胭脂巷口故人來

樂府司樂總管左口魚為諂媚皇上，強迫胭脂巷口的歌女入宮。他暗戀歌女竹卿，脅逼她下嫁不果，將她打至遍體鱗傷。樂師沈桐軒決向相國舉報左氏惡行，遂與竹卿混入相府求小姐宋玉蘭幫忙。桐軒以才學博得她好感，並獲相國聘為六公子文敏的老師。左口魚遭相國撤職，心生怨懟，誣告相國千金勾引樂師沈桐軒，令樂府聲譽受損。他會同政樂司大鬧相國壽宴，玉蘭向父坦承與桐軒私訂終身，相國怒極與之擊掌脫離關係。文敏為求金榜題名、全家團圓，懇求桐軒切莫上京應試，桐軒隻身離去。六年後，玉蘭仍在胭脂巷口等待愛郎高中歸來，卻重遇潦倒成叫化的桐軒，愛恨交集。時新科狀元文敏榮歸故里，輾轉桐軒獲皇帝賞識封翰林主事，得相國允許與玉蘭成婚，眾人團圓。

Reunion at Rouge Alley

In order to win favor of the emperor, Zuo Kouyu, director of the Music Conservatory, forces songstresses from Rouge Alley to go to the imperial palace, often against their own will. Zuo attempts to force a renowned and coveted songstress, Zhuqing, to marry him, but she resists and gets beaten.

Determined to report Zuo’s misconduct to the prime minister, musician Shen Tongxuan and Zhuqing risk trespassing into the prime minister’s mansion to seek help from his daughter, Song Yulan. The musician wins the daughter’s favor with his talent; the prime minister employs him to tutor his sixth son, Wenmin.
Begrudging the prime minister for his dismissal, Zuo defames his former employer by accusing his daughter of seducing the residential tutor. At the prime minister’s birthday party, Zuo and his gang raise an uproar. Yulan admits to her father that she has promised to marry the tutor without his consent. The prime minister becomes enraged enough to disown her. The imperial exam and family union at stake, Wenminpleads with his tutor not to leave for the capital. Determined, the tutor leaves anyway.

Six years hence, at Rouge Alley, Yulan is still waiting for her lover to return, only to find him a fallen beggar. The reunion fills them with mixed feelings. Earning the highest honor at the examination, the prime minister’s son returns glorious. Shen finally wins the emperor’s favor and is appointed to a leading position at the Imperial Academy. The prime minister finally consents to the marriage between Shen and Yulan, and the family is happily reunited.