔下旦醒對鏡介〕

What attracts my attention is that in Nan xixiangji, the time is chaotic, which is a reflection of Li Rihua careless copy and adaptation of Bei xixiangji. For example, the phrases or metaphors are very alike in the first aria in both versions. In Bei xixiangji, the original metaphors are “breeze stilled, hanging screen undisturbed” 風靜簾閑 and “glittering silver lamp” 銀釭猶燦. However, in Nan xixiangji, Li Rihua set the scene as the night, adding a night 夜 character before the metaphors: “hanging night screen undisturbed”夜簾閒 and “glittering night lamp” 夜燈猶燦. However, later in the dialogue, Crimson says “Yingying is still sleeping” to indicate that the time is not for sleeping. Another metaphor in the aria more obviously shows the plot happens not at night: “The sun is high, but she has not combed her hair”日高不理鬟. However, this metaphor is also copied directly from the second aria in Bei xixiangji: “The sun is high, but still she is not bright­eyed” 日高猶自不明眸. Is the plot happening at night or day? In Bei xixiangji, readers can have a clear answer; while in Nan xixiangji, it is a mess. We can understand it as that Li edited some words and copied some words without considering the consistency. Anyway, in Nan xixiangji, it is confusing for the readers (if there were) to carefully weigh its words.

It seems like half of Li Rihua wanted to put in some of his thoughts into the play, and half of Li Rihua wanted to keep it original. As a result, the phrases are contradictory even in the same aria. Especially, Nan xixiangji was designed for singing rather than close reading. Therefore, Li Rihua had fewer chances to realize the problem of his adaptation.

After Crimson puts the note on Yingying’s dressing box, the story continues with Yingying’s reaction. Before seeing the note, in Bei xixiangji, Yingying’s states are described by Crimson: 紅唱 (普天樂) 晚妝殘, 烏雲軃, 輕勻了粉臉, 亂挽起雲鬟. 將簡帖兒拈, 把妝盒兒按, 開拆封皮孜孜看, 顛來倒去不害心煩. “Putian le” (Crimson sings:) Still traces of last night's toilet, raven clouds drooping, Cheeks of powder so lightly spread, a coif of clouds now disheveled—She picks up the note and closes the makeup box. She slits open the envelope and reads with care. Over and over, back and forth, never once annoyed.

Differently, in Nan xixiangji, Yingying is expressing her mood by herself: (前腔) 心亂.晚妝殘. 烏雲軃. 春睡損紅顏. 雙眼倦開. 半晌擡身. (行嘆介) 酩子裏一聲長嘆. (見書介) 這書是那裏來的. 敢又是紅娘這小妮子. 無端. 不思量刺鳳描鸞. 只學去傳書遞緘. 意孜孜. 顚來倒去不害心煩. In this aria, careful readers may find that the phrases “A long while to raise her body, A single sound of lengthy sigh” 半晌擡身一聲長嘆 show up also in Bei xixiangji, but not in the corresponding part. It is in the second aria in Bei xixiangji, and Li Rihua moved the line after in Nan xixiangji. The reposition is no rare phenomenon in Nan xixiangji.

The reposition can also be found in later dialogues, like when in Bei xixiangji Crimson says: “What do you care that he is at a crisis point? We've sucked him into climbing the pole, And now, having pulled away the ladder, you just look on” 問甚麼他遭危難? 攛斷得上竿, 掇了梯兒看. In Nan xixiangji, Li Rihua put the line before where it is in Bei xixiangji. This kind of reposition can still be seen as an activity of Li Rihua trying to balance the original words and his new adaptation. He wanted to keep what he thought to be suitable in his half-new arias and dialogues. According to the criticisms, the efforts failed in literati’s eyes. Like Liang Chenyu梁辰魚 (fl. 1560), a drama writer, criticized his activity as “copying the words but cutting off the logic behind them” 蹈袭句字, 割裂詞理. For modern readers, we might find the. But for Liang’s contemporary literati, especially for those who already saw Bei xixiangji as a classical and well-written drama, Bei xixiangji is like what Li Bai’s 李白 (701-762) poetry to the Tang dynasty readers. Even in later dynasties when collecting lines to form a new poem became popular, most readers still saw the original poem as unsurpassed. Likewise, Bei xixiangji’s success rooted in some literati’s heart. Li Rihua wanted to keep the gripping lines in Bei xixiangji, however, his effort was counterproductive, which arose more of the criticism.

Another textual difference might also explain the reason behind literati’s criticism towards Nan xixiangji. In Bei xixiangji, Crimson gave advice on how to treat Student Zhang’s lovesickness: “He'll have to sweat beads of romance.” 則除是出幾點風流汗. In Nan xixiangji, Li Rihua turned “sweat beads of romance” into “sweat fragrant beads of romance” 風流香汗. By adding the character xiang 香, the line reads more undisguised and erotic, which is against the lietrati’s aesthetics.

In summary, Li Rihua wanted to balance the creation and the original version. However, his efforts led to careless, inconsistent word choices and repositions of the lines. The literati’s preferred Bei xixiangji for it is more worth weighing the words.

3.The relationship between Yingying and Crimson#

I think there are two major differences in terms of the relationship between Yingying and Crimson in Nan xixiangji and Bei xixiangji. In Nan xixiangji, the interaction between Yingying and Crimson in Nan xixiangji is more vivid. While in Bei xixiangji, their relationship looks more tensive. Second, I think that in Nan xixiangji, Crimson’s thoughts and actions are on Yingying’ side. On the contrary, in Bei xixiangji, Crimson supports Student Zhang more than she supports Yingying.

After Yingying read the note, she called Crimson in both versions, yet the interactions between two versions are very different. In Nan xixiangji, it was a quick peaceful two-sentence dialogue as Crimson asking Yingying about her request. In Bei xixiangji, the interaction contains more information: “(Female lead shouts angrily:) Crimson! (Crimson winks to the audience and speaks:) Aw, shit! ([Crimson] sings:) I suddenly wrinkle my jet brows. (Female lead speaks:) Why don't you come here, you little hussy! ([Crimson] sings:) All at once she droops her powdered neck, Suddenly changes to a vermilion countenance” (旦怒叫) 紅娘! (紅做意云) 呀,決撒了也! 厭的早扢皺了黛眉. (旦雲) 小賤人, 不來怎麼! (紅唱) 忽的波低垂了粉頸, 氳的呵改變了朱顏.

So in Bei xixiangji, after reading the note, Yingying immediately got angry and shout out Crimson’s name. And Crimson responded with unwillingness. As a result, Yingying became angrier and called Crimson a little hussy. As a reader, it is hard to tell whether Yingying was really angry or just pretended to be angry at Crimson. However, it is for sure that the atmosphere in this scene was tense and unhappy.

In the later aria, in both versions, Yingying threatened Crimson to tell the madam what happened and the madam would beat Crimson. As for response, in Bei xixiangji, Crimson was just explaining: “My mistress, you ordered me to go, and he had me bring it to you. I don't know how to read a single character—how do I know what he wrote” 小姐使將我去，他著我將來。我不識字，知他寫著甚麼. In Nan xixiangji, before explaining, Crimson responded in another way. She teased Yingying by reminding Yingying that if the madam knew, the madam would beat Yingying rather than her: “(貼) 小姐打誰? (旦) 打你, 打誰. (貼) 我去稟夫人. 敢怕不打我, 倒要打你哩.” Later, Crimson said she would keep it as a secret if Yingying could act coquettishly: “I will spare you if you call me dear sister”叫我一聲親親姐姐罷了. Through this interaction, Crimson showed herself as clever and cute. Meanwhile, it indicates that Crimson was close to Yingying so she would dare to make fun of her and argue with her. By comparison, the relationship between Yingying and Crimson in Nan xixiangji is closer than it in Bei xixiangji. The closer relationship in Nan xixiangji lasts in the following arias when Crimson told the recent states of Student Zhang to Yingying.

In Bei xixiangji, in Crimson’s eyes, Student Zhang sacrificed a lot for Yingying. In both versions, it was true that Student Zhang was suffering lovesickness. However, in the part of describing Student Zhang’s situation, Nan xixiangji deleted a lot of the words and even the arias from Bei xixiangji. It seems like Bei xixiangji was exaggerating Student Zhang’s misery and Crimson blamed it on Yingying, for example: “Student Zhang these days—His face is so emaciated that it's really ugly to look at” 張生近間面顏瘦得來實難看, and “Who are you tricking with, you made this hungry ghost half dead”你哄著誰哩，你把這個餓鬼弄得他七死八活. These are words and lines deleted in Nan xixiangji. There are also arias criticizing Yingying deleted: (快活三) 分明是你過犯, 沒來由把我摧殘; 使別人顛倒惡心煩, 你不慣, 誰曾慣? “Kuaihuo san” (Crimson sings:)
It is clear that you transgressed the rules;
There's no reason to savage me.
You used someone else but, doing a flip­flop, are now the one offended— If you aren't in the habit, then who is? (小梁州) 他為你夢裏成雙覺後單, 廢寢忘餐. 羅衣不奈五更寒, 愁無限, 寂寞淚闌幹. “Xiao Liangzhou” (Crimson sings:) Because of you he is coupled in dreams but alone after he wakes. He neglects his sleep, forgets to eat, his silken gown cannot bear the fifth­watch cold. His sorrow is infinite; Tears of desolation streak across his face. (么篇) 似這等辰勾空把佳期盼, 我將這角門兒世不曾牢拴, 則願你做夫妻無危難. 我向這筵席頭上整扮, 做一個縫了口的撮合山. “Reprise” Because you fix your gaze on a tryst—a gaze as vain as waiting for Mercury to appear — I've never been able to latch this side door tight. I really want you two to be man and wife, without any crisis or hardship. At the head of the banquet mat I'll dress up and be a matchmaker whose mouth has been sewn shut.

In the corresponding part in Nan xixiangji, Li Rihua put Yingying into the spotlight to share her sorrow and worry, insteading of putting Crimson to tell the suffering of Student Zhang.In the deleted arias, Crimson is considering the ongoing things from Student Zhang’s perspective. By contrast, the relationship between Yingying and Crimson is more real and logical in Nan xixiangji because Crimson acts more balanced between Yingying and Student Zhang– she grew up with Yingying, if she has a particular favor, it should be Yingying.

In this plot, unlike in the previous arias, Li Rihua made a lot of changes to the Bei xixiangji. Li Rihua changed Yingying into someone who takes a balanced stand between Yingying and student Zhang, changed the relationship between Yingying and Crimson into a more relaxing one, and also focused more on Yingying’s perspective rather than on Crimson.

To conclude, Li Rihua outsmarted himself, trying to balance the original words from Xixiangji and the requirement or creation of his adaptation. Just from one plot, we could see the advantages and disadvantages of Li’s adaptation. Though the words and lines being messy or fragmentary, the character in the plot became more vivid and close to people’s common life, which explains its popularity among audience. Though being criticized by many literatis, Nan xixiangji was still loved by the audience and gradually took over the stage.