A Dream of Red Mansion Page 7

  The attendant sneered: “Your Honour is right, of course. But that won’t get you anywhere in the world today. Remember the old sayings: ‘A gentleman adapts himself to circumstances’ and ‘The superior man is one who pursues good fortune and avoids disaster.’ If you do as you just said, not only will you be unable to repay the Emperor’s trust, you may endanger your own life into the bargain. Better think it over carefully.”

  Yucun lowered his head. After a long silence he asked: “What do you suggest?”

  “I’ve thought of a very good plan,” said the attendant. “It’s this. When Your Honour tries the case tomorrow, make a great show of sending out Wilts and issuing warrants. Of course the murderer won’t be forthcoming and the plaintiff will press his case; then you can arrest some of Xue’s clansmen and servants for interrogation. Behind the scenes I’ll fix things so that they report Xue Pan’s ‘death by sudden illness,’ and we’ll get his clan and the local authorities to testify to this.

  “Then Your Honour can claim to be able to consult spirits through the planchette. Have one set up in the court and invite both military and civilians to come and watch. You can say: The spirit declares that Xue Pan and Feng Yuan were enemies in a former existence who were fated to clash in order to settle scores; that, hounded by Feng Yuan’s ghost, Xue Pan has perished of some mysterious disease; that since this trouble was caused by the man who kidnapped the girl with such-and-such a name, he must be dealt with according to the law, but no one else is involved... and so on and so forth.

  “I’ll see to it that the kidnapper makes a full confession, and when the spirit’s message confirms this, people will be convinced.

  “The Xues are rolling in money. You can make them pay a thousand or five hundred taels for Feng Yuan’s funeral expenses. His relatives are insignificant people, and all they’re out for is money. So the silver will shut their mouths.

  “What does Your Honour think of this scheme of mine?”

  “Impossible,” Yucun laughed. “I shall have to think this over carefully in order to suppress idle talk.”

  Their consultation lasted late into the afternoon.

  The next day a number of suspects were summoned to court and Yucun cross-examined them carefully. He found that the Feng family was indeed a small one and just out for more money for the funeral, but the case had been confused and left unsettled because of the stubborn Xues’ powerful connections.

  So Yucun twisted the law to suit his own purpose and passed arbitrary judgement. The Fengs received a large sum for funeral expenses and made no further objections.

  Once the case was settled Yucun lost no time in writing to Jia Zheng and Wang Ziteng. Commander-in-Chief of the Metropolitan Garrison, to inform them that the charge against their worthy nephew was dropped and they need not worry about it any longer. All this was due to the attendant who had been a novice in Gourd Temple, but Yucun, dismayed by the thought that this man might disclose certain facts about the days when he was poor and humble, later found some fault with him and had him exiled to a distant region.

  Let us return now to young Xue, who had bought Yinglian and had Feng Yuan beaten to death. He came of a scholarly Jinling family, but having lost his father while still a child he was thoroughly spoiled by his mother as the only son and heir, with the result that he grew up good for nothing. For they were millionaires, in receipt of an income from the State Treasury as Purveyors for the Imperial Household.

  Young Xue’s name was Pan, his courtesy name Wenqi, and since the age of five or six he had shown himself extravagant in his habits and insolent in his speech. At school he merely learned a few characters, spending all his time on cockfights, riding or pleasure trips. Although a Court Purveyor, he knew nothing of business or worldly affairs but prevailed on his grandfather’s old connections to find him a well-paid sinecure in the Board of Revenue and left all business to his agents and old family servants.

  His widowed mother, nee Wang, was the younger sister of Wang Ziteng, Commander-in-Chief of the Metropolitan Garrison, and the sister of Lady Wang, wife of Jia Zheng of the Rong Mansion. She was about forty years of age and Xue Pan was her only son. But she also had a daughter two years younger whose infant name was Baochai, a beautiful, dainty girl of great natural refinement. While her father was still alive he made her study, and she turned out ten times better than her brother. However, after her father’s death it was so clear that Xue Pan would prove no comfort to their mother that Baochai gave up her studies and devoted herself to needlework and the household management, so as to share her mother’s burden and cares.

  Recently, to honour culture, encourage propriety and search out talent, in addition to selecting consorts and ladies-in-waiting the Emperor in his infinite goodness had made the Board compile a list of the daughters of ministers and noted families from whom to choose virtuous and gifted companions for the princesses in their studies.

  Moreover, since the death of Xue Pan’s father, all the managers and assistants in the Purveyor’s offices of different provinces had taken advantage of his youth and inexperience to start swindling, and even the business in the various family shops in the capital was gradually falling off.

  Thus Xue Pan, who had long heard of the splendours of the capital, now had three pretexts for a visit to it: First, to escort his sister there for the selection; secondly, to see his relatives; and thirdly, to clear his accounts and decide on further outlay. His real reason, of course, was to see the sights of the great metropolis.

  He had long since packed his luggage and valuables and prepared local specialties of every kind as gifts for relatives and friends. An auspicious day for departure had just been chosen when he met the kidnapper who was selling Yinglian and, struck by her good looks, promptly purchased her. When Feng Yuan demanded her back. Xue Pan relying on his powerful position ordered his bullies to beat the young man to death. Then entrusting the family affairs to some clansmen and old servants, he left with his mother and sister. To him a murder charge was just a trifle which could easily be settled with some filthy lucre.

  After some days on the road they were approaching the capital when word came of the promotion of his uncle Wang Ziteng to the post of Commander-in-Chief of Nine Provinces with orders to inspect the borders.

  Xue Pan told himself gleefully, “I was just thinking what a bore it would be to have an uncle cramping my style in the capital. Now he’s been upgraded and is leaving. It shows Heaven is kind.”

  He suggested to his mother, “Although we have some houses in the capital, none of us has lived there for ten years or more and the caretakers may have rented them out. Let’s send someone on ahead to have one cleaned up.”

  “Why go to such trouble?” she asked. “When we arrive, we should first call on relatives and friends. We can stay with your uncle or aunt. Both of them have plenty of space. Wouldn’t it be simpler to put up there first and take our time over opening up other houses?”

  “But uncle’s just been promoted and is going to the provinces, so his place is bound to be upside down. If we descend on him like a swarm of bees, it will look most inconsiderate.”

  “Your uncle may be leaving for his new post, but there’s still your aunt’s house. They’ve written year after year inviting us to visit the capital. Now that we’re here and your uncle’s getting ready to leave, your Aunt Jia is sure to press us to stay there. It will appear very strange to them if we’re in such a rush to open up one of our own houses.

  “I know what you’re after. You’re afraid of being under restraint if you stay with your uncle or aunt. You’d prefer to be on your own, free to do as you please. In that case, go and find yourself some lodgings. I’ve been parted all these years from your aunt and we old sisters want to spend a little time together. I shall take your sister there with me. Have you any objection to that?”

  Realizing that he could not talk his mother round, Xue Pan had perforce to order his servants to make straight for the Rong Mansion.

  Meanwhile L
ady Wang, who had learned with relief of the dismissal, thanks to Yucun, of the charge against Xue Pan, had been dismayed again by her brother’s promotion to a frontier post, for this confronted her with the lonely prospect of having none of her own family to visit. But a few days later a servant suddenly announced that her sister had brought her son and daughter and whole household to the capital, and they were just alighting outside the gate.

  In her joy, Lady Wang hurried out to the reception hall with her daughter and daughter-in-law to greet the whole party and conduct them inside. We need not dwell on the mingled delight and sorrow of these two sisters meeting again in the evening of life or all their tears, laughter and reminiscences.

  Lady Wang took them in to pay their respects to the Lady Dowager, and they distributed the gifts they had brought. When the entire family had been introduced, a feast of welcome was spread for the travellers. And after Xue Pan had paid his respects to Jia Zheng, Jia Lian took him over to call on Jia She and Jia Zhen.

  Then Jia Zheng sent a message to his wife saying. “My sister-in-law has seen many springs and autumns, and my nephew is young and inexperienced. He may get into some scrapes if they live outside. The ten rooms and more in Pear Fragrance Court in the northeast corner of our grounds are empty. Let us have them swept clean and ask your sister and her children to stay there.”

  Before Lady Wang could extend this invitation, the Lady Dowager also sent to urge, “Do invite your sister to stay here, so that we can all be close together.”

  Aunt Xue was only too glad to comply so as to have some check on her son, who was likely to get up to fresh mischief if they lived outside. She promptly accepted with thanks and in private intimated to Lady Wang that, if she was to make a long stay, she must be allowed to defray all her household’s daily expenses. Lady Wang knew that this presented no difficulty for the Xue family, and therefore agreed. So Aunt Xue and her children moved into Pear Fragrance Court.

  This court where the Duke of Rongguo had spent his declining years was small but charming, its dozen or so rooms including a reception hall in front and the usual sleeping quarters and offices behind. It had its own entrance to the street which the Xue household used, while a passage from a southwest gate led to the east courtyard of Lady Wang’s main apartment. Every day after lunch or in the evening, Aunt Xue would walk over to chat with the Lady Dowager or to talk over the old days with her sister.

  Baochai spent her time with Daiyu, Yingchun and the other girls, very happy to read, play chess or sew with them.

  Only Xue Pan at first disliked this arrangement, for fear that his uncle would control him so strictly that he would not be his own master. He had to comply for the time being, however, because his mother had made up her mind to it and the Jia family pressed them so hard to stay. None the less, he sent servants to make ready one of his own houses for when he decided to move.

  To his relief, after less than a month he found himself on familiar terms with half the Jia sons and nephews, and all the rich young men of fashion among them enjoyed his company. One day they would meet to drink, the next to look at flowers, and soon they included him in gambling parties or visits to the courtesans’ quarters, with the result that Xue Pan rapidly became even ten times worse than before.

  Although Jia Zheng was known for his fine method of schooling his sons and disciplining his household, the family was too large for him to see to everything. Moreover the head of the clan was Jia Zhen, who as the eldest grandson of the Duke of Ningguo had inherited the title and was responsible for all clan affairs.

  Besides, Jia Zheng, occupied as he was by public and private business, was too easy-going to take mundane matters seriously, preferring to give all his leisure to reading and chess.

  Since Pear Fragrance Court was two courtyards away from his quarters and had its own entrance to the street through which people could pass as they pleased, the young men caroused and enjoyed themselves just as they chose. For these reasons, before very long Xue Pan gave up all thought of moving.

  To know what followed, turn to the next chapter.

  Chapter 5

  The Spiritual Stone Is Too Bemused to Grasp the Fairy’s Riddles

  The Goddess of Disenchantment in Her Kindness Secretly Expounds on Love

  Drowsy in spring beneath embroidered quilts,

  In a trance with a goddess he leaves the world of men.

  Who is this now entering the Land of Dreams?

  The most unregenerate lover since time began.

  The fourth chapter told briefly how the Xues came to stay in the Rong Mansion, but now let us return to Daiyu.

  Since her coming to the Rong Mansion, the Lady Dowager had been lavishing affection on her, treating her in every respect just like Baoyu so that Yingchun, Tanchun and Xichun, the Jia girls, all had to take a back seat. And Baoyu and Daiyu had drawn closer to each other than all the others. By day they strolled or sat together; at night they went to bed in the same apartment. On all matters, indeed, they were in complete accord.

  But now Baochai had suddenly appeared on the scene. Although only slightly older, she was such a proper young lady and so charming that most people considered Daiyu inferior to her. In the eyes of the world, of course, everyone has some merits. In the case of Daiyu and Baochai, one was lovely as a flower, the other graceful as a willow, but each charming in her own way, according to her distinctive temperament.

  Besides, Baochai’s generous, tactful, and accommodating ways contrasted strongly with Daiyu’s stand-offish reserve and won the hearts of her subordinates, so that nearly all the maids like to chat with her. Because of this, Daiyu began to feel some twinges of jealousy. But of this Baochai was completely unaware.

  Baoyu was still only a boy and a very absurd and wilful one at that, who treated his brothers, sisters and cousins alike, making no difference between close and distant kinsmen. Because he and Daiyu both lived in the Lady Dowager’s quarters he was closer to her than to the other girls, and being closer had grown more intimate; but precisely because of this he sometimes offended her by being too demanding and thoughtless.

  Today the two of them had fallen out for some reason and Daiyu, alone in her room, was again shedding tears. Sorry for his tactlessness, Baoyu went in to make it up and little by little contrived to comfort her.

  As the plum blossom was now in full bloom in the Ning Mansion’s garden, Jia Zhen’s wife Madam You invited the Lady Dowager, Lady Xing, Lady Wang and the others to a party to enjoy the flowers. She brought Jia Rong and his wife with her to deliver the invitations in person, and so the Lady Dowager and the rest went over after breakfast. They strolled round the Garden of Concentrated Fragrance and were served first with tea then wine; but it was simply an informal gathering of the womenfolk of both houses for a family feast, with nothing of special interest to record.

  Soon Baoyu was tired and wanted to have a nap. The Lady Dowager ordered his attendants to take good care of him and bring him back after a rest.

  At once Jia Rong’s wife Qin Keqing said with a smile: “We have a room ready here for Uncle Baoyu. The Old Ancestress can set her mind at rest and leave him safely to me.” She told his nurses and maids to follow her with their young master.

  The Lady Dowager had every confidence in this lovely slender young woman who with her gentle, amiable behaviour was her favourite of all he great-grandsons’ wives of the Rong and Ning branches. She was therefore sure Baoyu would be in good hands.

  Keqing led the party to an inner room, where Baoyu noticed a fine painting of “The Scholar Working by Torchlight.” Without even seeing who the artist was, he took a dislike to the picture. Then he read the couplet flanking it:

  A grasp of mundane affairs is genuine knowledge,

  Understanding of worldly wisdom is true learning.

  These two lines disgusted him with the place for all its refinement and luxury, and he begged to go somewhere else.

  “If this isn’t good enough, where can we take you?” asked his hostess
with a laugh. “Well, come along to my room.”

  Baoyu nodded and smiled but one of his nurses protested:

  “It’s not proper for an uncle to sleep in his nephew’s room.”

  “Good gracious!” Keqing smiled. “I won’t mind his being offended if I say he’s still a baby. At his age such taboos don’t apply. Didn’t you see my brother who came last month? He’s the same age as Uncle Baoyu, but if they stood side by side I’m sure he’d be the taller.”

  “Why haven’t I met him?” asked Baoyu. “Do bring him in and let me have a look at him.”

  The women burst out laughing. “He’s miles away, how can we bring him? You’ll met him some other time.”

  Now, having reached the young matron’s room, they were meet at the threshold by a subtle perfume which misted over Baoyu’s eyes and melted his bones.

  “How good it smells here!” he cried.

  Entering, he saw on the wall a picture by Tang Yin of a lady sleeping under the blossom of a crab-apple tree in spring. On the two scrolls flanking it, Qin Guan the Song scholar had written:

  Coolness wraps her dream, for spring is chill;

  A fragrance assails men, the aroma of wine.

  On the dressing-table was a rare mirror from Wu Zetian’s Hall of Mirrors. In the gold tray by it, on which Zhao Feiyan once danced, was the quince thrown in fun by An Lushan at Lady Yang, which had wounded her breast. At one end of the room stood the couch on which Princess Shouyang had slept in the Hanzhang Palace, and over it hung the curtains strung from pearls by Princess Tongchang.

  “It’s nice in here,” exclaimed Baoyu repeatedly in his delight.

  “This room of mine is probably fit for a god,” rejoined Keqing with a smile.

  With her own hands she spread a gauze coverlet washed by Xi Shi and arranged the bridal pillow carried by Hongniang”. Then the nurses and attendants made Baoyu lie down and slipped out leaving only four maids Xiren, Meiren, Qingwen and Sheyue to keep him company. Keqing told them to wait on the verandah and watch the kittens and puppies playing there.