紫釵記

長安才子李益與霍小玉互相傾慕，一夜元宵佳節，霍小玉遺下紫釵被李益拾獲，霍老夫人為李益真誠所動，許二人當夜成婚，李益更為小玉以血書盟心之句。李益高中進士，未能即時拜謁盧太尉，後被逼參軍塞外。盧太尉從中作梗，致令李益三年間音訊全無。小玉染上重病，靠典賣首飾度日。此時太尉召李益回長安，欲強招他為婿。恰巧小玉典賣紫玉釵，李益誤會她改嫁，仍堅決吞釵拒婚。太尉怒不可遏，要脅誣告他所作詩句有叛國之意，李益唯有答應婚事。另方面小玉誤會李益負情而悲極吐血，後得豪傑黃衫客之助與李益重聚，二人冰釋前嫌。惜李益被太尉手下強搶回府成親，黃衫客命小玉闖府爭夫。黃衫客即當朝四王爺，他秉公行事，罷免盧太尉，小玉李益最終團圓。

The Purple Hairpin

On the night of Lantern Festival, a talented young man from Chang’an, Li Yi, recovers a purple hairpin that has been dropped by Huo, the woman of his dreams. Moved by his sincerity, Huo‘s mother agrees for the two to get married on that very night. Li then seals the vow of eternal love to her in blood letters.

Although he has passed the imperial examination, Li is appointed to a position beyond the Great Walls after failing to pay homage to Lu, a senior official in charge of military affairs. Lu sees to it that nothing should beheard from Li for three years, during which Huo falls gravely ill and lives by pawning her jewelry.

Lu summons Li back to Chang’an with the intention of forcing the young man to marry his daughter. Lufurther procures the purple hairpin pawned by Xiaoyu and shows it to Li as proof that his fiancée has remarried. Li is convinced, but swallows the hairpin to show his determination not to marry Lu‘s daughter. Infuriated, Lu threatens to accuse Li of expressing treacherous ideas in his poems, leaving him no choice but to comply. Upon hearing her husband has betrayed her, Huo vomits blood.

With the help of  “Yellow Gown”, a chevalier in charge of military affairs, Huo reunites with Li, clearing up all misunderstandings. When Lu has his men take Li to his house by force, “Yellow Gown” orders Huo to break into the house to claim her husband. It turns out that the yellow–gowned chevalier is the emperor’s brother. The chevalier deposes Lu in the name of justice. Huo and Li Yi are finally reunited.