Chapter 5

Chapter 5

# Dream of the Red Chamber, Chapter 5

## Chapter 5

*A new world unfolds as the Dream of Red Mansions is enacted;*

*A fresh stage is set as the passions of the Illusory Realm are transmitted.*

**The poem reads:**

*Drowsy in spring, she lies in embroidered quilt,*

*As if following a fairy maiden to the dusty world.*

*Who has entered this dream of the Land of Hua Xu?*

*The romantic creator of a thousand ages' karma.*

Since the affairs of the Xue family—mother and son—residing temporarily in the Rong Mansion were already briefly set forth in the fourth chapter, they cannot be taken up again here for the time being.

Now then, ever since Lin Daiyu came to live in the Rong Mansion, Grandmother Jia showed her the tenderest affection. Her sleeping, eating, and daily living were treated on the same footing as Baoyu's, while the three granddaughters—Yingchun, Tanchun, and Xichun—were actually given less precedence. Moreover, the intimacy and affection between Baoyu and Daiyu themselves was quite different from that shown to others. By day they went about together and sat together; by night they rested together and slept together. Truly they were harmonious in word and thought, with scarcely a shadow of discord. But then, unexpectedly, along came Xue Baochai. Though not much older in years, she was upright in character and beautiful in appearance, and most people considered Daiyu her inferior. Furthermore, Baochai was open and generous in her conduct, adapting herself to circumstances, unlike Daiyu, who was proud and self-contained, looking down on the world. Thus Baochai won the hearts of the servants far more than Daiyu did. Even the young maids mostly preferred going to play with Baochai. For this reason, Daiyu harbored a certain resentment and indignation in her heart, though Baochai remained entirely unaware of it. As for Baoyu, he was still a child, and by nature he possessed a certain dullness and eccentricity. He regarded all his sisters and brothers with equal affection, making no distinction between those near and those far. The reason he was somewhat more familiar with Daiyu than with the other girls was simply that they both attended Grandmother Jia and shared her quarters. Being familiar, they grew all the more intimate; and being intimate, they could not avoid, from time to time, the inevitable criticisms born of excessive expectation and unforeseen rifts. On this particular day, for some reason, the two of them had a verbal disagreement. Daiyu wept alone in her room, while Baoyu, regretting his rash words, went to make amends, and only then did Daiyu gradually relent.

Now, the plum blossoms in the garden of the Ning Mansion to the east were in full bloom, so Madam You, wife of Jia Zhen, prepared a feast and invited Grandmother Jia, Lady Xing, Lady Wang, and the others to enjoy the flowers. That day she first brought along Jia Rong's wife, and the two of them came in person to extend the invitation. Grandmother Jia and the others arrived after breakfast and strolled about the Garden of Pleasant Fragrance. They had tea first and then wine, but it was merely a small family gathering of the womenfolk of the Ning and Rong Mansions, with nothing particularly new or interesting worth recording.

Presently Baoyu felt drowsy and wished to take a nap. Grandmother Jia ordered the attendants to look after him properly and let him rest a while before coming back. Qin Keqing, wife of Jia Rong, quickly smiled and replied, "We have a room here all prepared for Uncle Bao. Don't worry, Old Ancestor—just leave him to me." She then said to Baoyu's nanny and maids, "Nanny, elder sisters, please follow Uncle Bao here with me." Grandmother Jia had always known Qin Keqing to be an extremely reliable person—graceful and delicate in form, gentle and peaceful in her conduct—and the most favored among all the great-granddaughters-in-law. Seeing her go to make arrangements for Baoyu, she felt perfectly at ease.

Qin Keqing then led a group of people to the inner chamber of the main room. Baoyu raised his head and saw a painting hung on the wall. The figures in the painting were well done, but the subject was *The Picture of Burning the Mulberry Torch*, and without even looking to see who had painted it, he felt somewhat displeased. There was also a couplet written on either side, which read:

*To understand thoroughly all worldly affairs is true learning;*

*To practice perfectly all human relations is true literature.*

After reading these two lines, even though the room was exquisitely appointed and sumptuously furnished, he absolutely refused to stay there. "Quick, let's go out! Quick, let's go out!" he said. Qin Keqing laughed and said, "If this place isn't good enough, where else shall we go? Why don't you come to my room instead?" Baoyu nodded and smiled. One of the nannies said, "How can an uncle sleep in his niece's room? That's against propriety." Qin Keqing laughed and said, "Oh, don't worry—he won't be offended. How old is he? Why should he be so particular about such things! Last month, didn't you see my brother come? Though he's the same age as Uncle Bao, if the two of them stood side by side, I'm afraid my brother would even be the taller." Baoyu said, "Why haven't I met him? Bring him here for me to see." Everyone laughed and said, "He's twenty or thirty miles away—how could we bring him here? There will be a day when you see him." With that, they all went to Qin Keqing's room. As soon as they reached the door, a subtle, sweet fragrance wafted out to greet them. Baoyu felt his eyes grow languid and his bones grow soft. "What a wonderful scent!" he exclaimed. Entering the room, he looked at the wall and saw a painting by Tang Bohu entitled *The Spring Sleep Among the Crabapple Blossoms*. On either side was a couplet written by the Song dynasty scholar Qin Taixu, which read:

*Chilling spring locks in dreams, for the spring is cold;*

*The fragrant air assails the senses—it is the scent of wine.*

On the desk stood a precious mirror that had been placed in Empress Wu Zetian's mirror chamber. On one side was a golden tray on which the Swallow had once stood to dance, and in the tray lay a wooden guava that An Lushan had thrown, bruising the breast of the Lady Yang Guifei. Above was set the couch on which Princess Shouchang had reclined beneath the Hanzhang Palace, and hanging over it was the linked-pearl canopy made by Princess Tongchang. Baoyu smiled and said, "This is wonderful!" Qin Keqing laughed and said, "My room could probably even serve as a dwelling for an immortal." With that, she personally unfolded the silk quilt that Xizi had once washed, and moved the mandarin-duck pillow that Hongniang had once held. Thereupon the nursemaids attended Baoyu as he lay down, and then withdrew quietly, leaving only Xiren, Meiwen, Qingwen, and Xiyue as his companions. Qin Keqing instructed the young maids to keep watch by the corridor railing and see that the cats and dogs did not fight.

No sooner had Baoyu closed his eyes than he fell into a fitful sleep, as though Qin-shi were still before him. Thereupon, drifting and floating, he followed Qin-shi to a certain place. He saw only vermilion railings and white stones, green trees and a clear stream—truly a place seldom visited by human footprints, where flying dust never reached. In his dream, Baoyu was delighted and thought to himself: "This place is interesting. I would be willing to spend my whole life here, even if it meant losing my home—anything would be better than being beaten every day by my parents and tutor." Just as he was lost in such idle thoughts, he suddenly heard someone singing a song from behind the mountain:

Spring dreams scatter with the clouds;

Flying blossoms chase the flowing stream.

I say to all you young folk—

Why go seeking idle sorrows?

Baoyu recognized the voice as that of a woman. Before the song had faded, a figure emerged from the other side, graceful and swaying, truly unlike any ordinary person. An attestation in verse:

She has just left the willow grove,

Scarce emerged from the flower-filled bower.

Where she passes, birds startle in the courtyard trees;

As she approaches, her shadow crosses the winding corridor.

Her immortal sleeves flutter suddenly—

You catch the rich fragrance of musk and orchid;

Her lotus garments stir as if to move—

You hear the chiming clash of jade pendants.

Her dimples smile like spring peaches;

Her cloud-like hair is piled in emerald coils.

Her lips part like cherry buds;

Her pomegranate teeth hold hidden fragrance.

Her slender waist, so graceful,

Swirls like dancing snow in the wind;

Her pearl and kingfisher splendor gleams,

Filling her brow with golden glow.

Now appearing among the flowers—

Lovely in anger, lovely in joy;

Now lingering by the pool—

As if flying, as if rising.

Her moth-like brows knit and smile,

About to speak but not yet speaking;

Her lotus steps just shifting,

As if stopping yet wishing to go.

I admire her pure quality—

Clear as ice, smooth as jade;

I admire her splendid robes—

Flashing with embroidered brilliance.

I love her countenance and bearing—

Perfumed, nurtured, polished like jade;

I praise her manner and grace—

Like a phoenix soaring, a dragon in flight.

Her plainness—how shall I describe it?

Spring plum blossoms opening in the snow.

Her purity—how shall I describe it?

Autumn chrysanthemums mantled in frost.

Her stillness—how shall I describe it?

A pine tree growing in an empty valley.

Her brilliance—how shall I describe it?

Sunset glow reflected in a clear pond.

Her elegance—how shall I describe it?

A dragon winding through a curved pool.

Her spirit—how shall I describe it?

Moonlight shining on a cold river.

She would make Xi Shi feel ashamed,

She would leave Wang Qiang truly humbled.

How extraordinary! In what land was she born?

From what place does she come?

How true! None like her in the Jasper Pool,

None to match her in the Purple Palace.

Who indeed is this?

So beautiful beyond compare!

Baoyu saw that it was an immortal maiden and joyfully came forward to bow and ask: "Immortal Sister, I do not know where you have come from, or where you are going now. Nor do I know what place this is. I beg you to take me with you." The immortal maiden smiled and said: "I dwell above the Heaven of Parted Sorrow, within the Sea of Melancholy Waters. I am the Fairy of Disenchantment, of the Mountain of Dispersed Spring and the Cavern of Expelled Fragrance, in the Land of Illusion. I preside over the romantic debts and amorous obligations of the mortal world, and I govern the resentments of women and the infatuations of men in the dusty realm. 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流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流风流

Baoyu looked at this and could not help sighing. Entering the gate, he saw a score or more of large cabinets, all sealed with strips of paper. On these seals were the names of various provinces. Baoyu, eager to find the seal of his own home province, had no interest in looking at the others. He noticed that on one cabinet, the seal bore seven large characters: "The Twelve Beauties of Jinling — Principal Register." Baoyu asked, "What is the 'Twelve Beauties of Jinling — Principal Register'?" Jinghuan replied, "It is the register of the twelve foremost women of your province, hence the name 'Principal Register.'" Baoyu said, "I have often heard that Jinling is an immense place — how can there be only twelve women? In my own household alone, from top to bottom, there are several hundred girls." Jinghuan said with a cold laugh, "There are indeed many women in your province, but only the most important ones are recorded here. The two cabinets below contain those of lesser importance. As for the rest — ordinary, commonplace souls — they have no register at all." Upon hearing this, Baoyu looked at the two cabinets below and found inscribed on them "The Twelve Beauties of Jinling — Supplementary Register" and "The Twelve Beauties of Jinling — Second Supplementary Register." Baoyu reached out and opened the cabinet of the Second Supplementary Register first, took out a book, and opened it. On the first page was a painting — neither of a person nor of a landscape, but simply a wash of dark ink, a sheet of murky clouds and fog. Behind it were several lines of writing:

Bright moon — seldom seen; colored clouds — easily scattered.

Her heart reached higher than the sky, yet her station was low.

Her charm and cleverness invited spite;

Her early death was caused by slander born of hate.

The sentimental prince — his longing all in vain.

Baoyu looked, and then saw that the next page depicted a cluster of fresh flowers and a tattered mat, along with these lines:

In vain she was gentle and docile;

In vain they likened her to osmanthus or orchid.

It was fortunate for the actor to find such bliss —

Who could have known the prince would have no destiny with her?

Baoyu read this without understanding. He put this volume aside, opened the cabinet of the Supplementary Register, and took out a book. Opening it, he saw a painting of a cassia tree, beneath which was a pond — the water dried up, the mud parched, the lotus withered and the roots decayed. On the next page were written:

One stem bore both the lotus root and the fragrant flower;

Her life's misfortunes were truly heartrending.

Since the lone "wood" grew from twin "grounds,"

Her perfumed soul was sent back to her homeland.

Baoyu still did not understand. He put this volume aside as well and went to take up the Principal Register. On the very first page were painted two dead trees, from which hung a jade sliver belt, and a pile of snow, beneath which lay a golden hairpin. There were also four lines of verse:

Alas for her virtue that ceased the loom —

Who pities her talent that chanted the willow-down?

The jade belt hangs upon the dead woods,

The golden hairpin is buried in the snow.

Baoyu still did not understand. He was about to ask, but knew she would surely not reveal the secret. He was about to put it down, but could not bear to. So he turned the page and saw painted a bow, upon which hung a citron. There was also a song:

For twenty years she distinguished right from wrong;

Where pomegranate blossoms bloomed, she shone within the palace walls.

The three springs could not match the glory of the first spring;

When the tiger and the rabbit met, the great dream came to an end.

On the next page were painted two people flying a kite, a vast sea, and a large boat, in which a woman covered her face and wept. Four lines read:

Talented and shrewd, with ambitions soaring high,

Born in a declining age, her fortunes went astray.

With tears she gazed from the riverbank at Qingming time;

A thousand miles away, the east wind carried her dream into the distance.

On the next page were painted wisps of drifting clouds and a stream of vanishing water. The verse read:

What good is wealth and honor?

In the swaddling cloth, her parents were already gone.

In the blink of an eye she watched the slanting sunlight fade —

The waters of the Xiang River flowed away, the clouds of Chu flew off.

On the next page was painted a beautiful jade, fallen into the mire. The verdict read:

She wished to be pure — but was she ever pure?

She claimed emptiness — yet emptiness was not assured.

Pity this golden, jade-like nature,

Sunk at last in the filthy mud.

On the next page appeared a vicious wolf chasing a beautiful woman, intent on devouring her. The verse read:

"Son" and "is" — the wolf of Zhongshan,

Once it gained power, it ran rampant.

A flower-and-willow creature of the golden chamber,

In one short year she went to the Yellow Springs.

On the next page was an ancient temple, inside which a beautiful woman sat alone reading the sutras. The verdict read:

She saw through that the glory of the three springs would not last;

In a flash her silk robes were changed to a nun's dark garb.

Pity this maiden of a noble, embroidered household,

Sitting alone by the green lamp beside the ancient Buddha.

On the next page was an icy mountain, upon which perched a female phoenix. The verdict read:

This "ordinary bird" came from a declining age;

All knew and admired her talents.

First "from," then "command," then "wood" —

She wept toward Jinling, and her fate grew still more pitiful.

On the next page was a desolate village and a country shop, where a beautiful woman was spinning. The verdict read:

When fortune fails, speak not of noble birth;

When the family falls, speak not of kin.

By chance she helped a village woman,

And cleverly met a benefactor.

On the next page was painted a pot of luxuriant orchids, beside which stood a beautiful woman wearing a phoenix crown and embroidered robes. The verdict read:

When the spring breezes of peach and plum had finished bearing fruit,

In the end, who could compare to this pot of orchids?

Ice and water, fair in vain, envied each other,

Only to become a laughingstock for others.

On the next page was painted a tall mansion, where a beautiful woman had hanged herself from a beam. The verdict read:

A sea of passion, an ocean of desire, a body born of passion —

When passion meets, it must give rise to lust.

They say all unworthiness came from Rong,

But the seeds of ruin were truly sown in Ning.

Baoyu wanted to read further, but the Fairy Immortal, knowing his exceptional intelligence and keen nature, feared he might divine the celestial secrets. She closed the registers, smiled at Baoyu, and said, "Come with me now and enjoy these wondrous sights. Why sit here puzzling over this riddle?"

Baoyu, dazed and bewildered, unconsciously cast aside his books and followed Jinghuan once more to the rear. There he beaded curtains and embroidered hangings, painted beams and carved eaves—words could not describe the dazzling red gates and golden-paved grounds, the snow-white radiance on windows of jade and palaces of precious stone. He saw too the fragrance of immortal flowers and the sweet scent of exotic grasses—truly a wondrous place. Then he heard Jinghuan laugh and say, "Come out quickly and greet our distinguished guest!" Before she had finished speaking, several fairy maidens emerged from the chamber, all with lotus sleeves fluttering, feathered robes dancing, lovely as spring flowers and charming as the autumn moon. The moment they saw Baoyu, they reproached Jinghuan, saying, "We knew not what sort of 'distinguished guest' this was, and hastened out to meet him! Elder Sister said that today, at this very hour, the living soul of the Crimson Pearl maiden would surely come to wander and amuse herself, and so we have waited long. Why then have you brought this filthy creature here to defile this pure realm of maidens?"

When Baoyu heard this, he was so frightened that he wished to retreat but could not; indeed, he felt himself to be utterly foul and unbearable. Jinghuan quickly took hold of Baoyu's hand and said to the assembled sisters, "You do not know the full story. Today I originally intended to go to the Rong Mansion to fetch the Crimson Pearl, but passing by the Ning Mansion, I happened to encounter the spirits of the Duke of Ning and the Duke of Rong, who entrusted me, saying, 'Our family, since the founding of this dynasty, has enjoyed illustrious merit generation after generation, and wealth passed down through the ages. Though a hundred years have passed, alas, our fortune has run its course and our destiny is exhausted—it cannot be reversed. Therefore, though we have left behind many grandsons and great-grandsons, not a single one is capable of carrying on the family enterprise. Among them, only our eldest grandson Baoyu, though eccentric in temperament and strange in disposition, is yet intelligent and perceptive enough to be somewhat hoped for. Unfortunately, our family's allotted fate is at an end, and we fear there is no one to guide him onto the right path. By good fortune, you, Immortal Maiden, have chanced to come; we earnestly hope that you will first use matters of passion, desire, sound, and color to awaken him from his foolish obstinacy, so that he may perhaps escape from the bewitching snare and then enter upon the righteous way. That would also be the good fortune of us brothers.' Having thus entrusted me, I therefore acted out of compassion and brought him here. First, I showed him the registers of the life destinies of the upper, middle, and lower classes of women in his own family, and had them thoroughly peruse them, but he still did not awaken to understanding. So I led him here once more, letting him experience once again the illusions of feasting, music, and sensual pleasures—perhaps in the future he may gain enlightenment, though this too is uncertain."

Having spoken, she led Baoyu into the chamber. At once they caught a wisp of subtle fragrance—indeed, one could not tell what was being burned. Baoyu could not help but inquire. Jinghuan said with a cold laugh, "This incense does not exist in the mortal world—how could you know it? This incense is made from the essence of exotic flowers newly born within famous mountains and sacred realms, blended with the oils of various precious forests and jeweled trees. It is called 'Marrow of All Flowers.'" When Baoyu heard this, he could not help but be filled with admiration. They all took their seats, and a small maid served tea. Baoyu sensed its pure and exquisite flavor, surpassingly fine, and again asked its name. Jinghuan said, "This tea grows on Spring-Releasing Mountain, in Perfume-Dispensing Cave, and is brewed with the overnight dew that gathers upon immortal flowers and spiritual leaves. This tea is called 'A Thousand Reds in One Hollow.'" When Baoyu heard this, he nodded his appreciation. Then he looked around the room—there were zithers, precious tripods, ancient paintings, new poems—nothing was lacking. What pleased him even more was that beneath the windows there were traces of embroidered silk, and in the cosmetic boxes there were smudages of powder. On the wall hung a couplet, which read:

A land of subtle mystery and spiritual grace,

A heaven of helplessness and fate.

When Baoyu had finished reading it, he could not help but admire it all. Then he asked the names of the various immortal maidens: one was Infatuated Dream Immortal Maiden, one was Great Scholar of Passion, one was Golden Maiden Who Leads Sorrow, one was Bodhisattva Who Crosses Hatred—each had a different Daoist title. Presently, a small maid came to arrange the table and chairs and set out the food and wine. Truly: jade nectar filled crystal cups, liquid amber brimmed in amber goblets. There is no need to describe further the abundance of the dishes. Baoyu, having noticed that this wine was fragrant, mellow, and quite extraordinary, could not help but ask again. Jinghuan said, "This wine is brewed from the stamens of a hundred flowers and the sap of ten thousand trees, added to must of unicorn marrow and fermented with yeast of phoenix milk. Therefore it is called 'Ten Thousand Beauties in One Cup.'" Baoyu praised it without cease.

During the drinking, twelve dancing girls came forward and asked what suite of songs they should perform. Jinghuan said, "Play the newly composed twelve songs of *Dream of the Red Chamber*." The dancing girls assented, then lightly struck the sandalwood clappers and slowly pressed the silver zither strings. He heard them sing:

"At the opening of primeval chaos..."

But after just one line, Jinghuan said, "This suite is unlike the arias composed for the legends of the mortal world, which must follow the conventions of sheng, dan, jing, and mo roles, and are bound by the restrictions of the nine musical modes of north and south. Here each song may sing of one person, or express feelings about one event; each is composed as a single piece and can be set to pipes and strings. Unless one is a person within the story, one cannot understand its wonders. I fear you too may not deeply comprehend this music. If you do not first read the manuscript and then listen to the songs, it will be like chewing wax." Having spoken, she turned her head and ordered a small maid to bring the original manuscript of *Dream of the Red Chamber* and hand it to Baoyu. Baoyu received it, and as his eyes read the words, his ears listened to the songs:

Prelude to *Dream of the Red Chamber*

At the opening of primeval chaos, who was the seed of passion? All because of the intensity of romantic love. Seizing upon this helpless heaven, these days of sorrow, these hours of loneliness, I try to vent my foolish heart—and so is performed this *Dream of the Red Chamber* that mourns gold and grieves jade.

A Lifetime's Mistake

All say it is a blessed union of gold and jade, but I remember only the former pact of wood and stone. In vain I face the lofty mountain scholar, crystalline as snow; I cannot forget the immortal maiden beyond the world, lonely in her grove. I sigh that in this world, "beauty marred by flaw" is now proven true. Even though we treat each other with mutual respect, in the end my heart finds no peace.

Vain Grieving

One is a fairy flower from the celestial garden, one is flawless jade without blemish. If you say there is no fated bond, why in this life did she meet him again? If you say there is a fated bond, why must her devoted heart come to nothing in the end? One sighs to no purpose, one frets in vain. One is the moon reflected in the water, one is a flower seen in a mirror. I wonder how many teardrops there can be in those eyes—how can they endure flowing from autumn to winter, from spring to summer?

When Baoyu heard this suite, it seemed scattered and without substance, and he could not see its merits, yet its mournful cadence was enough to steal the soul and intoxicate the spirit. Therefore, without investigating its origins or tracing its source, he merely used it to ease his melancholy for the time being. Then he looked further down and read:

Lamenting the Inconstant

# Chapter Five

## The Dream of Red Mansions, Chapter 5

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**First, the song "Joy of Splendor and Sorrow of Mortality" (Xi Rong Hao):**

Just when enjoying splendor and prosperity, the impermanence of fate returns. With eyes wide open, she casts all things aside; drifting and fading, her fragrant soul is consumed. Gazing toward her hometown, the road is long, the mountains high. So she seeks her parents in dreams to tell them: "Your daughter's life has already entered the Yellow Springs. Oh, my family, you must withdraw and step back from your position while there is still time."

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**Fen Gu Rou (Parting from One's Flesh and Bone):**

A single sail through wind and travel three thousand li, casting aside flesh and bone, home and hearth all at once. Fearing that weeping would harm your declining years, I tell you, Mother and Father, do not let your hearts be troubled on my account. Since ancient times, poverty and prosperity have all been fated—can parting and reunion be without cause? From now on we are divided in two places; each must keep safe and sound. Your slave departs—do not be drawn into my fate.

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**Le Zhong Bei (Sorrow Amidst Joy):**

In swaddling clothes, my parents mourned that both had perished. Though I lived among silks and gauzes, who knew I was tenderly reared? Fortunately, I was born with a heroic, generous, broad, and magnanimous nature—never did I allow private sentiments of love and longing to linger in my heart. How fine, like the clear sky, bright moon, and wind gleaming from a jade hall. I was matched with a husband of talent and beauty, an immortal among men, winning a union that would last as long as heaven and earth—truly making up for the hardships of my early youth. In the end, it was clouds parting at Gaotang and waters drying up by the Xiang River. This is the way waxing and waning are ordained in the mortal world—why needlessly grieve?

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**Shi Nan Rong (Hard to Bear This World):**

Your beauty is like an orchid, your talents surpass those of immortals. Heaven-born, you are eccentric, and all the world finds you strange. They say you find the flesh of carnivores rank and foul, and look upon silks and gauzes with vulgar disdain—yet they do not know that the more exalted one is, the more one is envied; the more pure one is, the more the world resents it. How sad—by the green lamp in the ancient hall, you will grow old; betrayed are the spring hues of the red chamber and painted tower. In the end, you still fall into the mire of the dusty world, betraying your heart's wish. Just like flawless white jade sunk into the mud—why need princes and young lords sigh that they had no fortune to meet you?

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**Xi Yuan Jia (Joy Turns to Enmity):**

A wolf from Zhongshan—a merciless beast, utterly unmindful of past kindnesses, given over entirely to arrogance, luxury, lust, and scheming. He looks upon a noble beauty from a marquis's house as no more than a willow in the wind; he tramples a princess of a duke's household as something base and low. How lamentable—her fragrant soul and lovely spirit drift and fade within a single year.

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**Xu Hua Wu (Awakening to the Illusion of Flowers):**

Having seen through the three springs, what can peach blossoms and green willows avail? Having extinguished the splendor of youth, seek instead a pure and harmonious plainness. What use to say that the heavenly peach blooms in abundance or that apricot blossoms fill the clouds? In the end, who endures the autumn? Look only at the people weeping in the village of white poplars, the ghosts chanting beneath the green maple trees—and beyond that, the boundless withered grass covering the graves. Such is this: yesterday poor, today rich, men toil and labor; spring's glory and autumn's withering, flowers suffer torment. Like this—who can escape the tribulations of life and death? I have heard it said that the precious tree of the West is called the Sal, and upon it grows the fruit of immortality.

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**Cong Ming Lei (The Burden of Cleverness):**

Scheming and calculating to the utmost of cleverness—yet her cleverness has instead cost her her life. In life, her heart was already shattered; after death, her spirit is empty and serene. With a wealthy family and peaceful home, in the end the family perishes and all scatter in every direction. In vain did she spend half a lifetime with her heart suspended in anxious care; it was just like a dream drifting through the third watch of night. Suddenly, like a great mansion crashing down; dimly and grimly, like a lantern about to burn out. Ah—a moment of joy, then suddenly bitter sorrow. How sad—the human world is, in the end, beyond all certainty.

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**Liu Yu Qing (Leaving a Legacy of Grace):**

Leaving a legacy of grace, leaving a legacy of grace—suddenly meeting a benefactor. Blessed be Mother, blessed be Mother—you accumulated hidden merit. I urge all people: relieve the distressed and aid the poor. Do not be like that cruel uncle and villainous brother of mine who loved silver and money but forgot flesh and bone. Truly—as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division balance out, so above there is the vast heavens.

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**Wan Shao Hua (Splendor in Twilight):**

Love seen in a mirror—and how much less the fame seen in dreams! That beautiful youth passes swiftly—speak no more of embroidered curtains and mandarin-duck coverlets. Even wearing a pearl crown and donning a phoenix-embroidered jacket cannot ward off the impermanence of fate. Although it is said that in life one should not suffer poverty in old age, one must also accumulate hidden virtue for one's grandchildren. With head held high, wearing cap-strings and tassels; gleaming bright, a gold seal hanging from the chest; awe-inspiring, rank and eminence ascended to the heights—yet dim and grim, the road to the Yellow Springs draws near. Ask: do the generals and ministers of ancient times still survive? It is but an empty name for later generations to admire and honor.

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**Hao Shi Zhong (The End of Good Fortune):**

Spring ends upon the painted beams, and fragrant dust falls. To be fond of sentiment and to possess moonlike beauty—these are the roots of a family's ruin. The collapse of ancestral tradition begins with Jing; the family's destruction is blamed first upon Ning. The root of all calamity lies in passion.

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**Wei Sheng Lou: "Birds Fleeing to the Forest" (Finishing Song):**

Those who held office—their family fortunes wither and decline. Those who were rich and noble—their gold and silver are scattered and spent. Those who showed kindness—they escape death and survive. Those who were merciless—their retribution is clear and plain. Those who owed a life—the life has been repaid. Those who owed tears—the tears have been shed. Vengeance upon vengeance is truly no small matter; separation and reunion are all foreordained. To know why one's life is short, ask about a previous existence; to grow rich and noble in old age is truly a stroke of luck. Those who have seen through it all—they flee into the gates of emptiness. Those who are obsessed—they in vain give up their lives. Just like birds that have eaten their fill and fly to the forest: all that remains is a vast expanse of white, clean, and empty earth.

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The songs finished, but there were still supplementary tunes to sing. Jinghuan saw that Baoyu was finding little pleasure in them and sighed: "This foolish child still has not awakened!" Baoyu quickly told the singing girls there was no need to continue. He felt drowsy and confused, and asked to rest, pleading that he was drunk. Jinghuan then ordered the remains of the feast to be cleared away and led Baoyu to a fragrant chamber in an embroidered bower. The splendor of its furnishings was beyond anything he had ever seen. Even more startling, there was already a woman inside—as fresh and charming as Baochai in her radiant allure, and as graceful and slender as Daiyu in her elegant charm. He did not know what this meant when Jinghuan suddenly said:

"How many wealthy and noble households there are in the mortal world! The breezes through green windows and the mists of embroidered bowers—all are defiled by profligate young scions and dissolute women. Even more detestable is that, since ancient times, many frivolous young men have used 'loving beauty but not being licentious' as their excuse, and 'feeling passion but not being licentious' as their defense—these are all phrases used to gloss over wrongdoing and hide one's shame. To love beauty is itself to be licentious; to know passion is to be even more licentious. Therefore, the tryst at Witch's Mountain and the joys of cloud and rain are all caused by taking pleasure in beauty and then becoming attached to passion. The reason I love you is that you are the most licentious person since the beginning of time, under heaven."

Baoyu listened, and answered in alarm, "You are mistaken, fairy. I am too lazy to read, and my parents are forever lecturing and correcting me—how dare I take on the character 'lecherous'? Besides, I am still young and do not even know what 'lecherous' means."

Jinghuan replied, "Not so. Lechery shares a single principle, but the intention differs. Those in the world who delight in lechery are nothing more than creatures who take pleasure in beauty of form, who enjoy song and dance, who flirt without satiation and couple without regard for season, who wish they could exhaust all the fair women of the world to gratify their momentary whims—these are all fools mired in the lechery of the flesh. But you, by nature, were born with a streak of foolish passion. We call it 'lust of the mind.' The two characters 'lust of the mind' can only be grasped by the heart and cannot be spoken aloud; they can be apprehended by the spirit but cannot be conveyed by words. You alone have attained this quality. Among women, you may indeed prove a true friend, yet in the ways of the world you will inevitably be regarded as eccentric, eccentric, and strange—mocked by a hundred mouths and glared at by ten thousand eyes. Now that I have encountered the earnest and soul-deep charge of your ancestors, the Duke of Ning and the Duke of Rong, I cannot bear to see you alone bring luster to the women's quarters only to be cast out by the world. Therefore I have specially led you here: to intoxicate you with sacred wine, to refresh you with immortal tea, and to admonish you with wondrous songs. Furthermore, I will give you my younger sister—her milk name is Jianmei, her style name Keqing—in marriage to you. This evening, at the auspicious hour, the union may be consummated. Let me merely allow you to glimpse how splendid the scenery of this fairy bower is—how much more so, then, the scenes of the mortal world? But hereafter, rouse yourself utterly, reform and awaken to your former nature, devote yourself to the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, and commit yourself to the way of statecraft and practical governance." Having said this, she secretly instructed him in the arts of love, pushed him into the chamber, and closed the door behind her before departing.

Baoyu, in a daze and a trance, followed Jinghuan's instructions and could not avoid matters between a man and a woman—which cannot be fully described. By the next day, they were wrapped in tender affection, speaking soft and warm words to each other, and Keqing and he were inseparable. The two of them went out hand in hand to wander and amuse themselves when they suddenly arrived at a place where brambles and thorns covered the ground and wolves and tigers roamed together. A dark stream blocked their path ahead, and there was no bridge by which to cross. Just as they were hesitating, Jinghuan suddenly appeared, chasing after them from behind, and called out: "Do not go forward—turn back quickly, this is urgent!"

Baoyu hastily stopped and asked, "What place is this?"

Jinghuan said, "This is the Sea of Delusion. It is ten thousand fathoms deep and stretches a thousand miles in length. There are no boats or oars by which to cross it—only a wooden raft, steered by the Wooden居士 and poled by the Grey Attendant. They accept no gold or silver as payment, but ferry across only those who have karma. You have happened to wander here by chance; should you fall into it, you would deeply betray the earnest admonitions I gave you earlier."

Before she had finished speaking, there came from within the Sea of Delusion a sound like thunder from the waters, and a host of yakshas and sea ghosts dragged Baoyu down into the depths. Baoyu was so terrified that sweat poured down like rain, and he cried out at the top of his voice: "Keqing, save me!"

This so startled Xijin and the other maids that they rushed up and embraced him, calling out: "Baoyu, don't be afraid—we are here!"

Meanwhile, Madam Qin was outside the chamber, instructing the young maids to watch carefully lest the cats and dogs start fighting, when she suddenly heard Baoyu calling her childhood name in his dream. She was puzzled and said, "No one here knows my childhood name—how did he come to know it and call it out in his dream?"

Indeed:

Who can I tell this secret dream to?

Of all the lovers through the ages, only I know.