Chapter 105

锦衣军查抄宁国府

骢马使弹劾平安州

A detachment of the secret police, the Embroidered Jackets, arrives at Zheng’s reception. The commissioner, Zhao Quan 赵全, says it is a social call, but Zheng does not know him. Zhao enters, ignoring all overtures, and announces the Prince of Xiping 西平王, who brings an edict for She. The prince and the commissioner asks the guests to leave, and constables seal the hall as the edict is read: She is arrested, deprived of his rank and an inventory made of his property, and the other Jia menfolk are placed under guard. As Lian manages both branches of Rongguo, his residence is also to be searched. When some restricted and illegal items are found, Zhao orders the confiscation of the entire contents of the mansion. The Prince of Beijing arrives with a second edict, which restricts the arrests to She only and dismisses Zhao; the princes discuss their dislike of him, and the Prince of Beijing summons Zheng. He sets his mind at ease, and advises him to account for the illegal promissory notes.

Baoyu is at Lady Jia’s other party when Patience and another maid report the commotion. The ladies are flabbergasted, and Xifeng faints; they hurriedly withdraw before Lian arrives with news of the prince’s intervention. After the hysterics, he explains the events and is aghast to find his cupboards ransacked. He is called out to join Zheng and the prices taking the inventory. He is puzzled not to hear his possessions listed; as the illegal documents were found in a chest in his chambers, he is detained. The princes leave with some concern, telling Zheng to wait for the final edict. He calls on Lady Jia, where there is an emotional gathering; he emphasises the Emperor’s generosity and the princes’ compassion. Lady Xing leaves, and is distressed to find her apartment padlocked with her maids inside; she also finds Xifeng recovered. Lady Xing returns to Grandmother Jia’s, where the others comfort her. Zheng, meanwhile, hears from a Ningguo retainer causing a rumpus at the gates that Zhen and Rong have been detained and a similar inspection undertaken. Xue Ke is able to get past the guards and, having come from the Board of Punishments, tells Zheng of the charges against Ningguo, principally regarding the Erjie affair. He has also discovered that She is seriously implicated in the impeachment of the magistrate of Ping’an – friends at court won’t help, and the family is disgraced. Zheng is furious and upset, and asks him to continue enquiries while he is concerned about his family. He hears someone cry out that Lady Jia is fainting, and hurries away.

Chapter 85

贾存周报升郎中任

薛文起复惹放流刑

Huan rants and raves about Xifeng; after slipping in her barbed message to Aunt Zhao, the rift between the two sides of the family is permanently deepened. Meanwhile, Baoyu is delighted to be brought along on a visit to give birthday felicitations to the Price of Beijing. After being shown in by a eunuch, the Prince immediately asks after Baoyu’s stone, and asks him to stay after the others leave post-formalities. He gives his protégé tea and food, a great honour, and tells him that Governor Wu 吴大人 has given Zheng the highest possible recommendation. He also gives him a replica of the jade that he has had made. Back at the house, they report back to Grandmother Jia and Baoyu tells Zheng of Governor Wu’s recommendation; Zheng later learns that Governor Wu had visited him while he was out, and that a Permanent Secretary position has become available. Baoyu, meanwhile, discusses the new jade with Grandmother Jia, and reports that he has seen his own jade give off a mysterious glow. Lady Wang and Lady Xing take this as an auspicious portent. After he leaves, the ladies discuss his matrimonial prospects further – Aunt Xue is happy with the plan but Pan, as the senior male Xue, also needs to be consulted.

Baoyu discusses their mysterious tone with Aroma before retiring for the night; Aroma feigns ignorance, but is certain of its meaning and the next morning she goes to see Nightingale for the latest gossip. Amid Daiyu’s toilet, she is unable to broach the subject, and heads back; waiting for her is a pageboy representing Jia Yun (who wants to see Aroma alone), who she dismisses. When Baoyu returns in the evening, she tells him that Yun has left a note for him, and that she doesn’t trust the shifty Yun at all. Baoyu cheerily rips up and burns the note after reading it, without divulging the contents. He then doesn’t eat his supper, and starts crying, causing Musk and Aroma some alarm. He sits up, laughs, and goes to sleep. The next day Baoyu bumps into Yun on his way to school; Yun points out the throngs of crowds outside the gate – Zheng’s promotion has been made official. Baoyu spits angrily at the obsequious Yun (who makes reference to Baoyu’s engagement) before heading to school, from which he is given a day’s celebratory grace. He joins a general gathering at Lady Jia’s, and takes the opportunity to catch up with Daiyu, for which they are mocked by Xifeng. A relative has sent a new troupe of players for them, and as it is soon Daiyu’s birthday, they plan to celebrate that and the promotion together. A stream of visitors cause the house to bustle for the few days before the party. At the party, Daiyu sits at the head of the table; she notices Baochai’s absence. They enjoy several pieces before a panicked servants extracts Xue Ke, followed by Aunt Xue and Baoqin. At Jingui’s apartment, they hear wailing and are met by a tearful Baochai; Pan is in prison accused of murder. Baochai insists they need a good scrivener; Aunt Xue wants to pay the victim’s family off, but Baochai wins out and Ke is despatched to find more information. With a dramatic wail, Jingui launches an attack on Caltrop, causing Aunt Xue to faint. Given the emergency, Baochai breaks protocol (after the betrothal visit, she is to spurn contact with Baoyu’s family) and sends an update to Lady Wang. A letter from Ke arrives a few days later; Pan is charged with manslaughter. They need more money and a change of plea; the delivery boy starts to give them a full account.

Chapter 43

闲取乐偶攒金庆寿

不了情暂撮土为香

Grandmother Jia, now recovered, is at Lady Wang’s to discuss Xifeng’s birthday. She suggests not buying individual presents, but imitating poorer families by pooling their money to buy her a treat. They summon the entire household, including senior servants (and Xifeng), who assemble immediately and all assent to the idea either through affection for or fear of Xifeng. Led by Xifeng, there are discussions regarding who should pay for whose contribution, and who should pay how much. The maids and concubines are brought in to contribute too, until only Aunts Zhou and Zhao have been left out. Youshi quietly remonstrates with Xifeng for bringing them in too. Once the amount has been calculated, Xifeng decides she wants to hire a troupe from outside; Youshi agrees to organise it, and further remonstrates with Xifeng later.

The next day, the contributions (now referred to as ‘subscriptions’ to Youshi’s chagrin) begin to arrive at Youshi’s place in Ningguo. Xifeng is to pay for several people, and she has the money ready when Youshi visits her, but Youshi notices some missing, leading to further argument. She goes to see Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang to discuss the party arrangements further, handing back the more hard-up household members’ contributions.

Xifeng’s birthday rolls round, with an extraordinary array of activities. It coincides with a meeting of the poetry club, and Baoyu is not present. The members send maids to ask Aroma where he is; unsatisfied, Li Wan goes to Aroma. He had left that morning – despite the celebrations – to the Prince of Beijing’s palace, where someone had died. He should, however, be back, and when Grandmother Jia issues a summons she is displeased to hear of his absence.

The day before he had conspired to tell Tealeaf to promulgate the story about the Prince of Beijing. Before dawn, he and Baoyu left on horses, and galloped out of town. They cobble together some incense and, on Tealeaf’s suggestion, head to the nearby Temple of the Water Spirit, whose nun is a subscriber of theirs. Baoyu explains his revulsion at the way the wealthy, ignorant and vulgar treat religion – today, however, he feels differently, and on arrival he contemplates the statue and weeps. He takes tea, burns incense and makes a half-obeisance, refusing everything else. Before taking the burner back, Tealeaf kowtows to the idol, beseeching her on his master’s behalf to reincarnate Baoyu as a girl. Baoyu laughs. They have some food and Tealeaf encourages him to head back soon, as they are bound to be worrying. They hurry back, Baoyu going straight to the party via changing. He greets an upset Silver and kowtows to Xifeng; Grandmother Jia’s anxiety has turned to anger at him and his pages, threatening another beating. She calms and fusses over him. They all watch plays and weep.

Chapter 15

王凤姐弄权铁槛寺 

 秦鲸卿得趣馒头庵 

Baoyu impresses the Prince, although he expresses concern that too much affection can have bad side effects. The Prince gives him a rosary of Indian seeds. The funeral procession continues, but out of fear that he would get up to mischief, Xifeng asks Baoyu to ride in a sedan with her, not on horseback with the other young men. The procession goes through a simple farm, in which Xifeng asks Baoyu and the boys to amuse themselves. Baoyu is impressed at the farming equipment, and is reprimanded by a farm girl, Ertie 二丫头, for using a loom. Baoyu is taken with her, and looks out for her as they leave the farm.

At the Ning-Rong Temple of the Iron Threshold, the less well-off Jia members take advantage of the guest rooms after the ceremony. Xifeng, Baoyu and Qin Zhong make for nearby Watermoon Priory to stay, where they are met by Prioress Euergesia 净虚. Baoyu ribs Qin Zhong about disciple Sapientia, a regular visitor to Rongguo who had fallen in love with Qin, who reciprocates. She brings them tea, which they fight over, before being called away.

Euergesia approaches Xifeng about an amorous matter concerning contacts of theirs in Chang’an, and Xifeng agrees to help out for significant profit. Meanwhile, Qin Zhong makes his move on Sapientia; Baoyu surprises them in flagrante, shaming Sapientia; Baoyu promises to ‘settle accounts’ with Qin later when they are in bed. Xifeng puts the jade under her pillow for safety. Xifeng allows them to stay for an extra day, and commands Brightie 旺儿 to attend to Euergesia’s affair in Lian’s name. Qin and Sapientia make all sorts of secret vows.

Chapter 14

The Ningguo Chief Steward Lai Sheng 赖升warns the staff of Xifeng’s hard reputation. Xifeng discusses arrangements with Lai Sheng’s wife and assembles all the married women of Ningguo, assigning them roles, notably more organised than Ningguo normally is, earning Xifeng respect.

On the 35^th day, a particularly important religious day, Xifeng rises at 4 to commence work. She makes an example of one latecomer by giving her twenty lashes, and shouts at servants who present poorly totalled tallies. She earns the fear of the women and servants, and people work efficiently.

Baoyu brings Qin Zhong to Xifeng for a chat. He suggests that someone could forge tallies and fleece them out of money. Baoyu coaxes Xifeng to get the servants to work harder on his study so that he can study at night. A servant arrives with the news that Lin Ruhai has died and is to be buried in Suzhou. Daiyu is to stay permanently.

Xifeng again rises early as the funeral approaches. Zhen deals with monks as Xifeng manages many competing affairs for both Rongguo and Ningguo; she is in her element. Many distinguished guests arrive for the funeral, including the Prince of Beijing 北静王. He watches the procession from the roadside, and asks after the boy born with jade in his mouth, and Baoyu is fetched.