The Heresy of Wu Han: His play 'Hai Jui's Dismissal' and its role in China's Cultural Revolution 9781442631618

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The Heresy of Wn Han His play 'Hai Jui's Dismissal' and its role in China's Cultural Revolution At the centre of China's Cultural Revolution in its first stages tands s the ambiguous figure of Wu Han. Deputy mayor of Peking and protege of the eighth-ranking figure in the Chinese Communist Party hierarchy, Wu Han occupied until the mid-sixties a favoured position among the intellectual elite of the People's Republic, and was already well known and respected as an essayist when in 1959 he began publishing a series of essays and a play on the virtuous Ming Dynasty official Hai Jui. His Peking Opera Hai Jui 's Dismissal, following in 1961, was performed all over China. Gradually, to the intelligentsia at whom these works were primarily aimed, it became apparent that Wu Han was using Hai Jui to lampoon Chairman Mao Tse-tung and the core policies of the Chinese Communist Party. The name Hai Jui began to have a double meaning for many who had become disenchanted with Mao's rule. Other dissidents began to pen articles and plays on similar themes. For several years after 1959, when he appears to have temporarily lost control of the Central Committee of the Party, Mao chafed under these literary attacks. He bided his time and grouped his forces, and in late 1965 he sprang. From an obscure newspaper editor named Yao Wen-yuan came a sudden, scathing attack on Wu Han and his play. This attack marks the beginning of the Cultural Revolution. Before it was over, China's intellectuals would suffer a crushing setback, the entire Peking Municipal Party Committee would be dismissed, the ranks of the Party's leadership would be decimated, Yao Wen-yuan would become one of the most powerful men in China, and Mao Tse-tung would regain his supremacy in the Party. A few western observers are aware that Wu Han's play sparked the convulsion, but none have seemed sure of its contents. This publication marks the first translation of this key document in the Cultural Revolution into any western language. In addition, the analytical and historical part of Mr Ansley's work, by charting the Chinese reaction to the play and examining the charges made against Wu Han, helps to clarify the obscure origins of a cataclysmic national phenomenon that was at once intellectual, social, and political. It is thus a work of scholarly as well as documentary literary value, and while it will be essential to specialists in current Asian affairs, it will also be of wide interest to all those interested in contemporary Chinese writing and politics. CLIVE ANSLEY studied at the University of British Columbia, concentrating on Chinese history and the relationship between nationalism and communism in Vietnam and Indonesia. In 1966, at the height of the Cultural Revolution, he toured China visiting Canton, Peking, Chengchow, Loyang, and Shanghai. He is now teaching in the Department of Asian Studies at the University of Windsor.

The heresy of

wu han

His play 'Hai Jui's Dismissal' an d its role in China's Cultura l Revolution Clive Ansley Universit

y of Toronto Press

Contents

Acknowledgments/vi About th e autho r o f 'Ha i Jui' s Dismissal'/vii 1 'Ha i Jui' s Dismissal' by Wu Han translated by Clive Ansley Preface/3 Introduction/10 'Hai Jui' s Dismissal'/13 2 Th e role o f 'Ha i Jui' s Dismissal' in China's Cultural Revolutio n The charges/8 3 Evaluation o f th e charges/9 6 Notes/113 Bibliography /123

Acknowledgments

It is with great pleasure tha t I acknowledge a t the outset th e substan tial aid rendered me by Professor L i Chi of th e Departmen t o f Asian Studies, University of Britis h Columbia. Sh e spent countles s hours of her tim e with me and I am sure there wer e moments when th e rat e of my progress caused he r t o fee l th e project woul d never be completed . It wa s only throug h Professor Li's assistanc e that som e of th e mor e obscure classica l allusions occurring in the dialogu e of thi s play were deciphered. I a m also indebted t o Mr Raymond Lo , who gave me considerable linguistic assistance in my examinations of man y o f th e document s I had assemble d o n th e Great Cultural Revolution i n China. I n addition , I woul d lik e t o expres s my thank s t o Mrs Melody Kilian, Miss Dale Evans, and my mother, Mr s Emily Ansley, all of whom typed portion s of th e original manuscript, an d to Mrs Patricia Kingsbur y who typed the final version in its entirety. Par t o f th e manuscript wa s read b y Mr Nei l Burton , who mad e a number o f helpfu l suggestions and cor rections. Severa l suggested revisions by Professors E.G. Pulleyblank, W.L. Holland and René Goldman, have been incorporate d i n the wor k as it now stands . Although I express my gratitude to al l those mentioned above , non e of them i s in any way responsible fo r th e boo k i n its final form . I alone take ful l responsibilit y fo r an y errors of fac t o r presentation .

iv

About the author o f Hai Jui' s Dismissa l

Wu Han was born i n 190 9 in the provinc e o f Chekiang . Althoug h h e came from a poor family, he supporte d himsel f throug h university and eventually became one of moder n China' s mos t prominent historian s and a leader in the Chines e intellectual community . H e is also know n for hi s extensive knowledge of literature. Among Wu's published work s aie Mirror of History, The Biography of Chu Yuan-chang, Javelinthrowing, "O n Ha i Jui," an d "Hai Ju i Sends a Memorial to th e Throne." He is also th e editor-in-chie f o f the, Pocket Edition of Geographical Books. From 193 0 t o 1934 , W u Han attended Tsinghu a University on a halfwork, half-study basis. From 193 4 t o 193 7 h e lectured in Ming histor y at Tsinghua. Then , i n 1937 , he became a professor of histor y a t Yunnan University and th e Southwes t Associate d Universit y at Kunming. After th e Secon d Worl d Wa r he wa s agai n a professo r a t Tsinghu a (1946-48), and while ther e he di d underground work fo r the Chinese Communists. H e was Dean of th e Colleg e of Arts and Head of th e Department of Histor y a t Tsinghua fro m March of 194 9 t o Februar y of 1950. Wu had joined th e China Democratic League (CDL) in 1944 , and he never did become a member o f th e Chinese Communist Party. Never theless, he has held a very great numbe r of political an d cultural posts in Communist China . He was a standing member of th e Firs t Nationa l People's Politica l Consultativ e Committe e fro m Septembe r 194 9 t o December 1954 . Durin g th e sam e period h e served on th e boar d o f directors of th e Sino-Sovie t Friendshi p Committee . From November 1949 t o Octobe r 195 1 he serve d as deputy mayo r o f Peking . In Octo ber 195 1 th e administrativ e structure of Pekin g was reorganized and Wu Han became deput y mayor in the ne w Peking Municipal People's Government. H e continued i n this post until his political demis e in 1966. Fro m 1949 t o 195 6 h e was a standing member of the First Central Committee o f th e CDL. In Augus t 195 4 h e was elected a deputy for Peking t o the Firs t National People's Congress . He was re-elected for a second ter m i n August 1958, and fo r a third ter m i n Septembe r 1964. From Jun e 195 5 Wu was a member o f the department of philosoph y and social science s in the Chines e Academy of Sciences . I n Februar y of 195 6 h e led a cultural delegatio n t o Indi a on behalf of th e Sino v

Indian Friendship Association, and in April of the sam e year was elected to th e boar d of director s of thi s body. I n 195 8 h e led a song and dance troup e on a visit t o France . H e has also played leadin g roles in the China Afro-Asian Societ y an d the Sino-Nepales e Friendship Association. I n Februar y o f 195 8 W u became a member of th e Scientifi c Planning Commission o f the Stat e Council , to undertake planning for the republication of classical works. He became president of the Peking Television University in 1964 an d vice-chairman of the Chines e People' s Committee fo r World Peace in 1965 . Th e above functions constitut e only som e of the most notable aspect s of W u Han's career. Since 194 9 he has in addition serve d in many other capacities far too numerou s to be listed here. In November 196 5 Hai Jui's Dismissal, and Wu Han personally, cam e under scathing attac k i n a Shanghai newspaper article. I t was the pub lication o f thi s article which launche d th e Great Cultural Revolution. Eventually Wu and several people close to hi m were specifically charged with havin g colluded wit h China's enemie s within an d without. Subse quently they disappeared fro m publi c view. Th e details of these event s are described and analyse d in part II.

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1

'Hai Jui's Dismissal' by Wu Han Translated by Clive Ansley

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Preface

I do no t hav e an understanding of plays, nor d o I see them ver y often . This i s especially tru e o f Pekin g Opera . Althoug h I live d fo r man y years in Peking when I was studying a t th e university , I didn't se e it even once. Thes e las t few years there have been comparativel y man y opportunities t o se e plays, bu t fo r thi s reaso n or that , I coul d neve r take advantag e of them . Becaus e of this , one coul d sa y that s o far as Peking Opera is concerned I am a genuine dilettante. There ar e peopl e who joke abou t m y cultura l level and I heartily agre e with them . Isn' t it reall y something t o be wondered at , not onl y tha t a man like me has written a play, but tha t th e pla y h e has written i s a Peking Opera ? You say this i s strange. Certainly i t is strange. Actually , when al l is said and done , it is not so strange. Things happened i n this way. I n 195 9 I was doing researc h on Hai Jui an d I wrote severa l essays concerning him. I t was sometime aroun d the end o f tha t yea r tha t th e Peking Opera dramatist, Ma Lien-Hang, and a few other friend s sough t m e out . The y wante d m e t o discus s Hai Jui an d afte r w e had finishe d talkin g they aske d me to prepar e a n out line, sayin g they wante d t o produc e a play. I was delighted t o accep t the responsibility , but afte r I though t abou t i t ver y carefull y I sa w that th e situatio n was not s o wonderful. First, wha t t o write ? Second , how t o writ e it ? Th e firs t tim e I attempted thi s totall y unprecedente d undertaking, I felt ver y uncertain. I thought abou t i t fo r a long tim e and tried t o star t writing several times, but non e of my effort s seeme d very much lik e an outline. I thought t o mysel f tha t my effor t wa s so pitiful tha t I would have to thro w in the towel . I hesitated fo r a long time but I felt embarrasse d t o renege , s o there wa s no choice bu t t o summon al l my courage an d do what I had promised t o do . Wit h th e outline uncompleted , I would jus t tr y t o write a play . Whe n I ha d written ou t a draft, I would as k my dramatis t friend s to revis e it. B y doing things in this manner I could mak e i t a little mor e convenien t for them . An d s o I set to wor k o n it . Unexpectedly, once I go t int o th e saddle , I wa s unable to dismount . After th e dramatic group and other friend s had rea d th e first draft , the y said the y though t i t was all right a s a draft. I had originall y fel t tha t now it was in their hands an d tha t revisin g it was not m y affair . Bu t after havin g discussed it , my dramatis t friends urged me to rewrit e it and expressed quit e a few opinions concernin g it. I n just thi s way writing a draft, debatin g it , rewritin g it - fro m beginnin g t o end , I 3

rewrote i t seve n times, and that i s still no t takin g minor changes into consideration. I had on e mimeographed volume and two printe d ones distributed amon g those o f m y friend s who knew somethin g abou t plays, and aske d for thei r advice . W e had a few dress rehearsals with the dram a group, an d a few specialists expressed a great many viewpoints. Th e grea t majority of the m I accepted an d use d a s a basis for revision. Afte r th e play was staged publicly, it was published i n Peking Literature and Art.l Now, on the basi s of th e opinion s of a few friends, I hav e mad e som e change s i n certai n parts . B y actua l calculation , a year's time wa s required fro m th e firs t germinatio n t o th e sevent h an d final draft, ever y rewriting takin g two o r three days . Fro m the firs t performance to th e presen t time is almost anothe r year . Quit e a lot o f time has been expended , and the writing really required much energy. Although I was considerably disheartened while in the mids t of it, an d thought o f washin g my hand s of it , since things had alread y come a s far a s they had, I determined t o d o it an d just went o n doggedly. Before tryin g t o star t writing , I decided o n tw o fundamenta l principles. First , I was not goin g to write abou t Ha i Jui's entire life , bu t only abou t on e chapte r i n th e stor y o f hi s lif e struggle , because if I was to writ e a biography o f Ha i Jui th e require d tim e would b e so long, the theme s an d characters s o many, that i t woul d b e easy t o commit th e error of being insipid and to develo p th e defect of undue verbosity. It woul d no t b e easy for such a play to achiev e prominence . Second, I di d no t wan t t o rewrit e plays already in existence. Quit e aside from ol d plays, there ar e new ones , like Hai Jui Sends a Memorial t o th e Throne, b y comrade Chou Hsin-fang of Shanghai. Althoug h I haven't see n it, I know i t has alread y been stage d an d s o how coul d I write abou t th e sam e episode again ? I t i s necessary that on e policy cover th e whol e nation . Bu t fo r th e entir e nation t o hav e the sam e subject matte r in its plays is, in my opinion , absolutel y unnecessary . Having considered i t ove r an d over again, I decided t o writ e about th e period, slightl y mor e tha n hal f a year, from th e summe r of 156 9 t o the spring of 1570 , particularl y th e event s surrounding the appoint ment of Hai Jui t o th e offic e o f Ying T'ien governor an d the circum stances of hi s elimination of th e tyran t landlord s and th e retur n of the land . Th e play was originally called simply Hai Jui. Afterward s quite a few friends pointed ou t tha t wha t wa s written in this play represented onl y a fraction of Ha i Jui's life, an d onl y the n did I change the nam e t o Ha i Jui's Dismissal. The changes which occurre d i n the cours e of th e seve n rewrites were i n general concerned wit h the followin g problems . The firs t i s the centra l theme. Th e central theme of th e firs t fou r drafts was designed t o emphasiz e the orders Hai Jui gave the oppres 4

sive gentry t o retur n th e property whic h the y had usurpe d fro m th e common people , thu s provoking th e united oppositio n o f the gentry so that h e was dismissed fro m offic e an d had t o retur n home. Th e elimination o f the ba d gentr y wa s just used a s an embellishment fo r the story , a s a sidelight t o th e returnin g of th e land . A number of friends pointe d ou t tha t while Hai Jui's ordering the retur n of th e land wa s unquestionably factua l historically, unde r th e condition s of th e tim e i t was impossible fo r him no t t o solv e the problem s of the peasants at the sam e time. Measurin g them b y th e standard s of historical development , thes e kinds of political measures ar e definitel y reformist. Wha t would be the meanin g of new historical drama s written toda y an d propagating the reformism of history? I considered thi s problem man y time s and finall y mad e th e eliminatio n o f th e bad gen try th e central theme , relegating the returning of th e land t o th e side lines. Thi s was a major change . The second thin g concerned th e details of th e story . Th e dram a uses the misfortune s of a single family, tha t o f th e peasan t woma n Hung A-Ian, to explai n clearly the clas s contradictions o f this era and the interna l contradictions o f th e rulin g class. Afte r th e secon d draf t had bee n printed an d distributed, a number of friends sai d that it was history bu t no t drama , that i t lacked complexity , tha t th e clima x was not very exciting, an d that th e contradictions wer e not presente d sharply enough . Th e words they used were very polite bu t wha t the y were reall y sayin g was that it was simply no t a play. Becaus e I a m basically no t a playwright o r literary expert , m y friend s di d not de mand to o much . I n the fourt h draf t I added the scen e "Meeting Hsu, " allowing Hai Jui t o firs t g o and make a call on Hsu Chieh. Hs u Chieh stands with th e gentry and wants Hai Jui t o deal severely with wicke d people an d b e strictly jus t i n upholding th e law , until Ha i Jui ask s about th e cas e o f Hun g A-lan. Bu t the n Hsu Chieh immediatel y re futes th e charges . Moreover, he say s that i f there i s any proof o f th e crime, he will resign himself t o th e law and let i t take it s course. Then , in the scene "Asking a Favour," Hai Jui use s Hsu Chieh's word s against him, presse s him closely , an d allow s him n o escape. I painstakingly carved out th e disposition s and styles of work o f th e tw o opposin g characters i n these tw o scenes . M y friends rea d it an d thought that there was a little drama in it, but stil l no t enough . As for th e cas e of Hun g A-lan, I originall y wrote i t s o tha t Ha i Ju i came in ordinary clothes t o tak e up his post an d overheard th e peasan t masses discussing the cas e in front o f the Officia l Welcomin g Pavilion.2 While stil l in the middl e of writing it , I revised it s o that afte r Ha i Ju i had met wit h Hsu, he paid a n incognito visit to Hen g Yun Mountain3 and receive d the rea l facts of th e case . M y friends al l thought tha t i f I 5

was going to handle it this way, it would b e necessary t o ad d anothe r scene. Finally, I wiped it all out an d went back to th e original method. In the cours e o f m y severa l rewritings, I had alread y added the tw o scenes, "Discussing the Reception" and "The Feas t of th e Lanterns, " in order to introduc e Hai Jui's past throug h th e mouths of other peo ple and to expres s the prais e o f th e loca l people fo r hi s benevolen t rule. "Discussin g th e Reception" portrays th e great tensio n o f th e officials o f Soocho w an d Sungkian g prefectures on the evenin g before Hai Jui take s office . Everyon e meet s at the house of Huang Chin, th e eunuch wh o i s superintendent o f th e Imperia l Silk Factory , i n order to hear abou t th e situation fro m him. Ther e reall y was such a man as Huang Chin. Afte r Ha i Jui ha d sen t in the memorial t o th e throne , the Chia Ching Emperor4 was in a rage. He wanted t o sen d som e me n to guard Hai Jui so as not t o allo w him to escape . At thi s time , Huang Chin was at th e sid e of th e Chia Ching Emperor. H e said tha t ther e was no need for this actio n fo r he had heard tha t Ha i Jui had already taken leave of hi s family an d friend s an d ha d pu t hi s last affair s i n order; tha t thi s man was very stron g and resolute an d absolutely in capable o f running away. As soon a s the Chia Ching Emperor hear d these words he was dumbfounded. This scene , "Discussing th e Recep tion," just makes use of Huang Chin for foreshadowing. At th e beginning of th e scene , because Hai Ju i i s coming, Huang Chin order s th e subordinate eunuchs to decreas e the number of sedan chair attendant s by half. Afte r th e governmen t official s hav e arrived, they hear from Huang Chin th e detail s of Ha i Jui's experience i n memorializing th e throne an d being imprisoned. B y the tim e of the scen e "Feast of th e Lantern Festival, " he has already received th e news that Ha i Jui ha d been dismisse d from office . Whe n he goes out t o se e the lanterns, the subordinate eunuchs have already prepared th e four-man seda n chair . Once more he says that thi s i s unsatisfactory and tha t h e no w wants one with eigh t bearers . The subordinate eunuchs as k why an d Huang Chin say s that Ha i Ju i i s leaving. What follows is just th e commo n people celebratin g the Feas t of the Lanter n Festival an d lighting lanterns in the atmospher e o f Ao Mountain. 5 Singin g and dancin g are employed. Fro m th e mouth of each person com e songs dealing with the time sinc e Hai Jui too k up his post an d with th e change s whic h this half year has brought i n their lives. There wa s yet anothe r revise d draft of this "Feast of the Lanterns " scene. It had Hai Jui comin g back from superintendin g the labourers on the Wusung River, preparing wine an d meats, an d passing the festi val together wit h hi s mother and wife. Th e change d situation o f thi s half year is brought ou t throug h th e discussions of the members of the family. Befor e the y ar e finished eating , a messenger sends in the Peking 6

Gazette.6 B y imperial decree, Hai Jui i s transferred from his origina l position t o tha t o f superintenden t o f th e Nanking Granary. Subse quently, anothe r messenger arrives with a Peking Gazette statin g that there i s no need to establis h a special position fo r th e Nanking Granary. It i s to be reunited with th e Boar d of Revenue and Population . They d o not dismis s him from hi s new post; the y just pull th e rug from underneath hi m by cancelling the post. Having Hai Jui rea d th e differing content s of these tw o papers serves the functio n o f making his thoughts known t o th e audience . I studie d thes e two dramati c scenes many times bu t fo r the sak e o f diminishin g the numbe r of characters and themes, I ended by throwin g i t all out. The third thin g i s the chang e in the endin g of th e story . I n th e original fe w drafts the fina l scen e was "The Sendoff, " i n which Hai Jui i s depicted leaving his post i n ordinary clothes wit h th e commo n people al l accompanying him t o th e Officia l Receptio n Pavilion . From th e mouth s of the common peopl e com e song s telling of thei r longing, affection, and friendship for Hai Jui. I n the mids t o f all this is inserted a n episode i n which the ne w governor, Tai Feng-hsiang, assumes office an d i s welcomed by Hs u Chieh and a group of officials . Hai Jui meet s him personally, and knowing he is the newly-appointe d governor, just wants to as k him not t o chang e the ne w administrative practices which hav e developed i n the las t hal f year. Bu t Tai Fenghsiang attacks Hai Jui, saying that i t is precisely because of thes e practices and because he has terrorized an d fleeced the people and oppressed the gentry tha t th e Empero r has dismissed him fro m office . Hs u Chie h also jeers him fro m th e sidelines . Flushe d wit h indignation , Hai Ju i contradicts him. Th e two faction s of the feuda l rulin g class, left an d right, close i n a face-to-face struggle. Finally , i n the fac e o f angr y voices of th e people, Tai Feng-hsiang and Hsu Chieh run fo r thei r lives like rats, frightened ou t o f their wits. Ha i Jui an d all the other s exit together . Thi s scen e of th e pla y underwent many rewriting s and dress rehearsals but everyon e was dissatisfied with it . The y fel t tha t Hai Jui lef t i n a dull and dismal manner, that al l the emotiona l effec t of th e pla y was dissipated, and that i t was wishy-washy. Thi s was no way to handl e th e ending . M y dramatist friend s pointe d ou t tha t i f I rewrote this scene of the play with Ha i Jui handing dow n a sentence of decapitation i n the court, it would be somewha t stronger . However, according to historical fact , Hsu Chieh's son was only exile d fo r te n years and was certainly not put t o death . Woul d it be reasonable t o handle things in this way? Onl y afte r changin g it severa l times did I finally make the decision to have Hsu Ying put t o death . Wha t I then rewrote becam e the presen t Hai Jui's Dismissal. Whe n Hai Jui wa s in the throe s o f hi s verbal struggl e with Tai Feng-hsiang, he a s usual 7

cared nothing that everyone was against him. Havin g sentenced Hsu Ying to be executed, he would hand ove r his seal of office and leave his post onl y afte r th e sentenc e had bee n carried out. Whe n it was written this way, quite a few of my friends thought i t comparatively improved. Bu t ther e was still anothe r opinion . Som e fel t tha t i f there were to b e still another change , that i f after th e sentencin g the emperor were to sen d someone with a special pardon, it would still be impossible to kill Hsu Ying and this would add still another twis t to the plot. A s for this opinion, u p to the present tim e I have been unable to decide. I t would be a good thin g not t o kill him but tha t still does not solv e the proble m o f th e dullness of th e mood. I n the end, how should it be correctly handled ? Th e only thin g t o do was to wait for a while an d listen to stil l more opinions before forming another plan . In the process of makin g many revisions, not onl y was the conten t very greatly changed, but s o was the literary form . I n the rhymin g of the firs t fe w drafts, I followed the Shih Yiin 7 strictly . Afterwards some of my friends told me that i t was not necessar y to have it like this and that I could tak e a few more liberties. The y sai d that th e rhyming of Pekin g Opera had its own conventions. Secondly , th e sung verses were basically of four , eight, or twelve lines, but some times they were also of thre e o r five. M y friends sai d that thi s was not satisfactor y and that verses of thre e o r five line s could be used only in exceptional circumstances . In addition, the poem a t the end of a scene was sometimes four lines and sometime s two. M y friends said it was best t o have two. Afte r I had heard thes e viewpoints, everything was changed accordin g to thei r advice. Recalling the circumstance s of th e writing of thi s drama over the past two years, I feel profoundly the importanc e of learning . Th e progression o f m y writing has been in every way a progression of learning. I learned some things from m y friend s in the dram a circle, I learned some things from th e specialists , and I learned some things from m y non-specialis t friends. Always, I was learning and seeking advice from ever y possible quarter . This drama is far from sophisticated. Th e ideologica l form and content ar e still very much lacking. However , even speaking just on the basis of the progress of m y own writing, there is one thing of which I am sure. Tha t i s simply that there is no need for us to fea r things which we do no t understand . A s long as one is not afrai d an d is willing to go right to the root of a thing, then h e can come to mor e or less understand it. O n the othe r hand, th e more one fears a thing, the more he cannot understan d it, to the point wher e he will never understand it. Howeve r it happened, my knowledge of Peking Opera, 8

after th e learnin g proces s involve d i n writin g this drama , has some what increase d over what i t was two years ago. M y cultural level has been somewha t raised . Th e boundary between the dilettante an d the expert i s not impenetrable , but somethin g whic h ca n be shattered. Speaking fro m m y experience , i t no t onl y ca n be, bu t mus t b e shattered. Dare to think, dare to speak , and dare to d o has been the new style since the Grea t Lea p Forward. I wrote a drama. Thu s I belong in th e ranks of thos e who dare . I f I di d no t dare , then I simpl y coul d no t do anythin g successfully . As long as I dare , I can always more o r less handle a thing. A s for the magnitud e of th e achievement , o r whethe r it is a success or failure , tha t is another thing . Th e historical develop ment o f a human societ y i s also simpl y th e history o f peopl e wh o dare to think , dar e to speak , and dare to do . Th e ancients had a proverb, "Throw a brick to get a gem."8 Tha t i s to sa y that this drama should be taken as "the throwin g of a brick" to stimulat e th e interes t of m y friend s in the fiel d o f history . Perhap s they wil l all come for ward an d write a new historical drama ! I als o wish to clear up somethin g else. After HaiJui's Dismissal had been performed, there wer e a good man y friend s who urged me t o write yet anothe r play . Regardin g this, I would like to sa y that one mistake is bad enough, but t o repea t it? ! I have absolutely no ambi tion or resolve to become a playwright. Thi s is something I want t o make clea r once an d fo r all . Just fo r th e understanding of th e reader , tw o supplement s hav e been adde d to thi s volume. On e is a portrait o f Hai Jui an d a sample of his calligraphy, an d on e i s a note concerning the historical record s on which thi s drama is based.9 The portrait used is one displayed in the Chines e Historical Museum. Of the calligraphy , par t wa s sent by comrade K' a Hui-hsin in Tientsin, and par t wa s sen t b y comrad e Ch'ang Jen-hsie h in Peking. I exten d my thanks t o both of them . This is intended a s an introduction . Peitaiho, August 8, 196 1

9

Introduction

Hai Jui (1515-87), whose courtesy nam e was Kang-feng, wa s a native of Kwangtung Chiunchou (no w know n a s Hainan Island). I n temperament he was resolute an d in matters of principle he was steadfast. H e was a famous, honest, an d good officia l o f th e Min g Dynasty. He opposed graf t an d extravagance. H e advocated th e us e of heav y penalties t o punis h graf t severely , and he established a clean and hon est political climate . H e advocated frugalit y in the allocatio n o f financial resources, strictly implemente d th e regulation s and policies of th e government, and restrained oppressiv e landlords. H e advocated an d implemented th e "single whi p policy" 10 in order to mitigate th e hardships of th e impoverished. I n addition, he expended grea t energy in repairing th e irrigation system an d decreasing the burden of pett y irregular taxes. H e took th e dispositio n o f court case s very seriously and he redresse d injustices. H e opposed evi l and corrupt official s a s well as the tyrannica l gentry. However , he was also a loyal ministe r for th e feuda l ruling class, and his every political actio n stemme d from th e motive o f reinforcing the long-range interests of this feuda l ruling class. Althoug h h e scolded th e empero r an d was imprisoned fo r it, indeed expected t o b e killed, when the emperor died, Hai Jui was moved to grea t weeping. The people o f the perio d like d him and san g his praises. Th e powerful officials , great landlords, and the gentry oppose d him , denounce d him, an d closed rank s against him. Bu t there wa s also a group of principled official s an d young intelligentsia who supported him . What I have written abou t i n this play is just one episode during the time when he held th e post of Yin g T'ien Governor (at tha t time generally called Governor of Kiangnan). Th e time spa n runs from Jun e o f 1569 t o January of 1570 , seven months i n all. I n this year Hai Jui was fifty-four year s of age. The location i s in Soochow, a t that tim e th e residence o f th e Ying T'ien Governor. Th e Ying T'ien Governor was in charge of th e te n prefectures of Yin g T'ien (Nanking), Soochow, Ch'ang-chow , Chinkiang, Sungkiang, Hweichow, T'ai-p'ing, Ningkuo, Anking, and Ch'ihchow, a s well as Kwangtechow. Moreover , he was simultaneously responsible for the grai n tax i n the thre e West Chekiang prefectures of Hangchow, Chia-hsing, and Huchow. The officia l dutie s of the governor were, first, to administe r the government of the peoples; second , to superinten d the grain reserves; third, to exercise control over the armed forces; fourth, to impeach government officials .

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The hero o f this play is Hai Jui. Opposin g him are the retire d prim e minister, Hsu Chieh, an d th e grou p of official s an d landlord s repre sented b y him. Thi s group was collectively known as the gentr y during the Ming Dynasty. (I n the Min g Dynasty, thos e i n th e servic e of th e court wer e called officials ; after the y had bee n dismissed fro m offic e and were living a life of leisure at home, they were called gentry . Suc h people wer e all big landlords with wealt h an d influence . Other term s used fo r the m wer e hsiang-shen, shen-chin, shen-fu, etc. , bu t i n a word, they wer e all official-landlords. This is the settin g of the story. Hsu Chieh's third son , Hsu Ying, has used his position t o antagoniz e the peopl e an d seiz e their fields , an d he has harassed to deat h th e only so n of th e peasant Chao Yü-shan. On top of all this, at the tim e of the Ch'ing-min g Festival he kidnaps Chao Yü-shan's granddaughter, Chao Hsiao-Ian, and gives Chao Yüshan a vicious beating. Cha o Hsiao-lan's mother, Hun g A-lan, lodges a complain t wit h th e count y court . Th e count y magistrate , Wang Ming-yu, is secretly protecting th e Hsu family , and will not hea r th e case. Hs u Ying buys off Wan g Ming-y u and th e Sungkian g Prefect and orders his servant, Hsü Fu, t o go to cour t an d testify that Hsu Ying had no t gon e out o f th e cit y at th e tim e of th e Ch'ing-min g Festival. Wan g Ming-yu publicly beats Chao Yü-shan to deat h an d drives out Hun g A-lan, winding up th e case . Thi s vividly describe s the siniste r decadence of politic s in the feuda l era, the tyrann y o f the gentry, and the wretched circumstances , slavery, and oppression of th e people . Hai Ju i comes t o hi s post i n ordinar y clothe s an d o n th e wa y he learns directly fro m Hun g A-lan and the masse s of the peasant s abou t the case of Hs ü Ying and about th e circumstance s of the loca l peopl e whose lan d is being usurped by th e gentry . Hai Ju i pay s a visit t o Hs ü Chieh. Hs ü Chie h advise s him tha t h e ought t o uphold th e law strictly, metin g out th e same treatment t o prince and commoner alike . Th e gist of hi s comment s i s that h e wants Hai Jui to restrai n with a heavy hand th e frivolous lawsuits of the "wicked people" and protect th e privileges of the gentry. Ha i Jui brings up the cas e of Hung A-lan, but Hs ü Chieh lies right t o th e end. Moreover , he instigates Hsü Ying to hav e Hsü Fu pos e as a hsiuts 'ai11 and go to th e cour t to giv e evidence. Hai Jui is unalterably opposed t o injustice and he orders the gentry to return the lands they have seized from the common people . When he discusses these measure s with th e member s of his family , hi s mother agree s with the utmost vigour . Thi s strengthens his resolve still further. In th e scen e where the case is settled, Ha i Jui exposes th e fals e testi mony o f th e Hsü family's bondsman an d punishes him according t o law. H e also disposes of th e avariciou s and corrupt officials . 11

Hsü Ying is sentenced t o death , and Hsu Chieh pays a personal visit to Hai Jui. H e talks about thei r pas t friendshi p an d beg s for lenien t treatment. Ha i Jui ignore s all this and justly repudiate s him, thu s initiating an open struggle. Hsü Chieh offers t o aton e for his son's crime by returning the land, bu t Ha i Jui sternl y points ou t tha t th e land s which hav e bee n snatche d fro m th e peopl e will be returne d i n an y case and Hsü Ying, having violated th e law , has to b e punished. Hsü Chieh the n goe s so far as to threate n him, sayin g that h e coul d lose his office b y committing thi s kind of transgression against the gentry . Hai Ju i i s stil l unmoved . Finall y the y brea k off thei r friendshi p and Hsü Chieh leaves in a rage. Hsü Chieh doe s not willingl y accept defeat . He holds a secret meet ing with hi s close friends in order to plan a counter-attack. The y send people t o th e capital city to bribe the eunuchs and the court official s so that Ha i Jui will be dismissed from office . Th e new governor, Tai Feng-hsiang, comes t o take up hi s post immediately . Ha i Jui ha s already received th e executio n orde r fo r th e tw o criminals , Hs ü Ying and Wan g Ming-yu, who had been sentenced at the Fal l Assizes, but Tai Feng-hsiang tries every kind of browbeating to dissuad e him fro m carrying out th e sentences . Ha i Jui is immovable. H e orders that th e sentences be carried out first ; onl y the n wil l he hand ove r his credentials an d sea l of offic e an d retir e from public life . The Tai Feng-hsiang in the play is the man who impeached Hai Jui and had hi m dismissed . H e was a spokesman for the Kiangna n gentry at court. Here, just for the sake of convenience, we have him replacin g Hai Jui as Ying T'ien Governor. This play emphasizes Hai Jui's uprightness of character . H e would not submi t t o th e fierc e an d overbearing , he wa s not scare d off b y failure, and when he di d fail, he tried agai n with a relentles s will. What is expressed i s the interna l struggle of the feuda l rulin g class, a struggle between the left factio n o f Ha i Jui and the righ t faction , tha t of th e clique of official s an d landlord s which too k Hsü Chieh a s its leader. Hai Jui wa s a loyal minister o f the feuda l rulin g class, but h e was comparatively far-sighted , an d comparatively clos e to the people. Fo r th e long-range benefit of hi s own class, he advocated doing some good things which were beneficial for the peopl e of the times . He restricte d the gentry's lawless fleecing o f th e peasantry. H e impinged o n the in terests of th e right faction o f hi s own class and opened up a violent struggle. Durin g the struggl e in this last act, Hai Jui loses office, bu t he absolutely refuse s t o yield a n inch. Becaus e he did som e good things, the people of that era supported him an d sang his praises. Ha i Jui's position i n history ough t t o b e recognized. Som e o f his goo d actions and virtues also deserve our stud y today . November 13 , 1960 - sevent h draf t August 8, 1961 , fina l revisio n at Peitaho 12

HAÏ JUI' S DISMISSA L An Historical Dram a

SCENE 1 Th e people are angered Time Th e season o f th e Ch'ing-ming Festival, 121569. Place Belo w Heng Yün Mountain in Hua-1'ing County, Sungkiang Prefecture. Characters Hs u Chieh's third son , HS U YING , about fort y year s old, a powerful lord and a n evil tyrant . The peasant CHA O YÜ-SHAN , sixty-fiv e years old. Chao's daughter-in-law, HUNG A-LAN , thirty-five years old. CHAO HSIAO-LAN , Cha o Yu-shan's granddaughter, sixtee n years old. WANG MING-YU , th e Hua-t'in g District Magistrate, an avaricious official , forty year s old. A crowd of Hsu family bondsmen, a group of Hua-t'in g County yamen runners, and a great number of commo n peopl e filin g complaints . A crowd of countr y people .

Enter Hsu Ying, riding a horse, amid a great crowd of male slaves. HSU YIN G recites The colours o f sprin g fill the frontier s beyond th e city. I wander leisurely, occupied wit h my gold stirrup and riding baton. I ride swiftly . Let me gaze on all the man y and varied flowers . Aiya! There are some pretty one s over there let us go after them . I am Hsu Ying, the thir d maste r of th e Hs u family. Pretending to visit ancestral graves, I have come here t o amus e myself. I shal l pull a fas t one! Ho w delightful it is going to be ! Whe n one suddenl y see s before him two very attractiv e and seductive girls among th e graves, why no t go ahead an d have some fun with them ? Le t us go quickly, little ones ! exits Enter HungA-lan and Chao Hsiao-Ian, holding incense and paper money. HUNG A-LA N singS

At Ch'ing-ming Festiva l time we sweep the ne w grave and burn paper money . I ache with sorrow for th e deat h o f m y husband on e year ago. Despite th e profusio n of flower s an d willows, I have no heart fo r pleasure. My father-in-law i s old, 14

my daughter weak and helpless. Who will take pity o n us? Hsiao-Ian, light th e incense and burn the money in respect fo r your father. Mother an d daughter pray together, crying. Oh , father o f Hsiao-Ian! continues song Your family depended solely o n yo u to so w the grai n and plough the fields, by stars of mornin g and by moon a t night, rising early and retiring late, raising cattle, tending mulberry and hemp, slaving the year long, paying exorbitant taxes , living a hard life , enduring all kinds of harassment . As things progressed in this way, the sk y suddenly fell i n on us. The Hsu family antedated th e mortgage on our land . They seize d our crops and produce and still demanded taxe s on our land. We wore our shoes out goin g to the magistrat e and pleading with the gentry. You were so angry you spa t blood and fell sic k from bitter hatred . In just a few months you died . We buried you befor e the mountain . Oh, God, father of Hsiao-Ian , what ar e your wife an d daughter to d o for th e res t o f ou r lives? Whe n will the injustic e you receive d ever be redressed? CHAO13 HSIAO-LAN D o not cry , mother. Ther e ar e some people comin g over there. Mother and daughter tidy up their sacrificial baskets and bowls and prepare to leave. Hsu Ying comes onstage, amid a crowd of attendants. Hsu Ying tries to flirt with Chao Hsiao-Ian, but Hsiao-Ian avoids him and Hung A-Ian stands in his way. HSU YIN G G o away, go away! Sh e is the on e I want, not you . HUNG A-LA N Th e young gentleman should sho w a little respect. Sh e is my daughter . HSU YING That' s wonderful. You may a s well both go to m y house together .

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HUNG A-LAN Thi s is a little strange . W e are neither relative s nor clos e friends . What would we do at your house? HSU YIN G Al l you wil l do i s be my concubines , an d I guarantee that both o f yo u will have more food tha n you ca n eat an d mor e clothes tha n you ca n wear. HUNG A-LA N Nothin g doing. Hsiao-Ian , let us go quickly . Hsu Ying directs his servants to block their way. HUNG A-LAN I n broad daylight th e wome n of decen t familie s are molested. Fello w peasants, help ! HSU YING Don' t rais e a hue an d cry over nothing. I , the thir d maste r of th e Hs u family, would be incapable of mistreating you tw o young women. HUNGA-LAN What? ! Thir d Master Hsu i s the enemy who killed my husband! Help ! Help! Hearing her voice a large group of peasants comes on stage. Hung A- Ian and her daughter take the opportunity to escape. GROUP O F PEASANTS It' s that rotte n egg from the Hs u famil y abusing people again ! Why does God i n Heave n not ope n his eyes and punish this rotten egg , eh? It's outrageous ! HSU YING G o after them - fast ! The peasant masses are driven off and Hsu Ying and his bondsmen pursue them offstage. HungA-lan, Chao Hsiao-Ian, and Chao Yü-shan come on separately. They meet. Hsu Ying returns with his group of bondsmen and Chao Yü-shan steps in front of them, blocking their way. HSU YING Don' t go . Le t us talk i t over . CHAO YÜ-SHA N Tal k what over ? Thir d Maste r Hsu, your famil y ha s usurpe d m y family's land an d hounded to deat h th e only so n I raised. An d you still want to compe l an old man to pay taxe s and run errands . But even this is not enoug h for you. Yo u still have to com e and insult and ridicule th e wido w an d orphan 14 in my family . You simpl y wil l no t allow people t o go on living! HSU YIN G Cha o Yü-shan, d o yo u no t kno w your place ? Considerin g that a 16

poor ol d man like you certainly cannot suppor t them , you had bette r listen to me. They would wear silk and satin, have maids at their beck and call, and have more of everything than the y ca n use. I would also reward you, old man, with som e rice to eat . CHAO YÜ-SHAN What ? Sto p thi s talk! Hs u Ying, I a m a poor ma n but ther e i s nothing poor abou t my spirit! An d I d o not dea l in human beings. Ge t out of here fast! B e off wit h you! HSU YING H e is truly too ignoran t to appreciat e the kindnes s I a m showing him . Little ones , take them by force! Hsu Fu and a large group of bond slaves drag off Chao Hsiao-Ian while Chao Yü-shan and Hung A-lan try to obstruct them. HSU YING Bea t him, beat this corpse which is too stupi d to lie down. The bondsmen of the Hsu family give Chao Yü-shan a painful beating, while Hung A-Ian and Chao Hsiao-Ian try to save him. Chao Yü-shan is beaten into a stupor and Hsu Ying leads his bond slaves in carrying off Hsiao-Ian. CROWD O F PEASANTS Plundering , carrying off th e wome n of decen t families , and beatin g the lif e ou t o f me n i n broad daylight . Wha t kind of world i s this ? Where is the law ? Wher e is justice? HungA-lan weeps bitterly. All the peasants attend to Chao Yü-shan as best they can, and Chao gradually regains consciousness. CHAO YÜ-SHAN Daughter-in-law , this is no time for crying. Th e important thin g no w is to g o quickly t o th e distric t office , fil e a complaint, an d se e that granddaughter is rescued and brought bac k to us. sings In their tyrannica l treatment o f othe r people they riva l the tiger and wolf. In order to redress our grievances, we must go and report them i n court. As long as the law of th e cour t endures, its function should be to redress the grievances of wronge d people. HUNG A-LAN M y father-in-law's wound s are serious and there is no one to ten d t o you. You r daughter-in-law canno t go. PEASANTS Youn g lady, concern yoursel f onl y with goin g and layin g the charges . 17

Your father-in-law ha s us to sta y behind an d look afte r him. Pu t you r mind a t ease and go! HUNG A-LAN I f this i s the case , al l I ca n d o i s thank you . Father-in-law , I am on my way. CHAO YÜ-SHA N Hurr y there and hurry back ; rescu e my granddaughter. HUNG A-LAN I shall. CXÍtS

Exit the large group of peasants, supporting Chao Yü-shan.

SCENE I A I n court A large group of runners crowds onstage with the Hua-t 'ing Magistrate, WangMing-yu. The commoners who are pressing suits then follow. WANGMING-YU recites I am a seventh grade magistrate. But what us e are essays in the wor k of an official ? When I see gold an d silver , my mouth waters . The surname of a person matters not t o me. Just s o long as he sends me money , he will win even against m y own parents . Though th e basis of hi s case be sound , if he has no money, there i s no use discussing it ! What! Ar e all these people her e before us laying complaints? PLAINTIFFS W e are al l filing charges . They hand up the documents pertaining to their accusations. WANG MING-YU Wh o are you accusing ? FIRST

PLAINTIFF I SECOND PLAINTIFF I

am accusing the famil y of Gran d Tutor Hs u of seizing people's land . report tha t th e famil y o f Gran d Tuto r Hs u has been appropriatin g other people' s property.

THIRD PLAINTIFF I report tha t Third Master Hsu has been seizing people's houses.

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WANG MiNG-Y U Tha t i s strange. Eve r since I came to thi s post, I have had peopl e comin g every day to repor t th e Hsu family. Again today, every one of the m is reporting the Hsu family. The y al l report thi s on e famil y an d eve n th e causes of thei r complaint s ar e identical ; i t i s always because they ar e stealing people' s property . The y reall y mak e a fus s ove r nothing. D o you thin k th e Gran d Tutor i s someone who m yo u ma y accus e lik e this? I have long heard tha t th e peopl e o f thi s are a ar e by natur e o f a wicked an d arrogan t character . I t is really true, indeed it is! Yo u really ar e wicked people ; yo u reall y ar e wicked, aren' t you ? Atten dants, drive these wicked people out ! The runners drive the common people offstage. Hung A-Ian comes on and sounds the drum, and the runners beckon her to enter and kneel down. WANG MING-Y U Her e comes another plaintiff. I can guess, without a doubt, sh e is here to complain abou t the Hsu family. Well, all right, woman , who m ar e you accusing? HUNG A-LA N You r Worship, I accuse Third Master Hsu of kidnapping my daughte r and administerin g a beating t o m y father-in-la w whic h resulte d i n serious injury. I trust Your Worship will redress my grievance! weeps WANG MING-Y U I was abl e t o divin e her intention s a s well a s i f I wer e God himself . Well! Wha t about your daughter ? HUNG A-LA N Sh e has been kidnapped b y Third Master Hsu. WANG MING-YU Wh o will testify t o tha t effect ? HUNG A-LA N Ther e wer e man y of m y fello w peasant s who sa w it wit h thei r ow n eyes. WANG MING-Y U Wher e are thes e witnesses? HUNG A-LA N M y father-in-law wa s severely injured. All our goo d peasant friends are at home looking after him an d so they have not come . WANG MING-YU I knew from th e beginnin g you wer e going to pul l a stunt like this . First n o evidenc e an d the n n o witnesses . Who really too k you r daughter? Wher e is your father-in-law? HUNG A-LA N H e was so badly injured tha t h e canno t even move.

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WANG MiNG-YU Enough ! I f you ar e going to mak e accusations concerning injuries, you mus t verif y th e injuries. That i s the universa l requirement. I f your father-in-law does not com e to verify hi s injuries, how a m I to know whether he has any injuries or not? Yo u come here to launc h a suit and i n th e firs t plac e yo u d o no t hav e formal papers . I n th e second place, you have no relevant evidence; and third, you have no proof of injury. This is obviously the fals e report o f a vicious person. I am takin g int o consideratio n the fac t tha t you are a woman and that thi s is your firs t offence , s o I a m not goin g to dea l with yo u severely. Come, take her out o f here . HUNG A-LA N I have been badly mistreated. Your Worship, please have compassion, and redress my grievances. WANG MING-YU I f there i s any injustice , it will be se t right, but th e makin g of fals e accusations must also be dealt with. I f you ar e going to fil e a complaint, you must have people to come as witnesses and give evidence. The only proof i s what I hear from your mouth alone . I am not th e type of addle-braine d officia l who is going to hear on e side of th e story only and believe it. HUNG A-LAN You r Worship is an honest official . H e should redress my grievance. WANG MING-YU O f course I am an honest official . Wha t need is there for yo u t o sa y that? I f you ar e not satisfied , nex t tim e come back with witnesses to testify for you. No w leave the court . Exit the runners. Exit Hung A-Ian, weeping. WANG MING-YU Thi s is a bothersome cas e to handle. Bot h kidnapping and beatin g people. Supposin g I were to handl e i t accordin g t o law , could a little minion lik e me afford t o provoke the wrath of Gran d Tutor Hsu? Ye t if I let i t dra g o n withou t doin g anything , thi s woma n can come her e ever y da y laying charge s and bother me to death . So how a m I to handle it? ponders I know, I shall personally go and consult wit h Hi s Excellency L i P'ing-tu, th e Prefect . He is extremely knowledgeable and he will have a way of dealin g with it . Night and day, the wicked people stir up wind and waves, When shall we ever see the en d of th e annoyance s they cause? exits

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SCENE 2 Th e case is tried Time On e month later . Place Th e y amen of th e Hua-1'ing Magistrate. Characters HS U YIN G an d HS U FU . The farme r CHAO YÜ-SHA N an d HUN G A-LAN . The Hua-t'ing Magistrate WANG MING-YU, in the compan y o f man y runners. A crowd of peasants . Hsu Ying and Hsü Fu come onstage. HSU YING recites I have sent gold and profferred flatteries , and I still have some tricks up my sleeve to win this case. My good Chao Yü-shan, I did not thin k you woul d dare to com e int o court an d report me . However , one must figh t fire with fire , an d I did not have to think long before a scheme occurred t o me. I sent Hsü Fu with tw o hundred tael s of gol d fo r th e magistrat e an d thre e hundre d taels fo r th e prefect . I have bough t of f everyon e concerned , a t al l levels. Tha t Wan g Ming-yu is an exceptionally astut e fellow. H e says it would be absolutely lackin g in propriety o n his part i f h e were no t to deal severely with an y wicked peopl e who make false accusation s against the gentry . S o there i s to b e a lawsuit, eh Chao Yü-shan? W e shall see how fa r you ar e prepared to carr y your evi l scheme! Hs ü Fu! HSÜ F U Yes ? HSÜ YIN G G o into the court , an d if the magistrat e asks you wha t happene d o n that day, you mus t be very careful; w e cannot le t the cat out o f th e bag. HSÜ FU Tha t goe s without saying . Yo u may res t assured , Master. They exit together. Wang Ming-yu comes on, followed by the runners, and takes his seat. WANG MING-YU recites These last few days have seen much good fortune . How much has greased my palm, I do not know . Concerning lawsuits, the money involve d is my only interest , yet my reputation surpasses that of Pao Lao. 15

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This i s really very interesting, ver y interesting ! I t use d t o b e tha t I knew only how to fleece the poor. Bu t there i s no percentage in that. Today, fo r instance, even the famil y of the Gran d Tutor Hsu has sent great quantities o f gold . Bein g an official ha s really been worthwhil e for me . I n any event, I must bring this case to a close today. I f I don't, people will say that I am a bumbling official fo r no t eve n being able to handle a small affai r lik e this. Runners , call into court th e peopl e involved in the cas e of Hun g A-lan. The runners shout out the summons. Enter Hung A-lan, Chao Yüshan, and a crowd of peasants. ALL W e simple folk an d this young lady wish to pa y ou r respects to Your Worship. WANG MING-YU Stan d t o on e side . Thes e las t fe w day s I hav e been conductin g thorough investigation s into the cas e of Hun g A-lan. Toda y I am holding court . You must spea k only the facts . Yo u must not ad d anything extra in order to try an d make trouble. Hun g A-lan. HUNG A-LAN I am here . WANG MING-YU Yo u accuse Hsu Ying of kidnappin g your daughter; what da y di d thi s kidnapping take place? HUNG A-LA N H e kidnapped her o n the da y o f th e Ch'ing-ming Festival. WANG MING-YU Ar e there an y eyewitnesse s or not ? ALL TH E

PEASANTS W e humble peopl e sa w it with ou r ow n eyes . WANG MING-YU Hun g A-lan, you accus e Hsu Ying of beatin g your father-in-law. Ha s your father-in-la w com e or not? CHAO YÜ-SHAN I am here. WANG MING-YU Wher e are th e injurie s you suffere d i n the beating ? CHAO YÜ-SHA N The y bea t me with thei r fist s an d kicked m e with thei r feet . I was injured al l over my body . WANG MING-YU D o you hav e an eyewitness or not ?

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ALL THE PEASANTS W e folk sa w it with ou r ow n eyes . WANG MiNG-YU Coroner , verify thes e injuries. The coroner strips off Chao Yü-shan's clothing in order to examine the wounds. CORONER I must report , Your Worship, that his body i s entirely unmarked. There ar e no scab s or scars and there ar e no injuries. WANG MING-YU So ! Th e colossa l gall of yo u vicious people! Yo u sprea d slanders and fals e accusations . Brin g the can e and give him a severe beating for me . CHAO YÜ-SHAN Eh ? You r Worship, my bod y does hav e wounds and scars . Ho w ca n it be said that there ar e no wounds? I beg Your Worship to make a careful examination . PEASANTS Cha o Yü-shan too k a fearsome beating at the hands of Hs u Ying; this we saw with ou r own eyes. I f this be false, we are willing to tak e the punishment ourselves . WANG MING-YU Thi s is certainly very strange. Ther e clearly ar e not an y wounds, ye t the whole lot o f yo u say s that ther e are . Coroner, g o an d hav e an other loo k an d tell me what you find . CORONER Ther e appea r to b e some self-inflicte d wounds here, resultin g fro m an intentional fall . Bu t ther e ar e absolutely n o traces of an y injurie s resulting from a beating. WANG MING-YU Runner , summon Hsu Ying into court . Enter Hsu Ying and Hsü Fu HSU YIN G Hs ü Ying, of th e Hs ü family of gentry , wishes to pa y his respects t o Your Worship. WANG MING-YU D o not stan d on ceremony . Hs ü Ying, we hav e o n han d her e som e people wh o accus e you of kidnappin g a young girl and cruelly beating a respectable man. Ca n there b e anything to suc h a story? HSU YIN G I a m a member of th e Prim e Minister' s household. I spen d m y tim e earnestly studyin g th e classics and I thoroughly understan d th e loft y ideas expressed i n them. How could I stoop t o kidnapping girls and cruelly beating respectable folk? You r Worship understands clearly 23

what I mean . You r Worship , may I inquir e o n wha t da y thi s too k place? WANG MiNG-YU Accordin g to th e origina l accusation, i t was on th e day of th e Ch'ing ming Festival . HSU YIN G Th e Ch'ing-ming Festival? Wher e did I go on tha t day ? Oh ! I know! It was that day that I was a t th e hom e o f Schola r Chang, 16 discussing the classics. I never went out o f th e city . WANG MING-YU Wher e ar e your witnesses? HSU YIN G M y bond slav e Hsü F u wen t along and wa s in attendance. H e can bea r witness. WANG MING-Y U Hs ü Fu, where di d Hsü Ying go on th e da y of th e Ch'ing-ming Festival ? HSÜ F U I can report t o Your Worship tha t o n th e da y o f th e Ch'ing-min g Festival the thir d maste r was indeed studying at the home o f a hsiuts'ai11 of thi s city , an d h e neve r lef t th e city . Th e famil y bondsme n were at hi s sid e and I ca n testif y that w e neve r left hi m fo r a singl e moment. WANG MING-YU The n thi s is the way i t was. O n the da y o f th e Ch'ing-min g Festival, Hsü Ying spent th e whol e da y studyin g a t th e hom e o f a hsiu-ts'ai in thi s city . I f this is so, could he the n hav e split himself i n two s o as to go outside th e city , kidnapping an d beating people? Thi s i s very obviously a case of wicke d peopl e makin g fals e accusation s agains t gentry. Thi s is absolutely intolerable. Come forward , attendants, an d give Hung A-Ian a severe beating ! HUNG A-LAN You r Worship! I f I must repeat i t a million times , thi s busines s of kidnapping an d beatin g people i s true, i t i s absolutel y accurate . I have the peasant s of m y neighbourhood her e a s witnesses. Your Worship mus t se e that justice i s done fo r me . M y daughter i s now in th e Hsü household. I beg Your Worship to retur n her to u s so that flesh and blood migh t dwel l together again . WANG MING-YU What ! Th e great gall of thi s shrew! S o you hav e witnesses. A m I therefore t o ac t as if the others d o not hav e witnesses? A m I to b e so partial a s to simpl y assum e that your witnesse s are telling the trut h and tha t th e othe r party' s witnesse s are lying? Hi s Worship hears both side s and the n decide s according t o law. T o listen t o on e sid e 24

only woul d be very poor justice. I f I di d not liste n t o what th e gentry said , how could I possibly liste n to th e words of poo r peopl e on the othe r hand ? Come , drag her ou t an d give her a sound thrashing . CHAO YÜ-SHA N Hav e mercy, Your Worship. Although I a m involve d onl y i n farmin g and am a very poor man, my human spiri t is not poo r a t all . Although I d o no t rea d books , I d o nevertheles s posses s som e intelligence . I inherited a little property an d my whole famil y depended on this for a living. Third Master Hsu forge d a contract, antedate d it , an d seized my lan d a s his own. Becaus e of this , my onl y so n becam e s o vexed and angr y that h e die d of chagrin , leavin g his widow and child. Th e land wa s gone, bu t th e taxe s stil l ha d t o b e paid . I had t o pa y th e grain tax by doin g corvée labour. Ther e was no plac e where I could go to repor t thes e injustices . On tha t da y of th e Ch'ing-min g Festi val, Thir d Maste r Hsu, thinking he could ge t away with i t because of his position, kidnappe d m y granddaughter and gave me a severe beating, leavin g me wounded. An d s o I have suffere d on e wrong after an other. Overhea d is the su n in the sk y and her e below are my peasant neighbours; and al l can corroborat e wha t I say. I f Your Worship will not d o anything about i t for us, but o n the contrar y believe s only th e stories of our opponen t an d wants to beat th e plaintiff, where ar e the eternal principles of justice? Wher e is your conscience ? You r Worship, you canno t behav e like this; yo u must ac t in the interest s of th e littl e people! WANG MiNG-YU Th e great gall of yo u wicke d people! I t i s absolutely clea r that yo u have no wounds yet yo u stil l sa y that you were wounded. I t is absolutely clea r that th e othe r part y was at the home o f a friend, studying, and never went out , ye t yo u falsel y accus e him of goin g out int o th e countryside, beating and kidnapping. I s this your universal principle of justice? I s this a n example o f conscience ? You r human spirit is also poor, s o poor tha t in the en d the onl y thin g you ca n think o f is to summo n up al l your gal l and make fals e accusation s against th e gentry. You are truly an extremely vicious and evil man! Come , take him out an d thrash him! CHAO YÜ-SHA N You r Worship, you canno t bea t me! I f you ar e really going to have me beaten, I am going to repor t it . WANG MING-Y U Wher e are you goin g to repor t it ? CHAO YÜ-SHAN I shall report i n the prefectura l court; I shall report i t i n Soochow ; I shall report i t in the capital : 25

sings When an old man like me suffer s injustices , high Heave n sees. Streams of tear s flow for my beaten body and my kidnapped granddaughter. Your office i s used not t o uphold justice for the people , but to transgress it. I shall charge you i n the capita l as a corrupt official , selling law for the highes t bribe . WANGMING-YU Th e nerve of you ! sings I never knew the wicke d peopl e could reall y be s o bold an d daring as to accus e the gentry falsel y in such a wild an d thoughtless manner . Come, seize him, le t his punishment be eighty stroke s of th e bamboo . Give him a fierce and thorough beatin g for me ! The runners drag Chao Yü-shan out to receive the heavy beating and Chao Yü-shan is beaten to death. RUNNERS returning You r Worship, we must repor t tha t the guilty man has died from th e beating . HUNGA-LAN M y God, no ! sings With a heart full of grie f and anger, I can only call on God in Heaven. When my father-in-law ca n be beaten to deat h right before th e court , who among men can still distinguish right from wrong? Heaven, oh heaven! My daughter who was kidnapped remain s in danger. WANG MING-Y U Alarmed, pales and becomes upset, bu t then settles down. Carr y him out an d get her out o f th e court. Exit the group of peasants, carrying Chao Yü-shan's corpse. Exit HungA-lan, weeping bitterly. Exit Hsu Ying, laughing, followed by Hsu Fu, who is scowling. WANG MING-YU W e have been careless. I did no t thin k thi s old fello w was so unable 26

to stan d a beating, ponders Still , this i s nothing t o worr y about , nothing t o worry about a t all ! Enter a runner to deliver the Peking Gazette. RUNNER You r Worship, I have here an urgent dispatch . Pleas e read it , Your Worship. WANG MING-YU Tears i t open an d reads it carefully; gives a start and nervously drops the paper. Goo d Lord ! Ha i Jui has been take n from his position a s Censor in the Suprem e Court and is ordered t o tak e the pos t o f Gov ernor of Yin g T'ien and the Ten Prefectures. M y God! Thi s old beggar is going nowhere else but righ t her e to Kiangnan. Wha t are we to do now? H e ha s dropped th e Peking Gazette. No w h e picks i t u p again, hesitatingly. RUNNER What ? Ha i Ch'ing-t'ien18 is coming? Wha t can we do? WANG MING-Y U Ge t m y luggag e ready. We leave on a journey t o Soocho w immediately . The runner accompanies WangMing-yu offstage.

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SCENES Takin g offic e Time Th e first wee k in June, 1569 . Place Th e pavilion for welcoming officials, outsid e Chang Men,19 in Soochow . Characters Th e Prefect of Soochow , CHEN G YÜ, fifty-five year s of age , willing to enact his duties honestly. H e has a good reputatio n a s an official. The Magistrate of W u Hsien,20 HSIAO YEN , forty-five year s of age , an avaricious official. The Sungkiang Prefect, LI P'ING-TU, approximately fift y year s old, sycophant o f th e gentry. Pron e to bend the law to increas e his own wealth, he is widely known as Li Po-p'i.21 The Hua-t'in g Magistrate, WANG MING-YU . HUNG A-LA N and th e grou p of peasants . HAI Jui, fifty-fou r year s old, bear d already half whitened, wearing ordinary, everyda y attire . Hai Jui's mother, HSIEH SHIH , seventy-on e years old, o f ster n an d upright disposition . Sinc e her husband died while sh e was still in her youth, she alone has educated Ha i Jui an d raised him to manhood . Hai Jui has the utmost respec t for her. Hai Jui's wife, WAN G SHIH . Sh e is his second wife. Sh e is thirty years of ag e and o f a meek and timid disposition. Sh e greatly respects Hai Jui but als o fears that his unbending principles will bring misfortune. She often advises him against doing things, but afte r h e explains his reasoning to her, she fully support s him. HAI P'ENG , th e age d servant of th e Ha i family. He is resolute, loyal, and sincere, but fearfu l tha t Ha i Jui wil l offen d someone . H e to o tries t o dissuad e Hai Jui a t times . He is fully devote d t o hi s master. Also, he suffer s fro m contradictions , bu t i n th e en d h e i s always straightened ou t by Hai Jui. An officer, and a great many soldiers . Enter a group of officials, officers, and soldiers, accompanied by banners, parasols, and shouting. CHENG YÜ Gentlemen , Censor Hai has already started o n his journey fro m Nanking, but t o dat e he has still not arrived . I fear this will be yet anothe r fruitless tri p on our part . HSIAO YEN Whe n the eunuc h Huan g Chin, superintendent of th e Imperia l Silk Factory, hear d tha t Ha i Jui wa s coming, th e ol d man's bi g sedan chair was reduced fro m eigh t t o fou r men.

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LI P'ING-TU Yes . And w e hav e som e gentr y righ t her e wh o hav e gone ou t a t night and smeared black paint ove r the re d gates in order to avoid any unnecessary trouble.22 WANG MING-YU Gentlemen , everyone describes Hai Ju i a s an absolutely honest an d upright official , bu t whe n all is said and done, what kind o f ma n is he? CHENG YÜ Whe n I was in the capita l many years ago, I knew a little abou t wha t kind o f ma n Censor Ha i was. Gentlemen, I shall give you a bit o f a description: sings Recognized as the most uprigh t o f men , he gave himself th e nam e Kang-feng.23 Near the clos e of th e Chia Ching Reign24 he memorialized th e throne, provoking the emperor's wrath . He tried t o persuade the emperor the pursui t of immortalit y wa s wasted effort : "Whether w e speak of ancien t time s or modern , was there eve r a man who neve r died? If one squander s wealth on sacrifice s while th e affair s o f th e people ar e neglected, the people will all complain, and war, poverty, an d distress arise from al l directions . Now the peopl e use 'Chia Ching' to signif y 'every house is empty.'25 Unless a change is made, the state will be endangered; you will then not dar e to fac e you r ancestors. " He scolded th e empero r bitterly an d the empero r flew into a great rage. H e was going to condem n Ha i Jui to death. H e ordered some men to apprehen d him and not le t him escape. Afterwards it became known tha t Hai Jui had already put hi s last affairs i n order, and the emperor was so taken aback he did no t kno w wha t t o do . Ha i Jui was locked u p in the Imperial Prison an d endured all sorts of punish ments. Onl y when the emperor died was he pardoned and let out of prison. No w that he is coming to Kiangnan, gentlemen, you will have to watch your steps . Hsiao Yen, LiP'ing-tu, and WangMing-yu pale and become very nervous and jumpy. 29

CHENG YÜ Th e weather is absolutely scorching . Le t u s now tak e a little rest in the Officia l Welcomin g Pavilion. When th e herald s arrive, we shall come back out t o welcom e him. Tha t wil l be soo n enough. Come, let us go back to the pavilion. All exit together. HAI JUI offstage Let us hurry forward. Enter Hai Jui, Hsieh Shih, Wang Shih, and Hai P 'eng, together. HAI JU i sings I have imperial orders to tour the Ten Prefectures, first to Chin-chang. This will allow me to fulfi l my ambition to help the weak against the strong. Kiangnan is a place of ric e and fish , but th e land tax there is high. It is often sai d that above there is heaven, while below there is Su-Hang.26 But evil gentry and extortionate official s tyrannize their fellow countrymen; so badly do they use the people that many of th e sufferin g hav e fled. People are poor, there is no money, and the lifeblood of th e country is drying up. I, Hai Jui, i f I will serve my emperor, must tak e these matters into my own hands. WANG SHIH Th e perspiration is flowing lik e rai n righ t through m y clothes . Although the scener y is very pretty, I simply cannot enjoy it . HSIEH SHIH Son , how fa r do we still have to go from her e to th e cit y of Soochow ? HAI JU i W e go directly ahead , not muc h farther, and then we are at Soocho w City. Th e weather is scorching hot. Mother , how abou t restin g fo r fifteen minutes or so and the n going on? HSIEH SHI H Jus t a s you say . HAI JU i Look , up ahea d there is a grove o f trees . Please, mother, have a rest there. Ha i P'eng, lead the way.

Exit Hsieh Shih, Wang Shih, and Hai P 'eng. 30

Enter Hung A- Ian and a crowd of peasants. THIRD PEASANT Th e weather i s scorching hot. Le t us have a little rest before goin g on , eh? Goo d lady , you ar e cryin g an d sobbin g s o uncontrollably, wha t has been done t o you ? HUNG A-LAN I am going to Soocho w t o launch a complaint a t the governor' s yamen. THIRD

PEASANT Who m are you filing your complaint against? HUNG A-LAN I am going to file against the thir d so n of th e Hs u family in Hua-1'ing County an d agains t th e Hua-1'in g Magistrat e for seizin g land , kid napping, an d murder. THIRD PEASANT Pleas e tell us a few details about th e case . HUNG A-LAN Ah , me! Heave n help me! sings The evil Hsu Ying tramples on our rights , using his power to seiz e our land . Old men are beaten t o death, girls kidnapped, and I am driven to beseec h Heaven. The Hua-t'ing Magistrat e shielded the defendant and put th e blame o n me. With an anxious heart I rush to Soocho w to report thes e thing s to the governor. Hai Jui listens attentively, shaking his head. THIRD PEASANT Ca n it really be true that there ar e injustices such as these? FIRST PEASANT Ho w can it be untrue? W e all saw it with ou r ow n eyes . sings In an old grave and a new one ar e buried father an d son, two generations, A son hounded t o death , hi s father beaten to death, his daughter kidnapped . Buried in this ground will be the injustices of thre e generations . HAI JU i Wh y do you no t g o and report i t to th e officials ? SECOND PEASANT Excus e me sir, but yo u woul d have no way of knowin g how it could 31

be that w e would not repor t suc h a thing. Whe n i t wa s reported , the injured perso n was beaten to death . HAI JU i I f this was the case , what law did they rel y on for their judgment? FIRST PEASANT The y sai d it was a false accusation , tha t he had falsel y accused th e gentry. HAI JU i Wh y did they sa y it was a false accusation ? Wa s there an eyewitness? FIRST PEASANT Yes , his family's head servant gave evidence. HAI JU i What ! Ho w can a bond slav e be a witness for his master? Well , what testimony di d he give? SECOND

PEASANT He said that on the day of the Ch'ing-ming Festival, Third Master Hsu spen t the entir e day reading at the home of a hsiu-ts 'ai of thi s city, an d what is more, that he never went outside the city. HAI JU i Wha t Third Maste r Hsu i s that? FIRST PEASANT Th e Third Master Hsu of th e famil y of Gran d Tutor Hsu. I s there any other? HAI JU i No , you ar e quite right. Sinc e Third Master Hsu never went outsid e the city, how could he stil l b e i n th e countrysid e kidnappin g and beating people ? FIRST PEASANT Bah ! D o you thin k w e were all seeing a ghost in broad daylight ? W e all watched hi m commi t thi s kidnapping and beatin g with ou r ow n eyes. HAI JU i The n it was your own fault. Sinc e you sa w it with your ow n eyes, why did you no t g o and give evidence? SECOND PEASANT Oh , sir , sings When we all go into cour t t o appea r as witnesses, the magistrate grows rich on the bribes he receives. The words of th e gentry he believes absolutely, but he has difficulty acceptin g what poor men see with their own eyes. 32

HAÏ jui Th e speech of th e gentry is automatically true and the testimon y of poor people is automatically false. CROWD O F PEASANTS Exactly . HAI jui I n this case the gentry was only one man and there ar e many of you . When you had all had your say, did he still not believ e you? FIRST PEASANT Sir , how could you know the suffering s an d hardships of u s poor people? W e are all tenants of th e Hsu family. How could we dare t o say anything more? HAI jui Oh ! Yo u are all tenants of th e Hsu Family . ALL THE

PEASANTS Ou r lands and fields have all been seized by the Hs u family but w e still hav e to han d ove r the rent s and d o corvé e labour. Truly , we have a bitter time of it . HAI jui Thi s is your own fault too. Wh y do you not repor t it? FIRST PEASANT Sir , you ar e not a local man, and so it is not surprisin g that you thin k the way you do. Th e prefect is the famous Li Po-p'i27 and the magistrate i s an absolutely corrupt official . Ho w coul d we dar e t o la y a complaint? sings The yamens of th e official s ar e opened wide, but i f you have only evidence and no money, you stay outside . From the highest level s to the lowest, it is always an official's world , and they say the poor have only themselves to blame that they do not liv e better. HAI jui Amazing ! Bu t if you canno t report i t to the prefect or the magistrate, where are you goin g now? THIRD

PEASANT W e are going to lay our complaint a t the yamen of th e Soocho w Governor. HAI jui Th e Soochow Governor. Then does he not deman d money, and can he see that justice is done for you? THIRD PEASANT Exactly . Th e newly appointed governor is Hai Ch'ing-t'ien, and he 33

certainly ca n see that justice is done for us. I f yo u listen , I shall tell you about him . sings Many years ago when I was selling rice in Shun-an, everyone talked o f th e fairness and impartialit y of th e official , Ha i Ch'ing-t'ien. He decreased the number of courier s and implemented th e "single whip policy."28 The mouths of th e people ar e as tablets, recording the merits of a good magistrate and praising him. He abolished the li headmen, 29 removed some bad traditions, instituted many good policies . He encouraged the people in their farming, regarding them a s his own children, and all who had previously fle d returned . Clothed i n broadcloth, livin g only o n vegetables, he endured a very hard life. He rounded up bullies, eliminated scoundrels, saw justice don e in court. When he was transferred and had to leave, the common people he had helped were very grieved. HAI jui D o you trul y believe that he can act on your behalf? THIRD PEASANT O f course he still ha s not arrive d to tak e up his post. W e are just going by all the reports that say he lets the commo n people stat e their grievances and gets them redressed . Bu t if he will not ac t fo r us, how can he still retain the nam e of Ch'ing-t'ien ? HAI jui I see. Thank you fo r your information . Sound of drums and music from the rear. SECOND PEASANT Her e come the official s ou t t o receive Hai Ch'ing-t'ien. Le t us get a look at Hai Ch'ing-t'ien. HungA-lah and all the peasants push forward and collide head-on with the group of officials, officers, and soldiers. A soldier knocks the Third Peasant down; in helping him up, Hai Jui then bumps into Li P"ing- tu and both are knocked off balance. 34

LI P'ING-TU Yo u blind ol d fool, you knocke d m e over! Bea t this ol d good-for nothing! A soldier raises his whip, Cheng Yü restrains him, and the crowd of officials, officers, and soldiers goes off. Exit Hung A- Ian and all the peasants in a fright. HAI jui Thi s petty little officia l wit h suc h a n awe-inspiring reputation ! sings The common peopl e com e in droves to lay their complaints . Supporting thei r aged, leading young by the hand , they flee to the remotest parts , all because avariciou s official s behave no better tha n pack s of foxe s and dogs. They squeez e and bleed the poo r an d proffer bribe s that work agains t the people's good . This one uses his awesome reputatio n to intimidate an d push others around . It is obviously hi s habit t o treat other s with haughtiness an d contempt . As Governor of Kiangnan , Hai Ju i will nourish an d protec t the interests o f th e masses. I shall sweep all these evi l officials away , repress the sinister , suppor t th e virtuous. In a word: I shall restore the fabri c of ou r society an d destroy th e tyrants . I shall fulfi l th e ambition s I have cherishe d through m y entire life , exits

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SCENE 4 Meetin g with Hsü Time Te n days later. Place Th e mansion of Hs ü Chieh in Hua-t'ing County. Characters HA I JUi , wearing a silk cap an d long red robe . HAI P'ENG.

HSU CHIEH , seventy-fiv e years of age . His beard is streaked with white and grey. He is small, short in stature, with a fair complexion . He carries himself elegantly . Dresse d in ordinary clothes . A domestic servant of the Hsü family.

Hsü Chieh enters with a domestic servant following in attendance. HSU CHIE H sings I held th e power of th e stat e in my ow n hands for twenty years. Such was my calibr e as a statesman, my portrait wa s painted fo r posterity . Only on retirement di d I come to experience th e joys of countr y living . I can laugh at the nobilit y and I envy not eve n the immortals . I, Hsü Chieh, have been prime minister durin g two reigns , and I am among the most famou s men o f m y generation. I retired becaus e of my advanced years, and now my estates an d properties ar e scattere d through th e lengt h an d breadt h o f Wu. I have a thousan d servant s and I a m ric h an d hig h i n rank . Wha t els e i s there t o wis h for ? A month ag o I read in the Peking Gazette tha t Ha i Kang-feng had bee n transferred t o th e governorship of Kiangnan . I have not see n him fo r many years, but i f he come s here I know h e wil l certainl y d o som e outstanding things . sings I am glad that m y ol d frien d brings his banners to gover n this place. A man of integrity , the olde r he grows, the more resolut e h e becomes. We shall renew our ol d association , discuss poetry an d literature, be an inspiration for youth . He will rule long and with grea t benevolence towards the masses.

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Oh-oh, hold on. I was at court fo r many years, but m y children lived in the country, and there was inevitably always some affair arisin g from their insultin g and ridiculing of the peasants. This man Kang-feng i s extremely ol d fashioned . Wha t shall w e d o i f he shoul d di g any of thi s up? contemplates I know, I had definitel y better give my childre n some further instruction o n these matters and control the m rigorously. I cannot let them sti r up a lot o f troubl e needlessly . Even if he starts trying to dig things up, a s long as there i s nothing concret e for him t o get his hands on, we can meet the situatio n satisfactorily. Really , I am very happy i n one way, and yet quit e apprehensiv e at the sam e time. Enter a domestic servant. SERVANT I beg to infor m the Grand Tutor tha t the Honourable Censor has come to pay his respects. HSU CHIEH As k him i n quickly, an d soun d the drum s of welcome . Sound of drums and music. Enter Hai Jui with Hai P 'eng following. HAI JUI Gran d Tutor. HSU CHIEH Kang-feng . HAI JU i Sinc e I have taken up thi s post, many public affairs an d responsibilities have kept me occupied, an d only toda y hav e I come to pa y my respects. Please forgive me. HSU CHIEH Wha t is Kang-feng talking about? Th e empero r has especially dis patched yo u t o come an d govern this place and we are all grateful fo r this blessing. I am old an d m y strengt h ha s declined , s o I have no t gone to grea t lengths to welcom e you. I hope you will excuse me. They bow and then sit down. HAI JU i I have not see n you fo r many years. You have become more robust and perky tha n ever . HSU CHIEH Than k you, thank you, but I am old and of n o use whatsoever. Bu t my teeth are still good an d I can still eat meat. Kang-feng , I presume that your honourable famil y has accompanied you to thi s post? HAI JU i M y mother's ag e is very advanced, but sh e is also still very robust. M y wife has come with me to look afte r her . HSU CHIEH Good , good. Anothe r day , I shall send my daughters-in-law to cal l on them. 37

HAÏ JU i Yo u are too kind . HSU CHIEH Kang-feng , I am honoured b y your visit today , but wha t is it yo u wish to spea k to me about? HAI JU i I have come to pay my respects to th e Grand Tutor. Bu t the secon d reason for my coming is that I want to as k your advice . HSU CHIEH I f I know anything tha t can help you, I shal l of cours e be entirel y sincere with you an d tell you everything . HAI JU i Th e Grand Tutor wa s an important statesma n at court an d you ar e an elder in this place. Yo u will certainly have a profound understanding of th e merits and demerits of politic s i n Wuchung.30 Thi s is the firs t time I have ever been here. I have hopes that you will condescend t o give me some instructions concernin g what the firs t priorities shoul d be in relation t o government . HSU CHIEH H a ha, Kang-feng, you ar e too modest , but sinc e you wan t me t o speak, I shall not tr y to beat aroun d the bush. I shall be perfectly direct wit h my old friend . sings The wicked people in the are a of Wu are characteristically vicious and stupi d and so frivolous about litigatio n that pending cases are piled high a s a mountain. To rule without coercio n o r petty regulation s requires great courage. Uphold the law and use it to preserve peace in this time o f instability . HAI JU i Than k you fo r your instructions . I f the wicke d people su e frivolously, I shall of cours e uphold th e la w and kee p peace . An d i f th e gentr y break the law and oppress good people ? HSU CHIEH Kang-feng , you hav e been absolutely uprigh t an d straightforwar d all your life. Eve n to the late emperor, your word s were entirely direc t when you admonishe d him. You will leave a fragrant nam e in history. I expect you will b e even more direc t with th e gentry here. sings The great law of th e Imperia l Court is promulgated throughout th e land . 38

Princes and common peopl e must al l receive the sam e treatment. Wolves barring the way must be scattered ; do not put asid e your precious sword.31 HAI JU i Man y thanks for your advice . Ah , Grand Tutor! sings I recall years ago at the emperor' s court, anxiety made me lose sleep and forget to eat . I had the courage to fac e the late emperor and admonish him to rectif y bad political practices . Now I shall dwell in the countrysid e as the universal hope of th e peasants here. I shall set an example for the youth by strict adherenc e to the law and by a long and peaceful rule . There is still one thing I wish to as k you about . HSU CHIEH Pleas e do . HAI JU i Hun g A-lan, a peasant woman of Hua-t'in g County, has launched a lawsuit accusing someone i n your household o f seizing people's fields , kidnapping a girl, and viciously beating an innocent man . Ho w should I handle it ? HSU CHIE H pales What ! I f such a thing has happened, who i s it sh e has accused? HAI jui Hs u Ying. HSU CHIEH H e is my thir d son . Kang-feng , you remembe r what kind o f a man I am; yo u have a profound knowledge of me . Thes e lands and estates of min e were all purchased wit h cash . Ho w ca n anyon e tal k about them bein g seized? M y son Hsu Ying is a law-abiding man. Kidnap ping and beating people? H e certainly woul d not g o so far as to com mit foolish crimes like that. I have just tol d yo u ho w thes e wicked people i n Wu characteristically mak e false accusations . Kang-feng , you must pay absolutely n o attention t o thei r falsehoods . HAI JU i Ther e is absolutely no trut h t o thi s affair ? HSU CHIEH Ther e is absolutely nothing to it . 39

HAÏ JU i Wha t if this affair wer e true? HSU CHIEH Wha t if it were true? Ther e is not on e chanc e in ten thousan d tha t it is true. HAI JU i Wha t if the on e chanc e in te n thousan d occurre d an d th e evidenc e was really factual? HSU CHIEH I f there wer e proof, you shoul d do a s you se e fit an d handle it accord ing to law. HAI JU i Good ! Good ! Accordin g to law, then. Well said. Tha t bein g the case, I shall take my leave of you . HSU CHIE H Goo d day . HAI JU i Goo d day. Drums and music. Hsu Chieh bows and Hai Jui exits. HSU CHIE H A i ya! Thi s affair whic h Kang-feng was just talking about! I f on e thing leads to another , this is really going to be terrible. Le t me call Hsu Ying in here and I shall find out th e fact s of thi s thing. Servant , summon the Third Master to com e in here. SERVANT Callin g Third Master! Enter Hsu Ying. HSU YIN G Allo w me t o pa y m y respects , father. Wha t is it that has prompted you t o cal l me? HSU CHIEH Someon e ha s accused you o f kidnappin g and beating people. Ca n there be anything t o this ? HSU YIN G Why , damn! Yes , it i s true, but th e cas e has alread y been settled . HSU CHIEH Wher e was i t settled ? HSU YING I n the Hua-t'in g Count y Court . HSU CHIEH Ho w wa s it settled ? HSU YIN G Th e District Magistrate told me to sa y that o n that da y I was studying at the home o f a hsiu-ts 'ai in this city an d never left th e city . The n he had the ol d man who had laid the charge beaten to deat h publicly . H e settled th e cas e by getting rid of th e plaintiff. 40

HSÜ CHiEH pales A i ya! H e beat the man to death! H e beat the ma n to death ! You said you neve r went outsid e th e city . Who did yo u hav e fo r a witness? HSU YIN G Hs u F u wa s a witness. HSU CHIEH D o you mea n the Hs ü Fu o f my household? asks Hsü Fu Wer e you the witness? HSÜ FU Gran d Tutor, i t was no one else but you r bond slave. HSU CHIEH Tha t i s no good. Tha t will not d o at all. Ho w can a family slave be a witness? t o Hsü Ying You ! Thi s case is now going to be reporte d at the governor's yamen. You fool! Ho w do you thin k you ar e going to handle it this time? HSU YIN G Father , what is the problem abou t this? I t canno t com e to mor e tha n our having to spen d som e more money again . Wit h the peopl e the y have for officials thes e days, I cannot imagin e that ther e coul d be one who does not lov e money . HSU CHIEH Oh , you fool ! D o you kno w who th e governo r is? HSU YING Doe s it matter wh o he is? Whoeve r he is, he cannot be more than a governor. HSU CHIEH Bah ! Idiot ! Yo u have rushed headlong into a calamity. Thi s governor cannot be compared to othe r men . He happens to be Hai Jui, the one honest officia l o f thes e times . H e is honest, upright , an d absolutel y incorruptible. H e is resolute an d selfless and if he judges this case according to law, you simpl y need not thin k abou t living any longer. HSU YING alarmed M y God! Ha i Jui! Father , what can be done about this ? HSU CHIEH Wha t can be done about this ? Wha t can be done about this , indeed ? HSU YING Father , I have done something wrong. We must think o f a way out . HSU CHIEH Bah ! Ther e is no alternativ e to be considered. Goo d God! First , h e beats someone half to death 32 and then he gets his bond slav e to tes tify fo r him. Wha t can on e d o abou t a thing lik e this ? .. . I have it ! A virtuous ma n ha s way s of handlin g things . Hs ü Ying, com e clos e to me so that I may whisper in your ear . 41

HSU YING Yes . Hi s father whispers in his ear and Hsu Ying looks pleased. HSU CHIEH M y son, I order that fro m no w o n n o on e i n thi s famil y i s t o g o needlessly provoking trouble an d committing crimes . HSU YIN G Yes , father. HSU CHIEH I mean it! Thi s cannot go on any longer . HSU YIN G I understand, father. I shall leave now. exits HSU CHIEH A i yai yai! Thi s charge of kidnapping and beating is indeed legitimate . When Hai Jui an d I were talking just now, I was not careful . I said to o much. I f Kang-fen g takes a firm stan d o n the law, there i s no doub t that he will be difficult t o dea l with. Wait ! Ther e is another sid e t o it. I did a kindness for him once in the past. A virtuous man repays a kindness with kindness. I would calculat e tha t h e woul d no t tur n on me now. I think m y son' s lif e ma y stil l be saved. Anyway, I cannot think o f anything more than this . I f it is the wrong move then i t is the wrong move, but th e only thing I can d o is to tr y t o handl e i t this way . We shall se e how h e handle s thing s an d cros s our bridges when we come to them . I n a word: I do not worr y about nationa l affairs , bu t famil y affairs , And I would serve as a slave for th e benefit of m y children .

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SCENE 5 A mother's counse l Time Thre e days later. Place A n inner court i n the Soocho w Governor' s yamen. Characters HA I JUI HAIP'ENG HSIEH SHI H WANG SHIH

Enter Hsieh Shih and Wang Shih with a slave girl following in attendance. HSIEH SHI H singS

As my so n prepare s to reconven e th e cour t and loo k int o thi s case , so diligen t i s he , loyal an d devoted , that h e forget s to sleep , ignores his food . WANG SHI H SingS

He wil l eradicat e the greed y official s and thei r rapaciou s underlings. Young an d ol d wil l all taste happines s together . HSIEH SHI H M y daughter-in-law! Thes e last few days Ha i P'eng has been comin g to me saying that in every street an d alley there i s a babble of discus sion. The y sa y that th e eye s of heave n have been opened. The y say there reall y are som e standard s of justice and tha t ther e is a living Buddha fo r ever y family . Som e sa y that sinc e h e ha s take n u p hi s post, the dike s have been maintained an d the people have been saved from th e calamit y o f floods ; they sa y that Ha i Lung Wang 33 has come to earth. Th e Wusung River also floods afte r extende d rain s and he has already begun dredging operations on it. Moreover he has personally gon e to th e rive r to superinten d the labour. Th e refugee s have all gone joyously to join i n the work. Beside s this, he has surveyed the land and implemented the equitable "single whi p policy." When she hears words like those, his old mother feels very happy . Having a son like this makes an old woman like me fee l tha t al l her efforts i n bringing him up have been well worth while . 43

sings I think of bringin g up this fatherless child and the sadness in the black of th e night : taught th e Book o f Odes an d the Book of History, trained to be filial, disdaining anything improper . We hired a strict an d stern tuto r to make him study diligently ; he placed firs t in the local examination . He became a magistrate, eliminated crue l abuses of th e people , restored th e basic rules of society . Nowadays, as the Governo r of Kiangnan , he occupies a very high position. His responsibility i s very great and the people al l look up to him in hope tha t he will help the m in their tribulations . WANGSHIH Oh , mother! sings I have followed my husband through te n years of hardshi p i n official life . As an official, he has been uncompromisingly uprigh t loyal, an d brave enough to peel the scale s off a dragon. Imprisoned i n the imperia l dungeon, flogged in the audienc e chamber, your son has nearly lost his life. With his upright characte r he is difficult t o dissuade, but stil l I hope that you might counse l him to be more moderate. HSIEH SHIH Daughter-in-law , your husband i s an honest an d conscientious official and he has a wide reputation fo r being resolutely incorruptible. H e was dismissed fro m offic e withou t warnin g and imprisoned, but h e is still the same as he always was. What he say s is exactly wha t he means and a hundred trial s will not wea r him down . Thi s i s precisely what i s so good abou t him. I t woul d b e best i f you stoppe d worryin g so much about him . 44

WANG SHIM Yo u ar e right . Enter Hai Jui, dressed in ordinary clothes, with Hai P'eng following. HAI JU i sings The gentry and the evi l official s are feeding on the fa t o f th e people . The resentment of th e peopl e bubbles and boils; their hatred will be hard t o overcome . When troops prepar e for battle , wanting to shoot men , they first shoot th e horses out from under them . The various affairs o f stat e in Kiangnan require most carefu l consideration . WANG SHIH M y Lord. HAI JU i Greetings , my wife. I pay my respects, mother . HSIEH SHIH I am glad to se e you. Si t down beside me . HAI JU i Than k you, I shall. Ah ! HSIEH SHI H M y son, since you have come here t o this post yo u d o no't think o f food o r drink and you have not ha d a peaceful slee p for many days. You should work hard as an official, but a t the same time you shoul d not overd o it and wear yourself out . HAI JU i Man y thanks for your advice, mother. I shall take heed. Onl y ... HSIEH SHIH Onl y what? HAI JU i Ah !

HSIEH SHI H Wh y does my so n heave such a long sigh? HAI JU i Ther e is so much that you d o not kno w about mother . Sinc e I have come to thi s position, the commo n peopl e hav e flocke d t o accus e Grand Tuto r Hs u of seizin g their fields , allowin g his so n t o ac t wickedly, oppressing the littl e people , an d shieldin g th e gentry . I t does seem that he is concerned with wealt h rather tha n virtue. Hi s third son , Hsu Ying, usurped the property o f th e Chao family, kidnapped an orphan girl 34 in the Chao family, hounded th e onl y Chao 45

son until he died of chagrin . And on top o f al l this, he bribed a corrupt official to beat to deat h a n injured member of th e Chao family. Many years ago, the Grand Tutor stil l had a good reputation a t the court an d he saved my life . Bu t th e way he seems now! Oh , this man! sings Although he's maske d as a moralist, discussing propriety an d duty, evil lurks within him . His son inflicts injuries on the commo n people , amasses property an d wealth . Lending money at high rates , seizing land, they ar e truly shysters . His virtues are false and his vices are real; of tha t there is no doubt . HSIEH SHIH M y son, it is not eas y to know th e natur e of men . Ther e i s no us e crying over spilt milk. 35 H e was kind to you, but nevertheles s he has come to hate th e common people. Do you hold with private favours? What about your duty to appl y the law of the country? Oh , my son ! sings Fifty year s you have studied the classic writings of Confuciu s and Mencius. Han Dynasty people buried cart-wheels 36 and wiped ou t th e evil classes of people . In this dynasty, Prefect K'uang reversed unjust prison sentences . With ancient an d contemporary me n a s examples, why should you hesitate ? HAI JU i Thos e ar e my sentiment s exactly. Very well, mother! Tomorro w I shall reopen the court. The first thin g I shall do is to dea l with Hsu Ying according to law. Second, I shall make the Hs u family give back all the property which the y have taken forcefull y fro m th e people . Third, I shall issue a proclamation sayin g that any gentry who have unlawfully seized land from the people must return it to th e origina l owners, under penalty o f law . But I particularly wanted to hear your advice, mother . HAI P'EN G M y Lord, excuse your ol d servant for speakin g frankly. sings Throughout the entire country, those i n official position s 46

mistreat th e commo n people . Though the y suffe r pai n and distress, nowhere ca n they see k redress. Grand Tutor Hs u has great influence and is of a vicious and siniste r mind . Do not do anything hast y that might bring a hornet's nest dow n on your head . HAI JU i Wha t you sa y is not correct . I t certainly will not d o for me to b e afraid o f th e Hs u family, just because it has great influence! sings What is it in your experienc e that accounts fo r this kind o f talk ? Though I , Hai Jui, have endured man y hardships , yet my will remains undiminished. Getting rid of th e tyrant s and assuaging the people's anger requires a man's will. However great his power, I will deal with him . WANG SHI H M y husband, there i s still merit i n Hai P'eng's words, and I still hope you will think the m ove r carefully. sings These severa l years you hav e received the emperor's favour , an d your rank has risen steadily. Protecto r of thi s region and overseer of it s great affairs , you have formed flawless plans. But i f yo u kil l Hsu Ying, uphold th e country' s law, ignore your own concerns, they will say you hav e forgotten old obligations, and cas t aside favours that were done you . On top o f that , thin k o f hi s power. His connections are both loca l and at court ; his power is immense. This is no smal l matter: consider it most carefully . Do not le t this result in the sorro w and trouble o f hi s wrathful retribution .

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HAÏ Jui M y wife, what ar e you talkin g about? Whe n that Hsu Chieh allows his son to ac t wickedly, if I , Hai Jui, paid attention t o personal obligations and forgo t th e la w of th e country , how coul d I fac e m y beloved mother, o r the emperor, or the people? sings When the so n of Gran d Tutor Hsu is kidnapping girls and committing murder, and the people lose their property and are taxed int o poverty , what is the use of studyin g great books if I consider private obligations and forget the law? To protect th e border s and comfort th e common people , one must govern very fairly. HSIEH SHIH M y son, my daughter-in-law , Hai P'eng! I f one i s to hee d the sacre d books and do virtuous deeds, the law of th e country must be upheld and th e people delivered fro m thei r hardships. M y son must b e con cerned only with the impartial observance and implementation o f th e law. H e should thin k onl y o f answerin g to th e empero r o n th e on e hand, an d maintaining the peace of th e people on the other . sings I am glad my son applies himself to the people's problems , putting first the upholding of th e law. To wipe out th e tyrants and support th e smal l and weak is to b e very virtuous. Grand Tutor Hs u is a man o f wid e experience. His calculations have far-reaching consequence. But his son has flouted the country' s law and surely must be punished . Your mother an d wife suppor t yo u i n the family and are unconcerned wit h high position. With simple, homely foo d and plain clothes and shoes , we can be happier than th e gods. Even if it means that som e of thes e peopl e will undermine you, caus e your downfall, you can return to Ch'iung-chow and enjoy the sigh t of gree n water and blue mountains.

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HAÏ JU i Man y thanks fo r your advice, mother. M y wife, mother ha s become weary, how about taking her into the cour t fo r a little rest? Exit Wang Shih, supporting Hsieh Shih. HAI JU i Ha i P'eng, go and issue the order fo r the cour t t o resum e sessions to morrow. Summo n everyone connected wit h th e case of Hun g A-Ian to appear . The official s of the tw o prefectures of Soocho w an d Sungkiang will sit in judgment on the case. There must be no mistake about this. HAI P'EN G Ver y well, exits HAI JU i I n a word: I must apply the law s of th e emperor, and kill these greedy, corrupt officials , exits

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SCENE 6 Th e lawsuit is continue d Time Th e next day. Place Th e Great Court in the Soocho w Governor's yamen. Characters HA I JUi . The official s o f Soocho w an d Sungkian g prefectures. HUNG A-LAN an d a large group of peasants . HSU YING, accompanied b y HS U F U (wearin g the ca p an d gow n of a hsiu-ts'af). The director o f th e Hua-t'ing District Academy. Standard-bearers, officers, soldiers, and many yamen runners. Enter the officials of Soochow and Sungkiang prefectures. CHENG Y Ü recites Every day I wait before the yame n gate for a n audience. LI p'iNG-T U I t makes me fee l very worried inside and il l at ease, HSIAO YE N Wh y do they no t com e and summo n us? WANG MiNG-YU Nigh t an d day , I feel a s if I am sitting on pin s and needles . HSIAO YE N Gentlemen , Censor Hai came to thi s position wearin g everyday apparel, and so we did not receiv e him. Now he shuts his doors up tight an d never comes out an d for the most part never receives any military o r civilian officials. All he does every day is go to th e rive r to superintend labour . An d he summons the lower classes and th e poor, the peasants, workers, and merchant s to him sc that h e can ask them questions. Does no one know th e reaso n for this ? CHENG YÜ I t was his own doin g that w e did not mee t him an d welcome him, since he entered th e city wearing ordinary clothes . I do not thin k this would cause him to blame us for anything. It is just tha t since taking office he has not resume d public business or the sitting s of the court. Everything is in a state of limbo , waiting for him to d o something. Whe n he never comes forward to tak e up his responsibilities, i t is certain to make people anxious . LI P'ING-TU I t certainly i s strange! Firs t he orders us to com e here an d wait for an audience, and then, severa l days later, he still has not summone d us. Doesn't anyone know wha t the purpos e o f thi s is? 50

WANG MiNG-Yu Ever y day we have come here t o wai t before the yame n gate for an audience, yet ther e stil l i s not a sign of lif e fro m i n there. I t really does make a person anxious . Enter a standard-bearer. STANDARDBEARER Hi s Lordship ha s ordered th e gat e to be opened. Cour t is now in session. Exit the group of officials. Enter officers, soldiers, and y amen runners, to the sound of drums and music. Enter Hai Jui, wearing a red robe and silk cap. HAÏ lui recites Restore th e rul e of law , in the name o f th e people ; injustice mus t be redressed. The people hav e suffered crue l treatmen t and can bear no more . The gentry hav e presumed t o conduct themselve s in an evil and vicious fashion. Slaying the scal y dragon and shooting the tige r are affairs fo r a man. Why should on e deserve a plaque fo r virtuous government simply fo r doing his duty? I, the Ying T'ien Governor, Hai Jui, sinc e taking office, hav e been investigating the unreasonable an d unlawful conduc t o f th e ric h gentr y class. Avaricious and corrupt official s hav e been oppressing the people . In cases where there i s factual evidence against the peopl e concerned , we shall expend ou r ful l effor t i n eliminating the evildoers . Th e stat e has punishments to dea l with them . Today , I am reopening the court . I am determined t o se t up a system o f law s which wil l relieve the suf fering o f th e people. Attendants , call all the official s t o com e i n here before me . STANDARDBEARER Th e official s o f Soocho w an d Sungkian g prefectures are to com e i n before th e governor . Enter all the officials, each announced as he presents himself. ALL TH E

OFFICIALS Th e officials o f th e tw o prefecture s of Soocho w an d Sungkiang report to the Honourable Censor . Whe n Your Lordship cam e here t o fill this office, w e missed th e opportunity t o welcome you. W e beseech your forgiveness. HAI Ju i Than k yo u very much for coming t o welcome me. Bu t the reaso n

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you did not meet me was that I cam e to tak e up m y dutie s wearin g ordinary clothe s an d without usin g a dispatch horse , s o what is there to forgive ? Moreover , we have met before , so why i s any further formality necessary? LI P'ING-TU Ma y I as k His Lordship th e Censo r where i t wa s that w e me t pre viously? HAÏ JU I I t wa s right i n fron t of th e Officia l Welcomin g Pavilion. Pleas e lif t your eye s and let us recognize one another . All the officials look up, startled. Li P"ing- tu becomes alarmed and flustered; he feels like crawling into a hole. HAI JU i Ther e i s a matter I wish to tal k ove r with you. Pleas e be seated . ALL THE

OFFICIALS Than k you . CHENG YÜ M y Lord Censor, I summon al l my courag e in order that I might dar e to as k you if you have fixed a date t o resum e business and allow com plaints to be heard? HAI JU i Wh y is it necessary to selec t a date? I am resuming business right to day and I shal l allo w complaints t o b e heard . Standard-bearer , pro claim the resumption o f official busines s and the openin g of th e cour t for complaints . STANDARDBEARER You r command is received. The standard-bearer takes the seal and stamps the tablet proclaiming the opening of court. A soldier picks up the tablet and goes off. HAI JU i Gentlemen . ALL THE

OFFICIALS You r Lordship, th e Great Censor. HAI JU i Ho w do yo u conduc t yourselve s as officials ? ALL THE

OFFICIALS W e are absolutely hones t an d meticulousl y carefu l officials . W e manage things i n th e interes t o f th e Imperia l Court, an d w e mitigate th e misery of th e commo n people . HAI JU i I s that a fact? Yo u really manage things in the interes t o f the Imperia l Court, and mitigate the misery of th e common people ?

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ALL THE OFFICIALS Absolutely .

HAI Jui H a ha! Well , since you ar e all absolutel y hones t officials , ther e i s a case about which I would like to question al l you gentlemen together and hear your judgments. Where is the Hua-t'ing Distric t Magistrate? WANG MING-YU I am here. HAI jui I would like to as k you how you dispose d o f the cas e of Hun g A-Ian? WANG MING-YU Thi s case ... this case ... I handled it with justice. I t i s already settled . HAI Jui Wha t was your way of settlin g it with justice? WANG MING-Y U Hun g A-lan charged that on the da y of the Ch'ing-min g Festival, Hsu Ying had kidnapped her daughter and beaten her father-in-law , caus ing him seriou s injury. I summoned th e accused and made a n inquiry. On tha t day of th e Ch'ing-ming Festival, Hsu Ying was a t Schola r Chang's house , studying . Moreover , he neve r went outsid e th e city . It was obvious that the vicious person was making a false accusation , so I drove her out o f the court . We cannot tolerat e suc h cases as these. HAI Jui I f Hsu Ying never went outside th e cit y o n the day of th e Ch'ing-min g Festival, who can testify to that effect ? WANG MING-YU Th e Hsu family's head servant accompanied him i n attendance and h e testified i n court. HAI Ju i Oh ! Ther e was a witness. The Hsu family's bond slav e was a witness! Good! Th e next thin g I would like to as k you abou t i s the manne r in which Chao Yü-shan died. WANG MING-Y U Why , why... it happened whil e I was giving him a few very light stroke s of th e cane. Wh o could know that because he was s o old, he woul d just go suddenly - like that? HAI Ju i H a ha! H a ha! Ho w well you pu t it : h e just went suddenly. I t i s a good thin g that you handle d everythin g accordin g t o justice. Stan dard-bearer, summon Hung A-lan and th e witnesses concerned t o come into court. The standard-bearer calls out the summons. Enter Hung A-lan, all the peasants, Hsu Ying, and Hsü Fu.

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HUNG A-LAN wailing bitterly You r Worship! Redres s the wrong s which have been done me! HAI Jui Ther e i s no need for you t o lament i n this way. Jus t speak the truth. HUNG A - LAN Oh , Your Worship ! sings Having suffered injustice , full o f bitterness, I have harboured thi s grievance until now . My husband, his land seize d by evi l tyrants, was s o vexed he die d of chagrin . During the Ch'ing-ming Festival they stol e my beautiful daughter, brutally bea t my father-in-law. Why did Magistrate Wang beat th e injure d party t o death , on perjured evidence ? HAI JU i He r land seized , her husband hounde d t o death , he r daughter kidnapped, her father-in-la w beaten t o death . Ho w pitiable, how pitiable! Disgusting , disgusting! Oh , how hateful! Hs u Ying! HSU YING I am here . HAI ju i Hun g A-Ian has accused you o f usurping land, of kidnapping , and of beating people. Ca n these thing s be true ? HSU YING I am a junior member of th e famil y o f a statesman , a very scholarl y family. How could I stoop t o suc h a lawless act? Moreover , on that particular da y of th e Ch'ing-min g Festival , I actuall y never went outside th e city . I have Scholar Chan g of this city as a witness. This case has alread y bee n fairl y concluded b y Hi s Worship, Hua-1'ing District Magistrat e Wang. S o I hope Hi s Honour th e Grea t Censor will not simpl y listen to th e version given by these wicke d people , but wil l hav e some regar d fo r my father' s positio n and settl e this case justly. HAI JU i Sinc e there i s a witness, it shoul d be easy t o settl e this case . HSU YING I shall give my evidenc e through a n intermediary and , according t o the universal principle, if the evidenc e is false, I am willing to under go the appropriat e punishment . HAI jui I t is wonderful o f yo u t o sa y that yo u ar e willing to undergo punish ment i f your evidence is false. Schola r Chang. 54

HSÜ F U I am here . HAI JU i Yo u must tell the truth . O n that da y of th e Ch'ing-ming Festival, was Hsu Ying really at your house studying ? HSÜ F U Tha t i s the absolut e truth. O n that day, Third Maste r Hsu was not only studying , bu t writin g a n essay. HAI JU i Wha t essay was he writing? HSÜ F U agape with astonishment H e wrote th e "Thousand Character Essay." No, that i s not correct . Wha t he wrot e wa s the "Hundre d Famil y Surnames."37 Hsu Ying pales, stamps his foot. HAI JUi banging the table Th e nerv e of you , yo u blackguard . Wha t shoul d the punishment b e for impersonating a hsiu-ts 'ail HSÜ F U I would no t dar e to d o suc h a thing. M y cap is legitimate;38 I am no t an impostor . HAI JU i I t i s legitimate; yo u ar e not a n impostor. Well , that i s good. I would like to ask you, wha t year did you enter the academy ? HSÜ F U Why , why .. .

HSU YIN G I f I may infor m th e Honourabl e Governor , I can testif y tha t he reall y is a hsiu-ts 'ai fro m th e Distric t Academy . HAI JU i Silence . I s the Directo r of th e Hua-1'in g Academy here? ACADEMY

DIRECTOR I am here . HAI JU I I s he a graduate of you r school ? ACADEMY

DIRECTOR I have neve r see n hi m before . This ma n i s certainly no t fro m ou r school. Hsu Ying trembles; Hsü Fu kneels on the ground. HAI ju i So ! Th e great gall of you , you villain! T o impersonate literati an d give fals e evidenc e i n orde r t o brin g undeserved sufferin g o n goo d people! Attendants , take him out an d flog him to death . 55

HSÜ F U kowtows Sav e my life, Your Worship. I shall testify accordin g t o the real facts . HAI jui I f you tel l the rea l facts, I shall spar e your life. Wh o are you? HSÜ F U I am Hsu Fu , Thir d Maste r Hsu's servant. HAI Ju i Sinc e you ar e a servant, why di d you impersonat e a hsiu-ts 'ail HSU F U I deserve to di e but I was ordered t o impersonat e him . I did not d o it voluntarily . HAI ju i Impertinen t bon d slave , I shall ask you onc e more. Wher e did Hs u Ying go on the da y of th e Ch'ing-ming Festival ? HSU F U H e went to th e graveyar d on Heng Yün Mountai n for a n outing . HAI ju i Wa s Chao Hsiao-Ia n kidnapped b y Hs u Ying, and where is she now? HSU F U I kidnapped he r o n the order s o f th e Young Master and we gave her a fearful beatin g when sh e would not submi t t o him. A t present, she is still locke d u p i n his house. HAI jui Wh y did you als o beat Cha o Yü-shan? HSÜ FU Whe n we were carrying out th e kidnapping , Chao Yü-shan blocke d our way. S o the Young Master ordered u s to bea t him . HAI JU I Ho w seriou s were his injuries? HSU F U H e had scar s all over his body. Hi s injuries were very grave. HAI JU i Th e Hua-1'in g Magistrate examined th e injuries , so how wa s it tha t he said ther e weren' t any ? HSU F U O n the order s o f th e Youn g Master , I bough t of f th e prefect , th e magistrate, and the coroner. Th e coroner accepte d ou r bribe and he therefore sai d that ther e wer e no injuries. Li P 'ing- tu and WangMing-yu arise, trembling. HAI JU i Ho w much di d yo u brib e them ? Wh o witnessed it ? Spea k th e truth.

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HSÜ F U Thre e hundre d tael s o f gol d for th e prefect , and two hundred tael s of gol d fo r the magistrate . WangMing-yu, Li P'ing-tu, and Hsü Ying kneel down, trembling. HAI JU i Di d you yoursel f han d i t over? HSÜ F U I t wa s handed ove r by me personally . HAI JU i Wha t were the circumstance s of Cha o Yü-shan's death ? HSÜ FU H e was beaten to death by the Hua-t'ing District Magistrate. Thi s is how the lawsuit was won. HAI JU i Di d you se e this with your ow n eyes? HSÜ F U Wit h my ow n eyes . WangMing-yu, Li P'ing-tu, and Hsü Ying kowtow, confessing their crimes and begging for mercy. HAI JU i sings These avariciou s and corrupt official s are entirely withou t conscience . It is in vain that the y dress in the officia l robe s of th e court . Today I shall certainly quel l the resentment o f th e people . The law will be as firm and solid as a mountain, showing no mercy . This is the sentence : Hs ü Ying abducted a girl, savagely beat a common man, bribed th e prefect, and gave false evidenc e which le d t o the killing of anothe r man . I n accordance with th e law, he will b e strangled. As for his family property, asid e fro m wha t i s returned t o his victims, the rest will be confiscated b y the state . Cha o Hsiao-Ian is to b e reunited wit h Hun g A-lan. Wang Ming-yu received bribes , administered th e law crookedly, an d killed th e plaintiff b y beating . According to law, he will b e beheaded. L i P'ing-tu, nickname d L i Po-p'i, you have been greedy, corrupt, an d dishonest. Yo u are to be stripped of your ran k and imprisoned a t the pleasure of the Imperia l Court. Hs ü Fu ha s impersonated a hsiu-ts 'ai, given bribes, an d com mitted perjury . Considering that h e did not d o this voluntarily and that he has, moreover, now testified accordin g t o th e law, he shal l receive one hundred stroke s of th e cane and banishment fo r thre e

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years. Th e coroner ha s received bribes and committed perjury . He will be stripped of his duties, and according to law he wil l receiv e one hundred stroke s of th e can e an d banishmen t fo r tw o years . Gentlemen, are the sentence s fair ? CHENG YÜ Th e Great Censor has removed th e abuse s of th e people . I suppor t you. HSU YIN G kowtows Grea t and Honourable Censor, please have regard for m y father's face an d sav e my life . HAI JU i Silence . Whe n a prince violates the law , the punishmen t i s the sam e as for a n ordinary man . Tak e him away . The soldiers bind WangMing-yu, LiP'ing-tu, Hsü Ying, and Hsü Fu, and all exit. HAI JU i Hun g A-Ian, do you hav e anything more t o say ? HUNG A-LAN You r Worship has erased the hatre d amon g the people . Lon g life t o you, nobl e sir . kowtows HAI JU i Elders, 39 th e da y before yesterday we had a chat. Man y thanks fo r your counsel . Thi s case is now closed; i s there anythin g you woul d like to say? FIRST PEASANT You r Worship's judgment is extremely fair ! I t i s only that our lands were stolen by the Hsü s and other gentr y families . The property i s gone but th e taxe s remain, so that th e live s of th e peopl e ar e full o f hardship. W e hope that Your Worship can also do something abou t this for us. SECOND PEASANT Please act in our interest , Your Worship. THIRD PEASANT

HAI JU i Standard-bearer , I want you t o issu e this order fo r me and publis h notices of it . Withi n the tim e limi t o f te n days, every gentry family which has seized land from th e peopl e will return all of it . I shall not accep t an y delay. I f the y disobey , the y wil l be punished accord ing to law. STANDARDBEARER You r command i s received.

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ALL TH E kowtowing You r Worship has acted fo r th e people . Fro m no w o n PEASANTS ther e wil l be happy days in store fo r th e poor people o f Kiangnan ! We are much oblige d to you fo r your kindness. W e shall return hom e and paint a portrait o f Your Worship, which we shall honour mornin g and evening! all sing

These day s we shall look up t o Heaven above, We shall plough an d so w diligently , restoring orchards and gardens. While we have land, what worry have we for clothe s an d food ? A promising futur e lie s before our eyes . Our humble thanks , Your Worship! HAI JU i Ther e i s no need t o g o on like this. Yo u had bette r leave now. Exit Hung A-Ian and all the peasants, still expressing their gratitude. CHENG Y Ü HSIAO YEN W e shall take ou r leav e now. HAI JU i No t s o fast. W u District Magistrate. HSIAO YEN Yes . HAI JU i Yo u are greedy, corrupt, an d extravagant. Yo u have a bad reputatio n as an official . D o you acknowledg e these faults ? HSIAO YEN I acknowledge them . HAI JU i Yo u are cashiered an d sen t home. Standard-bearer , remove his silk cap. Standard-bearer removes Hsiao Yen's silk cap. Exit Hsiao Yen. HAI JU i Prefec t of Soochow . CHENG YÜ Yes . HAI JU i Yo u are to instruc t al l the official s t o pu t thei r mind s at ease and re sume their duties . Ther e i s no need t o harbour an y uneasiness. CHENG YÜ Ver y well. I shall go now . Exit Cheng Yü. 59

HAÏ jui H a ha, for ten day s now I have had t o occup y mysel f solel y with th e handling of thi s case. Th e irrigation system on the Wusung River is right in the middle of repair s and the Pai Mao River needs dredging. The reforms of th e "single whi p policy" must be extended t o th e people. I shall do all of thes e things one by on e and the commo n people will breathe a little easier . I n a word: I shall expend ever y effor t to eliminate greed and corruption , and revitalize government. I intend t o act in the interest s of th e common people , exits Exit the standard-bearer and soldiers, carrying a placard, beating a gong, and reading out the proclamation. STANDARDBEARER Al l gentry and commoners, hea r this: Censo r Hai of th e Imperia l Court of Censors, Governor of Ying T'ien and the Ten Prefectures, in relation t o the matter o f returnin g land, proclaims for all to know : Evil gentry tyrants have usurped land belonging to th e people. Th e innocent people , having lost their property, ar e in a state o f helpless dependence and hardship. Accordin g to the law of th e country, th e land is to b e given back. Whoeve r dares to disobe y will be inviting punishment. All the people listen quietly and then go off, dancing happily to the sound of drums. Exit standard-bearer and soldiers.

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SCENE? Askin g a favour Time Thre e days later. Place Th e yamen of th e Soocho w Governor . Characters HA I Jui an d HA I P'ENG . HSU CHIE H an d a domestic servant from the Hs u household . Enter Hsu Chieh, dressed in ordinary clothes and riding on a sedan chair, with his domestic servant following in attendance. HSU CHIE H sings I regret that I left th e Imperial Cour t and lost th e emperor' s favour. I have no alternative now but t o protect m y estate for my children ; otherwise al l my efforts will come to nought . Oh, how bitter, to have an unfilial son who acts so rashly and violates criminal law. In my old age, to have to watc h my grandson, son, and daughter weeping in their grief, how can my heart endur e it? I shall forget my fac e an d go to beg my old friend to overloo k th e law and act according to his feelings. Ah! Thing s have come to suc h a state that I can no longer have any regard fo r face. As long as I can succeed i n my plea tha t m y son should not die , we need not bothe r t o quibble abou t anythin g else . Ah! continues song But I hope tha t Censor Hai will remember our old friendship and lend a helping hand t o sav e his life. If I can get this , though I gnash my teeth to the roots , I shall forsake my property , and whether the y fine me lightly o r heavily, I shall comply . We have arrived at the Governor' s yamen. Servant , go forward and announce us. SERVANT Wh o is on th e gate ?

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YAMEN SENTR Y Wha t Í S it ?

SERVANT Gran d Tutor Hsu pays a return visit to Censo r Hai. YAMEN SENTR Y Wai t here while I report it . Excus e me, Your Worship, Grand Tuto r Hsu has come to pay respects . Enter Hai Jui HAI JU i Gran d Tutor Hs u has come to retur n my call . Indeed , so he has. Come in, please. HSU CHIE H Kang-feng , th e da y before yesterday40 you cam e to se e me. Today , I have come especially to retur n your visit. HAI JU i I am greatly honoured. Pleas e be seated . HSU CHIEH Than k you . HAI jui A m I correct in judging from th e Gran d Tutor's appearance that ther e is something troublin g you ? HSU CHIE H Yo u certainly ar e correct. Oh , Kang-feng! sings In my ol d ag e and feeble infirmity, Hsu Ying, the violator of th e law , is my son . I beg you t o conside r me and cover up his crimes, and give him a light sentenc e to comfor t me . HAI JU i Gran d Tutor ! sings Stealing land, abducting girls is a heavy crime . Open bribery, killing poor people : you have no care whatever for the law. How can the la w be so elastic as to b e changed a t will? HSU CHIE H Lor d Hai , every other so n that I have raised has alread y died. O f all my children, ther e i s only thi s one son left. I still have the hope tha t you wil l remember my ol d ag e and show som e leniency. sings In my ol d age , I love my so n and he looks afte r m e from dawn to dusk . The love of parents for thei r offsprin g i s a happiness ordained by Heaven. 62

I beg you, deig n to remember me, bestow some pity on me. I shall be grateful fo r your kindness, repay you r goodness and remember it forever . HAI Jui Gran d Tutor, you kno w al l about th e love you hav e for your son , bu t do you know anything about Hun g A-lan's daughter, or her husband , or her father-in-law? An d it is not onl y Hung A-larf. Besides her, ho w many orphans and widows are there? Ar e they al l people withou t par ents or sons and daughters? sings The law of th e lan d remains as firm and steadfast as a mountain . The Grand Tutor onc e instructe d me that when the law is broken, no matter if th e offende r b e of noble ran k or low, both princ e an d pauper will be treate d with absolut e equality . HSU CHIE H Oh ! Oh ! Yo u are right. I did sa y something to tha t effect . Bu t many years ago, Lord Ha i was incarcerated in the Imperia l Prison, and it was I who went before th e emperor with entreatie s for your release . No w there i s a chanc e fo r yo u t o repa y th e favour . I beg you t o thin k i t over once more. Oh , Lord Hai! sings You were punished man y years ago for violating the law of th e emperor . How can you forge t tha t it was I who begged for your release? I put m y head int o th e lion's mouth , I interceded with th e emperor . It is only becaus e of thi s that yo u ar e here today a s governor of thi s area. HAI jui Gran d Tutor, many years ago I irritated th e late emperor , an d it is true that i t was through yo u I was released an d saved. But I had sen t in a memorial criticizing th e emperor because I was loyal to m y sovereig n and loved my country. Ho w could tha t be considered committin g a crime? Hs u Ying has beaten people an d transgressed the crimina l law. This is an unpardonable offenc e an d it is abundantly clear that th e two things are not comparable . Ho w can you spea k about the m i n the sam e sentence?

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sings Hai Jui is loyal to his emperor and has a fragrant reputation ; Hsu Ying is a ruthless offende r of th e law of th e land . "Maintain a fair balance and uphold th e law, " the Grand Tutor has said. "When eliminating evil , first on e must eliminate the wolf that blocks the way. " HSU CHIEH Tha t i s right! Tha t is right! I really did sa y those thing s about main taining a fai r balanc e and upholdin g th e law. And sinc e thi s i s th e case, I am willing to hand over a part of m y estate in order to aton e for m y son' s crime . sings My son has broken th e law ; I have no fac e left . I shall give land to pa y fo r his crime; I shall pay grain for military provisions . The law states clearly an offenc e can be paid of f i n grain. You can sav e a man's lif e and simultaneously uphol d th e law. HAI Ju i Handin g over land is another thin g altogether . I have already issued a proclamation statin g that any gentry who have usurped land belonging to the people will have to restore it to the original owners, under penalty of law . Your family has stolen tw o hundred thousan d mou* 1 fro m the people. I t will be returned to the m as a matter of cours e under the law. sings The gentry surpas s even the tiger and the wolf in treachery. They usurp the land of th e peopl e and then the y pay no taxes . The people i n Kiangnan lead cold an d lonely live s of hardship . Unless their stolen land's returned, they will not lon g be able to go on. HSU CHIEH turns his back t o th e audience Tw o hundred thousan d mou\ Tw o hundred thousan d mou\ Yo u want to have the land returned and carry out th e deat h sentenc e as well! Yo u are making me furious . 64

Hai Jui, Ha i Jui, you hav e gone absolutely mad! faces Hai Jui Al l right, Lord Hai, you had better listen to what I have to say : sings You are a man who conduct s himself very sternly an d strictly. You see only one sid e of a problem, ignoring the majo r aspects , but disaste r yet await s you. All the gentr y you have injure d will be of th e sam e mind an d purpose , and I fea r that you wil l not b e wearing your black silk cap much longer. HAI JU i Bah ! H a ha, ha ha! M y black sil k cap? I d o no t eve n fea r death , s o can yo u imagin e how muc h les s important i t i s to m e whether I go on wearin g a black sil k cap! Al l right ! Al l right ! takes of f hi s black silk cap sings Poor students for twenty years , studying diligently as they learn to write their essays, talking of Confuciu s an d Mencius, discussing the Book of Songs an d Book of History, these people end up losing their directio n all because of you . Should I imitate th e compromisers , I would be ashamed to fac e th e emperor . Grand Tuto r Hsu , here i s my blac k silk cap, here i t is ! Ha i Jui want s not onl y t o be an official, but t o be a man, with nothing t o be ashamed of. Whe n the decre e comes, I shall return home immediately . HSU CHIEH Lor d Hai, you reall y will not tak e our ol d friendship into consideration? HAI Ju i I administer th e law of th e emperor . I could not thin k of letting per sonal considerations tak e precedence over the public good! HSU CHIEH Yo u cannot reduce Hsu Ying's sentence? HAI JU i Th e Grand Tutor has said that I should uphold th e la w and maintain balance, treating princes and paupers absolutely alike! "I f ther e was proof of th e crime," it was to be handled "according t o law. " HSU CHIE H Ther e is no way tha t the retur n of th e land can be avoided? 65

HAÏ jui Usurpin g land belonging to th e people i s absolutely repugnan t t o reason or emotion. Certainl y it shall be returned ! HSU CHIE H Yo u cannot compromis e even a little bit? HAI JU i Whe n it comes to upholdin g the law , I am absolutely implacable. I cannot compromis e even one iota ! HSU CHIE H Ver y well! Ver y well! Ha i Jui , I hope you d o no t hav e any regrets later on. HAI jui I have no thought fo r lif e o r death, glory o r shame. I decidedly will not have an y regrets. HSU CHIEH Whe n you spea k like this , does it mean that ou r friendshi p is broken off? HAI JU i I t i s finished! HSU CHIEH H a ha! Ha i Jui ! sings You are a mad and seditious man, fishing for prais e and reputation , You dare to d o injury to th e entire gentry class collectively. You refuse t o listen to thi s old man's words of wisdom, but how do you think you will end up later on? HAI jui sings There is no need for the Grand Tutor to sa y more; Hai Ju i i s patriotic and loyal to his Imperial Majesty. Even though I lose my positio n and am misunderstood, my name will still shed fragrance through thousands of years of history . Goodbye. Exit Hsu Chieh, in a rage. HAI JU i I had anticipate d that th e ol d man would com e here and mak e a scene, and indeed I was right. I do not thin k h e will be willing to just sit back and accept this . O f the various affairs o f stat e in Kiangnan, the elimina tion of th e tyrants , the land survey, implementation o f the "single whip 66

policy," the regulation of the irrigation system, and the return of the land - thes e five important matter s must be concluded a t an early date, in order that hundreds of thousand s of ordinary people wil l be able t o live happy lives, and also in order to lesse n some of th e worrie s of th e emperor. I n a word: Though I am old, my bones are proud a s ever. How could they bend to ingratiat e me with a powerful minister. picking up th e silk cap Thi s silk cap! Thi s silk cap! H a ha! H a ha! exits

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SCENES Th e counterattac k Time Th e next day . Place Th e apartments of Hs u Chieh in Hua-t'ing County. Characters HS U CHIEH . Two close friend s o f th e Hsu family . The Hsu family secretary . Enter the two friends of the Hsu family. FIRST FRIEN D recites My heart has been in my mouth eve r since Hai Ch'ing-t'ien suddenly came on the scene . SECOND FRIEND W e must mak e plans. We villains cannot just calml y watch our own defeat. FIRST FRIEND Ol d friend, Censo r Hai has issued a proclamation tha t the lan d must be returned. Wha t can we do about this ? SECOND FRIEND M y family also received a copy o f th e proclamation . Fro m th e wa y he speaks, I think he really means business. I t seem s there i s no way to get out o f returning it. FIRST FRIEND Ho w can you bea r to retur n somethin g whic h represents a whole life's work? SECOND FRIEND Wh o can bear it ? FIRST FRIEN D Wher e are you going? SECOND FRIEND I am going to fin d ou r goo d frien d Hsu . FIRST FRIEN D I' m o n my way to find him too, fo r a discussion. His third so n has been sentenced to death and our good frien d Hsu has gone to the governor's place to beg Lord Hai for leniency. I shall wait until he returns. H e will certainly have some news. SECOND FRIEND I n that case, we might a s well go there together . FIRST FRIEN D W e are here. Wh o is on th e gate? Enter a domestic servant.

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SERVANT Oh , it is you two . Th e Grand Tutor ha s still not com e back home, but you ar e welcome to wait for him in the rea r court. FIRST FRIEND The n as k the secretar y t o com e and have a chat wit h us. SERVANT I shall ask the secretary . Enter the secretary. FIRST FRIEND Th e Grand Tutor stil l has not com e home, s o we are going to wait for hi m here fo r a while. SECOND FRIEND Lor d Hai has commanded that the lan d be returned. I n every prefecture and district th e gentry are extremely angry . They ar e all discussing it and everyone hopes that the Grand Tutor will come up with an idea. SECRETARY Accordin g to his proclamation, wha t he wants returned i s the land which was forcibly seized. Thi s is something which one simply cannot argu e against. It is very difficult eve n for the Grand Tutor. FIRST FRIEND H e has posted notice s that complaint s will be heard an d thousand s upon thousand s of th e vicious people ar e coming to make fals e accusations against us gentry. Th e lower classes are upsetting everything. Wha t is this world coming to? SECRETARY Th e common peopl e i n Kiangnan always loved litigation i n the firs t place, but now , with him urging them on , they hav e gone beyond all reason. SECOND FRIEND Secretary , do you think it would be possible to hold a re-trial i n Hsu Ying's case? SECRETARY Lor d Ha i and the Gran d Tutor have been close friends fo r many years. A few days ago he even came here to call , and today th e Grand Tutor is returning his visit. I think tha t if Lord Hai attaches an y importanc e to their friendship , he will give him a lighter sentence; but still , ther e is no way of knowing . FIRST FRIEND O f course . Th e Grand Tutor wa s prime minister during two reigns and Lord Ha i has always looked o n him with favour . Enter Hsu Chieh and his domestic servant.

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FIRST FRIEND SECOND FRIEND

SECRETARY Th e Grand Tutor has returned . HSU CHIE H Yes , I have returned an d I am s o angry I could die ! FIRST FRIEN D SECOND FRIEND

SECRETARY What ? Censo r Hai does not even show deferenc e to th e Gran d Tutor? HSU CHIEH Wha t deference? H e wants the lan d returned an d th e executio n is still going to go ahead . FIRST FRIEND

SECOND FRIEND A i ya! I f even the Gran d Tutor cannot d o any thing with him , w e might a s well give up. HSU CHIEH D o not b e s o quick t o give up th e ship . I f we all discuss it thoroughly together, w e may be able to com e up wit h a n idea. FIRST FRIEND W e and al l the gentr y in every prefecture and count y hav e all discussed it already. I f the Grand Tutor can come up with a solution , everyone is prepared t o shar e the expenses . HSU CHIE H W e shall pull th e ru g out fro m underneath him. W e must ge t ri d o f this cursed official . A t present, we are enduring a temporary defeat, but whe n w e get a new official, will the world not belon g to u s again? SECOND FRIEND Yes ! Yes ! I have a plan. W e shall gather all the gentr y togethe r an d send a memorial t o th e throne . W e shall accuse him of incitin g th e wicked people , provokin g the lower classes to revolt , oppressing th e gentry, an d ruining discipline. HSU CHIE H Tha t i s no good . Whe n you sen d in a memorial t o th e throne , i t is discussed month after month for a whole yea r in some outer court . Far away water is no use in putting out a nearby fire . FIRST FRIEN D I have a n idea .. . we can expend a large amount o f money an d hire a n assassin to sta b him. Tha t wa y we shall solve the problem at its root. HSU CHIEH Tha t i s even worse. Sinc e he i s in command o f th e militar y an d ha s personal guards, it could no t b e done. I n the secon d place , if by on e chance i n ten thousan d th e schem e shoul d lea k out , remembe r that to murder th e greatest officia l o f this territory i s no smal l crime . 70

FIRST FRIEND

SECOND FRIEND Thi s is no good, tha t i s no good. I f that is the way you feel , we had better admi t we are beaten. HSU CHIEH Wha t do you mean , beaten? Let' s al l try t o thin k of anothe r idea . SECRETARY Gran d Tutor , I have an idea. FIRST FRIEND

SECOND FRIEND Let' s hear i t quickly . SECRETARY Accus e him of oppressing th e gentry - o f course you should accus e him. Bu t i f you wan t i t t o b e handle d quickly , yo u mus t wor k through a n insider . I f ther e i s someone a t th e palac e whom th e Grand Tuto r know s well, write him a letter in your hand, sen d him an expensive gift, an d get him to expedit e th e approva l of the mem orial. The n pul l some strings and brib e som e of you r friend s fro m this are a who are now officials i n the capital to han d i n the memoria l accusing him. Wit h a double-barrelled attack lik e this, we shall hi t him fro m al l sides at once. A s soon a s he leave s here, ou r situatio n will be a thousand percen t happier. HSU CHIE H Thi s is an excellent plan. W e shall pull the ru g out fro m under him and get immediate results. However, if he is only transferred to an other post, it will not satisf y my hatred o f him . I shall b e satisfie d only i f we can fix it s o that he can never become a n official again . FIRST FRIEN D

SECOND FRIEND Indee d it i s a good plan , and fo r our part , we as k the Gran d Tutor t o go ahead with it . HSU CHIE H sings To protect thei r families , many friends engaged in long discussions. Combining the idea s and strength of man y men, we'll set the trap. We'll send someon e to secur e an insider, and I shall write a letter. Then we shall wait and see how yo u mak e out, Ha i Kang-feng! FIRST FRIEND

SECOND FRIEND I f this is what we ar e going to do , ther e shoul d b e no delay . Al l the gentry will share expenses equally, and we must sen d someone

71

immediately. H e should start o n his journey t o the capital by this very evening. HSU CHIEH S o it is the opinio n o f m y friend s that I shoul d sen d th e lette r im mediately. We shall need to raise three thousand taels of gold among us: tw o thousand tael s fo r th e eunuc h i n th e palace , an d on e thou sand for our colleague in the capital. We had better all discuss which of th e official s i n the capita l would be best. SECOND FRIEND Ta i Feng-hsiang, tb&KeiShih-chung^ o f Chia-hsin g is a relative of mine. Hi s family has also been forced to return land, so he wil l certainly be willing to expend ever y effort o n our behalf. HSU CHIEH Ta i Feng-hsiang is my student . H e definitely will make the effor t fo r us. I shall ask you t o go to th e capital, leaving immediately o n a swif t horse. What ho! SECOND FRIEND Right . I'l l have to pac k my bags, so I shall leave now. Exit First Friend, Second Friend, and Secretary. HSU CHIEH H a ha! H a ha ! He shall ride into the capita l and procure a courtier's services. I shall not res t till Kang-feng' s driven off. exits

72

SCENE 9 Dismisse d from offic e Time A certain da y fiv e month s later . Place Th e Great Court i n the yamen of th e Soocho w Governor . Characters HA I JUi . TAI FENG-HSIANG , fifty years old, newly appointed t o th e positio n of Ying T'ien Governor . HSU CHIEH . HSU YIN G an d WAN G MING-YU. Tai Feng-hsiang's standard-bearers, officers, soldier s and runners .

Tai Feng-hsiang comes on wearing a silk cap and red robe, followed by standard-bearers, officers, soldiers, runners, and a procession of banners and parasols. TAI FENG-HSIAN G KCltCS

I have come t o Kiangnan: this is a promotion. What difficult y wil l there b e in making a hundred thousan d here ? The wealthy an d the powerful I must not punish - just ignore them. I'll simpl y go along my way, not rock the boat ; all will be peaceful. I a m Tai Feng-hsiang , th e newl y appointe d Yin g T'ien Governor . Yesterday, a letter came from th e Grand Tutor, askin g me to hurr y there. Tha t i s why I am galloping there i n great haste. Exit Tai Feng-hsiang and his party. Enter Hsu Chieh. HSU CHIEH recites I gallop on my way to welcome th e ne w governor, doing all I can to sav e my son' s life . The clerk i n the crimina l departmen t of the governor's yame n has told m e the imperia l decre e from the fal l assizes will arrive within a day o r so. Already the ne w governor, Tai Feng-hsiang, has started his journey here to sav e my son . I am galloping to welcom e the newl y appointe d governo r and tha t i s why I am in this great hurry . 73

Hsü Chieh gallops offstage, whipping his horse. Enter a standard-bearer. STANDARDBEARER Hi s Lordship summon s you int o court . Enter a crowd of officials and soldiers and some runners. Enter Hai Jui, wearing a silk cap and red gown. HAI ju i recites I have received the imperia l decree, ordering the execution . I shall eliminate th e traitor s and se t up proper standards . Attendants, bring out th e tw o condemned prisoners , Hs ü Ying and Wang Ming-yu. The day of execution ha s arrived. Enter soldiers leading Hsü Ying and Wang Ming-yu, both bound. HAI jui Hs ü Ying, Wang Ming-yu: th e imperia l decree has been handed dow n calling for the sentenc e t o b e carried out. Yo u are to be execute d forthwith, signs writ o f execution Yo u two villains ! recites You disregarded the la w of th e countr y and used tha t la w for your advantage . We shall make a n example o f you , inspiring greed y people t o reform . HSU YING

WANG MING-YU Spar e our lives , Your Worship, they kowtow HAI JU I Tak e the m away . The y wil l be executed a t the appointe d time . The soldiers lead Hsü Ying and Wang Ming-yu offstage. Enter Tai Feng-hsiang's standard-bearer. STANDARDBEARER I bring an imperial decree . Drums and music. Enter Tai Feng-hsiang and Hsü Chieh, together. TAI FENG-HSIAN G B y decree of hi s majesty the emperor , th e Yin g T'ien Governor Ha i Jui i s dismissed fro m office an d retire d from publi c service. Le t all know tha t th e ne w Ying T'ien Governo r is Tai Feng-hsiang. HAI ju i Long , long live the emperor . I would like to as k the great commis sioner wha t transgressio n I have committed, tha t I should be strippe d of m y rank an d retired? 74

TAI FENG-HsiANG Official s a t court hav e accuse d yo u o f oppressing th e commo n peopl e and abusin g the gentry . HAI ju i What ! sings The gentry are ruthless and overbearing, the common peopl e impoverished ; like wolves and tigers, the gentr y create a n empty wilderness . To speak o f oppressin g them is truly utter nonsense, and to degrad e me is most unreasonabl e an d most unfair ! May I ask the grea t commissioner o n what da y the newl y appointe d governor will arrive here t o tak e up office ? TAI FENG-HSIAN G I am Tai Feng-hsiang himself. Ho w d o you do , Lor d Hai. HAI Ju i Ho w do you do , Lord Tai . Sinc e you hav e arrived to tak e up you r duties, I would lik e t o sa y a few words to you . TAI FENG-HSIANG Pleas e do . HAI Ju i sings The greatest evil in Kiangnan is the gentry , who seize the people's land , make agriculture difficult . These injurie s must be corrected . Only the land's return can keep th e peace. TAI FENG-HSIANG Silence ! I t i s precisely becaus e you hav e oppressed th e gentr y b y making them give back land, terrorized th e commo n people , an d badly mistreated the gentry, that the Emperor has dismissed you . sings One's relativ e rank o r status in lif e is a predestined matter . It is entirely appropriat e that th e masses should have a bitter time . The distinction betwee n good an d bad is precisely that between manual and mental labour . You have studied th e sacre d books o f Confucius: that you shoul d tyranniz e the commo n fol k and treat a man with cruelty , 75

and even oppress th e gentry , is very wrong. HAI Ju i Wh o is wrong? TAI FENG-HSIAN G Yo u ar e th e one . HAI Ju i Silence ! sings You say the commo n peopl e ar e tyrannized, but d o you kno w th e gentry injures them ? Much is made at court o f th e gentry' s oppression , but d o you know o f th e poverty endured by th e common people ? You pay lip service to th e principle that the people ar e the root s o f th e state . But official s stil l oppress the masse s while pretending to be virtuous men. They ac t wildly as tigers and deceive the emperor . If your conscience bothers you , you know no peace by da y or night. TAI FENG-HSIAN G Ho w do you hav e the gal l to ope n your mout h an d scol d other men? You make me furious . HSU CHIE H Gentlemen , why don' t both of yo u sto p quarrelling and be mor e agreeable? Kang-feng , som e tim e ago I gave you som e good advice. I urged you no t t o sti r up everyone's ange r and not t o chea t th e gentry, bu t yo u woul d not listen . No w you ar e dismissed from offic e and leavin g here, and I have a few words for you . sings In your period o f middl e age, your faculties remain acute . You have tasted bitterness for severa l decades now. You have been overzealous in applying the law. In your prejudice and radicalism you injur e people . The last time we talked, our conversation was unpleasant; This time you hav e fallen , and far-reaching changes have occurred . I advise you t o cultivat e and refine yourself, and i f you ge t a post again, do not indulg e yourself like this . 76

HAÏ JU i Oh , Grand Tutor Hsü! sings The Grand Tutor's words are completely lackin g in thought. Hai Ju i i s dismissed from office , but wit h a fragrant reputation . As a man, I am on th e insid e what I appear to be on the outside . To secretly conspir e fo r the downfal l of anothe r is a dishonourable deed. HSU CHIEH Wh o has secretl y conspired ? HAI JU i Yo u have ! sings You have been a t court and held stat e power in your hands . You talked of ethics , explained Confucius an d Mencius , and related detail s of th e forme r kings. Your sons who lived in the countr y seized land an d property, abducted women , profferre d bribes , and acted altogether withou t conscience . But suddenl y you foun d a crafty wa y to pull the woo l over our sovereign' s eyes, and you hav e falsely accuse d th e commo n peopl e of bein g the wolves and tigers . You say the gentr y ar e being victimized and are unable to spea k out , but yo u ca n hardly escape the hatred o f al l the people . Where will you hid e now? I, Hai Jui , have lost my blac k sil k cap , but m y conscienc e i s clear. One day I shall b e a n official agai n and once agai n the law will b e enforced with rectitude . HSU CHIE H Yo u are so obstinate tha t ther e i s nothing more t o b e said . STANDARDBEARER Th e appointed tim e has arrived. Please give the orde r to carr y ou t the punishment . TAI FENG-HSIAN G

HSU CHIEH alarmed Wha t punishment ? 77

HAÏ JU i I have already received the imperia l decree. Hs u Ying and Wang Mingyu are to be executed forthwith .

HSU CHIEH What ! starts,

pales, and begins t o tremble

TAI FENG-HSIANG Orde r the executio n t o b e stopped . HAI JU i Orde r the executio n t o g o ahead. TAI FENG-HSIANG Th e newly- appointed governor orders that the punishmen t be stopped . HAI JUi Th e present governor orders that the executio n g o ahead. TAI FENG-HSIANG Lor d Hai, you canno t kill them . HAI JUi Wh y not? TAI FENG-HSIANG I have received personal instruction s fro m Secretar y of Stat e L i an d Inspector Fen g tha t i n deference to Gran d Tutor Hsu's advanced age and his service to his country, Hsu Ying is to be reprieved. We are just awaiting the imperial decree. HAI JUi Wher e is the imperia l decree? TAI FENG-HSIANG Th e imperial decree is following us and will arrive later. HAI JU i An d fo r th e moment? TAI FENG-HSIANG Fo r th e moment, I am issuing the orde r that in accordance with th e instructions fro m th e secretar y of state an d the inspector , a reprieve is to be granted. HAI JU i Yo u cannot go issuing orders. TAI FENG-HSIAN G Wh y not ?

HAI JU i I still have not hande d ove r to you. Th e Great Seal and the Arro w of Authority ar e still in my hands, so how ca n you issu e any orders? TAI FENG-HSIAN G I f thi s is the case , then please hand the m over now. HAI JU i Absolutel y not. I have the imperia l decree ordering me to g o ahead with the punishment . Whe n the executio n i s over, then I shall hand over to you . 78

TAI FENG-HSIANG What ! Lor d Hai ! sings To disobey a n imperial edict i s no smal l crime. You may lose your lif e an d have your entir e cla n wiped ou t before your eyes . You should respec t th e Grand Tutor's great age. Do not succum b to your urges or you will later regret it. HAI JU i H a ha ! sings I have received imperial authorit y for thi s beheading . The execution wil l of cours e proceed forthwith . How can one i n offic e heed specia l circumstances ? Even if punishment follows , it is of no concer n to me.

TAI FENG-HSIANG D o you no t eve n fear th e misfortun e o f bein g killed a s a result? HAI JU i A real man stand s with hi s head hel d high an d his feet plante d firml y on the ground . Ho w could I fea r th e misfortun e o f losin g m y lif e an d bend th e la w accordin g t o m y personal feelings ? T o d o s o would b e to brin g sham e on mysel f a s a man whos e conduc t was not pur e and incorruptible, grasping th e Arrow of Authority Standard-bearer , order the executions carrie d out . STANDARDBEARER accepting th e arrow I t will be done . Exit the standard-bearer. Three shots of a cannon are heard. Hsu Chieh collapses on the ground; Tai Feng-hsiang becomes alarmed and flustered. Hai Jui holds up the Great Seal. HAI JU i Lor d Tai , here i s the Grea t Seal . Now , I shall hand ove r to you . I shall leave now. Amazed and confused, Tai Feng-hsiang stands absolutely rigid. Hai Jui offers him the Great Seal again. The curtain falls. ENTIRE CAST SÍngS

Heaven is cold, th e eart h is freezing, and the wind whistles mournfully. The thoughts o f al l the peopl e go with thi s official a s he leaves. Father Ha i returns sout h and we cannot sto p him. W e burn incense for the Livin g Buddha of all the people. 79

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2

The role of «Hai Jui's Dismissal' in China's Cultural Revolution

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The Charges

The firs t criticis m of Hai Jui's Dismissal was widely hailed b y th e official organ s of the Chinese Communist Party as the firs t sho t fire d in the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China.1 Th e purpose of thi s chapter is to plac e Wu Han's drama in meaningful perspective by noting the political environmen t i n which i t wa s written and b y discussing chronologically the serie s of event s related to this drama, which culminated in what many commentators have described as the most crucial power struggle in the history of the Chines e Communist Party. The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution has often bee n regarded by Western analysts as a strictly political confrontation, having little or no relation to the cultural sphere. I t woul d be futile t o dwel l on the distinction betwee n the cultural and political aspect s of th e Cultural Revolution, as in China the tw o ar e inextricably related. Nevertheless, there ar e two points which shoul d b e stated clearl y at thi s time, both of which will be further amplified in the ensuing discussion. The first is that although th e Cultural Revolution di d indeed , afte r August 1966 , become a figh t fo r supremac y among competing ele ments within th e Chinese Communist Party, there i s no denying that in the early stages it was waged almost exclusivel y within th e cultura l sphere, involving plays, fables, essays , short stories , journalism, and films. Jen Min Jih Pao, April-June 1966, is obsessed with th e cultura l scene. A n editorial in this newspaper on June 2,1966, describing the writers then under attack, stated , "On the cultural front , they hav e worked t o let emperor s an d kings, generals and prim e ministers , scholars and beauties, foreign idols and dead men dominate th e stage." On June 4, the sam e paper elaborated, "Your poisonou s product s filled our newspapers, radio, magazines, books, textbooks, lectures, literary works, films, plays, operas and ballads, fine arts , music, dancing." Again , on June 8, "We criticize th e bourgeois conception o f history, bourgeois academic theories , pedagogy, journalism, and theories of ar t and literature, and all bad plays, films, an d works of literature and art." I n this sense the Cultural Revolution ma y be seen as the latest stag e of a campaign against writers and intellectuals whic h has continued unabated ever since Mao Tse-tung enunciated his thesis that all art and literature has a class character. Accordin g to this thesis 83

any art or literature not explicitl y serving the interest s of th e workers, peasants, and soldier s must o f necessity serv e the interest s of the ex ploiting classes. 2 Th e anti-Hu Feng movement of 195 5 ma y the n be seen as the direc t historical anteceden t o f th e Cultural Revolution. The second point t o be stressed, however, illustrates the futilit y of attempting to press the distinction betwee n cultur e an d politics to o far. I t will be clearly demonstrated below that althoug h literatur e has been the vehicle through which the element s attacked i n the initial stages of th e Cultural Revolution had previousl y waged their own attacks on Mao Tse-tung, important aspects of Chines e foreign and domestic policy wer e from th e beginning the rea l issues in dispute . The realm o f ar t an d literature has always been seen as a forum fo r class struggle in Communist China, and in the cours e o f the Current Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, it shoul d not b e surprising that Liberation Army Daily, th e theoretica l journal of th e Chinese Liberation Army, should warn readers that th e "enemie s without guns" are far more deadly than any armed adversaries. 3 The controversy raise d by th e criticis m o f Wu Han's drama in November of 196 5 le d directly t o al l the events which have transpired since. Thi s is not a t all to impl y tha t Hai Jui's Dismissal cause d th e intra-party political dispute which was to follow . Ther e is good rea son to believe that the Mao and Liu lines had been in contentio n within th e Chines e Communist Party a t least since the "Hundre d Flowers Campaign" o f 1957. 4 Contrar y to the beliefs of man y China scholars, there i s no clear evidence linking Liu Shao-ch'i with the opposition t o Mao at the Lusha n Plenum of 1959 . Ye t there is equally no evidence to the contrary , an d whatever the role played by Liu personally, it is quite clear that the part y was badly split fro m 1959 o n a s a result of th e Mao-P'eng confrontation. Fran z Schur mann put forwar d persuasive circumstantial evidence in the Octobe r 1966 issu e of th e New York Review of Books t o indicat e tha t Mao and Liu fell ou t onl y i n early 1966 , over the twi n issues of oppositio n to the United States in Vietnam and a reconciliation wit h th e Sovie t Union. Whatever the rol e Liu may have played i n the years prior t o 1966 , it is absolutely clear that th e substantia l elements within th e CCP leadership who continued t o favou r P'eng Teh-huai afte r the latter' s dismissal in 195 9 enjoye d a wide following among the intellectuals . Wu Han and his cronies did not "lea d th e force s o f reaction. " Rathe r they were allied with an d working for much more powerful men. I t will be clearly shown below that Mao made a number of attempts t o initiate rectificatio n campaigns against his adversaries in the field s o f literature and art prior t o 1965 . I n no case was he able to mov e th e 84

party apparatu s t o action . H e was finally successfu l i n launchin g hi s rectification campaign , no w called the Cultural Revolution, onl y whe n he began to direc t a concerted campaig n agains t the Peking Municipal Party Committe e fro m hi s stronghold i n Shanghai. Th e campaign began to tak e shap e with th e attac k o n Wu Han, which wa s shortly ex tended t o th e entire Peking Committee. Ultimatel y Mao successfull y went t o th e populatio n a t large and employed hi s immens e persona l prestige to enlis t their support i n attacking the Communist Party, over which h e no longer exercised control . The charge s levelled agains t Wu amounted t o charge s of treason. A s criticism o f Wu grew more widespread, various colleagues who ha d either co-authore d article s with him or sought t o defen d him at som e point wer e implicated. Withi n a matter o f months , a number of important politica l figure s within th e Chinese Communist Party ha d been attacke d a s the strategist s standing behin d th e supposedly anti communist writers. Afte r a deluge of attacks on a wide variety of plays, films, essays, dramas, an d anecdotes, th e officia l charg e was made that th e traitor s had thei r bas e in the Peking Municipal Party Committee.5 Although a number of Western commentators hav e recognized tha t Hai Jui's Dismissal sparke d the curren t struggle , the actua l conten t o f the play has never to my knowledge been presented in its entirety t o readers in the Englis h language, and its political significanc e has never been analyse d anywher e else but i n the Chines e press. I t i s for thi s reason tha t I have translated th e entire text here. Th e remainder of this chapter consist s o f a chronological surve y of event s from th e origins of the Cultural Revolution unti l th e end , in July 1966 , of what migh t b e called the literar y phase of th e struggle. On June 19 , 1959, a n essay entitled "Ha i Ju i Scold s the Emperor " appeared in the page s of Jen Min Jih Pao, under the nam e of Li u Mien-chih. Thi s was a pen-name use d by Wu Han.6 Th e articl e concerned th e sam e Hai Jui who appear s in the dram a translated here, a genuine historical figur e wh o serve d the Chi a Ching Emperor i n six teenth-century China . Th e author emphasize d th e fac t tha t i n traditional Chin a it was almost unhear d of tha t an y official shoul d criticiz e the emperor, an d expressed great joy a t having discovered an historica l official wh o actuall y possessed the courag e to do so . With th e advantage of hindsigh t an d a considerable body o f supportin g evidence, we can now say with reasonabl e assurance that Wu Han's publication o f this article was directly related to anothe r even t which occurred less than a month later . On July 14 , 1959, P'en g Teh-huai , then China' s Ministe r of National Defence, sen t a letter t o Mao Tse-tung i n which he articulate d his op85

position t o th e CC P general line, th e Grea t Lea p Forward , an d th e People's Communes.7 I n August of 195 9 th e Eight h Plenary Session of th e Eighth Centra l Committee was held a t Lushan in Kiangsi Province. A t th e Lusha n Conference , an historic confrontatio n too k place in which Marshal P'eng Teh-huai is alleged, with th e ai d of sev eral high-ranking supporter s within the party , to have launched a ful l assault on the leadershi p of Ma o Tse-tung, the Grea t Leap Forward (charging i t wit h failure) , and th e People's Commun e movement.8 P'eng Teh-hua i wa s Minister of Defenc e at th e time , an d it is surmised tha t he and Mao may have clashed ove r much more tha n th e Great Lea p Forward and the People's Communes . Ther e is , for ex ample, reason to believ e that P'eng an d Mao had seriou s difference s over the issu e of th e modernization o f th e Chinese People's Libera tion Army and the acquisitio n of nuclear weapons in particular. Thi s speculation i s based o n a combination o f facts . Mao' s decisio n t o acquire nuclear weapons for China appears to have been made afte r receiving only minimal Soviet suppor t durin g the Quemoy-Matsu crisis. Prio r t o the Lushan Conference, P'eng Teh-huai ha d bee n touring Eastern Europe and had bee n in close contact wit h Sovie t leaders.9 A n analysis of the Sino-Soviet disput e is beyond th e scop e of thi s study, but considerin g that th e conflic t wa s developing in 1959, i t should b e noted tha t P'eng Teh-huai ha s been regarded as a pro-Soviet elemen t withi n th e ccp, 10 tha t afte r his dismissal he was defended b y Nikita Khrushchov,11 and that i t has even been suggested that h e may have divulged secret informatio n t o th e Sovie t leader s during his 195 9 tou r of Europe. 12 In any case, Mao was able to withstand th e challeng e o f P'eng Teh huai and his supporters, an d the latter were all dismissed fro m thei r posts by a special resolution o f th e Lusha n Conference. 13 Durin g this period an d in the years immediately following, Wu Han's writings began to dwel l on the exploit s o f Ha i Jui an d to prais e him for having the courage to scol d th e emperor. Followin g the dismissa l of th e "Right Opportunist Clique " (a s P'eng an d his followers are now classified b y th e CCP) , Wu Han began to extol the virtue an d courage of Hai Jui afte r th e latter' s criticism s of an d struggles against tyrant s had resulte d i n his being dismissed from office. Thi s is clearly on e of the main themes o f Hai Jui's Dismissal, a play on which, accordin g to the preface, Wu Han began work almos t immediatel y afte r th e Lushan Conference. Two secondary themes , tha t of returnin g lan d to its rightful owners, and that of th e oppositio n b y honest official s to tyrant s who had usurped power, were also stressed by Wu Han. On September 21,1959 , Wu Han published anothe r articl e in Jen Min Ji h Pao, entitled "O n Ha i Jui." Thi s article was widely inter -

86

preted a s lauding P'eng Teh-huai. 14 Onc e more the them e of courage in the fac e o f dismissa l from offic e wa s stressed, and Wu Han called for a modern Hai Jui who would understand the people, lead them, and fight against modern bureaucratism in the sam e way that th e historical Ha i Jui had fought against the "feudal " gentry. I n 195 9 Wu Han also gathered together a collection o f short storie s he had pub lished years earlier and republished them i n a collection entitle d Javelin-Throwing. Thi s volume was also later criticized i n the course of th e Cultural Revolution. I n the most importan t criticis m later made of W u Han, it was charged that Hai Jui's Dismissal was a prelude for all the anti-part y literatur e in the years that followed. 15 Hai Jui's Dismissal was first publishe d in January 196 1 in Peking Literature an d Art. I n March of th e sam e year, Teng T'o16 began a series of article s entitled "Evening Chat s at Yenshan" which appeared in Frontline an d the Peking Daily. A s long as it continued t o be published, "Evenin g Chats at Yenshan" constitute d a series of bitingly satirical and sarcastic articles which lampooned Mao Tse-tung personally, i n a manner which i n most cases could not eve n be described as subtle.17 Whe n the Cultural Revolution was launched late in 1965 , it was stated that the period of Jun e to July, 1961 , had constituted a major campaig n by "Right Opportunist " writer s to upset th e results of the Lushan Conference. 18 On e article by Wu Han, which had ap peared o n June 7, 1961 , was particularly single d out fo r criticism. 19 In this article, Wu praised Yu Chien, another historical figur e wh o had been dismissed from office . Moreover , he state d tha t Yu Chien had been rehabilitated an d had returne d to powe r as Secretary of War (the equivalen t o f Ministe r of Nationa l Defence). 20 On October 10 , 1961, th e colum n "Notes fro m Three-Famil y Village" was initiated i n the magazine Frontline. Thi s column was jointly written by Wu Han, Teng T'o, and Liao Mo-sha. 21 B y the sprin g of 1966, "Three-Famil y Village " ha d become a household wor d through out China. 22 Th e expression referre d t o the newspaper column on one level, but o n another and more common leve l it came to denot e th e three author s mentioned above , and by extension thei r supporters and sympathizers a s well. O n May 21, 1966 , a n article i n Shanghai's Liberation Daily trace d th e origi n of th e name "Three-Family Village" t o a poem by a Sung poet, Lu Yu, concerning a high official wh o had los t his post and was spending his last day s in a place called Three-Family Village.23 The Twenty-second Congres s of th e Communist Party o f th e Sovie t Union was convened i n October 1961 . The following month sa w a proliferation o f satirical materia l by the "Three-Famil y Village " group . On November 10, Teng's article "Grea t Empty Talk " appeared. Lia o 87

Mo-sha published tw o articles on November 21. One, entitled "Wherein Lies Confucius' Greatness," characterize d Confuciu s a s a democrat. The second articl e was entitled "Joke s about Bein g Afraid o f Ghosts " and wa s interprete d a s supporting "revisionism." O n Novembe r 26, Teng T' o publishe d "Tw o Foreig n Fables " in his regula r column "Evening Chats at Yenshan," which was carried in the Peking Evening News. Ten g was later accused of havin g used this article to attac k th e CCP policy o f self-reliance . Betwee n 196 1 and 1963 , Ten g T' o alon e wrote a t least fou r separate articles on th e theme of virtuou s officials in Chinese history who wer e dismissed fro m offic e whe n they refuse d to compromise thei r principles. 24 "On Waves, " an articl e b y W u Han whic h appeare d o n Januar y 1, 1962, wa s later interprete d b y th e foremos t spokesma n of th e Cul tural Revolution a s the signal that the "Three-Family Village " force s intended t o swee p everything before them in 1962. 25 I n the Februar y 4 instalment o f "Evening Chats at Yenshan," Teng T'o wrote , The bitter cold of th e nort h win d wil l soon com e t o a n end . I n it s stead a warm east wind will blow and a thaw will soon se t in on thi s earth.26 Later it was charged that the use of the word "thaw" was a deliberate borrowing of th e vocabular y used b y th e "Khrushcho v revisionis t clique agains t Stalin." 27 O n March 29, 1962 , Ten g publishe d a n article entitled "I n Defenc e of L i San-tsai."28 Agai n the them e was that o f a "good official " dismisse d from offic e durin g the Min g Dynasty. In the mos t importan t criticis m of "Three-Famil y Village " in 1966, th e purpos e of "defending" L i was questioned, sinc e he had been dead for fou r hundred years and it was quite obviou s that no one was attacking him.29 It was also charged in 196 6 that Li Santsai was really a villain and that Ten g T'o had whitewashed his character for his own political purposes. 30 It appear s that Ma o Tse-tung and his supporters launched a counter attack against their critic s during the Tenth Plenar y Sessio n o f th e Eighth Centra l Committee, hel d in September o f 1962. 31 Ma o used this conference as a forum from which to issu e a plea that the class struggle never be forgotten an d that "Right Opportunist" tendencies among the cadres be combatted.32 Significantly , Teng T'o abandone d "Evening Chat s at Yenshan" almos t immediately afte r th e Tenth Plenary Session. 33 Thi s action appeare d to be a signal for retreat o n th e part o f "Three-Family Village. " Th e three partners entered a period of declin e an d during 196 3 an d 196 4 Lia o Mo-sha was subjected t o continuous publi c criticism becaus e of hi s article "There Is No Harm in Ghost Plays." 34 I t was later noted b y Wu Han's chief attacke r that 88

the self-criticis m published by Liao Mo-sha in this period wa s repeated almost word for word by Wu Han when he himself was attacked at a later date. 35 On June 5,1964 , Lu Ting-i, Director of th e Propaganda Department of th e Central Committee o f th e Chinese Communist Party, made an important speec h in which he linked ghost themes in Peking Opera dramas with suppor t for "Khrushchov Revisionists." 36 I n th e course of thi s speech, L u made an obvious reference to th e above-mentione d article by Lia o Mo-sha. 37 I n July, "Notes from Three-Famil y Village " was discontinued. Mao Tse-tung is said to have called for th e launchin g of a new wave of criticis m agains t reactionary bourgeois ideology a t a meeting of th e central leadership o f th e Chinese Communist Party i n September 1965.38 Shortl y afterwar d h e disappeare d from publi c view and was not see n fro m Novembe r 1965 unti l May 1966 . I t is possible that Mao was already experiencing difficulty wit h the leadershi p in Peking and that he planned the early stages of th e Cultural Revolution i n Shanghai. Thi s speculation is based on a combination o f noteworth y facts . The beginning of Mao' s absence from publi c view coincided wit h th e publication o f Yao Wen-yuan's attack o n Wu Han. Thi s article initiated th e Cultural Revolution. I n a very short time, the Cultural Revolution began to assum e the character of an attack on Peking party official s b y thei r counterparts in Shanghai. No t until the Peking Municipal Party Committee an d its official organ s were reeling under heavy attack di d Mao reappear in public. Wha t i s known fo r sur e is that when the firs t banne r of th e Cultural Revolution was raised, it was raised in Shanghai. Moreover , several CCP documents have indicated tha t Mao' s hand guided the Cultural Revolution from th e first. 39 The remainder of th e chronology presente d here show s quite clearly that th e call for the Cultural Revolution was taken up only belatedly in Peking and that when the purges began in 196 6 the y wer e directed almost exclusivel y against Peking government and party officials . The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution was launched o n November 10,1965 , with th e publication o f an article in the Shangha i newspaper We n HuiPao,w criticizin g Wu Han. Written by Yao Wen-yuan and entitled "O n th e New Historical Drama, Hai Jui's Dismissal" th e article became the model for almos t al l the criticism s later levelled against the assorte d works of "Three-Family Village" and other writers of a similar bent. Ya o charged that Wu Han was using historical characters in order to satiriz e contemporary peopl e an d events, that he was denying the basic thesis of Ma o Tse-tung which hold s that onl y th e people are the motive forc e of history, an d instead substituting the action s of a n honest and upright "saviour " as an antidot e 89

to al l the hardships whic h plague d the peasants . Further , he accuse d Wu o f desirin g to replace the stat e theor y of Marxism-Leninism with the stat e theor y of th e landlord s and bourgeoisie . H e wishes to replace the theor y o f class struggle with the theor y o f clas s harmony. Finally, Yao raises the fac t tha t in the prefac e to Hai Jui's Dismissal, Wu Han had suggeste d that ther e were things to be learned from th e old histories an d that the lif e o f Ha i Jui was worthy o f stud y today . Noting that the two most importan t theme s of th e play were the return of th e land to it s rightful owners and the redres s of grievances, Yao asked two very pointed questions . First , wa s it land refor m the readers were to learn about, or something else ? I n the words of Yao, The peasants of our country hav e already realized socialism, posses s everything, an d have established th e great People's Communes . Re turn to whom ? Th e landlords? Th e peasants? Ca n one say that, o n the road of socialism , ou r fiv e hundre d million peasants need to stud y the lesson of "returnin g th e land"? Or, second, were readers to lear n from thi s play some lesson having to do with redressing injustices? Again , Yao Wen-yuan answers his own rhetorical question : Our country i s one which has achieved the stat e powe r o f the prole tariat. I f we speak of "redressin g injustices " a t a time when the pro letariat an d all the oppresse d hav e been delivered from th e hel l on earth o f the exploitin g classes, if the landlord s and bourgeoisi e have been smashed, how can it be said .. . that there ar e any injustices t o redress? If , in the contemporary situation , h e wants us to lear n abou t the "redres s o f injustices, " I would like to ask , in the final analysis, which class has suffered th e "injustice " an d how is it t o b e "redressed"? The fac t tha t Yao Wen-yuan's article quickl y becam e a basic manual for th e prosecution o f th e Cultural Revolution an d was probably th e most widel y quoted documen t i n China during 196 6 ha s led to som e interesting speculation o n the part o f non-Chines e observers . Th e unique prestig e which th e essa y has enjoyed was linked wit h state ments in Chinese document s t o th e effect tha t Mao's guiding hand was behind th e Cultural Revolution fro m th e beginning, 41 an d was presented a s evidence that Ya o Wen-yuan was in fact Mao Tse-tung. 42 This speculation, however, appeared for several reasons to hav e little basis in fact. O n November 22, 1966 , Ya o Wen-yuan was named a member of th e Cultural Revolution Group,43 the body officiall y described a s "an orga n of power of th e Cultural Revolution."44 H e 90

was also identifie d a s the chie f edito r of th e Shangha i newspaper s Wen Hui Pao and Liberation Daily a t the tim e his essay appeared. 45 Furthermore, he delivere d a t leas t on e major publi c address, 46 an d was photographed i n public with Mao. 47 Th e period o f th e Cultural Revolution wa s one i n which Yao Wen-yuan vaulte d fro m relativ e obscurity t o a position i n the inne r circles of Chinese leadership. He became the youngest member of th e new Chinese Politburo whe n on April 28,1969, he was elected t o thi s select body b y the Firs t Plenar y Session of th e Nint h Central Committee o f th e Chinese Communist Party. Had the Taiwanese theorists wh o were so quick to equat e Yao with Mao been mor e diligent i n thei r research, the y woul d hav e discovered tha t althoug h Yao had ye t t o achiev e wid e repute , h e ha d long bee n involve d in rectificatio n campaign s against certain mem bers of th e Chines e intellectua l community . H e gaine d a certai n amount o f loca l prominence i n Shanghai during the anti-H u Feng campaign of 1955 . During the anti-rightis t campaig n of 1957 , Yao came to lead the attack o n Shanghai writers. I n the 196 0 campaign against "revisionist writers, " Ya o Wen-yuan fired the openin g sho t with a n articl e entitled , "Criticize P a Jen's Theory o f Human Nature." P a Jen was at that tim e Director o f th e Peking People' s Literature Publishing House and had formerl y been a n ambassador to Indonesia . Not until November 29,1965, did the Peking Daily reprin t Yao Wen-yuan's article. Thi s dela y of almost twent y day s formed th e basis of a later attack agains t the Peking Daily an d th e magazine Frontline b y Red Flag, th e theoretica l journal of th e Chinese Communist Party.48 Th e editors of thes e two publications were accused of criticizing the publication of th e article i n Shanghai.49 I t has als o been charged that the Peking Daily an d Frontline, togethe r wit h th e Peking Evening News, systematicall y attempted t o stifl e a growing wave o f criticis m agains t Wu Han.50 December 12,1965 , marked a shift i n tactics by th e members of "Three-Family Village. " O n this date, Frontline an d Peking Daily both published an article by Hsiang Yang-sheng, entitled "Fro m Hai Jui's Dismissal to th e Theory o f Inheritin g Old Ethical Values." This article was the firs t i n a series of criticisms and self-criticism s whic h were later identified a s "phoney" attempts t o deflect the growing criticism o f W u Han and "Three Family Village " befor e the politica l purposes of th e writers were exposed.51 Hsian g Yang-sheng appeared to chastise Wu Han quite thoroughly , bu t i t shoul d be noted tha t he treated Wu Han's errors purely a s a case o f ba d historiography an d completely ignore d the politica l implications raised b y Yao Wenyuan's articl e o f a month before . Th e questions aske d by Yao and 91

quoted earlie r in this chapter concernin g whether Wu Han was actually propagating "retur n of th e land" and "redress o f injustices " i n con temporary Chin a were not explored . Th e key question o f a link be tween Wu's writings an d the 195 9 Lushan Conference was also avoided. Wu Han published a self-criticism i n the Peking Daily o n Decembe r 27. In his confession, Wu criticized himsel f fo r having forgotten the clas s struggle, ignored class contradictions i n history, an d falsified th e rea l character of Hai Jui. Completel y ignorin g what he had sai d in the pre face t o HaiJui's Dismissal, however, Wu claimed that his writings constituted onl y "dram a for the sak e of drama " and tha t the y had abso lutely n o significanc e for contemporary situations . Jen Mi n Ji h Pao reprinted Wu' s self-criticism o n December 30.52 In early 196 6 a number of allegedl y anti-socialist literary works and their author s were subjected to criticism, 53 although th e attac k o n Wu Han grew in intensity an d continued t o be the main focus of th e Cultural Revolution. O n January 8 a stage play entitled Hsieh Yao-huan, written b y T'ien Han, 54 was described as a "big poisonou s weed " by Jen Min Jih Pao. Th e Peking Daily publishe d a secon d self-criticis m by Wu Han on January 12 . In thi s article, Wu Han expressed gratitude toHsiang Yang-sheng fo r pointin g ou t hi s errors , an d admitte d tha t his articles had lacke d adequate clas s analysis. One of Ya o Wen-yuan's most centra l theme s i n his attac k o n "Three-Family Village" i s the fact tha t th e three partner s and the publications under their control , when face d wit h attack , have consistentl y criticize d themselve s fo r forgetting th e clas s struggle. Yao maintains that, o n th e contrary , they have constantly an d consciousl y waged a class struggle against the CCP . Within a few months i t was disclosed that Hsiang Yang-sheng was a pseudonym employe d by Teng T'o.55 O n January 8, an article by one Li Tung-shin was published i n the Peking Daily, entitle d " A Comment o n Comrade Wu Han's Conception of History. " Th e article was interpreted b y Chi Pen-yu, a leading critic o f "Three-Famil y Village," as describing "the 'guiding ' thought i n Wu Han's Hai Jui's Dismissal a s a kind o f viewpoin t in appraising historical characters. " A t no point in the article , said Chi Pen-yu, was Hai Jui's Dismissal "ad mitted t o b e an anti-party an d anti-socialist product." L i Tung-shih is said t o hav e been a pseudonym fo r Li Chi, the Directo r o f th e Pro paganda Department o f th e Peking Municipal Party Committee. 56 The first significant reverberation in the political real m occurre d on March 29, when P'eng Chen, the mayor of Peking , eighth rankin g man in the Chines e Communist Party, an d long a confidante of President Liu Shao-ch'i,57 disappeared from publi c view.58 Althoug h P'eng was not see n in public after thi s date, the political implications were not fully appreciate d until he los t his position a s first secretar y of th e 92

Peking Municipal Committee o f th e CC P i n early June. Jus t prior t o P'eng's dismissal, on May 21, Jen Mi n Jih Pa o state d tha t someon e more powerfu l mus t hav e been standin g behin d th e member s o f "Three-Family Village," shieldin g and supporting them. Th e paper demanded that this person be identified . In April and May the attac k o n Wu Han reached a level of unpre cedented ferocity . "Th e Reactionar y Natur e of 'Ha i Jui Scold s the Emperor' and Hai Jui's Dismissal," b y ChiPen-yu, and "'Hai Ju i Scolds the Emperor ' and Hai Jui's Dismissal Are Two Big Anti-Party, Anti-Socialist Poisonous Weeds," by Kuan Feng and Lin Chieh, were two key article s published earl y in April by Red Flag. Th e latter was particularly significan t in that it formall y charged Wu Han with the crimes hinted a t by Yao Wen-yuan's article. Fo r example, th e tw o authors are explicit i n their allegation s that W u Han's writings con cerning Hai Jui were directly connecte d with th e Lusha n Conference. The formal charge is made fo r the firs t tim e that Wu Han's real intention was to scol d th e Chinese Communist Party an d its Central Committee. W u Han is accused o f singin g the praise s of th e Righ t Oppor tunist element s who had bee n dismisse d from office , encouragin g them no t t o los e heart because of thei r failur e and urging them t o "reassume politica l powe r and restore capitalism." Also in April, Wu Han was subjected to a widening range of criti cism in a series of increasingl y unsophisticated article s printed b y Jen Mi n Ji h Pao. Hi s family background an d class origins were thor oughly scrutinize d in the page s of th e newspaper. 59 His educational history wa s also examined. 60 O n April 13, an article in Jen Mi n Ji h Pao accuse d Wu Han of being a devoted followe r of H u Shih, and a fervent admire r an d cultural servan t of th e USA . Th e titl e o f anothe r article appearin g in the sam e newspaper o n April 27 speak s for itself: "Wu Han: Strategis t fo r th e Chian g Family Monarchists and Helper of America n Imperialism." Re d Flag, o n April 29, carrie d a long article attacking Javelin-Throwing, th e collectio n o f W u Han's satirical essays mentioned earlier . I t was alleged that thi s volume was intended t o provide "Righ t Opportunists " wit h a blueprint fo r over throwing socialis m and restoring capitalism. 61 At th e sam e time, the attac k o n Wu Han now grew into a n onslaugh t against the entir e "Three-Famil y Village" superstructure . O n April 16, Frontline an d the Peking Daily bot h publishe d a n article entitle d " A Criticism o f 'Three-Famil y Village' and Evening Chats at Yenshan." The editors of th e tw o publication s engaged in some very mild self criticism, stating that their "mind s were influenced by bourgeois and feudal ideas." 62 Yao Wen-yuan later charged that "Three-Famil y Vil lage" had been in complete contro l o f th e Peking Daily, Peking Evening 93

News an d Frontline, an d that their crime s had not been the resul t of any mistakes, but ha d on the contrary constituted a well planned and well co-ordinated campaig n against the party ove r a long period o f time.63 Yao reminded his readers that a t an earlier stage, Teng T'ohad penned a fraudulent criticism o f W u Han under the nam e of Hsiang Yang-sheng in order to diver t the main force o f th e attac k fro m "Three-Family Village. " H e charged Peking Daily an d Frontline wit h employing th e sam e tactics . The month o f May brought a flurry of attacks on "Three-Famil y Village." O n May 8 the Liberation Daily i n Shanghai published two militant articles 64 attacking Peking Daily ana Frontline fo r th e reasons stated i n the previous paragraph.65 Tw o days later the sam e paper printed a n extensive condemnation by Yao Wen-yuan, entitled "O n 'Three-Family Village': Th e reactionary Natur e of 'Evening Chats at Yenshan' and 'Notes from Three-Famil y Village.'" Yao's latest articl e came to play a role in relation t o "Three-Family Village " whic h was identical t o that which his earlier article had played in relation t o th e writings of W u Han. O n May 1 1 an article appeare d in Red Flag, further amplifyin g the extent o f the control whic h "Three-Family Village" ha d exercise d over Peking Daily an d Frontline.66 Jen Mi n Ji h Pao of Ma y 1 4 published an attack on Teng T'o,67 and for th e res t of the month ther e was scarcely an issue which did not carr y severa l attacks on him. Finally , o n May 25, the newly re-organized Peking Municipal Party Committee dismissed the editorial boards of Peking Daily wâ Peking Evening News, fired their director , Fa n Chin, and suspended publication o f Frontline. 68 It was in June o f 196 6 tha t a series of majo r politica l repercussion s occurred, moving the Cultural Revolution out o f the literary spher e and into th e aren a of a serious political struggl e within th e Chinese Communist Party itself . O n June 3 the Central Committee o f th e CCP decided t o completel y reorganiz e the Peking Municipal Party Committee.69 It was at this time that Li Hsueh-feng was transferred from hi s post a s first secretar y of th e Nort h China Bureau of th e CCP Central Committee t o that of firs t secretar y of th e Peking Municipal Committee. 70 W u Teh, firs t secretar y of th e CC P Kirin Provincial Committee, became secon d secretar y of th e Peking Municipal Committee.71 At the sam e time Lu P'ing was dismissed from hi s posts as president o f Pekin g University and secretary of th e Peking University Party Committee. 72 On June 4 Jen Min Jih Pa o made the claim that "Three-Family Village" had had its roots righ t in the Peking Municipal Party Committee.73 This was not a n unreasonable charge, in view of th e fac t that the Peking Daily an d Frontline wer e both organs of th e Peking

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Committee.74 An editorial i n Liberation Army Daily in Shanghai on June 6 made the direct accusation that "Three-Family Village" had been in constant clos e collusion wit h th e Right Opportunists bot h before an d after th e Lusha n Conference. The same editorial linked up "Hai Jui Scold s the Emperor," Hai Jui's Dismissal, "Evening Chats a t Yenshan," "Note s Fro m Three-Famil y Village," and th e three publications Frontline, Peking Daily, and Peking Evening News as component part s of a sinister plot agains t the CCP . O n June 1 7 an attack was launched against Ch'en Ch'i-t'ung, deputy director of the General Political Departmen t of th e People' s Liberatio n Army , fo r an articl e he had written entitled " A Searching Anatomy. " Red Flag launche d a two-pronged attac k on Jul y 1 . On th e on e hand i t accuse d "leading members of the forme r Peking Municipal Committee" of promoting revisionism. Simultaneously, it launched the first attack on Chou Yang. 75 Lu Ting-i was removed from hi s position a s director of th e Propa ganda Department o f th e Centra l Committee of th e CC P on July 10 , 1966, an d replaced by T'ao Chu. 76 It has been suggested that action was taken against Lu because he procrastinated i n carrying out Mao's directives on the Cultural Revolution.77 The evidence for this view is based on the fact tha t unti l Jun e neither Jen Min Jih Pao nor Re d Flag ha d participate d in the Cultural Revolution with a zeal comparable to tha t o f We n HuiPao, Liberation Daily, an d Liberation Army Daily. I t i s only by comparing these paper s from Januar y t o June , 1966, that th e difference ca n be appreciated. Jen Min Jih Pao seemed in April and May to be joining in the Cultural Revolution with great vigour. However, much of th e material it printed wa s initiated in Shanghai. Bot h of th e former publications were directly under the control of L u Ting-i in his capacity a s Director of Propaganda. 78 B y July 1 1 a furious attac k agains t Chou Yang was in progress, and during the remainde r of Jul y an d most of August it rivalled in intensit y the earlier campaign against Wu Han. Th e political struggle s that occurred afte r Augus t 1966 moved to eve n higher level s of th e Chinese Communist Party, until eventually it resulted in conflict between the two top men. Thi s phase of th e Cultural Revolution is beyond th e scop e o f th e present study .

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Evaluation o f th e Charge s

In this chapter a n attempt will be made to determin e wha t i t was that Wu Han was expressing in Hai Jui's Dismissal an d other relate d writ ings from 195 9 throug h th e early 1960s . I n order to d o this , it will also be necessary t o analys e the most importan t charge s which hav e been brought agains t him an d determine whethe r o r not the y ar e basically valid. Prior t o analysin g the charge s brought agains t Wu Han, there ar e certain observation s which ca n be made simply o n the basi s of a reading of th e play, togethe r wit h othe r articles on Hai Jui an d similar theme s by the sam e author, and a representative collection o f materia l penne d by the other two members of "Three-Family Village. " Ordinarily , it would be completely unjustifiabl e t o hold on e man responsible fo r the works of other contemporar y writers . However , very substantia l evidence has been brought forwar d to indicat e tha t Wu Han was coordinating his efforts closel y with thos e o f Ten g T 'o an d Liao Mo-sha. It has already been note d tha t "Notes from Three-Famil y Village " was jointly writte n by all three. I n the last chapter , i t was also pointed ou t that when Wu Han first came under attack, Teng T'o penne d a sham criticism of W u under a pseudonym. Moreover , in February 1961 , after Hai Jui's Dismissal ha d bee n published, Liao Mo-sha published a n ope n letter t o Wu Han, congratulating him on "breaking throug h th e doo r and dashing out... in order t o encourag e peopl e t o greate r efforts." * Therefore i t seems perfectly valid to examin e th e writings of the latte r two for theme s identical o r complementary t o material appearin g under Wu Han's name . For th e moment, le t us by-pass the questio n whether o r not Ha i Jui's Dismissal harbour s a genuine and deliberate attac k o n the Chines e Communist Party an d Chairman Mao Tse-tung. Eve n had th e pla y no t bee n so interpreted, i t is still likely tha t it would have been subjecte d t o ser ious criticism in China. Eve n to a reader with onl y a rudimentary knowledge of communis t ideolog y an d th e Marxist interpretation o f history , it is immediately obviou s that nearly all the importan t theme s an d idea s expressed here ar e anathema to Marxism-Leninism. Wu Ha n begins by tellin g us that he uses the case of Hun g A-lan t o illustrate the clas s contradictions of th e time . Ye t in the pla y itself , the problems o f Hun g A-lan are clearly not solve d through conflic t 96

involving any class contradictions. O n the contrary , th e solutio n o f her problems depends entirely on the benevolence of a n official who , Wu Han himself tells us, is entirely loyal to th e "feudal " rulin g class. The only meaningful class contradictions durin g the period in which the dram a is set would have to b e between the rulin g class of "feudal " landlords on the one hand, and the peasantry on the other. Ye t Wu Han has taken a member of th e forme r class and portrayed him as the saviou r of th e latter class. Clas s contradictions appea r to b e completely solve d once the land is returned to th e peasants. "A promising future" lie s ahead, even though th e "feudal" syste m continues. Re volution woul d seem to b e unnecessary under such circumstances. A few paragraph s after th e reference to Hun g A-lan, Wu writes of th e "longing, affection , and friendship for Hai Jui" fel t b y the peasantry . The dependence of th e commo n peopl e o n the virtue o f a saviour who emerges from th e rank s of th e rulin g class is an important them e running through th e entir e drama . In the scen e "A Mother's Counsel," it is said of the commo n people that since Hai Jui assume d office ther e has been a "living Buddha " for every household. Th e sam e term is used to describ e Hai Jui when the entire cas t assemble s on stag e at the play's close . Th e peasants remark that Ha i Lung Wang has come to earth. Thi s is almost tantamoun t t o portraying Hai Jui a s some form o f superman . Whe n Hai Jui finally brings justice to Hun g A-lan and returns the land to th e peasants, the peasants announce that when they go home the y will have a portrait o f Ha i Jui painted which the y will honour (the Chines e word is very close to "worship" ) morning and evening. I t would b e difficult to imagine anything more un-Marxist than th e fawning , idolatrous worship of Ha i Jui by the peasant s in this play. There ar e numerous other examples of idea s which simply canno t be reconciled with Marxism-Leninism. Hai Jui's unswerving devotion to th e emperor is portrayed a s a virtue. Yet it is absolutely basic to Chinese Communist ideology tha t th e emperor, as the suprem e auth ority in a system which exploite d th e peasants, was the enemy of th e people. W e see the glorificatio n of traditiona l Confucian teaching s in the description b y Hsieh Shih of th e upbringing she has given her son . In the sam e scene Hai Jui sings , "The resentmen t of th e people / bubbles and boils;/ their hatred will be hard to overcome. " Th e idea that i t shoul d b e overcome, in order to prevent the outbreak o f revolt , would immediately be interpreted by an y Marxist-Leninist as the pro pagation of "reformist" politics . There ar e times when Wu Han's viewpoints appear so "reactionary" that it is scarcely possible fo r the reade r to believe that his writings appeared in print in contemporary China. I n his essay, "On Ha i Jui,"2 97

Wu praises Hai Jui for the fac t tha t his actions never betrayed an y un seemly emotions an d states tha t h e patterned hi s standard s on thos e of th e ancien t emperors. "Eve n whe n he bea t his slaves," Wu tells us, "he neve r displayed an y anger." Late r in th e same article, Wu Han introduces as evidence of Ha i Jui's virtue the fac t tha t H o Liang-chün criticized Ha i Jui only for attempting to implemen t his reform policies too rapidly. Ho Liang-chün was the greates t landlord i n the Sungkiang Suchow are a during the perio d whe n Ha i Jui governed there, an d his father was the government tax collector. 3 Although th e discussion to thi s point show s quite clearl y that Wu Han's thinking i s incompatible wit h the basic tenets of Marxism , the instances cited s o far certainly d o not constitut e an y proof tha t th e author was intentionally attackin g the Chinese Communist Party o r any of it s leaders. Wu Han has never himself been a member of th e ccp.4 H e was a member of th e Democratic League.5 I t i s certainly conceivable that his writings simply represent the idea s of a man whose understanding of Marxis m never rose above a very low level. Indeed, this is essentially what Wu tells us in his two self-criticism s of lat e 196 5 an d early 1966. 6 Th e essence of hi s position a t that time was that through lac k of vigilance on his part, his mind wa s influenced by bourgeois ideology and he had forgotte n th e clas s struggle. I t is therefore now necessary to examin e the evidence for th e much more seriou s charges which Wu Han's critics levelled against him, thu s precipitating th e Cultural Revolution. Yao Wen-Yuan maintains that al l the writing s of W u Han an d "Three-Family Village " as a whole since 1959 wer e carefully planne d and co-ordinated. Yao' s articles criticizin g W u Han an d "ThreeFamily Village " hav e become something aki n to moder n classics in the course of th e Cultural Revolution. Afte r Yao's initial article , literally score s of attacks appeared in the Chinese press. Ver y few, however, had new evidence to bring to light, and most simpl y parroted Yao. Give n the prominence which th e Chinese accorded his first essay, one is surprised at the lac k of sophistication o f much o f its content. A s will be shown, ther e ar e strong arguments which can be brought t o bea r i n suppor t o f Yao Wen-yuan's contentions ; nevertheless, his case and those late r presented by many o f hi s followers are considerably weakened by the fac t tha t many o f thei r charges are either utterly ludicrou s or else altogether irrelevant . Furthermore, thei r source s are at times very dishonestly presented . This aspect of th e attac k wil l be considered befor e going on to som e of th e more concrete charges . One of th e flagrantly dishonest technique s employe d b y Yao Wenyuan is that of citin g quotations take n no t onl y out o f context , but 98

frequently wit h no reference given.7 Often , even a single word will appear in quotation mark s in the middle of a paragraph which con tains the most damning statements but which, wit h the exception of the one word quoted, has been composed entirely by Yao. A s will be seen shortly, thi s was a technique whic h was carried to eve n greater lengths by later critics. Also , Yao has a habit of stringin g together a whole series of highly questionable hypotheses , eac h of which is dependent on the validity of th e one preceding it, and then arrivin g at a sweeping conclusion which simply cannot be justified o n the basis of th e evidence presented. For example , in his attack o n "ThreeFamily Village," Ya o quotes Teng T'o a s having once written, "'everything' should be 'actively guided to facilitate its smooth de velopment.'" Yao Wen-yuan's analysis o f th e meaning of thes e few words deserves to b e quoted a t some length a s an apt example of hi s ability t o construct a large case from ver y meagre materials. "Everything," pleas e note, including those dark, reactionary thing s that ar e anti-Party and anti-socialist... By demanding that instead of blocking we should "facilitate th e smoot h development" of "everything," including anti-socialist things, was not Ten g T'o clearly demanding that we should practice bourgeois liberalization and bend and surrender to the il l winds which were blowing at th e time, th e winds of "going i t alone" [i.e., the restoration of individual economy ] and o f the extensio n of plot s for privat e use and o f fre e markets, the increas e of small enterprises with sole responsibility fo r their ow n profits or losses, and the fixin g o f output quotas based on the household?8 Yao is also prone to lapse occasionally into the rathe r hysterical use of jargon.9 The above criticisms of Yao Wen-yuan, however, do not reall y deal with his central arguments. He levels one very basic charge against Wu Han which shoul d now be carefully considered, sinc e Yao chooses t o base his case largely on this charge. He accuses Wu Han of havin g advocated the return of the land to the landlord class in contemporary China by falsifyin g histor y in his portrayal of Ha i Jui. Ya o maintains that the historical Hai Jui bore no resemblance whatever to the Hai Jui depicted in Wu Han's drama. Yao's argument s on the historical question s raised by the play are on a much more sophisticated leve l than his other criticisms note d above. Hi s main arguments will be summarized her e and then evaluated. H e cites Wu Han's constant reference in the play to th e "people's lands" whic h have been seized by big landlords. Ya o points ou t tha t an examination of Min g history wil l show that the lands seized at tha t 99

time b y big landlords had previously belonged to smal l and middle landlords. Th e system o f ta x evasion by bi g landlords existing at that time10 had le d to a situation i n which big landlords became bigger and small landlords became progressively smaller . Ya o claims that th e de mise of th e smal l and middle landlord classes had a seriously adverse effect o n the incom e o f th e state . Therefore , under th e condition s prevailing at that time, he see s the retur n o f th e land a s a benefit t o the stat e an d the empero r rathe r tha n a s a benefit to th e people . Yao advances his argument a step furthe r b y reasonin g that since th e re cords sho w tha t in the period i n which the dram a takes place, 90 per cent of th e land was owned by landlords, any talk of returnin g land to the original owners mus t mea n returnin g it to smal l and middle landlords. Moreover , Yao claims that according to th e plan of th e real Ha i Jui, th e land was not t o b e returned free o f charge , but ha d to be re-purchased b y the origina l owners. Obviously , the peasants could no t affor d t o pay even if the y had originall y owned the land . On the basis of thes e facts , Yao argues that Wu Han is using his drama to propagate th e return o f th e land to the landlords in contemporar y China. Yao quotes fro m a letter writte n by Hai Jui, i n his capacity a s Ying T'ien Governor, t o Li Ch'ung-fang.11 I n this letter, Hai Jui says that he wants Li to retur n mor e tha n hal f the land in his possession. Other wise, he says, the peasants will revolt an d "you wil l lose control." He admonishes Li to b e satisfied wit h th e land h e has and states that he is taking thi s action "onl y for your lastin g peace." Sinc e the retur n of th e lan d was implemented onl y for th e purpos e o f preventin g a rebellion of the people , Yao asks how Wu Han can possibly suggest that Hai Jui was really concerned with solvin g the land problems of the tenant farmers . The same analysis is applied to th e memorial whic h Hai Jui sen t t o the Chia Ching Emperor. Accordin g to Yao's sources, Hai Jui's complaint t o the emperor in this document wa s not tha t the plight of the people was difficult to bear . Rather, he was concerned tha t the money lenders and millers were allowed to tak e their cut of the people's crops before th e emperor's ta x was applied. H e suggested that the emperor's shortage o f funds , whic h ha d resulte d fro m th e ta x evasio n syste m mentioned earlier , could be solved by taking the taxes first and the n allowing the money-lenders to exac t thei r interest from th e people . Wu Han never ceases to eulogiz e Hai Jui fo r his virtue, honesty, an d refusal t o compromis e hi s principles, and states that he stood o n th e side of th e people against th e larg e landlords. Thi s point wa s later greatly amplified by Kuan Feng and Lin Chieh. They charg e that Wu Han has translated the origina l memorial fro m Classica l Chinese into 100

modem and used his own translation a s the basic source for his description o f th e memorial in "Hai Ju i Scold s th e Emperor " an d Hai Jui's Dismissal. I t i s claimed tha t W u Han's translatio n i s entirel y different fro m th e original . Allegedly , some parts are taken ou t o f context, som e are entirely different from the idea s expressed i n the original, and som e are entirely figment s o f W u Han's imagination. 12 A very basic question occur s a t thi s stage . Ca n W u Han reall y be faulted fo r th e bad characteristic s of th e rea l Hai Jui? Man y dramas in both East and West have eulogized historical character s who were undoubtedly neve r as noble i n real life a s on the stage . Certainly , it need hardly be mentioned tha t "proletaria n writers" in China imbue their character s with superhuma n qualitie s a s a matter o f course. Ha i Jui, t o b e sure, is drawn from th e "feudal" ruling class, but tha t is a matter to b e discussed separately below. Th e question fo r consideration here i s whether a writer can legitimately b e charged with harbour ing malevolent intentions simpl y on the basis of havin g "whitewashed" an historical characte r for dramatic purposes. I t seem s that the key factor i n this case would be the historical awarenes s of th e audienc e watching the play . I f those wh o sa w a performance of Ha i Jui's Dismissal wer e fully awar e of th e detail s of Hai' s life, the n th e require ments for satir e would b e fulfilled, an d Yao Wen-yuan's accusation of falsifying histor y woul d have some meaning. O n the assumption , however, that the audience' s acquaintance with Ha i Jui's personal history woul d no t b e nearly s o intimate a s that of W u Han, it would be reasonable to conclud e tha t th e message contained i n what trans pired o n the stag e would have a far more profoun d impact o n th e audience than would the facts of Ha i Jui's real intentions fou r hundred years ago. I n other words, to substantiat e Yao's charges that Wu Han was advocating publicly the retur n of lan d to th e landlords in contemporary Chin a by depictin g Hai Ju i a s an unceasing advocate of th e restitutio n o f lan d to th e peasantry in Ming China, it must be conclusively shown tha t the Chines e public today i s fully awar e of the conditions o f lan d tenure in China during the Ming dynasty and , further, tha t thes e conditions would be recalled to th e mind of an audience by the event s of th e play. Yao claims that in Ming times the peasantry had virtually no land and thus restoratio n could onl y mean restoratio n t o landlords. Bu t of what significance is this fac t i f it i s not generall y appreciated b y the public watching the play ? Ther e canno t possibl y be anyone in China today who is not thoroughl y familia r with th e collectivizatio n of lan d which too k place i n the countr y durin g the 1950s . Thi s was land which i n the initia l stage s of th e Chinese People's Republic had been owned by individual peasants. Thus it is very probable that Wu 101

Han's opposition t o the People's Commune s was indeed understoo d by his audiences, but understoo d becaus e of thei r awarenes s of events in contemporary Chin a rather than thei r knowledg e of Min g land ten ure or their perception o f th e "whitewashing " of Ha i Jui b y Wu Han. Similarly, the constant harpin g on the theme o f "dismissal" could quit e likely brin g to th e minds of many the dismissa l of Marsha l P'eng Teh huai. I t i s at best doubtfu l that an y of Wu' s subtle historical change s concerning the dismissa l of Ha i Jui would be comprehended b y a general audience . The absurdity o f Yao Wen-yuan's charges on this level may perhap s be best illustrated by constructin g an hypothetical analog y in Western terms. Suppos e a North America n social critic , perhaps motivated b y disgust with th e inequitie s of distributio n o n this continent, wer e t o produce a play about th e exploits o f Robi n Hood i n befriending the poor an d protecting them agains t their oppressors. Le t us then sup pose further that afte r th e play has been produced, the autho r i s subjected t o attac k b y a political enem y who accuses him of falsifyin g history an d "whitewashing" th e character o f Robi n Hood. Contrar y to the popular conception , say s the playwright's attacker , th e real Robin Hood wa s a vicious thief wh o preyed on the public a t large and was actually a lackey of th e Sherif f of Nottingham . Therefore , by glorifying the characte r o f Robi n Hood, th e autho r i s actually subtly advocatin g the abus e of th e poor. Ye t if the conceptio n th e audience had o f th e historical Robi n Hood derive d entirely fro m th e play they wer e watching, what possible relevanc e could th e fact s of history hav e for the author' s politica l intentions ? Th e critic in thi s hypothetical cas e would b e making almost exactly th e sam e charge that Ya o Wen-yuan is making against Wu Han. Perhaps anticipating som e doubts abou t th e relevanc e of his charge that Wu Han has falsified history , Ya o Wen-yuan attempts t o se t out some criteria for defining the bounds within which a n historical dra matist may operate: Historical dramas need some artistic improvements and also require creativity. W e definitely do not as k that ne w historical drama s be exactly accordin g to histor y i n all their details , but w e must ask that a character's clas s standpoint an d class relations fit historical fact. 13 Nevertheless, he stil l seek s to embellish his case against Wu Han with the quibble tha t accordin g to th e officia l histories , th e magistrate and prefect wer e neither executed nor discharged by Hai Jui. N o one higher tha n a magistrate was discharged during the perio d i n which Hai Ju i serve d as Ying T'ien Governor. Yao also takes pains to poin t out that Hsu Ying was not reall y executed, but onl y exiled for te n 102

years. Thi s news, of course , comes with a somewhat lessene d impact since Wu Han has already state d i t in his preface, and full y explaine d his reasons for making the change . Yao is quite concerned, too , abou t th e fac t tha t Hsu Ying's punishment was not reall y handled by Hai Jui a t all, but b y Kao Kung, the prime minister who had succeede d Hsu Chieh afte r securin g the latter's dismissal. Again , Wu Han has already stated i n his preface that he has cast Huang Chin and Tai Feng-hsiang i n roles which are not strictl y accurate historically. Thi s practice not onl y appear s perfectly reason able for dramatic purposes, bu t als o falls completely withi n th e bounds set by Yao Wen-yuan himself i n the quotatio n just cited . Ya o reaches perhaps the lowes t level of tha t part o f hi s criticism base d on histori cal analysis when he chide s Wu Han for portraying Hai Ju i a s repairing the water control system o n the Wusung River in one week. H e holds that thi s would have been a physically impossibl e task , forgetting that "historical dramas need some artistic improvements and ... creativity. " Yao could als o perhap s be accused o f forgettin g that ther e ca n be no limits to th e achievements of th e people whe n properl y motivated. 14 Aside from th e precedin g array of charges concerning Wu Han's trif ling with history, ther e is another charg e which i s also very weak. The reader cannot hav e helped noticin g th e emphasis throughout th e play on Hai Jui's steadfast refusa l t o compromis e hi s principles, regardless of th e situatio n i n which h e finds himself. N o matter who oppose s him, h e always stands his ground. Ya o claims that this "individualism " identifies Hai Jui a s a bourgeois hero. A proletarian hero, claims Yao, is always willing to modif y his position accordin g to th e views of othe r people. I f anyone in China ever applies the sam e standard s of analysis to this statement tha t Yao Wen-yuan has applied t o Wu Han's empha sis on the "retur n of the land, " Yao himself coul d wel l become a victim of th e Cultural Revolution. Th e people surroundin g Hai Jui and opposing his policies were exclusively officials an d gentry wh o quar relled wit h his restrictions o n thei r exploitation o f th e peasantry. Thus it is obvious that for Hai Jui t o fulfi l th e requirement s of a proletarian hero and submit t o th e views of others, he would have to adop t th e policies of th e biggest landlords. I t might therefor e be argued that Yao Wen-yuan is really using his attack o n Wu Han as a vehicle t o argu e for the restoration o f capitalis m an d landlordism! Once Yao Wen-yuan's article had fire d th e firs t salv o of th e Cultural Revolution, a proliferation of critic s appeare d in the page s of severa l Chinese daily newspapers and fortnightly magazines . Generall y speak ing, the charge s levelled agains t Wu Han became eve r graver and the evidence upon whic h they were based became ever flimsier. Two documents will be briefly noted her e a s examples of th e level to which th e 103

theoretical basi s of th e attac k o n Wu Han had sun k by April 1966. On April 27 Jen Min Jih Pao published a lengthy articl e by Li Ssuchün, entitled "Wu Han: Strategist for the Chian g Family Monarchists and Helper of American Imperialism." Th e basis for thi s sensationa l charge consists entirely of a collection of quotations fro m Chian g K'aishek, Wu Han, Hu Shih, and a number of American officials. Occa sionally, th e quotations expres s roughly simila r ideas. Th e autho r quotes Chiang K'ai-shek, i n China's Destiny, a s saying that i n th e present period o f Chines e history i t is necessary for a small group of politicians an d scholars to com e forward and assume the responsibilit y of changing Chinese social customs. A statement by Wu Han i s then taken fro m on e of his essays, "Social Customs," arguin g that onl y th e educated group within th e middle clas s can assume responsibility fo r changing social customs. A n elitist an d un-Maoist viewpoint this certainly is ; proof o f collusion with Chiang K'ai-shek it decidedly is not. The remainder of th e writer's argumen t that Wu Han had been a strategist for Chiang is conducted o n a similar level of banality , brings forth n o evidence whatever in support o f hi s contentions, an d warrants no further space here . Before leaving Li Ssu-chün's article , however, his handling of hi s second charge against Wu Han should als o be noted. Th e accusatio n that he was a helper o f American imperialism was, after all, the mos t serious charge ever brought agains t Wu Han. The evidence in suppor t of it? Leighto n Stuart, th e American Ambassador to China , in his report o f September 29, 1947 , t o Secretar y of Stat e Marshall, advocated American support o f what h e termed "th e progressiv e elements " within an d without th e Chinese government in order that America could achiev e her goals in China. I n the 195 0 America n White Paper on China, Stuart i s quoted a s advocating a "third force" i n China. As a member of the Democrati c League , Wu Han belonged to a "third force." Accordin g to Li , this may be taken a s concrete proof o f a n alliance between Wu Han and the Americans. More relevant criticisms concerned with what Wu Han actuall y wrote o n the subjec t of Ha i Jui appeare d in the CC P theoretical journal, Red Flag. Despit e the abundanc e of rather bana l political rantin g appearing in the Chinese press as a whole at the time, Red Flag con tained severa l articles of a relatively high analytica l standard. 15 I n view of th e gravity of th e charge s made against Wu Han and his cohorts, i t is necessary to examin e all of them , despite th e fac t tha t many appear groundless. Becaus e we have until no w been systemati cally eliminating the weak or absurd charges hurled in the frenz y o f the Cultural Revolution, th e reade r may have assumed that there is no case against the "Three-Family Village." Thi s would be entirel y 104

incorrect. Althoug h sometime s obscure d b y the typ e o f polemi c cite d in the first part o f thi s chapter, well-substantiate d charge s do appea r both i n Yao Wen-yuan's essays and i n other analyse s which appeare d in the Chines e press . Earlier we noted Ma o Tse-tung's declaratio n tha t the clas s nature of any work o f literatur e mus t b e determine d primaril y o n th e basi s o f the clas s from which i t draws its heroes.16 Th e question of Ha i Jui , a member of th e feuda l ruling class, being characterized b y W u Han a s a saviour of th e commo n peopl e ha s alread y been discussed . I t is noteworthy that Wu Han's glorification of the ol d scholar-official clas s was not a n isolated phenomenon. Virtuall y everything written b y Wu, Teng T'o, an d Lia o Mo-sha under th e headings of "Evenin g Chat s a t Yenshan" and "Note s fro m Three-Family Village" is centred aroun d some aspect of pre-moder n literature or aristocrati c socia l life. Je n Min Ji h Pao state d in an editorial o f Jun e 2 , 1966 , On the cultura l front, they hav e worked hard t o le t emperors and kings, generals an d prim e ministers, scholars and beauties , foreign idol s and dead me n dominate the stage. 17 Yao Wen-yuan, once he free s himself fro m hi s obsession with historical details, makes some penetrating criticisms. Severa l of thes e were already raised a t the beginning of thi s chapter without referenc e to Yao. They ar e simply noted her e without discussio n prior t o consideratio n of a number of rationa l charges which hav e not bee n discussed a s yet. Yao observes that in the play , once th e land i s returned t o th e peasants, "sharp class contradictions suddenly have no meaning whatsoever," even though the feuda l system remain s unchanged an d the crue l exploitation an d oppressio n by th e landlord s still exists. H e argues that since, according to Marxis t theory, th e stat e i s a machine throug h which on e class oppresses another, al l officials, includin g "honest ones" and "good ones," were of necessit y members of th e landlord class. Bu t th e play , says Yao, simpl y denie s this. W u Han i s interpreted as saying that th e hones t officia l "i s not a political instrument o f th e landlord class , but o n th e contrar y i s in the servic e of th e peasantry. " Wu has been charged by othe r critic s as well with tryin g to portra y the virtues of "good officials " a s being above class. 18 Ya o holds tha t in Wu Han's opinion th e "goo d official, " no t th e clas s struggle, constitutes the motive forc e of history. 19 The masses of th e peopl e d o not nee d to rise up an d liberate themselves. The y onl y nee d to wai t fo r th e kindnes s of a n "honest offi cial" or "your worship" an d then the y will immediately arrive upon "happy days. "

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He also raised th e questio n o f what Wu Han was asking readers to learn in the preface of th e play. Ar e they t o learn something about returning land, or perhaps about th e "redres s of injustices"? 20 In the final analysis, the cas e against "Three-Family Village," Hai Jui's Dismissal, "Hai Ju i Scolds th e Emperor," and "On Hai Jui" must stan d or fall o n the basis of one accusation . Despite charges to the contrary, ther e i s no conclusive evidence that any of th e thre e writers attacked wer e actin g in collusion with foreig n powers. I t is highly doubtfu l that Wu Han's manipulation o f historica l characters in itself constitute s an y form of politica l satire . However , Yao Wenyuan and others have also accused Wu Han of "using th e pas t in orde r to satiriz e the present. " Her e they ar e on much mor e soli d ground. When we ignore the accuracie s or inaccuracies of th e pla y i n terms of Ming history an d concentrate onl y o n the political event s transpiring in China at the tim e th e pla y an d the relate d essays appeared, it is not difficul t t o discer n biting satire. Earlier , Yao Wen-yuan's contention tha t Wu Han built u p his argument by "whitewashing" bad historical character s was held t o be implausible on the ground that the audience's lack of detaile d historical knowledge would rende r satire impossible. Whe n the parallel s are drawn between the stag e play and current events , however, the requirement s for parody ar e fulfilled . The remainder of thi s chapter i s devoted t o demonstratin g that Hai Jui's Dismissal was in fact intende d a s an attack o n Mao Tse-tung and as support fo r Marshal P'eng Teh-huai . In the cours e of th e long public discussion which followe d the dis closure of th e Wu-Teng-Liao allianc e an d the pervasiv e influence it enjoyed fo r a number of years through journals under its control , several comparisons were made with th e Petofi Club in Hungary. 21 "Three-Family Village" and their follower s have been regarded by elements loyal to Mao as the politica l ar m of a similar counter- / revolutionary movement. Thei r ridicul e of part y leaders and poli cies and their constant promotion o f "bourgeois ideology " were seen as the necessar y political groundwor k for th e restoratio n o f capitalism.22 Ma o has taught th e Chinese that before an establishe d political orde r can be overthrown, th e necessar y ideological ground work must be completed. Accordin g to Mao , "This is true fo r th e revolutionary clas s as well as for the counter-revolutionar y class." 23 The chronology i n the previous chapter began with the event s surrounding the Lusha n Conference of 1959 . I t was stated ther e tha t Defence Ministe r P'eng Teh-huai an d a number of hi s supporters launched a n attack on the party's Central Committee. Thi s attac k resulted in the dismissa l of P'eng an d his followers from thei r posts . The members of "Three-Family Village " were consistently accused of 106

co-ordinating their writings with th e action s o f th e Right Opportun ists, both before and after th e Lusha n Conference, and with systema tically attackin g the party ove r a period o f years. 24 Th e evaluation of this charge depends largely on an examination o f th e date s of publi cation o f importan t article s in relatio n t o th e occurrenc e of majo r political events. The article "Ha i Ju i Scold s the Emperor" was published less than one month befor e P'eng Teh-huai sen t his critical lette r t o Mao . The emphasis of th e articl e i s entirely o n th e courag e of a minister i n criticizing his superior. I n the following month, P'en g Teh-huai was dismissed fro m hi s pos t a s minister of defence . One mont h afte r P'eng's dismissal , on September 21,1959 , Wu Han published anothe r article, "On Hai Jui." N o longer emphasizing the matter o f minister s criticizing their superiors , Wu's theme no w became that of th e "vir tuous official" wh o has been unjustly dismissed from office . Perhap s it was mere coincidence that Wu Han's change of theme s happened to coincide with the chang e in fortunes of th e Righ t Opportunists . However, Wu Han became extremely intereste d i n the questio n o f "unjust dismissal " an d over the nex t fe w years he culled other ex amples from Chines e history.25 Perhap s it was simply a further coincidence, but betwee n 196 1 and 1963 Ten g T'o als o wrote fou r separate articles about "goo d officials " i n Chinese history who had bee n dismissed fro m office . A s one proceeds with a n examination o f th e writings of "Three-Family Village," however , the numbe r of occasions on which article s with possibl e doubl e meaning s coincide wit h major political events is seen greatly to excee d th e law s of chance . Yao Wen-yuan takes issue with Wu Han's statement o f them e in the prefac e to Hai Jui's Dismissal. Althoug h Wu claims that the fina l writing of th e play took a s its central theme th e elimination o f tyran nical landlords, Yao states that the main conflict of th e drama occurs over the issu e of "returning th e land." Accordin g to Yao, the "hig h tide" is the dismissa l of Ha i Jui and this occurs because of the return ing of th e land. Th e land question i n Wu Han's writing appears, in th e views of mos t o f hi s critics, to b e an attack o n the Grea t Leap For ward.26 Ya o also stresses Wu Han's emphasis and re-emphasis on th e fact tha t "there are many injustice s which mus t be reversed." I n "O n Hai Jui," W u Han stated quit e openl y that modern peopl e shoul d op pose bureaucratism in the sam e way that bad official s wer e oppose d in the olde n days. A Red Flag articl e in June 196 6 specificall y charged that th e play Hai Jui's Dismissal was intended t o sin g the praise s of th e "Righ t Opportunist elements " wh o had bee n dismissed from offic e i n 195 9 and to encourag e them not t o submit, not t o lose their spirit , and to 107

try agai n when they me t failure. 27 Th e sam e article also accused Wu Han of encouragin g these element s to "reassum e politica l powe r and restore capitalism. " When he says in the prefac e that "h e di d not submi t eve n though h e lost hi s position , an d di d no t los e his spirit... that h e deserves ou r study today," h e has already made the centra l idea of H ai Jui's Dismissal absolutel y clear. 28 In the opinio n o f th e author s o f thi s article , Kuan Feng and Lin Chieh, two o f the major purposes of th e pla y ar e to stres s the sym pathy fel t b y the people fo r Hai Jui afte r hi s dismissal, and t o use Hai Jui's statement tha t he will one day return to powe r as an opportunity t o promise publicl y tha t P'eng Teh-hua i woul d als o eventually triumph . I t is in this article that th e mos t weight y singl e argument i s produced concernin g Wu Han's real intentions in writing th e play. Th e authors claim that at the tim e o f th e Lusha n Conference, one of th e Righ t Opportunist s was actually referrin g t o himself a s "Hai Jui." 29 I f this claim is valid, it surel y constitutes quite concret e proof o f W u Han's intentions, whe n considered i n conjunction wit h the chronological record . Unfortunately , Kuan and Lin do not elab orate. Further evidenc e that W u Han's writings were intended a s political satires may be found by examining articles written by othe r member s of "Three-Family Village" during the sam e period. A t the Twent y second Congress of th e CPS U in October 1961 , Nikita Khrushchov launched a n open attack o n Albania, and by extension, o n th e Chinese Communist Party a s well.30 Whethe r by coincidenc e or otherwise, this period sa w a considerable upsurge in the publication s by the Wu-Teng-Liao group . T o cite but on e example, i n November Teng T'o publishe d th e articl e "Great Empt y Talk." 31 I n this essay, Teng wrote disparagingl y of peopl e who "talk .. . like water flowing from a n undammed river. " "Afte r listenin g to them," he says , ".. . you can remember nothing." H e then tell s us that hi s neighbour' s little boy ha s developed th e habit o f indulgin g in meaningless cliché s and "great empt y talk." Recentl y he has written an absurd littl e poem: The Venerable Heaven is our father , The Great Earth is our mothe r And th e Su n is our nanny; The East Win d i s our benefactor And th e Wes t Win d is our enemy. There ca n be no doubt tha t thi s is a rather unsubtle attac k on tha t theory o f Ma o Tse-tung's which Ya o Wen-yuan calls the "scientifi c 108

Marxist-Leninist thesi s tha t th e Eas t Wind prevails over th e West Wind."32 Ten g T'o ends his article by advising those friend s give n to grea t empt y tal k t o rea d more , thin k more , say less and tak e a rest whe n the tim e comes for talking , so as to save their own as well as other people's tim e and energy. Yao Wen-yuan strongly attacked Ten g for article s which Ya o interpreted a s support fo r Sovie t revisionism. 33 I n one, Ten g advocated that Chin a unite wit h countrie s stronge r than herself , and expressed satisfaction tha t Chin a ha d stronge r friends. 34 I n a more pointe d statement o n the same theme, Ten g T'o wrote , If a man wit h a swelled head think s he ca n learn a subject wit h ease and kick s his teacher out , he will never learn anything. 35 The above quotation wa s seen by Yao Wen-yuan as a vicious attac k on the Grea t Leap Forward an d the policy of "self-reliance." I n thi s period, Teng T'o wrot e "Th e Famil y Wealth Consisting of a Single Egg," whic h was also widely interpreted a s supporting Khrushchov's position o n the Grea t Leap. 36 Ther e ar e numerous other example s which ca n be cited, but th e purpose of examining Teng T 'o's writings is not t o initiat e a full discussio n o n the m bu t t o she d light on Wu Han's motives. In case there shoul d b e any remaining doubt abou t th e joint moti vation o f th e member s of "Three-Famil y Village, " the y themselves provide som e o f th e most conclusiv e evidence. A s mentioned i n th e previous chapter, th e very name they selecte d was based o n the story of th e las t days of a "virtuous official" wh o had bee n dismissed from office. Furthermor e tw o of Ten g T'o's article s consist o f describing the methodology o f satirist s whom Ten g admires. 37 On e such description is particularly valuable for helping th e reade r to understand th e real meanings of Lia o Mo-sha's works. Liao' s specialt y within "ThreeFamily Village" was the writin g of article s abou t ghosts . L u Ting-i made a pointed referenc e to Lia o in 196 4 whil e statin g that th e ghos t themes i n a number of Pekin g operas supported revisionism. 38 Anothe r critic who has achieved prominenc e i n the course o f th e Cultural Revolution sa w in the ghosts o f Lia o Mo-sha the imperialists , revisionists, and reactionaries o f variou s countries .. . landlords, rich peasants, counter-revolutionaries, ba d elements, and rightists.39 In writing of th e caree r of a n artist wh o dre w satirical ghosts, Teng T'o states , His satirical portrayal of ghost s is actually a satirical portrayal of men. ... If the artis t ha d used the cartoo n directl y t o satiriz e living men, he 109

would simpl y have been asking for trouble . ... If he only satirized a few ghosts , he would be quite safe. 40 To conclude thei r argument, Kuan Feng and Lin Chieh raised a number of vali d points, mostly concernin g the discrepanc y between the content o f W u Han's early explanations o f hi s interest in Hai Ju i an d the content o f his later self-criticisms. The y recalle d that a t the tim e "Hai Ju i Scolds the Emperor" an d "On Ha i Jui" wer e written, Wu Han was urging his readers to stud y th e past i n order to appl y it s lessons to th e present. I n his self-criticism, however, Wu said that Ha i Jui's Dismissal had n o meaning whatever for the present an d no political content. H e said he had forgotten the principl e that al l art mus t serve the need s of th e present-da y politica l situation . I n organizing their cas e against Wu, Kuan and Lin stressed that it was he who made the connectio n wit h the Lusha n Conference. 41 Sinc e Wu Han had claimed tha t he wrote "O n Hai Jui" an d Hai Jui's Dismissal only in response to th e cal l by th e Central Committee o f th e CC P at Lushan for a struggle against Right Opportunists, 42 Kua n and Li n insiste d that th e play be analysed in terms of it s relationship t o Lushan . They pointe d ou t that the claim of respondin g to th e call of th e Central Committee is simply tacked ont o th e end of Wu' s essay and has no connection with what precedes it. I t must als o be noted that there is no explanation whatever of ho w the essay or the pla y fulfil s the task o f combattin g Right Opportunists. Moreover , the argumen t that Right Opportunis m could b e exposed by takin g a member of the rulin g class and casting him in the rol e of saviou r of th e peasants is politically illogica l and certainly require s explanation. Th e fina l blow is dealt Wu Han's claim of respondin g to th e Centra l Committee's call when Kuan Feng and Lin Chieh draw attention t o th e fac t that "Ha i Ju i Scolds the Emperor," th e direc t antecedent of "O n Hai Jui" an d Hai Jui's Dismissal, was published two months before the Lushan Conference took place. I t is therefore clear that whatever Wu Han's plan at the time , he had "mounte d horse" and was "in the saddle " before the Central Committee's cal l ever went ou t from Lushan .

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NOTES AN D BIBLIOGRAPH Y

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Notes

THE PLA Y

1 Thi s occurred i n January 1961 , as noted i n the chronolog y give n in part two : The Charges. 2 A pavilion o n th e edg e of th e cit y wher e minor officials staged recep tions for high official s comin g to assum e office . 3 A mountain northwes t o f Sungkian g County in Kiangsu province. See Chung-Kuo Ku Chin TiMing T a Tz'u-tien (Taipei : Taiwa n Commercial Press, 1967) , p. 1219. 4 Min g Dynasty emperor, rulin g from 152 2 to 1567 . 5 Th e Chinese character^o whic h i s used her e i s translate d a s "sea turtle." 6 Th e Chinese fo r whic h th e translatio n Peking Gazette i s given is Ti Pao, meaning "newspaper o f the capital, " although thi s is not a literal trans lation. Durin g the Ha n and T'ang dynasties, T i wa s used t o designat e the lodging s for feuda l princes i n th e capital . Th e ter m T i Pao was applied t o special mandate s and orders of the cour t sen t t o th e prince s from thei r lodging s in the capital. Eventually the ter m cam e to b e used for officia l newspaper s of th e capital . Th e ter m T i cam e t o mea n a n official residence . 7 Th e rhyme scheme of traditiona l T'an g Dynast y poetry. 8 A n old Chinese saying , roughly th e equivalen t of "thro w a sprat t o catch a mackerel." 9 I n order t o provid e a faithful translatio n o f everything Wu Han wrot e in his preface, this passage is translated eve n though th e portrait , calli graphy, and historical note s ar e not reproduce d here. 10 Th e "single whip policy" was a tax refor m introduced durin g the las t century o f th e Min g Dynasty. It was intended to overcom e the gross corruption whic h had grown steadily unde r the li-chia system, whic h put responsibilit y fo r collecting governmen t taxes in the hand s of th e wealthiest an d mos t powerfu l familie s o f eac h area. Thes e powerfu l gentry familie s quite commonl y forge d lan d document s and registered their ow n land in the names of th e poor. Th e latter the n had to pay the taxes, though the y wer e completely helples s to enforc e any rights of ownership . Also , so many land, grain, and labou r taxes were assessed against th e commo n people tha t they wer e paying some sort o f lev y almost ever y mont h o f th e year . I n many areas, the burde n had be 113

corne so great that a large number of th e peopl e fled their land . Th e "single whip policy" combined thi s myriad of assessment s into onl y one, or sometimes a few, payments. Se e Edwin O . Reischauer and John K . Fairbank,EastAsia: Th e Great Tradition (Boston : Houghto n Mifflin, 1960) , pp . 337-40 . 11 Literall y "cultivate d talents, " this was the ter m used to denot e a graduate o f th e firs t degre e under the ol d examination system . 12 Th e meaning of C h 'ing-ming i s literally "clea r and bright." Here, it refers t o a solar perio d beginnin g approximately April 5. At this tim e of th e year, th e Chines e traditionall y visite d thei r famil y graves . 13 CHA O is mistakenly rendere d HUN G i n the tex t bu t i s corrected here . 14 Th e Chinese word ku, usuall y translate d as orphan, is not th e exac t equivalent of th e Englis h term. I t actually means "fatherless child." 15 Thi s is a reference to a Sung Dynasty judge who establishe d a reputation fo r redressing injustices. 16 Th e Chinese ter m here rendered a s "scholar" is shengyuan, meaning "a first-degree licentiate unde r the forme r system. " 17 Se e note 11. 18 C h 'ing- t'ien is a polite ter m denotin g an honest official . 19 Th e Gate s of Heaven . 20 W u District o r County, referring to th e Woosung-Shangha i area. 21 Th e translation o f th e character s Po-p'i is "to skin , t o fleece, to extort, to rob the clothes off. " 22 I n ancient times , feuda l lord s o f exceptionall y grea t merit wer e honoured b y being granted the privileg e of usin g red gates. Henc e door s painted re d indicated hig h ran k an d the implicatio n her e i s that th e officials i n this play were not entitle d t o th e displa y o f thes e re d gates. 23 Meanin g "resolute, firm, unyielding , lofty. " 24 Th e dat e of Ha i Jui's memorial wa s Febraary 1566 . Se e Wu Han, "Hai Ju i Scold s th e Emperor, " i n K. H. Fan, éd., Th e Chinese Cultural Revolution: Selected Documents (New York: Grov e Press, 1968), pp . 72-6 . 25 Thi s i s a pun based o n the fac t tha t the tw o character s designatin g the reign titl e of th e emperor , chia-ching, have the sam e sound in Chinese a s the tw o character s meanin g "empty house." 26 A n abbreviation referrin g to Sucho w and Hangchow. 27 Se e note 21. 28 Se e note 10 . 29 Se e note 10 . The reference would appear to indicat e tha t Ha i Ju i had done awa y with the practic e of puttin g ta x collectio n i n th e hands o f a village headman, as had becom e th e custo m i n the Min g Dynasty under the li-chia system . 114

30 Thi s is the ancien t name for Wu County in Kiangsu, dating from th e Spring an d Autum n period. Se e Chung-Kuo Ku Chin T i Ming T a Tz'u-tien (Taipei : Taiwa n Commercial Press, 1967) , p. 37. 31 A sword given by the empero r as a rare honour t o official s wh o had distinguished themselves. Th e possessor wa s entitled t o perform ex ecutions at his own discretion with this sword. 32 Th e literal meaning of Hsu Chieh' s words is "beats to death. " However, the reference is to th e firs t beatin g of Cha o Yu-shan, in which the latter wa s only injured. 33 Ha i Lung Wang, according to Chines e mythology, is a dragon-king of the sea , with powers over the rivers , lakes, rains, and waters generally. He is said to have the powe r of providin g prosperity an d peace. Se e E. T. C. Werner, A Dictionary o f Chinese Mythology (Ne w York: Julian Press, 1961) . 34 Se e note 15. 35 Thi s phrase seems inapt in this context, ye t th e Englis h expression i s very close in meaning to th e Chinese . Wu Han's method o f expressio n seems awkward here. 36 I n the reig n of Empero r Shu n Ti, during the Easter n Han Dynasty , the prime minister, Lian g Yi, ordered a commission o f eight men t o go on a tour o f inspectio n an d examin e the custom s and morals of the empire . On e of th e eight , a censor named Chang Kang, had bee n campaigning against official corruption. H e refused to go on the tou r and as a symbol of hi s defiance he buried the wheels of hi s cart a t the gates of th e capita l an d uttered th e statement , "Whil e wolves are in office, wh y see k out foxes? " Se e Herbert A. Giles, A Chinese Biographical Dictionary (Taipei : Literatur e House) . 37 Th e "Thousand Characte r Essay " wa s a standard exercis e book fo r children learning to writ e characters. I n this text , no single characte r is used more than once . Th e "Hundred Famil y Surnames, " a s the title implies, wa s a compilation o f Chines e surnames, and thi s als o formed a standard tex t for students beginning their stud y o f th e Chinese writte n language . Hs ü Fu a t this point completel y expose s himself becaus e these tw o well-known texts coul d not possibly be mistaken for original essays, and also because no educate d Chines e would spen d his time writing them out . 38 Her e Hsü Fu is referring to the blac k silk cap which could be worn only b y a hsiu-ts'ai. 39 A polite ter m used by Hai Ju i in this case as a form of address to th e peasants whom he had befriended. 40 W u Han tells us that thi s scene occurs three day s after the tria l ha s taken place. Th e phrase "day befor e yesterday" therefor e seem s to be inaccurate, but thi s is what appears in the Chinese text. 115

41 A Chinese measure of lan d which is approximately equa l to one-sixt h of a n acre . 42 A supervising censor. THE CHARGE S

1 "Neve r Forge t th e Clas s Struggle," Liberation Army Daily (Shanghai), May 4, 1966 , reprinte d in Th e Great Socialist Cultural Revolution i n China (1 ) (Peking: Foreig n Language s Press, 1966) , pp . 20-8; "Chin a in the Mids t o f High-Tid e of th e Grea t Proletarian Cultural Revolution," Chinese Literature, no . 8, 1966 , reprinted i n Asia Research Centre, éd. , Th e Great Cultural Revolution i n China (Rutland an d Tokyo : Charles E. Tuttle, 1968) , pp. 304-12; "Lon g Live the Grea t Proletaria n Cultural Revolution, " Re d Flag, no . 8, 1966 , reprinte d i n Th e Great Socialist Cultural Revolution in China (4¡ (Peking : Foreig n Languages Press, 1966) , pp. 1-19 . 2 Ma o Tse-tung, "Talk s at the Yena n Forum o n Literature an d Art, " Selected Works o f Ma o Tse-tung (Peking : Foreig n Language s Press, 1965), vol. HI, p. 86 . 3 "Neve r Forge t th e Clas s Struggle," p . 23; Kao Chu, "Ope n Fire at th e Black Anti-Part y and Anti-Socialist Line," Liberation Army Daily, May 8 , 1966 , reprinte d i n Th e Great Socialist Cultural Revolution in China (2 ) (Peking : Foreig n Language s Press, 1966) . "Ma o Tse-tung' s Thought i s the Telescop e an d Microscop e of Our Revolutionar y Cause," (Liberation Arm y Daily, June 7 , 1966) , reprinted in Th e Great Socialist Cultural Revolution in China (3], pp. 11-17. I t may strike Englis h readers that this sentiment i s strikingly reminiscen t o f the popular Western adage that th e pen is mightier tha n th e sword . I t is interesting t o not e that i n ancient Chin a there wa s an almost parallel popular sayin g which may b e translated as , "Other people have their swords , but I have a brush as sharp as a knife. " 4 Se e Richard H . Solomon, "On e Part y and 'On e Hundred Schools' ; Leadership, Lethargy , o r Luán," Current Scene, vol . Vil, nos. 19-2 0 (October 1 , 1969) . 5 "New Victor y fo r Mao Tse-tung's Thought," Jen Min Jih Pao, June 4, 1966. 6 K . H. Fan, éd., Th e Chinese Cultural Revolution: Selected Documents (New York: Grov e Press, 1968) , p . 65. 7 "Resolutio n o f Eight h Plenary Session o f Eight h Central Committee of CC P Concerning the Anti-Part y Cliqu e Headed by P'eng Teh-huai, " in Fan, ibid., p. 67. 8 Ibid. 9 Davi d Floyd, Mao against Khrushchov: A Short History o f th e SinoSoviet Conflict (Ne w York and London : Praeger , 1963) , p . 66.

116

10 Davi d A . Charles, "The Dismissa l of Marsha l P'eng Teh-huai, " China Quarterly, no. 8 (October-December 1961) , p. 64. 11 Floyd , Mao against Khrushchov, p . 67. 12 Ibid. 13 "Resolutio n o f Eight h Plenar y Sessio n o f Eight h Centra l Committe e of CC P Concerning the Anti-Part y Clique Headed by P'en g Teh-huai, " in Fan, Th e Chinese Cultural Revolution, pp. 66-72 . 14 Editor' s Note , Ming Pao (April , 1966), p. 67. 15 Ya o Wen-yuan, "On "Three-Famil y Village' : Th e Reactionar y Natur e of Evening Chats at Yenshan an d Notes from Three-Family Village," in Liberation Daily (Ma y 10, 1966) , reprinted i n Th e Great Socialist Cultural Revolution i n China (1) (Peking: Foreig n Language s Press, 1966), p. 46. 16 Ten g T'o is a former editor o f Je n Mi n Jih Pao. H e was Secretar y of the Peking Municipal Party Committe e prio r to Jun e 1966 , when tha t body was reorganized. Unti l the mont h before , he had also been edi tor-in-chief o f th e Peking Daily, Peking Evening News, an d th e fort nightly magazine , Frontline. I n 196 4 he was elected deput y for Peking to th e Thir d Nationa l People's Congress , and in 196 5 he became an alternate membe r of th e CC P North Chin a Bureau . 17 Se e quotations fro m his essay, "Grea t Empt y Talk, " in the following chapter. 18 Ya o Wen-yuan, "On 'Three-Famil y Village,'" p. 43. 19 Ibid. 20 Ibid. 21 Fan , Th e Chinese Cultural Revolution, p. 65. Lia o Mo-sha is the for mer director o f th e Unite d Front Work Department o f th e Peking Municipal Committee of th e CCP . 22 Beginnin g in late Apri l 1966 , dozens of articles attacking "ThreeFamily Village" appeare d in the page s of Je n Min Jih Pao and Re d Flag. Th e writer can state on th e basi s of personal experience in China in October 196 6 that eve n at thi s tim e i t seeme d impossible t o engage a Chinese citizen in a discussion of the Cultura l Revolution whic h did not centr e o n the threa t whic h "Three-Famil y Village" pose d t o th e party. 23 Liberation Daily (Shanghai , May 21, 1966) . Cite d in Asi a Researc h Centre, éd., Th e Great Cultural Revolution, pp. 177-8 . 24 Li n Chieh e t al, "Ten g T'o' s Evening Chats at Yenshan is Anti-Party and Anti-Socialist Double-Talk, " Liberation Army Daily (Ma y 8, 1966), reprinted in Th e Great Socialist Cultural Revolution in China (2) (Peking : Foreign Language s Press, (1966), p. 38. 25 Ya o Wen-yuan, "On 'Three-Famil y Village,'" p. 47. 26 Ibid. 117

27 Ibid. 28 Ibid., p . 53. 29 Ibid. 30 /Md . 31 Ibid., p . 62. 32 /otó . 33 /bid . 34 /oíd. , p . 64. 35 7&zW . 36 L u Ting-i, Speec h at th e openin g of th e 196 4 Festival of Peking Opera on Contemporary Themes , Jun e 5,1964 . Asia n Research Centre, éd., Th e Great Cultural Revolution, p. 29. 37 Ibid. 38 "Rais e High the Grea t Re d Banner of Ma o Tse-tung's Thought an d Carry the Great Proletarian Cultura l Revolution Through t o the End: Essential Points for Propaganda and Education in Connection with the Great Cultural Revolution," Liberation Army Daily, Jun e 6, 1966 . Reprinted in Th e Great Socialist Cultural Revolution in China (5 ) (Peking: Foreig n Language s Press, 1966), pp. 8-9 . 39 "Lon g Liv e the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution," Re d Flag, no . 8, 1966, reprinted i n Th e Great Socialist Cultural Revolution in China (4), PP . 1-19; "Rais e High the Grea t Re d Banner, " p. 6. 40 "Chin a i n the Mids t of High-Tid e of th e Grea t Proletarian Cultural Revolution," p. 306. 41 Se e note 3 9. 42 Tin g Kuang-hua, "The Clima x in the Struggl e of 'Cultura l Revolution, ' Chinese Communist Affairs, vol . 3, no. 4 (August 1966) , p. 36. 43 Asi a Research Centre, éd. , Th e Great Cultural Revolution, p. 419. 44 Ibid. 45 Ibid., p . 91. 46 "Commemorat e L u Hsun and Carry the F.evolutio n Through to th e End," speec h by Yao Wen-yuan, Peking Review, no. 45 (November 4, 1966), p. 12. 47 Yao' s photograph ha s appeared in Peking Review o n October 27 , and December 25 , 1967 , an d Februar y 2 and June 28, 1968 . 48 Ch i Pen-yu, "O n th e Bourgeoi s Stand of Frontline an d the Peking Daily," Re d Flag, no . 7 (1966). Reprinte d in Th e Great Socialist Cultural Revolution in China (2), pp . 50-65 . 49 Ibid., p . 51. 50 Ibid. 51 Ya o Wen-yuan, "On 'Three-Famil y Village,'" 52 Th e fact that Jen Min Jih Pao published a self-criticism whic h was later held t o b e a sham may b e significant, as Lu Ting-i's late r fal l 118

from powe r wa s linked t o th e lac k of enthusiasm exhibite d b y Je n Min Jih Pao in the initia l stage s of th e Cultura l Revolution . 53 Se e Asia Research Centre , éd. , Th e Great Cultural Revolution, pp . 194-204. 54 T'ie n Han wa s chairman o f th e Unio n o f Chines e Dram a Workers, vice-chairman o f the All-Chin a Federation o f Literar y an d Ar t Cir cles, and th e write r of China' s nationa l anthem . H e was subjected t o fierce attac k i n Jen Min Jih Pao and othe r Chines e newspapers throughout 1966 , and eventuall y was accused of workin g for Chian g K'ai-shek. 55 Ya o Wen-yuan, "On 'Three-Famil y Village,'" p. 64. 56 Ch i Pen-yu, "O n th e Bourgeoi s Stand, " p. 54. 57 Wa n Ta-hung, "Th e Suicida l Purge Campaign," Chinese Communist Affairs, vol. 3, no. 4 (August 1966), p. 26. 58 Asi a Research Centre, éd., Th e Great Cultural Revolution, p. 169 . 59 "Expos e Wu Han's Tru e Socia l Standing, " Je n Mi n Jih Pao, May 20, 1966. 60 "W u Han and H u Shih," Jen Min Jih Pao, Apri l 13,1966 . 61 Ibid. 62 Fo r a n English summar y of th e mai n charges in this article, see Asia Research Centre , éd., Th e Great Cultural Revolution, p. 187. 63 Ya o Wen-yuan, "On 'Three-Famil y Village,'" p. 29. 64 Ibid., pp . 30-1. 65 Ka u Chu, "Ope n Fire"; Li n Chieh e t al, "Double-Talk. " Th e articl e by Li n Chieh's grou p i s particularly valuable because it reproduces a great numbe r of th e article s carrie d unde r th e title s of "Evenin g Chat s at Yenshan" and "Three-Famil y Village." Ther e i s a short analysi s and commentary afte r eac h article . 66 Ch i Pen-yu, "O n th e Bourgeoi s Stand." 67 Li n Chieh, "Expos e Teng TVs Anti-Part y an d Anti-Socialist Fea tures." 68 Asi a Research Centre, éd. , Th e Great Cultural Revolution, p. 494 . 69 Ibid., p . 495. 70 Ibid. 71 Ibid. 72 Ibid. I n the Jun e 5 edition o f Je n Min Jih Pao, Lu was accused of allowing Peking University to b e used b y members of th e forme r Peking Municipal Committee a s an instrument fo r gainin g the alle giance of students , attemptin g t o sprea d "revisionism " and discri minating against student s of worker and peasan t backgrounds . 73 A s noted earlier , since Ma y 25 Jen Min Jih Pao had bee n raisin g th e question o f wh o had bee n responsible fo r allowing "Three-Family Village" t o functio n fo r such a long period . 119

74 Ch i Pen-yu, "On th e Bourgeoi s Stand, " p.. 50. 75 Asi a Research Centre , éd., Th e Great Cultural Revolution, p. 497. 76 Ibid., p . 167. 77 Ibid., p . 168. 78 Asi a Research Centre, éd., Th e Great Cultural Revolution. EVALUATION O F TH E CHARGE S

1 Se e Yao Wen-yuan, "O n 'Three-Famil y Village': Th e Reactionar y Nature of Evening Chats at Yenshan an d Notes from Three-Family Village," i n Liberation Daily (Ma y 10 , 1966) , reprinte d i n Th e Great Socialist Cultural Revolution i n China f l ) (Peking : Foreign Languages Press, 1966) . 2 Je n Min Jih Pao (September 21,1959) . 3 Ibid. 4 Stephe n Uhalley , Jr. "Th e Cultura l Revolutio n and the Attac k o n th e "Three-Family Village,"' China Quarterly, no . 27 (July-September 1966), p. 150. 5 Who's Wh o in Communist China (Hong Kong: Unio n Researc h Insti tute, 1966) , p. 636. 6 Je n Min Jih Pao (December 30, 1965 , an d Januar y 12 , 1966) . 7 E.g. : "slanderin g th e part y line fo r socialist constructio n a s 'forced' and claimin g that China' s 'only out ' is to learn from th e Soviet revisionist cliqu e an d practis e revisionis m i n China." Yao Wen-yuan, "On 'Three-Family Village,'" p. 42. 8 Ibid., p . 40. 9 "Everybod y know s that th e great Chines e Communis t Party an d th e great Chines e people, educate d b y Mao Tse-tung's thought , ar e not only not afrai d o f monsters and ghosts, bu t ar e determined t o destro y all the monster s an d ghosts i n the world. " Ibid., p . 49. 10 A rather complicated procedure , involving the registration o f one man's land in the nam e of another , i n order t o circumven t th e highes t ta x rates, is discussed i n some detai l by Ya o in this article . 11 Identifie d b y Ya o as the bigges t landlor d in the are a under Ha i Jui' s jurisdiction. 12 Se e Kuan Fen g and Li n Chieh, '"Hai Ju i Scold s th e Emperor ' and Hai Jui's Dismissal are Two Great Anti-Party, Anti-Socialist Poisonou s Weeds," Re d Flag, no . 5 (1966), pp . 15-33 . 13 Ya o Wen-yuan, "On th e Ne w Historical Dram a Hai Jui's Dismissal," Wen HuiPao (Shanghai , November 10 , 1965) . 14 Thi s is a theme whic h pervades almost all the militar y writing s of Ma o Tse-tung. 15 Kua n Fen g an d Li n Chieh, "Poisonous Weeds"; Ch i Pen-yu, "O n th e Bourgeois Stand o f Frontline an d th e Peking Daily;" Re d Flag, no . 7 120

(1966); "Lon g Live the Great Proletaria n Cultura l Revolution," editorial, Red Flag, no . 8 (1966). 16 Ma o Tse-tung, "Talk s at th e Yena n Forum o n Literatur e an d Art, " Selected Works of Ma o Tse-tung, vol . Ill (Peking : Foreig n Language s Press, 1966) , pp. 7-10 . 17 " A Great Revolutio n That Touche s People t o Thei r Very Souls, " The Great Socialist Cultural Revolution i n China (Peking: Foreig n Lan guages Press, 1966) , pp. 7-10. 18 Je n Min Ji h Pa o (May 8 , 1966) . 19 Ma o Tse-tung has stated, "Th e peopl e an d the peopl e alon e ar e the motive force of worl d history." Selected Works of Ma o Tse-tung, vol. ill (Peking : Foreig n Language s Press, 1965) , p. 257. 20 Se e p. 88 for Yao' s elaboration o f thi s question . 21 "Lon g Liv e the Grea t Proletarian Cultura l Revolution," Re d Flag, no. 8 (1966), reprinte d i n Th e Great Socialist Cultural Revolution in China (3), pp . 1-19 . 22 I n one of hi s "Evening Chat s at Yenshan," Teng T'o discussed the old practice o f writing up th e biographie s of th e importan t gentr y in each locality; h e seems to sugges t that th e famou s gentry of th e Peking area should b e written up i n this fashion. Ya o charges that thi s is an "attemp t a t restoration i n the mos t profound sense of the term. " He also accuses the member s of th e "Three-Famil y Village" o f going so far a s to advocat e the retur n of th e ol d Confucia n style of greeting (the claspin g of th e hand s in front o f th e body) , and o f indulging themselves in gluttony and th e pursuit o f bourgeoi s pleasures. Unfortunately, h e gives no references to substantiat e these charges. See Yao Wen-yuan, "On 'Three-Famil y Village,'" pp. 59-61. 23 Decision of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party Concerning th e Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (Peking : Foreign Language s Press, 1966) , p. 1. 24 "Rais e Hig h the Grea t Re d Banne r of Chairma n Mao's Thought an d Carry th e Grea t Proletarian Cultural Revolution Through t o th e End, " Liberation Army Daily (Jun e 6, 1966) , reprinted in Th e Great Socialist Cultural Revolution i n China (5) (Peking : Foreig n Languages Press, 1966) . 25 Ya o Wen-yuan, "On 'Three-Famil y Village,'" p. 43. 26 Wu' s consistent emphasi s of thi s them e has been take n as opposition to th e collectivizatio n of lan d formerly owned privately by peasants. 27 Kua n Fen g and Li n Chieh, "Poisonou s Weeds. " 28 Ibid. 29 Ibid. 30 Davi d Floyd, Mao Against Khrushchov: A Short History o f th e SinoSoviet Conflict (Ne w York and London : Praeger , 1963), p. 145. 121

31 I n "Evening Chat s at Yenshan," Peking Daily (Novembe r 10 , 1961) . See Yao Wen-yuan, "On 'Three-Famil y Village,'" p. 48. 32 Ya o Wen-yuan, ibid. 33 Ibid., p . 42. 34 Ibid. 35 Ibid. 36 Li n Chieh et al., "Ten g T'o's Evening Chats at Yenshan i s Anti-Party and Anti-Socialis t Double-Talk, " Liberation Army Daily (Ma y 8, 1966), reprinte d i n Th e Great Socialist Cultural Revolution i n China (2) (Peking : Foreig n Language s Press, 1966) . 37 Ibid., pp . 41-2, 45-6 . 38 L u Ting-i, speec h a t th e openin g of th e 196 4 Festival of Pekin g Opera on Contemporar y Themes , June 5 , 1964 . Se e Asia Research Centre, éd., Th e Great Cultural Revolution i n China (Rutland and Tokyo: Charle s E. Tuttle, 1968) , p . 29. 39 Ch i Pen-yu, "O n th e Bourgeoi s Stand of Frontline an d the Peking Daily," Re d Flag, no . 7 (1966), reprinted i n Th e Great Socialist Cultural Revolution in China (2), pp . 50-65 . 40 Li n Chieh et al, "Doubl e Talk, " pp. 45-6. 41 Kua n Feng an d Li n Chieh, "Poisonou s Weeds." 42 W u Han, "On Ha i Jui," Jen Min Jih Pao (September 21 , 1959).

122

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