The Chronicles of Heroes: The Legend of Ming A Dramatic Script — "Xinghe City"

—Author: Fang Congzhe, who poured his heart and soul into this work

The legendary Ming dynasty play is fully titled "Zuo Dongping's Suicide at Xinghe City," also known as "Dongping's Suicide" and "The Scarlet Cloud Chronicle," among other names.

Synopsis:
At the end of the Yuan dynasty, the land is engulfed in chaos. Zuo Che, a hunter, joins the righteous army and becomes sworn brothers with Lu Wenxin, the grandson of Lu Wenlong, among others, as they jointly support the true Son of Heaven, Deng Hongwu. Deng She proclaims himself king in Liaodong, appointing Zuo Che and Lu Wenxin as marshals. Together, they launch an assault on Kaiping, where the defending general, Lei Wanchun, seeing the overwhelming might of the attacking force, surrenders. Lei Wanchun is a cunning and jealous man, envious of the talented. At a celebratory banquet, Zuo Che inadvertently offends him, causing Lei to harbor a grudge. In secret, Lei sows discord among the emperor, Zuo Che, and Lu Wenxin, and suspicion festers between the three.

One day, when northern barbarians invade, Zhu Zhen, the lord of Zhu Manor, seizes Xinghe City in rebellion, allying with the barbarian cavalry. The emperor appoints Lei Wanchun as grand marshal, with Zuo Che and Lu Wenxin as his deputies, charging them to suppress Zhu Zhen. Zuo Che earnestly accuses Lei Wanchun of colluding with Zhu Zhen, but instead is rebuked.

The army assaults Xinghe City, but Lei Wanchun's poor leadership results in heavy losses. Zuo Che sees through Zhu Zhen's treacherous ploy and captures Xinghe. However, Zhu Zhen escapes through Lei Wanchun's sector. Lei then foments further discord between Zuo and Lu. Lu falls for the ruse and tries to capture Zhu Zhen to overshadow Zuo Che's achievements, only to be surrounded by Zhu's forces. Zuo Che, setting aside former grievances, attempts a rescue but is blocked by Lei Wanchun. Enraged, Zuo Che leads a handful of light cavalry in a daring charge. After rescuing Wenxin, he is encircled and, in the end, takes his own life.

Lu Wenxin, realizing the truth, furiously slays Lei Wanchun, only to be arrested by the emperor and sentenced to death. Thanks to the intercession of Censor Fang and Grand Preceptor Hong, the emperor finally learns the truth. Consequently, Zuo Che is posthumously honored as Marquis of Dongping, and the treacherous ministers allied with Lei Wanchun are executed.

Commentary:
Although this play draws inspiration from the Battle of Chahan Naoer at the end of the Yuan dynasty, and the characters are based on historical figures, much has been fictionalized and does not align with historical fact. Beyond the author's personal preferences, artistic needs, and the limits of his historical knowledge, the main reason for such liberties is the author's intent to use the story as an allegory for his own times.

In modern times, this play has been adapted into various forms, including Peking opera, Kunqu opera, and Yu opera.

"Ant Bandits" — Chronicles of Heroes, A Legendary Ming Dynasty Play — "Xinghe City" is currently being transcribed. Please wait a moment. Once the content is updated, please refresh the page to access the latest version!