Chapter 1116

得通灵幻境悟仙缘

送慈柩故乡全孝道

Lady Wang is unable to wake Baoyu, and finds the monk has vanished. Baoyu’s spirit has left his body and joined the monk; passing the figure of You Sanjie, they float towards a monumental archway marked ‘The Paradise of Truth’. After chasing the vanishing figure of Faithful, he realises he’s not in the Garden – it’s the site of his childhood dream. He enters a building out of curiosity, and picks up the register of the twelve beauties of Jinling, and quickly works out the references to Daiyu and Baochai before working through the rest. He wants to copy out the poems, but can’t find a brush or ink. A picture in a supplementary register causes him to cry, before Faithful reappears, calling him to see Daiyu. He follows her into a new vista of tall buildings, where he loses himself looking at a plant and talking to its minder, a Flower Fairy, who tells him the history of the flower, the Crimson Pearl Flower, which had descended into the world of men to repay its debt of tears. The Fairy says that her mistress is the River Queen, but threatens Baoyu for thinking that she is Daiyu. Addressing him as a divine page, someone resembling Skybright chases after him to bring him to Daiyu; he tries to escape but is threatened with a sword by Sanjie. He is taken to the River Queen’s palace, and is ushered in by ladies-in-waiting; the Queen resembles Daiyu, but he is quickly forced out after calling her ‘cousin’. He is delighted to see Xifeng, but on closer inspection it is Keqing; in a daze, he bursts into tears as guards in yellow turbans chase after him. He runs after several other visions of cousins, who turn into ghouls and chase him too. Suddenly the monk reappears, the monsters vanish and they are back in wilderness. The monk mocks Baoyu: he has read the registers but still doesn’t understand. The monk tells him to ponder on his experience – he will explain further when they meet again – before giving him a shove, and Baoyu finds himself back with his family, who are all in tears. He is pleased to find he can remember every detail of his dream.

Zheng sends for a doctor and Baoyu is given some soup. Baochai wonders where the monk could have found the jade, suspecting that he took it in the first place. Lady Wang muses on Baoyu’s strange relationship with the jade. Xichun, remembering words of Adamantina, offers a Buddhist interpretation, which Baoyu and Youshi sniff at; Xichun reaffirms her desire to become a nun. The conversation triggers a flash of recognition in Baoyu, remembering what he read in the registers.

With Baoyu improved, Zheng is anxious to arrange the interment of Lady Jia’s coffin, along with Xifeng and Daiyu, in the South. He discusses the ways and means with Lian, given their financial straits. He selects a day to leave, and before going reminds Lian that the civil service examinations are coming up and Lan and Baoyu can restore some family pride; Lady Wang begins to apply more pressure on Baoyu. While Baoyu is improving outwardly, he is undergoing a deep inner change, rejecting love along with worldly success. Nightingale notices this, and is upset at his indifference when Daiyu’s coffin leaves. She scoffs when Fivey complains to her that Baoyu is unkind to her. Someone shouts that the monk has returned and is demanding his payment, and Lady Wang wants Baochai to help.

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 101

大观园月夜警幽魂

散花寺神签惊异兆

Xifeng goes to visit Tanchun at night; the moon is extremely bright. Having dismissed her maids on various errands, she finds herself confronted by a large doglike creature, and hurries away in panic. She sees the elegant figure of a lady, who calls her Auntie, and chides her for not heeding her advice. Realising it is the ghost of Qin Keqing, Xifeng spits and flees in fright; when her maids find her, she lies about seeing Tanchun and they head back straight to bed. The next morning, Lian is troubled by several reports in the newspaper before leaving for a meeting. Patience gives Xifeng a massage, while she hears a nanny mistreating Qiaojie; she worries about their future, which upsets Patience. Unexpectedly, Lian arrives back early, having been unable to complete his meeting; he is furious to see the household still so disorderly, and shouts at Xifeng, who contains herself. He reveals that he has been trying to pull strings on behalf of Xifeng’s brother, Wang Ren 王仁, who, as Ziteng’s successor, owes money to the Censorate, but Ren, meanwhile, is holding a party for Zisheng and behaving abominably. Xifeng is upset; Lian criticises her for being too slack and putting up with lax behaviour from her brother and the servants. Patience gives Lian a piece of her mind; he takes his leave. Thoroughly upset, Xifeng decides not to go to Zisheng’s party, but does visit Baochai to explain. She tries to dismiss the doltish Baoyu, but he makes a fuss over his peacock cape; Aroma explains that he had previously said he never wanted to wear it again. Xifeng is reminded of Fivey; now that Baoyu is married, there can be no objection to her working for him, so she will arrange it, delighting Baoyu. Xifeng observes how close Baoyu and Baochai are, and while having an audience with Grandmother Jia, teases Baochai after Baoyu sends back a silly message with urgency.

A nun from Scattered Flowers, Perfecta 大了, calls on Xifeng and Lady Jia to invite her to a particular service regarding spirits. Xifeng’s encounter with Keqing’s ghost has cast her scepticism aside and is intrigued. Perfecta tells Xifeng about the Bodhisattva of the Scattered Flowers, and Xifeng decides to visit the next day to test her story. She does so; after praying like a devout believer, she tests the fortune sticks. She is astounded to read her own name (a reference to a historical Wang Xifeng) on the stick; Perfecta expounds on the fortune telling, interpreting it as a good omen: that Zheng will send for his family. Xifeng is only half convinced; she eats and leaves. At home, any doubts she harbours as to the omen are dispelled by the others’ unanimous acceptance of it.

Baochai, meanwhile, tells Baoyu about the divination; she is sceptical about the interpretation of the verse. Before she can elaborate, she is summoned to Lady Wang’s.

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.