Setting: Yiling, Northern China; Burial Mounds
Dim lights. WEI YING sits on a rooftop on downstage right, playing his dizi (flute). Enter LAN ZHAN from upstage left, staying half-hidden in the wings. LAN ZHAN wistfully watches WEI YING for a few moments before pulling out his guqin (flat, stringed instrument).
LAN ZHAN:
Although we have just parted,
I cannot bring myself to leave.
It had been months since we last spoke,
Yet when our eyes met in the town,
It felt as though we were meeting again for the first time.
How wonderful it was to hear his voice again
After so many evenings wishing he could be beside me
Instead of locked away from a resentful world
Where people wish only to harm him.
I have many regrets,
However, allowing Wei Ying to leave
Is my greatest. And now here he is,
Living life so on the brink of survival,
Corpses and skeletons would be envious
Of his death-like appearance.
Yet I still cannot help but find him so lovely,
Even as his cheeks sink in and his hair thins.
So exquisite is he that the moon itself
Only shines because it reflects his dazzling beauty.
WEI YING plays a different song.
That tune! Wei Ying is playing
The song I composed for him years ago
When first confronted with my affection.
Could it be possible that Wei Ying thinks of me
Just as I dream and long for him?
Wei Ying does not understand
The true significance of such a piece,
But he could only have heard it from me,
So he must remember that moment
When he asked me to sing to him
To ease the pain of his fever.
Wei Ying, if there is another whose beauty
Can even come close to matching yours,
I will never know, for my eyes will only ever be on you.
You tied a rope around me during our first meeting,
And since, that rope has only been pulled tighter.
I am now locked in your orbit, Wei Ying.
I cannot hold myself back anymore.
I must play with Wei Ying again,
Just like we always had in the past.
LAN ZHAN joins in playing the song quietly. The two play together until it finishes.
WEI YING:
Oh, how much I long for Lan Zhan to stay,
That I now hallucinate his lovely playing!
I wish he were here with me.
Lan Zhan, ah, Lan Zhan!
Only you can do this to me!
LAN ZHAN steps fully out of the wings and draws closer to WEI YING.
LAN ZHAN:
Wei Ying! He speaks of me!
WEI YING:
If only the sun would have the chance
To gaze upon your beauty,
It's light would be so very dimmed
By your brilliant radiance.
But you choose to remain as the moonlight,
Cool and silent, a mysterious enigma.
Oh, Lan Zhan, only I have ever seen your dark side.
And it truly is far more breathtaking
Than others have even begun to speculate.
Years ago, I wanted to turn you around,
See what was hidden behind that indifferent mask.
How time has flown past us so easily!
I fear it will take you along and leave me behind.
Remember how much I teased you?
You always made such lovely expressions,
That I could never dream of stopping.
So really, Lan Zhan, it's your own fault.
Ah, but I was so very annoying.
You must have hated me, eh, Lan Zhan?
LAN ZHAN:
No! Wei Ying not annoying. Could never hate Wei Ying.
WEI YING:
Lan Zhan, Lan Wangji, Hanguang-Jun,
You are so good, and your heart so pure,
I feel as though my darkness could be soothed
By a simple touch of your hand.
We are the embodiment of Yin and Yang, are we not?
But where I still hold a bit of light in my soul,
You possess your imperfections as well.
Do you remember our promise?
'To stand on the side of justice, help the poor,
And seek righteousness all our lives.'
Innocents are bearing the consequences of others,
But the world turns against them so easily,
Unable to see past their blind hatred.
Is it fair for a son to bear the sins of his father?
Is it righteous for the old, weak, and infantile
To face persecution for the actions of a madman
Whom they unwillingly share blood with?
And tell me, Hanguang-Jun, where are you now?
On the side of justice, helping the innocent,
Or on the side of those seeking an easy solution?
Yet, I still cannot find it within myself
To place any fault upon you.
You have no reason to leave your life behind
For this shabby little settlement,
Where food and money are scarce,
And the people slowly become more and more
Like the ghosts we live among
And the ghosts we must live with.
I cannot ask you to stay with someone like me,
Whose head the world wants on a platter.
Oh, if only you were not the Great Hanguang-Jun,
Hero of the Sunshot Campaign!
If only you were not Lan Wangji,
Too stuck in the traditional ways of Lan
To consider the wonders of unorthodoxy!
Then we could simply be us,
Away from the prying eyes of society.
LAN ZHAN steps out toward WEI YING, revealing himself.
LAN ZHAN:
Wei Ying, we can!
WEI YING:
Lan Zhan! Why are you here? You didn't leave?
Oh, Lan Zhan! Were you listening to me?
How shameless! Your uncle would be disappointed!
Hey, Lan Zhan, forget everything I said, yeah?
It's nothing important; I was just talking to myself.
LAN ZHAN:
Wei Ying, please, listen. I– I made a mistake before.
I hurt Wei Ying with my actions when I left,
And I was too shallow to realize
That my path did not have to be
The crowded, broad road taken by others.
That I could stay with Wei Ying,
Walking the single-plank bridge.
Because that single plank of wood, Wei Ying,
Is stronger than all the leaves on the broad road.
As long as you remain on the side of justice,
Everything you accomplish can be felt with pride
Knowing that no matter what others say,
You have done right by your honor.
I was wrong, but I know now what my heart wants.
The world's opinion does not matter to me.
Only Wei Ying does.
WEI YING:
I told you, Lan Zhan!
Warn a man before you say that stuff!
My fragile heart can't take this much sweetness,
I'll surely die of a heart attack!
Eh, but, Lan Zhan, you cannot truly mean that.
What of your precious family?
Your old uncle and dear brother?
What of the righteous Lan sect,
To whom you've committed loyalty?
Your sect would kill anyone even seen with me,
The 'Yiling Patriarch', Wei Wuxian the demon,
Who murdered so many with his 'Dark Arts'.
Lan Zhan, this can never work, you know?
How could they ever understand
That you gave up everything, for me?
LAN ZHAN jumps onto the rooftop next to WEI YING to look him in the eyes.
LAN ZHAN:
They need not to, for it is my decision.
I will no longer allow myself to be swayed
By the opinions and expectations of others.
Wei Ying, I feel no shame for my love
And would readily announce to world
That I have chosen to be with my beloved.
But if my reputation is important to Wei Ying,
Then Wei Ying shall be the only witness of my love.
Lan sect knows much about the proceedings of the world,
But in this matter, they can retain a veil over their eyes.
Who is to say Lan Wangji is not simply traveling?
For the war was long and difficult,
And the warriors who fought are entitled
To a sabbatical, are they not?
Brother will know, as he usually does,
But he has always been a tunnel guiding me,
Never a barrier holding me back.
No matter what, Wei Ying,
Nothing will come between us any longer.
WEI YING:
Lan Zhan, how can you say those words
With such a straight face?
And you call me the shameless one!
You really are something else, Lan Wangji.
Truly, you would do that for me?
You would forsake all of your clan rules,
Everything you have worked for your entire life,
Simply to become a measly radish farmer,
Living like a dog thrown out of his home?
What is it about me that your heart desires?
Why, after pushing you away so many times,
Do you still remain by my side?
LAN ZHAN:
Wei Ying, my love is as unwavering
As the steadiness of my faith in you.
Nothing will ever change the way
My heart beats for you and you alone.
If I were given the chance,
I would cut the sleeves of my robes
Every morning waking up beside you,
If only it meant I could gaze at your face
In a rare expression of undisturbed peace
For a few moments longer.
And you, Wei Ying? What of your feelings for me?
WEI YING:
Lan Zhan, how could you even ask?
What exists between our souls
Goes beyond the comprehensible
Idea of love and adoration.
Whether apart or together,
The magnet bound to us
Grows stronger with each rise of the sun,
Always drawing our beings closer.
Words are unable to truly express
The full scape of my emotions for you,
But I trust that you will come to see
That I am completely and entirely
Devoted to you, Lan Zhan. In other words,
I like you, I love you, I can't live without you.
LAN WANGJI cups WEI WUXIAN'S face.
LAN ZHAN:
Wei Ying, I have been hoping– if you would allow,
We can leave the cultivation world behind,
And be united as one, finally together,
Tying the knot of our union
As simply as the red string of fate
Was tied around our fingers, long before our births.
Wei Ying, you are renowned for your brilliance,
But also for your obliviousness.
So I will ask you this as clearly
As my voice and reticence will allow.
Wei Ying, my beloved, my soulmate,
Will you permit me to keep you close to my side
And remain by you for eternity?
WEI YING gasps, shocked and surprised.
WEI YING:
Is this not too much, Lan Zhan?
Do you not worry that our love
Will be a swift crashing wave,
Strong and powerful in its uptake,
Yet fast and fleeting before retreating
Back into the swirling sea?
Do you not wish to unveil the secrets
That I keep close to my heart,
Make me spill that which you
Have so desired to understand?
And do you not have every right,
As my partner in life and in the afterlife,
To know the truth behind my tidal emotions,
To know of the anger and resentment
Curling around my heart and soul,
Mocking me with their strength and power,
Threatening to break through
Behind a mask of laughter and levity?
I am not ready to give that, Lan Zhan.
As much as you deserve, I cannot give.
LAN ZHAN:
I will take anything Wei Ying is willing to give.
And wait, for thousands of years if it must be,
Until Wei Ying is ready to give me more.
Everything of Wei Ying's is a precious jem,
A valuable jewel that must be treasured,
And forgive me if I am selfish for keeping these jewels
Locked in a safe, protected from the world.
But know that I will never be selfish
In what Wei Ying has to offer.
WEI YING jumps at LAN ZHAN and hugs him.
WEI YING:
Lan Zhan! How can I even dream of refusing
When you say such sweet things to me?
You claim you will take whatever I give,
That you will ask for nothing more than I offer.
WEN QING: [offstage]
Wei Wuxian! What in heaven are you doing up?
WEI YING:
Ah, Wen Qing, I'm coming!
I simply wished to watch the moon.
Say, Lan Zhan, what if I choose to give you myself?
LAN ZHAN:
Then I will graciously accept this gift
Wei Ying has bestowed upon me
And return it in kind.
I will take every piece of myself
And give it to Wei Ying for safekeeping.
I will place my heart under Wei Ying's feet,
My life in the palms of his hands,
And my future in this land
That Wei Ying has made our home.
WEI YING:
You truly wish to be with me?
Then preparations must be made for our union.
Can you do that, Lan Zhan?
As it is, if any were to see and recognize me,
Swords would instantly be drawn,
And I… am not certain I can control myself
From killing all who intend harm
On me or the family I have here.
LAN ZHAN:
Wei Ying, do not worry.
I will take care of everything,
And in the meanwhile, Wei Ying must rest.
You are not as successful
At hiding the pain you hold
As you seem to believe.
WEN QING: [offstage]
Wei Wuxian, you idiot!
Don't make me drag you back
By the ear! I will make it hurt!
WEI YING:
Wen Qing, be patient, will you?!
So observant as always, Lan Zhan!
I can never get anything past you.
Wen Qing will make certain I rest.
She is as much my big sister now
As Jiang Yanli. Go to her, Lan Zhan.
My sister and your brother
Will be able to make arrangements for us,
And in one month's time, return to me.
The heavens themselves
Will be awaiting your arrival,
And when you come, they will bow for us,
As we bow for each other and secure our unity.
Fly back to your family, now.
They are waiting for you, just as mine are for me.
We will only be apart for one more month,
But I will miss you tremendously in that time.
Good night, my sweet Lan Zhan.
WEI WUXIAN exits.
LAN ZHAN:
One month, Wei Ying.
And then I will be with you
For the remainder of eternity.
LAN ZHAN exits.