Heiyu Honglian (黑獄紅蓮)

The play begins with Chen Guoqun (陳國群), who is stingy and builds his fortune through ruthlessness, clinging to wealth as if his life depended on it. Later, he is robbed and killed by the brigand Cheng De (程德). Zhang Mengling (張夢令), a patron, takes a horsetail whisk attendant to the Furong opium den to smoke opium. There, he is wrongfully arrested by officials. Upon learning of this, the county magistrate applies severe torture to extract a confession. In collusion with the horsetail whisk attendant, the magistrate fabricates a case against Zhang Mengling, extorting tens of thousands in silver as “stolen goods.”

Zhang’s wife, Zhou Shi (周氏), goes to visit him in prison but is repeatedly extorted for money by the jailer. His younger sister, Zhang Lixian (張麗仙), seeing no hope of clearing her brother’s unjust case, leaves behind a letter and flees to the capital. There, she encounters Quan Guiqi (全貴奇), who, through his connections, secures her an audience with a nobleman. She enters the palace to诉苦 (plead her grievances). The nobleman reports the matter to the throne and dispatches Quan Guiqi to investigate. In the end, the magistrate is exiled, the horsetail whisk attendant is banished, and Zhang Mengling is appointed to the Opium Suppression Commission. Thus, the story concludes.