Xiqu

Newly widowed, the beautiful and intelligent Tan Ji’er is living temporarily at a Daoist monastery. The monastery’s overseer, Nun Bai, is visited by her nephew Bai Shizhong, who is on his way to take up a post as governor of Tanzhou. He tells his aunt about the loss of his wife, so Nun Bai plays matchmaker and brings Bai Shizhong and Tan Ji’er together as a couple. They marry, but this incurs the jealous wrath of the rich and powerful Master Yang, who has taken a liking to Tan and had hoped to make her his concubine. Yang hatches an evil plan and manages to get the decree and the imperial sword from the emperor that would enable him to kill Bai Shizhong. To save her husband, Tan poses as a fishwoman, and on the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, she gets Master Yang and his attendants drunk at the Riverside Pavilion. She then steals his decree and sword. Later, Yang accosts Bai, but realises he has no proof of his authority. Bai presents the decree and sword, and says a fishwoman had reported being harrassed by Master Yang, who now realises he has fallen into a trap. Master Yang ends up getting punished, while Bai Shizhong and Tan Ji’er move together to Tanzhou, where he governs the prefecture and they live happily as a couple.