第五十回

第五十回 芦雪广争联即景诗 暖香坞雅制春灯谜

话说薛宝钗道：“到底分个次序，让我写出来。”说着，便令众人拈阄为序。起首恰是李氏[2]〔二〕，然后按次各各开出。凤姐儿说道：“既是这样说，我也说一句在上头。”众人都笑说道：“更妙了！”宝钗便将稻香老农之上补了一个“凤”字，李纨又将题目讲与他听。凤姐儿想了半日，笑道：“你们别笑话我。我只有一句粗话，下剩的我就不知道了。”众人都笑道：“越是粗话越好，你说了只管干正事去罢。”凤姐儿笑道：“我想下雪必刮北风。昨夜听见了一夜的北风，我有了一句，就是‘一夜北风紧’，可使得？”众人听了，都相视笑道：“这句虽粗，不见底下的，这正是会作诗的起法。不但好，而且留了多少地步与后人。就是这句为首，稻香老农快写上续下去。”凤姐和李婶平儿又吃了两杯酒，自去了。这里李纨便写了：

一夜北风紧，

自己联道：

开门雪尚飘。

入泥怜洁白，

香菱道：

匝地惜琼瑶[3]。

有意荣枯草，

探春道：

无心饰萎苕[4]。

价高村酿熟[5]，

李绮道：

年稔府粱饶[6]。

葭动灰飞管，

李纹道：

阳回斗转杓[7]。

寒山已失翠，

岫烟道：

冻浦不闻潮。

易挂疏枝柳，

湘云道：

难堆破叶蕉。

麝煤[8]融宝鼎，

宝琴道：

绮袖笼金貂。

光夺窗前镜，

黛玉道：

香粘壁上椒[9]。

斜风仍故故[10]，

宝玉道：

清梦转聊聊[11]。

何处梅花笛[12]？

宝钗道：

谁家碧玉箫？

鳌愁坤轴陷〔三〕[14]，

李纨笑道：“我替你们看热酒去罢。”宝钗命宝琴续联，只见湘云站〔四〕起来道：

龙斗阵云销[16]。

野岸回孤棹，

宝琴也站起道：

吟鞭指灞桥[17]。

赐裘怜抚戍[18]，

湘云那里肯让人，且别人也不如他敏捷，都看他扬眉挺身的说道：

加絮念征徭[19]。

坳垤审夷险[20]，

宝钗连声赞好，也便联道：

枝柯怕动摇。

皑皑轻趁步，

黛玉忙联道：

翦翦舞随腰[21]。

煮芋成新赏，

一面说，一面推宝玉，命他联。宝玉正看宝钗、宝琴、黛玉三人共战湘云，十分有趣，那里还顾得联诗，今见黛玉推他，方联道：

撒盐是旧谣[22]。

苇蓑犹泊钓[23]，

湘云笑道：“你快下去，你不中用，倒耽搁了我。”一面只听宝琴联道：

林斧不闻樵。

伏象千峰凸，

湘云忙联道：

盘蛇一径遥[24]。

花缘经冷聚〔五〕，

宝钗与众人又忙赞好。探春又联道：

色岂畏霜凋[26]。

深院惊寒雀，

湘云正渴了，忙忙的吃茶，已被岫烟联道：

空山泣老鸮[27]。

阶墀随上下，

湘云忙丢了茶杯，忙联道：

池水任浮漂。

照耀临清晓，

黛玉联道：

缤纷入永宵。

诚忘三尺冷，

湘云忙笑联道：

瑞释九重焦[28]。

僵卧谁相问[29]，

宝琴也忙笑联道：

狂游客喜招[30]。

天机断缟带，

湘云又忙道：

海市失鲛绡〔六〕[32]。

林黛玉不容他出，接着便道：

寂寞对台榭，

湘云忙联道：

清贫怀箪瓢[33]。

宝琴也不容情，也忙道：

烹茶冰渐沸，

湘云见这般，自为得趣，又是笑，又忙联道：

煮酒叶难烧。

黛玉也笑道：

没帚山僧扫，

宝琴也笑道：

埋琴稚子挑。

湘云笑的弯了腰，忙念了一句，众人问“到底说的什么？”

湘云喊道：

石楼闲睡鹤，

黛玉笑的握着胸口，高声嚷道：

锦罽暖亲猫。

宝琴也忙笑道：

月窟翻银浪，

湘云忙联道：

霞城隐赤标[34]。

黛玉忙笑道：

沁梅香可嚼[35]，

宝钗笑称好，也忙联道：

淋竹醉堪调。

宝琴也忙道：

或湿鸳鸯带，

湘云忙联道：

时凝翡翠翘[36]。

黛玉又忙道：

无风仍脉脉，

宝琴又忙笑联道：

不雨亦潇潇。

湘云伏着已笑软了。众人看他三人对抢，也都不顾作诗，看着也只是笑。黛玉还推他往下联，又道：“你也有才尽之时。我听听还有什么舌根嚼了！”湘云只伏在宝钗怀里，笑个不住。宝钗推他起来道：“你有本事，把‘二萧’的韵全用完了，我才服你。”湘云起身笑道：“我也不是作诗，竟是抢命呢。”众人笑道：“倒是你说罢。”探春早已料定没有自己联的了，便早写出来，因说：“还没收住呢。”李纨听了，接过来便联了一句道：

欲志今朝乐，

李绮收了一句道：

凭诗祝舜尧。

李纨道：“够了，够了。虽没作完了韵，賸的字〔七〕若生扭用了，倒不好了。”说着，大家来细细评论一回，独湘云的多，都笑道：“这都是那块鹿肉的功劳。”

李纨笑道：“逐句评去都还一气，只是宝玉又落了第了。”宝玉笑道：“我原不会联句，只好担待我罢。”李纨笑道：“也没有社社担待你的。又说韵险了，又整误了，又不会联句了，今日必罚你。我才看见栊翠庵的红梅有趣，我要折一枝来插瓶。可厌妙玉为人，我不理他。如今罚你去取一枝来。”众人都道这罚的又雅又有趣。

宝玉也乐为，答应着就要走。湘云黛玉一齐说道：“外头冷得很，你且吃杯热酒再去。”湘云早执起壶来，黛玉递了一个大杯，满斟了一杯。湘云笑道：“你吃了我们的酒，你要取不来，加倍罚你。”宝玉忙吃一杯，冒雪而去。李纨命人好好跟着。黛玉忙拦说：“不必，有了人反不得了。”李纨点头说：“是。”一面命丫鬟将一个美女耸肩瓶拿来，贮了水准备插梅，因又笑道：“回来该咏红梅了。”

湘云忙道：“我先作一首。”宝钗忙道：“今日断乎不容你再作了。你都抢了去，别人都闲着，也没趣，回来还罚宝玉，他说不会联句，如今就叫他自己作去。”黛玉笑道：“这话很是。我还有个主意，方才联句不够，莫若拣着联的少的人作红梅。”宝钗笑道：“这话是极。方才邢李三位屈才，且又是客。琴儿和颦儿云儿三个人也抢了许多，我们一概都别作，只让他三个作才是。”李纨因说：“绮儿也不大会作，还是让琴妹妹作罢。”宝钗只得依允，又道：“就用‘红梅花’三个字作韵，每人一首七律。邢大妹妹作‘红’字，你们李大妹妹作‘梅’字，琴儿作‘花’字。”李纨道：“饶过宝玉去，我不服。”湘云忙道：“有个好题目命他作。”众人问何题目？湘云道：“命他就作‘访妙玉乞红梅’，岂不有趣？”众人听了，都说有趣。

一语未了，只见宝玉笑[38]了一枝红梅进来，众丫鬟忙已接过，插入瓶内。众人都笑称谢。宝玉笑道：“你们如今赏罢，也不知费了我多少精神呢。”说着，探春早又递过一钟暖酒来，众丫鬟走上来接了蓑笠掸雪。各人房中丫鬟都添送衣服来，袭人也遣人送了半旧的狐腋褂来。李纨命人将那蒸的大芋头盛了一盘，又将朱橘、黄橙、橄榄等物盛了两盘，命人带与袭人去。湘云且告诉宝玉方才的诗题，又催宝玉快作。宝玉道：“姐姐妹妹们，让我自己用韵罢，别限韵了。”众人都说：“随你作去罢。”

一面说，一面大家看梅花。原来这枝梅花只有二尺来高，旁有一横枝纵横而出，约有五六尺长，其间小枝分歧，或如蟠螭，或如僵蚓，或孤削如笔，或密聚如林，花吐胭脂，香欺兰蕙，各各称赏。谁知邢岫烟、李纹、薛宝琴三人都已吟成，各自写了出来。众人便依“红梅花”三字之序看去，写道是：

　咏红梅花　得“红”字[39]　　邢岫烟

桃未芳菲杏未红，冲寒先已笑东风[40]。

魂飞庾岭[41]春难辨，霞隔罗浮[42]梦未通。

绿萼添妆融宝炬，缟仙扶醉跨残虹[43]。

看来岂是寻常色，浓淡由他冰雪中。

　咏红梅花　得“梅”字　　李纹

白梅懒赋赋红梅，逞艳先迎醉眼开[44]。

冻脸有痕皆是血，酸心无恨亦成灰[45]。

误吞丹药移真骨[46]，偷下瑶池脱旧胎[47]。

江北江南春灿烂，寄言蜂蝶漫疑猜[48]。

　咏红梅花 得“花”字　　薛宝琴

疏是枝条艳是花，春妆儿女竞奢华[49]。

闲庭曲槛无馀雪，流水空山有落霞[50]。

幽梦冷随红袖笛，游仙香泛绛河槎[51]。

前身定是瑶台种，无复相疑色相[52]差。

众人看了，都笑称赏了一番，又指末一首说更好。宝玉见宝琴年纪最小，才又敏捷，深为奇异。黛玉湘云二人斟了一小杯酒，齐贺宝琴。宝钗笑道：“三首各有各好。你们两个天天捉弄厌了我，如今捉弄他来了。”李纨又问宝玉：“你可有了？”宝玉忙道：“我倒有了，才一看见那三首，又吓忘了，等我再想。”湘云听了，便拿了一支铜火箸击着手炉，笑道：“我击鼓[53]了，若鼓绝不成，又要罚的。”宝玉笑道：“我已有了。”黛玉提起笔来，说道：“你念，我写。”湘云便击了一下笑道：“一鼓绝。”宝玉笑道：“有了，你写吧。”众人听他念道：

酒未开樽句未裁，

黛玉写了，摇头笑道：“起的平平。”湘云又道：“快着！”宝玉笑道：

寻春问腊到蓬莱。

黛玉湘云都点头笑道：“有些意思了。”宝玉又道：

不求大士瓶中露，为乞嫦娥槛外梅。[54]

黛玉写了，又摇头道：“凑巧而已。”湘云忙催二鼓，宝玉又笑道：

入世冷挑红雪去，离尘香割紫云来[55]。

槎枒谁惜诗肩瘦[56]，衣上犹沾佛院[57]苔。

黛玉写毕，湘云大家才评论时，只见几个丫鬟跑进来道：“老太太来了。”众人忙迎出来。大家又笑道：“怎么这等高兴！”说着，远远见贾母围了大斗篷，带着灰鼠暖兜[58]，坐着小竹轿，打着青绸油伞，鸳鸯琥珀等五六个丫鬟，每人都是打着伞，拥轿而来。李纨等忙往上迎，贾母命人止住说：“只在那里就是了。”来至跟前，贾母笑道：“我瞒着你太太和凤丫头来了。大雪地下坐着这个无妨，没的叫他们来跴雪。”众人忙一面上前接斗篷，搀扶着，一面答应着。

贾母来至室中，先笑道：“好俊梅花！你们也会乐，我来着了。”说着，李纨早命拿了一个大狼皮褥来铺在当中。贾母坐了，因笑道：“你们只管顽笑吃喝。我因为天短了，不敢睡中觉，抹了一回牌，想起你们来了，我也来凑个趣儿。”李纨早又捧过手炉来，探春另拿了一副杯箸来，亲自斟了暖酒，奉与贾母。贾母便饮了一口，问那个盘子里是什么东西。众人忙捧了过来，回说是糟鹌鹑。贾母道：“这倒罢了，撕一两点腿子来。”李纨忙答应了，要水洗手，亲自来撕。贾母又道：“你们仍旧坐下说笑我听。”又命李纨：“你也坐下，就如同我没来的一样才好，不然我就去了。”

众人听了，方依次坐下。只李纨便挪到尽下边。贾母因问作何事了，众人便说作诗。贾母道：“有作诗的，不如作些灯谜，大家正月里好玩。”众人答应了。说笑了一回，贾母便说：“这里潮湿，你们别久坐，仔细受了潮湿。”因说：“你四妹妹那里暖和，我们到那里瞧瞧他的画儿，赶年可有了。”众人笑道：“那里能年下就有了？只怕明年端阳有了。”贾母道：“这还了得！他竟比盖这园子还费工夫了。”

说着，仍坐了竹轿，大家围随，过了藕香榭，穿入一条夹道，东西两边皆有过街门，门楼上里外皆嵌着石头匾，如今进的是西门，向外的匾上凿着“穿云”二字，向里的凿着“度月”两字。来至当中，进了向南的正门，贾母下了轿，惜春已接了出来。从里边游廊过去，便是惜春卧房，门斗上有“暖香坞”三个字。早有几个人打起猩红毡帘，已觉温香拂脸。大家进入房中，贾母并不归坐，只问画在那里。惜春因笑回：“天气寒冷了，胶性皆凝涩不润，画了恐不好看，故此收起来。”贾母笑道：“我年下就要的。你别托懒儿，快拿出来给我快画。”

一语未了，忽见凤姐儿披着紫羯绒褂，笑的来了，口内说道：“老祖宗今儿也不告诉人，私自就来了，要我好找。”贾母见他来了，心中自是喜悦，便道：“我怕你们冷着了，所以不许人告诉你们去。你真是个鬼灵精儿，到底找了我来。以理，孝敬也不在这上头。”凤姐儿笑道：“我那里是孝敬的心找了来？我因为到了老祖宗那里，鸦没雀静的，问小丫头子们，他又不肯说，叫我找到园里来。我正疑惑，忽然来了两三个姑子，我心里才明白。我想姑子必是来送年疏[59]，或要年例香例银子，老祖宗年下的事也多，一定是躲债来了。我赶忙问了那姑子，果然不错。我连忙把年例给了他们去了〔八〕。如今来回老祖宗，债主已去，不用躲着了。已预备下希嫩的野鸡，请用晚饭去，再迟一回就老了。”他一行说，众人一行笑。

凤姐儿也不等贾母说话，便命人抬过轿子来。贾母笑着，搀了凤姐的手，仍旧上轿，带着众人，说笑出了夹道东门。一看四面粉妆银砌，忽见宝琴披着凫靥裘站在山坡上遥等，身后一个丫鬟抱着一瓶红梅。众人都笑道：“少了两个人，他却在这里等着，也弄梅花去了。”贾母喜的忙笑道：“你们瞧，这山坡上配上他的这个人品，又是这件衣裳，后头又是这梅花，像个什么？”众人都笑道：“就像老太太屋里挂的仇十洲[61]画的《艳雪图》。”贾母摇头笑道：“那画的那里有这件衣裳？人也不能这样好！”

一语未了，只见宝琴背后转出一个披大红猩毡的人来。贾母道：“那又是那个女孩儿？”众人笑道：“我们都在这里，那是宝玉。”贾母笑道：“我的眼越发花了。”说话之间，来至跟前，可不是宝玉和宝琴。宝玉笑向宝钗黛玉等道：“我才又到了栊翠庵。妙玉每人送你们一枝梅花，我已经打发人送去了。”众人都笑说：“多谢你费心。”

说话之间，已出了园门，来至贾母房中。吃毕饭大家又说笑了一回。忽见薛姨妈也来了，说：“好大雪，一日也没过来望候老太太。今日老太太倒不高兴？正该赏雪才是。”贾母笑道：“何曾不高兴！我找了他们姊妹们去顽了一会子。”薛姨妈笑道：“昨日晚上，我原想着今日要和我们姨太太借一日园子，摆两桌粗酒，请老太太赏雪的，又见老太太安息的早。我闻得女儿说，老太太心下不大爽，因此今日也没敢惊动。早知如此，我正该请。”贾母笑道：“这才是十月里头场雪，往后下雪的日子多呢，再破费不迟。”薛姨妈笑道：“果然如此，算我的孝心虔了。”

凤姐儿笑道：“姨妈仔细忘了，如今先秤五十两银子来，交给我收着，一下雪，我就预备下酒，姨妈也不用操心，也不得忘了。”贾母笑道：“既这么说，姨太太给他五十两银子收着，我和他每人分二十五两，到下雪的日子，我装心里不快，混过去了，姨太太更不用操心，我和凤丫头倒得了实惠。”凤姐将手一拍，笑道：“妙极了，这和我的主意一样。”众人都笑了。贾母笑道：“呸！没脸的，就顺着竿子爬上来了！你不该说姨太太是客，在咱们家受屈，我们该请姨太太才是，那里有破费姨太太的理！不这样说呢，还有脸先要五十两银子，真不害臊！”凤姐儿笑道：“我们老祖宗最是有眼色的，试一试姨妈，若松呢，拿出五十两来，就和我分。这会子估量着不中用了，翻过来拿我做法子，说出这些大方话来。如今我也不和姨妈要银子，竟替姨妈出银子治了酒，请老祖宗吃了，我另外再封五十两银子孝敬老祖宗，算是罚我个包揽闲事。这可好不好？”话未说完，众人已笑倒在炕上。

贾母因又说及宝琴雪下折梅比画儿上还好，因又细问他的年庚八字并家内景况。薛姨妈度其意思，大约是要与宝玉求配。薛姨妈心中固也遂意，只是已许过梅家了，因贾母尚未明说，自己也不好拟定，遂半吐半露告诉贾母道：“可惜这孩子没福，前年他父亲就没了。他从小儿见的世面倒多，跟他父母四山五岳都走遍了。他父亲是好乐的，各处因有买卖，带着家眷，这一省逛一年，明年又往那一省逛半年，所以天下十停走了有五六停了。那年在这里，把他许了梅翰林的儿子，偏第二年他父亲就辞世了，他母亲又是痰症。”凤姐也不等说完，便嗐声跺脚的说：“偏不巧，我正要作个媒呢，又已经许了人家。”贾母笑道：“你要给谁说媒？”凤姐儿说道：“老祖宗别管，我心里看准了他们两个是一对。如今已许了人，说也无益，不如不说罢了。”贾母也知凤姐儿之意，听见已有了人家，也就不提了。大家又闲话了一会方散。一宿无话。

次日雪晴。饭后，贾母又亲嘱惜春：“不管冷暖，你只画去，赶到年下，十分不能便罢了。第一要紧把昨日琴儿和丫头梅花，照模照样，一笔别错，快快添上。”惜春听了虽是为难，只得应了。一时众人都来看他如何画，惜春只是出神。

李纨因笑向众人道：“让他自己想去，咱们且说话儿。昨儿老太太只叫作灯谜，回家和绮儿纹儿睡不着，我就编了两个‘四书’的。他两个每人也编了两个。”众人听了，都笑道：“这倒该作的。先说了，我们猜猜。”李纨笑道：“‘观音未有世家传’，打‘四书’一句。”湘云接着就说：“在止于至善。”[62]宝钗笑道：“你也想一想‘世家传’三个字的意思再猜。”李纨笑道：“再想。”黛玉笑道：“哦，是了。是‘虽善无征’。”[63]众人都笑道：“这句是了。”李纨又道：“一池青草草何名。”湘云忙道：“这一定是‘蒲芦也’[64]。再不是不成？”李纨笑道：“这难为你猜。纹儿的是‘水向石边流出冷’，打一古人名。”探春笑问道：“可是山涛[65]？”李纹笑道：“是。”李纨又道：“绮儿的是个‘萤’字，打一个字。”众人猜了半日，宝琴笑道：“这个意思却深，不知可是花草的‘花’字？”李绮笑道：“恰是了。”众人道：“萤与花何干？”黛玉笑道：“妙得很！萤可不是草化的[66]？”众人会意，都笑了〔九〕说“好”！

宝钗道：“这些虽好，不合老太太的意思，不如作些浅近的物儿，大家雅俗共赏才好。”众人都道：“也要作些浅近的俗物才是。”湘云笑道：“我编了一支《点绛唇》[68]，恰是俗物，你们猜猜。”说着便念道：

溪壑分离，红尘游戏，真何趣？名利犹虚，后事终难继。众人不解，想了半日，也有猜是和尚的，也有猜是道士的，也有猜是偶戏人的。宝玉笑了半日，道：“都不是，我猜着了，一定是耍的猴儿。”湘云笑道：“正是这个了。”众人道：“前头都好，末后一句怎么解？”湘云道：“那一个耍的猴子不是剁了尾巴去的？”众人听了，都笑起来，说：“偏他编个谜儿也是刁钻古怪的。”李纨道：“昨日姨妈说，琴妹妹见的世面多，走的道路也多，你正该编谜儿，正用着了。你的诗又好，何不编几个我们猜一猜？”宝琴听了，点头含笑，自去寻思。宝钗也有了一个，念道：

镂檀锲梓[69]一层层，岂系良工堆砌成？

虽是半天风雨过，何曾闻得梵铃[70]声！

——打一物。

众人猜时，宝玉也有了一个，念道：

天上人间两渺茫，琅玕[71]节过谨隄防。

鸾音鹤信[72]须凝睇[73]，好把唏嘘答上苍。

黛玉也有了一个，念道是：

何劳缚紫绳[74]？驰城逐堑势狰狞。

主人指示风雷动，鳌背三山独立名。

探春也有了一个，方欲念时，宝琴走过来笑道：“我从小儿所走的地方的古迹不少。我如今拣了十个地方的古迹，作了十首怀古的诗。诗虽粗鄙，却怀往事，又暗隐俗物十件，姐姐们请猜一猜。”众人听了，都说：“这倒巧，何不写出来大家一看？”要知端的——

〔一〕 “暖香坞雅制春灯谜”，原作“暖春坞创制春灯谜”，从各本改。

〔二〕 “起首恰是李氏”句下，原有“一定要按次序恰又不按次序，似脱落处而不脱落，文章岐路如此”二十六字，系批语混入正文，参照各本删去。

[3] “入泥”二句——意谓白雪落入污泥，犹如琼瑶（美玉）抛撒遍地，令人怜惜。匝（zā扎）：周；遍。

[4] 萎苕（tiáo条）——枯萎的苇花。

[5] “价高”句——价高：指酒价高，雪大天寒，故酒价高涨。唐代郑谷《辇下冬暮咏怀》诗：“雪满长安酒价高。”村酿：即村酒。

[6] “年稔（rěn忍）”句——年稔：年景好；收成好。稔，庄稼成熟。这里是说大雪之后将会有一个丰收的年景。府粮：也称“府粟”，指官仓中的粮食。饶（ráo娆）：丰富。

[7] “葭（jiā家）动”二句——这里是用冬至节代指雪天。意谓乐律管里的葭灰飞动，斗柄已转，正是阴极阳回的冬至节气。葭：芦苇。灰飞管：古代预测节气，把芦苇茎里的薄膜烧制成灰，放入十二乐律的管内，把管放到密室中特制的内低外高的木案上，到了某一节气，相应律管里的葭灰就会自行飞动。阳回：阳气复回，说明已到“冬至”。《通纬·孝经援神契》：“大雪后十五日，斗指子，为冬至，（阴历）十一月中。阴极而阳始至。”斗：指北斗星。杓（biāo标）：斗杓，北斗七星中第五、六、七颗星的总称，也叫“斗柄”。由于地球的自转和公转，斗柄的指向和方位不断变动转换。冬至这天，斗柄指向正北，阴极阳生，自此开始，斗柄即渐向东转，所以说是“阳回”。

[8] 麝煤——本为香墨的别名，也叫“麝墨”；这里指取暖用的优质木炭之类。

[9] 壁上椒——以椒涂壁，取其温暖有香气。参阅第十六回“椒房”注。

[10] 故故——屡屡。这里指风吹阵阵。

[11] 聊聊——略微；短暂。这里指因天冷而梦境不长。或为“寥寥”之误；寥寥，稀少的意思。

[12] 梅花笛——指吹奏《梅花落》的笛声。宋代郭茂倩编《乐府诗集》：“《梅花落》，本笛中曲也。”这里又用落梅隐喻飞雪。

〔三〕 “陷”原作“限”，从程甲本改。

[14] “鳌（áo敖）愁”句——巨鳌因怕大雪压坍大地而发愁。鳌：传说中的大海龟。坤轴：即地轴，这里泛指大地。唐代虞世南撰《北堂书钞》卷一五七引《河海括地象》：“昆仑之山，横为地轴。”

〔四〕 “站”字原无，从蒙府、戚序本补。

[16] “龙斗”句——以玉龙战罢鳞片纷飞的景象，比喻大雪纷飞。阵云销：浓云消散，表示龙战已毕。

[17] “吟鞭”句——意谓雪中行吟，诗思益增。灞桥：在今西安市东灞水上。

[18] “赐裘”句——意谓皇帝怜恤守边将士，赏给他们过冬衣裘。《宋史·太宗本纪》：雍熙二年“十二月……癸卯，南康军言，雪降三尺，大江冰合，可胜重载。丁未，遣中使赐缘边戍卒襦裤”。

[19] “加絮”句——意谓制衣者惦念服徭役的征人寒冷，在衣中多加棉絮。见《唐诗纪事·开元宫人》。

[20] “坳（wā凹；ào傲）垤（dié迭）”句——意谓大雪铺平了洼坑和高坎儿，走路时需要细察路面的高低不平。坳：地低洼处；山间平地。垤：小土堆。审：详察。夷：平坦；平安。

[21] “翦翦”句——以轻盈舞姿喻白雪的随风飞旋。翦翦：形容风轻而带寒意。

[22] “煮芋”二句——煮芋：苏东坡赞其幼子苏过以山芋作玉糁羹，诗中有“香似龙涎仍酽白（纯白）”句，这里是用玉糁羹的“酽白”，以喻雪色之白。撒盐：参阅第76页注②。

[23] “苇蓑”句——用唐代柳宗元“孤舟蓑笠翁，独钓寒江雪”（《江雪》）诗意。

[24] “伏象”二句——意谓山峰积雪如伏卧的白象，雪地小路似盘曲的长蛇。

〔五〕 “聚”原作“绪”，从戚序本改。

[26] “花缘”二句——意谓雪花由于天冷才结聚而成，洁白的颜色哪里会因怕霜冻而消褪。花、色：均指雪花。缘：因为；由于。

[27] 泣老鸮（xiāo消）——意谓雪光照得夜色如同白昼，怕光的鸱（chī吃）鸮因不能捕食而哀泣。鸮：鸱鸮，即猫头鹰，昼伏夜出，常于夜间捕捉食物，鸣声惨厉。

[28] “诚忘”二句——意谓诚敬之心，使将士忘却了戍守的寒苦；雪兆丰年，可以消除皇帝的焦虑。三尺：剑。见《汉书·高帝纪》颜师古注。瑞：指瑞雪。九重：代指皇帝。宋玉《九辩》：“君之门以九重。”

[29] “僵卧”句——用“袁安卧雪”故事。见《后汉书·袁安传》注引《汝南先贤传》。

[30] “狂游”句——用唐代王元宝雪天招客宴饮的故事。见王仁裕《开元天宝遗事》。

〔六〕 “绡”原作“”，从戚序本改。

[32] “天机”二句——用天上落下的缟带、海市移来的鲛绡喻雪的洁白美好。天机：传说中天上织女的织机。缟带：白色的丝带。海市：即海市蜃楼，海上由于光线变化而出现的奇异幻景。

[33] “清贫”句——意谓穷苦之士由于大雪封门饮食无着，连“箪食瓢饮”的清贫生活也怀念起来了。箪（dān丹）瓢：语本《论语·雍也》：“一箪食，一瓢饮。”这是孔子称赞他的学生颜回不以贫困为忧的话。箪：盛饭用的圆形竹器。

[34] “月窟”二句——上句以月光普照暗喻白雪遍地；下句用隐没赤标形容积雪深厚。银浪：月光。宋代陈与义《咏月》诗：“银浪泻千顷。”这里代指雪波，唐代李咸用《雪》诗：“云汉风多银浪溅。”霞城：指赤城山，在浙江天台县北，状如城墙雉堞，土色皆赤，望之似霞，故名。见《会稽记》。赤标：这里指赤城山的高峰。晋代孙绰《游天台山赋》：“赤城霞起而建标。”

[35] “沁梅”句——或指宋代铁脚道人故事。传说“铁脚道人常爱赤脚走雪中，兴发则朗诵《南华·秋水篇》，嚼梅花满口，和雪咽之。曰：‘吾欲寒香沁入肺腑。’”见清代爱菊主人《花史》。

[36] “鸳鸯带”二句——鸳鸯带：有鸳鸯图案花纹的带子。唐代徐彦伯《拟古三首》之三：“赠君鸳鸯带。”翡翠翘：也称翠翘。翘，首饰。用翡翠鸟的羽毛粘在首饰上叫“点翠”，点翠的凤冠叫“翠翘”，但也可泛指点翠的其他首饰。唐代韦应物《长安道》诗：“头上鸳钗双翠翘。”一说，翠翘本指翠鸟尾上的长羽，也称形似翠鸟尾上长羽的妇女首饰。

〔七〕 “賸的字”，原作“誊的字”，又点去，旁添“脚的字”，显系误添。今从底本原文。“誊”系“賸”之误，径改。

[38] （qián虔）——用肩扛物，亦作“掮”。《康熙字典》引《集韵》：“，渠焉切，音虔，负物也。”

[39] 得“红”字——多人一起作诗，先提出若干字为韵字，由大家自由选择或拈阄决定，叫做“分韵”。分到某一韵字的人，在他的诗题下注明“得某字”，并用这个字所在韵部的字作韵脚。

[40] “冲寒”句——意谓红梅先于桃杏冲破寒冷笑向东风。

[41] 庾岭——即大庾岭，五岭之一，在江西、广东两省边境。因岭上多梅花，又称梅岭。

[42] 罗浮——山名，在广东省东江北岸，增城、博罗、河源等县之间。据《龙城录》载：隋代赵师雄迁罗浮，一日日暮，于松林酒肆旁见一美人，淡妆素服，出迎与语，语极清丽，因与扣酒家门共饮。师雄醉寝，天明起视，在大梅树下。

[43] “绿萼”二句——用萼绿仙女（绿梅）为添妆而熔化红烛，白衣仙子（白梅）带着醉颜跨上残虹来形容红梅。“融宝炬”、“扶醉”、“跨残虹”均喻红色。绿萼：即绿萼梅，是梅中之花瓣萼蒂皆绿者，有人比之为仙女萼绿华。缟仙：白衣仙人，这里代指白梅。

[44] 醉眼开——喻微开的红梅。

[45] “冻脸”二句——冻脸：喻开放于冰雪严寒中的红梅。酸心：梅花结子味酸，故云“酸心”。

[46] “误吞”句——意谓红梅是白梅误吞了仙丹换掉真骨化成。宋代方子通诗：“紫府与丹来换骨。”

[47] “偷下”句——意谓红梅是瑶池仙女偷下凡间，脱化旧胎而成。宋代毛滂《红梅》诗：“何处曾临阿母池，浑将绛雪照寒枝。”瑶池：即阿母池，古代传说中西王母的住处。

[48] “寄言”句——意谓告诉蜂蝶，切莫误认为已是桃李芳菲的暖春，眼下还正在冰雪严寒的季节。

[49] “春妆”句——暗喻红梅怒放，犹如少女秾妆，争艳斗妍。春妆：红妆。

[50] “闲庭”二句——意谓无论庭院或山野，尽是红梅无白梅。馀雪：代指白梅。落霞：代指红梅。

[51] “幽梦”二句——意谓随着红袖少女的清冷笛声进入梦境；乘坐绛河的香筏游于仙界。红袖笛：这里代指红梅花。绛河：即天河、银河。这里用“绛”，意在点出“红”字，以喻红梅。泛槎（chá查）：泛，浮行；乘船。槎，木筏，这里指神话传说中往来天上的“星槎”。

[52] 色相——本佛家语，这里指红梅花的颜色和形状。

[53] 击鼓——即“击鼓催诗”，是旧日多人一起作诗的活动形式之一，以鼓声的起止为限定的构思时间，到时作不出来或超过时间便要受罚。

[54] “不求”二句——这里大士、嫦娥皆隐指妙玉。大士：本为菩萨之称，这里指观世音。传说观世音形为女身，手持净瓶，中有甘露，上插杨枝，以杨枝洒甘露，能解人间困厄。槛外：世外，这里指栊翠庵。

[55] “入世”一联——这里是将栊翠庵当作仙佛境地，把从庵中采梅回来叫“入世”，去庵中求梅叫“离尘”。梅称冷香，分嵌于两句中。挑红雪、割紫云：均喻折红梅。

[56] “槎枒”句——槎枒：同“查牙”、“杈丫”，这里形容诗人骨瘦如柴。诗肩瘦：指诗人瘦削高耸的肩头。

[57] 佛院——代指栊翠庵。

[58] 暖兜——一种能够防风保暖的帽子。

[59] 年疏——疏：这里指焚化在神佛前的祭文、祝辞等，又称“疏头”。旧时为了祈福消灾，请僧尼诵经，并指定诵经遍数，每诵一遍，便在预先准备好的疏头上印一个朱砂小红圈，年终送至施主家中，以备祭神礼佛时焚化，并照例得到施主的报酬。这种每年送一次的疏头，叫做“年疏”。

〔八〕 “我赶忙问了那姑子，果然不错。我连忙把年例给了他们去了”二十四字，原无，从戚序、甲辰本补。

[61] 仇（qiú求）十洲——明代画家仇英的别号。仇英，字实父，太仓人，移居吴郡（苏州），擅画工笔仕女及山水，为明代四大画家之一。

[62] 在止于至善——意谓德行达到最完美的境界。语出《礼记·大学》。至：极；顶峰。

[63] 虽善无征——语出《礼记·中庸》：“上焉者虽善无征。”意谓先王的礼制虽好，但无从证实。征：征验；证实。此语为“观音未有世家传”的谜底，“世家”当取《史记》之例，观音至善，未有世家为传，无从征考。

[64] 蒲芦也——语出《礼记·中庸》：“夫政也者，蒲芦也。”蒲芦：即蒲苇。

[65] 山涛——晋代诗人，字巨源，竹林七贤之一。

[66] 萤可不是草化的——萤在夏季多就水草产卵，化蛹成长，古人误认为萤是由腐草本身变化而成。《礼记·月令》：“季夏之月……腐草为萤。”

〔九〕 “都笑了”后，原有“道，萤与花”四字，系衍文，从各本删。

[68] 《点绛唇》——本为词牌名，取自南朝梁江淹《咏美人春游》诗“明珠点绛唇”句。这里用作曲牌名。

[69] 镂（lòu漏）檀锲梓（zǐ子）——镂、锲：都是雕刻的意思。檀、梓：都是质地比较坚硬的木材。

[70] 梵铃——佛寺和宝塔檐角上悬挂的铜铃。

[71] 琅玕（lánɡ　ɡān郎甘）——这里指竹子。

[72] 鸾音鹤信——指仙界传来的消息。唐代罗隐《淮南高骈所造迎仙楼》诗：“鸾音鹤信杳难回。”鸾和鹤在传说中都被看作“仙禽”。

[73] 凝睇——注视。

[74] （lù　ěr录耳）——马名，亦作“耳”、“绿耳”。传说为周穆王八骏之一。见《穆天子传》。

CHAPTER 50. Linked verses in Snowy Rushes Retreat And lantern riddles in the Spring In Winter Room

‘I THINK we ought to have a fixed order,’ said Bao-chai. ‘Just me write the names down and we can decide what it is to be by lot.’

When she had written down their names and torn up the paper, the slips were drawn and she copied them down in the order in which they came out. Li Wan, by coincidence, retained the first place.

‘If this is what you are doing,’ said Xi-feng, ‘I may as well contribute a line of my own to start you off with.’

‘Yes, yes,’ said the others. ‘Please do!’

Bao-chai added the name ‘Feng’ to the list, above that of ‘Farmer Sweet-rice’, while Li Wan explained what the subject was and what sort of line it had to be. Xi-feng listened attentively and thought for some moments before speaking.

‘You mustn’t laugh if this sounds a bit unpolished,’ she said at last, ‘but at least I think it’s the right length. Mind you, I’ve no idea how it could go on.’

‘Never mind how unpolished it is,’ they said. ‘Just tell us what it is; then you can leave, if you want to, and get on with your own work.’

‘Well, when it snows, there’s always a north wind,’ said Xi-feng, ‘and last night I could hear the north wind blowing all night long; so I’ve made a line up about that:

Last night the north wind blew the whole night through.

There you are – take it or leave it!’

The others looked at each other in pleased surprise.

‘Even if the language of this line is a bit unpolished and you can’t see what’s going to follow it, it’s exactly the kind of line that a skilled poet would begin with. Not only is the line good in itself, but it leaves so many possibilities open to the person who follows. Put that down for our first line then, Sweet-rice, and you can finish the couplet.’

Before they proceeded any further, however, Xi-feng, Mrs Li and Patience drank two cups of wine with them, after which they left. As soon as they had gone, Li Wan wrote out the line that Xi-feng had given them, adding a line of her own to make it into a couplet and a third line after that to make the beginning of a second couplet. Thereafter, as each of them in turn completed the couplet started by the previous person and then added the first line of another couplet, she continued to write down the lines at their dictation.

XI-FENG: Last night the north wind blew the whole night through –

LI WAN: Today outside my door the snow still flies. On mud and dirt its pure white flakes fall down –

CALTROP: And powdered jade the whole earth beautifies. Flakes on the dead plants weave a winter dress –

TAN-CHUN: And on dry grasses gemlike crystallize. Now will the farmer’s brew a good price fetch –

LI QI: His full barn to a good year testifies. The ash-filled gauge shows winter’s solstice near –

LI WEN: And the Wain turns as Yang revivifies. Snow robs the cold hills of their emerald hue –

XIU-YAN: And frost the river’s motion petrifies. Snow settles thickly on sparse willow boughs –

XIANG-YUN: But on dead plantain-leaves less easy lies. Now perfumed coals in precious braziers burn —

BAO-QIN: And heavy furs the girls’ slim shapes disguise. Firelight the mirror by the window catches –

DAI-YU: And burning nard the chamber purifies. Still sobbing through the night the mournful wind –

BAO-YU: Each sleeper’s dreams with sadness sanctifies. Somewhere a melancholy flute is playing –

BAO-CHAI: Whose sad notes with the wind’s plaint harmonize. With groans the Earth Turtle sideways shifts his load –

At this point Li Wan laid down her brush and rose to her feet.

‘I think I’ll just slip out and see about getting some more wine heated. Someone else can take my place.’

Bao-chai took up the writing-brush and called on Bao-qin to complete the couplet; but before she could do so, Xiang-yun had leapt to her feet with two lines of her own:

XIANG-YUN: As dragons brawl, the cloud-wrack liquefies. A lone boat from the lonely shore puts out –Nothing daunted, Bao-qin completed that couplet instead:

BAO-QIN: While from the bridge a horseman waves good-byes. Now warm clothes to the frontier are dispatched –

Xiang-yun would yield to no one; and her invention was so much quicker than anyone else’s, that they were content to let her break the order, and watched with amusement as she returned now, exulting, to the attack:

XIANG-YUN: And wives to distant dear ones send supplies. On still untrodden ways masked pitfalls threaten –

‘That’s a good line!’ said Bao-chai admiringly as she wrote down what Xiang-yun had recited; and she followed with two lines of her own:

BAO-CHAI: In snowbound woods a bough’s creak terrifies. The wind-blown snow around the traveller whirls –

Dai-yu hurriedly followed:

DAI-YU: And clouds of powdery snow at each step rise. Steamed taros makes a good snow-party fare –

She nudged Bao-yu to follow; but Bao-yu was so absorbed in watching the contest that seemed to be developing between Xiang-yun on the one hand and Bao-qin, Bao-chai and Dai-yu on the other, that he was failing to think up lines of his own to follow their half-couplets with. He did the best he could, however, in response to Dai-yu’s nudge:

BAO-YU: The guests on ‘scattered salt’ themes improvise. Now is the woodman’s axe no longer heard –

‘Clear off, you – you’re no good!’ said Xiang-yun, laughing. ‘All you’re doing is getting in other people’s way!’

Her pausing to say this gave Bao-qin an opportunity of cutting in:

BAO-QIN: Yet still his rod the straw-clad fisher plies. Mountains like sleeping elephants appear —

Xiang-yun hurried back into the fray:

XIANG-YUN: A snake-like path the climber’s skill defies. After long cold the trees strange frost-fruits bear –

This evoked admiring murmurs from Bao-chai and the rest. Tan-chun managed to get in a contribution at this point:

TAN-CHUN: Which, bold in beauty, winter’s blasts despise. The hushed yard startles to a cold chough’s chatter —

Xiang-yun was ready at once with two lines to follow, but as she was feeling thirsty, she first stopped to gulp down some tea. In doing so, she lost her turn to Xiu-yan:

XIU-YAN: An old owl wakes the vale with mournful cries. The driving flakes make angles disappear –

Xiang-yun put down her teacup in a hurry, before more ground could be lost:

XIANG-YUN: But dimples on the water’s face incise. In the clear morn how radiant gleams the snow! –

Dai-yu followed:

DAI-YU: How ghostly, as the too short daylight dies! Its cold the Chengs’ disciples could withstand –

Xiang-yun laughed excitedly as she hurried to complete the couplet:

XIANG-YUN: Its promise can a king’s cares exorcise. Who’d lie abed all stiff with cold indoors –

Bao-qin laughed, too, as she followed:

BAO-QIN: When friends invite to red-cheeked exercize? Who o’er the land the merfolk’s silk unrolls? –

Xiang-yun quickly capped this:

XIANG-YUN: Who the white weft from Heaven’s loom unties?

But before she could begin another couplet, Dai-yu slipped in a line of her own:

DAI-YU: Tall tiled pavilions cold and empty stand –

Xiang-yun capped it:

XIANG-YUN: Snug thatch more favour finds in poor men’s eyes.

Bao-qin, concluding that this was now a free-for-all, cut in with the next half-couplet:

BAO-QIN: Ice lumps we thaw and boil to make our tea –

Xiang-yun, having evidently thought of something amusing, began to giggle:

XIANG-YUN: The fuel being damp, they greatly tantalize.

Dai-yu began to giggle too:

DAI-YU: The Zen recluse with non-broom sweeps the ground –

The infection of giggles had now reached Bao-qin:

BAO-QIN: His stringless lute-play still more mystifies.

Xiang-yun was by now so doubled up with laughter that the others could not make out the words of her next line.

‘What?’ they asked her. ‘What was that you said?’

Xiang-yun had to repeat it:

XIANG-YUN: On the stone tower a stork unwatchful sleeps –

Dai-yu was laughing so much that she had to clutch painfully at her chest and the words she recited came out in a laughing shout:

DAI-YU: On the warm mat a cat contented sighs.

All the lines that followed were uttered in rapid succession and to the accompaniment of much laughter.

BAO-QIN: In moonlit caves the silvery water laps –

XIANG-YUN: And red flags flutter against sunset skies.

DAI-YU: Soaked winter plums make the breath fresh and sweet —

‘That’s a good line,’ said Bao-chai. She capped it herself:

BAO-CHAI: And melted snow the wine-fumes neutralize.

BAO-QIN: The stiffened aigrette gradually thaws —

XIANG-YUN: The snow-soaked silken girdle slowly dries.

DAI-YU: The wind has dropped, but snow still wetly falls –

Bao-qin capped this, laughing:

BAO-QIN: And frequent drips the passer-by baptize.

Xiang-yun had collapsed, weak with laughing, upon Bao-chai’s shoulder. The others had long since given up trying to participate and become mere laughing spectators of the three-cornered contest between Xiang-yun, Dai-yu and Bao-qin. Dai-yu urged Xiang-yun to go on.

‘Don’t tell me you’ve run out of inspiration! Surely your famous gift of the gab is still good for a few more lines?’

Bao-chai prodded Xiang-yun, who was now laughing helplessly upon her lap.

‘See if you can exhaust the rhyme, Yun. If you can do that, I shall be really impressed.’

‘This isn’t verse-making,’ said Xiang-yun, raising her head from Bao-chai’s lap, ‘it’s more like a duel to the death!’

‘Well, whose fault is that?’ they asked her, laughing.

Tan-chun, having decided that she would be unlikely to make any further contributions herself, had some time before this taken over the task of amanuensis from Bao-chai. She now pointed out that the poem needed finishing off. Li Wan, who had just arrived back, took the paper from her and embarked on a suitable finishing couplet:

LI WAN: Our verses shall this happy day record –

Her cousin Li Qi completed it:

LI QI: And a wise Emperor loyally eulogize.

‘Now that’s enough,’ said Li Wan. ‘We still haven’t exhausted the rhyme, but if we go on any longer, we shall be tying ourselves up in knots trying to use words that aren’t really suitable.’

They now went over the whole poem from beginning to end and discussed it all in detail. It appeared that Xiang-yun had contributed far more lines than anyone else. The others laughed.

‘It’s because of all that venison you ate!’

‘If we consider quality rather than quantity,’ said Li Wan, ‘I think all the contributions are of about equal merit. Except Bao-yu’s, of course. He goes to the bottom of the list, as usual.’

‘I can’t do Linked Verses, anyway,’ said Bao-yu. ‘You have to make allowances for me.’

‘That’s all very well,’ said Li Wan, smiling, ‘but we can’t make allowances for you at every single meeting. One time you’re in trouble because we have fixed rhymes, another time you fail to turn up altogether, and this time you tell us you “can’t do Linked Verses”. I think this time there really has to be a penalty. I noticed just now that the red plum in Green Bower Hermitage is very fine. I’d like to have broken off a branch to put in a vase, but I find Adamantina such a difficult person that I prefer not to have anything to do with her. The first part of your punishment shall be to get us a branch of that red plum and put it in a vase here where all of us can admire it.’

‘What a delightful penalty!’ said the others. ‘How civilized!’

Bao-yu, too, was delighted with the penalty, but just as he was setting off to perform it, Xiang-yun and Dai-yu simultaneously rose to their feet and detained him.

‘It’s very, very cold outside. Have a cup of hot wine before you go.’

Xiang-yun already had the wine-kettle in her hand. Dai-yu found an extra large cup for her to pour the wine in.

‘There!’ said Xiang-yun, filling it up to the brim. ‘If you come back empty-handed now, after drinking our wine, we shall double the rest of your penalty when you get back!’

Bao-yu quickly drank down the proffered cup of freshly heated wine and walked out into the snow. Li Wan wanted to send a servant out after him, but Dai-yu intervened.

‘I wouldn’t, if I were you. If he has anyone else with him, he won’t be able to get any.’

Knowing Adamantina, Li Wan reflected that this was probably true and nodded. She sent the maids to fetch a large meiping vase with wide shoulders and a very narrow neck to put the plum-blossom in when it arrived.

‘When he comes back, we must compose some red plum poems,’ she said.

‘I can do one now,’ said Bao-qin.

‘Oh no!’ said Bao-chai. ‘We’re not letting you do any more. You’ve already hogged enough turns for today. It’s no fun for the others if they are left with nothing to do. No, it’s Bao-yu’s penalty we’ve got to think about. He said just now that he can’t do Linked Verses. When he comes back we ought to make him do some other kind of verses for us by himself.’

‘Good idea!’ said Dai-yu. ‘And I’ve got another idea. Several people didn’t get sufficient opportunity in the Linked Verses of showing what they can do. I propose that those who contributed least in the Linked Verses should be given the red plum poems to do.’

‘Yes, I agree,’ said Bao-chai. ‘Cousin Xing, Cousin Wen and Cousin Qi were practically crowded out altogether – and they are, after all, our guests. Qin and Yun and you, Frowner, hogged nearly all the turns. This time the rest of us ought to keep out of it and let Cousin Xing and Cousin Wen and Cousin Qi have the floor to themselves.’

‘Qi isn’t very good at making verses,’ said Li Wan. ‘I think you’d better give her place to your cousin Bao-qin.’

This was scarcely what Bao-chai had intended, but she felt herself in no position to dissent.

‘Why don’t we use the words “red plum flower” as rhymes?’ she suggested. ‘Each of the three can do an octet on “Red Plum Flower”, but Cousin Xing can use “red” for her rhyme, Cousin Wen can use “plum” for hers, and Qin can use “flower”.’

‘We seem to be letting off Bao-yu,’ said Li Wan. ‘I can’t agree to that.’

‘Give him a separate theme,’ Xiang-yun suggested.

‘What theme shall we give him?’ the others asked.

‘What about “On Visiting the Nun Adamantina with a Request for Red Plum Blossom”?’ said Xiang-yun. ‘That might be interesting.’

‘Oh yes!’ said the others. ‘That would do splendidly.’

At that very moment the object of their discussion walked in, smiling triumphantly, with a flowering plum-branch in his hand. The maids at once relieved him of it and put it in the waiting vase, while the cousins crowded round them to admire it.

‘I hope you enjoyit, all of you,’ said Bao-yu. ‘It took me enough trouble to get!’

Tan-chun handed him a cup of hot wine to revive him; but first the maids removed his cape and rain-hat and shook the snow off them.

Maids from several different apartments now began arriving with extra clothing for their mistresses. Bao-yu’s Aroma sent him an old surtout lined with fox’s belly-fur. Li Wan made the servants fill three dishes, one with extra large steamed taros, the other two with blood-oranges, yellow Canton oranges and olives, to take back to her.

Xiang-yun now told Bao-yu the title of the poem they wanted him to compose and urged him to begin thinking about it.

‘I will,’ said Bao-yu; ‘but there’s just one thing I would ask of you all: please let me use my own rhymes; please don’t make me do it to set rhymes.’

‘All right,’ said the girls. ‘Use whatever rhymes you like.’

They had been admiring the plum-blossom meanwhile. The vertical part of the branch – the part, that is, which was stuck into the neck of the vase – must have been less than two feet high; but growing at right-angles from the top of it was a side branch which rose and fell in a spreading cascade of blossom all of four feet long. Of the branchlets forming this flowery cascade

some were like writhing serpents, some were like frozen worms; some were as straight and smooth as a writing-brush, some were as densely twigged as a tiny coppice.

As for the blossoms, they had

A colour like the rosy lips of love And scent that made summer’s scents seem uninviting.

While the others were studying the blossoming branch and praising its beauties, Xing Xiu-yan, Li Wen and Bao-qin were busy composing their poems about it and presently began writing them out for the others to inspect.

This is what the others were now able to read:

On a Branch of Red Plum Flower I

Rhyming ‘red’

By Xing Xiu-yan

So brave, so gay they bloom in winter’s cold, Before the fragrant peach and almond red; Like rosy clouds that clothe the springtime slopes Of Yu-ling, where my dream-soul oft has sped. Each little lamp in its green calyx lies Like drunken snow-sprite on a rainbow bed. Yet do these flowers, of hue so rich and rare, Reckless, in ice and snow their charms outspread.

II

Rhyming ‘plum’

By Li Wen

What richness blooms before my drunken eyes?’Tis not the white I sing, but the red plum. See, its pale cheeks are streaked with blood-red tears, Even though its bitter heart with cold is numb. No flower this, but a fairy maid transformed And here transplanted from Elysium! In this bleak North it makes such brave display, I’ll tell the bees that spring’s already come.

III

Rhyming ‘flower’

By Xue Bao-qin

Like spendthrift youths in spring’s new fashions dressed, Its bare thin branches burst in glorious flower. Snow no more falls, but a bright rosy cloud Tints hills and streams in one long sunset hour. Through this red flood my dream-boat makes its way, While flutes sound chill from many a maiden’s bower. Sure from no earthly stock this beauty came, But trees immortal round the Fairy Tower.

They read these poems with smiles of pleasure. There were words of praise for all three of them; but Bao-qin’s, they finally agreed, was the best of the three. Bao-yu, realizing that she was the youngest present, was greatly impressed. Dai-yu and Xiang-yun between them poured out a tiny cupful of wine and offered it to her in celebration of her victory.

‘All three were equally good,’ said Bao-chai deprecatingly. ‘It was you two who in the past were always fooling me that my poems were the best. Now, it appears, you’ve found someone else to fool.’

‘What about you?’ Li Wan asked Bao-yu. ‘Is yours ready yet?’

‘I did have one ready,’ said Bao-yu, ‘but these three are so much better that reading them has made me nervous and put it completely out of my mind. You’ll have to give me a bit longer while I think up another.’

Xiang-yun picked up one of a pair of large bronze chopsticks used as tongs for feeding the stove with and beat a preliminary tattoo with it on her metal hand-warmer.

‘I’ll drum for you,’ she said. ‘If you can’t produce something each time the drumming stops, we’ll double your penalty.’

‘I think I’ve got something,’ said Bao-yu.

Dai-yu picked up a writing-brush.

‘I’ll write it down for you while you recite it,’ she said.

Xiang-yun struck up a tattoo.

‘Right!’ she said presently, as she stopped her drumming. ‘End of first round.’

‘Yes, I’ve got something,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Get ready to write.’

‘Wine not yet broached nor verses yet composed – ’

Dai-yu wrote down the words, shaking her head as she did so.

‘That’s a very indifferent beginning.’

‘Come on!’ said Xiang-yun. ‘Hurry!’

Bao-yu continued:

‘In quest of spring I sped to Elysium –

Dai-yu and Xiang-yun nodded.

‘Hmn. Not bad.’

Bao-yu went on:

‘’Twas not the balm from Guanyin’s vase I craved

Across that threshold, but her flowering plum –’

Dai-yu shook her head again as she wrote this down.

‘That’s a bit contrived, isn’t it?’

Xiang-yun began another tattoo on the hand-warmer. When she finished, Bao-yu continued at once:

‘A frozen worldling, for red flowers I begged; The saint cut fragrant clouds and gave me some. Pity my verse so angular and thin, For convent snow has soaked it to the skin!’

As soon as Dai-yu had finished writing this down, Xiang-yun and the rest began a critical discussion of the whole poem. They were still in the midst of this when a little maid dashed in to announce that Grandmother Jia was approaching. Bao-yu and the girls hurried out, laughing and chattering, to welcome her.

‘She must be feeling in good spirits,’ they said, ‘to come out in the snow like this.’

Grandmother Jia was still quite a way off when they saw her. She was sitting in a little bamboo carrying-chair and holding a green silk umbrella over herself. A large cape and squirrel-lined hood almost completely enveloped her. Faithful, Amber and three or four other maids, all carrying their own umbrellas, formed a little escort around the chair and its bearers. Li Wan and the others would have gone out into the snow to meet her, but Grandmother Jia called out to them to stay where they were.

‘Wait there under cover. I’ll come over to you.’

‘I’ve given Feng and your Aunt Wang the slip,’ she told them, chuckling mischievously, when the chair had reached them and they were helping her out of it. ‘It’s all right for me, going out in all this snow, because I’m sitting in this thing; but I didn’t want them trudging along in the snow beside me, getting cold and miserable.’

Some of them relieved her of her snow-clothes while others supported her on either side and conducted her into the room where the heated kang was.

‘What pretty plum-blossom!’ she said as they entered it. ‘You children certainly know how to enjoy yourselves. I feel quite angry with you for not inviting me!’

Li Wan made the servants bring in a big wolfskin rug and spread it out in the middle of the kang for Grandmother Jia to sit on.

‘Now you just all go on enjoying yourselves exactly as you were before I came,’ said the old lady when she had settled herself on the rug. ‘I daren’t sleep after lunch at this time of year, because the days are so short. I had a little game of dominoes instead; then I started wondering what you were all up to and thought I would come over and join you.’

Li Wan handed her a hand-warmer while Tan-chun fetched a winecup and a pair of chopsticks, poured out a cup of warm wine, and offered it to her with both her hands. Grandmother Jia accepted it from her and sipped the wine.

‘What have you got in that dish over there?’ she asked them.

‘Pickled quails,’ said one of the cousins, bringing the dish over for her inspection.

‘That will do very nicely,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Tear off a little leg for me, will you?’

Li Wan called for water, and having first washed her hands, performed the operation for her in person.

‘Now I want you all to sit down again and go on talking,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘It does me good to hear you. – You too,’ she said to Li Wan. ‘You’re to sit down as well. I want you to behave exactly as if I hadn’t come. Otherwise I shall go away again.’

At this the others resumed their former places – all except Li Wan, who took the lowest place, farthest away from Grandmother Jia.

‘What have you been doing to amuse yourselves?’ the old lady asked them.

‘We were making up poems,’ they said.

‘You ought to make up some lantern riddles,’ said Grandmother Jia, ‘then you’ll be ready for the Lantern Festival when it comes.’

The others agreed to change over to riddle-making. For a while there was general conversation interspersed with jokes and laughter; but the old lady quickly became restless.

‘This is rather a damp place here, isn’t it?’ she said. ‘You don’t want to sit here too long or you’ll be catching colds. I think Xi-chun’s room is warmer than this. Why don’t we go and see how she’s getting on with the painting – see if she’ll be able to finish it in time for New Year?’

‘New Year?’ said the others, laughing. ‘You’ll be lucky if she finishes it by midsummer!’

‘Good gracious, that won’t do!’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘She’s taking longer to paint this Garden than the workmen took to build it!’

Soon she was enthroned once more in the bamboo carrying-chair and the others tramped after her through the snow on their way to Lotus Pavilion. Passing by the pavilion itself, they entered an alley-way which had roofed gateways at either end. These had inscribed stone slabs built into them underneath the eaves on both the inward-facing and outward-facing sides. The gateway at the western end of the alley-way, which was the one they were entering, had

THROUGH THE CLOUD

inscribed on its outer face and

ACROSS THE MOON

on its inner one. Half-way along the left-hand side of the alley-way they came to the main entrance to the courtyard of Xichun’s Spring In Winter room, which was both her living-quarters and the place where she worked on the painting. The bearers turned into this and put the chair down just inside it for Grandmother Jia to get out. Xi-chun was already waiting there to welcome her and conducted them all through the covered way which ran round the sides of the courtyard from the gateway to her living quarters at the back. A framed board hanging underneath the eaves announced the name of the building:

SPRING IN WINTER.

Servants held up the red felt portière for them as they approached its doorway. They could feel the hot air fanning their cheeks as they entered it.

Grandmother Jia tackled Xi-chun as soon as they were inside, not even waiting to sit down.

‘What’s happened to the painting?’

‘The glue gets tacky in this cold weather,’ said Xi-chun. ‘It stops the paint from going on properly. I’ve put the painting away because I was afraid it might get spoiled.’

Grandmother Jia brushed aside this excuse with a dismissive laugh.

‘I want that painting ready by the end of the year. Don’t be so lazy! Fetch it out at once and get on with it, my girl!’

Just then a smiling Xi-feng made her appearance. A purplish woollen gabardine was thrown loosely over her shoulders.

‘You’ve led me a fine dance,’ she grumbled, ‘sneaking off on your own like this!’

The old lady was delighted to see her.

‘I didn’t want you all catching colds; that’s why I told them not to let you know I was going out. I suppose I ought to have realized that that sharp little nose of yours would soon ferret me out again. You mustn’t think you are being dutiful in tracking me down like this.’

‘Being dutiful!’ said Xi-feng. ‘That’s not at all the reason why I came out to look for you. Just now when I went round to your apartment I found it all deathly quiet, and it was quite clear from the maids’ answers, when I tried to find out where you had gone, that they didn’t want me to go into the Garden to look for you. That aroused my suspicions; and when a moment later a couple of nuns appeared on the scene, my suspicions were confirmed: I realized that they must have come to make their annual collection for some charity or other and that my dear, saintly Grannie, who no doubt has rather a lot of subscriptions to pay out at this time of year, had gone into hiding to avoid them. I asked the nuns, and sure enough it was for your annual subscription that they had come. I paid it for you myself. So now your creditors have gone, you can come out of hiding. You ought to be getting back now in any case. You’ve got some nice, tender pheasant for dinner and if you leave it much longer it will spoil.’

All this was spoken, of course, to the accompaniment of much laughter from the others. Before Grandmother Jia could say anything in reply, Xi-feng had ordered the bearers to bring up the bamboo carrying-chair and Grandmother Jia, in laughing acquiescence, took Xi-feng’s hand, got back into it, and was at once lifted up and whisked away by the bearers. The others followed after, chattering and laughing as they went.

As they emerged from the east end of the alley-way into the silvery snowscape of the Garden, they could see Bao-qin, identifiable by the glossy green mallard-cape, standing a long way off behind the shoulder of a little hill, waiting for the rest of them to arrive. A maid, hugging a large vase with a branch of red plum in it, was standing behind her.

‘So there she is!’ said the others. ‘We thought there seemed to be two of us missing. And she’s got herself some plum-blossom, as well.’

Grandmother Jia smiled proprietorially at the distant figure.

‘What does that remind you all of, seeing her there on that snowy bank, wearing a cape like that and with the spray of plum-blossom behind her?’

‘Why,’ they said, ‘it’s like that painting by Qiu Ying you have hanging in your room: “The Beauty of the Snow”.’

Grandmother Jia shook her head.

‘No, the girl in that picture isn’t wearing a cape like that – and she isn’t half as pretty as Qin, either.’

Just at that moment a third figure, previously invisible, stepped out from behind Bao-qin’s back. Whoever it was was wearing a red felt snow-cape.

‘Which of the girls is that?’ said Grandmother Jia.

‘There aren’t any more girls; we’re all here,’ said the others laughing. ‘That’s Bao-yu.’

‘My eyes are getting worse and worse,’ said Grandmother Jia.

Soon they had caught up with the three figures on the hill and she could see that it was indeed Bao-yu whom she had failed to recognize with Bao-qin and the maid.

‘I’ve been over to Green Bower Hermitage again,’ Bao-yu told the girls. ‘Adamantina ended up by giving me a branch of plum-blossom for each of you. I’ve just been arranging to have them delivered to your rooms.’

The others thanked him for his kindness.

Talking as they went, they presently passed through the gate of the Garden and accompanied Grandmother Jia back to her apartment. After dinner, while they were still sitting there in conversation, Aunt Xue arrived.

‘What a heavy fall of snow!’ she said. ‘I haven’t been able to come over and see you all day long. You ought to go out and have a look at it, Lady Jia, if you are feeling low. It would do you good.’

‘Who said I was feeling low?’ said Grandmother Jia with some amusement. ‘I’ve only just got back from visiting the children. I’ve been having a fine old time!’

‘Oh?’ said Aunt Xue. ‘Yesterday evening I was intending to ask if my sister and I could have the use of the Garden today so that we might arrange a little snow-viewing party for you, but you’d already gone to bed, and Bao-chai said that you were feeling out of sorts, so I thought I’d better not bother you. If I’d known differently, I’d have come round this morning and invited you.’

‘We’re only just into the eleventh month,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘There’ll be plenty more snow yet and plenty more opportunities for taking advantage of your kind offer.’

‘I do hope so,’ said Aunt Xue. ‘It’s something I should very much like to do for you.’

‘Isn’t there a danger you might forget, Aunt?’ said Xi-feng. ‘Why not weigh out fifty taels now and leave them with me? Then next time it snows, I can get it all ready for you. That would save you the trouble of arranging it yourself and also avoid the danger of your forgetting.’

‘In that case you and I might just as well split the money between us,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Next time it snows, all I have to do is say that I’m feeling out of sorts, and you won’t have to do anything at all. That way Mrs Xue will have even less trouble, while you and I will each of us have twenty-five taels clear profit.’

Xi-feng clapped her hands delightedly.

‘What a wonderful idea! Why didn’t I think of it myself?’

The others laughed.

‘Shameless hussy!’ said Grandmother Jia, laughing with the rest. ‘You’re like the monkey on the pole: give you an inch and you take an ell. What you ought to have said is: “No, Aunt, you are our guest. Since you honour us by staying in our house, it is we who should be inviting you. We can’t allow you to go spending money on us.” That’s what you ough to have said; not asked your poor aunt for fifty taels. Whoever heard of such a thing!’

‘She’s a canny old lady, this Grandma of ours,’ Xi-feng explained to Aunt Xue. ‘She watches you first to see if you’ll weaken or not. If you’d weakened and coughed up the fifty taels, she’d have been quite willing to go halves with me and pocket twenty-five of them herself; but having gauged that you probably won’t, she adopts a holier-than-thou attitude and makes an example of me, even though she was the one who suggested it. All right, all right. I’ll pay for the whole party myself, and when Grandma arrives, I’ll have fifty taels out of my own savings wrapped up all ready to give her as a present. That shall be my punishment for having opened my big mouth and occupied myself with other people’s affairs.’

Bao-yu and the girls were by this time rolling about on the kang.

Presently, when the conversation got round to what a beautiful picture Bao-qin had made standing in the snow with the spray of plum-blossom behind her, Grandmother Jia began inquiring about her parentage and the exact day and hour of her birth. Aunt Xue guessed that she was considering her as a possible match for Bao-yu. She would have been glad enough to go along with this had not Bao-qin already been promised to the Meis; however, since Grandmother Jia had not asked her outright, she could do no more than hint at a prior attachment.

‘She’s been very unlucky, poor child. The year before last her father died quite suddenly. She used to go with him everywhere on his travels, so she has seen a great deal of the world for one so young. Her father was a great one for combining business with pleasure. He always took the family with him when he went away on business. They would spend perhaps a whole year in one province, seeing all the sights; then the next six months they might spend travelling around in another. At one time and another they must have covered well over half the provinces of the Empire in that way. While he was on one of his trips to the capital, he promised her to Academician Mei’s boy, but unfortunately it was in the year after that that he died, so nothing could be done about it. And now her poor mother has gone down with a consumption …’

Xi-feng interrupted, sighing and stamping her foot in an exaggerated display of disappointment.

‘Oh, what a shame! I was just going to offer my services as a match-maker, but it seems that she’s already betrothed.’

‘Who did you have in mind?’ Grandmother Jia asked her.

‘Never you mind!’ said Xi-feng. ‘I’m sure they would have made a very good pair; but since she’s already got someone else, there doesn’t seem any point in discussing it.’

Grandmother Jia knew very well whom Xi-feng had in mind, but hearing that Bao-qin was already spoken for, she dropped the subject and made no further mention of it.

The company talked for a while longer before breaking up; but of the rest of that day and the night which followed our narrative supplies no account.

Next day the snow had cleared. After lunch Grandmother Jia told Xi-chun that, cold or no cold, she must get on with the painting as quickly as possible.

‘If you really can’t get it finished by the end of the year,’ she said, ‘it doesn’t matter. But what you must do is get Bao-qin with the maid and the branch of plum-blossom into it. I want you to do that straight away; and they are to be painted exactly as they looked when we saw them on that bank yesterday’

Xi-chun said that she would, though miserably aware that she would find doing so extremely difficult. Later, when the others went round to her place to see how she was getting on, she was pondering gloomily over this latest problem. Li Wan somewhat heartlessly proposed that they should leave her to her own thoughts and carry on their conversation without her.

‘When we got back from Grandmother’s last night,’ she said, ‘Qi and Wen and I were unable to get to sleep, so we lay in bed making up riddles. I made up two using quotations from the Four Books and the other two each made up one.’

‘Ah yes, that’s what we all ought to be doing,’ said the others. ‘Tell us your four first and we’ll try to guess the answers.’

‘Guan-yin lacks a biography,’ said Li Wan. ‘The answer is a phrase from the Four Books.’

‘Resting in the highest good,’

Xiang-yun promptly suggested.

‘What’s that got to do with “biography”?’ said Bao-chai.

‘Try again,’ said Li Wan.

‘I know,’ said Dai-yu. ‘Isn’t it

… though good, yet having no memorial?’

‘Ah yes, that must be it,’ said the others.

‘What is the green plant that grows in the water?’ said Li Wan.

‘That just has to be

‘It is a fast-growing rush,’

said Xiang-yun. ‘I don’t see how that could be wrong.’

‘Good for you!’ said Li Wan. ‘Now here is Wen’s riddle:

Beside the rocks the water runs cold.

It’s the name of an historical person.’

‘That must be “Shan Tao”,’ said Tan-chun. ‘His surname means “mountain” – that’s the “rocks” – and “Tao” means “billows”.’

‘Right,’ said Li Wan. ‘Now Qi’s riddle is just a single word:

Firefly

The answer is a single word, too.’

They all puzzled for a long time over this without being able to think of any answer. It was Bao-qin who finally came up with the solution.

‘Yes, I see. It’s rather involved. The answer is “flower” isn’t it? – I mean the flower that grows.’

Li Qi acknowledged smilingly that this was correct.

‘What has “flower” got to do with “firefly”?’ the others asked her.

Bao-qin explained:

‘In the Record of Rites it says

Corrupt grass by transmutation breedeth fireflies.

Now the character for “flower” is written with “grass” at the top and “change” – or, if you like, “transmutation” – underneath. So “corrupt grass by transmutation” – which, according to the Rites, produces fireflies – makes the character for “flower”.’

The others laughingly acknowledged that the riddle was an ingenious one.

‘All four of these riddles are very good,’ said Bao-chai, ‘but I don’t think they are quite the sort of thing that Lady Jia had in mind. I think we ought to make up some about fairly easy, everyday objects, so that those of us who aren’t quite so learned can enjoy them as well.’

Xiang-yun thought for a bit.

‘I’ve got one,’ she said presently. ‘It’s in the form of a “Ruby Lips” stanza:

‘Far away From the high fell Where I used to dwell Amidst men I play. But for what gain? My labour’s vain; My tale is hard to tell.’

No one was able to make out what this could be. After puzzling for a long time, they produced a number of different guesses. Someone thought it was ‘a monk’; someone else thought it was ‘a Taoist’; a third person suggested that it might be ‘a marionette player’.

‘You’re all wrong,’ said Bao-yu, who had been grinning silently to himself while the others guessed. ‘I’ve thought of the answer. It’s “a performing monkey”.’

‘That’s it,’ said Xiang-yun.

‘We can understand the first part all right,’ said the others; ‘but what about the last line? What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘Have you ever seen a performing monkey that hadn’t had its tail docked?’ said Xiang-yun.

Groans and laughter.

‘Trust Yun’s to have a frightful pun in it – as if the riddle wasn’t hard enough already!’

‘Mrs Xue was telling us yesterday that you’ve travelled a lot and been to all sorts of interesting places,’ Li Wan said to Bao-qin. ‘With so much material you ought to be just the person for making up riddles – especially as you’re so good at verse-making as well. Why don’t you make up a few, and the rest of us will try to guess them?’

Bao-qin said nothing, but smiled and nodded, and at once went off into a corner to think.

Bao-chai had now composed a riddle, too, and recited it for them to try and guess while Bao-qin was doing her thinking.

‘Tier upon compact tier of fragrant wood: No craftsman’s hand could carve one half so well. A gale blows all about the temple’s eaves, Yet, though it shakes, no sound comes from my bell.’1

While the others were still trying to guess the answer to this, Bao-yu recited one that he had just completed himself:

’Twixt heaven and earth amidst the clouds so high Bamboo gives warning to the passer-by. Eyes strain some feathered traveller to descry Who’ll bear my answer back into the sky.’

Dai-yu also had one ready, and proceeded to recite it to them:

‘See my little prancing steed! Of silken rein he has no need. Round the city wall he goes, Wreaking havoc on his foes. At his master’s touch he moves With thunder of advancing hooves. In isles by tortoises supported His deeds are honourably reported.’

Tan-chun, too had composed a riddle, but as she was on the point of reciting it, Bao-qin came back from her corner to announce that she had finished.

‘I’ve been visiting places of historical interest ever since I was little,’ she said, ‘so I really have seen quite a lot. What I’ve done now is to choose ten of them, mostly associated with some famous person or other, and make up a poem about each one. The verses themselves may sound rather like doggerel, but the point about them is that, as well as commemorating these famous places and people, each of them contains hidden references to some common object which you have to guess.’

‘Ah, that sounds very ingenious!’ they said. But why not write them down, so that we can take our time thinking about them?’

What happened next will be related in the following chapter.