Top of page

Book/Printed Material Ming zhu ji 明珠記

[ Volume 1 ]

More Resources

[ Volume 2 ]

About this Item

Title

  • Ming zhu ji

Other Title

  • 明珠記

Translated Title

  • The Story of the Bright Pearl

Summary

  • The playwright of Ming zhu ji (The story of the bright pearl) was Lu Cai (1497-1537). His original name was Lu Zhuo, courtesy name Ziyuan, or Zixuan, also called Lu Cai, Tianchi and Qingchisou, a native of Wuxian, Jiangsu. At the age of 19, he completed this drama. It was said that the draft was started by his older brother Lu Can and was finished by Lu Cai. He also put the drama on stage, selected performers, directed them, and became famous. Unruly and unrestrained, Lu Cai loved drama, song, poetry, and wine, and traveled a great deal. He wrote five plays, Ming zhu ji, Huai xiang ji (Romance of homesickness), Nan xi xiang (Romance of the southwest chamber), Fen xie ji (Story of the separated shoes), and Jiao shang ji (The story of the wine cup), of which only the first three survived. This story originated from the fictional work Liu Wushuang zhuan (The life of Liu Wushuang) by Tang dynasty writer Xue Tiao. The play has 43 scenes. It tells the story of Wang Xianke, who lost his father early and lived with his mother, away from their home, with his uncle Liu Zhen and his family. He and his cousin Wushuang loved each other from their childhood on. Then his mother died and he returned to his native town for the burial. Afterwards he went to the capital for the civil examinations. He sent someone to ask his uncle's permission to marry Wushuang. His uncle refused. At that time, a former military commissioner named Yao Lingyan raised a mutiny. Liu Zhen decided to let the two marry. Wushuang gave Xianke a bright pearl as a keepsake. Liu Zhen's family was blockaded in the city. Xianke was able to flee to his native town. After the turmoil ended, Xianke found out that Liu Zhen had been wrongly framed and put in prison and his wife and daughter taken to the imperial court as slaves. Wushuang's maid Caiping was brought to the home of General Wang Suizhong, who adopted her and gave her to Xianke as his concubine. He also recommended Xianke as the magistrate of Gaoping. One day, the emperor ordered the palace maids, among them Wushuang, to clean up the tombs. On their way they stopped at Chang'an to spend the night at a hostel, where Xianke was on official duty. With the help of his serving boy and a knight-errant, Xianke and Wushuang met. They then fled the town and met and reunited with Liu Zhen and his wife, who had been pardoned. The plot of the drama is similar to the original romance, except for a few additional scenes. In one, Wushuang's father was pardoned and did not die, so father and daughter were reunited; in the other, Wushuang gives Xianke the bright pearl as a keepsake. That was why the drama was given the title The Story of the Bright Pearl. This copy is a late Ming edition, in two juan in four volumes. The title at the beginning of juan 1 is in large characters in double columns. The National Central Library has another copy of this work, of a revised Qing edition, included in the series entitled Liu shi zhong qu (Collection of 60 dramas). The table of contents and the first 11 scenes of the drama are presented here.

Names

  • Lu, Cai, 1497-1537 Author
  • Lu, Can, 1494-1551 Attributed Name

Created / Published

  • [Place of publication not identified] : [Publisher not identified], 1567.

Headings

  • -  China
  • -  1516
  • -  Chinese drama
  • -  Chinese literature
  • -  Romances

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 2 volumes.
  • -  Original resource at: National Central Library.
  • -  Content in Chinese.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.
  • -  Title revised per Asian Division.--cc28 2023-01-06

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021666538

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Lu, Cai, Author, and Can Lu. Ming Zhu Ji. [Place of publication not identified: Publisher not identified, 1567] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666538/.

APA citation style:

Lu, C. & Lu, C. (1567) Ming Zhu Ji. [Place of publication not identified: Publisher not identified] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666538/.

MLA citation style:

Lu, Cai, Author, and Can Lu. Ming Zhu Ji. [Place of publication not identified: Publisher not identified, 1567] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021666538/>.