The Outburst of a Shrew

At the Song Emperor’s Spring Festival banquet, the talented Liu Yu’e beats all gents in riddle and is rewarded by the Emperor with a jade coin. She gives it to her husband Chen Jichang. Su Qincao, an unwilling candidate for the Emperor's harem, infiltrates into the palace as a songtress and seeks help from her cousin Su Dongpo. Dongpo and Jichang often hang out and mess things up, which leads to Yu’e reporting them to the Empress. The Empress punished them by reducing their salary.

Dongpo lines Jichang and Lanting up first as a revenge, secondly also as to solve the problem of Qincao. Yu’e makes Jichang vow to the rosewood stick for his fidelity while also sends Liu Xiang to spy on him. Dongpo advises Qincao to seduce Jichang and ask for the jade coin as the gift of engagement. Liu Xiang discloses all he spied to Yu’e for a generous reward.

Back home, the infuriated Yu’e beats Jichang with the bevowed rosewood stick and orders him to kneel and repent by a willowy pond. Dongpo seeks the chance to instigate Jichang to divorce with Yu’e which he then does. She then goes to the court for justice, Yu’e’s uncle Gui Yushu tries to punish her for being a shrew. However, he himself is ordered to kneel by his wife.

Jichang and Yushu then go to seek help from the Emperor. The Emperor orders Yu’e to let Jichang keep Qincao as his concubine but she refuses and chooses to take arsenic instead. In her last word, she urges Jichang to be loyal to Qincao. Her words move Jichang. Fortunately, the Empress has replaced the poison with vinegar. Finally, the couple is reconciled and reunited.