Chapter 95

因讹成实元妃薨逝

以假混真宝玉疯癫

Tealeaf has run round the pawnshops and found two jades that match the description; Baoyu wants to get him enough money to buy them both, but Aroma jeers that every pawnshop is likely to have one. Xiuyan returns; after some persuasion, Adamantina has relented and performed a séance for her, which revealed that the jade disappeared without trace, returning to Greensickness Peak. They interpret that it will be found when they are not looking for it, but do not understand ‘Greensickness Peak’; Aroma takes it literally and searches the Garden again. It is late and the gathering disperses.

Daiyu considers that the lost jade is a sign that she has broken the bond of gold and jade, bringing her peace of mind which fluctuates as she tries to interpret the crab trees as well. Investigations continue for several days, although neither Lady Jia nor Zheng find out. Baoyu becomes listless and morose. Lian brings news to Lady Wang that Wang Ziteng has been promoted to a post in the capital, which delights and distracts her until Zheng, a few days later, announces that Yuanchun has been taken seriously ill. Lady Wang tells Grandmother Jia, and they set out for the Palace. Yuanchun has developed a chronic bronchial condition, exacerbated by a cold, and is unable to swallow medicine or speak; Lady Wang and Lady Jia are distraught by her appearance, but maintain court formalities. It is soon announced that she has died, in line with her fortune reading. The family return to Rongguo, where all are soon kept extremely busy with the funeral and Wang Ziteng’s arrival. Baoyu, without rank, does not attend the funeral and is left to his own idleness again, but he just sits around and mopes. A concerned Aroma gets Nightingale to persuade Daiyu to talk to him but, believing herself his future bride, she refuses to go to him; Tanchun is also too gloomy to help. Baochai, meanwhile, has been told of her betrothal, accepting in a filial fashion, so Baoyu’s name is a taboo so she is unable to help when she hears about the missing jade, although Aunt Xue does enquire after it. Aroma and Musk are anguished by Baoyu’s increasingly imbecilic, deranged state. A doctor prescribes medicine, which proves ineffective. After the funeral and Lady Wang and Grandmother Jia can see him again, it is soon clear that, despite appearances, he has lost his wits. Grandmother Jia is extremely agitated to hear of the lost jade. With Zheng out, Lian is ordered to put reward posters up and Baoyu is moved to Lady Jia’s apartment – without his jade, how can he repel the evil influences recently seen in the Garden?

Zheng, returning that evening, overhears street talk about the jade. Back at Rongguo it is explained to him. He is exasperated, but while he cannot oppose the posters as they were Lady Jia’s idea he does order them to be taken down. Nevertheless, a man soon appears claiming the reward. The gatehouse servants run to Lian, who spreads the news, and the man is invited in. The jade looks familiar to Lian, but Lady Wang, Lady Jia and Xifeng cannot identify it with certainty – it is not as lustrous as they remember. Aroma, whose hopefulness outweighs her doubts about the jade’s authenticity, fetches Baoyu, but he rejects the jade without looking at it. Grandmother Jia decides that they should be lenient to the impostor; a more irate Lian goes to address him in the study.