Abstract Zhejiang Library has several collections of rarely seen Chinese ancient dramas,for example,legends Qiyunshi by Huang Tubi, Babaoxiang by Xia Bingheng, Meiyinglou by Wang Tingjian,and an anonymous zaju Zhaodanjing .Although some scholars have mentioned the first three in their monographs or articles,few have actually read the original works,while the last one has never been found in any drama collection.This article is a thorough study into the plots and themes of the four plays,as well as their compilation and spread. Qiyunshi ,the plot and theme of which are similar to those of Mudanting ,was finished in 1741.A novel of Qing Dynasty entitled Fengliuwu shares the same plot.Yao Xie excerpted 15 chapters of Qiyunshi in his Fuzhuang Jinyuefu Xuan.Babaoxiang ,written in 1749, took its plot from Qingshi by Feng Menglong and Yao Xie excerpted 5 chapters in his Fuzhuang Jinyuefu Xuan.Meiyinglou ,existing as a handwritten copy,was adapted from a real story which took place between 1846 and 1853,in which Xu Kui's wife,Liu Yiqing was portrayed as a martyr who killed herself by jumping into a well on the eve when the Tai Ping army entered the Boyang City.Different from the lost legend Zhaodanjing written by Zhu Yuncong at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty,the handwritten 4-chapter Zhaodanjing tells the stories of Chen Yue's wives.It is supposed to be written during the reign of Daoguang or later.
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