A Dream of Red Mansion

by Cao Xueqin

  He agreed and thanked them, after which they dispersed.

  It was already time to light the lamps. Jia Zheng went inside to pay his respects to his mother and found her better. Returning to his own quarters, he brooded resentfully over the folly of Jia Lian and his wife, whose usury—now that it had come to light—had landed the whole family in trouble. He was most put out by this disclosure of Xifeng’s misdoings. But since she was so ill and must be distraught too by the loss of all her possessions, he could hardly reprimand them for the time being. Thus the night passed without further incident.

  The next morning Jia Zheng went to court to express his gratitude for the Imperial favour, then called on both princes to kowtow his thanks and beg them to intervene on behalf of his brother and nephew. After they had agreed to do this, he went to enlist the help of other colleagues.

  Let us return to Jia Lian. Unable to extricate his father and cousin from the straits they were in, he returned home. He found Pinger sitting weeping by Xifeng, who was being abused by Qiutong in the side-room. Jia Lian walked over to Xifeng, but as she seemed at her last gasp he had to hold back his reproaches.

  “What’s done is done,” sobbed Pinger. “We can’t get back what we’ve lost. But the mistress is so ill, you must send for a doctor for her.”

  “Pah!” spat out Jia Lian. “My own life is still at stake; why should I care about her?”

  At this Xifeng opened her eyes and, without a word, shed tears. As soon as Jia Lian had left she said to Pinger, “Stop being so dense. Now that things have come to this pass, why worry about me? I only wish I could die this very minute! If you have any feeling for me, just bring up Qiaojie after my death and I shall be grateful to you in the nether regions!”

  This only made Pinger sob more bitterly.

  “You’ve sense enough to see,” Xifeng continued, “that even if they haven’t come to complain he must hold me to blame. Though the trouble was sparked off outside, if I hadn’t been greedy for money I’d have been in the clear. Now after scheming so hard and trying all my life to get ahead, I’ve ended up worse off than anyone else! If only I hadn’t trusted the wrong people! I heard something vaguely too about Master Zhen’s trouble and how he abducted the wife of an honest citizen named Zhang to be his concubine, forcing her to kill herself rather than submit. Well, we know, don’t we, who that fellow Zhang was? If that business comes out, Master Lian will be involved too and I shall lose face completely. I’d like to die this instant, but I haven’t the courage to swallow gold or take poison. And here you are talking of getting a doctor for me! That’s not doing me a kindness but a bad turn.”

  This upset Pinger even more. She was at her wit’s end. For fear that Xifeng might try to take her own life, she kept a close watch over her.

  Luckily the Lady Dowager was ignorant of these developments. Now that her health was improving, she was relieved that Jia Zheng had kept out of trouble and Baoyu and Baochai stayed by her side every day. As Xifeng had been her favourite she told Yuanyang, “Give some of my things to Xifeng, and take Pinger some money so that she can look after her well. Once she’s better I’ll see what else can be done for her.” She also told Lady Wang to help Lady Xing.

  Since the whole estate of the Ning Mansion had been confiscated, all its bondservants registered and taken away, the Lady Dowager sent carriages to fetch Madam You and her daughter-in-law over. Alas for the Ning Mansion, once so grand! All that remained of it was these two ladies and the concubines Peifeng and Xieluan, without a single servant. The old lady placed at their disposal a house next to Xichun’s, sent four women-servants and two maids to wait on them, had food prepared for them by the main kitchen, and provided them with clothing and other necessities. She also allotted them the same monthly allowances as were issued by the accountants’ office to members of the Rong Mansion.

  As for the expenses incurred by Jia She, Jia Zhen and Jia Rong in prison, the accountants’ office was quite unable to meet them. Xifeng had no property left; Jia Lian was heavily in debt; while Jia Zheng who had no head for affairs simply said:

  “I have asked friends to see that they are looked after.”

  Jia Lian in desperation thought of appealing to their relatives, but Aunt Xue’s family was bankrupt, Wang Ziteng was dead, and none of the rest was in a position to help. All he could do was send some stewards in secret to raise a few thousand taels by selling certain country estates to defray the prison expenses. As soon as he did this, however, the servants realized that the family was on the rocks and seized this chance for hanky-panky, filching money from the rents of the eastern manors too. But this is anticipating.

  To revert to the old lady, she had not a moment’s peace of mind but kept weeping as she wondered what was to become of them all. Their hereditary titles had been abolished, one of her sons and two younger kinsmen were in jail awaiting trial, Lady Xing and Madam You were disconsolate, and Xifeng was at death’s door. Though Baoyu and Baochai kept her company to console her, they could not share her worries.

  One evening, after sending Baoyu away, she struggled to sit up and told Yuanyang and the other maids to burn incense in the various shrines and then to light a censerful in her courtyard. Leaning on her cane she went out there. Hupo, knowing that she meant to worship Buddha, had placed a red felt cushion on the ground. The old lady offered incense and knelt down to kowtow and invoke Buddha several times.

  She prayed to Heaven then with tears in her eyes, “Born a Shi, I married into the Jia family, and I earnestly implore holy Buddha in Heaven to have mercy on us! For generations our Jia family has never dared transgress or abuse our power. A devoted wife and mother, though unable to do much good I have never done anything wicked. But some of the Jia descendants must have offended Heaven by their arrogance and dissipation; thus our family has been raided, its property confiscated. Now my son and grandsons are in jail and fortune is frowning on them. I alone am responsible for these misfortunes because I failed to give them the proper training. Now I entreat Heaven to save us, turning the sorrow of those in jail to joy, and curing those who are ill. Even if the whole family has sinned, let me alone take the blame! Spare my sons and grandsons! Have pity, Heaven, on a pious woman! Grant me an early death, but spare my children and grandchildren!” Her voice faltered here from distress and she burst out sobbing. Yuanyang and Zhenzhu as they helped her back inside did their best to comfort her.

  Lady Wang had just brought Baoyu and Baochai to pay their evening respects. The old lady’s grief set the three of them crying too. The saddest of all was Baochai as she reflected that her brother was imprisoned in the provinces, with no knowing whether his death sentence would be commuted or not; and though her father-in-law was not in trouble, the Jia family was declining, while Baoyu was still deranged and showed no sign of trying to make good. Anxiety over her future made her weep still more bitterly than Their Ladyships. And her grief infected Baoyu.

  He mused, “My grandmother can’t be at peace in her old age, and that naturally upsets my father and mother. All the girls have scattered like clouds before the wind, with fewer left every day. How jolly it was, I remember, when we started that poetry club in the Garden; but ever since Cousin Lin’s death I’ve felt gloomy, yet with Baochai by me I can’t cry too often. And now she’s so worried about her brother and mother, she hardly smiles all day.” The sight of her now so overcome with grief was more than he could bear. He broke down and sobbed.

  At this, Yuanyang, Caiyun, Yinger and Xiren, each of whom had her own cares, started sobbing too. This moved the other maids to tears as well, and nobody restrained them. So the wailing in the room grew louder and louder till the womenservants keeping watch outside hurried off in alarm to report this to the master.

  Jia Zheng was sitting gloomily in his study when this message from his mother’s servants was announced. He hurried over frantically and while still at a distance heard the whole household crying, which convinced him that the old lady must be dying. Running distractedly in
, he was relieved to see her sitting there sobbing.

  “When the old lady is upset, the rest of you should comfort her,” he chided the others. “Why are you all weeping too?”

  They hastily dried their tears and stared blankly around. Jia Zheng stepped forward to console his mother, then once more briefly reprimanded the rest, all of whom were wondering how they could have forgotten themselves and broken down when they had come meaning to soothe the old lady.

  Just then a serving-woman brought in two maids from Marquis Shi’s family. They paid their respects to the Lady Dowager and the rest of the company.

  “We’ve been sent by our master, mistress and young mistress,” they announced. “They’ve heard that your trouble here isn’t serious, nothing more than a passing alarm. For fear Your Lordship and Ladyships might be worried, they sent us to say that the Second Master here has nothing to fear. Our young mistress wanted to come herself but couldn’t because soon she’ll be getting married.”

  “Give them our regards when you go back,” responded the old lady, as it was inappropriate to thank these underlings. “This misfortune must have been fated. It was kind of your master and mistress to think of us, and another day we’ll go over to express our gratitude. I take it they’ve found your young lady a good husband—what’s his family’s position?”

  “They are not too well-off,” the maids answered. “But he’s a handsome young man, and, from what we’ve seen of him, very easy-going. He looks rather like your Master Bao, and is said to have literary talents too.”

  “That’s good,” said the old lady cheerfully. “Being southerners, though we’ve lived here so long we abide by the customs of the south, so we haven’t seen him yet. The other day I was thinking of my old family, and your young mistress is the one I love most—I used to have her here for the best part of the year. When she was old enough I meant to find a suitable husband for her, but because her uncle was away I couldn’t arrange a match. If she’s lucky enough to have found a good young man, that sets my mind at rest. I’d wanted to attend the wedding feast this month, but my heart is burning over this terrible upset here, so how can I possibly go? When you get back, give them my best regards. All of us here send our greetings. And tell your young lady not to worry about me. I’m more than eighty years old, and even if I die today I shall have had a good life. I just hope that she and her husband will live happily together till old age; then I’ll rest content in my grave.” By now she was weeping again.

  “Don’t grieve, madam,” said the maids. “Nine days after the wedding you may be sure she’ll come here with her husband to pay her respects. Then how pleased you’ll be to see them!” The old lady nodded and the two maids left. Others dismissed this from their minds, but Baoyu started brooding, “What a life, with things going from bad to worse every day! Why must a girl marry into another family when she grows up? Marriage seems to change her into a different person. Now our dear Cousin Shi is being forced by her uncle to get married, so when next she sees me she’s bound to keep at a distance. What is there to live for if everybody shuns you?” His heart ached again, but since his grandmother was just calming down he dared not weep and simply sat brooding instead.

  Presently Jia Zheng returned, as he still had misgivings about the old lady. Finding her better, he went back and sent orders to Lai Da to bring him the register of the servants in charge of the various household tasks. He checked the names. There were more than thirty families left—two hundred and twelve men and women in all—not counting Jia She’s bondservants who had been sequestrated.

  Jia Zheng summoned the twenty-one men-servants then working in the mansion to question them about the family’s income and expenditure in the past. When the stewards in charge presented the accounts for recent years, he saw that their expenditure had exceeded their income, in addition to which there had been yearly expenses in the Palace, and there were many entries of sums borrowed from outside too. He then looked into their land rents in the east province, which of late amounted to less than half the rent delivered to their ancestors, whereas the family expenses had increased tenfold. This discovery made him stamp in desperation.

  “This is scandalous!” he exclaimed. “I put Lian in charge to keep a check on things; but it seems that for years we’ve been spending our rents a year in advance, yet insisted on keeping up appearances! Setting no store by our hereditary titles and emoluments, how could we fail to be ruined? Even if I retrench now it will be too late.” He paced up and down, hands clasped behind his back, unable to hit on any way out.

  The stewards knew that their master was worrying to no purpose, as he had no idea how to manage the household. “Don’t worry, sir,” they said. “This happens to every family. Why, even the princes, if you work out their expenses, don’t have enough to live on. They just keep up appearances and get by for as long as they can. You at least have this small property thanks to the Emperor’s favour, sir; but even if it had been confiscated too, wouldn’t you still manage somehow?”

  “You’re farting!” swore Jia Zheng. “You slaves have no conscience! When your masters prosper you throw money around; when they’re done for you take off, leaving them to their fate. You say it’s good that our property hasn’t been confiscated, but with a grand reputation while unable to hold on to our capital, how can we stand your putting on airs outside, boasting and cheating people? And when trouble comes of it, you shift the blame to your masters! This charge against the Elder Master and Master Zhen is said to have come of our servant Bao Er blabbing; but this register lists no Bao Er—why is that?”

  “This Bao Er was not on our roster. His name used to be on the Ning Mansion register. Because Master Lian thought him an honest fellow he had him and his wife transferred here. When later his wife died, Bao Er went back to the Ning Mansion. Then when you were busy in your yamen, sir, and Their Ladyships and the young gentlemen were away mourning for the Imperial Consort, Master Zhen took over the management of the house and reinstated Bao Er. But afterwards he left. Since you haven’t run the household all these years, sir, how could you know such things? You may think this is the only name not on the roster, but actually each steward has quite a few of his relatives under him as under-servants.”

  “Disgraceful!” was Jia Zheng’s comment, and with that he dismissed them. Aware that he could not set his house in order overnight, he postponed taking action until Jia She’s case was settled.

  One day he was thinking things over in his study when one of his men rushed in. “Your Lordship, you are wanted at once at court for questioning!” he announced.

  With some trepidation Jia Zheng obeyed this summons. To know whether it boded well or not, read the next chapter.

  Chapter 107

  The Lady Dowager Impartially Shares Out Her Savings

  Jia Zheng’s Hereditary Title Is Restored by Imperial Favour

  Jia Zheng found the whole Privy Council as well as the princes assembled in the Palace.

  The Prince of Beijing announced, “We have summoned you today on His Majesty’s orders for an interrogation.”

  Jia Zheng at once fell on his knees.

  “Your elder brother connived with provincial officials to oppress the weak, and allowed his son to organize gambling parties and abduct another man’s wife, who took her own life rather than submit. Were you cognizant of these facts?” the ministers asked him.

  “After my term of office as Chief Examiner by His Majesty’s favour, I inspected famine relief,” replied Jia Zheng. “I returned home at the end of winter the year before last and was sent to inspect some works, after which I served as Grain Commissioner of Jiangxi until I was impeached and came back to the capital to my old post in the Ministry of Works. Never, day or night, did I neglect my duties. But in my folly I paid insufficient attention to household affairs and failed to train my sons and nephews correctly. I have proved unworthy of the Imperial favour and beg His Majesty for severe punishment.”

  The Prince of Beijing reported this
to the Emperor, who soon issued an edict which the prince proclaimed:

  We have ordered a strict investigation of Jia She, who has been impeached by the censors for conniving with local officials to oppress the weak and, in league with the prefect of Pingan, subverting the law. Jia She admits that he and the prefect were connected by marriage but denies intervening in a lawsuit, and the censors have no evidence of this. It is true that he took advantage of his power to extort antique fans from the Stone Idiot; but fans are mere trifles and this offence is less serious than robbery with violence. Though the Stone Idiot committed suicide, it was because he was deranged, not because he was hounded to death. Jia She is to be shown lenity and sent to the frontier to expiate his crime.

  As for the charge that Jia Zhen abducted another man’s wife and she killed herself rather than be his concubine, a study of the censorate’s original report reveals that Second Sister You was betrothed to Zhang Hua but he, being poor, consented to break the engagement, and her mother agreed to marry her to Jia Zhen’s younger cousin as his concubine. This was not a case of abduction. Regarding the charge that Third Sister You’s suicide and burial were not reported to the authorities, it transpires that she was the sister of Jia Zhen’s wife and they engaged her to a man who demanded the betrothal gifts back because of talk of her loose morals. She killed herself for shame; Jia Zhen did not hound her to death.

  However, Jia Zhen deserves harsh punishment because, although he inherited a title, he flouted the law by a clandestine burial; but in view of his descent from a meritorious minister we will forbear from inflicting punishment and in our clemency will revoke his hereditary title and send him to serve at the coast to expiate his crime. Jia Rong, being young and not involved, is to be released. Since Jia Zheng has undeniably worked diligently and prudently for many years outside the capital, his reprehensible mismanagement of his household is condoned.