CHAPTER 119
Bao-yu becomes a Provincial Graduate
and severs worldly ties
The House of Jia receives Imperial favour
and renews ancestral glory
As we told in the last chapter, Oriole, perplexed by Bao-yu’s words, had been about to leave when she heard him speak again:
‘Silly girl! Let me tell you something. If your mistress is lucky, then so are you, since you are her maid. Aroma cannot be depended upon. In future, mark my words, you must look after your mistress with care and devotion, and in the end you may receive a fitting reward for your years of service.’
To Oriole Bao-yu’s speech, although it began with some semblance of sense, tailed off into rambling nonsense.
‘Well,’ she replied, ‘I’d better be going now. Madam is waiting for me. If you want any more sweets, Mr Bao, just send one of the junior maids to fetch me.’
Bao-yu nodded and Oriole went on her way. Shortly afterwards, Bao-chai and Aroma returned from the front room.
*
The time drew near for the examination. All the family were full of eager anticipation, hoping that the two boys would write creditable compositions and bring the family honour. All except for Bao-chai; while it was true that Bao-yu had prepared well, she had also on occasions noticed a strange indifference in his behaviour. Her first concern was that the two boys, for both of whom this was the first venture of its kind, might get hurt or have some accident in the crush of men and vehicles around the examination halls. She was more particularly worried for Bao-yu, who had not been out at all since his encounter with the monk. His delight in studying seemed to her the result of a somewhat too hasty and not altogether convincing conversion, and she had a premonition that something untoward was going to happen. So, on the day before the big event, she despatched Aroma and a few of the junior maids to go with Candida and her helpers and make sure that the candidates were both properly prepared. She herself inspected their things and put them out in readiness, and then went over with Li Wan to Lady Wang’s apart?ment, where she selected a few of the more trusty family retainers to accompany them the next day, for fear they might be jolted or trampled on in the crowds.
The big day finally arrived, and Bao-yu and Jia Lan changed into smart but unostentatious clothes. They came over in high spirits to bid farewell to Lady Wang, who gave them a few parting words of advice:
‘This is the first examination for both of you, and although you are such big boys now, it will still be the first time either of you has been away from me for a whole day. You may have gone out m the past, but you were always surrounded by your maids and nurses. You have never spent the night away on your own like this. Today, when you both go into the examination, you are bound to feel rather lonely with none of the family by you. You must take special care. Finish your papers and come out as early as possible, and then be sure to find one of the family servants and come home as soon as you can. We shall be worrying about you.’
As she spoke, Lady Wang herself was greatly moved by the occas?ion. Jia Lan made all the appropriate responses, but Bao-yu remained silent until his mother had quite finished speaking. Then he walked up to her, knelt at her feet and with tears streaming down his cheeks kowtowed to her three times and said:
‘I could never repay you adequately for all you have done for me, Mother. But if I can do this one thing successfully, if I can do my very best and pass this examination, then perhaps I can bring you a little pleasure. Then my worldly duty will be accomplished and I will at least have made some small return for all the trouble I have caused you.’
Lady Wang was still more deeply moved by this:
‘It is a very fine thing, what you are setting out to do. It is only a shame that your grandmother couldn’t be here to witness it.’
She wept as she spoke and put her arms around him to draw him to her. Bao-yu remained kneeling however and would not rise.
‘Even though Grandmother is not here,’ he said, ‘I am sure she knows about it and is happy. So really it is just as if she were present. What separates us is only matter. We are together in spirit.’
Li Wan feared that this scene might provoke Bao-yu to one of his fits. Besides, she sensed something inauspicious. She hurried forward:
‘Mother, today we should be filled with joy. You mustn’t upset yourself like this. Think how sensible and dutiful and hard-working Bao-yu has been of late. All he needs to do now is to sit the ex?aminations with Lan, write his papers properly and come home early. Then he can show copies of what he has written to some scholars connected with the family, and we’ll just wait for the good news.’
She told one of the maids to help Bao-yu to his feet. Bao-yu turned and bowed to her:
‘Sister-in-law, you are not to worry. Lan and I are sure to pass. What is more, Lan has a brilliant future ahead of him, while you yourself will one day become a lady of noble rank and dress in the finest robes.’
Li Wan smiled:
‘If all this were ever to come true, it would at least be some compensation…’
She stopped short, fearing to cause Lady Wang further distress. Bao-yu felt no such inhibition:
‘If Lan does well and upholds our family tradition, my late brother may not have lived to witness it, but you will at least see his dearest wishes fulfilled.’
It was getting late, and since Li Wan did not wish to prolong this exchange any further, she contented herself with a brief nod. Bao?-chai had already perceived the strangeness of the conversation. Not only were Bao-yu’s remarks ominous in themselves, but every word uttered by Lady Wang and Li Wan seemed laden with inauspicious meaning as well. Not daring to express this presentiment of hers openly, Bao-chai held back her tears and remained silent. Bao-yu came up to her and made her a deep bow. It seemed to them all such an eccentric way to behave, and no one could imagine what it was supposed to mean; nor did anyone dare to laugh. The general amaze?ment increased when Bao-chai burst into floods of tears, and Bao-yu bade her farewell:
‘Coz! I’m going now. Stay here with Mother and wait for the good news!’
‘It is time for you to go,’ replied Bao-chai. ‘There is no need to embark on another of your long speeches.’
‘Strange that you should be urging me on my way,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I know it is time to go.’
He glanced around him and saw that Xi-chun and Nightingale were absent.
‘Say goodbye to Xi-chun and Nightingale for me,’ he said. ‘I shall certainly be meeting them again.’
Everyone was forcibly struck by the strange blend of sense and nonsense in Bao-yu’s words. They thought him momentarily confused, in part by the unprecedented nature of the occasion, in part by Lady Wang’s injunctions. To all of them the best course of action in the circumstances seemed to be to speed him on his way and get the thing over with.
‘They’re waiting for you outside. No more dilly-dallying now, or you’ll be late.’
Bao-yu raised his head and laughed.
‘Off I go! Enough of this foolery! It’s over!’
‘Well – off you go then!’ they all cried, laughing nervously. Only Lady Wang and Bao-chai were sobbing inconsolably, as if they were parting from him for ever. Finally Bao-yu walked out through the door and on his way, giggling like a half-wit.
Entering the lists of worldly renown,
He breaks the first bar of his earthly cage.
*
We must leave Bao-yu and Jia Lan on their way to the examination, and return to Jia Huan. The excitement surrounding the candidates’ departure had left him feeling even more peeved and sour than usual, and with their absence he was now free to carry out his plan:
‘My own mother will be avenged! Now there’s not a man left in the house, and Aunt Xing will do as I say. I need fear no one.’
With determined stride he hurried over to Lady Xing’s to pay her his respects, and then conversed with her for a while in a most obsequious tone. She was naturally flattered, and said to him:
‘Now you are speaking like an intelligent child! Or course I’m the one who ought to take the decision in an affair such as this of Qiao-?jie’s. It was very stupid of your cousin Lian to ignore his own mother and place this in someone else’s hands.’
‘So far as the prince is concerned, your side of the family is the one that he recognizes,’ said Jia Huan. ‘The whole thing is settled, and now they are preparing to send you a large consignment of presents. With this prince married to your granddaughter, Uncle She is bound to be given an important position. It will benefit us all. I don’t want to sound critical of Mother, but all the time sister Yuan-chun was an Imperial Concubine, it didn’t prevent them from treating some of us very shoddily. I hope Qiao-jie will be less ungrateful. I must have a word with her.’
‘Yes, you should speak to her,’ said Lady Xing. ‘It will give her a chance to see how much you’ve done for her. I am sure if her father were at home he would never have found her such a good match! That foolish creature Patience has been saying things against it and protesting that your mother disapproves. It is probably nothing more than sour grapes on their part. We must lose no time, or Lian will be back and then they will set him against the idea too and we’ll never be able to go through with it.’
‘So far as the prince is concerned, the matter is already settled,’ said Jia Huan. ‘They are only waiting for you to send over the horoscope. Then, according to their princely customs, she will be fetched three days later for the wedding. There is however one condition that you may object to. They say that in view of the circumstances, because it is not quite proper to marry the grand?daughter of a disgraced official, they will have to take her away quietly without any ceremony. Later, when Uncle She has been pardoned and reinstated in office, they can celebrate the union with all the usual festivities.’
‘Of course I agree,’ said Lady Xing. ‘What they suggest is only correct.’
‘In that case all you have to do now is give them the Eight Characters for Qiao-jie’s horoscope.’
‘Silly boy! What can we womenfolk do? You’d better ask Yun to write them out for you.’
Jia Huan was delighted by Lady Xing’s response and agreed at once to this proposal, which suited him perfectly. He hurried over to have a word with Jia Yun, and asked Wang Ren to go to the prince’s palace to sign the contract and receive the money.
The conversation between Jia Huan and Lady Xing had been overheard by one of Lady Xing’s maids who owed her appointment to Patience and who therefore, as soon as an opportunity presented itself, went straight to see Patience and told her the gist of what was happening. Patience had known all along that no good would come of this marriage plan, and had already told Qiao-jie all that she knew about it. When she first learnt that she was to be married, Qiao-jie had cried all night long; she demanded that they wait for her father’s return before making a decision, and insisted that there was no need to obey Lady Xing. Now, when this latest news arrived, she began howling and wanted to go and complain to Lady Xing herself. Patience hastened to prevent her:
‘You must calm down, miss. Lady Xing is your own grandmother, and with your father away she has every right to make these decis?ions. Besides, your own uncle is acting as go-between. They’re all in this together, and you’re on your own. You’ll never make them change their minds. And I am only a maid, I can say nothing. We must try to think of a plan ourselves, and not do anything rash!’
‘You’d better be quick,’ advised Lady Xing’s maid, ‘or it will be too late. The bridal chair will be here any day now and then Miss Qiao-jie will be taken away.’
With these gloomy words she returned to Lady Xing’s apartment.
Patience turned round to see Qiao-jie huddled up and weeping disconsolately to herself. She reached out a hand to comfort her:
‘It’s no use crying, miss. There’s nothing your father can do for you now. From what they’ve been saying, it seems as if…’
Before she could complete her sentence, a messenger arrived from Lady Xing’s and announced:
‘This is indeed a happy day for Miss Qiao-jie! Will Patience please prepare whatever Miss Qiao-jie will need to take with her. Her trousseau can wait until Mr Lian’s return.’
Patience was going through the motions of obeying these in?structions, when Lady Wang arrived. Qiao-jie hugged her tightly and wept into her bosom. Lady Wang was in tears herself:
‘Try not to worry, child. I’ve spoken to your grandmother and done everything I can for you, and I’ve received nothing but insults for my pains. I can’t make her change her mind. We can only go along with it, and try to delay things as much as possible. Meanwhile we must send someone straight to your father to tell him what is going on.’
‘But haven’t you heard, ma’am?’ said Patience. ‘Early this morning Master Huan was over at Her Ladyship’s. According to this prince’s custom the bride will be fetched in three days. Her Ladyship has already asked Mr Yun to prepare the horoscope. By the time Mr Lian returns it will all be over!’
When she heard that Huan was involved, Lady Wang was speechless with rage. Eventually she stammered out, ‘Bring him to me! Bring him to me at once!’ A servant went in obedience to her command, but returned to report that Master Huan had gone out early that morning with Mr Jia Qiang and Mr Wang Ren.
‘Where’s young Yun?’ asked Lady Wang.
‘We don’t know,’ was the reply.
The people gathered in Qiao-jie’s room stood staring impotently around them. Lady Wang lacked the nerve to go and challenge Lady Xing directly. They all wept bitterly on each other’s shoulders.
Just as their spirits had sunk to these depths of gloom, a serving woman came in to announce that Grannie Liu had arrived at the back gate of the mansion.
‘We’re all at sixes and sevens,’ was Lady Wang’s comment. ‘How can we start receiving guests at a moment like this? Find some excuse and ask her to leave.’
‘Perhaps you should ask her in, ma’am,’ said Patience. ‘After all she is Qiao-jie’s godmother. We should tell her what is happening.’
Lady Wang said nothing. The serving-woman left the room and reappeared shortly with Grannie Liu, who exchanged greetings with all the ladies present. Seeing their eyes red from weeping, and having no idea what the matter was, Grannie Liu asked, with some hesitation:
‘What is the trouble? It’s Mrs Lian you’re grieving for, I’ll be hound.’
The mention of her mother set Qiao-jie weeping with renewed abandon.
‘There’s no point in avoiding the issue, Grannie,’ said Patience. As her godmother you ought to know the truth.’
She went on to tell Grannie Liu the whole story. At first the old dame was aghast. Then, after a long silence, she suddenly laughed.
‘A smart young woman like you ought to be able to hit on some?thing without much difficulty. Look at the drum ballads, they are full of clever plots and schemes for getting people out of scrapes like this one.’
‘Oh, Grannie!’ begged Patience. ‘If you can think of a way, please tell us quickly!’
‘It’s easy,’ said the old dame. ‘We mustn’t tell a soul, though, and we must be sure to make a quick getaway and hide – that’s all that’s needed.’
‘You can’t be serious!’ protested Patience. ‘Where could someone from a family like ours possibly hide?’
‘Well,’ said Grannie Liu, ‘if you’re willing – and that’s the only if- then you can both come to our village. I can keep Miss Qiao-jie hidden and at the same time I’ll tell my son-in-law to send a man with a letter (which Miss Qiao-jie must write with her own hand) straight to Mr Lian. Once he arrives on the scene, everything can be mended well enough.’
‘And if Lady Xing finds out meanwhile?’ asked Patience.
‘Do they know that I’m here?’ asked Grannie Liu.
‘Lady Xing is living at the front, and as she treats people so harshly no one ever tells her what’s going on. If you’d come in by the front gate she might have known. As it is, we have nothing to fear.’
‘Well then,’ said Grannie Liu, ‘let us agree on a time, and then I’ll tell my son-in-law to send a cart for you both.’
‘There’s not a moment to be lost,’ urged Patience. ‘I’ll be as quick as I can.’
She went into the inner room with Lady Wang, and having dis?missed all the servants explained Grannie Liu’s plan to her. Lady Wang considered it carefully, and judged it altogether too risky.
‘But it’s our only hope!’ pleaded Patience. ‘I can speak my mind to you, ma’am. This is what I think you should do. You must pretend to know nothing about it; later you can even go to Lady Xing’s and ask her where Qia-jie has gone. We’ll send a message to Mr Lian, and surely he won’t be long coming.’
Lady Wang was silent, and heaved a deep sigh. Qiao-jie had heard them talking and added her entreaties to those of Patience:
‘Oh Auntie, please! Save me! I know how grateful Father will be to you when he returns.’
‘We must go ahead with our plan,’ said Patience decisively. ‘You can return to your own apartment, ma’am. But please send someone to keep an eye on Qiao-jie’s room.’
‘Very well then- but be secret about it!’ urged Lady Wang. ‘And both of you, remember to take plenty of clothes and bedding with you.’
‘We must leave quickly if we are to succeed,’ said Patience. ‘If they come back with the contract signed, we’ll be done for!’
This seemed to bring Lady Wang to her senses:
‘Yes! Of course! You must hurry! You can depend on me!’ Lady Wang returned to her own apartment, and then went to engage Lady Xing in conversation and thus hold her at bay.
Patience despatched a servant to prepare their things, with in?structions not to seem too furtive about it. ‘If anyone comes in and sees what you are doing, just say that you are acting on Lady Xing’s instructions, and that you’re ordering a carriage for Grannie Liu to go home in.’ Meanwhile the men on the back gate were bribed and told to hire a carriage. Patience dressed Qiao-jie to look like Grannie Liu’s granddaughter Qing-er, and hurried out with her. She pre?tended to be seeing the ‘Liu family’ off, and then at the last minute jumped into the carriage herself. Although the back gate had recently been kept open, there were only one or two men on regular duty; as for the various other domestic servants, the mansion was so large and understaffed – indeed almost deserted – that their departure was sure to go virtually unnoticed. Besides, Lady Xing had a reputation for meanness with the servants, and they disapproved of what they knew she was planning to do to Qiao-jie. They were therefore very much on Patience’s side and only too willing to connive at Qia-jie’s escape. Lady Xing was thus successfully engaged in con?versation with Lady Wang, and remained completely unaware of the escape.
Lady Wang was still most apprehensive. After talking to Lady Xing she made her way to Bao-chai’s, trying to attract as little attention as possible, and sat there, her mind filled with doubts as to the safety of the enterprise. Seeing how distracted she was, Bao-chai asked her what was on her mind, and Lady Wang explained every?thing to her in confidence.
‘How very dangerous!’ exclaimed Bao-chai. ‘We must find Yun quickly and order him to halt matters at his end at once.’
‘But I can’t even find Huan!’ complained Lady Wang.
‘You must carry on as if you know nothing at all,’ advised Bao-chai. ‘I shall find someone to inform Aunt Xing.’
Lady Wang nodded and left Bao-chai to proceed with her plan.
*
Our story now turns to the Mongol prince himself. This gentleman was in fact doing no more than looking for a couple of presentable young concubines to add to his harem, and on the strength of a professional broker’s recommendation had sent two of his women to examine Qiao-jie. When they returned, and when their master ques?tioned them about the young lady’s provenance, they did not dare conceal the truth. The prince was deeply shocked to learn that she was from such an old and noble family:
‘But this is monstrous! Such a thing is strictly forbidden! I have come close to committing a grave crime! Besides, I have already been received in audience by His Majesty and will shortly be choosing a suitable day to start on my return journey. If anyone should come to pursue this matter further, send him packing!’
This was precisely the day on which Jia Yun and Wang Ren were delivering Qiao-jie’s horoscope to the palace. When they arrived they met with a brusque reception:
‘His Highness has instructed that any person daring to mis?represent a member of the Jia family as a common citizen is to be arrested and dealt with according to due process of law! What an outrageous way to behave in these peaceful times!’
Wang Ren and Jia Yun skulked off at once with their tails between their legs, grumbling to themselves that someone had betrayed them and going their separate ways in extremely low spirits.
Jia Huan was at home waiting for news, and had become very agitated when he received Lady Wang’s summons. He saw Jia Yun returning home on his own, and rushed up to him:
‘Well? Is everything arranged?’
Jia Yun stamped his foot frantically:
‘It’s terrible! Something’s gone badly wrong! I can’t think who can have given us away.’
He told the whole story to Huan, who was at first speechless with rage, then burst out:
‘Only this morning I was at Aunt Xing’s singing the praises of this match; now what am I supposed to do? You’re all trying to ruin me!’
Just as they were wondering how to save the situation, a confused hubbub reached them from the inner apartments. They heard their own names called, ‘wanted by Their Ladyships’, and slunk shame?facedly into Lady Wang’s apartment.
‘A fine mess you’ve made of things!’ exclaimed Lady Wang, waiting for them with fury written on her face. ‘Well, now you’ve driven Qia-jie and Patience to their deaths! The least you can do is bring me back their corpses!’
They both knelt at her feet. Jia Huan did not dare to open his mouth, but Jia Yun bowed his head and said:
‘I would never have dared to do it myself. We only mentioned this match to you, Great-aunts, because Great-uncle Xing and Uncle Wang suggested it. It was all their idea. Then Great-aunt Xing agreed to it and asked me to write out the horoscope. Now the other party wants to back out. How can you accuse us of driving Qiao-jie to her death?’
‘Huan told your great-aunt Xing that they would be arriving in three days to take the girl away,’ said Lady Wang. ‘Whoever heard of a proper wedding being conducted in such a hurry? I shall ask no more questions. Just give me back Qiao-jie. We shall see what Sir Zheng decides to do with you when he returns.’
Lady Xing wept in silent shame. Lady Wang turned next on Jia Huan:
‘That harpy Aunt Zhao evidently left behind her a son every bit as vile as herself!’
She called one of her maids to support her and retired to her bedroom.
Left on their own Jia Huan, Jia Yun and Lady Xing began to indulge in mutual recrimination, until finally one of them said:
‘What’s the use of blaming each other like this? The girl probably isn’t dead at all. Patience has almost certainly taken her off to hide in the home of a relative.’
Lady Xing summoned the janitors from the front and rear gates and after giving them a good scolding asked them where Qiao-jie and Patience had gone.
‘It’s no good asking us, ma’am,’ they replied with one voice. ‘Ask one of the stewards, they’re the ones who ought to know. We wouldn’t advise you to make a scene, ma’am. If Lady Wang should choose to question us, there’s plenty we could tell. And if one person is beaten or given the sack, it will have to be everyone. Since Mr Lian left it’s been a sheer disgrace what has been going on in the front of the mansion. We haven’t even received our wages or monthly grain allowance, but they’ve been drinking and gambling away, fooling around with pretty little actors, inviting girls into the house–is that how masters of the family are supposed to behave?’
Jia Yun and Jia Huan were silent. A servant arrived from Lady Wang’s with renewed orders to ‘hurry up and find Patience and Qiao-jie’, which sent them into another flurry of desperate activity. They did not even bother to question the servants in Qiao-jie’s own apartment, knowing they would be too hostile to reveal the where?abouts of the missing pair (though this was hardly something they could say to Lady Wang). Instead they had to go asking at the home of every relative, and still failed to unearth the slightest clue. Lady Xing in the inner apartments and Jia Huan in the outer spent a hectic few days and nights.
At last came the day when the examinations were due to be con?cluded and the students released from their cells. Lady Wang was eagerly awaiting the return of Bao-yu and Jia Lan, and when midday came and there was still no sign of either of them, she, Li Wan and Bao-chai all began to worry and sent one servant after another to find out what had become of them. The servants could obtain no news, and not one of them dared to return empty-handed. Later another batch was despatched on the same mission, with the same result. The three ladies were beside themselves with anxiety.
When evening came, someone returned at last: it was Jia Lan. They were delighted to see him, and immediately asked:
‘Where is Bao-yu?’
He did not even greet them but burst into tears.
‘Lost!’ he sobbed.
For several minutes Lady Wang was struck dumb. Then she col?lapsed senseless onto her couch. Luckily Suncloud and one or two other maids were at hand to support her, and they brought her round, themselves sobbing hysterically the while. Bao-chai stared in front of her with a glazed expression in her eyes, while Aroma sobbed her heart out. The only thing they could find time to do between their fits of sobbing was to scold Jia Lan:
‘Fool! You were with Bao-yu – how could he get lost?’
‘Before the examinations we stayed in the same room, we ate together and slept together. Even when we went in we were never far apart, we were always within sight of each other. This morning Uncle Bao finished his paper early and waited for me. We handed in our papers at the same time and left together. When we reached the Dragon Gate outside there was a big crowd and I lost sight of him. The servants who had come to fetch us asked me where he was and Li Gui told them: “One minute he was just over there clear as daylight, the next minute he was gone. How can he have disappeared so suddenly in the crowd?” I told Li Gui and the others to split up into search parties, while I took some men and looked in all the cubicles. But there was no sign of him. That’s why I’m so late back.’
Lady Wang had been sobbing throughout this, without saying a word. Bao-chai had already more or less guessed the truth. Aroma continued to weep inconsolably. Jia Qiang and the other men needed no further orders but set off immediately in several directions to join in the search. It was a sad sight, with everyone in the lowest of spirits and the welcome-home party prepared in vain. Jia Lan forgot his own exhaustion and wanted to go out with the others. But Lady Wang kept him back:
‘My child! Your uncle is lost; if we lost you as well, it would be more than we could bear! You have a rest now, there’s a good boy!’
He was reluctant to stay behind, but acquiesced when You-shi added her entreaties to Lady Wang’s.
The only person present who seemed unsurprised was Xi-chun. She did not feel free to express her thoughts, but instead enquired of Bao-chai:
‘Did Bao-yu have his jade with him when he left?’
‘Of course he did,’ she replied. ‘He never goes anywhere without it.’
Xi-chun was silent. Aroma remembered how they had had to waylay Bao-yu and snatch the jade from his hands, and she had an overwhelming suspicion that today’s mishap was that monk’s doing too. Her heart ached with grief, tears poured down her cheeks and she began wailing despondently. Memories flooded back of the affection Bao-yu had shown her. ‘I annoyed him sometimes, I know, and then he’d be cross. But he always had a way of making it up. He was so kind to me, and so thoughtful. In heated moments he often would vow to become a monk. I never believed him. And now he’s gone!’
It was two o’clock in the morning by now, and still there was no sign of Bao-yu. Li Wan, afraid that Lady Wang would injure herself through excess of grief, did her best to console her and advised her to retire to bed. The rest of the family accompanied her to her room, except for Lady Xing who returned to her own apartment, and Jia Huan who was still lying low and had not dared to make an appear?ance at all. Lady Wang told Jia Lan to go back to his room, and herself spent a sleepless night. Next day at dawn some of the servants despatched the previous day returned, to report that they had searched everywhere and failed to find the slightest trace of Bao-yu. During the morning a stream of relations including Aunt Xue, Xue Ke, Shi Xiang-yun, Bao-qin and old Mrs Li came to enquire after Lady Wang’s health and to ask for news of Bao-yu.
After several days of this, Lady Wang was so consumed with grief that she could neither eat nor drink, and her very life seemed in danger. Then suddenly a servant announced a messenger from the Commandant of the Haimen Coastal Region, who brought news that Tan-chun was due to arrive in the capital the following day. Although this could not totally dispel her grief at Bao-yu’s disappearance, Lady Wang felt some slight comfort at the thought of seeing Tan-chun again. The next day, Tan-chun arrived at Rong-guo House and they all went out to the front to greet her, finding her lovelier than ever and most prettily dressed. When Tan-chun saw how Lady Wang had aged, and how red-eyed everyone in the family was, tears sprang to her eyes, and it was a while before she could stop weeping and greet them all properly. She was also distressed to see Xi-chun in a nun’s habit, and wept again to learn of Bao-yu’s strange disappearance and the many other family misfortunes. But she had always been gifted with a knack of finding the right thing to say, and her natural equanimity restored a degree of calm to the gathering and gave some real comfort to Lady Wang and the rest of the family. The next day her husband came to visit, and when he learned how things stood he begged her to stay at home and console her family. The maids and old serving-women who had accompanied her to her new home were thus granted a welcome reunion with their old friends.
The entire household, masters and servants alike, still waited anxi?ously day and night for news of Bao-yu. Very late one night, during the fifth watch, some servants came as far as the inner gate, an?nouncing that they had indeed wonderful news to report, and a couple of the junior maids hurried in to the inner apartments, without stopping to inform the senior maids.
‘Ma’am, ladies!’ they announced. ‘Wonderful news!’
Lady Wang thought that Bao-yu must at last have been found and rising from her bed she exclaimed with delight:
‘Where did they find him? Send him in at once to see me!’
‘He has been placed seventh on the roll of successful candidates!’ the maid cried.
‘But has he been found?’
The maid was silent. Lady Wang sat down again.
‘Who came seventh?’ asked Tan-chun.
‘Mr Bao.’
As they were talking they heard a voice outside shouting:
‘Master Lan has passed too!’
A servant went hurrying out to receive the official notice, on which it was written that Jia Lan had been placed one hundred and thirtieth on the roll.
Since there was still no news of Bao-yu’s whereabouts, Li Wan did not feel free to express her feelings of pride and joy; and Lady Wang, delighted as she was that Jia Lan had passed, could not help thinking to herself:
‘If only Bao-yu were here too, what a happy celebration it would be!’
Bao-chai alone was still plunged in gloom, though she felt it inappropriate to weep. The others were busy offering their con?gratulations and trying to look on the cheerful side:
‘Since it was Bao-yu’s fate to pass, he cannot remain lost for long. In a day or two he is sure to be found.
This plausible suggestion brought a momentary smile to Lady Wang’s cheeks, and the family seized on this opportunity to persuade her to eat and drink a little. A moment later Tealeaf’s voice could be heard calling excitedly from the inner gate:
‘Now that Mr Bao has passed, he is sure to be found soon!’
‘What makes you so sure of that?’ they asked him.
‘There’s a saying: “If a man once passes the examination, the whole world learns his name.” Now everyone will know Mr Bao’s name wherever he goes, and someone will be sure to bring him home.’
‘That Tealeaf may be a cheeky little devil, but there’s something in what he says,’ agreed the maids.
Xi-chun differed:
‘How could a grown man like Bao-yu be lost? If you ask me, he has deliberately severed his ties with the world and chosen the life of a monk. And in that case he will be hard to find.’
This set the ladies weeping all over again.
‘It is certainly true,’ said Li Wan, ‘that since ancient times many men have renounced worldly rank and riches to become Buddhas or Saints.’
‘But if he rejects his own mother and father,’ sobbed Lady Wang, ‘then he’s failing in his duty as a son. And in that case how can he ever hope to become a Saint or a Buddha?’
‘It is best to be ordinary,’ commented Tan-chun. ‘Bao-yu was always different. He had that jade of his ever since he was born, and everyone always thought it lucky. But looking back, I can see that it’s brought him nothing but bad luck. If a few more days go by and we still cannot find him- I don’t want to upset you, Mother- but I think in that case we must resign ourselves to the fact that this is something decreed by fate and beyond our understanding. It would be better not to think of him as having ever been born from your womb. His destiny is after all the fruit of karma, the result of your accumulated merit in several lifetimes.’
Bao-chai listened to this in silence. Aroma could bear it no longer; her heart ached, she felt dizzy and sank to the ground in a faint. Lady Wang seemed most concerned for her, and told one of the maids to help her up.
Jia Huan was feeling extremely out of sorts. On top of his disgrace in the Qiao-jie affair, there was now the added humiliation of having to watch both his brother and nephew pass their examinations. He cursed Qiang and Yun for having dragged him into this trouble. Tan-chun was sure to take him to task now that she was back. And yet he dared not try to hide. He was altogether in a state of abject misery.
The next day Jia Lan had to attend court to give thanks for his successful graduation. There he met Zhen Bao-yu and discovered that he too had passed. So now all three of them belonged to the same ‘class’. When Lan mentioned Bao-yu’s strange disappearance, Zhen Bao-yu sighed and offered a few words of consolation.
The Chief Examiner presented the successful candidates’ com?positions to the throne, and His Majesty read them through one by one and found them all to be well balanced and cogent, displaying both breadth of learning and soundness of judgement. When he noticed two Nanking Jias in seventh and one hundred and thirtieth place, he asked if they were any relation of the late Jia Concubine. One of his ministers went to summon Jia Bao-yu and Jia Lan for questioning on this matter. Jia Lan, on arrival, explained the circum?stances of his uncle’s disappearance and gave a full account of the three preceding generations of the family, all of which was trans?mitted to the throne by the minister. His Majesty, as a consequence of this information, being a monarch of exceptional enlightenment and compassion, instructed his minister, in consideration of the family’s distinguished record of service, to submit a full report on their case. This the minister did and drafted a detailed memorial on the subject. His Majesty’s concern was such that on reading this memorial he ordered the minister to re-examine the facts that had led to Jia She’s conviction. Subsequently the Imperial eye lighted upon yet another memorial describing the success of the recent campaign to quell the coastal disturbances, ‘causing the seas to be at peace and the rivers to be cleansed, and leaving the honest citizenry free to pursue their livelihood unmolested once more. His Majesty was overjoyed at this good news and ordered his council of ministers to deliberate on suitable rewards and also to pronounce a general amnesty throughout the Empire.
When Jia Lan had left court and had gone to pay his respects to his examiner, he learned of the amnesty and hurried home to tell Lady Wang and the rest of the family. They all seemed delighted, though their pleasure was marred by Bao-yu’s continued absence. Aunt Xue was particularly happy at the news, and set about making preparations for the payment of Xue Pan’s fine, since his death sentence would now be commuted as part of the amnesty.
A few days later it was announced that Zhen Bao-yu and his father had called to offer their congratulations, and Lady Wang sent Jia Lan out to receive them. Shortly afterwards Jia Lan returned with a broad smile on his face:
‘Good news, Grandmother! Uncle Zhen Bao-yu’s father has heard at court of an edict pardoning both Great-uncle She and Uncle Zhen from Ning-guo House, and restoring the hereditary Ning-guo rank to Uncle Zhen. Grandfather is to keep the hereditary Rong-guo rank and after his period of mourning will be reinstated as a Permanent Secretary in the Board of Works. All the family’s confiscated property is to be restored. His Majesty has read Uncle Bao’s composition and was extremely struck by it. When he discovered that the candidate concerned was Her Late Grace’s younger brother, and when the Prince of Bei-jing added a few words of commendation, His Majesty expressed a desire to summon him to court for an audience. The ministers then told him that Uncle Bao had disappeared after the examination (it was I who informed them of this in the first place), and that he was at present being looked for everywhere, without success, whereupon His Majesty issued another edict, ordering all the garrisons in the capital to make a thorough search for him. You can set your mind at rest now, Grandmother. With His Majesty taking a personal interest in the matter, Uncle Bao is sure to be found!’
Lady Wang and the rest of the family were delighted and con?gratulated each other on this new turn of events.
*
Meanwhile Jia Huan and his accomplices were still on tenterhooks, searching everywhere for Qiao-jie, who having left the city with Patience and Grannie Liu had meanwhile arrived in the village and been installed in Grannie Liu’s best room, specially cleaned out for the occasion. Although their daily diet was simple village fare, it was wholesome and clean, and with little Qing-er to keep them company they had relatively few cares. There were a few quite well-off families in the village, who when they heard that there was a Miss Jia staying at Grannie Liu’s insisted on coming to have a look for themselves. They all waxed eloquent on the subject of her fairylike appearance and sent presents of fruit, fresh produce and game. In fact, Qiao-jie’s presence caused a considerable stir. The richest family were the Zhous, whose wealth was composed partly of money and partly of extensive holdings of land. They had one son in the family, a culti?vated, fine-looking lad of fourteen, who had studied with a family tutor and had recently passed the preliminary Licentiate exam. When his mother set eyes on Qiao-jie she was lost in admiration.
‘What a pity!’ she thought to herself, with a deep inner sigh of regret. ‘A boy from a country family like ours would never be thought fit for such a well-bred young lady.’ She stood there for some time deep in thought, and Grannie Liu soon guessed what was on her mind.
‘I know what you’re thinking,’ she said. ‘Why don’t I propose the match for you?’
Mrs Zhou laughed:
‘Don’t go making fun of me! A great family like theirs, stoop to the likes of us!’
‘Well, it’d do no harm to suggest it,’ replied Grannie Liu. ‘And we shall see.’
The two of them left it at that and went their separate ways.
Grannie Liu was concerned to know the latest developments at Rong-guo House and sent Ban-er into town to find out. He reached Two Dukes Street to find a throng of carriages outside the two mansions, and stationed himself close by to glean what news he could. This is what he overheard:
‘Both families have had their ranks restored and all their confis?cated property returned. Things are looking up for them again. But young Bao-yu has disappeared without trace after passing his exams.’
Ban-er was delighted to hear of the family’s restoration to favour and was just setting off home to carry the good news back to his grandmother when he saw several horses pull up outside the gates. The riders dismounted and the gatemen saluted with one knee on the ground:
‘Welcome home, sir! And congratulations! How is Sir She’s health?’
‘Better,’ replied the young man who had first dismounted. ‘And he has received His Majesty’s gracious permission to return home.’ After a short pause he asked: ‘What are those men doing over there?’
‘His Majesty sent an official here with a decree. They require a member of the family to receive back all the confiscated property.’
The young master strode in cheerfully, and Ban-er, concluding that it must be Jia Lian, did not wait for any further news but hastened home to inform Grannie Liu. A smile spread across the old lady’s face when she heard, and she went at once to tell Qiao-jie and congratulate her on the good news.
‘We owe everything to you, Grannie,’ said Patience with a grateful smile. ‘Without your help Miss Qiao-jie would never have lived to see this happy day.’
Qiao-jie herself was even more excited. Presently the messenger who had been sent with a letter to Jia Lian returned.
‘Mr Lian says he is extremely grateful. He asks me to escort Miss Qia-jie home at once, and to give you this handsome reward.’
Grannie Liu was highly satisfied that all had turned out for the best, and she sent someone to fetch two carts. When she asked Qiao-jie and Patience to make use of them for their return journey, they seemed reluctant to leave. They had grown accustomed to Grannie Liu’s home, and little Qing-er was in tears because her new friends were being taken from her. Grannie Liu, seeing how attached they had become to one another, told Qing-er that she could travel with them in the carts into town. And so they hurried back to Rong-guo House.
*
It will be remembered how Jia Lian, on hearing of his father’s grave illness, had hurried to his place of exile. When father and son met there was a tearful scene, which we need not describe in detail. Jia She gradually recovered his health, and when Jia Lian received a letter with the latest (and none too cheerful) news from home, he asked his father for permission to return. On his way he heard of the amnesty, and two days later arrived home on the very day that the Edict was delivered to Rong-guo House – at the very moment in fact when Lady Xing was wondering who could receive the Edict on behalf of the family. Jia Lan was now theoretically entitled to perform this function, but he was rather too young. Then Jia Lian’s arrival was announced. He exchanged greetings with them all, and the re?union was an occasion for expressions of both sorrow and joy. There was no time for much talk, however, and Jia Lian hurried to the main hall to make his kowtow to the Imperial emissary, who enquired after Jia She’s health and said:
‘Tomorrow you must proceed to the Imperial Treasury to receive your compensation. The Ning-guo residence will be restored to your family.’
The men rose to their feet, and the emissary took his leave. Jia Lian saw him off to the front gate, where he noticed a couple of country carts pulled up. The gatemen were refusing to allow the carts to stop there and a noisy argument was taking place. Jia Lian realized at once that these must be the carts bringing his daughter home and began shouting angrily at the gatemen:
‘You pack of misbegotten curs! While I was away you turned on your own masters and drove my daughter from home. Now you want to prevent her from returning! Are you trying to take ven?geance on me?’
The servants had been dreading Jia Lian’s return, since he would be sure to find out sooner or later what had occurred in his absence and would certainly punish them for their part in it. It still came as something of a shock to them to hear him speaking like this so soon, as if he had already discovered everything (how this could be they did not understand). They rose to their feet and protested:
‘While you were away, sir, some of us were sick, some were away on leave; it was all the doing of Master Huan, Mr Qiang and Mr Yun, sir, it had nothing to do with us.’
‘Stupid incompetents!’ cried Jia Lian. ‘I’ll deal with you when I’m finished. Hurry up and let those carts in!’
When Jia Lian went in he said nothing to Lady Xing. He went to Lady Wang’s apartment, knelt before her and kowtowed:
‘It is thanks to your foresight, Aunt Wang, that my daughter has returned safely. I shall say nothing of Cousin Huan’s conduct in this matter. I hardly need to. But so far as that creature Yun is concerned, the last time he was left in charge there was trouble, and now, in the few months that I’ve been away, he has allowed the rot to set in. In my opinion he should be sent packing and never given a job of any kind here again.’
‘What about your own brother-in-law, Wang Ren?’ exclaimed Lady Wang. ‘What induced him to behave in such a despicable manner?’
‘Don’t waste your breath on him,’ replied Jia Lian. ‘I shall deal with him later.’
Suncloud came in to announce the arrival of Qiao-jie. When Lady Wang saw her, although the separation had not been a long one, the agonizing suspense of the days leading up to her escape flooded back into her mind, and she broke down and wept profusely. Qiao-jie cried a great deal herself. Jia Lian came over to thank Grannie Liu. Lady Wang bade her be seated, and together they discussed the whole adventure. When Jia Lian saw Patience again, he was overcome with gratitude for what she had done, and although he could hardly express his true feelings at such a family gathering, he could not help shedding a few tears. From this day on he held Patience in greater and greater esteem and resolved to promote her to the position of proper wife as soon as his father returned. But we anticipate.
Lady Xing had been sure there would be trouble as soon as Jia Lian learned of Qiao-Jie’s disappearance. When she heard that he was at Lady Wang’s she became most anxious and sent a maid to eavesdrop, who returned to inform her that Qiao-jie and Grannie Liu were both there talking, having just arrived back together. It suddenly dawned on Lady Xing what had happened. She knew that she had been hoodwinked and felt very peeved with Lady Wang:
‘Stirring up trouble between me and my son! I wonder who it was that told Patience our secret in the first place!’
At that moment she saw Qiao-jie and Grannie Liu come in, accompanied by Patience. Lady Wang followed them and spoke to her, laying the blame for everything on Jia Yun and Wang Ren:
‘You were taken in by what they said, Sister-in-law. You only meant the best. How could you have known the tricks and schemes they were up to!’
Lady Xing felt truly ashamed of herself. She saw that Lady Wang had acted rightly, and respected her for it. From now on relations between the two sisters-in-law became less strained.
Patience spoke to Lady Wang, and then took Qiao-jie to say hello to Bao-chai. The two of them exchanged commiserations.
‘With the Emperor’s favour now restored,’ said Qiao-jie, ‘our family is sure to prosper once more. And surely Uncle Bao will come back.’
As they were talking, Ripple came running into the room in a great lather, crying:
‘Help! Aroma’s been taken poorly!’
But for the outcome, you must read the next chapter.
