The Tale of the Secluded Boudoir

施惠Jul 2024

4.5

Word count: 49K words
Chapters: 41

Summary

China's traditional culture has a long intellectual lineage, marked by a high degree of originality, inventiveness, and literary quality. Early forms of thought are highly distinctive: religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, customs and local gazetteers—all are profound and extensive. This series, "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts," preserves the appearance of the original books and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers may cultivate their temperament and quietly absorb the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

The Tale of the Secluded Boudoir (Yougui ji) is one of the representative works of Southern drama. Attributed to Shi Hui, it tells the story of Wang Ruilan and Jiang Shilong, who meet amid the chaos of war, form a bond, and endure separations and reunions. This edition belongs to the "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts" series, preserves the appearance of the original book, and aims above all to transmit the authentic text; it suits readers who wish to encounter the original plays. Its value lies in presenting, through dramatic text, human feeling and marriage ethics in a time of turmoil. With songs interspersed with spoken passages, it is both theatrical and literary; readers accustomed to poetry and prose can use it to experience the narrative rhythm and character portrayal of traditional drama. There is no need to hurry: first clarify the relationships among the characters and the sequence of the plot, then return to the details of the arias and notice how the author arranges conflict and reunion amid separation and joy. Reading it alongside basic knowledge of Southern drama will make the experience more concrete.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in classical Chinese drama and original texts of Southern drama
Those who wish to understand marriage, love, and family ethics in premodern China through plays
Students of Chinese literature or drama who need to engage with primary texts
General readers who enjoy traditional stories and are willing to read the arias and dialogue slowly

Not a good fit for

Readers who want only modern vernacular retellings and are unwilling to read the original text
Beginners expecting detailed annotations and line-by-line explanation
Those with no interest in dramatic form or the conventions of qupai

Reading tips

Read through the plot first and clarify the thread of Wang Ruilan and Jiang Shilong's separations and reunions, then return to key scenes for close reading.
Where arias and spoken passages alternate, slow down: grasp the characters' tone first, then appreciate the lyricism of the songs.
Read alongside basic knowledge of Southern drama and the division of roles such as sheng, dan, jing, and chou for smoother comprehension.
After finishing, retell the story scene by scene to check whether you have grasped the structure of conflict and reunion.

版权信息
第一出开场始末
第二出书帏自叹
第三出虎狼扰乱
第四出罔害皤良
第五出亡命全忠
第六出图形追捕
第七出文武同盟
第八出少不知愁
第九出绿林寄迹
第十出奉使临番
第十一出士女随迁
第十二出山寨巡罗
第十三出相泣路岐
第十四出风雨间关
第十五出番落回军
第十六出违离兵火
第十七出旷野奇逢
第十八出彼此亲依
第十九出偷儿挡路
第二十出虎头遇旧
第二十一出子母途穷
第二十二出招商谐偶
第二十三出和寇还朝
第二十四出会赦更新
第二十五出抱恙离鸾
第二十六出皇华悲遇
第二十七出逆旅萧条
第二十八出兄弟弹冠
第二十九出太平家宴
第三十出对景含愁
第三十一出英雄应辟
第三十二出幽闺拜月
第三十三出(照例开科)
第三十四出姊妹论思
第三十五出诏赘仙郎
第三十六出推就红丝
第三十七出官媒回话
第三十八出请谐伉俪
第三十九出天凑姻缘
第四十出洛珠双合

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no background in Chinese drama at all?

It can be read, but it requires some patience. It preserves the original text, alternates arias with spoken passages, and offers no line-by-line explanation; readers entirely new to Chinese drama may first learn the basic forms of Southern drama and the conventions of role types, then approach the text, which will make plot and character relationships easier to grasp.

What story does The Tale of the Secluded Boudoir mainly tell?

It tells of Wang Ruilan and Jiang Shilong, who meet and form a bond amid the chaos of war, then endure separation and twists and turns before final reunion. As you read, notice how the wartime setting drives the characters' choices and how the play arranges conflict and resolution.

What are the features of this edition?

This edition belongs to the "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts" series. It focuses on preserving the appearance of the original book and aims to preserve and transmit traditional thought and culture. It suits readers who wish to encounter the primary text rather than a popular edition centered on detailed annotation or modern rewriting.

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About the author

施惠 Author

Shi Hui's exact life dates, nationality, and biographical details are not clearly recorded, and publicly available information is limited. What can be confirmed is that three works are held in the collection, spanning different fields: The Story of the Secluded Boudoir (You Gui Ji), related to the Sixty Plays anthology, along with a standalone edition of the same title, both belonging to classical drama and literary appreciation; and A Stargazing Guide: Easily Become a Stargazing Expert, a popular science work introducing the basics of stargazing to general readers. Judging from these works, Shi Hui's writing crosses both literary and popular-science subjects: on the one hand presenting and organizing traditional dramatic texts for easier understanding and appreciation, and on the other explaining astronomical observation in an accessible way that lowers the barrier to entry. Because background information on the author is insufficient, it is difficult to confirm their identity or the full scope of their work; readers may instead approach the works through their subjects and styles.