Wang Kui Betrays Guiying

Wang Kui Betrays Guiying (王魁負桂英) is a Chinese story dating from 11th-century Song dynasty. The story was apparently quite popular by the 13th century (late Song dynasty and early Yuan dynasty) and is still a favorite among Chinese opera enthusiasts.

The male protagonist Wang Kui (王魁) was either based on or created to slander Wang Junmin (1035–1063), who finished first in the 1061 imperial examination but almost immediately developed a mental illness and died 2 years later while in office. Kui means champion in Chinese.

The story that began to circulate after his somewhat baffling death goes something like this: A young Gējì named Jiao Guiying (敫桂英 or 焦桂英) falls in love with an impoverished student named Wang Kui, and supports him with her savings as he prepares for the imperial examination.^[1]^[2]^[3]Wang Kui promises her that once he succeeds in the examination held in the capital Kaifeng, he would immediately fetch her. After finishing first in the examination and becoming the talk of the capital, he cruelly writes Guiying a letter telling her that he now plans to marry a high-ranking minister's daughter. When Guiying receives his letter, she commits suicide. Her ghost then wanders from the Underworld to Wang Kui's residence, where she haunts him and later captures and drags him to Hell.

Somewhat different versions of the story exist.

English translations

"Broken Promises: Wang Kui Betrays Guiying and Is Repaid with Death" (translated by Alister D. Inglish), in The Drunken Man's Talk: Tales from Medieval China^[4]
"The Tale of Wang Kui" (translated by Zhenjun Zhang and Jing Wang), in Song Dynasty Tales: A Guided Reader^[5]

Modern adaptations

Film

A Scholar's Adventure (王魁與桂英), a 1952 Hong Kong film starring Ouyang Sha-fei as Jiao Guiying
A Torn Lily (孽海花), a 1953 Hong Kong film starring Xia Meng as Jiao Guiying and Ping Fan as Wang Kui
A Test of Love (情探), a 1958 Chinese film starring Fu Quanxiang as Jiao Guiying and Lu Jinhua as Wang Kui
Butterfly Couple (彩蝶雙飛), a 1959 Hong Kong anthology film (the story "Beating the Spirit" 打神 stars Hung Sin-nui as Jiao Guiying)
Tears of a Prostitute (煙花淚), a 1988 Chinese film starring Ren Genxin as Jiao Guiying

TV series

Chinese Folklore (民間傳奇), a 1974–77 Hong Kong TVB series (the 1975 segment "The Story of Burning Incense" 焚香記 stars Sylvia Lai as Jiao Guiying)
A Flower in a Sinful Sea (孽海花), a 1995 Taiwanese China Television series starring Angie Chiu as Jiao Guiying and Cecilia Yip as Wang Kui (in a cross-gender role)

References

^ 明·王玉峰《焚香记》:奴家自丧二亲之后。尚在忧制中。理当披麻被发。争奈奴身已属他人。盖不由己。那谢妈妈终日逼令强作妓女妆束。奴家抵死不从。倘或果欲堕落风尘。有死而已。(I have lost two relatives and am still in sorrow. I should wear sackcloth and have my hair loose. But I have been sold to someone else. I cannot do it myself. Madam Xie forces me to dress like a prostitute every day. I would rather die than obey. If the result is to become a prostitute, I would rather die.)
^ 明·王玉峰《焚香记》:近来取一义女。年方二八。叫名桂英。谁知他是宦家之女。琴棋书画。针指女工。无所不晓。坚持志节。不肯苟且从人。这也都是他的好处。自古道君子成人之美。我岂肯贪图微利。坏人心术。争奈妈妈朝夕絮聒。逼令接客。桂英死不肯从。如之奈何。我老夫只愿与他招一佳塄。庶几彼志可遂。我亦终身有托。且昨夜梦一人对我说。你明日有贵客登门。与你有瓜葛之分。竟不知梦兆如何。(Recently, I adopted a daughter. She is sixteen years old. Her name is Guiying. Who knew she was the daughter of an official family? She can play the qin, Go, calligraphy, painting, needlework and embroidery. She is good at everything. She insists on her own ambition and integrity. She refuses to compromise and follow others. These are her strengths. It has been said since ancient times that a gentleman should help others do good things. How can I covet a meager profit? It makes people depressed. But the madam nags every day. She forces Guiying to receive clients. Guiying would rather die than obey. What can I do? I, an old man, just want to find an excellent man for Guiying. It may also fulfill Guiying's wish. I also have someone to entrust my life to. And last night I dreamed of someone who said to me that you will have a distinguished guest to visit you tomorrow. It will have something to do with you. I don't know what this dream means.)
^ 明·王玉峰《焚香记》:夫君类浮萍。妾身等风絮。飘泊同清波。薄命两遭际。奴家自嫁王俊民。囊箧一空。栖迟无计。多感谢公把我夫妻两口。还做好人儿女看待。争奈妈妈厌贫求富。逼令改节。丈夫偶不在家。何等被他凌辱。奴家虽非德耀之门。颇免秋胡之诮。若使弃旧恋新。辜恩负义。宁廿九死。何爱一生。(My husband is like duckweed. I am like catkins in the wind. Drifting like ripples in the water. I have fallen into ill-fated situations twice. Since I married Wang Junmin, my bags and boxes are empty. I am drifting and frustrated. I am so grateful to Mr. Xie for treating my husband and me as the son and daughter of a good man. But the madam despises the poor and loves the rich. She forced me to change my moral principles. My husband is not at home. How can I be humiliated by others? Although I am not from a respected and honorable family, I cannot avoid my deep attachment to my husband. If I were asked to abandon my old lover and fall in love with a new man, it would be a betrayal. I would rather die. Because of the love of my life.)
^ Luo Ye (2015). The Drunken Man's Talk: Tales from Medieval China. University of Washington Press. pp. 115–120. ISBN 978-0-295-99473-4.
^ Zhang, Zhenjun; Wang, Jing (2017). Song Dynasty Tales: A Guided Reader. World Scientific. pp. 173–198. ISBN 9789813143272.

[1] 明·王玉峰《焚香记》:奴家自丧二亲之后。尚在忧制中。理当披麻被发。争奈奴身已属他人。盖不由己。那谢妈妈终日逼令强作妓女妆束。奴家抵死不从。倘或果欲堕落风尘。有死而已。(I have lost two relatives and am still in sorrow. I should wear sackcloth and have my hair loose. But I have been sold to someone else. I cannot do it myself. Madam Xie forces me to dress like a prostitute every day. I would rather die than obey. If the result is to become a prostitute, I would rather die.)

[2] 明·王玉峰《焚香记》:近来取一义女。年方二八。叫名桂英。谁知他是宦家之女。琴棋书画。针指女工。无所不晓。坚持志节。不肯苟且从人。这也都是他的好处。自古道君子成人之美。我岂肯贪图微利。坏人心术。争奈妈妈朝夕絮聒。逼令接客。桂英死不肯从。如之奈何。我老夫只愿与他招一佳塄。庶几彼志可遂。我亦终身有托。且昨夜梦一人对我说。你明日有贵客登门。与你有瓜葛之分。竟不知梦兆如何。(Recently, I adopted a daughter. She is sixteen years old. Her name is Guiying. Who knew she was the daughter of an official family? She can play the qin, Go, calligraphy, painting, needlework and embroidery. She is good at everything. She insists on her own ambition and integrity. She refuses to compromise and follow others. These are her strengths. It has been said since ancient times that a gentleman should help others do good things. How can I covet a meager profit? It makes people depressed. But the madam nags every day. She forces Guiying to receive clients. Guiying would rather die than obey. What can I do? I, an old man, just want to find an excellent man for Guiying. It may also fulfill Guiying's wish. I also have someone to entrust my life to. And last night I dreamed of someone who said to me that you will have a distinguished guest to visit you tomorrow. It will have something to do with you. I don't know what this dream means.)

[3] 明·王玉峰《焚香记》:夫君类浮萍。妾身等风絮。飘泊同清波。薄命两遭际。奴家自嫁王俊民。囊箧一空。栖迟无计。多感谢公把我夫妻两口。还做好人儿女看待。争奈妈妈厌贫求富。逼令改节。丈夫偶不在家。何等被他凌辱。奴家虽非德耀之门。颇免秋胡之诮。若使弃旧恋新。辜恩负义。宁廿九死。何爱一生。(My husband is like duckweed. I am like catkins in the wind. Drifting like ripples in the water. I have fallen into ill-fated situations twice. Since I married Wang Junmin, my bags and boxes are empty. I am drifting and frustrated. I am so grateful to Mr. Xie for treating my husband and me as the son and daughter of a good man. But the madam despises the poor and loves the rich. She forced me to change my moral principles. My husband is not at home. How can I be humiliated by others? Although I am not from a respected and honorable family, I cannot avoid my deep attachment to my husband. If I were asked to abandon my old lover and fall in love with a new man, it would be a betrayal. I would rather die. Because of the love of my life.)

[4] Luo Ye (2015). The Drunken Man's Talk: Tales from Medieval China. University of Washington Press. pp. 115–120. ISBN 978-0-295-99473-4.

[5] Zhang, Zhenjun; Wang, Jing (2017). Song Dynasty Tales: A Guided Reader. World Scientific. pp. 173–198. ISBN 9789813143272.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]