Xiqu

The opera series, How a Dead Cat was Substituted for a New-born Prince, is a gem in Shanghai-style Peking Opera. It has been a perennial favourite among Chinese opera fans since its premiere. The fast-moving plotline with its many twists and turns, the dramatic staging and the insightful portrayal of characters etc. have all made it a highly enjoyable performance.

During the reign of Emperor Zhenzong (r. 997-1022) of the Song Dynasty, two imperial consorts, Lady Li and Lady Liu, are pregnant at the same time. On giving birth, Lady Liu colludes with the eunuch serving in the Emperor’s chamber, Guo Huai, to substitute a skinned dead cat for Lady Li’s newborn son. As a result, she is made the Empress while Li is sent to a remote part of the palace grounds at the Emperor’s orders. Chen Lin, the Imperial Chaplain, with the help of a palace maid called Kouzhou, secretly gets the baby out of the palace and puts it in the care of the Eighth Prince. Seven years’ later, the Emperor has no heir to the throne, and makes the son of the Eighth Prince as the Crown Prince-in-line. The young boy one day wanders to the remote part of the palace and meets his birth mother, Lady Li. When Liu, now the Empress, learns of this, she becomes suspicious. She tortures Kouzhu and bears upon Chen Lin to make them tell. Kouzhu and the Chaplain of the remote part of the palace, Qin Feng, sacrifice themselves in their attempt to protect the innocent. Liu goes to the Emperor and pours poisonous words into his ears, intent on having Chen Lin executed. The Eighth Prince hurries to the palace to save him. Chen, braving the torture, reveals the true story, to the shock of the Emperor, who wants to make amends and revoke the case. But his effort is thwarted…