The Purple Hairpin
- ScreenwriterTong Tik-sang
Lee Yik, a talented young man, comes to Chang'an to attend the imperial examination with Tsui Wan-ming and Wai Ha-hing. In the evening of the Spring Lantern Festival, he meets Fok Siu-yuk and recovers her purple hairpin which becomes their love-token. They get married on that very same night.
However, the daughter of Lo, the supreme official of military affairs, is also in love with Lee Yik. Owing to his refusal of Lo’s marriage proposal, Lee Yik is punished and made military officer in frontier even he came out first in the imperial examination. They young couple is separated.
Nothing has been heard from Lee Yik for three years and Fok’s living becomes difficult, but she keeps subsidizing Wan-ming from time to time. At last, she has to pawn even the purple hairpin. Meanwhile, Lo has Lee Yik summoned back to Chang'an to be his son-in-law, and beats Wan-ming to death for his refusal to be the matchmaker for Lee Yik and his daughter. In order to quench Lee Yik’s affection for Siu-yuk, he further procures the purple hairpin as a proof of her remarriage. Lo even accuses Lee Yik of rebellion with his poem to force him for remarriage.
At Chongjing Temple, a Chevalier in Yellow Gown, after hearing her story, helps Siu-yuk to reunite with Lee Yik. Lee Yik explains his deep affection and his hardship under constraint. Yet, Lo catches Lee Yik back to marry his daughter right after their reunion. As advised by the Chevalier, Siu-yuk comes to claim her husband back at the wedding. Just when Lo tries to beat her to death, the Chevalier comes, as the emperor's brother, deposes Lo for his evil deeds and reunites Siu-yuk and Lee Yik in the end.