Chōryō

張良 General Zhang Liang

1 Source and/or Related Material

The Historical records of Han Dynasty

2 Author

Kanze Nobumitsu

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

In ancient China, Zhang Liang (J. Chōryō, waki), a follower of the future Emperor Gaozu of Han, has a strange dream. While he is resting at a wooden bridge paved with earth in the land of Xiapi, an old man on horseback appears and drops his left shoe. The mysterious man asks Zhang Liang to pick up the shoe and put it back on. When he does so, the man promises that in five days he will come again to this place and teach him the secrets of warfare. Then Zhang Liang wakes up: the whole thing was a dream. Nevertheless, he goes to the bridge at dawn as promised, and the old man (maeshite) is waiting for him there. He reproaches Zhang Liang for being late and tells him to go home: if he really wants to know the secrets of warfare he must come back at nightfall in five days’ time: so saying, the old man disappears. Zhang Liang decides to comply. Then Zhang Liang’s retainer (ai) enters and reveals that the old man is in fact the hermit Huang Shugong, a master of warfare. Five days later, Zhang Liang is waiting as instructed when Huang Shugong (nochishite) comes to the bridge, and to test him again, the master throws his shoe far into the river, whereupon Zhang Liang jumps into the water to retrieve it. He is struggling against the strong current when a giant snake (tsure) appears. Fearlessly he fights the serpent, brings back the shoe, and presents it to Huang Shugong. Thereupon the master gives him a scroll containing the secrets of warfare, which he will use to establish the Han Dynasty.