第七十八回
第七十八回 老学士闲征姽词 痴公子杜撰芙蓉诔
话说两个尼姑领了芳官等去后，王夫人便往贾母处来省晨，见贾母喜欢，便趁便回道：“宝玉屋里有个晴雯，那个丫头也大了，而且一年之间，病不离身；我常见他比别人分外淘气，也懒；前日又病倒了十几天，叫大夫瞧，说是女儿痨[2]，所以我就赶着叫他下去了。若养好了也不用叫他进来，就赏他家配人去也罢了。再那几个学戏的女孩子，我也作主放出去了。一则他们都会戏，口里没轻没重，只会混说〔一〕，女孩儿们听了如何使得？二则他们既唱了会子戏，白放了他们，也是应该的。况丫头们也太多，若说不够使，再挑上几个来也是一样。”贾母听了，点头道：“这倒是正理，我也正想着如此呢。但晴雯那丫头我看他甚好，怎么就这样起来。我的意思，这些丫头的模样爽利言谈针线多不及他，将来只他还可以给宝玉使唤得。谁知变了。”
王夫人笑道：“老太太挑中的人原不错。只是他命里没造化，所以得了这个病。俗语又说‘女大十八变’。况且有了本事的人，未免就有些调歪。老太太还有什么不曾经验过的。三年前我也就留心这件事。先只取中了他，我便留心。冷眼看去，他色色虽比人强，只是不大沉重。若说沉重知大礼，莫若袭人第一。虽说贤妻美妾，然也要性情和顺举止沉重的更好些。就是袭人模样虽比晴雯略次一等，然放在房里，也算是一二等的了。况且行事大方，心地老实，这几年来，从未逢迎着宝玉淘气。凡〔二〕宝玉十分胡闹的事，他只有死劝的。因此品择了二年，一点不错了，我就悄悄的把他丫头的月分钱止住，我的月分银子里批出二两银子来给他。不过使他自己知道越发小心效好之意。且不明说者，一则宝玉年纪尚小，老爷知道了又恐说耽误了书；二则宝玉再自为已是跟前的人不敢劝他说他，反倒纵性起来。所以直到今日才回明老太太。”
贾母听了，笑道：“原来这样，如此更好了。袭人本来从小儿不言不语，我只说他是没嘴的葫芦。既是你深知，岂有大错误的。而且你这不明说〔三〕与宝玉的主意更好。且大家别提这事，只是心里知道罢了。我深知宝玉将来也是个不听妻妾劝的。我也解不过来，也从未见过这样的孩子。别的淘气都是应该的，只他这种和丫头们好却是难懂。我为此也耽心，每每的冷眼查看他。只和丫头们闹，必是人大心大，知道男女的事了，所以爱亲近他们。既细细查试，究竟不是为此。岂不奇怪。想必原是个丫头错投了胎不成。”说着，大家笑了。王夫人又回今日贾政如何夸奖，又如何带他们逛去，贾母听了，更加喜悦。
一时，只见迎春妆扮了前来告辞过去。凤姐也来省晨，伺候过早饭，又说笑了一回。贾母歇晌后，王夫人便唤了凤姐，问他丸药可曾配来。凤姐儿道：“还不曾呢，如今还是吃汤药。太太只管放心，我已大好了。”王夫人见他精神复初，也就信了。因告诉撵逐晴雯等事，又说：“怎么宝丫头私自回家睡了，你们都不知道？我前儿顺路都查了一查。谁知兰小子这一个新进来的奶子也十分的妖乔，我也不喜欢他。我也说与你嫂子了，好不好叫他各自去罢。况且兰小子也大了，用不着奶子了。我因问你大嫂子：‘宝丫头出去难道你也不知道不成？’他说是告诉了他的，不过住两三日，等你姨妈好了就进来。姨妈究竟没甚大病，不过还是咳嗽腰疼，年年是如此的。他这去必有原故，敢是有人得罪了他不成？那孩子心重，亲戚们住一场，别得罪了人，反不好了。”
凤姐笑道：“谁可好好的得罪着他？况且他天天在园里，左不过是他们姊妹那一群人。”王夫人道：“别是宝玉有嘴无心，傻子似的从没个忌讳，高兴了信嘴胡说也是有的。”凤姐笑道：“这可是太太过于操心了。若说他出去干正经事说正经话去，却像个傻子；若只叫进来在这些姊妹跟前以至于大小的丫头们跟前，他最有尽让，又恐怕得罪了人，那是再不得有人恼他的。我想薛妹妹出去，想必为着前时搜检众丫头的东西的原故。他自然为信不及园里的人才搜检，他又是亲戚，现也有丫头老婆在内，我们又不好去搜检，恐我们疑他，所以多了这个心，自己回避了。也是应该避嫌疑的。”
王夫人听了这话不错，自己遂低头〔四〕想了一想，便命人请了宝钗来分晰前日的事以解他疑心，又仍命他进来照旧居住。宝钗陪笑道：“我原要早出去的，只是姨娘有许多的大事，所以不便来说。可巧前日妈又不好了，家里两个靠得的女人也病着，我所以趁便出去了。姨娘今日既已知道了，我正好明讲出情理来，就从今日辞了好搬东西的。”
王夫人凤姐都笑着：“你太固执了。正经再搬进来为是，休为没要紧的事反疏远了亲戚。”宝钗笑道：“这话说的太不解了，并没为什么事我出去。我为的是妈近来神思比先大减，而且夜间晚上没有得靠的人，通共只我一个。二则如今我哥哥眼看要娶嫂子，多少针线活计并家里一切动用的器皿，尚有未齐备的，我也须得帮着妈去料理料理。姨妈和凤姐姐都知道我们家的事，不是我撒谎。三则自我在园里，东南上小角门子就常开着，原是为我走的，保不住出入的人就图省路也从那里走，又没人盘查，设若从那里生出一件事来，岂不两碍脸面。而且我进园里来住原不是什么大事，因前几年年纪皆小，且家里没事，有在外头的，不如进来姊妹相共，或作针线，或玩笑，皆比在外头闷坐着好，如今彼此都大了，也彼此皆有事。况姨娘这边历年皆遇不遂心的事故，那园子也太大，一时照顾不到，皆有关系，惟有少几个人，就可以少操些心。所以今日不但我执意辞去，此外还要劝姨娘如今该减些的就减些，也不为失了大家的体统。据我看，园里这一项费用也竟可以免的，说不得当日的话。姨娘深知我家的，难道我们家当日也是这样冷落不成。”凤姐听了这篇话，便向王夫人笑道：“这话竟是，不必强他了。”王夫人点头道：“我也无可回答，只好随你便罢了。”
说话之间，只见宝玉等已回来，因说他父亲还未散，恐天黑了，所以先叫我们回来了。王夫人忙问：“今日可有丢了丑？”宝玉笑道：“不但不丢丑，倒拐了许多东西来。”接着，就有老婆子们从二门上小厮手内接了东西来。王夫人一看时，只见扇子三把，扇坠三个，笔墨共六匣，香珠三串，玉绦环三个。宝玉说道：“这是梅翰林送的，那是杨侍郎送的，这是李员外送的，每人一分。”说着，又向怀中取出一个旃檀香小护身佛来，说：“这是庆国公单给我的。”
王夫人又问在席何人、作何诗词等语毕，只将宝玉一分令人拿着，同宝玉兰环前来见过贾母。贾母看了，喜欢不尽，不免又问些话。无奈宝玉一心记着晴雯，答应完了话时，便说骑马颠了，骨头疼。贾母便说：“快回房去换了衣服，疏散疏散就好了，不许睡倒。”宝玉听了，便忙入园来。
当下麝月秋纹已带了两个丫头来等候，见宝玉辞了贾母出来，秋纹便将笔墨拿起来，一同随宝玉进园来。宝玉满口里说“好热”，一壁走，一壁便摘冠解带，将外面的大衣服都脱下来麝月拿着，只穿着一件松花绫子夹袄，袄内露出血点般大红裤子来。秋纹见这条红裤是晴雯手内针线，因叹道：“这条裤子以后收了罢，真是物件在人去了。”麝月忙也笑道：“这是晴雯的针线。”又叹道：“真真物在人亡了！”秋纹将麝月拉了一把，笑道：“这裤子配着松花色袄儿、石青靴子，越显出这靛青的头，雪白的脸来了。”
宝玉在前只装听不见，又走了两步，便止步道：“我要走一走，这怎么好？”麝月道：“大白日里，还怕什么？还怕丢了你不成！”因命两个小丫头跟着，“我们送了这些东西去再来。”宝玉道：“好姐姐，等一等我再去。”麝月道：“我们去了就来。两个人手里都有东西，倒像摆执事的，一个捧着文房四宝，一个捧着冠袍带履，成个什么样子。”宝玉听见，正中心怀，便让他两个去了。
他便带了两个小丫头到一石后，也不怎么样，只问他二人道：“自我去了，你袭人姐姐打发人瞧晴雯姐姐去了不曾？”这一个答道：“打发宋妈妈瞧去了。”宝玉道：“回来说什么？”小丫头道：“回来说晴雯姐姐直着脖子叫了一夜，今日早起就闭了眼，住了口，世事不知，也出不得一声儿，只有倒气的分儿了。”宝玉忙道：“一夜叫的是谁？”小丫头子说：“一夜叫的是娘。”宝玉拭泪道：“还叫谁？”小丫头子道：“没有听见叫别人了。”宝玉道：“你糊涂，想必没有听真。”
旁边那一个小丫头最伶俐，听宝玉如此说，便上来说：“真个他糊涂。”又向宝玉道：“不但我听得真切，我还亲自偷着看去的。”宝玉听说，忙问：“你怎么又亲自看去？”小丫头道：“我因想晴雯姐姐素日与别人不同，待我们极好。如今他虽受了委屈出去，我们不能别的法子救他，只亲去瞧瞧，也不枉素日疼我们一场。就是人知道了回了太太，打我们一顿，也是愿受的。所以我拚着挨一顿打，偷着下去瞧了一瞧。谁知他平生为人聪明，至死不变。他因想着那起俗人不可说话，所以只闭眼养神，见我去了便睁开眼，拉我的手问：‘宝玉那去了？’我告诉他实情。他叹了一口气说：‘不能见了。’我就说：‘姐姐何不等一等他回来见一面，岂不两完心愿？’他就笑道：‘你们还不知道。我不是死，如今天上少了一位花神，玉皇敕命我去司主。我如今在未正二刻到任司花，宝玉须待未正三刻才到家，只少得一刻的工夫，不能见面。世上凡该死之人阎王勾取了过去，是差些小鬼来捉人魂魄。若要迟延一时半刻，不过烧些纸钱浇些浆饭，那鬼只顾抢钱去了，该死的人就可多待些个工夫。我这如今是有天上的神仙来召请，岂可捱得时刻！’我听了这话，竟不大信，及进来到房里留神看时辰表时，果然是未正二刻他咽了气，正三刻上就有人来叫我们，说你来了。这时候倒都对合。”
宝玉忙道：“你不识字看书，所以不知道。这原是有的，不但花有一个神，一样花有一位神之外还有总花神。但他不知是作总花神去了，还是单管一样花的神？”这丫头听了，一时诌不出来。恰好这是八月时节，园中池上芙蓉正开。这丫头便见景生情，忙答道：“我也曾问他是管什么花的神，告诉我们日后也好供养的。他说：‘天机不可泄漏。你既这样虔诚，我只告诉你，你只可告诉宝玉一人。除他之外若泄了天机，五雷就来轰顶的。’他就告诉我说，他就是专管这芙蓉花的。”
宝玉听了这话，不但不为怪，亦且去悲而生喜，乃指芙蓉笑道：“此花也须得这样一个人去司掌。我就料定他那样的〔五〕人必有一番事业做的。虽然超出苦海，从此不能相见，也免不得伤感思念。”因又想：“虽然临终未见，如今且去灵前一拜，也算尽这〔六〕五六年的情常。”
想毕忙至房中，又另穿戴了，只说去看黛玉，遂一人出园来，往前次之处去〔七〕，意为停柩在内。谁知他哥嫂见他一咽气便回了进去，希图早些得几两发送例银。王夫人闻知，便命赏了十两烧埋银子。又命：“即刻送到外头焚化了罢。女儿痨死的，断不可留！”他哥嫂听了这话，一面得银，一面就雇了人来入殓，抬往城外化人场[10]上去了。剩的衣履簪环，约有三四百金之数，他兄嫂自收了为后日之计。二人将门锁上，一同送殡去未回。宝玉走来扑了个空。
宝玉自立了半天，别无法儿，只得复身进入园中。待回至房中，甚觉无味，因乃顺路来找黛玉。偏黛玉不在房中，问其何往，丫鬟们回说：“往宝姑娘那里去了。”宝玉又至蘅芜苑中，只见寂静无人，房内搬的空空落落的，不觉吃一大惊。忽见几个老婆子走来，宝玉忙问这是什么原故。老婆子道：“宝姑娘出去了。这里交我们看着，还没有搬清楚。我们帮着送了些东西去，这也就完了。你老人家请出去罢，让我们扫扫灰尘也好，从此你老人家省跑这一处的腿子了。”
宝玉听了，怔了半天，因看着那院中的香藤异蔓，仍是翠翠青青，忽比昨日好似改作凄凉了一般，更又添了伤感。默默出来，又见门外的一条翠樾埭[11]上也半日无人来往，不似当日各处房中丫鬟不约而来者络绎不绝。又俯身看那埭下之水，仍是溶溶脉脉的流将过去。心下因想：“天地间竟有这样无情的事！”悲感一番，忽又想到去了司棋、入画、芳官等五个；死了晴雯；今又去了宝钗等一处；迎春虽尚未去，然连日也不见回来，且接连有媒人来求亲：大约园中之人不久都要散的了。纵生烦恼，也无济于事。不如还是找黛玉去相伴一日，回来还是和袭人厮混，只这两三个人，只怕还是同死同归的。想毕，仍往潇湘馆来，偏黛玉尚未回来。宝玉想亦当出去候送才是，无奈不忍悲感，还是不去的是，遂又垂头丧气的回来。
正在不知所以之际，忽见王夫人的丫头进来找他说：“老爷回来了，找你呢，又得了好题目来了。快走，快走。”宝玉听了，只得跟了出来。到王夫人房中，他父亲已出去了。王夫人命人送宝玉至书房中。
彼时贾政正与众幕友们谈论寻秋之胜，又说：“快散时忽然谈及一事，最是千古佳谈，‘风流隽逸，忠义慷慨’八字皆备，倒是个好题目，大家要作一首挽词。”众幕宾听了，都忙请教系何等妙事。
贾政乃道：“当日曾有一位王封曰恒王，出镇青州。这恒王最喜女色，且公馀好武，因选了许多美女，日习武事。每公馀辄开宴连日，令众美女习战斗攻拔之事。其姬中有姓林行四者，姿色既冠，且武艺更精，皆呼为林四娘[12]。恒王最得意，遂超拔林四娘统辖诸姬，又呼为‘姽将军’。”众清客都称“妙极神奇。竟以‘姽’下加‘将军’二字，反更觉妩媚风流，真绝世奇文也。想这恒王也是千古第一风流人物了。”贾政笑道：“这话自然是如此，但更有可奇可叹之事。”众清客都愕然惊问道：“不知底下有何奇事？”贾政道：“谁知次年便有‘黄巾’‘赤眉’[13]一干流贼馀党复又乌合，抢掠山左一带。恒王意为犬羊之恶，不足大举，因轻骑前剿。不意贼众颇有诡谲智术，两战不胜，恒王遂为众贼所戮。于是青州城内文武官员，各各皆谓‘王尚不胜，你我何为！’遂将有献城之举。林四娘得闻凶报，遂集聚众〔八〕女将，发令说道：‘你我皆向蒙王恩，戴天履地，不能报其万一。今王既殒身国事，我意亦当殒身于王。尔等有愿随者，即时同我前往；有不愿者，亦早各散。’众女将听他这样，都一齐说愿意。于是林四娘带领众人连夜出城，直杀至贼营里头。众贼不防，也被斩戮了几员首贼。然后大家见是不过几个女人，料不能济事，遂回戈倒兵，奋力一阵，把林四娘等〔九〕一个不曾留下，倒作成了这林四娘的一片忠义之志。后来报至中都，自天子以至百官，无不惊骇道奇〔一〇〕。其后〔一一〕朝中自然又有人去剿灭，天兵一到，化为乌有，不必深论。只就林四娘一节，众位听了，可羡不可羡呢？”众幕友都叹道：“实在可羡〔一二〕可奇，实是个妙题，原该大家挽一挽才是。”说着〔一三〕，早有人取了笔砚，按贾政口中之言稍加改易了几个字，便成了一篇短序，递与贾政看了。贾政道：“不过如此。他们那里已有原序。昨日因又奉恩旨，着察核前代以来应加褒奖而遗落未经请奏各项人等，无论僧尼乞丐与女妇人等，有一事可嘉，即行汇送履历至礼部备请恩奖。所以他这原序也送往礼部去了。大家听见这新闻，所以都要作一首《姽词》，以志其忠义。”众人听了，都又笑道：“这原该如此。只是更可羡者，本朝皆系千古未有之旷典隆恩，实历代所不及处，可谓‘圣朝无阙事’[20]，唐朝人预先竟说了，竟应在本朝。如今年代方不虚此一句。”贾政点头道：“正是。”
说话间，贾环叔侄亦到。贾政命他们看了题目。他两个虽能诗，较腹中之虚实虽也去宝玉不远，但第一件他两个终是别路，若论举业一道，似高过宝玉，若论杂学，则远不能及；第二件他二人才思滞钝，不及宝玉空灵娟逸，每作诗亦如八股之法，未免拘板庸涩。
那宝玉虽不算是个读书人，然亏他天性聪敏，且素喜好些杂书，他自为古人中也有杜撰的〔一四〕，也有误失之处，拘较不得许多；若只管怕前怕后起来，纵堆砌成一篇，也觉得甚无趣味。因心里怀着这个念头，每见一题，不拘难易，他便毫无费力之处，就如世上的流嘴滑舌之人，无风作有，信着伶口俐舌，长篇大论，胡扳乱扯，敷演出一篇话来。虽无稽考，却都说得四座春风。虽有正言厉语之人，亦不得压倒这一种风流去。
近日贾政年迈，名利大灰，然起初天性也是个诗酒放诞之人，因在子侄辈中，少不得规以正路。近见宝玉虽不读书，竟颇能解此，细评起来，也还不算十分玷辱了祖宗。就思及祖宗们，各各亦皆如此，虽有深精举业的，也不曾发迹过一个，看来此亦贾门之数。况母亲溺爱，遂也不强以举业逼他了。所以近日是这等待他。又要环兰二人举业之馀，怎得亦同宝玉才好，所以每欲作诗，必将三人一齐唤来对作。
闲言少述。且说贾政又命他三人各吊一首，谁先成者赏，佳者额外加赏。贾环贾兰二人近日当着多人皆作过几首了，胆量愈壮，今看了题，遂自去思索。一时，贾兰先有了。贾环生恐落后也就有了。二人皆已录出，宝玉尚自出神。贾政与众人且看他二人的二首。
贾兰的是一首七言绝句，写〔一五〕道是：
姽将军林四娘，玉为肌骨铁为肠，
捐躯自报恒王后，此日青州土亦香。
众幕宾看了，便皆大赞：“小哥儿十三岁的人就如此，可知家学渊源，真不诬矣。”贾政笑道：“稚子口角，也还难为他。”
又看贾环的，是首五言律，写道是：
红粉不知愁，将军意未休。
掩啼离绣幕，抱恨出青州。
自谓酬王德，讵能复寇仇。
谁题忠义墓，千古独风流。
众人道：“更佳。倒是大几岁年纪，立意又自不同。”贾政道：“还不甚大错，终不恳切。”众人道：“这就罢了。三爷才大不多两岁，俱在未冠之时，如此用了工去，再过几年，怕不是大阮小阮[23]了。”贾政笑道：“过奖了。只是不肯读书过失。”
因又问宝玉怎样。众人道：“二爷细心镂刻，定又是风流悲感，不同此等的了。”宝玉笑道：“这个题目似不称近体，须得古体，或歌或行[24]，长篇一首，方能恳切。”众人听了，都立身点头拍手道：“我说他立意不同！每一题到手必先度其体格宜与不宜，这便是老手妙法。就如裁衣一般，未下剪时，须度其身量。这题目名曰《姽词》，且既有了序，此必是长篇歌行方合体的。或拟白乐天《长恨歌》，或拟温八叉《击瓯歌》，或拟李长吉《会稽歌》〔一六〕，或拟咏古词，半叙半咏，流利飘逸，始能尽妙。”
贾政听说，也合了主意，遂自提笔向纸上要写，又向宝玉笑道：“如此，你念我写。若不好了，我捶你那肉。谁许你先大言不惭了！”宝玉只得念了一句，道是：
恒王好武兼好色，
贾政写了看时，摇头道〔一七〕：“粗鄙。”一幕宾道：“要这样方古，究竟不粗。且看他底下的。”贾政道：“姑存之。”宝玉又道：
遂教美女习骑射。
秾歌艳舞不成欢，列阵挽戈为自得。
贾政写出，众人都道：“只这第三句便古朴老健，极妙。这四句平叙出，也最得体。”贾政道：“休谬加奖誉，且看转的如何。”宝玉念道：
眼前不见尘沙起，将军俏影红灯里。
众人听了这两句，便都叫：“妙！好个‘不见尘沙起’！又承了一句‘俏影红灯里’，用字用句，皆入神化了。”宝玉道：
叱咤[27]时闻口舌香，霜矛雪剑娇难举。
众人听了，便拍手笑道：“益发画出来了。当日敢是宝公也在座，见其娇且闻其香否？不然，何体贴至此。”宝玉笑道：“闺阁习武，任其勇悍，怎似男人。不待问而可知娇怯之形的了。”贾政道：“还不快续，这又有你说嘴的了。”
宝玉只得又想了一想，念道：
丁香结子芙蓉绦[28]，
众人都道：“转‘绦’，‘萧’韵，更妙，这才流利飘荡。而且这一句也绮靡秀媚的妙。”贾政写了，看道：“这一句不好。已写过‘口舌香’‘娇难举’，何必又如此。这是力量不加，故又用这些堆砌货来搪塞。”宝玉笑道：“长歌也须得要些词藻点缀点缀，不然便觉萧索。”贾政道：“你只顾用那些，但这一句底下如何能转至武事？若再多说两句，岂不蛇足了。”宝玉道：“如此，底下一句转煞住，想亦可矣。”贾政冷笑道：“你有多大本领？上头说了一句大开门的散话，如今又要一句连转带煞，岂不心有馀而力不足些。”宝玉听了，垂头想了一想，说了一句道：
不系明珠系宝刀。
忙问：“这一句可还使得？”众人拍案叫绝。贾政写了，看着笑道：“且放着，再续。”宝玉道：“若使得，我便要一气下去了。若使不得，越性涂了，我再想别的意思出来，再另措词。”贾政听了，便喝道：“多话！不好了再作，便作十篇百篇，还怕辛苦了不成！”宝玉听说，只得想了一会，便念道：
战罢夜阑心力怯，脂痕粉渍污鲛。
贾政道：“又一段。底下怎样？”宝玉道：
明年流寇走山东，强吞虎豹势如蜂。
众人道：“好个‘走’字！便见得高低了。且通句〔一八〕转的也不板。”宝玉又念道：
王率天兵思剿灭，一战再战不成功。
腥风吹折陇头麦，日照旌旗虎帐[30]空。
青山寂寂水澌澌，正是恒王战死时。
雨淋白骨血染草，月冷黄沙鬼守尸。
众人都道：“妙极，妙极！布置，叙事，词藻，无不尽美。且看如何至四娘，必另有妙转奇句。”
宝玉又念道：
纷纷将士只保身，青州眼见皆灰尘，
不期忠义明闺阁，愤起恒王得意人。
众人都道：“铺叙得委婉。”贾政道：“太多了，底下只怕累赘呢。”宝玉乃又念道：
恒王得意数谁行[31]，姽将军林四娘，
号令秦姬驱赵女[32]，艳李秾桃临战场。
绣鞍有泪春愁重，铁甲无声夜气凉〔一九〕。
胜负自然难预定，誓盟生死报前王。
贼势猖獗不可敌，柳折花残实可伤，
魂依城郭家乡近，马践胭脂骨髓香。
星驰时报入京师，谁家儿女不伤悲！
天子惊慌恨失守，此时文武皆垂首。
何事文武立朝纲，不及闺中林四娘。
我为四娘长太息，歌成馀意尚傍徨！
念毕，众人都大赞不止，又都从头看了一遍。贾政笑道：“虽然说了几句，到底不大恳切。”因说：“去罢。”三人如得了赦的一般，一齐出来，各自回房。
众人皆无别话，不过至晚安歇而已。独有宝玉一心凄楚，回至园中，猛然见池上芙蓉，想起小丫鬟说晴雯作了芙蓉之神，不觉又喜欢起来，乃看着芙蓉嗟叹了一会。忽又想起死后并未到灵前一祭，如今何不在芙蓉前一祭，岂不尽了礼，比俗人去灵前祭吊又更觉别致。
想毕，便欲行礼。忽又止住道：“虽如此，亦不可太草率，也须得衣冠整齐，奠仪周备，方为诚敬。”想了一想，“如今若学那世俗之奠礼，断然不可；竟也还要别开生面，另立排场，风流奇异，于世无涉，方不负我二人之为人。况且古人有云：‘潢污行潦，蘩蕴藻之贱，可以羞王公，荐鬼神。’[34]原不在物之贵贱，全在心之诚敬而已。此其一也。二则诔文挽词也须另出己见，自放手眼，亦不可蹈袭前人的套头，填写几字搪塞耳目之文，亦必须洒泪泣血，一字一咽，一句一啼，宁使文不足悲有馀，万不可尚文藻而反失悲戚。况且古人多有微词[35]，非自我今作俑[36]也。奈今人全惑于功名二字，尚古之风一洗皆尽，恐不合时宜，于功名有碍之故。我又不希罕那功名，不为世人观阅称赞，何必不远师楚人之《大言》《招魂》《离骚》《九辩》《枯树》《问难》《秋水》《大人先生传》[37]等法，或杂参单句，或偶成短联，或用实典，或设譬喻，随意所之，信笔而去，喜则以文为戏，悲则以言志痛，辞达意尽为止，何必若世俗之拘拘于方寸之间[38]哉。”
宝玉本是个不读书之人，再心中有了这篇歪意，怎得有好诗好文作出来。他自己却任意纂著，并不为人知慕，所以大肆妄诞，竟杜撰成一篇长文，用晴雯素日所喜之冰鲛縠一幅楷字写成，名曰《芙蓉女儿诔》[39]，前序后歌。又备了四样晴雯所喜之物，于是夜月下，命那小丫头捧至芙蓉花前。先行礼毕，将那诔文即挂于芙蓉枝上，乃泣涕念曰〔二〇〕：
维
太平不易之元[41]，蓉桂竞芳之月，无可奈何之日，怡红院浊玉，谨以群花之蕊、冰鲛之縠、沁芳之泉、枫露之茗，四者虽微，聊以达诚申信，乃致祭于白帝宫中抚司秋艳芙蓉女儿之前曰：
窃思女儿自临浊世，迄今凡十有六载。其先之乡籍姓氏，湮沦而莫能考者久矣。而玉得于衾枕栉沐之间，栖息宴游之夕，亲昵狎亵，相与共处者，仅五年八月有畸。
噫！女儿曩[42]生之昔，其为质则金玉不足喻其贵，其为性则冰雪不足喻其洁，其为神则星日不足喻其精，其为貌则花月不足喻其色。姊妹悉慕媖娴[43]，妪媪咸仰惠德。
孰料鸠鸩恶其高，鹰鸷翻遭罦罬[44]；葹妒其臭，兰竟被芟[45]〔二一〕！花原自怯，岂奈狂飚；柳本多愁，何禁骤雨。偶遭蛊虿[47]之谗，遂抱膏肓之疚。故尔樱唇红褪，韵吐呻吟；杏脸香枯，色陈颔[48]。诼谣诟，出自屏帏〔二二〕；荆棘蓬榛，蔓延户牖。岂招尤则替，实攘诟而终。既忳幽沉于不尽，复含罔屈于无穷。高标见嫉，闺帏恨比长沙[50]；直烈遭危，巾帼惨于羽野[51]。
自蓄辛酸，谁怜夭折！仙云既散，芳趾难寻。洲迷聚窟，何来却死之香[52]？海失灵槎，不获回生之药[53]。眉黛烟青，昨犹我画；指环玉冷，今倩谁温？鼎炉之剩药犹存，襟泪之馀痕尚渍。镜分鸾别[54]，愁开麝月之奁[55]；梳化龙飞，哀折檀云[56]之齿。委金钿于草莽，拾翠于尘埃[57]。楼空
鹊[58]，徒悬七夕之针；带断鸳鸯，谁续五丝之缕[59]？况乃金天属节，白帝司时，孤衾有梦，空室无人。桐阶月暗，芳魂与倩影同销；蓉帐香残，娇喘共细言皆绝。连天衰草，岂独蒹葭[60]；匝地悲声，无非蟋蟀。露苔晚砌，穿帘不度寒砧；雨荔秋垣，隔院希闻怨笛[61]。芳名未泯，檐前鹦鹉犹呼；艳质将亡，槛外海棠预老。捉迷屏后，莲瓣无声；斗草庭前，兰芽枉待。抛残绣线，银笺彩缕谁裁？折断冰丝，金斗御香未熨[62]。
昨承严命，既趋车而远涉芳园；今犯慈威，复泣杖而遽抛〔二三〕孤匶[64]。及闻槥棺被燹[65]，惭违共穴之盟；石椁成灾，愧迨同灰之诮。尔乃[66]西风古寺，淹滞青燐；落日荒丘，零星白骨。楸榆飒飒，蓬艾萧萧。隔雾圹以啼猿，绕烟塍而泣鬼。自为红绡帐里，公子情深；始信黄土垄中，女儿命薄！汝南[67]泪血，斑斑洒向西风；梓泽余衷[68]，默默诉凭冷月。
呜呼！固鬼蜮之为灾，岂神灵而亦妒。钳奴之口[69]，讨岂从宽；剖悍妇之心，忿犹未释！在君之尘缘虽浅，然玉之鄙意岂终。因蓄惓惓[70]之思，不禁谆谆之问。始知上帝垂旌，花宫待诏，生侪兰蕙，死辖芙蓉。听小婢之言，似涉无稽；以浊玉之思，则深为有据。
何也？昔叶法善摄魂以撰碑[71]，李长吉被诏而为记[72]，事虽殊，其理则一也。故相物以配才，苟非其人，恶乃滥乎？始信上帝委托权衡，可谓至洽至协，庶不负其〔二四〕所秉赋也。因希其不昧之灵，或陟降于兹；特不揣鄙俗之词，有污慧听。乃歌而招之曰：
天何如是之苍苍兮，乘玉虬[74]以游乎穹窿耶？
地何如是之茫茫兮，驾瑶象[75]以降乎泉壤耶？
望盖之陆离兮，抑箕尾[76]之光耶？
列羽葆而为前导兮，卫危虚[77]于旁耶？
驱丰隆[78]以为比从兮，望舒[79]月以离耶？
听车轨而伊轧兮，御鸾[80]以征耶？
闻馥郁而然[81]兮，纫蘅杜以为[82]耶？
炫裙裾之烁烁兮，镂明月以为珰耶？
籍葳蕤而成坛畤兮，檠莲焰以烛兰膏耶？
文瓟匏[83]以为觯斝兮，漉醽醁以浮桂醑耶？
瞻云气而凝盼兮，仿佛有所觇耶？
俯窈窕而属耳兮，恍惚有所闻耶？
期[84]汗漫[85]而无夭阏[86]兮，忍捐弃余于尘埃耶？
倩风廉[87]之为余驱车兮，冀联辔而携归耶？
余中心为之慨然兮，徒噭噭而何为耶？
君偃然而长寝兮，岂天运之变于斯耶？
既窀穸[88]且安稳兮，反其真[89]而复奚化耶？
余犹桎梏而悬附[90]兮，灵格余以嗟来耶！
来兮止兮，君其来耶？
若夫鸿蒙而居，寂静以处，虽临于兹，余亦莫睹。搴烟萝而为步幛，列枪蒲而森行伍。警柳眼之贪眠，释莲心之味苦。素女[91]约于桂岩，宓妃[92]迎于兰渚。弄玉吹笙[93]，寒簧击敔[94]。征嵩岳之妃[95]，启骊山之姥[96]。龟呈洛浦之灵[97]，兽作咸池[98]之舞。潜赤水兮龙吟，集珠林[99]兮凤翥。爰格爰诚，匪簠匪筥[100]。发轫乎霞城[101]，返旌乎玄圃[102]。既显微而若通，复氤氲而倏阻。离合兮烟云，空蒙兮雾雨。尘霾敛兮星高，溪山丽兮月午。何心意之忡忡，若寤寐之栩栩。余乃欷歔怅望，泣涕傍徨。人语兮寂历，天籁兮[103]。鸟惊散而飞，鱼唼喋以响。志哀兮是祷，成礼兮期祥。
呜呼哀哉！尚飨！
读毕，遂焚帛奠茗，犹依依不舍。丫鬟催至再四，方才回身。忽听山石之后有一人笑道：“且请留步。”二人听了，不免一惊。那丫鬟回头一看，却是个人影从芙蓉花中走出来，他便大叫：“不好，有鬼。晴雯真来显魂了！”唬得宝玉也忙看时，——且听下回分解。
[1] 姽（ɡuǐ huà鬼画）——女子安娴幽静称为“姽”，兼能勇武奔驰称为“”。引申女子娴静美好。
[2] 女儿痨——痨：一种慢性消耗性传染病，类今之肺结核病，称“肺痨”，亦称“传尸痨”。年轻女子患此病的叫“女儿痨”。
〔一〕 “口里没轻没重，只会混说”，各本同。底本抄误点改不成文，从各本改。
〔二〕 “凡”字原无，从各本补。
〔三〕 “明说”，原无，从梦稿本补。
〔四〕 “自己遂低头”之上，底本原有“他是以多了这个心，自己回避了”两句，系因上文而衍，从梦稿、蒙府、戚序本删。
〔五〕 “的”字原无，从甲辰本补。
〔六〕 “这”字原无，从各本补。
〔七〕 “去”字原无，从甲辰本补。
[10] 化人场——即火化场。
[11] 翠樾埭（yuè dài越代）——埭：堤坝。樾：树荫。
[12] 林四娘——据清代陈维崧《妇人集》、王士祯《池北偶谈》和蒲松龄《聊斋志异》记载，她本是明代青州衡王府宫人。衡（恒）王，或指明朝朱祐（huī灰），于弘治十二年镇守青州（今山东省临淄、益都一带）。
[13] 黄巾、赤眉——黄巾：指东汉末年张角领导的农民起义军。他们以黄巾裹头，故称“黄巾军”。赤眉：指西汉末年樊崇领导的农民起义军。他们以赤色染眉，因称“赤眉军”。这里泛指农民起义军。
〔八〕 “众”字原无，从各本补。
〔九〕 “等”字原无，从各本补。
〔一〇〕 “道奇”，原无，从梦稿、戚序、蒙府本补。
〔一一〕 “后”字原无，从梦稿、蒙府本补。
〔一二〕 “可羡”，原无，从蒙府、戚序、甲辰本补。
〔一三〕 “说着”，原无，从甲辰本补。
[20] 圣朝无阙事——唐代岑参《寄左省杜拾遗》中的诗句。阙：同“缺”，过失、错误。这句是说贤明的朝廷是没有什么过失的。
〔一四〕 “也有杜撰的”，原无，从蒙府、戚序本补。
〔一五〕 “写”字原无，从各本补。
[23] 大阮小阮——大阮指三国时魏诗人阮籍，小阮指阮籍的侄子阮咸，均为“竹林七贤”之一。
[24] 近体、古体、歌、行（xínɡ形）——近体：即近体诗，又名今体诗，律诗和绝句的通称。近体诗在句数、字数和平仄、用韵等方面都有严格的规定。古体：即古体诗，也称“古诗”、“古风”，在对仗、平仄、用韵方面较自由。唐时律诗、绝句被称为“近体”以后，把唐以前的诗歌称为“古体”，并把采用这种古体写成的诗歌，也称为“古诗”或“古风”。歌、行：都是乐府诗的体裁，或连称“歌行”。
〔一六〕 “或拟温八叉《击瓯歌》，或拟李长吉《会稽歌》”从甲辰本补。
〔一七〕 “道”字原无，从甲辰本补。
[27] 叱咤（chì zhà斥乍）——指操练时的呼喊。
[28] 丁香结子芙蓉绦（tāo滔）——绣有芙蓉花样的绦带，结扎着丁香花式的结子。
〔一八〕 “句”字原无，从各本补。
[30] 虎帐——古代元帅发号施令的营帐。
[31] “恒王”句——全句的意思是：恒王最宠爱的人数谁呢？行（hánɡ航）：次第、等辈。
[32] 秦姬赵女——秦和赵是战国时代的两个国家，相传这两地多出美女，后用“秦姬赵女”作为美貌女子的代称，这里泛指恒王的姬妾。
〔一九〕 “绣鞍有泪春愁重，铁甲无声夜气凉”二句，原在“胜负自然难预定，誓盟生死报前王”之后，从各本改。
[34] “潢（huánɡ黄）污”句——句出《左传》隐公三年。意谓只要胸怀诚意，即使是坑中的积水和野生的水草，也可以奉献王公，祭奠鬼神。潢污：坑中的死水。行潦（lǎo老）：车辙中的流水。：浮萍。蘩：白蒿。蕴藻：水草。羞：奉献。荐：呈献。
[35] 微词——真意隐微不显，另有寄托之词语。
[36] 作俑（yǒnɡ永）——俑：古代陪葬用的偶人。《孟子·梁惠王上》：“始作俑者，其无后乎”。意谓首开以俑陪葬先例的人，一定断子绝孙。后以“作俑”为首创先例的意思。
[37] 《大言》……《大人先生传》——《大言》即《大言赋》，它和《招魂》、《九辩》均为楚国诗人宋玉所作（一说《招魂》为屈原作）。《离骚》为楚国诗人屈原的作品。《枯树》即《枯树赋》，作者北周诗人庾信。《问难》：不详，疑指汉代东方朔的《答客难》或扬雄的《解难》。《秋水》：《庄子》中的篇名。《大人先生传》：三国魏诗人阮籍的作品。
[38] 拘拘于方寸之间——指拘于旧的格式，不敢纵情抒写。方寸：一寸见方。这里喻旧格式。
[39] 《芙蓉女儿诔（lěi累）》——为芙蓉女儿写的祭文。诔：原为表彰死者德行、寄托生者哀思的文辞，仅能用于上对下。后变成哀祭文体的一种。
〔二〇〕 “念曰”下原有：“诸君阅至此只当一笑话看去，便可醒倦”十六字，似为批语衍入正文，从各本删。
[41] 维太平不易之元——维：语助词，无义，常用于语首。太平不易：本为“永远太平”的意思，在这里意含讥贬。元：纪年。旧时的诔、祭、哀、弔等文体，往往用“维年月日”这种固定格式作为开头。本书作者曾托言故事“无朝代年纪可考”，所以用了这样一句既符合诔文格式，又似乎不“干涉时世”的话。
[42] 曩（nǎnɡ攮）——从前；过去。
[43] 媖娴（yīnɡ xián英闲）——美好；文静。
[44] “鸠鸩（zhèn阵）”两句——意谓因鸠鸩一般的恶人讨厌晴雯的高洁，遂使鹰鸷（zhì至）一样的晴雯反而遭到陷害。屈原《离骚》：“鸷鸟之不群兮，自前世而固然。何方圜之能周兮，夫孰异道而相安。……吾令鸩为媒兮，鸩告余以不好。雄鸠之鸣逝兮，余又恶其佻巧。”鸩：传说中的一种恶鸟，羽毛有毒，能致人死命。鸠：斑鸠，爱鸣叫，这里用来比喻多嘴多舌好进谗言的人。鹰鸷：指鹰鹞等飞翔高空的猛禽。罦罬（fú zhuó伏浊）：一种装有机关能捕捉鸟兽的网，又叫复车网。
[45] “葹（cí shī瓷施）”两句——同“茨”，蒺藜；葹：苍耳。古人认为这两种都是恶草，常常拿它们比喻坏人。这里比喻嫉妒晴雯的恶人。臭（xiù秀）：气味，这里指香气。（chǎi柴上声）兰：两种香草，多用以喻贤人，这里喻晴雯。芟（shān chú杉除）：除掉。芟：用镰刀割草；：同“锄”。
〔二一〕 “芟”，“”原作“租”，当系形近抄误，因改。
[47] 蛊虿（chài瘥）——都是害人的毒虫。蛊：参阅第766页注①。虿：蝎子一类的毒虫。
[48] 颔（kǎn hàn坎旱）——因饥饿而面黄肌瘦。这里形容晴雯因疾病而面色憔悴。
〔二二〕 “出自屏帏”，原缺，从各本补。
[50] 长沙——指贾谊，西汉洛阳人，汉文帝时官至大中大夫，遭谗被贬为长沙王太傅，故称贾长沙。后又迁梁怀王太傅。梁怀王坠马死，贾谊认为自己未能尽到职责，常常哭泣，年馀亦死。见《史记·屈原贾生列传》。这里借贾谊受屈遭贬喻晴雯因诬被逐。
[51] “直烈”两句——意谓晴雯同鲧（ɡǔn滚）一样正直刚烈，结局却比鲧更惨。《离骚》：“鲧婞直以亡身兮，终然殀乎羽之野。”直烈：正直刚烈。羽野：传说中的羽山效野。《山海经·海内经》：鲧窃帝之息壤以堙洪水，不待帝命，帝命祝融杀鲧于羽郊。
[52] “洲迷”两句——意谓找不到去聚窟洲的道路，上哪儿找起死回生的神香呢？南朝梁任昉《述异记》卷上：“聚窟洲有返魂树，伐其根心，于玉釜中煮，取汁又熬之，令可丸，名曰惊精香，或名震灵丸，或名反生香，或名却死香。死尸在地，闻气即活。”
[53] “海失”句——意谓没有去海上的仙筏，无法获得回生之药。灵槎（chá茶）：神仙的木筏。回生之药：传说渤海中有蓬莱、方丈、瀛洲三神山，山上有不死之药，秦始皇使人求之，因船不能至而未得。见《史记·封禅书》。
[54] 镜分鸾别——本指夫妻的分离，这里借喻和晴雯的永别。鸾镜：即古时妆镜。南朝宋范泰《鸾鸟》诗序云：昔罽宾国王获一鸾鸟，甚爱之，但鸟三年不鸣。夫人曰：“尝闻鸟见其类而后鸣，何不悬镜以映之？”王从其言。鸾鸟睹形悲鸣，哀声冲霄，一奋而绝。见《艺文类聚》。鸾镜当本此。镜分：南朝陈亡时，徐德言与其妻乐昌公主各持破镜之半，并约定正月十五日卖镜于市，后因此而重圆，见唐代孟棨《本事诗》。
[55] “愁开”句——写宝玉回忆起当年他对镜替麝月篦头，遭晴雯取笑的往事，而今晴雯已死，麝月镜奁还在，睹物伤情，所以不忍再开。
[56] 檀云——此处形容梳齿之语。
[57] “委金钿”两句——这两句是从唐代陈鸿《长恨歌传》中“坠金钿翠羽于地，上自取之”之语化出，以唐玄宗与杨贵妃的爱情悲剧，比喻晴雯被逐致死的惨悲遭遇和宝玉依依难舍的哀痛心情。委：丢弃。金钿：镶嵌着金花的首饰。草莽：野草；杂草。翠（è饿）：装潢着翠羽的妇女发饰。
[58] “楼空”句——意思是，晴雯死后，鹊楼空，七夕乞巧之针无人去穿。鹊楼：西汉上林苑楼观名，武帝时建（见《汉书·司马相如传》张揖注）。后因“鹊”字与七夕故事相关，渐把鹊楼同七夕的乞巧的事联系起来。七夕之针：晋代宗懔《荆楚岁时记》：“七月七日，为牵牛织女聚会之夜。是夕，人家妇女结彩楼，穿七孔针，或以金银（tōu偷）石为针，陈瓜果于庭中以乞巧，有喜子网瓜上，则以为符应。”
[59] “带断”句——带断鸳鸯：即鸳鸯带断，这里比喻同晴雯的永诀。五丝之缕：五色的丝缕。传说汉高祖宠姬戚夫人，七月七日以五色缕相系，谓之相连爱。见《西京杂记》。
[60] 蒹葭——芦苇。《诗·秦风·蒹葭》：“蒹葭苍苍，白露为霜。所谓伊人，在水一方。遡洄从之，道阻且长，遡游从之，宛在水中央。……”这里借以抒发对晴雯的怀念之情。
[61] “隔院”句——断断续续听到邻家哀怨的笛声。晋代嵇康、吕安被杀，其挚友向秀从他们的旧居经过，听到邻人吹笛，感音而叹，作《思旧赋》以寄哀思。见《晋书·向秀传》。希：稀疏；稀少。
[62] “抛残”四句——意谓晴雯死后，连刺绣的线都已丢掉，还有谁来剪花样裁衣裳呢？洁白的锦衣已现皱折，却没有人用烧御香的熨斗将它熨平。银笺：剪花样用的白纸。折：折迭，有皱纹的意思。冰丝：传说冰蚕所吐之丝，洁白清凉如冰，这里代指素绢所制的衣服。金斗：熨斗。
〔二三〕 “遽抛”，原无“遽”字，从蒙府、戚序本补。
[64] “复泣杖”句——意谓我含悲拄杖亲来吊祭，没想到你孤独的灵柩竟被人仓促地抛掉。匶：同“柩”。
[65] 槥（huì彗）棺被燹（xiǎn显）——棺材被火焚化。槥：小而薄的棺材。燹：火；野火。这里作焚烧解。
[66] 尔乃——发语词。
[67] 汝南——指南朝宋汝南王。贾宝玉在这里借汝南王同刘碧玉的故事来比喻自己同晴雯的亲密感情。宋代郭茂倩《乐府诗集》卷四十五《碧玉歌》，题注引《乐苑》：“《碧玉歌》者，宋汝南王所作也。碧玉，汝南王妾名，以宠爱之甚，所以歌之。”
[68] 梓泽余衷——用的是石崇和绿珠的故事。参阅第911页注①。梓泽：石崇的别馆名。
[69] 钳（qián钤）（bì币）奴之口——封住那邪恶奴才的嘴巴。钳：钳制；约束。：邪恶。
[70] 惓惓（quán quán拳拳）——同“拳拳”，恳切的意思。
[71] 叶法善摄魂以撰碑——传说唐开元间松阳道士叶法善，曾求当时以文章和书法著称的处州刺史李邕为其祖父撰述碑文；文成，再求书写，李邕未允，叶遂用法术摄李魂于梦中写之。见《处州府志》卷十六。这里的“撰”字本应为“书”字。
[72] 李长吉被诏而为记——李长吉，即唐代诗人李贺。据唐代李商隐在《李长吉小传》中说：长吉将死时，忽见一穿红衣、骑赤虬、手持诏书的人，从天上下来对他说，天帝建成了白玉楼，召他前去作文记述其事。不久，长吉便死去。
〔二四〕 “其”字原无，从各本补。
[74] 玉虬——玉色的无角龙。
[75] 瑶象——指用美玉和象牙制成的车子。《离骚》：“为余驾飞龙兮，杂瑶象以为车。”
[76] 箕尾——星宿名，即箕星和尾星。传说殷高宗之相傅说（读作“悦”）死后，精魂化为傅说星，在箕星和尾星之间（见《庄子·大宗师》），后因称人死叫“骑箕尾”。
[77] 危虚——星宿名，即危星和虚星，均属二十八宿。
[78] 丰隆——古代神话中的云神或雷神。《离骚》：“吾令丰隆乘云兮。”王逸注：“丰隆，云师，一曰雷师。”
[79] 望舒——古代神话中给月亮赶车的神，后也用作月亮的代称。一说，此处“望”或作动词。
[80] （yī医）——《离骚》：“驷玉虬以乘兮。”王逸注：“，凤凰别名也。《山海经》云：‘，身有五彩而文如凤凰类也’。”
[81] （ài爱）然——形容香气浓郁。：同“”，香气。
[82] 纫蘅杜以为（xiānɡ香）——把蘅杜穿成串当作佩带。纫：穿联。蘅、杜：都是香草。：佩带。
[83] 瓟匏（páo páo袍袍）——葫芦类，可作盛水的器具。瓟：似瓠。匏：即瓠（hù户）。
[84] 期——约会；希望。
[85] 汗漫——广漠而无边际。《淮南子·俶真训》：“徙倚于汗漫之宇。”又为虚拟的神仙名，寓有渺茫不可知的意思。传说燕人卢敖经太阴，入玄阙，至蒙谷之山，见一士子曰若士者，欲与之为友，若士以“吾与汗漫期于九垓之外”（注云：汗漫，不可知之也；九垓，九天之外）为辞，举臂竦身穿云而去。见《淮南子·道应训》。两说在此皆可通。
[86] 无夭阏（è饿）——畅通无阻。《庄子·逍遥游》：“背负青天而莫之夭阏者。”《文选》刘孝标《辩命论》注引晋代司马彪注：“夭，折也。阏，止也。言无有折止使不通者也。”
[87] 风廉——应为“飞廉”，古代神话中的风神。《离骚》：“后飞廉使奔属。”
[88] 窀穸（zhūn xī谆夕）——墓穴。
[89] 反其真——指死。意谓反本归源。《庄子·大宗师》：子桑户死，其友孟子反、子琴张相和而歌曰：“嗟来桑户乎！嗟来桑户乎！而（尔）已反其真，而我尤为人猗！”
[90] 悬附——“附赘悬疣”的省略语，比喻累赘。赘：瘤肿。疣：瘊子。《庄子·大宗师》：“彼以生为附赘悬疣，以死为决溃痈。”
[91] 素女——古代神话中善鼓瑟的神女。见《史记·封禅书》。在这里，素女即月中素娥。唐代柳宗元《龙城录·明皇梦游广寒宫》载：唐明皇游月宫，见素娥十馀人，舞于桂树之下。
[92] 宓（fú伏）妃——传说是宓羲之女，洛水之神。
[93] 弄玉吹笙——据明代董斯张《广博物志》载：春秋时秦穆公之女弄玉善吹笙，能招来凤凰，嫁于善吹箫的萧史。汉代刘向《列仙传》等称后来二人成仙飞去。
[94] 寒簧击敔（yǔ与）——寒簧，仙女名。传说她曾作过西王母的散花女史，后来又当月宫的侍书，向嫦娥学紫云之歌、霓裳之舞。见明代叶绍袁《续窈闻记》及清代尤侗《钧天乐》。敔：打击乐器。
[95] 嵩岳之妃——指嵩山神的夫人灵妃。《旧唐书·礼仪志》：武则天证圣元年，“下制，号嵩山为神岳，尊嵩山神为天中王，夫人为灵妃。”
[96] 骊山之姥（mǔ母）——女仙名，也称骊山老母。《太平广记》卷六十三引《集仙传》，有骊山老母为李筌讲解黄帝《阴符经》的故事。
[97] 龟呈洛浦之灵——传说夏禹治水时，洛水里曾有神龟背着文书来献给他。《尚书·洪范》：“天乃赐禹洪范九畴。”汉代孔安国传：“天与禹，洛出书，神龟负文而出，列于背，有数至九。”
[98] 咸池——乐名，也叫《大咸》。《礼记·乐记》：“咸池备矣。”东汉郑玄注：“黄帝所作乐名也，尧增修而用之。咸，皆也。池，施也。”
[99] 珠林——也称珠树林。《山海经·海外南经》：“三株（一作“珠”）树在厌火北，生赤水上，其为树如柏。叶皆为珠。”
[100] 簠筥（fǔ jǔ府举）——簠：古代祭祀或宴会时，用来盛谷物的长方形器皿。铜制或木制。筥：圆形的竹筐。
[101] 霞城——相传是神仙居住的地方。《太平御览》引《上清经》曰：“元始天尊居紫云之阙，碧霞为城。”
[102] 玄圃——亦作悬圃，神仙居住的地方。《离骚》：“朝发轫于苍梧兮，夕余至乎悬圃。”王逸注：“悬圃，神山，在昆仑之上。”
[103] 天籁（lài赖）兮（yún dānɡ云当）——竹林里发出天然的音响。天籁：发自自然界的声音，如风声、鸟声、流水声等。：长节的大竹。
CHAPTER 78. Jia Zheng commissions the Ballad of the Winsome Colonel And Bao-yu composes an Invocation to the Hibiscus Spirit
After the departure of Euergesia and the three girls, Lady Wang was at last able to make her morning call on Grandmother Jia. Finding the old lady in excellent humour, she decided that this was as good a time as any to report on her recent activities.
‘There is a girl in Bao-yu’s room called Skybright,’ she said. ‘She is already of age; she has been constantly ill during the past year; she gives much more trouble than any of the others; and she is lazy. During her latest spell of sickness, which must have been going on now for the better part of a fortnight, we’ve had her looked at by the doctor and he says she’s got some kind of consumption – a kind that is quite common, apparently, in unmarried girls; so I’ve sent her back to her own people and told them that we shan’t be wanting her here again if she gets better, they can find a husband for her themselves. I also took it upon myself to send away those young actresses. For one thing, like most people trained in that profession, they use the most appalling language: I don’t think it’s very nice for the other girls to be exposed to it. And for another thing, as we no longer require them to perform for us, which is what they were trained for, I think it is only right that we should let them go. We have far too many maids as it is. If Bao-yu or the girls need any more, we can supply them from the regular staff; they don’t need young actresses to wait on them.’
Grandmother Jia nodded.
‘That sounds quite sensible. I had been thinking along those lines myself. About Skybright, though: I always thought she was an excellent maid: she expressed herself well; she was much the best needlewoman I ever had; I had been thinking of eventually giving her to Bao-yu to keep. I’m sorry to hear she has changed so much for the worse.’
‘I’m sure you were not mistaken in her,’ said Lady Wang, smiling. ‘Let’s just say that the girl was not destined to be fortunate – hence this perpetual sickness. “For a growing girl there are eighteen hazards” the proverb says. Quite apart from that, I think these very gifted people are apt to play up a bit, as I am sure you, Mother, with all your rich experience must have noticed. Three years ago I, too, was thinking about choosing someone permanent for Bao-yu, and to begin with I, too, thought of Skybright as the likeliest choice. But after watching her very carefully, I came to the conclusion that, although better qualified than the others in so many particulars, she is not really a very dependable person. For all-round dependability I think Aroma is very much her superior. I know they say “a wife for virtue and a concubine for beauty”, but even in choosing a concubine I think the girl with a considerate nature and a sense of responsibility is to be preferred. Aroma may not be as good-looking as Skybright, but in other respects I should rate her qualifications as a chamber-wife very highly. Her behaviour is so mature, and yet at the same time she is such a simple, good-natured girl. During all the years that she has been with Bao-yu she has never once misbehaved herself; in fact, whenever Bao-yu gets into one of his wild or silly moods, she does her best to talk him out of it. I waited two whole years to see if she was really as good as I thought she was, and when, at the end of all that time, I had found no fault in her, I made a private arrangement to have her maid’s allowance stopped and two taels paid to her each month out of my own allowance. Aroma herself was the only person I told about this, because I thought she could do with the encouragement. I deliberately kept it from everyone else, partly because if Sir Zheng had got to hear about it he would almost certainly have said that Bao-yu was too young for a chamber-wife and that having one would distract him from his studies, and partly because if Bao-yu himself thought of her as a chamber-wife, he would be less inclined to listen to her good advice and would become more ungovernable than ever. That is the reason, Mother, why I haven’t told you about this before.’
‘I see,’ said Grandmother Jia, smiling. ‘Oh well, that’s all right then. Even better. Aroma never had much to say for herself, in my recollection. I always thought her rather a dull little stick. However, you obviously know her much better than I do. I’m sure you can’t be wrong. I certainly think it very wise of you not to have told Bao-yu himself about this, and I hope all of us here will continue to keep quiet about it. I am sure you are right in thinking that he is the sort of person who, when he is married, will never listen to a wife’s or a concubine’s advice. He’s a strange boy. I don’t really understand him. I’ve certainly never known another one like him. His other kinds of naughtiness I can understand; it’s this passion for spending all his time with maids that I find so hard to make out. It used at one time to worry me: I thought it must be because he had reached puberty and was having experiences with them; but after watching him very carefully, I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t that at all. It’s very, very strange. Perhaps he was a maid himself in some past life. Perhaps he ought to have been a girl.’
Lady Wang and the others laughed. Lady Wang then went on to tell Grandmother Jia how highly Jia Zheng had spoken of Bao-yu that morning and how he had taken Bao-yu and the other two boys with him on an outing. Grandmother Jia was delighted.
Not long after this Ying-chun appeared, dressed in her going-out clothes, to take leave of Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang before going next-door to stay with Lady Xing. Xi-feng called in, too, for her morning duty call and stayed to wait on the old lady while she took her lunch and to joke with her for a while after it was finished. When the old lady had settled herself down for her after-lunch nap, Lady Wang called to Xi-feng to accompany her back to her own apartment. She asked her whether she had started taking the ginseng pills yet. No, not yet, Xi-feng told her, because she was still taking the infusions; but her aunt was not to worry, because she was now feeling completely better. Observing that she certainly seemed to have got her old cheerfulness back, her aunt was inclined to believe her. She told her about her dismissal of Skybright and the other girls. This led her to another topic.
‘Why did your Cousin Chai go back home without telling anyone? Doesn’t anyone know? When I was making my inspection yesterday, I decided to take a look at Wan’s servants as well. That new nurse she has got for little Lan is quite unsuitable; in fact, I don’t like the look of her at all. I said to Wan, “I don’t care how you do it, my dear, but you must get rid of that woman at once. Lan is old enough to do without a nurse now in any case. He certainly doesn’t need a nurse like that one!” I asked her if she knew about Bao-chai. She said yes, Bao-chai had told her that she was going, but it was only for two or three days, until her mother was better, and then she would be moving in again. Well I know for a fact that there is nothing much wrong with your aunt: a bit of a cough and some back-ache, but then she always gets that at this time of year. I am sure there is some other reason for her leaving. Can anyone have offended her? She is such a serious child. I should hate to think of anyone offending her after our two families have been getting on so well together all these years.’
‘Who could possibly have offended her?’ said Xi-feng, smiling.
‘I wondered if Bao-yu might have done,’ said Lady Wang. ‘He is so careless about what he says, so tactless. When he gets excited he is capable of saying almost anything.’
‘I don’t think you have much to worry about on that account,’ said Xi-feng. ‘Bao-yu may behave foolishly in company, but when he is with our girls, or even the maids, he is always extremely considerate. His greatest anxiety is always how not to offend them. He is certainly the last person I should expect to hear any of our girls complain about. I should think Cousin Chai’s leaving has much more to do with that search we carried out in the Garden the other night. She would naturally infer from it that the people in the Garden are not trusted; and since she knew we would never search her people because of her position here as our guest, she might well conclude that the only way in which she could clear them of suspicion would be to move outside. I’m sure that’s why she went: to avoid suspicion.’
To Lady Wang, too, this seemed the most likely explanation. She studied the floor thoughtfully for some moments; then she had Bao-chai summoned, explained to her what had happened, and assured her that she must not think herself under the least suspicion. She must move back into the Garden at once and continue living there as before.
Bao-chai smiled courteously but held her ground.
‘I had been meaning to move out some time ago, Aunt, but did not like to mention it to you because I knew you were so much occupied with other matters. It was the coincidence of Mamma’s being poorly and her two most reliable maids both going sick at the same time which decided me to move out when I did. Now that you know about my leaving, I should like to ask formally for permission to move out my things.’
Lady Wang and Xi-feng both laughed.
‘You are too unbending,’ said Lady Wang. ‘Do, please, move in again. Do not allow a trifle like this to come between us.’
Bao-chai smiled.
‘I assure you, Aunt, you are quite mistaken. It really isn’t because of what you think that I am leaving the Garden. It is because Mamma has been in rather low spirits lately and there’s no one but me for her to rely on during the night. And besides, Pan is getting married shortly, and there is still a lot of sewing to do and household things to get. Mamma badly needs to have me at hand all the time to help her with the preparations. You know how things are in my family, so you know that I am not making this up. And there is another reason. Ever since I first moved into the Garden, the little south-east corner gate has been left open. This was done specially for our convenience, but of course there is nothing to prevent anyone else using it who wants to take a short cut. No one going through it is ever questioned. Now suppose the wrong person got in by that way and something awful happened. It would make it very awkward for all of us. When I first moved into the Garden it didn’t matter much one way or the other if I spent the nights there. We were all very much younger then and there wasn’t so much that needed doing at home. It seemed better for me to be sewing or playing in the Garden with the other girls than moping at home on my own. But now we are older it is rather different. I am sure that the worries you have had during this past year or two have been aggravated by the fact that the Garden is too big to keep all the time under your surveillance. Any reduction in the number of people living there means some reduction in the number of your worries. That is why I am not only determined to move permanently out of the Garden myself, Aunt, but would seriously urge you to make whatever other reduction in numbers may be necessary. You mustn’t think that for a great household like yours to retrench would be undignified. Look how modestly we live nowadays. It was a very different style we used to live in when I was a little girl.’
It was unusual for Bao-chai to speak at such length. When she had finished, Xi-feng turned with an amused expression to Lady Wang.
‘I think you will have to let her have her way, Aunt. You can’t force her to move in if she doesn’t want to.’
Lady Wang nodded.
‘I find what you say unanswerable,’ she told Bao-chai. ‘You will have to do as you think best.’
While she was speaking, Bao-yu came in to report that he was back.
‘Father is still at the party,’ he said. ‘He told us to come back now because he was afraid it might be going on much longer and he didn’t want us coming back in the dark.’
‘I hope you didn’t disgrace yourself,’ said Lady Wang anxiously.
‘Not in the least,’ said Bao-yu. ‘Look at all the loot we’ve brought back!’
The old women from the inner gate who, as he entered, had relieved his pages of the things they had been carrying, now came forward with them for Lady Wang to inspect. There were three fans, three fan-pendants, three boxes of writing-brushes, three boxes of ink-sticks, three rosaries and three jade belt-buckles: one of everything for each of the three boys.
‘The fans and fan-pendants are from Academician Mei,’ said Bao-yu, ‘the ink-sticks and brushes are from Vice-President Yang, and the rosaries and buckles are from Under Secretary Li.’ He fished out a little sandalwood Buddha-charm from inside his jacket. ‘This is from the Duke of Qing-guo. He only gave one to me.’
Lady Wang questioned him about the other people who had been present and the poems that had been composed. She told someone to take Bao-yu’s share of the presents and go with him and the other two boys to see Grandmother Jia. Grandmother Jia was of course delighted, and Bao-yu found himself having to answer all the same questions over again. His anxiety to learn about Skybright made him anxious to get away, and after answering a few of them, he told his grandmother that he had been riding rather fast and was aching all over from his ride.
‘You must go back to your room at once then and change into more comfortable clothes,’ she said. ‘You’ll feel better when you’ve had a chance to relax; but don’t, whatever you do, lie down.’
Bao-yu left his grandmother’s without more ado. Musk and Ripple, with two of the junior maids from Green Delights, were waiting for him outside. Ripple took charge of his share of the presents and she and the other two trotted along after him as he strode into the Garden.
‘Phew! I’m hot,’ he said, divesting himself of hat, belt and outer garment as he walked along and handing them to Musk to carry. He was wearing a gown of lined damask underneath, whose viridian green contrasted strikingly with the flashes of blood-red trouser revealed through the side-slits as he walked along. Ripple recognized the trousers as Skybright’s handiwork.
‘“Objects remind us”,’ she said, quoting from the well-known proverb. Musk nudged her reprovingly and tried to change the subject.
‘Yes,’ she said lightly, ‘the red of the trousers goes very well with the dark green of the gown. What with them and his blue-black boots and his greeny-black hair and his snow-white face he makes quite a picture!’
Bao-yu, walking slightly ahead of them, pretended not to have heard; but after going only a few steps further, he halted abruptly.
‘Oh dear, I have to pay a little call!’ he said. ‘What am I going to do?’
‘That’s all right,’ said Musk. ‘We’re not going to lose you in broad daylight!’
She told the two junior maids to go with him.
‘Ripple and I will come back for you when we’ve got rid of these.’
‘Can’t you wait?’ said Bao-yu. ‘I shan’t be a moment.’
‘Oh, do let us get rid of these things first!’ said Musk. ‘Whatever must we look like, traipsing after you with all this stuff? Like the Wardrobe Master and the Clerk of the Inkhorn in a royal procession!’
Bao-yu, who had been hoping that they would go, indicated that they might do so and went off with the two junior maids to a secluded corner behind some rocks where he could question them.
‘Did Aroma send anyone to Skybright’s place after I had gone?’
‘Yes, she sent Mamma Song,’ said one of the girls.
‘What did Mamma Song say when she got back?’
‘They told her that Skybright was lying with her head back calling out all night long, but in the early morning she stopped calling and closed her eyes. They said it looked as if she was going.’
‘Who was she calling for?’ Bao-yu asked hurriedly.
‘Her mother,’ said the girl. ‘They said she just went on calling “Mamma!” “Mamma!” all night long.’
‘Didn’t she call for anyone else?’ said Bao-yu, brushing away a tear.
‘They didn’t mention anyone else,’ said the girl.
‘Oh, you’re a silly girl!’ said Bao-yu impatiently. ‘I’m sure you must have misheard.’
‘She certainly is a silly girl,’ the other little maid piped up. A sharp little creature, she had sensed at once what Bao-yu was hoping for and was willing to supply it. ‘I not only heard exactly what Mrs Song said; I even managed to slip out and see Skybright myself.’
‘How did you come to do that?’ Bao-yu asked her.
‘Remembering how much kinder than any of the other senior maids Skybright had always been to me,’ said the girl, ‘I thought to myself that though I couldn’t do anything else for her in her trouble, I could at least go to visit her. Even if someone saw me and reported me to Her Ladyship and I got a beating, it would be worth it after all she had done for me. So, at the risk of a beating, I stole round to her cousin’s place to see her. Although she was so near death, her mind was quite unaltered. She held my hand and opened her eyes wide when she saw me. “Where’s Bao-yu gone?” she said. When I told her, she sighed. “Oh,” she said, “I shan’t be able to see him, then.” “Can’t you hold out a bit?” I asked her. She smiled at me. “No,” she said. “You see, I’m not really dying; I’m going to heaven to be a flower-spirit. The Jade Emperor has given me the job of looking after the flowers.” She said, “I have to leave at half-past two to take up the job, and Bao-yu won’t be home until a quarter to three, so we shall miss seeing each other by only a quarter of an hour. Usually when people are dying, King Yama sends his demons to fetch their souls, and if you want to delay a bit, all you have to do is burn a bit of spirit money and make a little offering of some rice and tea, and they will leave you alone for a few minutes while they go after the money and stuff. But when the heavenly messengers summon you, it’s different. You can’t keep them waiting for a single moment.” At the time I didn’t quite believe her, but when I got back I kept my eye on the clock and sure enough it was exactly a quarter to three, as she’d said it would be, when they told us you’d got back and we were to go over and wait for you.’
‘You can’t read,’ said Bao-yu, ‘so you wouldn’t know about these things. But there are in fact flower-spirits: I’ve read about them. Not only is there a spirit in charge of all the flowers, but there are also lesser spirits in charge of each separate kind of flower. I wonder which Skybright is going to be.’
The little maid quickly glanced round the Garden for inspiration. Her eye lit on some hibiscus bushes which, this being now the second half of autumn, were already in full bloom.
‘I asked her myself,’ she said. ‘“Tell me what kind of flower you are going to be responsible for,” I said, “so that after you are gone we shall know where and when to make you offerings.” “I’ll tell you,” she said, “but you mustn’t let anyone else but Bao-yu know about it. These are immortal matters which are supposed to be kept secret.” Then she told me: the hibiscus flower.’
Bao-yu found nothing extraordinary in this. On the contrary, after hearing it, his sorrow turned instantly into delight. He looked round and smiled happily as his eyes rested on the hibiscus bushes.
‘Such a flower is worthy to be looked after by such a person!’ he said. ‘I felt sure that someone of her qualities would have work to do in the world. But –’ he became sad once more as he reflected – ‘although her sufferings are over, it still means that I shall never see her again.’
Then it occurred to him that, though he had failed to be with her at the end, there was nothing to stop him going to see her now and paying his last respects to her body. After the five or six years she had been with him and all that she had done for him in that time, he surely owed it to her. He hurried back to carry out this resolve, running into Musk and Ripple on his way. They had just started out again to look for him.
Back at Green Delights he hurriedly dressed up again and, telling the girls that he was going to pay a call on Dai-yu, slipped out of the Garden and made his way, on his own this time, to the place where he had visited Skybright the day before, expecting to find her laid out there in her coffin.
Skybright had died not, as the lying maid had said, that afternoon, but early in the morning. As soon as she had breathed her last, the cousin and his wife had gone to the mansion to tell Lady Wang in the hope of getting some money out of her for the funeral. Lady Wang had given them ten taels and told them to get the body out of the house as quickly as possible and have it cremated.
‘The girl died of a consumption,’ she said. ‘You mustn’t keep the body in the house, whatever you do.’
Impressed by this advice, they had hurried off with the money and made arrangements to have the body encoffined and carried to the burning ground outside the city without delay. Skybright’s clothes and jewellery, worth between three and four hundred taels, they kept for themselves: a nice little sum to put by for their old age. When all the arrangements had been completed, they shut up the house and accompanied the hearse outside the city to see the body cremated. Bao-yu arrived, therefore, to find the house locked up and nobody at home. Once more frustrated, he stood for some minutes gazing blankly at the door. Finally, since there was nothing else he could do, he turned round and walked back to the Garden. The thought of returning to his room was distasteful to him. He decided to call in at Dai-yu’s on the way back; but Dai-yu’s maids told him that their mistress was out.
‘She’s gone to see Miss Bao,’ they said.
Bao-yu made his way to All-spice Court. To his surprise he found it silent and deserted, and when he peeped inside, he could see that it had the empty, cheerless look of an uninhabited house. He had a vague recollection of having heard some days previously that Bao-chai was thinking of moving out; but he had been so busy with homework during the past few days that it had gone out of his mind. Now it appeared that she really had moved.
A sort of blankness came over him. Chess had gone. Picture had gone. Parfumée and the other four little actresses had gone. Skybright was dead. Now, it seemed, Bao-chai and her lot had gone, too. And though Ying-chun was supposed to have left only temporarily, to judge from the number of visits made by match-makers during the past weeks, it would not be very long before she was getting married. The Garden’s little society was breaking up.
‘Oh well,’ he thought, ‘no good fretting about it now. I’ll go and enjoy Dai-yu’s company for a while; and after that, I’ve still got Aroma to go back to. It looks as if we three will soon be the only ones left.’
In that philosophical frame of mind he went back to the Naiad’s House; but Dai-yu had still not returned. Just as he was wondering where else he could go, a maid from Lady Wang’s apartment came up to him with a message from his mother.
‘The Master’s back now and wants to see you. He says he’s got a good subject for a poem and you are to come at once.’
Bao-yu was obliged to accompany the girl to his mother’s apartment; but by the time he got there, his father had already gone. Lady Wang ordered some of her women to accompany him to his father’s study outside. He found Jia Zheng discussing the highlights of the chrysanthemum-viewing party with his literary gentlemen.
‘Shortly before the gathering broke up,’ he was telling them, ‘there was some discussion about an episode from the history of the last dynasty. It was a story in which the romantic, the edifying, the heroic and the pathetic were all exemplified – indeed, one of the most remarkable, stories I have ever heard. Everyone present agreed that it deserved a poem to commemorate it.’
‘Pray tell us the story,’ said the literary gentlemen, intrigued.
‘It seems that there was a member of the Imperial clan called Prince Heng,’ Jia Zheng began, ‘who had gone out to become Military Governor of Qing-zhou. As well as being a fanatically keen soldier, the Prince was inordinately fond of female company, and in the free time left over from his official duties, found a way of combining these two interests by recruiting a large number of beautiful young women whom he had trained in military arts. Every day these young women would be made to engage in mock combat and other warlike exercises for the Prince’s entertainment. The most beautiful and also the most militarily accomplished of these young women was a certain Miss Lin, who, because she was the fourth daughter in her family, was known by the name of “Fourth Sister Lin”. Prince Heng thought so highly of her that he gave her a colonelcy and put her in command of the whole female troop. From then on he took to calling her “Colonel Winsome” or “the Winsome Colonel”.’
‘How priceless!’ exclaimed the literary gentlemen rapturously. ‘“The Winsome Colonel”! What a marvellous combination! Surely this Prince Heng must have been one of the most eccentrically romantic persons the world has known?’
‘One could certainly call him that,’ said Jia Zheng. ‘But there is stranger still to follow.’
‘Stranger still?’ said the literary gentlemen with surprise. ‘Then this must be a very strange tale indeed.’
‘In the second year of his governorship,’ said Jia Zheng, ‘a horde of bandits, latter-day descendants of the Yellow Turbans and Red Eyebrows of the Han period, swept over the whole of Shantung Province, looting and pillaging as they went. The Prince, scorning to mobilize fully against an enemy whom he regarded as a mere rabblement of sheep and curs, took the field against them himself at the head of only a light force of cavalry. But the rebel leadership, by an unexpected combination of cunning and low trickery, defeated him in two successive engagements. In the second of these the Prince himself died fighting.
‘In Qing-zhou the civil and military authorities were in a panic.
‘“What could you or I hope to do when the Prince himself has failed?” they asked each other, and began to make plans for yielding up the city to the rebels.
‘But Fourth Sister Lin’s reaction to the grim news was to gather her fellow-officers together and address them as follows:
‘“Our beloved Prince’s goodness to us was such that we could never have repaid even a small fraction of it as long as we lived. Now that he has laid down his life for his country, I feel that we in turn ought to lay our lives down for him. Those who feel as I do, follow me. Those who do not are free to leave now, while there is time.”
‘“We will follow you!” the girls cried with a single voice; and that night, under the cover of darkness, they rode out from the walls of Qing-zhou into the midst of the rebel camp. At first, because the rebels were unprepared, they succeeded in killing and decapitating several of their leaders; but it was not long before those in the camp realized that the raiders were a party of women who could easily be overcome if offered determined resistance. Seizing their weapons and rallying themselves together, they fell upon Fourth Sister Lin and her band with such ferocity that soon the girls’ heroic vow to die for their Prince was fulfilled, for not a single one of them was left alive.
‘The Emperor and the entire Court were deeply affected when news of this was brought to them. It is to be assumed that a suitable person was then appointed to command operations against the rebels and that the rebel horde melted away at the first appearance of the Imperial forces – we are not concerned with that. But what of Fourth Sister Lin, gentlemen? Do you not find her an admirable person?’
‘Admirable indeed!’ said the literary gentlemen. ‘And what a marvellous subject for a poem! We must all of us try to make one up about her.’
One of their number took a writing-brush and inkstone and wrote down the story almost exactly as Jia Zheng had told it, slightly modifying it here and there in the interest of style, to serve as a short preface for their poem. When he had finished it, he handed it to Jia Zheng for his approval.
‘Yes, that seems to me exactly as it should be,’ said Jia Zheng after glancing briefly through it. ‘It was a preface rather like this one that started off the discussion at our gathering. An Imperial directive was received at the Department yesterday asking for a search to be made in the records of this and the preceding dynasty for hitherto neglected instances of outstanding merit deserving some posthumous recognition. No class of persons was to be excluded: monks, runs, beggars, women and girls – all were eligible. Wherever exceptional merit could be established, a brief account of it was to be forwarded to the Board of Rites for inclusion in the list of recommendations. The preface they were discussing at our gathering was a copy of the account sent in by our Department to the Board. It was reading that preface that gave those present the idea that they should write a “Winsome Colonel” poem in commemoration of Fourth Sister Lin’s heroic loyalty.’
‘And very right that they should!’ said the literary gentlemen smilingly. ‘But what is most admirable of all about this story is the tireless benevolence of the present Court which led to the unearthing of this forgotten heroism. Surely this is a thing unparalleled in any former age? The Tang poet’s line
This holy age, when nothing good’s omitted,
might almost have been written in anticipation of the present reign.’
‘Indeed!’ Jia Zheng nodded gravely.
By this time Jia Huan and Jia Lan had also arrived. Jia Zheng allowed the three boys to look at the preface and then told them that he wanted a poem from each one of them. He would award a prize to whoever completed one first and another prize for the best poem.
Jia Huan and Jia Lan had several times recently been called upon to compose in company and so were not unduly nervous on this occasion. After reading the preface, all three boys went off into separate corners to think. Jia Lan was the first to finish a poem and Jia Huan, fearful of being outstripped by his young nephew, made haste to follow. The two of them had already written their poems out while Bao-yu was still thinking. Jia Zheng and the literary gentlemen decided to look first at what the two younger boys had written. Jia Lan’s contribution was in the form of a quatrain.
Fourth Sister Lin was the Winsome Colonel’s name: She was beautiful and gentle, yet her valour none could tame. In Qing-zhou where, her Prince to avenge, she threw her life away, The very ground on which she fell is fragrant to this day.
The literary gentlemen praised the little poem enthusiastically.
‘For a young boy of his years to produce such a poem is proof of a highly cultured upbringing,’ they said.
‘Childish prattle! Childish prattle!’ Jia Zheng laughed deprecatingly. ‘Still, for one of his tender years it is quite a creditable effort.’
Next they read Jia Huan’s contribution. It was a Regulated Verse poem in pentameters.
The lovely lady would not sit and grieve; For sterner thoughts her warlike breast did fill. She dried her woman’s tears and fearless rode Through Qing-zhou’s gates to be killed and to kill. ‘However great the odds,’ she said, ‘I can ‘My debt repay, if not avenge this ill.’ The inscription graved upon her tomb shall be: ‘Here buried lies the world’s fidelity.’
‘Ah yes!’ said the literary gentlemen. ‘What a difference those few years between them make! This is quite a different approach.’
‘I suppose it’s not too bad,’ said Jia Zheng, ‘but it doesn’t really do justice to the subject.’
‘Oh well, as to that –!’ said the literary gentlemen. ‘After all, our young friend is not so very much older than his nephew. Old heads are not to be expected on young shoulders! Give them a few more years and I don’t doubt we shall have a pair of poets in our midst to rival Ruan Ji and his nephew Ruan Xian!
‘Come, come, they are not as good as that!’ said Jia Zheng, smiling. ‘They don’t study hard enough, that’s their trouble.’
He asked Bao-yu how he was getting on.
‘After all this careful chiselling, Mr Bao’s poem is sure to be something of quite a different order from these two we have just heard,’ said the literary gentlemen‘– one, no doubt, in which the romantic and tragic aspects of the theme will both be fully exploited.’
Bao-yu smiled.
‘I don’t think Regulated Verse is quite the right medium for this subject. It calls for something longer – a song or ballad in the Old Style – to do it justice.’
‘You see!’ said the literary gentlemen, some jumping to their feet, some nodding or clapping in their enthusiasm. ‘We said that his contribution would be quite different! It is the sign of a good, experienced writer to be able to gauge immediately what form will be most appropriate to the subject. With a title like this and a preface, clearly what is called for is either a long narrative poem like Bo Ju-yi’s “The Everlasting Remorse” or an Old Style ode like Wen Ting-yun’s “On Hearing Guo Dao-yuan Play the Musical Glasses” or Li He’s “Return from Gui-ji”, in which narrative and lyrical elements combine. Only the greater freedom of the Old Style allows for the smoother, more flowing development that this subject calls for.’
Jia Zheng was of the same opinion. He took brush and paper and prepared to write.
‘So be it, then. Recite your lines, my boy, and I shall take them down for you. They had better be good after this boastful preliminary, or I shall beat your bottom!’
Bao-yu recited his first line:
Prince Heng was fond of a pretty face and of martial arts also –
Jia Zheng copied the words down and then shook his head over what he had written.
‘Vulgar and pedestrian!’
‘No, no, it isn’t vulgar,’ said one of the literary gentlemen. ‘That is what the Ballad Style is like. Wait and see how it goes on.’
‘All right, we’ll let it pass,’ said Jia Zheng.
Bao-yu continued.
So he trained the ladies of his court to ride and draw the bow. In ravishing songs and beguiling dances the Prince took no delight, But to watch the pike-drill he was fain of fair maids in a row.
He waited while Jia Zheng finished writing down the lines. The literary gentlemen professed themselves particularly impressed by the’ ravishing songs’ line, claiming to see a quality of ‘rugged strength’ in it which they deemed highly appropriate in a ballad. The fourth line, which they called ‘pure narrative’, was also, they thought, exactly as it should be.
‘You shouldn’t praise the boy so,’ said Jia Zheng. ‘You will turn his head. Let’s see how he manages to develop this in his second stanza.’
Bao-yu recited:
As he watched them drill, he scarcely saw the clouds of dust arise;’Twas the lovely Colonel’s lamplit face that swam before his eyes.
‘Bravo!’ shouted the literary gentlemen. ‘“He scarcely saw the clouds of dust” leads us on to the “lamplit face” of the heroine. A most ingenious development! The way every word is used in these two lines is quite masterful!’
Bao-yu continued:
When the rosy lips framed their harsh commands he could smell the mouth’s sweet breath;
But the weapons oft shook in the fair white hands, too weak for such exercise.
The literary gentlemen laughed and clapped their hands.
‘What a wonderful picture! I think friend Bao must have been among those present at the time. He saw the white hand shake and smelt the perfume. How else could he describe it all so vividly?’
Bao-yu laughed.
‘Women drilling, however bold and fierce they might be, could never look quite the same as men. One can assume the occasional softness creeping in without having had any special experience.’
‘Oh, get on!’ said Jia Zheng. ‘We can do without the comment.’
Bao-yu thought a little before beginning the next stanza.
The lotus belt round the Colonel’s waist in a clove-shaped knot was tied –
‘The change of rhyme from “eyes” to “eyed” is one example of that smooth, flowing development we were just now talking about,’ said the literary gentlemen. ‘Also, this line has just that touch of charm and prettiness that the subject calls for.’
‘I don’t agree,’ said Jia Zheng. ‘I don’t like this line at all. We have already heard about her “mouth’s sweet breath” and her “fair white hand” in the last stanza. Why does he need to go on in this strain? I think it is mere weakness of invention that leads to this piling up of descriptive bric-à-brac.’
‘A long ballad needs a few ornamental, descriptive passages,’ said Bao-yu, ‘otherwise it would seem too bare.’
‘You are continuing the same kind of description into a new stanza,’ said Jia Zheng. ‘When are you going to get on to her warlike side? If you have another two or three lines of this kind of stuff, it’s going to seem like drawing legs on a snake!’
‘All right,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I’ll try to make a quick change to the warlike side and then finish the whole description off in this one stanza.’
‘What a genius!’ said Jia Zheng sarcastically. ‘You begin with a line that looks like the first item in a long catalogue, and now you are talking about instant changes and abrupt conclusions. I think you may find that you have bitten off rather more than you can chew!’
Bao-yu hung his head and pondered a while before finally coming out with this line:
Yet it was not strung pearls that hung from it, but the good sword at her side.
‘Will that do?’ he asked anxiously.
The literary gentlemen banged on the table and cheered.
‘We’ll leave it,’ said Jia Zheng. ‘Carry on.’
‘If it will do, I’ll continue as I’ve planned,’ said Bao-yu. ‘If not, it would be better to cross it out and I’ll try to think of something completely different and develop in another direction.’
Jia Zheng shouted at him angrily.
‘Hold your tongue, sir! Do it again if it’s not good enough, indeed! How many times do you propose to go on trying? Ten times? A hundred? Save your energy and get on!’
Bao-yu resigned himself to developing from the line he had just recited. He thought for some moments before continuing.
When late at night the jousting ended, her courage was quite spent, And her handkerchief with carmine sweat from her streaming face was dyed.
‘That’s the end of another stanza,’ said Jia Zheng. ‘Now how are you going on?’
Bao-yu continued:
Next year the whole North-east land with rebels was a-run, Like ravening beasts, or swarming bees after the queen has flown –
‘“A-run” is good,’ said the literary gentlemen. ‘It is little touches like that that show the master-hand at work. The narrative style in this stanza is good, too. Lively.’
Bao-yu continued:
The Prince led forth the Emperor’s men the rebel hordes to quell.
He fought them once and he fought them twice, but his army was overthrown.
A stench of blood upon the wind blighted the standing corn,
And on empty tents and an empty camp the setting sun went down.
‘Twas the rainy time, and sounding rills down the lone green hillsides sped
When Prince Heng, his fighting ended, on the battlefield lay dead.
Now rain has washed the white bones clean, but not the blood-soaked grass,
And as the moon rises, shivering ghosts stand at each corpse’s head.
‘Brilliant!’ cried the literary gentlemen. ‘The narrative style, the imagery, the choice of words are all quite perfect. But now what about Fourth Sister Lin? What ingenious new development will bring her back upon the scene?’
Bao-yu recited:
The officers refused to fight for fear they might be killed,
And with no defenders, Qing-zhou’s fate seemed already to be sealed.
But though the men were all afraid, the girls were loyal and true:
And among them Prince Heng’s favourite with especial zeal was filled.
‘Neatly turned!’ said the literary gentlemen.
‘It took four lines to do it, though,’ said Jia Zheng. ‘Too much! And I expect there is more useless verbiage to follow.’
Bao-yu continued:
Now who the Prince’s favourite was to you shall be revealed: Fourth Sister Lin she was by name, the Winsome Colonel called. She rallied her companions fair and issued a command, And like a troop of lovely flowers they rode into the field.
Their heavy saddle-cloths are wet with tears of the spring sky’s woe, And the iron of their armour chills them, as through the cold night they go. Though the outcome may be uncertain, they have taken a solemn vow, Whate’er befall, before they die, for the Prince to strike a blow.
But what chance against their savage foe had that gallant band? Like gentle flowers they perished, crushed by a brutal hand. The horses’ hooves are fragrant yet that trod them in the mud; Near the city walls their poor ghosts flit, where they made their final stand.
A courier riding through the night to the Emperor’s city came, And all who heard his heavy news with sadness did exclaim. The Son of Heaven looked aghast when he learned of Qing-zhou’s fall, And his captains and his counsellors all hung their heads for shame.
The captains and the counsellors and men of high degree Were put to shame by Fourth Sister Lin’s fidelity. For Fourth Sister Lin my heart with grief doth swell, And though my song is ended now, my thoughts on her still dwell.
The literary gentlemen broke into loud acclaim as Bao-yu finished. It seemed at first as if they might go on indefinitely. Subsiding at last, they read the whole poem through again from the beginning.
‘It is certainly a very long poem,’ said Jia Zheng, smiling, ‘but for all that, I don’t think it really does justice to the subject.’
He turned to the three boys:
‘All right, off you go!’
The three of them went off, feeling like condemned prisoners who have suddenly been given a reprieve. For the two younger ones it was the end of their day: a blessed nothingness until bedtime. But Bao-yu was still grieving for Skybright. The sight of the hibiscus by the lake reminded him of what the little maid had told him about her. As he stood gazing sorrowfully at the bushes, an idea suddenly came to him.
‘Since I wasn’t able to see her in her coffin, why don’t I pay my last respects to her here, in the presence of her flowers?’
He was on the point of kneeling down in front of them when another thought occurred to him.
‘That’s all very well, but I can’t do it just anyhow. In order to show proper respect I must first make sure that I am dressed correctly. And I must prepare a little ceremony and make her some sort of offering.’
This led to further cogitation.
‘It says somewhere in the classics, “Where there is faith enough and goodwill, duckweed boiled in puddle-water is an offering acceptable to the gods and a dish fit to be set before princes.” Proper respect evidently has nothing to do with the value of the offering. And I could always write something to read out before I made it.’
He began to plan what he would write. ‘An elegy’ it would be called. It would be a bit like one of those long Chu poems – Li sao or The Summons of the Soul– but with elements of other things as well. And of course a lot of it would be original. He sat down and began writing it as soon as he got back to his apartment. As it was to please himself, he could be as wild and extravagant as he liked and compose as quickly as his imagination would let him. Soon the draft was finished, and he took a piece of white material of the kind they call ‘mermaid silk’, which he knew Skybright had been fond of, and after first writing the title on it in large characters:
THE SPIRIT OF THE HIBISCUS: AN ELEGY AND INVOCATION
he copied out the text in a neat kai-shu hand and carried it with him into the Garden. The little maid who had told him about Skybright’s transformation had to follow him with some things for the offering on a tray: a cup of tea, some autumn flowers in a vase of water, and some charcoal in a little burner for starting a fire with. When his solomn bowings and kneelings were over, he hung the silk up on the branches of a hibiscus and began tearfully to read out the words:
The year being one in the era of Immutable Peace, the month that in which the sweet odours of hibiscus and cassia compete, the day, a heavy and doleful day, I, most wretched and disconsolate JADE of the House of Green Delights, having with due reverence prepared and got together buds of flowers, silk of mermaids, water of the Drenched Blossoms stream and Fung Loo tea (all things of little value in themselves, yet sufficient to attest the devotion of a true believer) do here offer them up in sacrifice to her that has now, in the Palace of the White God, become SPIRIT OF THE HIBISCUS, having power and dominion over the flowers of autumn.
It is now sixteen years since the BLEST SPIRIT descended into the world of men. As to her native place and the lineage in which she was born, they were long since forgotten; but for five years and eight months of that time she was, in my rising up and lying down, in my washings and combings, in my rest and play, my constant close companion and helpmate.
It is to be recorded of her that in estimation she was more precious than gold or jade, in nature more pure than ice or snow, in wit more brilliant than the sun or stars, in complexion more beautiful than the moon or than flowers. Who of the maidens did not admire her accomplishments? Who among the matrons did not marvel at her sagacity?
But if baleful scritch-owls that hate the heights can cause the kingly eagle to be taken in a net, and rank and stinking weeds, envious of another’s fragrance, can cause the sweet herb of grace to be uprooted, it is not to be thought that a shrinking flower could withstand the whirlwind’s blast, or a tender willow-tree be proof against the buffetings of the tempest. When the envenomed tongue of slander was wagged against her, she pined inwardly with a wasting sickness: the red of her cherry lips faded and only sad and plaintive sounds issued out of them; the bloom of her apricot cheeks withered and none but lean and haggard looks were to be seen upon them.
Slanders and slights crept from behind every curtain; thorns and thistles choked up the doors and windows of her chamber. Yet truly she had done no infamous thing. She entered a silent victim into the eternal, a wronged innocent into the everlasting: a more notable martyr (though but a mere girl) to the envy of excellence than he who was drowned at Long Sands; a more pitiable sufferer from the peril of plain dealing than he that was slain upon Feather Mountain.
Yet since she stored up her bitterness in silence, none recognized the treasure that was lost in her, cut off so young. The fair cloud dispersed, leaving no means to trace the beauteous outline of its former shape. It were a hard thing to hunt out the Isle of the Blest from among the multitudinous islands of the ocean and bring back the immortal herb that should restore her: the raft is lost that went to look for it.
It was but yesterday that I painted those delicate smoke-black eyebrows; and who is there today to warm the cold jade rings for her fingers? The medicine she drank stands yet upon the stove; the tears are still wet on the garment she once wore. The phoenix has flown and MUSK’s vanity-box has burst apart for sorrow; the dragon has departed, and RIPPLE’s comb has broken its teeth for grief. The magpie has forsaken my chamber: it is in vain for the maidens to hang up their needles on Seventh Night and pray for nimble fingers. My buckle with the love-ducks is broken: the seamstress is no more who could repair the silk-work of its girdle.
And this being the season of autumn when the power of metal predominates and the White God is master of the earth, the signs themselves are melancholy. I wake from dreams of her on a lonely couch and in an empty room. As the moon veils herself behind the trees of the garden, the moonlight and the sweet form I dreamed of are in the same moment extinguished; as the perfume fades from the hangings of my bedchamber, the laboured breath and whispered words I strove to catch at the same time fall silent. Dew pearls the pavement’s moss; the launderer’s beat is borne in unceasingly through my casement. Rain wets the wall-fig; a flute’s complaint carries uncertainly from a near-by courtyard.
Her sweet name is not extinguished, for the parrot in his cage under the eaves ceases not to repeat it; and the crabtree in my courtyard whose half-withering was a foretokening of her fate stands yet her memorial. But no more shall the sound of her lotus feet betray her at hide-and-seek behind the screen; no more will her fingers cull budding orchids for the game of match-my-flower in the garden. The embroidery silks are thrown aside in a tangle: never again will she cut them with her silver scissors. The sheeny silk lies creased and crumpled: never again shall her hot-iron smooth out its perfumed folds.
In her last hour, when I might else have gone to her, I was called in haste from the Garden by a Father’s summons; when, grieving, I sought to take leave of her abandoned body, I could not see it because it had been removed by a Mother’s command; and when I was told that her corpse had been consumed, I repented of my jesting vow that we should share the same grave-hole together, for that were now impossible, and that our ashes should commingle, for ash she is already become.
In the burning-ground by the old temple, green ghost-fires flicker when the west wind blows. On its derelict mounds, scattered bones gleam whitely in the setting sun. The wind sighs in the tall trees and rustles in the dried-up grasses below. Gibbons call sadly from tombs that are hidden in the mist, and ghosts flit weeping down the alley-ways between the tombs. At such times must the young man in his crimson-curtained bed seem most cruelly afflicted; at such times must the maiden beneath the yellow earth seem most cruelly ill-fated.
The tears of Ru-nan fall in bloody drops upon the wind, and the complaint of Golden Valley is made to the moon in silence. Vengeance is for demons and baleful bogles; the gentle spirits of maidens are not wont to be jealous, though wronged. Natheless shall the backbiters not lightly escape her; their mouths shall be squeezed in vices; the hearts of those cruel harridans shall be ripped: for her anger is kindled against them.
Though the bond between us was a slight one, yet can it not easily be broken; and because she was ever close to me in my thoughts, I could not forbear to make earnest inquiry concerning her. Thus it was revealed to me that the God had sent down the banner of his authority and summoned her to his Palace of Flowers, to the end that she who in life was like a flower should in death have dominion over the hibiscus. At first when I heard the words of the little maid touching this appointment, I thought them fantastical; but now that I have pondered them in my heart, I know them to be worthy of perfect credence. How so?
Did not Ye Fa-shan compel Li Yong’s sleeping spirit to compose an epitaph? And was not the soul of Li He summoned in order that he might write a memorial in heaven? The circumstances may differ, but the principle is the same. God chooses his ministers according to their capabilities, else how could they discharge the duties that are required of them? And who more fit and meet than her to be given this charge that has been laid upon her? Truly, here at last she has a work that is worthy of her.
And because I would have her descend here in this place, I have composed these verses to invoke her with, fearing that the common speech of mortals might be offensive to her immortal ear.
The Invocation
All’s clearest azure above • where her team of white wyverns through the welkin wends,
And the world in a haze below • as her chryselephantine car to the earth descends.
Her awning’s relucent splendour • outshines Antares and his starry band,
Her guidons and gonfalons go before • and the stars of Aquarius guard her on either hand.
Cloudcleaver follows as escort • Moondriver gallops to clear the way ahead.
I can hear the creak and trundle of chariot-wheels • of her phoenix-figured car’s majestic tread.
I can smell the enveloping perfume • of her cincture from fragrant stalks of asarum twined,
See the dazzle of her dress • gleaming with moon-jade ouches, fretted and lined.
I’ll strew the altar with lily-of-the-valley leaves • and have waterlilies for lamps fed with orchid oil,
And in chalices cunningly fashioned from calabash • pour rarest metheglin flavoured with pennyroyal.
As I fasten my gaze on the clouds • methinks I see a faint glimmer of her face;
As I strain my ear on the silence • I seem to hear a faint echo of her voice.
But she, on a tryst with eternity, brooking no coarctation • has abandoned me, cruel, here in the dust to lie,
Calling on Windlord in vain to drive me up after her • to ride side by side with her across the sky.
My heart is all wracked with teen • yet it boots not to weep and wail:
You are gone now to your long sleep • against Nature’s order no power on earth can prevail.
In the grave-vault secure you rest • the bourne after which there is no more transformation.
But to me still in bonds in this hateful wen below • O Spirit, succouring come for my consolation!
O Spirit, come and abide for my consolation!
But what though she is present in this place? She is girt about with silence; she is veiled in a mist of invisibility; I cannot see her:
Only the green wreathed creepers that make her side-screens, And the ranks of tall bullrushes, her guardsmen’s spears. The sleepy willow-buds waken as she approaches; And the bitter lotus-seeds sweeten as she nears. The White Virgin waits for her on cliffs of cassia; From Orchid Island the water-sprite comes to greet her. Jade-player plays for her on a little organ, And Cold-keys sweeps the iron spine with his metal beater. The God of the Mid Peak’s consort comes at her bidding; The crone of Li Mountain is summoned forth to meet her. The Luo River turtle brings her his magic offering; To the heavenly music wild beasts gambol and prance. In the deeps of Red River the dragons are humming the melody; And in pearl-tree groves the Birds of Paradise dance.
Seeing my reverence and my devoutness of heart (notwithstanding that I have neither vessels of gold nor vessels of bronze in which to make my offering) she drove forth her chariot from the City of Sunrise to meet me; but even now her banners are returning to the Garden of Night. For a little moment it seemed that the invisible would become visible; but murky vapours rose up suddenly between us and we were cut off.
Clouds and mists drifted and drew together, Rain and fog veiled the heaven’s light; Then rolling back, revealed the high stars And earth all radiant in the noon of night.
My mind is in a turmoil, uncertain whether I wake or dream. I gaze at the sky with sighs of disappointment; I wait in uncertainty with weeping eyes. My speech grows silent: only the music of the wind in the grove of bamboos is to be heard, and the wing-beats of birds as they fly off startled, and the plopping sounds of fish as they nibble at the surface of the water.
Blest Spirit, may my lament go up to thee; may my rite be acceptable to thee.
Wubu aizai! Receive this offering!
When he had finished reading, he made a little flame with the burner and set fire to the silk. Then he poured the tea out on the ground as a libation, scattered the flowers, and emptied the water out of the vase. He continued to linger there after he had finished, as though unable to tear himself away, and the little maid had to remind him several times that they ought to be getting back. He had just started to go when a laughing voice called out ‘Stop a minute!’ and the maid, turning to look behind her, saw with terror that a female form was stepping out of the bushes.
‘Help!’ she cried. ‘It’s a ghost! Skybright’s spirit really has come back!’
Bao-yu looked back too. But whether or not it was a ghost he saw will be revealed in the following chapter.