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 93

甄家仆投靠贾家门

水月庵掀翻风月案

Zheng and She discuss an invitation to see a new company of actors before dealing with other business, including rent collectors returned from the Rongguo estate, and parting. The rent collectors then explain to Lian that the rents had been seized by a patrol in transit. Lian sends a note to the responsible yamen, before looking for two unaccountably absent servants. The next day, Zheng is busy so asks She to take Baoyu to the Earl of Lin’an’s 临安伯 theatre party. After paying their respects to the Earl, the troupe manager asks She and Baoyu to choose their favourite plays; while choosing, he notices that it is Jiang Yuhan. When Jiang goes backstage, the guests gossip about him. The show starts and is exquisite; She makes motions to leave but is persuaded to stay by the Earl, to Baoyu’s delight. He is entranced by Jiang’s performance in the next piece but has to leave with She promptly after. Back at Rongguo, Baoyu goes to see Zheng who is discussing the rent collectors with Lian – it seems the patrol had no warrant, so it was certainly a case of corruption. Lian leaves, and orders a general assembly of the staff to reprimand absenteeism and negligence.

A man from the Zhen family in the South arrives with a note for Zheng from his master, Zhen Yingjia 甄应嘉. Zhen has been banished to the frontier and has sent the man, Bao Yong 包勇, to the Jias for employment. Bao pays his respects to Zheng and is questioned about Zhen and his son Baoyu. Bao reports that he had previously just played before a serious illness, after which he has become single mindedly studious. This silences Zheng, who dismisses Bao until a post can be found for him.

The next morning, on his way to work, Jia Zheng encounters servants huddled round a note which has been pinned up alleging sordid activities by Jia Qin in the Iron Threshold nunnery, disgracing Rongguo. Furious, he has the town searched for similar notices and discusses it with Lian. A note arrives for Zheng personally with similar allegations; he orders Lai Da to fetch all the nuns. The novices, having not been called upon by Yuanchun for some time, have indeed slackened, and Jia Qin had taken a fancy to Parfumée. When she proved devout, he found others who were more cooperative. That day, he has arrived at noon with their allowance, encouraging them, along with some of Watermoon Priory, into a lengthy session of drinking games when Lai Da arrives. Despite his rage at the incipient orgy, Lai Da calmly gathers the novices, saying they are wanted at the Palace. While waiting for Lai, Zheng is called to the Board, Lian returns to his apartment, and rumours have spread amongst the servants. Xifeng, ill and doubly anxious due to her own unscrupulous dealings at Watermoon Priory, interrogates Patience about the posters, panicking Xifeng until Patience clarifies that it concerns Iron Threshold. Xifeng washes her hands of responsibility for Jia Qin. Soon after Lian enters, Lai returns with Jia Qin. Qin, told to wait in the inner library, notices the servants muttering. When Lian meets him, he soon sighs with the realisation that his childhood friend Qin doesn’t know the real reason for his summons. Shown one of the posters, he protests his innocence and kowtows to Lian. Lian sees through it, but tells Qin to deny everything. Lai is summoned and tells Lian of the earlier scene he encountered, embarrassing Qin further. Lai agrees to spare Qin for the good of the family name. After leaving together, Lai asks Qin who could have written the poster, but he can think of no one.

Chapter 86

受私贿老官翻案牍

寄闲情淑女解琴书

The boy explains that, driven by the chaos at home, Pan had set off on a business trip to the South. He became enraged at a waiter who made eyes at two of his companions, one of whom was Jiang Yuhan, and took the bait when the waiter challenged him to hit him; the blow, from a wine cup, killed him. Aunt Xue sends some money to Xue Ke, but is unable to enlist Zheng's full support. Ke writes back that neither Pan's friends nor the victim's family are cooperating, but a good scrivener is helping him get to work on a witness; Ke also sends a copy of the appeal and the judge's rejection of it. The boy, however, also brings a confidential instruction to send a large bribe to the yamen, who know of the family's wealth. Zheng refuses to help, but an agreement is reached with Lian and the case is reopened. The deceased's mother, a poor country woman, gives her appeal. The proprietor of the bar, Pan's companion, Pan, the coroner and the deceased's uncle then give testify in turn that it had been an accident. The judge is disbelieving at first as the testimonies are so different from the inquest and previous trial, and portions out abuse to Pan and his companion, but finally adjourns the Court, finding Pan guilty only of manslaughter with a fine to pay.

With the news that an Imperial Concubine has died, Ke returns home to give Aunt Xue a full account and ask for a bit more money for the victim's family. The concubine is not Yuanchun, as he had heard, but nevertheless the family are involved in official matters and Aunt Xue wants to look after the girls in thanks to the Jias. Lady Jia, it seems, had been having premonitions that Yuanchun was dying and was warning her that the family's prosperity was soon all to be spent. Baochai comments that the Jias are oversensitive about Yuanchun, and tells a story she heard from a maid about Yuanchun's fortune reading, which predicted her death in a different month and year. Ke wants the fortune teller to read Pan, but he was provincial and would be impossible to find. Aunt Xue is welcomed back to the mansion by the girls, and laughs off Baochai's inability to join her; Li Wan explains that things are too busy for her. The rest of the family arrive back and ask after Pan's affair. Baoyu is set off brooding by the mention of Jiang Yuhan and Baochai's absence; that evening he asks Aroma for the cummerbund Jiang had given him, but receives instead a telling off about hanging round such actor riffraff and not conforming. The mention of the word sweetheart sends him running off to Daiyu's. She is reading music, which Baoyu cannot interpret, having recently become fascinated by the qin and its technical, spiritual and musical disciplines. She teaches some of the script to Baoyu, who proposes that they learn together. She expounds at length on the art of the qin, the complexity of which both fascinates Baoyu and puts him off learning, until Nightingale arrives and suggests that, although she is pleased to see her, Baoyu should let her rest. Daiyu protests that talking about music is restful, but he takes his leave. Before going, Ripple arrives with a pot of orchids for each of them as a present from Lady Jia; Daiyu stares at them, lost in thought, while Baoyu is still stimulated by the musical talk. When alone, her sombre reflections bring tears to her eyes. One of Baochai's serving women enters.

Chapter 33

手足眈眈小动唇舌

不肖种种大承笞挞

Lady Wang gives Golden’s mother the dresses and jewellery. Baoyu, who is moping after having been rebuked by his mother regarding Golden, is castigated by his father – he cannot reply. The Prince of Zhongshun’s chamberlain arrives to see Jia Zheng, looking for the actor Bijou who has gone missing – he understands that he has been spending time with Baoyu. Baoyu is summoned, and begs ignorance, saying that the chamberlain must have been misinformed. The chamberlain asks after the provenance of his red cummerbund; he tells the chamberlain that Bijou has recently bought a villa in Fort Redwood, and he goes to look for him there. Jia Zheng is furious. While escorting the chamberlain out, he sees Jia Huan running, and is furious with him; this is exacerbated when Huan says that it is because he saw the drowned girl’s body. This is the first Zheng has heard about Golden – he feels disgraced and summons Lai Da and Jia Lian. Jia Huan tells Zheng that Baoyu tried to rape Golden, beating her when she refused, and she killed herself. Zheng is seething, causing his literary guests to leave quickly, and summons Baoyu, rope, and heavy bamboo. Baoyu, waiting for his return, tried that he is to be beaten over Bijou via a passing old woman, but she proved to be near-deaf. He is fetched by Zheng’s pages before he can pass on the message. On arrival, Zheng orders the pages to gag him and beat him to death. When the pages don’t beat hard enough, Zheng takes over. The literary gentlemen return to remonstrate, with no luck, but they send word to Lady Wang. When she arrives, Zheng’s beating redoubled, with Baoyu seemingly unconscious. A tearful Lady Wang appeals to him, saying that no doubt he deserved it, but Zheng shouldn’t get so excited, and that Grandmother Jia would be inconsolable if Baoyu died. Zheng objects – he considers himself unfilial by having produced such a monster, and is constantly thwarted in his attempts to discipline him – he picks up the rope to finish Baoyu off. Lady Wang stops him – she is nearly fifty, and he is her only son. By killing him, he would be rendering her childless, so she asks to be killed first. Zheng collapses, weeping. When examining Baoyu’s lifeless body, she recalls her first son Zhu 贾珠, now deceased, causing his widow, Li Wan 李纨 – who has arrived with the other girls hearing of the commotion – to break down. Grandmother Jia arrives, rebuking Zheng for being a bad son, and calling a carriage to take her, Lady Wang and Baoyu to Nanjing. Baoyu is carried out (with Lady Wang wailing about Zhu, now wishing Baoyu had died in his stead, and rebuking a now softened Zheng for going too far) and taken to Green Delights, while Aroma and Tealeaf discuss what could have happened, including the rumour that Jia Huan revealed to Zheng about Golden and that Xue Pan must have let it be known about Bijou.

Chapter 28

蒋玉函情赠茜香罗

薛宝钗羞笼红麝串

It is Daiyu weeping (again). One of the lyrics she is reciting refers to a maiden’s death, and this sets Baoyu off too, as a considers a world without Daiyu and the girls. She notices him, and walks away ignoring him. He chases after her, and reminds her of when she first arrived, and how close they were. They work out that the earlier misunderstanding was just the maids’ faults. Lady Wang approaches and asks after Daiyu’s health; they discuss her medicines. She doesn’t believe some of the expensive ingredients he lists; Baochai and Daiyu won’t lie for him, but Xifeng corroborates his story.

When Baoyu is walking to Grandmother Jia’s, Xifeng calls him over and lists some items for him to write down. He assents to her taking Crimson. At Grandmother Jia’s, Daiyu resumes acting standoffish to him.

Baoyu is invited to Feng Ziying’s, where he drinks with Xue Pan, singer Nuageuse 云儿 and others. Baoyu leads them all in a rhyming drinking game – Xue Pan keeps coming up with nonsense or filth. Drag actor Jiang Yuhan 蒋玉菡 is embarrassed after he happens to use a line of poetry referring to Aroma. Baoyu invites him round, and discovers that he is Bijou 琪官, an actor that he’s been hearing about. Jiang gives him his cummerbund, which had been given to him by the Prince of Beijing; Baoyu gives him a sash in return, which he later remembers is Aroma’s, when she notices its absence. He persuades her to take the cummerbund. Presents have arrived for the Double Fifth festival from Yuanchun, and Aroma tells Baoyu who has received what, which they discuss – Baochai is the only girl to receive the same level as Baoyu.

Baoyu bumps into Daiyu, who has forgotten her resentments; nevertheless, she makes cracks about her status and how Baochai has usurped her in his affections. Baochai arrives and is embarrassed; Baoyu asks to have a look at one of her medicine chaplets. He admires her arm, and thinks of the matching gold and jade talismans, of which Baochai is also well aware. He gawps at her; Baochai walks away in embarrassment, and Daiyu mocks him.