Chapter 120

甄士隐详说太虚情

贾雨村归结红楼梦

Aroma has had a seizure; the doctor prescribes some medicine for her. Seeing the monk in a vision before her, she realises what has happened to Baoyu. Recalling him, she is upset to think of the dilemma of her position in the household without him.

Zheng, having received news from Rongguo, is pressing home. Moored at Piling in the snow, he sees a monk appear in his doorframe and recognises him as Baoyu; the monk kowtows and is taken away by another monk and a Daoist, singing. Zheng runs after, in vain. He returns to his boat and explains what has happened, refusing to mount a search – he recognised the Daoist and other monk and at last understands that Baoyu is a being from a higher realm. He puts this in a letter to Rongguo.

Aunt Xue and Ke have raised enough money to free Pan under the amnesty. Pan agrees to marry Caltrop. He greets the Jias when Zheng’s letter is read out; all weep, but are consoled by Zheng’s advice not to grieve, as it is his destiny. Lady Wang explains that her grief is mostly on behalf of the pregnant Baochai – Aunt Xue reassures her and Baochai, in turn, is stoic and reasonable. They discuss Aroma’s status dilemma; they must tactfully arrange a match for her.

Zheng, Zhen and She have also returned, and resolve to maintain higher standards of life. Zheng is summoned for an audience with the Emperor, who asks after Baoyu and confers a title upon him. Zheng agrees to Qiaojie’s marriage; Aroma’s sister in law arrives with news that they have found a match for her, which is also approved. Aroma is inconsolable at having to leave, but while she offers no resistance, she is resolved to kill herself. Gradually she is won over by her new home and husband, who turns out to be the actor Jiang Yuhan. He recognises her crimson cummerbund and realises who she is, giving her the courage to open her heart to him.

Jia Yucun, also free, returns to the dilapidated temple and once again recognises Zhen Shiyin, who invites him to his hermitage. They speak about Baoyu; Shiyin has known about his destiny for years. The Stone departed the world when Baoyu and Daiyu were separated and, its worldly karma complete, it demonstrated academic distinction and left an heir behind before Impervioso and Mysterioso take it back. He also tries to explain why Baoyu was blinded by earthly passion before achieving enlightenment, but Yucun cannot understand his words, and why the ladies came to undistinguished ends. Now that virtue reigns in Ningguo and Rongguo, prosperity will follow, led by Jia Lan and Baoyu’s son Jia Gui 贾桂. Shiyin leaves – his daughter Yinglian is about to give birth to Pan’s child, and will die; he escorts her to the Fairy Disenchantment. He passes the monk and the Daoist, who are travelling to Greensickness Peak where they deposit the stone. Vanitas passes it again one day, and noticed a new section has been added, tying up various loose ends in the plot. He copies it down and enters the world of men, but cannot find anyone to publish it. Eventually he finds Yucun sleeping at the dilapidated temple. Yucun reads it and, agreeing that contains no errors, tells him to see Cao Xueqin. After many generations, he does so and Cao agrees to publish it, considering it a fine diversion.

Chapter 111

鸳鸯女殉主登太虚

狗彘奴欺天招伙盗

Patience escorts Xifeng to her room, where she sleeps. Lady Xing suspects her of malingering, and her absence leads to almost complete chaos. Later in the evening, Faithful wails to think of Lady Jia, and is then absent at the wake ritual. With the cortege about to leave, Zheng and Lian discuss who should remain behind to mind the house. Faithful, wandering alone, broods on her bleak future and wishes to die. Entering Lady Jia’s apartment, she sees the spectre of a hanging woman, and deduces that it Rong’s first wife Keqing showing her how to kill herself. He resolve fixed, she loops a sash round a beam and quickly hangs herself. Her wandering soul addresses the spectre, who introduces herself as Disenchantment’s sister Keqing, and explains her role in the Tribunal of Love, and about the natural state of love. Faithful’s soul nods understanding and follows her. Amber and Pearl, looking for Faithful on Lady Wang and Lady Xing’s orders, are horrified to find her body, as are the household ladies when they hear the news. Baoyu is dumbfounded before wailing, thinking only of the nobility of her death, which soon comforts him. Zheng also commends Faithful, before ordering a coffin to travel with her mistress. The maids all weep; Nightingale in particular wishes she had done the same after Daiyu’s death. Faithful’s sister-in-law is summoned and given an allowance; she is rather pleased. For her Confucian loyalty, Zheng affords her coffin particular honour. Baoyu is delighted and kowtows to her, Lady Xing tries to stop the others from doing the same, but Baochai does, dividing opinion amongst the assembled crowd. The cortege leaves for the temple at seven the next morning; Xifeng and Xichun stay behind, Zheng heads the procession.

Following Grandmother Jia’s death, He San thinks he might be able to find a job at Rongguo again, but it is futile. He tells his friends that, contrary to what they’ve heard, the Jias have lots of money, but are just not spending it. A friend suggests robbing them while they are at the funeral. He thinks it’s a crazy idea at first; they talk a while before parting. Bao Yong has not been assigned any tasks during the funeral, and is living independently. Adamantina is furious when he offends her, not letting her into the household; she eventually enters and visits Xichun, playing Go until the early hours. They are just retiring when the night watch cry that intruders have entered. They have robbed Lady Jia’s apartment, and are escaping on the roof; the night watch are frozen to the spot as Bao Yong, club in hand, vaults onto the roof in pursuit. The thieves had been in Xichun’s courtyard, distracted by the meditating Adamantina before fleeing. They confront Bao Yong on the roof with swords; he knocks one off before a melee ensures. The thieves flee, leaving some chests behind – on inspection, they are empty. Jia Yun and Steward Lin go round the apartments, berating the night watch. At Xichun’s they are told of Bao Yong’s heroics. He takes them to the body he knocked from the roof – it is He San’s, all are taken aback. The police arrive, finding no evidence that the burglers were armed. All gather at Lady Jia’s, but they are unable to provide the police an inventory of the stolen goods without Faithful – everything has been taken. Xifeng is livid, assuming the night watch were complicit, and orders them to be tied up and handed over to the police; the women all beg for mercy.

Chapter 66

情小妹耻情归地府

冷二郎一冷入空门

Sanjie asks Joker about Baoyu; Joker describes him as lazy, stupid, soft and spoiled. Erjie is disappointed, but Sanjie defends him on the basis of their experience of him. Erjie and Joker joke about betrothing her to him anyway; Joker mentions his attachment to Daiyu before being taken away by Rich. That night, Sanjie tells Erjie who it is she wants to marry. Lian arrives the next day before going away for a long assignment and she tells him not to worry about Sanjie – the man she is prepared to marry is actor Liu Xianglian, who is now missing. Lian tells her of Xianglian’s friendship with Baoyu and beating of Xue Pan, before Sanjie enters and swears her determination. Lian makes enquiries after Xianglian, but finds nothing. Several days into his journey, however, he encounters Xue Pan and Xianglian, riding together as blood brothers after a bonding incident on their travels. He tells them of Sanjie, and Xianglian agrees to marry her, giving him an heirloom swords as a pledge.

Lian returned early to Erjie and gives the swords to a happy Sanjie. He tells Cousin Zhen about Sanjie, who is happy for him to deal with the engagement. Xianglian arrives back in the capital and visits the Xues and Baoyu, who congratulates him on the match with Sanjie – Lian’s insistence and the lack of suitors has made him suspicious. When he goes to see Lian he greets Mrs You formally and tells Lian that, unbeknownst to him, his Aunt had already betrothed him, and he asks for the swords back. Sanjie overhears, and assumes that the rejection is because he has heard ill of her, and realises that Lian won’t be able to stop him breaking off the engagement. She takes one of the swords and cuts her throat in front of Xianglian. Erjie dissuades Lian from taking Xianglian to the yamen for her murder; he weeps as if for his bride. He returns to his new house, distraught, and Sanjie visits him holding a ledger and the sword on her way to work for the Fairy Disenchantment before vanishing. With a jolt, Xianglian finds himself in a temple. He talks with a mysterious Daoist before slashing his hair off with the now companionless heirloom sword, and joins the Daoist in his wanderings.

Chapter 12

王熙凤毒设相思局

贾天祥正照风月鉴

Rui is delighted to be received by Xifeng, and by her informal dress. He puts his claim as a lover, and she leads him on. She tells him to come back at night, and she’ll give the watchman the night off. He does so, creeping in but finds himself locked in an alley; he lasts the night in the midwinter cold and slips out first thing. As the Grandfather of orphaned Rui, Dairu is angry at his absence for a whole night and his excuse, and lashes him.

Rui returns to see Xifeng, who scolds him for failing her, and tells him to come back that night. While waiting, he observes a figure and launches on it, assuming it to be Xifeng. A light flashes, and Jia Qiang is holding a candle: Rui is trying to bugger Jia Rong. Qiang has been briefed by Xifeng, and holds him captive. Rui tries to negotiate, and Qiang accepts fifty taels as an IOU; after pressing, Rong does too. He leaves, but a slop bucket is emptied on him before he can.

Rui is unable to sleep, and doesn’t dare to visit Rongguo again, but his passion isn’t quelled. The stress of work, worry, and debt leads to illness confining him to bedridden delirium. The illness worsens into spring, and Dairu begs Rongguo for medicine which he can’t afford. Xifeng deliberately sends little. A Daoist gives him a two-sided mirror, fashioned by Disenchantment, which he says will cure him of the ill effect of impure mental activity, if he looks into it everyday, but only into the back of it. He looks at the back and sees a skull. He looks at the front and sees Xifeng; his soul follows her and they make love. This happens three or four times, each time ending with the skull reappearing. The last time, two figures approach him, chain him and lead him away. Rui dies, and all present curse the Daoist, who reappears and angrily snatches the mirror back. He is given a stylish funeral.

Lin Ruhai falls seriously ill and writes, asking to see Daiyu again. Grandmother Jia and Baoyu are upset at this, and Jia Lian is asked to accompany her.

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.

Chapter 1

甄士隐梦幻识通灵

贾雨村风尘怀闺秀

The Goddess Nuwa 女娲 leaves one block of stone unused in repairing the sky; it shrinks and waits at Greensickness Peak. A Buddhist monk (Impervioso 茫茫大人), with a Daoist (Mysterioso 渺渺真人), picks it up, sensing its magic properties.

Later, Vanitas 空空道人, a Daoist, finds a large stone in the same place. The inscription reveals it to be the same stone having attained Nirvana, and the stone then offers literary criticism and a story to Vanitas, who copies it down. He changes his name to Brother Amor 情僧, and the story eventually is worked on by Cao Xueqin 曹雪芹.

Zhen Shiyin 甄士隐, in Suzhou, overhears the monk and the Daoist discussing the stone and the Fairy Disenchantment 警幻仙子. She is sending down together a group of amorous souls, including Crimson Pearl 绛珠草, to be joined by the stone who had been infatuated with Crimson Pearl, leading to a debt of tears. Shiyin feels the stone, before the monk and Daoist take it through an arch marked ‘Land of Illusion’. Zhen wakes from his dream and sees a monk and a Daoist, who comment on the misfortune his daughter Yinglian 英莲 will bring.

Poor student Jia Yucun 贾雨村 spots a beautiful girl (Lucky 娇杏) in the Zhen household, then sets out for the capital to take the civil service examinations with a gift of money from Zhen. Later, the Zhens lose their daughter, and their house burns down; they go to stay with Zhen’s father-in-law Feng Su 封肃, but become very poor. Zhen hears a mad Daoist singing, and goes off with him. His wife sees a familiar looking mandarin pass by.