Chapter 74

惑奸谗抄检大观园

避嫌隙杜绝宁国府

Baoyu arrives. Cook Liu’s enemies are taking the gambling as an excuse to try and oust her, and she has appealed to Baoyu who is looking to join forces with Yingchun in appealing for clemency. He cannot talk openly with the others present, however. Patience returns to Xifeng; she expresses her desire not to get too involved in the gambling business for fear of becoming ill and hated again, and to become more of a yes-man. Lian enters – news has leaked out of his pawning Faithful’s stuff, and his Mother has asked her for money. Patience deduces that Simple’s mother must have leaked it, but can’t find the original source; they decide to pawn some jewellery to raise the money anyway. Lady Wang arrives. She is angry and upset and dismisses Patience; she shows Xifeng the lewd purse, which she assumes is Xifeng’s. She is shamed and embarrassed, but it is not hers – it is low quality, she would be more careful, and she can name many others to whom it might belong. Xifeng suggests asking some of the most trusted servants to investigate in secret, with gambling as a pretext, so that Grandmother Jia doesn’t hear of it. Lady Wang agrees to the secret investigations, and wants Zhou Rui’s wife to help. Wang Shanbao’s 王善保 wife, who took the bag to Lady Wang, is delighted to be also recruited; she feels the maids don’t show her due respect and wants to teach them a lesson. Skybright is her least favourite, which causes Lady Wang to recall seeing someone of her description acting suspiciously. They decide to start with Skybright, and summon her. She had been napping and is not made up, so Lady Wang’s dislike of her is instantly exacerbated. Fearing that Baoyu may have been corrupted by her, Lady Wang lays into her. She responds that she doesn’t see much of him. She is dismissed, but Lady Wang remains incensed by her. Wang Shanbao’s wife suggests carrying out night time raids; Lady Wang agrees.

They start that night, and head to Green Delights, and go through the maids’ trunks. Baoyu is told that something is missing. Skybright is last, and angrily empties her trunk, lashing out at Wang Shanbao’s wife. They find nothing, and leave for Daiyu’s, where they find some boy’s articles which Xifeng dismisses. A forewarned Tanchun reacts stridently to the raiding party; she lets them search her belongings, but not her maids’, as she doesn’t let them keep their own belongings. Despite her anger, Wang Shanbao’s wife touches Tanchun’s clothes to make a joke about searching her, unleashing a slap and further anger. Both are furious and threaten to take the matter higher; Patience calms the scene and they move on to Li Wan (who is ill) and then Xichun’s. Xichun is more scared by the others, and illicit objects are found in her maid Picture’s 入画 possession. Xichun wants her beaten, although Xifeng is lenient, and names Mamma Zhang, a sour relation of Wang Shanbao’s wife, as a probable smuggler of the illicit objects. At Yingchun’s, Mrs Wang searches Chess (her granddaughter) perfunctorily, but the others find a love letter from her cousin and men’s socks. Xifeng laughs and reads it aloud, embarrassing Mrs Wang. The others are pleased to see her suffer. Xifeng postpones investigating Chess, but falls further ill that night and cannot do so.

Youshi sees Xifeng the next day and is called by Xichun to verify Picture’s story. Contrarily blaming Youshi, Xichun declares that she doesn’t want to see Picture or anyone from Ningguo again. They argue; Youshi considers her cold-hearted, young and foolish (mocking her intelligent reputation), and bursts out at sensitive references to her family. Youshi sweeps out with her maids and Picture, swallowing her anger.