Chapter 5 - supercondensed

Baoyu leaves a party and falls asleep in Qinshi’s room. In his dream, the Fairy Disenchantment shows him the register of the 12 beauties of Jinling, puts on a performance and gives him her sister, who shares Qinshi’s name, as a bride. He wakes when attacked by demons and monsters.

Chapter 5

贾宝玉神游太虚境

警幻仙曲演红楼梦

Daiyu has developed favourite status with Grandmother Jia and an intense bond living with Baoyu, but has been put out by Baochai’s arrival. Baoyu leaves a party to sleep in Qinshi’s 秦氏 delightful room, bedecked with artefacts belonging to famous sensual women, when the Fairy Disenchantment leads him away to the Land of Illusion to perform the Dream of Golden Days.

In the land, Baoyu is shown the offices which keep the registers of girls’ lives, and sees the register of the 12 Beauties of Jinling, featuring numerous paintings and poems. Disenchantment stops him for fear of leaking celestial secrets. She justifies bringing him to a bevy of fairy maidens, who are introduced to Baoyu over tea, wine and the performance, for which Baoyu is given a libretto. Baoyu is bored by the performance, and is chided for not understanding, but he is very drunk.

Disenchantment, on a bed, talks to Baoyu of the nature of lust and gives him her sister Two-in-One 一人, known as Keqing 可卿, as a bride, telling him to consummate the marriage and instructing him in the matter. After the act, Baoyu walks with Keqing, but is shouted at by Disenchantment to turn back when they reach the Ford of Error. Demons and monsters rise out of the Ford and clutch at Baoyu. Aroma and the maids rush in to look after Baoyu and Qinshi reveals her nickname at home had been Keqing.