The Beauty and the General

King Liang passes away, leaving three contenders to the crown. Bishop Zhao Jiguang is aware of the prospect of internal strife; therefore, he accompanies the third prince, Wengong, to seek support from Princess Yinping of Danyang. It is hoped that one day the throne may be transferred to the benevolent Wenjian, the late king’s eldest son.

The princess’s assistant, Wei, adores the princess; however, the princess loves Wenyong, the aggressive second prince, over his brothers. With blind deep love, the princess helps her knight contend for the throne.

Prince Wengong and the bishop launch an attack against the aggressive Wenyong; during the clashes, the eldest prince is killed by Wenyong’s most trusted vassal, Xie. Having achieved a great victory, the second prince returns to the capital to claim the throne. Basking in his favor, Xie attempts to sow discord, telling the public that Wenyong’s succession came only on the coattails of the princess.

To quell the rumor, the king looks for a way to rid the court of the princess. Indeed, acting like a new queen, Yinping often goes to court in a royal robe with a sword, a perfect excuse for the king to punish her with forced repatriation. The people lead a miserable life under the wicked and tyrannical rule of the new king. The princess’s assistant, Wei, advises the disgraced princess to campaign for overthrowing the king. After meeting with utter defeat, the deposed king faces decapitation at the hands of Wei in order to appease the people. Finally, the second prince repents to the public and commits suicide; the third prince, Wengong, is crowned and becomes a benevolent ruler.

(Source from: Cantonese Opera Research Programme , The Chinese University of Hong Kong)