This is a story from the Romance of the Western Chamber, a famous Chinese play written by Wang Shifu (王实甫, 1260-1336) in Yuan dynasty (1271-1368):

On his way to the capital to take civil-service exams, Scholar Zhang (张生) fell in love with the beautiful Cui Yingying (崔莺莺), who was stranded in a monastery. They had to be separated because Yingying’s mother only allowed Zhang to marry Yingying after he succeeded in his exams. Half a year passed and, when Zhang won the official honours, he sent the page boy to tell Yingying the good news. Yingying was thrilled to receive the glad tidings.

image identification and literature research: by Dr Yibin Ni 

Related blog:

The gifts standing for love: an appreciation of Chinese porcelain painting

Other episodes in the Romance of the Western Chamber:

Scholar Zhang Embarking on His Journey to Sit for Civil-Service Examinations 张生赶考

Consummation of love from Western Chamber 月下佳期

• Fig 1-2: famille verte bowl, Kangxi period (1662-1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of the Jieruitang Collection

  Fig 3: blue-and-white bowl, Kangxi period (1662-1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of Rijksmuseum, The Netherlands

  Fig 4: blue-and-white bowl, Kangxi period (1662-1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of Princessehof Museum, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

  Fig 5: blue-and-white bowl, Kangxi period (1662-1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of Princessehof Museum, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

  Fig 6: box with cover, Kangxi period (1662-1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

  Fig 7-8: porcelain bowl of a set with overglaze enamelled decoration, Kangxi period (1662-1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of Groninger Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands

  Fig 9: blue-and-white dish, Kangxi period (1662-1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of The Victoria & Albert Museum, London

  Fig 10: porcelain tall cup, 1700-1720, courtesy of Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, Accession no. EA1978.1282