《狸猫换太子》
故事来源:元代(公元1206年──公元1368年)杂剧《抱妆盒》
时间:北宋中叶(公元960年──公元1127年)
地点:东京(今中国的河南省)
主要人物:刘妃(北宋皇后) 李妃(北宋皇妃)陈琳(宫廷侍从) 寇珠(宫廷侍女) 赵恒(北宋皇帝) 赵祯(赵恒之子)
皇帝赵恒年过五十,欲立太子,人选尚未确定。恰巧东宫李妃和西宫刘妃相继怀孕,赵恒宣布:先生太子者立为皇后。刘妃闻听,心中十分焦虑,她怀孕在李妃之后,做皇后的希望十分渺茫。颇懂权术的她暗中与太监总管郭槐商议,用偷梁换柱的办法,阻止李妃为后。
这一天,李妃生下一个男婴。接生婆刚出产房便被刺死、拖走,一只剥掉皮毛的狸猫换走了婴儿,被送到赵恒的面前。刘妃告诉皇上,李妃产下妖怪,预示宫中不祥。赵恒昏聩,把李妃打入冷宫。从此刘妃被立为皇后。
宫女寇珠接受密令,将一只封紧的木箱投入河中。一阵婴儿的哭声使她心生疑惑,她打开木箱,见是一个男婴,不知所措,求助于太监陈琳。陈琳目睹两宫相争,意识到男婴就是李妃所生的太子,便设法带出宫门,送到赵恒之弟八贤王府中。耿直忠正的八贤王收养了太子,取名赵祯。
刘妃身怀六甲,胎死腹中,赵恒只好在皇族子弟中挑选。他见八贤王之子赵祯气宇轩昂,便立为太子。刘妃见太子酷似李妃,心生疑团,严刑逼供寇珠,寇珠至死不招。刘妃担心冷宫中的李妃东山再起,纵火焚宫,忠厚的陈琳帮助李妃逃出宫去。刘妃发现,拷打陈琳,八贤王怒不可遏,闯入宫廷,告诉赵恒真相。赵恒受到震撼,加上年高体弱,当场死亡。太子年幼,刘妃仍旧独揽大权。
几年以后,赵祯登基。一瞎眼婆婆声称自己乃是当今皇上的生母,朝野上下一片哗然。包公审理此案,看出事态严重,涉及当今皇后,一再寻找人证。刘妃心怀鬼胎,毒死陈琳以灭口供。包公夜审郭槐,探明事件的来龙去脉。又造访八贤王,获取太子身世的证据。刘妃眼见东窗事发,不可挽回,便自缢而亡。
在包公和八贤王的陪同下,赵祯与李妃会面,皇上向生母、真正的太后跪拜,母子相拥而泣。
A Leopard Exchanged for a Prince
Origin:Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368 AD) opera, The Makeup BoxTime:Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127 AD)Place:Dongjing (in present day Henan Province)Main characters:Concubine Liu (Northern Song Empress)Concubine Li (Imperial concubine of the Northern Song Emperor)Chen Lin (a palace eunuch)Kou Zhu (a palace maid)Zhao Heng (Northern Song Emperor)Zhao Zhen (Zhao Heng's son)
Emperor Zhao Heng is over fifty years old. He has decided to designate his heir, but has not yet made his final choice. As it happens, Imperial concubine Li of the Eastern Palace and Imperial concubine Liu of the Western Palace become pregnant one after the other. Zhao Heng announces that whoever first presents him with a prince will be named Empress. Liu is distraught when she learns of this; she became pregnant well after Li, and her chances of giving birth first are almost nonexistent. Liu, however, is well versed in palace intrigue. She seeks out Chief Eunuch Guo Kui, and together they devise a scheme to prevent Li from becoming Empress.
The day comes that Li gives birth to a son. As the midwife is leaving the birthing chamber, she is stabbed to death and dragged away. A skinned leopard is substituted for the newborn infant, and presented to Emperor Zhao Heng. Liu tells the Emperor that Li has given birth to a monster, a very inauspicious omen for the palace. Zhao Heng, stupid and easily deceived, orders Li locked up in solitary confinement, and names Liu Empress.
Palace maid Kou Zhu is given a secret order to cast a sealed wooden makeup box into the river. But when she hears an infant's cries emanating from inside the box, she becomes suspicious and opens it. She discovers a boy baby inside, and not knowing what to do, goes to eunuch Chen Lin for help. Chen Lin, well aware of the struggle between the concubines of the Eastern and Western Palaces, realizes that this infant is none other than the prince to whom Li has just given birth. He manages to smuggle the baby out of the palace, and brings him to the palace of Emperor Zhao Heng's younger brother, Prince Baxian. The honest and upright Prince Baxian takes in the prince and raises as him as his own, giving him the name Zhao Zhen.
When Liu's pregnancy is in its sixth month, the fetus dies in her womb. Zhao Heng has no choice but to choose his heir from among his relatives. Impressed by the stolid and heroic appearance of Prince Baxian's young son Zhao Zhen, he names him heir apparent. When Liu notices Zhao Zhen's uncanny resemblance to Li, she becomes suspicious. She tortures serving maid Kou Zhu to extract a confession, but Kou Zhu remains silent to the death. Liu fears that Li, locked away in solitary confinement, will stage a comeback, and has her palace burned to the ground. Loyal and honest eunuch Chen Lin helps Li escape, and Liu has him beaten and tortured. Furious, Prince Baxian bursts into the palace and reveals to the Emperor the truth about Zhao Zhen. Zhao Heng is old and feeble, and the shock is too much for him. He dies on the spot, and Liu is once more in sole control of the court.
Several years later, Zhao Zhen ascends the throne. A blind old woman appears at court, claiming that she is the new Emperor's natural mother, and causing a great stir among officials and commoners alike. Respected judge Bao Gong investigates the case, realizing that it is very serious and the Empress may be involved. When Empress Liu learns that Bao Gong is seeking out all possible witnesses, she poisons loyal eunuch Chen Lin to prevent him from giving evidence. But Bao Gong uncovers the truth from his interrogation of Chief Eunuch Guo Kui and Prince Baxian's testimony concerning the prince's background. Liu, realizing that her evil deeds can no longer be concealed, hangs herself in her palace.
Bao Gong and Prince Baxian bring Zhao Zhen and Li together to meet. The Emperor prostrates himself before his mother, the true Empress Dowager, and mother and son fall into each other's arms weeping.