“The Lasting Regrets of Late Ming” by Prosperity Cantonese Opera Troupe
Xiqu
Description
Description
When Chongzhen ascends the throne, he has ambitions to revive the Ming Dynasty. The attack on the border by the people of Jin, coupled wih the critical situation in the Battle of Ningyuan, prompts Empress Yi’an, the emperor’s sister-in-law, to recommend Yuan Chonghuan as the supreme commander of Liaodong. With Yuan’s promise to take over Liaodong in five years, Chongzhen awards him in person the seal of commander and the sword of state.
Despite resolving the crisis in Ningyuan, Yuan is imprisoned for treason, by the deceived Chongzhen. Empress Yi’an visits Yuan in jail and grieves over his death sentence. The morale of the Great Ming troops is at low point because of the external threat from the people of Jin, as well as his ubiquitous internal rebel forces against the court.
In 1644, eunuch Cao Huachun secretly opens the city gate, which enables Li Chuang to enter the capital. Chongzhen make apologies in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where he meets Empress Yi’an, who feels ashamed to face the previous emperors and plans to die for the country.
Worrying about the humiliation of Empress Zhou and Princess Changping by the wicked enemy, Chongzhen kills them in the Imperial Harem. Knowing that the end is near, he writes his last words in Meishan, urging the enemy not to harm any civilian in exchange for the dismemberment of his corpse. To preserve the dignity of the court, he hangs himself. Soon after, the loyal eunuch Wang Chen-en follows, in tears.
Details of other production units are only available in Chinese
Info
$180
$500
Indoor
Local