" Luan Piao Ji Zui Pu Zi"

Author: (Ming) Ye Xianzu, (Qing) Zhang Daifu compiled, Zhou Gongping edited
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1996-07-01
Features: Ye Xianzu (1566–1641) was a late Ming dynasty playwright, styled Meidu, also known as Xiangyou, with the sobriquets Liutong, Tongbai, and the aliases Huanyu Jushi and Huoyuan Wai Shi. He was known as the Purple Gold Taoist. He was from Yuyao, Zhejiang. In the 47th year of the Wanli era (1619), he passed the imperial examination and served as the magistrate of Xinhui, Guangdong, the assessor of the Dali Temple, the chief clerk of the Imperial Bureau of Works, the chief clerk of the Ministry of Justice in Nanjing, and the provincial inspector of Guangxi. Ye Xianzu was a man of integrity, with remarkable official achievements, yet he faced hardships and tribulations throughout his life. He resigned from office in the 9th year of the Chongzhen era (1636) and passed away five years later. During the Wanli period, Ye Xianzu wrote a large number of dramas and zaju. The Story of the Swallow and the Nail (Luanpo Ji) is a representative of his dramas, completed approximately between the 22nd year of the Wanli era (1594) and the 30th year (1602). At that time, Ye had not yet passed the imperial examination. In the play, he criticizes the flaws of the Ming dynasty's imperial examination system, expresses progressive views on women, and demonstrates his clear likes and dislikes as well as his critical stance toward society. The play has been performed since the late Ming dynasty and remained popular on stage until the late Qing dynasty.