The Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou is a comprehensive cultural venue built to commemorate Tang Xianzu, one of the world’s hundred great cultural figures and a master of Ming‑dynasty drama in China. It is also one of Jiangxi Province’s ten major memorial halls dedicated to historical luminaries.
Tang Xianzu’s Story | The Passionate Maiden, Huo Xiaoyu
Author:
Source:
Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall Official Account
Time:
2024-04-19
The Love-obsessed Maiden, Huo Xiaoyu
Jade Ming Dream
Since time immemorial, lovers consumed by passion have all met with tragedy.
Among the most famous lovesick figures is Huo Xiaoyu from the Tang dynasty’s legendary tale, “The Story of Huo Xiaoyu”: abandoned by her beloved Li Yi, she collapsed to the ground.
Among the most famous lovesick figures is Huo Xiaoyu from the Tang dynasty’s legendary tale, “The Story of Huo Xiaoyu”: abandoned by her beloved Li Yi, she collapsed to the ground.
And perished.
However, Tang Xianzu was clearly dissatisfied with such a tragic ending; in his adaptation of “The Story of Huo Xiaoyu,” titled “The Purple Hairpin,” he provided…
A happy ending for Huo Xiaoyu.
A happy ending for Huo Xiaoyu.
The pursuit of “wholeness” is Tang Xianzu’s emotional bedrock, the foundation of his values and worldview, and the yearning in his heart for a beautiful life.
A true reflection.
A true reflection.
Let us examine the characterizations of Huo Xiaoyu and Li Yi in “The Tale of Huo Xiaoyu” and “The Story of the Purple Hairpin.”
In “The Tale of Huo Xiaoyu,” Huo Xiaoyu is truly a woman consumed by love, while Li Yi is clearly a faithless lover. The fate of the two is tragic.
It is truly heartbreaking.
In the story, Huo Xiaoyu was originally the youngest daughter of Lord Huo, with the courtesy name Xiaoyu, and was greatly beloved by her father. Lord Huo was Li Gui, the son of Emperor Gaozu of the Tang dynasty. Her mother’s name was…
Her name was Jingchi; she had once been the beloved maid of Lord Huo. When Lord Huo passed away, his brothers all regarded Jingchi as being of lowly birth and refused to accept her.
She, therefore, gave her a small portion of her estate and drove her from the house; she then changed her surname to Zheng and took the name Jingchi. No one knew that Lord Huo had a son named Huo…
Xiao Yu was such a daughter. From this, it is clear that from the moment she was born, Huo Xiaoyu was already of humble origins and held in low regard by others.
By the early years of the Dali era under Emperor Daizong of the Tang dynasty (766), Huo Xiaoyu had already turned sixteen. Endowed with her mother’s fine qualities, she was strikingly beautiful, her features bright and charming, truly captivating.
With the careful guidance of her mother, she not only excelled in singing and dancing but also mastered poetry and prose. At this time, when her mother, Zheng Jingshi, fell into adversity, she had brought from the household…
All the delicate jewelry she had made was sold off, leaving her with barely enough to get by. To keep herself and her mother afloat, Huo Xiaoyu had no choice but to carry on her mother’s old trade—singing.
The maiko entertain their guests. For the sake of her daughter’s future, Madam Zheng maintains a strict code in her dealings with patrons, limiting herself to performing songs and dances to cheer them and ease their sorrows.
She would never sell her body. By doing everything she could to preserve her daughter’s chastity, she hoped that one day, when the right person came along, she could rightfully become a wife.
A wife, in order to attain lifelong happiness. Such geishas, who offer their art but not their bodies, were known in the brothels as “qing guan ren”—women of unwavering resolve.
Only then could it be done. Though Huo Xiaoyu was a “courtesan of the pure kind,” her exceptional talent and beauty nonetheless drew a large following of refined, elegant, and dashing gentlemen, making her quite…
A renowned red‑song courtesan.
In the capital, there was a man renowned for his poetry and prose, named Li Yi. Originally from Longxi in Shanxi, he traveled far and wide across the ancient battlefields of the Han and Tang dynasties there,
He penned numerous poems expressing his sentiments about war.
Huo Xiaoyu, too, had suffered the grief of separation and loss due to the chaos of war, and she was deeply moved by Li Yi’s poems. Later, through the matchmaking efforts of a neighbor,
Xian finally met Li Yi, who at that time had just passed the imperial examination as the top scholar and was awaiting his official appointment. After exchanging a few words, both felt an immediate rapport.
They talked of poetry and prose, so engrossed that they lost all sense of time. Lady Huo, too, greatly admired Li Yi; she thought to herself that if she could bring the two together, Xiao Yu would finally be able to…
They would have each other for life. So, with red candles as their matchmaker and fine wine as their pledge, they swore an oath that “not even the sea dries up or the rocks crumble could their hearts change.” Li Yi, quite boldly,
Living in Huo Xiaoyu’s home, the two of them ate and slept together day in and day out, going out and coming back together—just like husband and wife. And so they went on for nearly a year.
As for the timing, Li Yi was promoted to the post of chief clerk in Zheng County; he first had to return to his hometown of Luoyang to visit his relatives before assuming his duties. Once everything was arranged, he would then bring Huo Xiaoyu to…
Zheng County was solemnly wed. As Li Yi prepared to depart, Huo Xiaoyu was filled with anxiety, fearing that once he had attained high office and great eminence, he would surely grow cold toward her. Yet Li Yi repeatedly swore an oath:
“In the third month of next spring, I shall wed my beloved, and we shall be reunited in Zheng County, never to part again.” With tears streaming down their faces, the two bid each other farewell.
After Li Yi returned home, his parents were overjoyed. Following a grand celebration, they arranged a marriage for him; the bride was the daughter of an official family.
Er. Li Yi had no choice but to reveal the story of Huo Xiaoyu, yet her parents firmly opposed taking a singing girl into the family. After much deliberation, Li Yi also felt that…
Marrying the daughter of an official family would be advantageous to his career, so they held a lavish wedding.
At this moment, Huo Xiaoyu still waited anxiously. Half a year had passed, yet she saw no sign of Li Lang; a year had gone by, and still there was no word.
Letter. Knowing that her fears had come true, Huo Xiaoyu was overwhelmed with grief and resentment and took to her bed. Word of Li Yi’s unfaithfulness spread rapidly, and all of Chang’an came to know it.
Indeed, many people were indignant on behalf of Huo Xiaoyu.
Not long after, Li Yi went to the capital on official business. A Daoist priest forcibly carried him to the doorstep of Huo Xiaoyu’s home. There, he saw her face pale with despair…
Huo Xiaoyu, thin and with a dazed expression, left Li Yi overwhelmed with shame. Struggling to rise, she faced the man who had betrayed her, though her heart was wracked with countless sorrows.
Yet she could no longer bring herself to utter a single word. She seized a cup of wine and hurled it to the ground, signifying that her bond with Li Yi was now “like water spilled—irretrievable”—and then collapsed, lifeless.
Li Yi wept bitterly over the corpse, but it was already too late to repent.
Many years later, Li Yi rose to the post of Minister of Rites, achieving great success and prosperity; yet the sense of guilt he felt toward Huo Xiaoyu tormented him for the rest of his life.
However, in “The Purple Hairpin,” though Li Yi is as devoted and infatuated as Huo Xiaoyu, he never fails her—truly a man consumed by love. In the end, the two…
To reach a happy ending.
The story goes that Li Yi, a gifted scholar from Longxi, was studying in Chang’an. Though he had already passed the age of twenty, he remained unmarried and entrusted Lady Bao Si to find him a suitable match. Lady Bao Si intended to…
The young lady of the Huo Mansion, only twenty-eight and renowned for both her beauty and grace, was introduced to Li Yi.
While admiring the lanterns on the Lantern Festival, the two unexpectedly ran into each other. Little Yu had already heard from Madam Bao Si about Li Yi’s talent.
Indeed, now that they have met, Li Yi seems all the more endearing. The next day, Lady Bao Si, at Li Yi’s behest, went to propose marriage and chose an auspicious date. Later, Li Yi from…
He borrowed a fine steed and a servant from a friend, then went to offer the wedding candles to Xiaoyu. After their marriage, the two shared a deep and tender love.
One day, the page boy Qiu Hong reported that His Majesty had deigned to visit Luoyang and was about to begin selecting scholars. Master and servant immediately began packing their belongings, while Li Yi and Xiao Yu, though overcome with sorrow, reluctantly parted ways.
Farewell—oaths of eternal love, and a bittersweet parting for the two. At the imperial examination, Li Yi triumphed as the top scholar.
It is truly heartbreaking.
In the story, Huo Xiaoyu was originally the youngest daughter of Lord Huo, with the courtesy name Xiaoyu, and was greatly beloved by her father. Lord Huo was Li Gui, the son of Emperor Gaozu of the Tang dynasty. Her mother’s name was…
Her name was Jingchi; she had once been the beloved maid of Lord Huo. When Lord Huo passed away, his brothers all regarded Jingchi as being of lowly birth and refused to accept her.
She, therefore, gave her a small portion of her estate and drove her from the house; she then changed her surname to Zheng and took the name Jingchi. No one knew that Lord Huo had a son named Huo…
Xiao Yu was such a daughter. From this, it is clear that from the moment she was born, Huo Xiaoyu was already of humble origins and held in low regard by others.
By the early years of the Dali era under Emperor Daizong of the Tang dynasty (766), Huo Xiaoyu had already turned sixteen. Endowed with her mother’s fine qualities, she was strikingly beautiful, her features bright and charming, truly captivating.
With the careful guidance of her mother, she not only excelled in singing and dancing but also mastered poetry and prose. At this time, when her mother, Zheng Jingshi, fell into adversity, she had brought from the household…
All the delicate jewelry she had made was sold off, leaving her with barely enough to get by. To keep herself and her mother afloat, Huo Xiaoyu had no choice but to carry on her mother’s old trade—singing.
The maiko entertain their guests. For the sake of her daughter’s future, Madam Zheng maintains a strict code in her dealings with patrons, limiting herself to performing songs and dances to cheer them and ease their sorrows.
She would never sell her body. By doing everything she could to preserve her daughter’s chastity, she hoped that one day, when the right person came along, she could rightfully become a wife.
A wife, in order to attain lifelong happiness. Such geishas, who offer their art but not their bodies, were known in the brothels as “qing guan ren”—women of unwavering resolve.
Only then could it be done. Though Huo Xiaoyu was a “courtesan of the pure kind,” her exceptional talent and beauty nonetheless drew a large following of refined, elegant, and dashing gentlemen, making her quite…
A renowned red‑song courtesan.
In the capital, there was a man renowned for his poetry and prose, named Li Yi. Originally from Longxi in Shanxi, he traveled far and wide across the ancient battlefields of the Han and Tang dynasties there,
He penned numerous poems expressing his sentiments about war.
Huo Xiaoyu, too, had suffered the grief of separation and loss due to the chaos of war, and she was deeply moved by Li Yi’s poems. Later, through the matchmaking efforts of a neighbor,
Xian finally met Li Yi, who at that time had just passed the imperial examination as the top scholar and was awaiting his official appointment. After exchanging a few words, both felt an immediate rapport.
They talked of poetry and prose, so engrossed that they lost all sense of time. Lady Huo, too, greatly admired Li Yi; she thought to herself that if she could bring the two together, Xiao Yu would finally be able to…
They would have each other for life. So, with red candles as their matchmaker and fine wine as their pledge, they swore an oath that “not even the sea dries up or the rocks crumble could their hearts change.” Li Yi, quite boldly,
Living in Huo Xiaoyu’s home, the two of them ate and slept together day in and day out, going out and coming back together—just like husband and wife. And so they went on for nearly a year.
As for the timing, Li Yi was promoted to the post of chief clerk in Zheng County; he first had to return to his hometown of Luoyang to visit his relatives before assuming his duties. Once everything was arranged, he would then bring Huo Xiaoyu to…
Zheng County was solemnly wed. As Li Yi prepared to depart, Huo Xiaoyu was filled with anxiety, fearing that once he had attained high office and great eminence, he would surely grow cold toward her. Yet Li Yi repeatedly swore an oath:
“In the third month of next spring, I shall wed my beloved, and we shall be reunited in Zheng County, never to part again.” With tears streaming down their faces, the two bid each other farewell.
After Li Yi returned home, his parents were overjoyed. Following a grand celebration, they arranged a marriage for him; the bride was the daughter of an official family.
Er. Li Yi had no choice but to reveal the story of Huo Xiaoyu, yet her parents firmly opposed taking a singing girl into the family. After much deliberation, Li Yi also felt that…
Marrying the daughter of an official family would be advantageous to his career, so they held a lavish wedding.
At this moment, Huo Xiaoyu still waited anxiously. Half a year had passed, yet she saw no sign of Li Lang; a year had gone by, and still there was no word.
Letter. Knowing that her fears had come true, Huo Xiaoyu was overwhelmed with grief and resentment and took to her bed. Word of Li Yi’s unfaithfulness spread rapidly, and all of Chang’an came to know it.
Indeed, many people were indignant on behalf of Huo Xiaoyu.
Not long after, Li Yi went to the capital on official business. A Daoist priest forcibly carried him to the doorstep of Huo Xiaoyu’s home. There, he saw her face pale with despair…
Huo Xiaoyu, thin and with a dazed expression, left Li Yi overwhelmed with shame. Struggling to rise, she faced the man who had betrayed her, though her heart was wracked with countless sorrows.
Yet she could no longer bring herself to utter a single word. She seized a cup of wine and hurled it to the ground, signifying that her bond with Li Yi was now “like water spilled—irretrievable”—and then collapsed, lifeless.
Li Yi wept bitterly over the corpse, but it was already too late to repent.
Many years later, Li Yi rose to the post of Minister of Rites, achieving great success and prosperity; yet the sense of guilt he felt toward Huo Xiaoyu tormented him for the rest of his life.
However, in “The Purple Hairpin,” though Li Yi is as devoted and infatuated as Huo Xiaoyu, he never fails her—truly a man consumed by love. In the end, the two…
To reach a happy ending.
The story goes that Li Yi, a gifted scholar from Longxi, was studying in Chang’an. Though he had already passed the age of twenty, he remained unmarried and entrusted Lady Bao Si to find him a suitable match. Lady Bao Si intended to…
The young lady of the Huo Mansion, only twenty-eight and renowned for both her beauty and grace, was introduced to Li Yi.
While admiring the lanterns on the Lantern Festival, the two unexpectedly ran into each other. Little Yu had already heard from Madam Bao Si about Li Yi’s talent.
Indeed, now that they have met, Li Yi seems all the more endearing. The next day, Lady Bao Si, at Li Yi’s behest, went to propose marriage and chose an auspicious date. Later, Li Yi from…
He borrowed a fine steed and a servant from a friend, then went to offer the wedding candles to Xiaoyu. After their marriage, the two shared a deep and tender love.
One day, the page boy Qiu Hong reported that His Majesty had deigned to visit Luoyang and was about to begin selecting scholars. Master and servant immediately began packing their belongings, while Li Yi and Xiao Yu, though overcome with sorrow, reluctantly parted ways.
Farewell—oaths of eternal love, and a bittersweet parting for the two. At the imperial examination, Li Yi triumphed as the top scholar.
At this time, the powerful and influential Grand Preceptor Lu, who held sway over the court, sought to select a son-in-law from among the scholars and arrange a marriage by taking a son-in-law into his household. He ordered all the scholars to present themselves at his residence. However, Li Yi refused to go.
At the Lu residence, the Grand Marshal, harboring a grudge, submitted a memorial recommending Li Yi to serve as a military officer beyond the Yumen Pass, forbidding him from returning to the capital. Unaware of this, Li Yi, having passed the highest imperial examinations, promptly returned to Chang’an to be with his young…
The two were reunited. Just then, an envoy arrived to announce that Li Yi was to report at once to General Liu Jie at the frontier as a military officer. Reluctantly, Li Yi and Xiao Yu parted ways at the Baji Bridge, where they broke willow branches and swore an oath of loyalty.
And part ways.
Li Yi, weary from his journey, arrived beyond the Yumen Pass. Since parting with Li Yi, Xiao Yu had been consumed by thoughts of him day and night. Likewise, Li Yi longed for Xiao Yu round the clock and painted…
He had the painting “The Conscript Hears the Flute and Longs for Home” copied and entrusted someone to deliver it to Xiaoyu. Seeing that Li Yi had been rewarded for his achievements, Grand Preceptor Lu hatched another scheme: he petitioned the emperor to appoint Li Yi as…
The secretary was reassigned as a military officer at Mengmen; he was not permitted to return to Chang’an and was ordered to report for duty without delay.
At this time, Grand Censor Lu was stationed at Mengmen by order of the imperial court. Upon Li Yi’s arrival there, Grand Censor Lu again sought to arrange for him to marry his daughter. Li Yi demurred, claiming that he was already married.
But to no avail. Lord Lu immediately dispatched a messenger to inform Xiao Yu that Li Yi had already been taken in as a son-in-law at the Lu residence. Soon after, Lord Lu and Li Yi were ordered to return to the capital, and they returned…
Li Yi was placed under house arrest at the Lu residence.
Xiaoyu, upon receiving the false letter, was deeply heartbroken and blamed Li Yi for his callousness, yet she could not bring herself to fully believe it. In her quest to learn of Li Yi’s whereabouts, she exhausted all her family’s resources,
In the end, she sold off the token—a purple‑jade swallow hairpin—which happened to be purchased by the Lu household. Upon learning that the hairpin had once belonged to Li and Huo Ding as a token of their love, the Grand Preceptor Lu ordered the wife of the Hall Marquis’s official…
Pretending to be Bao San-niang, the elder sister of Bao Si-niang, she presented a hairpin to Li Yi. Upon seeing the hairpin, Li Yi was greatly astonished; but Bao San-niang declared that Xiao Yu had already married another man, and so she had sold this one.
A hairpin. Taking advantage of the situation, Lord Lu urged Li Yi to use this hairpin as a token of betrothal to his daughter, but Li Yi politely declined once again.
The chivalrous hero in the yellow robe, upon hearing that Li Yi had betrayed his love and that Xiao Yu was gravely ill, generously came to their aid. He escorted Li Yi to the Huo residence, enabling him to meet with Xiao Yu.
Upon meeting, they finally learned that everything had been orchestrated by someone acting on the orders of Magistrate Lu. Li Yi then produced the purple‑jade swallow hairpin, and at once all suspicion between them was dispelled. Li Yi handed…
The purple‑jade swallow hairpin was placed upon Xiao Yu’s head. The man in the yellow robe once again presented a memorial to the emperor, detailing Grand Secretary Lu’s abuse of power and the injustice suffered by Li Yi and Xiao Yu; in the end, the emperor issued a decree…
Purpose: To confer the titles of Scholar of the Hall of Worthies and Assistant Minister of the Imperial Secretariat upon Li Yi, and to bestow the title of Lady of Taiyuan Commandery upon Huo Xiaoyu and that of Grand Lady of Xingyang Commandery upon Zheng Jingchi.
At the Lu residence, the Grand Marshal, harboring a grudge, submitted a memorial recommending Li Yi to serve as a military officer beyond the Yumen Pass, forbidding him from returning to the capital. Unaware of this, Li Yi, having passed the highest imperial examinations, promptly returned to Chang’an to be with his young…
The two were reunited. Just then, an envoy arrived to announce that Li Yi was to report at once to General Liu Jie at the frontier as a military officer. Reluctantly, Li Yi and Xiao Yu parted ways at the Baji Bridge, where they broke willow branches and swore an oath of loyalty.
And part ways.
Li Yi, weary from his journey, arrived beyond the Yumen Pass. Since parting with Li Yi, Xiao Yu had been consumed by thoughts of him day and night. Likewise, Li Yi longed for Xiao Yu round the clock and painted…
He had the painting “The Conscript Hears the Flute and Longs for Home” copied and entrusted someone to deliver it to Xiaoyu. Seeing that Li Yi had been rewarded for his achievements, Grand Preceptor Lu hatched another scheme: he petitioned the emperor to appoint Li Yi as…
The secretary was reassigned as a military officer at Mengmen; he was not permitted to return to Chang’an and was ordered to report for duty without delay.
At this time, Grand Censor Lu was stationed at Mengmen by order of the imperial court. Upon Li Yi’s arrival there, Grand Censor Lu again sought to arrange for him to marry his daughter. Li Yi demurred, claiming that he was already married.
But to no avail. Lord Lu immediately dispatched a messenger to inform Xiao Yu that Li Yi had already been taken in as a son-in-law at the Lu residence. Soon after, Lord Lu and Li Yi were ordered to return to the capital, and they returned…
Li Yi was placed under house arrest at the Lu residence.
Xiaoyu, upon receiving the false letter, was deeply heartbroken and blamed Li Yi for his callousness, yet she could not bring herself to fully believe it. In her quest to learn of Li Yi’s whereabouts, she exhausted all her family’s resources,
In the end, she sold off the token—a purple‑jade swallow hairpin—which happened to be purchased by the Lu household. Upon learning that the hairpin had once belonged to Li and Huo Ding as a token of their love, the Grand Preceptor Lu ordered the wife of the Hall Marquis’s official…
Pretending to be Bao San-niang, the elder sister of Bao Si-niang, she presented a hairpin to Li Yi. Upon seeing the hairpin, Li Yi was greatly astonished; but Bao San-niang declared that Xiao Yu had already married another man, and so she had sold this one.
A hairpin. Taking advantage of the situation, Lord Lu urged Li Yi to use this hairpin as a token of betrothal to his daughter, but Li Yi politely declined once again.
The chivalrous hero in the yellow robe, upon hearing that Li Yi had betrayed his love and that Xiao Yu was gravely ill, generously came to their aid. He escorted Li Yi to the Huo residence, enabling him to meet with Xiao Yu.
Upon meeting, they finally learned that everything had been orchestrated by someone acting on the orders of Magistrate Lu. Li Yi then produced the purple‑jade swallow hairpin, and at once all suspicion between them was dispelled. Li Yi handed…
The purple‑jade swallow hairpin was placed upon Xiao Yu’s head. The man in the yellow robe once again presented a memorial to the emperor, detailing Grand Secretary Lu’s abuse of power and the injustice suffered by Li Yi and Xiao Yu; in the end, the emperor issued a decree…
Purpose: To confer the titles of Scholar of the Hall of Worthies and Assistant Minister of the Imperial Secretariat upon Li Yi, and to bestow the title of Lady of Taiyuan Commandery upon Huo Xiaoyu and that of Grand Lady of Xingyang Commandery upon Zheng Jingchi.
Editor: Deng Chao | Source: Fuzhou News Radio
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