第八十六回

第八十六回 受私贿老官翻案牍 寄闲情淑女解琴书

话说薛姨妈听了薛蝌的来书，因叫进小厮问道：“你听见你大爷说，到底是怎么就把人打死了呢？”小厮道：“小的也没听真切。那一日大爷告诉二爷说。”说着回头看了一看，见无人，才说道：“大爷说自从家里闹的特利害，大爷也没心肠了，所以要到南边置货去。这日想着约一个人同行，这人在咱们这城南二百多地住。大爷找他去了，遇见在先和大爷好的那个蒋玉菡〔一〕带着些小戏子进城。大爷同他在个铺子里吃饭喝酒，因为这当槽儿的[2]尽着拿眼瞟蒋玉菡，大爷就有了气了。后来蒋玉菡走了。第二天，大爷就请找的那个人喝酒，酒后想起头一天的事来，叫那当槽儿的换酒，那当槽儿的来迟了，大爷就骂起来了。那个人不依，大爷就拿起酒碗照他打去。谁知那个人也是个泼皮，便把头伸过来叫大爷打。大爷拿碗就砸他的脑袋一下，他就冒了血了，躺在地下，头里还骂，后头就不言语了。”薛姨妈道：“怎么也没人劝劝吗？”那小厮道：“这个没听见大爷说，小的不敢妄言。”薛姨妈道：“你先去歇歇罢。”小厮答应出来。这里薛姨妈自来见王夫人，托王夫人转求贾政。贾政问了前后，也只好含糊应了，只说等薛蝌递了呈子，看他本县怎么批了再作道理。

这里薛姨妈又在当铺里兑了银子，叫小厮赶着去了。三日后果有回信。薛姨妈接着了，即叫小丫头告诉宝钗，连忙过来看了。只见书上写道：

带去银两做了衙门上下使费。哥哥在监也不大吃苦，请太太放心。独是这里的人很刁，尸亲见证都不依，连哥哥请的那个朋友也帮着他们。我与李祥两个俱系生地生人，幸找着一个好先生，许他银子，才讨个主意，说是须得拉扯着同哥哥喝酒的吴良，弄人保出他来，许他银两，叫他撕掳。他若不依，便说张三是他打死，明推在异乡人身上，他吃不住，就好办了。我依着他，果然吴良出来。现在买嘱尸亲见证，又做了一张呈子。前日递的，今日批来，请看呈底便知。

因又念呈底道：

具呈人某，呈为兄遭飞祸代伸冤抑事。窃生胞兄薛蟠，本籍南京，寄寓西京。于某年月日备本往南贸易。去未数日，家奴送信回家，说遭人命。生即奔宪治[3]，知兄误伤张姓，及至囹圄[4]。据兄泣告，实与张姓素不相认，并无仇隙。偶因换酒角口，生兄将酒泼地，恰值张三低头拾物，一时失手，酒碗误碰囟门身死。蒙恩拘讯，兄惧受刑，承认斗殴致死。仰蒙宪天仁慈，知有冤抑，尚未定案。生兄在禁，具呈诉辩，有干例禁。生念手足，冒死代呈，伏乞宪慈恩准，提证质讯，开恩莫大。生等举家仰戴鸿仁，永永无既[5]矣。激切上呈。

批的是：

尸场检验，证据确凿。且并未用刑，尔兄自认斗杀，招供在案。今尔远来，并非目睹，何得捏词妄控。理应治罪，姑念为兄情切，且恕。不准。

薛姨妈听到那里，说道：“这不是救不过来了么。这怎么好呢！”宝钗道：“二哥的书还没看完，后面还有呢。”因又念道：“有要紧的问来使便知。”薛姨妈便问来人，因说道：“县里早知我们的家当充足，须得在京里谋干得大情，再送一分大礼，还可以复审，从轻定案。太太此时必得快办，再迟了就怕大爷要受苦了。”

薛姨妈听了，叫小厮自去，即刻又到贾府与王夫人说明原故，恳求贾政。贾政只肯托人与知县说情，不肯提及银物。薛姨妈恐不中用，求凤姐与贾琏说了，花上几千银子，才把知县买通。薛蝌那里也便弄通了。然后知县挂牌坐堂，传齐了一干邻保证见尸亲人等，监里提出薛蟠。刑房书吏俱一一点名。知县便叫地保对明初供，又叫尸亲张王氏并尸叔张二问话。张王氏哭禀道：“小的的男人是张大，南乡里住，十八年前死了。大儿子二儿子也都死了，光留下这个死的儿子叫张三，今年二十三岁，还没有娶女人呢。为小人家里穷，没得养活，在李家店里做当槽儿的。那一天晌午，李家店里打发人来叫俺，说‘你儿子叫人打死了。’我的青天老爷，小的就唬死了。跑到那里，看见我儿子头破血出的躺在地下喘气儿，问他话也说不出来，不多一会儿就死了。小人就要揪住这个小杂种拚命。”众衙役吆喝一声。张王氏便磕头道：“求青天老爷伸冤，小人就只这一个儿子了。”知县便叫下去，又叫李家店的人问道：“那张三是你店内佣工的么？”那李二回道：“不是佣工，是做当槽儿的。”知县道：“那日尸场[6]上你说张三是薛蟠将碗砸死的，你亲眼见的么。”李二说道：“小的在柜上，听见说客房里要酒。不多一回，便听见说‘不好了，打伤了。’小的跑进去，只见张三躺在地下，也不能言语。小的便喊禀地保，一面报他母亲去了。他们到底怎样打的，实在不知道，求太爷问那喝酒的便知道了。”知县喝道：“初审口供，你是亲见的，怎么如今说没有见？”李二道：“小的前日唬昏了乱说。”衙役又吆喝了一声。知县便叫吴良问道：“你是同在一处喝酒的么？薛蟠怎么打的，据实供来。”吴良说：“小的那日在家，这个薛大爷叫我喝酒。他嫌酒不好要换，张三不肯。薛大爷生气把酒向他脸上泼去，不晓得怎么样就碰在那脑袋上了。这是亲眼见的。”知县道：“胡说。前日尸场上薛蟠自己认拿碗砸死的，你说你亲眼见的，怎么今日的供不对？掌嘴。”衙役答应着要打，吴良求着说：“薛蟠实没有与张三打架，酒碗失手碰在脑袋上的。求老爷问薛蟠便是恩典了。”知县叫提薛蟠，问道：“你与张三到底有什么仇隙？毕竟是如何死的，实供上来。”薛蟠道：“求太老爷开恩，小的实没有打他。为他不肯换酒，故拿酒泼他，不想一时失手，酒碗误碰在他的脑袋上。小的即忙掩他的血，那里知道再掩不住，血淌多了，过一回就死了。前日尸场上怕太老爷要打，所以说是拿碗砸他的。只求太爷开恩。”知县便喝道：“好个糊涂东西！本县问你怎么砸他的，你便供说恼他不换酒才砸的，今日又供是失手碰的。”知县假作声势，要打要夹，薛蟠一口咬定。知县叫仵作将前日尸场填写伤痕据实报来。仵作禀报说：“前日验得张三尸身无伤，惟囟门有磁器伤长一寸七分，深五分，皮开，囟门骨脆裂破三分。实系磕碰伤。”知县查对尸格[7]相符，早知书吏改轻，也不驳诘，胡乱便叫画供。张王氏哭喊道：“青天老爷！前日听见还有多少伤，怎么今日都没有了？”知县道：“这妇人胡说，现有尸格，你不知道么。”叫尸叔张二便问道：“你侄儿身死，你知道有几处伤？”张二忙供道：“脑袋上一伤。”知县道：“可又来。”叫书吏将尸格给张王氏瞧去，并叫地保尸叔指明与他瞧，现有尸场亲押证见俱供并未打架，不为斗殴。只依误伤吩咐画供。将薛蟠监禁候详，馀令原保领出，退堂。张王氏哭着乱嚷，知县叫众衙役撵他出去。张二也劝张王氏道：“实在误伤，怎么赖人。现在太老爷断明，不要胡闹了。”薛蝌在外打听明白，心内喜欢，便差人回家送信。等批详[8]回来，便好打点赎罪，且住着等信。只听路上三三两两传说，有个贵妃薨了，皇上辍朝三日。这里离陵寝[9]不远，知县办差垫道，一时料着不得闲，住在这里无益，不如到监告诉哥哥安心等着，“我回家去，过几日再来。”薛蟠也怕母亲痛苦，带信说：“我无事，必须衙门再使费几次，便可回家了。只是不要可惜银钱。”

薛蝌留下李祥〔二〕在此照料，一径回家，见了薛姨妈，陈说知县怎样徇情，怎样审断，终定了误伤，将来尸亲那里再花些银子，一准赎罪，便没事了。薛姨妈听说，暂且放心，说：“正盼你来家中照应。贾府里本该谢去，况且周贵妃薨了，他们天天进去，家里空落落的。我想着要去替姨太太那边照应照应作伴儿，只是咱们家又没人。你这来的正好。”薛蝌道：“我在外头原听见说是贾妃薨了，这么才赶回来的。我们元妃好好儿的，怎么说死了？”薛姨妈道：“上年原病过一次，也就好了。这回又没听见元妃有什么病。只闻那府里头几天老太太不大受用，合上眼便看见元妃娘娘。众人都不放心，直至打听起来，又没有什么事。到了大前儿晚上，老太太亲口说是‘怎么元妃独自一个人到我这里？’众人只道是病中想的话，总不信。老太太又说：‘你们不信，元妃还与我说是荣华易尽，须要退步抽身。’众人都说：‘谁不想到？这是有年纪的人思前想后的心事。’所以也不当件事。恰好第二天早起，里头吵嚷出来说娘娘病重，宣各诰命进去请安。他们就惊疑的了不得，赶着进去。他们还没有出来，我们家里已听见周贵妃薨逝了。你想外头的讹言，家里的疑心，恰碰在一处，可奇不奇！”宝钗道：“不但是外头的讹言舛错，便在家里的，一听见‘娘娘’两个字，也就都忙了，过后才明白。这两天那府里这些丫头婆子来说，他们早知道不是咱们家的娘娘。我说：‘你们那里拿得定呢？’他说道：‘前几年正月，外省荐了一个算命的，说是很准。那老太太叫人将元妃八字夹在丫头们八字里头，送出去叫他推算。他独说这正月初一日生日的那位姑娘只怕时辰错了，不然真是个贵人，也不能在这府中。老爷和众人说，不管他错不错，照八字算去。那先生便说，甲申年正月丙寅这四个字内有伤官败财，惟申字内有正官禄马，这就是家里养不住的，也不见什么好。这日子是乙卯，初春木旺，虽是比肩[11]，那里知道愈比愈好，就像那个好木料，愈经斲削，才成大器。独喜得时上什么辛金为贵，什么巳中正官禄马独旺，这叫作飞天禄马格。又说什么日禄归时，贵重的很，天月二德坐本命[12]，贵受椒房之宠。这位姑娘若是时辰准了，定是一位主子娘娘。这不是算准了么！我们还记得说，可惜荣华不久，只怕遇着寅年卯月，这就是比而又比，劫而又劫，譬如好木，太要做玲珑剔透，本质就不坚了。他们把这些话都忘记了，只管瞎忙。我才想起来告诉我们大奶奶，今年那里是寅年卯月呢。’”宝钗尚未说完，薛蝌急道：“且不要管人家的事，既有这样个神仙算命的，我想哥哥今年什么恶星照命，遭这么横祸，快开八字与我给他算去，看有妨碍么。”宝钗道：“他是外省来的，不知如今在京不在了。”

说着，便打点薛姨妈往贾府去。到了那里，只有李纨探春等在家接着，便问道：“大爷的事怎么样了？”薛姨妈道：“等详上司才定，看来也到不了死罪了。”这才大家放心。探春便道：“昨晚太太想着说，上回家里有事，全仗姨太太照应，如今自己有事，也难提了。心里只是不放心。”薛姨妈道：“我在家里也是难过。只是你大哥遭了事，你二兄弟又办事去了，家里你姐姐一个人，中什么用？况且我们媳妇儿又是个不大晓事的，所以不能脱身过来。目今那里知县也正为预备周贵妃的差事，不得了结案件，所以你二兄弟回来了，我才得过来看看。”李纨便道：“请姨太太这里住几天更好。”薛姨妈点头道：“我也要在这边给你们姐妹们作作伴儿，就只你宝妹妹冷静些。”惜春道：“姨妈要惦着，为什么不把宝姐姐也请过来？”薛姨妈笑着说道：“使不得。”惜春道：“怎么使不得？他先怎么住着来呢？”李纨道：“你不懂的，人家家里如今有事，怎么来呢。”惜春也信以为实，不便再问。

正说着，贾母等回来。见了薛姨妈，也顾不得问好，便问薛蟠的事。薛姨妈细述了一遍。宝玉在旁听见什么蒋玉菡一段，当着人不问，心里打量是“他既回了京，怎么不来瞧我？”又见宝钗也不过来，不知是怎么个原故。心内正自呆呆的想呢，恰好黛玉也来请安。宝玉稍觉心里喜欢，便把想宝钗来的念头打断，同着姊妹们在老太太那里吃了晚饭。大家散了，薛姨妈将就住在老太太的套间屋里。

宝玉回到自己房中，换了衣服，忽然想起蒋玉菡给的汗巾，便向袭人道：“你那一年没有系的那条红汗巾子还有没有？”袭人道：“我搁着呢。问他做什么？”宝玉道：“我白问问。”袭人道：“你没有听见，薛大爷相与这些混帐人，所以闹到人命关天。你还提那些作什么？有这样白操心，倒不如静静儿的念念书，把这些个没要紧的事撂开了也好。”宝玉道：“我并不闹什么，偶然想起，有也罢，没也罢，我白问一声，你们就有这些话。”袭人笑道：“并不是我多话。一个人知书达理，就该往上巴结才是。就是心爱的人来了，也叫他瞧着喜欢尊敬啊。”宝玉被袭人一提，便说：“了不得，方才我在老太太那边，看见人多，没有与林妹妹说话。他也不曾理我，散的时候他先走了，此时必在屋里。我去就来。”说着就走。袭人道：“快些回来罢，这都是我提头儿，倒招起你的高兴来了。”

宝玉也不答言，低着头，一径走到潇湘馆来。只见黛玉靠在桌上看书。宝玉走到跟前，笑说道：“妹妹早回来了。”黛玉也笑道：“你不理我，我还在那里做什么！”宝玉一面笑说：“他们人多说话，我插不下嘴去，所以没有和你说话。”一面瞧着黛玉看的那本书。书上的字一个也不认得，有的像“芍”字，有的像“茫”字，也有一个“大”字旁边“九”字加上一勾，中间又添个“五”字，也有上头“五”字“六”字又添一个“木”字，底下又是一个“五”字，看着又奇怪，又纳闷，便说：“妹妹近日愈发进了，看起天书来了。”黛玉嗤的一声笑道：“好个念书的人，连个琴谱[13]都没有见过。”宝玉道：“琴谱怎么不知道，为什么上头的字一个也不认得。妹妹你认得么？”黛玉道：“不认得瞧他做什么？”宝玉道：“我不信，从没有听见你会抚琴。我们书房里挂着好几张，前年来了一个清客先生叫做什么嵇好古，老爷烦他抚了一曲。他取下琴来说，都使不得，还说：‘老先生若高兴，改日携琴来请教。’想是我们老爷也不懂，他便不来了。怎么你有本事藏着？”黛玉道：“我何尝真会呢。前日身上略觉舒服，在大书架上翻书，看有一套琴谱，甚有雅趣，上头讲的琴理甚通，手法说的也明白，真是古人静心养性的工夫。我在扬州也听得讲究过，也曾学过，只是不弄了，就没有了。这果真有‘三日不弹，手生荆棘。’前日看这几篇没有曲文，只有操名[14]。我又到别处找了一本有曲文的来看着，才有意思。究竟怎么弹得好，实在也难。书上说的师旷鼓琴能来风雷龙凤；孔圣人尚学琴于师襄[15]，一操便知其为文王；高山流水，得遇知音[16]。”说到这里，眼皮儿微微一动，慢慢的低下头去。宝玉正听得高兴，便道：“好妹妹，你才说的实在有趣，只是我才见上头的字都不认得，你教我几个呢。”黛玉道：“不用教的，一说便可以知道的。”宝玉道：“我是个糊涂人，得教我那个‘大’字加一勾，中间一个‘五’字的。”黛玉笑道：“这‘大’字‘九’字是用左手大拇指按琴上的九徽[17]，这一勾加‘五’字是右手钩五弦[18]。并不是一个字，乃是一声，是极容易的。还有吟、揉、绰、注、撞、走、飞、推等法，是讲究手法的。”宝玉乐得手舞足蹈的说：“好妹妹，你既明琴理，我们何不学起来。”黛玉道：“琴者，禁也[19]。古人制下，原以治身，涵养性情，抑其淫荡，去其奢侈。若要抚琴，必择静室高斋，或在层楼的上头，在林石的里面，或是山巅上，或是水涯上。再遇着那天地清和的时候，风清月朗，焚香静坐，心不外想，气血和平，才能与神合灵，与道合妙。所以古人说‘知音难遇’。若无知音，宁可独对着那清风明月，苍松怪石，野猿老鹤，抚弄一番，以寄兴趣，方为不负了这琴。还有一层，又要指法好，取音好。若必要抚琴，先须衣冠整齐，或鹤氅，或深衣，要如古人〔三〕的像表，那才能称圣人之器，然后盥了手，焚上香，方才将身就在榻边，把琴放在案上，坐在第五徽的地方儿，对着自己的当心，两手方从容抬起，这才心身俱正。还要知道轻重疾徐，卷舒自若，体态尊重方好。”宝玉道：“我们学着顽，若这么讲究起来，那就难了。”

两个人正说着，只见紫鹃进来，看见宝玉笑说道：“宝二爷，今日这样高兴。”宝玉笑道：“听见妹妹讲究的叫人顿开茅塞，所以越听越爱听。”紫鹃道：“不是这个高兴，说的是二爷到我们这边来的话。”宝玉道：“先时妹妹身上不舒服，我怕闹的他烦。再者我又上学，因此显着就疏远了似的。”紫鹃不等说完，便道：“姑娘也是才好，二爷既这么说，坐坐也该让姑娘歇歇儿了，别叫姑娘只是讲究劳神了。”宝玉笑道：“可是我只顾爱听，也就忘了妹妹劳神了。”黛玉笑道：“说这些倒也开心，也没有什么劳神的。只是怕我只管说，你只管不懂呢。”宝玉道：“横竖慢慢的自然明白了。”说着，便站起来道：“当真的妹妹歇歇儿罢。明儿我告诉三妹妹和四妹妹去，叫他们都学起来，让我听。”黛玉笑道：“你也太受用了。即如大家学会了抚起来，你不懂，可不是对——[21]”黛玉说到那里，想起心上的事，便缩住口，不肯往下说了。宝玉便笑道：“只要你们能弹，我便爱听，也不管牛不牛的了。”黛玉红了脸一笑。紫鹃雪雁也都笑了。

于是走出门来，只见秋纹带着小丫头捧着一小盆兰花来说：“太太那边有人送了四盆兰花来，因里头有事没有空儿顽他，叫给二爷一盆，林姑娘一盆。”黛玉看时，却有几枝双朵儿的，心中忽然一动，也不知是喜是悲，便呆呆的呆看。那宝玉此时却一心只在琴上，便说：“妹妹有了兰花，就可以做《猗兰操》[22]了。”黛玉听了，心里反不舒服。回到房中，看着花，想到“草木当春，花鲜叶茂，想我年纪尚小〔四〕，便像三秋蒲柳。若是果能随愿，或者渐渐的好来，不然，只恐似那花柳残春，怎禁得风催雨送。”想到那里，不禁又滴下泪来。紫鹃在旁看见这般光景，却想不出原故来。方才宝玉在这里那么高兴，如今好好的看花，怎么又伤起心来。正愁着没法儿劝解，只见宝钗那边打发人来。未知何事，下回分解。

〔一〕 “蒋玉菡”，原作“蒋玉函”。藤本有作“蒋玉菡”，亦有作“蒋玉函”，今依藤本与前八十回中的人名统一。

[2] 当槽儿的——酒店里跑堂的。

[3] 宪治——这里指县衙门。宪：旧时对上官的尊称。下文“宪天”、“宪慈”皆为对县官的尊称。

[4] 囹圄（línɡ　yǔ灵雨）——监狱。

[5] 仰戴鸿仁，永永无既——感戴大恩大德，永生永世不尽。鸿：大。既：尽。

[6] 尸场——即验尸的场所。

[7] 尸格——又叫尸单，验尸时填写尸体状况的表格。

[8] 候详、批详——详：旧时公文的一种，用以向上级陈报请示。候详：等候写公文上报。批详：经上级批示的公文。

[9] 陵寝——皇家的陵墓寝庙。

〔二〕 “李祥”，“祥”原作“详”，从程乙本改。

[11] 比肩——年、月、日、时八字在干支上相接之谓。

[12] 本命——生年的干支为本命。

[13] 琴谱——古琴琴谱原理及弹奏手法的专书。其每一声的音调指法，均用一定符号和数字表示，合写在一起很像一个方块字。其上首记示左手所按徽位，下首记示右手指法及所弹某弦。如“”，表示左手大拇指按于九徽，右手勾第三弦。

[14] 操名——操：即琴操，古琴曲叫操。《刘向别录》：君子“其道闭塞幽愁，而作者名其曲曰操，言遇灾害不失其操也”。古琴曲有十二操，其名为：将归操，猗兰操，龟山操，越裳操，拘幽操，岐山操，履霜操，朝飞操，别鹤操，残形操，山仙操，襄陵操。

[15] 师旷、师襄——师旷：春秋时代晋国盲乐师。他辨音能力很强，善弹七弦琴。相传他弹琴招来了玄鹤。见《韩非子·十过》。师襄：春秋时代鲁国乐官，善弹琴、击磬。据说孔子曾跟他学琴。见《史记·孔子世家》。

[16] 高山流水，得遇知音——《列子·汤问》：“伯牙善鼓琴，钟子期善听。伯牙鼓琴，志在高山，钟子期曰：‘善哉，峨峨兮若泰山！’志在流水，曰：‘善哉，洋洋乎若江河！’”故后以“高山流水”喻指知音。

[17] 九徽——徽：亦作晖。古琴依三分损益法确定十三音，每音在琴面左侧饰以金玉或螺蛤的圆点为标记，谓之徽。全弦凡十三徽，以指按而弹之，凡十三音。九徽：自琴首向琴尾数第九个圆点，即第九音。

[18] 五弦——这里指第五根弦。我国古琴初为五弦，自周代后为七弦。近徽一侧为第一弦，最粗；近弹琴者一侧为第七弦，最细。

[19] 琴者，禁也——语出《白虎通·礼乐》：“琴，禁也，禁止于邪，以正人心也。”周代礼乐思想极盛，认为琴是象征道德的乐器，不可轻动。

〔三〕 “要如古人”，“如”原作“知”，从藤本改。

[21] 对——“对牛弹琴”的省略。对牛弹琴：出自《禅录》，讥笑别人听不懂音乐或听不懂对方所说的话。后亦喻说话人不看对象。

[22] 《猗兰操》——又名《幽兰操》，相传为孔子所作。《琴操》：“孔子自卫反鲁，隐谷之中，见香兰独茂，作《猗兰操》。”

〔四〕 “年纪尚小”，“小”原作“下”，从藤本改。

CHAPTER 86. Bribery induces an old mandarin to tamper with the course of justice And a discourse on the Qin provides a young lady with a vehicle for romantic feelings

It was told in the last chapter how Bao-chai read Xue Ke’s letter aloud to her mother, who then summoned the boy and told him to repeat whatever Xue Pan had said about his misadventure.

‘I couldn’t make out every word, ma’am,’ he began, ‘but I did hear Mr Pan tell Master Ke that…’

He glanced quickly round the room, and having satisfied himself that there was no one else present, continued:

‘… that he couldn’t stand any more of the terrible scenes at home, and had decided to go on a business trip in the South. He knew someone in this town about seventy miles south of the capital, and - was thinking of asking him along on his travels. On his way to this man’s house, who should he meet but that fellow Jiang Yu-han he used to be friendly with, on his way to the capital with some young actors. The two of them went into a bar for a jug of wine and a bite to eat, and that’s when things started to go wrong. The waiter kept making eyes at Jiang, which made Mr Pan angry. Well, Jiang left that same day. But the next day, Mr Pan took this other man – the one he was planning to travel with – to the same bar for a drink. After a few rounds he remembered the waiter’s cheeky behaviour and made a point of complaining about the wine. The waiter took a long time coming with a fresh jug; Mr Pan picked up his cup and aimed it at the waiter’s face. Well, the waiter turned out to be a daring sort of rogue himself; he stuck his head out and challenged Mr Pan to hit him. Next thing, wham! Mr Pan smashed the cup right down on top of his head. Blood came spurting out, and the waiter went down, cursing and swearing. Then he came over all quiet…’

‘But why on earth did nobody try to stop them?’ asked Aunt Xue.

‘I didn’t hear Mr Pan say anything about that, ma’am. That’s all I know.’

‘All right. You may go and rest now.’

‘Thank you ma’am.’

So saying, the boy went out.

Aunt Xue went first to her sister and entrusted her with the task of enlisting Jia Zheng’s support. When Lady Wang brought the matter up and gave Jia Zheng a detailed account of what had happened, he hummed and hawed and said that he could do nothing until Xue Ke’s appeal had gone through the normal channels and the judge had issued his rescript.

Aunt Xue had the five hundred taels weighed out in the family pawnshop and gave it to the boy to deliver posthaste to Xue Ke.

Three days later, the letter they were waiting for arrived. It was handed to Aunt Xue, who sent a junior maid at once to fetch Bao-chai. She hurried over, and this is what she read:

‘Dear Aunt. Tls. 500 received and distributed as tips among the yamen staff. Pan is being reasonably treated in jail, so please don’t worry.

‘Our problem is that the people here are being very awkward. Neither the dead man’s family nor the eye-witnesses will cooperate. Even Pan’s so-called friend – the one he invited to travel with him – is on their side. It’s especially hard for Li Xiang and myself, as strangers, but luckily we have managed to find a good scrivener who has agreed to help us – for a pretty stiff fee. His advice was that we should get to work on Wu Liang (that’s the “friend”). First, since he was being held in custody as a primary witness, we should get someone to stand bail for him; then offer him money to corroborate our plea of death by mischance. If Wu refused to cooperate we were to try accusing him of being the murderer himself and of using an outsider as a scapegoat. He’d be too scared then not to play along.

‘So far so good. We got Wu out on bail, bribed the family and various other witnesses, and lodged our appeal the day before yesterday. The rescript was issued today. It speaks for itself.’

Bao-chai went on to read out the copy of the appeal and appended rescript.

APPEAL

brought by Xue Ke, younger cousin of and proxy for the defendant, Xue Pan, wrongfully convicted of the Intentional Homicide by Blows of Zhang San, late of this county.

STATEMENT OF FACTS: The defendant, registered domicile Nanking, at present resident in the capital, on the __ of the __ month, left home intending to do business in the Southern Provinces. Not many days later, his servant returned home with the news that the defendant had been involved in an incident in which another party had lost his life. The appellant came hither in all haste, to discover that the above-mentioned Mr Zhang had indeed met his death at the hand of the defendant, but that it was a case of Fatal Bodily Harm by Mischance and not of Intentional Homicide by Blows, as previously alleged.

PLEA: On arrival at the County Jail, the appellant was a witness to the most earnest protestations of innocence on the part of the defendant, and hearty denial of any previous animosity towards Zhang, with whom indeed he had not been in the slightest degree acquainted before the incident in question, which had occurred solely as the result of a trivial disagreement over a jug of wine. The defendant, by way of complaint, emptied the contents of his cup onto the floor. At precisely the same instant, the deceased bent down to retrieve some object from an adjacent spot, slipping as he did so, with the unfortunate, but entirely accidental consequence that a fatal collision occurred between the defendant’s cup and the deceased’s os bregmatis.

When Your Honour saw fit to apprehend the defendant and subject him to judicial interrogation, his terror of the rack was so extreme that he rashly admitted the charge of Homicide by Blows, thus bringing upon himself the sentence of Strangulation, with possibility of Commutation to Exile. Your Honour, in your great Wisdom and Clemency, aware no doubt of some latent injustice, has delayed passing sentence until the present time. The defendant, being in custody, is prevented by law from appealing pro sua parte. The appellant has therefore been emboldened by considerations of family loyalty to act on his behalf, most humbly and earnestly beseeching Your Honour to reopen the case and subject all parties concerned to a second examination. This would be a magnanimous course of action, and one that would earn the never-ending gratitude and lifelong devotion of the appellant and his entire family.

Bao-chai now came to the judge’s rescript, which read as follows:

RESCRIPT

An inquest was held at the scene of the crime, and the evidence heard was conclusive. No torture of any kind was applied to the defendant, who freely admitted the charge, viz. Homicide by Blows. His admission of guilt has now been officially entered in the records.

You, the appellant, an outsider with no first-hand knowledge of the case, in presuming to fabricate this unfounded appeal are guilty of contempt of court. In view of the mitigating circumstances of family loyalty, your offence will be overlooked in this instance.

APPEAL REJECTED

‘There’s no hope left then!’ cried Aunt Xue. ‘What can we do now?’

‘That isn’t all,’ said Bao-chai. ‘There’s a P.S.’

She read on:

‘For confidential instructions, ask the boy – urgent.’

Aunt Xue immediately questioned the boy, who supplied the following information:

‘The people at the yamen know how rich we are, ma’am, and Master Ke says we’ll have to use family connections here in the capital, and send another large bribe, if we’re to get a rehearing and a lighter sentence. He says you must act quickly, ma’am, as delay now could mean hardship for Mr Pan.’

Aunt Xue dismissed the boy and went at once to see her sister again. Lady Wang pleaded strenuously with Jia Zheng, but the most he was prepared to do was send someone to ‘have a word’ with the judge. He refused to contemplate the use of ‘pecuniary considerations’. Aunt Xue, fearing that this gesture would prove ineffective, begged Xi-feng to speak to Jia Lian. The judge’s price was high – the figure ran into several thousands of taels; but in the end an agreement was reached, and the way was clear for Xue Ke to proceed with his plan.

The case was officially re-opened, and all the parties concerned were summoned once more to the district yamen – the beadle, eye-witnesses, relatives of the deceased, etc. Xue Pan was brought out from the cells. The clerk of the court called the roll, and the judge ordered the chief beadle to verify the original depositions. Then Mrs Zhang (née Wang) and Zhang Er, the deceased’s mother and uncle, were called to give evidence.

‘May’t please Yeronner,’ began Mrs Zhang, punctuating her delivery with sobs, ‘we Zhangs are country folk and live to the south of town. Papa Zhang’s been gone these eighteen years. We had the three boys, but our eldest and second have both passed away. The only one as I had left was our third, and now he’s gone too!’ (More sobs.)

‘Twenty-three this year he’d’ve been, anitplease Yeronner, and still a single lad. He’d took this job at Li’s Bar by way o’ helpin’ me out, seein’ as we’d so little comin’ in. It’d’ve been ’bout midday when this man come to the door – I can see ’im now – “There’s been a fight at Li’s Bar!” says he, “And your boy’s been killed!” My poor heart, Yeronner! I was took that bad! I runned to Li’s and there was my boy lyin’ on the ground, the blood runnin’ out ’is poor ’ead! I tried askin’ ’im what ’ad ’appened, but ’e couldn’t say nothing, ’e was ’ardly breathin’, and then … well, then ’e was gone! If I could only get my hands on that wickedevilmurderin’…’

A growl of disapproval rippled through the ranks of the court underlings. Mrs Zhang rapidly kotowed to the bench:

‘All I’m askin’ for is reglar justice Yeronner! He was all I’ad left in the world!’

‘Next witness – Gaffer Li!’ called the judge peremptorily.

Gaffer Li, proprietor of Li’s Bar, came forward and knelt before the bench.

‘Was this fellow Zhang employed for casual work on your premises?’ asked the judge.

‘He was a regular waiter,’ replied Li.

‘I see here that in your original deposition, as recorded at the Inquest, you state that Xue Pan dealt Zhang San a fatal blow on the head. Tell me, did you personally observe this blow?’

‘No, Your Honour. I was behind the counter at the time, in the tap-room. I heard that one of the customers in a private room had ordered some wine. Then a little later I heard that someone had been hurt. I ran in and saw Zhang San lying on the floor. He couldn’t speak. I informed the beadle, and sent someone to tell Mrs Zhang. I have no idea how the fight started. There was a gentleman sitting at Mr Xue’s table, Your Honour. Perhaps he could supply the necessary information…’

‘What!’ thundered the judge impressively. ‘In your original deposition it says quite plainly that you saw the incident with your own eyes. Are you now trying to tell me that you saw nothing?’

‘When I made that first statement, Your Honour, I was in such a fluster that I must have got my facts a bit muddled…’

Another growl through the ranks.

‘Next witness!’ ordered the judge.

The next witness was Wu Liang, Xue Pan’s ‘friend’.

‘Tell me,’ said the judge, ‘were you sitting drinking with the defendant at the time of the crime? Exactly how did the fatal blow occur? Be sure to speak the truth.’

‘On the day in question, Your Honour,’ replied Wu, ‘Mr Xue called at my house and kindly invited me out for a drink. As he was dissatisfied with the quality of the wine, he ordered a fresh jug to be brought. But the waiter, Zhang San, refused to oblige. This annoyed Mr Xue, and by way of protest he threw the contents of his cup in the waiters face. It all happened very fast, and somehow the cup must have slipped from Xue’s hand and collided with Zhang’s head. This is a true account of the incident as I saw it with my own eyes.’

‘Nonsense!’ cried the judge. ‘Why, at the Inquest the defendant himself admitted to “assaulting Zhang and dealing the fatal blow with the cup”, and you verified the admission yourself. This is perjury! Slap his face!’

An answering cry came from the appropriate section of the court, and the punishment was about to be administered, when Wu protested:

‘Mr Xue never started a fight, sir! The cup slipped from his hand and collided with Zhang’s head! It was all an accident! Question the defendant himself! Have mercy!’

The judge summoned Xue Pan.

‘Now, Xue, for the last time, tell me: what was your grudge against Zhang San? And how did he meet with his death? I want the whole truth!’

‘Your Honour, be merciful I beseech you!’ pleaded Xue Pan. ‘I never raised a hand to strike the man. All I did was empty my cup on the floor because he refused to bring the wine I had ordered. Before I knew it, the cup slipped from my hand and struck him on the head. I did all I could to staunch the wound, but it was hopeless. The loss of blood was so great that he died in a matter of minutes. At the Inquest I was in such fear of torture that I made a false confession of assault. I beg Your Honour to show mercy accordingly!’

‘Miserable wretch!’ bellowed the judge. ‘You have already pleaded guilty to intentional assault. Are you now trying to say that it was no more than an accidental collision?’

He went on in this fashion, making a series of suitably august noises, threatening Pan with the rod one minute and the rack the next, if he would not confess. This time, however, Pan persisted in his denial.

The coroner was now called upon to make public the results of his post-mortem.

‘May it please Your Honour, I have duly examined the corpse of Zhang San, and find no trace of injury but a single scalp-wound, caused by a porcelain artifact. The wound is approximately one and three-quarter inches in length, penetrating to a depth of half an inch. The bregmatic bone has sustained a fracture approximately one third of an inch in length. The type of wound points unmistakably to a collision of an accidental nature.’

The judge checked the coroner’s certificate, which (as he knew quite well) had been altered by his clerk, and without raising any objections casually asked all concerned to sign their statements.

‘But Yeronner!’ wailed Mrs Zhang. ‘What about all them other wounds? Ever so many there was! Coronary said so himself last time, I remember! Where’ve they all got to now?’

‘Foolish woman!’ exclaimed the judge. ‘Here is the certificate, duly signed – see for yourself.’

He called the dead man’s uncle forward (a more cooperative witness):

‘Zhang Er, will you tell the court how many wounds there were on your nephew’s corpse?’

‘Just the one on his skull, sir,’ replied Zhang.

The judge turned to Mrs Zhang:

‘What further need have you of proof!’

He told the clerk of the court to hand Mrs Zhang the certificate, and instructed the chief beadle and Zhang Er to explain it to her. The other documents in the case were now collated – the proceedings of the inquest, duly authenticated with the signatures of those present at the time, and the depositions of the witnesses, which were now unanimous in stating that there had been no quarrel, ergo no assault, ergo Xue Pan was only guilty of ‘causing fatal bodily harm by mischance’, a lesser degree of manslaughter redeemable by payment of a fine. The parties were now required to affix their signature or mark to the document, Xue Pan was detained until confirmation of his sentence was received, and Wu Liang and his guarantor were released. The court was adjourned.

As the judge was leaving, Mrs Zhang broke into another untimely bout of wailing and sobbing, and he ordered the court lictors to send her packing. Uncle Zhang also did what he could to bring her to her senses:

‘It really was an accident,’ he said, ‘so why hold an innocent man guilty? His Honour has passed sentence now, so for goodness’ sake pipe down.’

Xue Ke had been waiting outside, and was greatly relieved to hear that all had gone according to plan. He sent a letter home, saying that he planned to stay on until the confirmation came through, when he would pay Xue Pan’s fine.

Walking through the town later that day, he became aware of a buzz of excited conversation in the street:

‘Have you heard? One of the Imperial Concubines has passed away, and there’s to be a three-day Recess at Court…’

Since the Imperial Mausoleum was not far from the town, Xue Ke thought to himself, the judge would now be busy preparing for the funeral and repairing the road with yellow earth for the procession. He would hardly have time to think about routine legal matters, and consequently he himself would achieve little by hanging around. So he went to the jail and explained to Pan that he was going home for a few days. Pan was glad for his mother’s sake, and sent a brief note to reassure her. ‘I’m fine,’ he wrote. ‘A few more taels in the right pockets and I’ll be home! But be sure to keep the cash flowing!’ Xue Ke left the boy Li Xiang behind just in case, and set off home straight away.

On arrival, he gave Aunt Xue a full account of how the judge had managed the transition from ‘assault’ to ‘mischance’.

‘All that’s left now,’ he finished by saying, ‘is to give the Zhangs a bit more money. Then, when the commutation is confirmed, it will all be over.’

Aunt Xue breathed a sigh of relief.

‘I was hoping you would be able to come home,’ she said. ‘I have been wanting to go over and thank the Jias for all that they’ve done, and I thought it would be nice if I could go and keep an eye on things for Aunt Wang and spend some time with the girls. With the death of the Zhou Concubine the family is away every day and they must be rather lonely at home. But I couldn’t go until now because there was no one here to take charge.’

‘The funny thing is that on my way here I heard it was the Jia Concubine that had died,’ said Xue Ke. ‘That’s why I came back in such a hurry – though I must say I found it hard to credit.’

‘She was ill a while ago,’ replied Aunt Xue. ‘But she recovered, and I have heard nothing about her being ill since. It’s odd, though: Lady Jia was not feeling well a few days ago, and whenever she closed her eyes she had a vision of Her Grace. Everyone was most concerned at first, and they even sent someone to Court to inquire, but were told that Her Grace was in good health. Then, three days ago, in the evening, Lady Jia suddenly said out loud: “Why have you come all this way on your own to see me, Your Grace?” This time they put it down to her illness and didn’t take it seriously. “If you don’t believe me,” said Lady Jia, “let me tell you what Her Grace said: Prosperity may all too soon be spent; draw back, draw back before it is too late.” They thought she was imagining it all – it was just the sort of thing a lady of her years would be preoccupied with, after all – and paid no attention. So can you imagine the panic the next morning, when somehow they heard from Court that one of the Concubines was critically ill, and that all members of the family with titles were to proceed to the Palace! They were in the most dreadful state when they set off! But before they had even left the palace, we heard that it was the Zhou Concubine. It is odd, don’t you agree, that the rumour you heard should have tallied so exactly with Lady Jia’s premonitions?’

‘The public always gets its facts mixed up,’ commented Bao-chai, ‘and the Jias are so sensitive about the whole thing that they’ve only to hear the words “Her Grace” mentioned to start jumping to the most dire conclusions. It nearly always turns out to be a false alarm. During this latest excitement, I was chatting to one or two of their maids and older serving-women, and they told me they’d known all along that it couldn’t possibly have been Her Grace. I asked one of them how they could be so sure, and she told me of something that happened several years ago.

‘It was the first month of the year, and there was a fortune-teller from one of the provinces here in the capital, who had been recommended to the family for his great accuracy. Lady Jia gave instructions to slip Her Grace’s Eight Stems and Branches in with some of the maids’, and to ask this man to tell their fortunes. He singled hers out at once. “There must be some mistake here”, he said. “I see that this young lady was born on the first of the first month. If the Stem and Branch of her natal hour were correct, she would have to be a person of high estate, and not a servant in this household.” Sir Zheng and the others urged him to cast the horoscope anyway, so he went on: “The Cyclical Year Jia Shen (Wood + Metal), the Prime Month Bing Yin (Fire + Wood). Both Failure and Decline are present. Although the Year Branch Shen shows Rank and Wealth, as it is not her fate to be raised within the household, the aspect of this Branch is not particularly favourable. The Day Yi Mao (Wood + Wood), com mencement of Spring, Wood at its zenith. We have here a conflict, a Configuration of Peers. In this case it enhances the subject, just as fine timber is only fashioned into an instrument of true greatness when it encounters the axe. The Hour Stem Xin (Metal) indicates Nobility, while the Hour Branch Si (Fire) indicates Rank and Fortune again, this time the High Degree known as Lucky Horse Rides the Sky. The Day Conjunction shows Supreme Rank and the Forces of Heaven and the Moon presiding over her fate. She will be favoured with residence in the Imperial Bedchamber. If the Hour Stem and Branch are correct, this subject must be an Imperial Concubine.”

‘As the maid said,’ Bao-chai continued, ‘the horoscope fitted Her Grace perfectly. They remembered the end part, too. “Alas!” he said, “such Glory cannot endure. When Hare meets Tiger, and Wood meets Wood, in a Mao Month of a Yin Year, her Peers will outshine her, the Decline will reach its nadir, and the fine wood, through being too prettily carved, will lose its heart and strength.” Although the family in their panic forgot all about this final prediction, the maid remembered. As she said to Cousin Wan, “this is a Yin Year, and we’ve already passed the Mao Month, so it couldn’t be Her Grace!”

Bao-chai had hardly finished when Xue Ke exclaimed:

‘Forget about the Jias for a minute; if there is such a good fortune-teller around, why not ask him about Pan? Perhaps he could tell us what evil force has crossed his path and brought him such bad luck this year? Give me Pan’s Stems and Branches, and I’ll go and find out if the future holds any mote upsets in store for him.’

‘The fortune-teller was from one of the provinces. Who knows where he is now?’ replied Bao-chai.

During this conversation, they had already started to pack Aunt Xue’s things. She went over to the main mansion, to find that, as she had supposed, Li Wan, Tan-chun and the girls had been left on their own. They welcomed her and asked after Xue Pan. They were greatly relieved when she told them that he was out of danger and only waiting for confirmation of his sentence.

‘Mother was saying only yesterday,’ said Tan-chun, ‘that she’d always relied on you in the past, Auntie, whenever there was any sort of crisis, to come over and keep an eye on things. But this time she felt she could hardly ask you, as you had enough to cope with. She was rather uneasy about leaving us here on our own, all the same.’

‘I’ve been worrying about you myself,’ replied Aunt Xue. ‘But you know how it’s been this last week or two. Your Cousin Ke has been away trying to sort out Pan’s affairs, and really I couldn’t leave Bao-chai on her own, she’d never be able to manage. Especially as Pan’s young wife is so incompetent. What with one thing and another, I simply haven’t been able to get away. The only reason Ke has been able to come home and relieve me now is that the judge in charge of the case is going to be tied up with the Zhou Concubine’s funeral arrangements for a few days’.

‘We’d be so pleased if you could stay for a day or two,’ said Li Wan.

Aunt Xue nodded.

‘I should very much like to be here and keep you girls company. The only thing is, I am a little worried that Bao-chai may feel lonely without me.’

‘Well why not ask her to come over as well?’ suggested Xi-chun.

Aunt Xue gave a little laugh.

‘Oh, I couldn’t do that.’

‘But why not? She used to live here, didn’t she?’

Li Wan replied for Aunt Xue.

‘You don’t understand. It’s not the same now. They’re very busy at present, so she can’t possibly come.’

Xi-chun supposed that this was the real reason for Bao-chai’s absence, and dropped the matter.

As they were talking, Grandmother Jia and the rest of the family arrived back from their visit of condolence. When they saw that Aunt Xue was there, preliminary courtesies were dropped for once and everyone wanted to know the latest in the Pan affair. Aunt Xue told them the whole story. Bao-yu was present, and pricked up his ears when he heard Jiang Yu-han’s name mentioned. Although he thought it inadvisable to show much interest in front of the others, secretly he asked himself why his old actor-friend had not been to look him up, if he was back in town. Then, noticing that Bao-chai had not accompanied her mother, and trying to imagine what could be keeping her at home, he began to drift into one of his brown studies, and was only aroused and restored to a more cheerful frame of mind by the unexpected arrival of Dai-yu. He stayed for dinner with the others at Grandmother Jia’s. After dinner everyone retired to their respective apartments, except for Aunt Xue, who stayed the night in Grandmother Jia’s guest-room.

Bao-yu returned to Green Delights, and was divesting himself of his going-out clothes, when suddenly he remembered the cummerbund Jiang Yu-han had once given him as a first-meeting present.

‘Do you remember that crimson cummerbund I gave you?’ he asked Aroma. ‘The one you wouldn’t wear? Have you still got it?’

‘I’ve put it away somewhere. Why do you ask?’

‘Oh, I just wondered.’

‘Didn’t you hear what terrible trouble Mr Pan got into, all because he made friends with such riffraff! Will you never learn? Haven’t you more sense than to go bringing up a thing like that? Instead of filling your head with such stuff, what you should be doing is quietly concentrating on your studies.’

‘Oh for goodness’ sake! I’m not the one that’s got into trouble! I just happened to think of it, that’s all. I couldn’t care less whether you’ve still got it or not. If I’d known you were going to start giving me a lecture…’

Aroma smiled.

‘I’m not giving you a lecture. It’s just that you know what people say about actors. Now that you’re studying the classics and learning all the proper rules of behaviour, you should try to conform and get on in the world. When your sweetheart comes along, surely you’ll want to make a good impression then?’

‘Goodness!’ exclaimed Bao-yu, aroused by the mention of the word sweetheart, ‘that reminds me! There was such a crowd at Grannie’s, I didn’t have a chance to speak to Cousin Lin, and she didn’t speak to me either. She left before I did, so she’s probably home by now. I’ll be back in a minute.’

He was gone.

‘Don’t stay too long!’ Aroma called after him. ‘Now I’ve done it! I should never have opened my mouth!’

Bao-yu did not reply, but made his way directly to the Naiad’s House, head bowed in thought. On arrival there, he found Dai-yu at her table, poring over a book.

‘Have you been back long, coz?’ he asked, walking over and standing by her side.

‘As you were ignoring me,’ she said, returning his smile, ‘there was little point in my staying…’

He laughed.

‘Everyone was talking at once, and I couldn’t get a word in.’

Looking down at the page open in front of her, Bao-yu found that he couldn’t understand a single character on it. Some of them seemed familiar, like the characters for Peony and Vast; but on closer inspection he saw that even they had been in some way changed. There was the character for Hook, with a Five inside it, and a Nine and Big on top; and there was a Five next to a Six, with Wood below and another Five at the very bottom. It was all very puzzling.

‘You must be very advanced, to be able to decipher this esoteric script!’ he said.

Dai-yu gave a little ‘chee!’

‘Not much of a scholar really are you! Fancy never having seen a Qin tablature before!’

‘It’s music! Of course! But why don’t I know any of the characters? Do you know what they mean?’

‘No, of course not; that’s why I’m reading it…’

‘Do you really? I never knew you could play. Did you know about the Qins hanging on the wall in the main library? There are quite a few. I remember the year before last Father had a friend who was a Qin player – Antiquarian Ji I think he was called. Father asked him to play a piece, but when he tried the instruments he said they were none of them fit to play. He said that if Father really wanted to hear him play, he would come back another day with his own instrument. But he never did. I think he must have decided Father was tone-deaf. Well! So all this time you’ve been hiding your light under a bushel!’

‘Oh no,’ replied Dai-yu. ‘I’m no good. It just happened that a day or two ago, when I was feeling a little better, I was looking through my bookcase and came across an old Qin Handbook. It seemed such a fine thing, and made such fascinating reading. It began with a preface on the general philosophy of the Qin, which I found most profound, and then it explained the technical side in great detail. I realized that playing the Qin is a form of meditation and spiritual discipline handed down to us from the ancients.

‘I had a few lessons when we lived in Yangchow, and made some progress. But since then I’ve become so out of practice, and now my fingers are all “overgrown with brambles”, as they say! The first Qin Handbook I found only had the names of the Airs, it didn’t have the words and music. But now I’ve found another with the Airs written out in full. It’s so interesting! Of course, I realize that I shall never be able to do justice to the score. To think what the great Master Musicians of the past could do – like Master Kuang, whose playing could summon wind and thunder, dragon and phoenix! And to think that Confucius could tell from his Music Master Xiang’s first notes that he was listening to a musical portrait of King Wen! To play a Rhapsody of Hills and Streams and share its inner meaning with a fellow music-lover…’

Dai-yu fluttered her eyelids and slowly bowed her head.

Bao-yu was completely carried away:

‘Oh coz! How wonderful it all sounds! But I’m afraid I still don’t understand these peculiar characters. Please teach me how to read some of them.’

‘I don’t need to teach you. It’s easy.’

‘But I’m such a fool! Please help me! Take that one there – all I can make out is Hook, with Big on top and Five in the middle.’

Dai-yu laughed at him.

‘The Big and Nine on top mean you stop the string with the thumb of your left hand at the ninth fret. The Hook and Five mean you hook the middle finger of your right hand slightly and pull the fifth string towards you. So you see, it’s not what we would call a character, it’s more a cluster of signs telling you what the next note is and how to play it. It’s very easy. Then there are signs for all the graces – the narrow and the wide vibrato, the rising and the falling glissando, the mordent, the tremulo, the falling glissando with open-string drone…’

Bao-yu was beside himself with joy.

‘As you understand it so perfectly, coz, why don’t we start studying the Qin together?’

‘The essence of the Qin,’ replied Dai-yu, ‘is restraint. It was created in ancient times to help man purify himself and lead a gentle and sober life, to quell all wayward passions and to curb every riotous impulse. If you wish to play, then you must first

seek out a quiet chamber,

a studio with distant view,

or upper room;

or some secluded nook

’mong rocks and trees,

on craggy mountain-top,

by water’s edge…

Let the weather be clear and calm, a gentle breeze, a moonlit night. Light some incense, and sit in silent meditation. Empty the mind of outward thoughts. Poise Breath and Blood in Perfect Harmony. Your Soul may now commune with the Divine, and enter into that mysterious Union with the Way.

‘As the ancients said, true music-lovers have always been few. If there is no one able to share your music’s true delight, then sit alone, and

serenade the breeze and moonlight,

hymn the ancient pines

and weather-worn rocks;

let wild monkeys and venerable cranes

hear your song,

rather than the vulgar mob, whose dull ears would only sully the precious virtue of the Qin.

‘So much for the setting. The next two essentials are finger-technique and touch. And before you think of playing, be sure to dress in a suitable style – preferably in a swansdown cape or other antique robe. Assume the dignified manner of the ancients, a manner in keeping with the chosen instrument of the sages. Wash your hands. Light the incense. Sit on the edge of your couch. Place the Qin on the table before you, and sit with your chest opposite the fifth fret. Raise both hands slowly and gracefully. You are now ready, in body and mind, to begin.

‘You must while playing observe carefully the dynamic markings – piano, forte, allegro, adagio – and maintain a relaxed but serious manner at all times.’

‘Goodness me!’ cried Bao-yu. ‘I was thinking we could do it for fun! If it’s as complicated as that, I’m not sure I’d be up to it!’

While they were talking Nightingale came in, and on seeing Bao-yu in the room, inquired with a smile:

‘To what are we to attribute this joyful event, Master Bao?’

‘Cousin Dai has just been teaching me about the Qin. It’s as though scales had fallen from my eyes! I could go on listening for ever!’

‘I didn’t mean that,’ said Nightingale. ‘What I meant was, it’s so rarely that we see you at all nowadays, I wondered if something out of the ordinary had happened to bring you here today?’

‘I suppose it must seem like that,’ replied Bao-yu. ‘But the only reason I’ve not been round more often is that I know Cousin Dai has not been well, and thought it best not to trouble her. And then I’ve been having to go to school…’

‘Well,’ interrupted Nightingale, ‘Miss Lin has only just started to feel better, so don’t you think you should let her rest now, and not wear her out giving you lessons?’

‘Why yes! How thoughtless of me!’ he exclaimed with a laugh. ‘I was so absorbed in what she was saying, that it never entered my head she might be tiring herself.’

‘I wasn’t,’ said Dai-yu, smiling. ‘Talking about music doesn’t tire one, on the contrary, it raises one’s spirits. I only wonder if what I was saying wasn’t beyond you…’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ said Bao-yu. ‘I’m sure if we take it slowly I’ll be able to understand.’

He stood up.

‘But seriously, I think I should leave you in peace now. Tomorrow I’ll ask Tan and Xi if they’ll come over with me. You three can learn together. I think I’ll just sit in…’

‘Why, you lazy thing!’ laughed Dai-yu. ‘Imagine if we three did learn to play, and you were as ignorant as ever; wouldn’t we then be casting our…’

She felt she was allowing herself to become too intimate, and suddenly stopped short. Bao-yu only laughed:

‘I’d be happy just to hear you play. I’d do anything for that – even be your swine!’

Dai-yu blushed, but laughed nonetheless. Nightingale and Snowgoose laughed too.

Bao-yu took his leave, and had reached the door, when Ripple appeared, followed by a junior maid bearing a small pot of orchid-plants.

‘Her Ladyship has been given four pots of these orchids,’ said Ripple, ‘and she thought that, as she was so busy at the palace and wouldn’t have time to appreciate them, she would give one to you, Master Bao, and one to you, Miss Lin.’

Dai-yu looked at the orchids. Among them were some of the double-headed kind, and looking at these, she had a strange sensation that they meant something. Whether it was joy or sorrow that they portended, she could not tell. But it was something of importance. She stood staring at them, lost in thought.

Bao-yu’s mind, by contrast, was still full of vibratos and glissandos, and as he left he said gaily:

‘Now that you have these orchids, coz, you’ll be able to compose your own Lonely Orchid Pavan. And I’m sure it will be just as good as the one Confucius wrote!’

Dai-yu’s heart was too troubled to respond to this parting jest. She walked indoors, and staring once more at her orchids, thought to herself:

‘Flowers have their spring-time, a time for fresh blossoms and young leaves. I am young, but frail as the willow that dreads the first breath of autumn… If all turns out for the best, I may grow stronger yet. But if not, my fate will be like that of the fallen petals at spring’s end, driven by the rain and tossed in the wind…’

These sombre reflections brought tears to her eyes. Nightingale was puzzled to see her cry. ‘Just now,’ she thought to herself, ‘when Master Bao was here, they were both in such high spirits; and now look at her! And all she’s done is look at those flowers!’

She was still trying in vain to think of some consolation to offer, when one of Bao-chai’s serving-women came into the room. But if you wish to know the purpose of her visit, you must read the next chapter.