Hong Hong's Cantonese Opera -a story

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The Ghost of the Red Plum Flowers


   Cantonese Opera version of the play was presented many times
   by Miss Hong Hong
   The most recent show : July 26028, 1996

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   The story takes place by the beautiful West Lake during a war.
   To find safety from the war, Li Huiniang lives with her father
   by the West Lake. Learned and beatiful, she is also very fond
   of red plum flowers. She begins to befriend Pei Shungqing, a
   student of the Imperial College, when he begs and receives from
   her some of her flowers.

   Their acquaintances is cut short when the wicked Premier Jia
   Sedao forces her to become one of the dancing girls in his
   household. When her father tries to prevent the abduction,
   he is killed instantly.

   The beveaved Li's attachment to Pei grows into love, but is
   suddenly terminated when the wicked premier ventures to the
   West Lake and Pei accuses him of wrong doing. Li is among
   the premier's retinue and  breaks into spontaneous praise for
   Pei. The wicked premier summarily has her beheaded. Her spirit
   pleads to the judicial afterlife judge. The judge, moved by her
   story, promises to release her from the underworld through
   reincarnation, provided that she can find her head.

   When Li returns to search for her head, she overhears that
   the premier is sending a swordsman to assassinate Pei. Li's
   ghost thwarts the murderous attempt and release Pei from his
   confinement. Upon the report of the thwarted assassination,
   the wicked premier comes to search for him. He soon encounters
   and kills Pei, who is looking for his beloved savior. When Li's
   ghost learns what has happened, she pleads with the underworld
   judge to give back Pei's life on earth. When the judge says that
   he has already made an exception in her case, Li offers
   to sacrifice her opportunity or reincarnation. The judge consents
   to restoring Pei's life, while Li transforms into the flower
   that he and she both love -a plum blosson.