Chinese Literature
Fan.- “Ff I happen to escape from the net and save myself, I swear never to marry again to repay you for your oath today.”
“You gave me a duck-and-drake mirror as a wedding gift,” said Yumei. “Let us take one half each and carry it with us wherever we go. If ever the double mirror becomes whole again, husband and wife will be reunited.” When she had said this, they looked at each other and wept.
This conversation took place in the twelfth month of the first year of Shao Hsing. During the first month of the second year, Prince Han took Chienchow by storm and Commander Fan in desperation set fire to his headquarters and perished in the flames. Prince Han set up a yellow flag and called on the remaining rebels to surrender ; and all but the clan of Fan were spared. As for them, half died when the city was sacked while the other half were captured by the imperial forces to be taken to the capital for execution. When Yu-mei knew this, fearing it was all up with her husband, she ran into a deserted house and taking off her scarf hanged herself with it.
Ah, better far to perish young and chaste, Than to live on abandoned and disgraced!
She was not fated to die, however. For just then Chief of Staff Feng happened to pass by with some of his men, and when he saw a woman hanging in a tumbledown house he hastily ordered his men to cut her down; then, looking at her closely, discovered that she was his daughter Yu-mei. When Yu-mei recovered consciousness, it was a long time before she could speak. Father and daughter felt both joy and grief at this meeting, as Yu-mei told her father how she had been captured by the rebels and how Young Fan had rescued and married her. When he heard this, however, Feng said nothing.
When Chienchow was conquered, the common people went back to their homes and Prince Han returned with his chief of staff Feng to the capital to report their victory; and there they were rewarded by the emperor and promoted.
One day Feng fell to talking with his wife about their daughter’s future. They felt that since Yu-mei was still young she ought not to remain single, and they both tried to persuade her to marry again. On this point, however, Yu-mei was adamant. She told them of the promise she had given her husband.
“You come of a good family,” said Feng. “And if you married a rebel, it was because you had no alternative. Fortunately he is dead now, and you are free: why should you still think of him?”
But Yu-mei, with tears in her eyes, answered: ‘My husband was a scholar who only joined his clansmen because he was forced to; and though he was with the rebels he always helped the distressed and never
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