Chapter 108

强欢笑蘅芜庆生辰

死缠绵潇湘闻鬼哭

Zheng turns to Xifeng for help in reducing the staff; she also finds the task impossible, the raids having reduced all available funds and the new austerity leading to constant complaints. Xiangyun visits – she is enjoying married life. Lady Jia fills her in on events, particularly for the Xues and the Wangs, and she regrets the fate of the young family members, and reflects on the changes. Xiangyun suggests staying on for Baochai’s upcoming birthday, which Lady Jia has forgotten about – she orders a surprise two day party. At the party, Baoyu (the only man invited) is delighted that it has been arranged and pleased that marriage has not dimmed Xiangyun’s forthrightness. Yingchun arrives, immediately precipitating tears, but Grandmother Jia upbraids them – she wants the party to cheer everyone up. Xifeng is quite unable to muster herself, and a comment about ‘reunion’ only serves to highlight those absent. Despite Lady Jia’s attempts to create an informal, fun atmosphere, it is clear that no one is their old partygoing selves. Baoyu suggests a drinking game and calls for a reluctant Faithful, who suggests a simple game; however, certain dice throws both embarrass Baoyu and make him think of his dream of the twelve beauties and ruminate on his absent cousins. He absents himself, leading to the game to be stopped – it is not much fun. There is concern when Baoyu doesn’t return for some time, and the maids concoct a story to excuse him from dinner.

Baoyu is wandering in aimless grief; Aroma joins him. He finds a gate to the Garden open; Aroma holds him back from entering, but a serving woman volunteers to join them. Baoyu is distressed by the Garden’s desolation, and is drawn to the Naiad’s House, despite Aroma trying to confuse his bearings and take him back to the party. He thinks he hears weeping from the House as they approach it; the serving woman warns him off, saying that they have also heard sounds of weeping. Baoyu and Aroma are startled, and he gets more and more distraught, wailing in grief. Ripple, who has been sent to search for him, arrives; they drag him back to Lady Jia’s apartment. Lady Jia berates Aroma for allowing him back in the Garden; Baoyu speaks up for her, and others join in the brief argument before the party breaks up. Despite her concern, Baochai turns a deaf ear to Baoyu’s endless sighing; she calls Aroma aside for an account of what happened in the Garden.

Chapter 107 - supercondensed

She and Zhen are exiled, Zheng is absolved, dividing their wives. Lady Jia divides up her remaining money, orders land to be sold and staff laid off and visits Xifeng, restoring her. Zheng offers thanks for a new edict favouring him; a loyal servant, Bao Yong, abuses Jia Yucun after hearing that his information led to the raids.

Chapter 107

散馀资贾母明大义

复世职政老沐天恩

Zheng is questioned at court about how much he knew of She’s misdemeanours. The Imperial Edict describes these in full; She is posted in penal servitude to the Mongolian border and Zhen to a maritime frontier, a greatly reduced punishment. Zheng is absolved of blame, and is told not to make any further gesture of thanks. He reports back to the household; Lady Jia is pleased, but Youshi and Lady Xing are inconsolable, Youshi also resenting Lian and Xifeng surviving apparently unscathed. Grandmother Jia asks Zheng about finances, and he is forced to tell her about the scale and hopelessness of their debts, which plunges her into gloom. Zhen and She arrive to say goodbye (a concession secured by Zheng) before lamenting with their wives. Lady Jia finds some money and clothes to give them for their wives and their own expenses. The rest of her money is given to Xifeng and to Zheng to honour their debts, and to Baoyu and Li Wan. She instructs the staff to be reduced and parts of their land, including the Garden, to be sold. Zheng is humbled and contrite as she ruminates on the situation, upsetting the others by speaking of her death. Felicity arrives with a message from Xifeng; Zheng tries to Lady Jia from visiting her, but she dismisses everyone and goes. Her visit immediately restores Xifeng, who had earlier lost all hope, believing the whole family against her. Lady Jia consoles her in her grief, saying that it was the men that started it, and gives her presents; Xifeng kowtows in abject gratitude, and all weep together before leaving. Finally alone, Lady Jia cries to sleep. Zheng accompanies She and Zhen to the city walls and parts from them with formality; returning home, he hears of an edict passing to him the Rongguo hereditary rank and title. He feels both pleasure and shame, weeping with emotion.

Friends and relatives see the latest edict as an indication that the Jia family is still favoured; Zheng visits the Palace in thanks and to offer the residence and Garden as a gift to the Emperor, but is rebuffed. With debts mounting, many of the wealthy servants feign poverty or start looking for other employment; Bao Yong, however, remains loyal, and the other servants try to force him out. In the street one day he overhears that it was information from Jia Yucun that led to the houses being raided. Just at that moment Yucun arrives, and the drunk Bao Yong abuses his sedan. Other servants report him to Zheng for being drunk and disorderly; Zheng just scolds him and transfers him to the Garden. Bao Yong is dismayed but does not complain.

Chapter 106 - supercondensed

Lian is deprived of rank for usury; Zheng broods on the family’s misfortunes. Xifeng is ill and depressed, knowing she is blamed. The household is penniless. Lian secretly sells land, Lady Jia prays, Zheng inspects the register of servants and ledgers and is shocked by the rampant mismanagement. Xiangyun is betrothed.

Chapter 106

王熙凤致祸抱羞惭

贾太君祷天消祸患

When Lady Jia comes round, Zheng comforts her in her great distress, when a message arrives from the Palace – Zheng is restored to his position and only She’s property is confiscated. The illegal promissory notes are to be investigated separately, and Lian is deprived of position and rank. Officials arrive to proclaim and enact the edict. Lian, whose property has been ransacked, father imprisoned and wife ill, is berated for usury by Zheng; he denies all knowledge and suggests summoning the stewards. He is dismissed by Zheng, who ruminates on the family’s misfortunes before a succession of friends and relations offers their sympathies. Although one does suggest that Zheng’s reputation with the Emperor is tarnished. A message arrives from Sun Shaozu that he expects the Jias to discharge She’s debts. Zheng’s friends are contemptuous, and suggest that Zheng will require the prince’s intervention to prevent total ruin. That night he broods on affairs, blaming Xifeng and Lian for the usury but choosing not to punish her due to her illness and losses from the raid. The next morning he visits the Emperor and princes and other friends to enlist support.

Lian returns home despondently and joins Patience at Xifeng’s bedside. He rejects Patience’s appeal for a doctor, upsetting her; but when he leaves, Xifeng tells Patience she wishes she could die – she knows she is blamed for the troubles and feels the lowest of the low. Lady Jia, now recovered, organises for support for Xifeng and the other distressed women, but they cannot find any money to cover the imprisoned men’s expenses – all are penniless and deeply in debt, so Lian secretly sells land from the country estates. Some servants exploit this by borrowing against their rent.

Lady Jia orders for incense to be lit before every Buddha and prays, breaking down in tears. She then wails and weeps with Baoyu, Baochai and Lady Wang, each contemplating their own plight and that of those around them. Word reaches Zheng in his study, and he reproaches them for not trying to cheer Lady Jia up. A messenger arrives with regards from the Shi household, and brings news that Xiangyun is soon to be married to a nice gentle man, who resembles Baoyu; Grandmother Jia remembers Xiangyun fondly and looks forward to her visiting. Baoyu is tearful to think of her marriage. Zheng, meanwhile, goes through a register of 212 servants with Lai Da before interrogating some and going through the ledgers, none of which balance – the weighty evidence of recklessness and mismanagement is a shock to him, and it is too late to start economising. He shouts at servants who try to console him. He asks in particular about Bao Er, who spread the malicious rumours but is not on the register – he had been employed at Ningguo, and there are many others not on the register, such as servants’ servants. He sets about deciding on a solution and waiting to find out She and Zhen’s sentences. A day or so later he is summoned to court.

Chapter 105 - supercondensed

The secret police arrive; She is arrested and the entire contents of the mansion are confiscated. The Prince of Beijing arrives and advises Zheng. Xifeng faints and Lian is detained; all gather to console each other. Ke reveals that Zhen and Rong have been arrested in a similar raid on Ningguo. The family is disgraced.

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.