帝女花

明朝崇禎末年內憂外患益重，然長平公主自恃才高，尚未覓得駙馬。大臣周鍾引領周世顯進見，以其言詞及誠意成功打動長平。崇禎即賜封世顯為駙馬，二人尚未成婚，闖賊已攻陷皇城。崇禎賜死皇后及眾妃，並以劍刺傷長平。周鍾救走公主，長平在悉心照料下日漸康復。周鍾及寶倫欲把長平獻給清帝以謀官祿，長平得周瑞蘭巧計相助隱居維摩庵。一年後，世顯於庵外偶見長平，幾經哀求至世顯欲以身殉，長平才肯相認。

世顯坦告長平假意降清之計，公主含淚寫表，要求清帝厚葬崇禎及釋放太子。清帝為撫平明朝遺臣，終被逼實踐諾言。最後公主與駙馬在含樟樹旁拜堂，並雙雙仰藥殉國。此時天上傳來歌聲，迎接金童及玉女返回天庭。周鍾及寶倫慚愧不已，請求罷官回鄉。

The Floral Princess / The Story of Princess Chang Ping

Towards the end of the reign of the Chongzhen Emperor of the Ming dynasty, internal turmoil and external threats abound. Princess Changping, arrogant and proud of her talent, has not yet found herself an acceptable husband.? Minister Zhou Zhong introduces Shixian to the princess. Being able to move the princess’s heart with his eloquence and earnestness, Shixian gains the emperor’s permission for marrying the princess. However, the capital falls to the rebels before their wedding day. Fearing the fate of his harem, the emperor puts his wives to death and injures Changping with his sword. Zhou Zhong rescues Changpingand she recovers under his care. However, Zhou Zhong and his son Bao Lun plot to turn the princess over to the emperor of the Qing dynasty in exchange for official rank and wealth.

Knowing the plot, the daughter of Zhou Zhong helps move Changping to Weimo Nunnery to live in seclusion. A year later, Shixian comes across the princess outside the nunnery, but the princess now turned nun refrains from admitting to their acquaintance until Shixian threatens suicide. Shixian suggests a feigned surrender to the Qing emperor. In tears, the princess writes a letter to the Qing emperor, asking him to give her father Chongzhen Emperor a decent burial and releases her brother, the crown prince.

The Qing emperor is compelled to keep his promise in order to pacify the ministers of the former dynasty. Finally, the princess and Shixian perform the wedding ritual beside a camphor tree. Then, they both take poison and die for their country. Choral music is heard from heaven, to which the mystical couple returns. Overwhelmed by shame, Zhou Zhong and Bao Lun ask for permission to resign and return to their hometown.