Chapter 120: Zhen Shiyin Expounds the Mystery of the Realm of Emptiness; Jia Yucun Concludes the Dream of the Red Chamber
CHAPTER 120
Zhen Shiyin Expounds on the Feelings of the Illusory Realm; Jia Yucun Concludes the Dream of the Red Chamber
Now Bao-chai, hearing from Qiu-wen that Xi-ren was ill, hurried in to see how she was. Qiao-jie and Ping-er followed her to Xi-ren’s kang. There they saw Xi-ren, seized with a heartache so severe that she had fainted from breathlessness. Bao-chai and the others poured boiled water into her mouth until she revived, then helped her lie down again and sent for a physician. Qiao-jie asked Bao-chai, “How did Xi-ren become so ill?”
Bao-chai replied, “The night before last she wept until it hurt her heart, and she fainted and fell. Her Ladyship had someone carry her back here, and she has been confined to bed ever since. Because there were other matters to attend to, no doctor was called to see her, which is why she has worsened like this.”
As she spoke, the physician arrived. Bao-chai and the others withdrew a little. The physician felt her pulse and pronounced that her illness was due to sudden anger and distress. He wrote out a prescription and left. It turned out that Xi-ren had vaguely heard that if Bao-yu did not return, all the people in his rooms were to be sent away, and this anxiety had made her condition even worse. After the physician had seen her, Qiu-wen decocted the medicine for her. Lying alone, her mind unsettled, Xi-ren seemed to see Bao-yu before her, then he appeared to be a monk holding a booklet and turning its pages, saying, “Do not make a mistake. I no longer recognize any of you.” Xi-ren wanted to speak to him, but Qiu-wen came in and said, “The medicine is ready. Please take it, sister.” Xi-ren opened her eyes and realized it was a dream, but she told no one. After taking the medicine, she thought to herself, “Bao-yu must have gone off with that monk. Last time when he tried to take the jade and leave, it was a sign he wanted to break free. I grabbed him, but he was not at all like his usual self; he pushed and shoved me roughly without the slightest affection. Later, he grew even more disgusted with his Second Mistress. Toward the other sisters, too, he showed no feeling at all. This is the mark of one who has attained enlightenment. But if you have attained enlightenment and abandoned your Second Mistress, what is to become of her? I was assigned by Her Ladyship to serve you. Although my monthly allowance is the same as that of a chamber woman, I have never actually been presented to the Master and Mistress to be confirmed as your personal maid. If the Master and Mistress send me away, and I stubbornly refuse to go, people will laugh at me. But if I do leave, thinking of how kindly Bao-yu treated me, I cannot bear it.” Turning it over and over in her mind, she found it truly difficult. Remembering the dream, where it seemed he had said he had no connection with her, she thought, “It would be cleaner to die.”
But after taking the medicine, her heartache eased considerably, and she could not remain lying down; she had to force herself to get up. After a few days, she rose and served Bao-chai. Bao-chai, missing Bao-yu, wept in secret and lamented her hard fate. Knowing that her mother was making great efforts to arrange a pardon for her brother, she felt she had to help with the planning. For now, we leave this aside.
Let us turn to Jia Zheng, who was escorting the funeral cortege of Grandmother Jia. Jia Rong had also brought the coffins of Qin-shi, Xi-feng, and Yuan-yang to Jinling, where they were first interred. Jia Rong later escorted the coffin of Dai-yu for burial as well. Jia Zheng saw to the matters of the grave site. One day he received a letter from home. As he read it line by line, he learned that Bao-yu and Jia Lan had passed the examinations, which delighted him. But when he read that Bao-yu had disappeared, he grew distressed again, and had to hurry back. On the road, he heard of the imperial amnesty and received another letter confirming that his crime had been pardoned and his official rank restored. This pleased him even more, so he pressed on day and night.
One day, they reached the post station at Pi-ling. The weather had turned cold and it began to snow, so they moored the boat in a quiet spot. Jia Zheng sent the servants ashore to deliver visiting cards and take leave of friends, explaining that the boat would depart immediately and that he dared not trouble them. He kept only one page boy on board. Sitting in the cabin, he wrote a letter home, intending to send a messenger overland ahead. When he came to the matter of Bao-yu, he stopped his brush. Lifting his head, he suddenly saw, in the faintly falling snow on the boat’s prow, a man with a shaven head and bare feet, wrapped in a great cape of bright red felt, prostrating himself before Jia Zheng. Before Jia Zheng could recognize him, he hurried out of the cabin, wanting to help the man up and ask who he was. The man had already kowtowed four times, then stood up and put his palms together in greeting. Jia Zheng was about to return the bow when, looking directly at him, he realized it was none other than Bao-yu. Jia Zheng was greatly startled and quickly asked, “Is it really Bao-yu?” The man said nothing, his expression a mixture of joy and sorrow. Jia Zheng asked again, “If you are Bao-yu, why are you dressed like this and come running to this place?”
Before Bao-yu could answer, two others appeared on the boat’s prow—a Buddhist monk and a Taoist priest. They flanked Bao-yu and said, “Your worldly ties are finished. Why do you not come quickly?” With these words, the three of them drifted to the shore and departed. Jia Zheng, heedless of the slippery ground, hurried after them. The three were ahead, but he could not catch up. He only heard one of them chanting a song:
“My dwelling is the peak of the Green Ridge;
My roaming is in the vast, primeval void.
Who wanders with me? Whom do I follow?
Boundless and obscure, I return to the Great Wilderness.”
Jia Zheng listened as he ran, but after rounding a small hillock, they suddenly vanished. His heart pounding and his breath short, startled and uncertain, he turned back and saw his page boy following behind. Jia Zheng asked, “Did you see those three men just now?” The page replied, “I saw them. Because you, Master, were chasing them, I followed too. But then I only saw you, not the three of them.” Jia Zheng wanted to go further, but before him stretched a vast white expanse of wilderness with no one in sight. Knowing this was strange, he had to turn back.
When the other servants returned to the boat and found Jia Zheng not in the cabin, they asked the boatman, who said, “The Master went ashore chasing two monks and a Taoist.” The men followed his tracks in the snow and saw him coming from afar. They went to meet him and accompanied him back to the boat. Jia Zheng sat down, caught his breath, and told them what he had seen of Bao-yu. The servants reported that they wanted to search the area. Jia Zheng sighed and said, “You do not understand. I saw this with my own eyes; it was no ghost or goblin. Besides, the song I heard contained great mystery. From the day Bao-yu was born with that jade in his mouth, it was strange. I knew it was an ill omen, but because the old lady doted on him, he was raised to this day. As for that monk and Taoist, I have seen them three times: the first time, when they came to speak of the jade’s virtues; the second, when Bao-yu was gravely ill and they came to recite spells over the jade, and he recovered; the third, when they brought the jade back and sat in the front hall, and in the blink of an eye, they were gone. I was somewhat astonished then, thinking that Bao-yu was truly blessed to have such eminent monks and immortals protect him. Little did I know that Bao-yu had descended from heaven to undergo his trials, and that he had deceived the old lady for nineteen years! Now I understand at last.” As he said this, tears fell. The servants said, “If Master Bao was indeed a monk descended from heaven, he should not have passed the provincial examination. Why did he leave only after succeeding?” Jia Zheng replied, “How could you know? Generally speaking, celestial beings, old monks in the mountains, and spirits in caves all have their own natures. Did you ever see Bao-yu willing to study? Yet if he applied himself a little, there was nothing he could not master. His temperament was also unique.” As he spoke, he sighed several more times. The servants tried to console him with talk of how Jia Lan’s success would restore the family’s fortunes. Jia Zheng then finished writing his letter, including the matter of Bao-yu, and advised the whole family not to dwell on missing him. After sealing it, he had a servant take it home. Jia Zheng himself then hurried back. For now, we leave this.
Meanwhile, Aunt Xue, having received the news of the pardon, instructed Xue Ke to go around borrowing money. At the same time, she herself scraped together the silver needed for the ransom. The Ministry of Justice approved the transaction, accepted and converted the silver, and with a single document, released Xue Pan from prison. The reunion of mother, sons, sisters, and brothers needs no detailed description; naturally, it was a mix of sorrow and joy. Xue Pan himself swore an oath: "If I ever fall back into my old ways again, may I be sliced and diced!" Seeing this, Aunt Xue moved to cover his mouth, saying, "As long as you make up your own mind, why spout such nonsense and swear such bloody, vicious oaths! It’s only a pity that Xianglian has suffered so much hardship following you, and your wife has already brought about her own death. Now, though we’re poor, we still have this bowl of rice to eat. In my opinion, I’ll just consider her your wife. What do you think?" Xue Pan nodded in agreement. Bao-chai and the others also said, "That’s exactly as it should be." Instead, this flustered Xianglian until her face turned bright red, and she said, "Serving the master is the same thing; why go to such lengths?" Everyone then addressed her as "First Mistress," and no one objected. Xue Pan intended to go and thank the Jia family, and Aunt Xue and Bao-chai also came along. When they met the others, they gathered together and exchanged a few more words. As they were talking, it happened that Jia Zheng’s steward returned home that very day, presented a letter, and said, "The master will arrive soon." Lady Wang asked Jia Lan to read the letter aloud to her. When Jia Lan reached the part where Jia Zheng had personally seen Bao-yu, everyone present wept bitterly, especially Lady Wang, Bao-chai, and Xiren. The others then explained away the words in Jia Zheng’s letter that said, "Do not grieve; he was originally only borrowing a womb." "Rather than becoming an official, if fate is unkind and he gets into trouble and ruins the family estate, that would be even worse. It’s better that our family produces a Buddha—this is the virtue accumulated by the master and mistress, which is why he came to our family. Not to speak recklessly, but the elder master of the Eastern Mansion cultivated himself for over a decade and still didn’t become an immortal. Becoming a Buddha is even harder. If you think of it this way, madam, your heart will be at ease." Lady Wang wept and said to Aunt Xue, "Bao-yu abandoned me, and I still resent him for it. What I lament is my daughter-in-law’s ill fate—they had only been married a year or two, and how could he harden his heart and leave her behind!" Aunt Xue was also deeply grieved upon hearing this. Bao-chai wept until she was unconscious. All the men were outside, so Lady Wang said, "I endured a lifetime of fright for his sake. He had just taken a wife, passed the provincial examination, and I learned my daughter-in-law was pregnant, which made me happy for a while. I never imagined it would come to such an end! If I had known this would happen, I should never have let him marry and ruin that girl!" Aunt Xue said, "This is all fated. For a family like ours, what else is there to say? Fortunately, she is pregnant. If she gives birth to a grandson, he is sure to have a bright future, and there will be an outcome later. Look at the elder mistress—now Lan has passed the provincial examination, and if he becomes a metropolitan graduate next year, won’t he be an official? She has endured all her hardships, and now the sweetness she tastes is the reward for her good conduct. You know my daughter’s disposition, sister—she is not a harsh or frivolous person. You need not worry." Lady Wang found Aunt Xue’s words highly reasonable and thought to herself, "Bao-chai was even more incorruptible, quiet, free from desires, and extremely fond of simplicity in her youth. That’s why this has happened. It seems that one’s lot in life is truly fixed. Seeing Bao-chai weep bitterly, yet her dignified demeanor hasn’t changed at all, and she even comes to comfort me—this is truly rare! I never imagined that a man like Bao-yu would have not a shred of worldly fortune!" After thinking it over, she also felt somewhat relieved. Then her thoughts turned to Xiren: "If it were any other maid, there would be no difficulty—the older ones can be married off, and the younger ones can serve the second mistress. But what to do with Xiren alone?" At that moment, with many people around, it was not convenient to discuss, so she decided to wait until evening to consult Aunt Xue.
That day, Aunt Xue did not return home, because she was worried about Bao-chai’s weeping, so she stayed in Bao-chai’s room to console her. Bao-chai, however, was extremely sensible and, after thinking things over, decided, "Bao-yu was originally an extraordinary person. The predestined ties of past lives are fixed from the start; there is no cause to blame Heaven or others." She then spoke many principled words to her mother. Aunt Xue, feeling more at ease, went to Lady Wang’s place and first relayed Bao-chai’s words. Lady Wang nodded and sighed, "If I say I lack virtue, I don’t deserve such a good daughter-in-law." As she spoke, she grew even more sorrowful. Aunt Xue comforted her for a while, then brought up Xiren, saying, "I’ve seen that Xiren has become terribly thin lately. She is devoted solely to Bao-yu. But according to custom, a wife is expected to observe widowhood, and it’s also possible for a chamber-wife to wish to remain chaste. It’s only with Xiren—though she is considered a chamber-wife, she was never formally acknowledged as one." Lady Wang said, "I was just thinking about this and was about to consult you, sister. If we let her go, I’m afraid she won’t want to and might try to die. If we keep her, I worry the master won’t approve. That’s why it’s so difficult." Aunt Xue said, "I believe brother-in-law would never allow her to remain a widow. Besides, he doesn’t know about Xiren’s situation; he probably thinks she’s just a maid. Why would he keep her? You only need to summon her family, sternly instruct them, and have her married off to a proper match, giving her plenty of dowry. That child has a kind heart and is still young. It wouldn’t be in vain for her to have served you, and it would show you treated her well. As for Xiren, I’ll have to persuade her carefully myself. There’s no need to tell her family yet; wait until they’ve settled on a good match, and we’ll investigate to make sure the family is well-off and the son-in-law is presentable. Then we can let her go." Lady Wang said upon hearing this, "This plan is very good. Otherwise, if the master handles it rashly, wouldn’t I have harmed another person!" Aunt Xue nodded and said, "Isn’t that so!" After a few more words, she took her leave of Lady Wang and returned to Bao-chai’s room.
Seeing Xiren’s face covered with tear streaks, Aunt Xue consoled and reasoned with her for a while. Xiren was naturally honest and not a glib talker; for every word Aunt Xue said, she responded with a simple acknowledgment. Finally, she said, "I am a servant. You, madam, honor me by speaking these words to me. I have never dared to disobey the mistress." Aunt Xue thought upon hearing this, "What a gentle and obedient child!" and felt even more fond of her. Bao-chai then explained the principles of righteousness again, and everyone settled down peacefully.
A few days later, Jia Zheng returned home, and the whole family welcomed him. Jia Zheng saw that Jia She and Jia Zhen had already returned. The brothers, uncles, and nephews met, and they all recounted what had happened since their separation. Then the womenfolk came to see him, and inevitably, they thought of Bao-yu and grieved together for a while. Jia Zheng stopped them, saying, "This is all a matter of fixed destiny. Now we must manage the family affairs on the outside, and you must assist on the inside. We must never again be as lax as before. As for the other branches, each household will handle its own affairs; there’s no need for unified management. Within our own branch, everything inside will be entrusted to you, and you must act according to reason." Lady Wang then told him about Bao-chai’s pregnancy and mentioned that she planned to persuade the maids to be married off. Jia Zheng listened, nodded, and said nothing.
The next day, Jia Zheng went to the palace and consulted the high officials, saying, "I am deeply grateful for the imperial grace, but since the mourning period has not yet been completed, I humbly ask the gentlemen for guidance on how to express my thanks." The courtiers offered to submit a memorial to the throne on his behalf. Thus, the imperial favor was boundless, and an order was immediately issued for him to present himself. Jia Zheng entered the palace, thanked the Emperor, and received many more decrees. The Emperor also inquired about Bao-yu’s affairs. Jia Zheng reported truthfully. The Emperor marveled and decreed that Bao-yu’s essays were indeed fresh and extraordinary, and he must have been a reincarnated being to be so. If he had been willing to serve at court, he could have been promoted. Since he dared not accept the noble rank of the sacred dynasty, he was granted the Daoist title "Wenmiao Zhenren" (Cultured and Wondrous True Man). Jia Zheng again kowtowed in thanks and withdrew.
After returning home, Jia Lian and Jia Zhen received him. Jia Zheng recounted what had been said at court, and everyone was very pleased. Jia Zhen then reported, "Ningguo Mansion has been tidied up and is ready. Once I have reported this, we will move over there. The Bamboo-Lined Nunnery has been enclosed within the garden, to give Fourth Sister a place for quiet cultivation." Jia Zheng did not speak; only after a long while did he issue instructions about giving thanks for the imperial favor. Jia Lian also took the opportunity to report, "As for Qiaojie’s marriage, Father and Mother are both willing to betroth her to the Zhou family as their daughter-in-law." Jia Zheng had already learned the full story of Qiaojie the night before, so he said, "Let the Elder Master and the Elder Mistress decide as they see fit. Do not say that living in the countryside is bad; as long as the family is respectable, the child is willing to study, and can make progress. Are all the officials at court necessarily city-born?" Jia Lian replied, "Yes," and then added, "Father is getting on in years, and besides, he has that phlegm ailment at root. If he can rest quietly for a few years, he will rely on you, Second Master, to manage all affairs." Jia Zheng said, "As for living quietly in the countryside, that suits my own wishes very well. Only, I have received such deep imperial favor that I have not yet repaid it." Having said this, Jia Zheng went into the inner quarters. Jia Lian sent someone to invite Granny Liu, and agreed to the matter. When Granny Liu saw Lady Wang and the others, she spoke of how in the future they would be promoted, how the family would rise, and how their descendants would prosper. Just as she was speaking, a maid reported, "Hua Zifang’s wife has come to pay her respects." Lady Wang asked a few questions, and Hua Zifang’s wife told her everything: that a relative had acted as matchmaker, that the match was with a family from south of the city named Jiang, that the man now had a house, land, and a shop, that the prospective husband was a few years older, that he had never been married, and that his appearance was one in a hundred. Lady Wang was very pleased to hear this and said, "Go and accept the proposal. In a few days, come in again and fetch your sister." Lady Wang then sent people to make inquiries, and all reported that it was very good. Lady Wang then told Baochai and, after again inviting Aunt Xue, carefully informed Xiren. Xiren was overcome with grief, but dared not disobey the order. In her heart she recalled how Baoyu had gone to her home that year and, when he came back, had said he would die rather than go back. "Now the Mistress has made a firm decision. If I say I want to remain a widow, people will say I have no sense of shame; if I go, it truly is not what I wish." She sobbed until she could not speak, but after being repeatedly urged by Aunt Xue, Baochai, and the others, she changed her mind and thought: "If I die here, it will ruin the Mistress’s good intentions. I ought to die at home." So Xiren, swallowing her grief, bowed and took leave of everyone. When the sisters parted, there was naturally even more heartache, too painful to describe in detail. With a mind set on death, Xiren got into the carriage and went home. When she saw her brother and sister-in-law, she also wept, but could not speak. Hua Zifang showed her the betrothal gifts from the Jiang family, and pointed out one by one the dowry he had prepared, saying, "This is a gift from the Mistress; this is what I have bought." Xiren found it even harder to speak now. After staying for two days, she thought it over carefully: "My brother has not handled things badly. If I die in his house, would I not be harming my brother as well?" She thought and thought, torn in all directions—truly a tender heart almost broken in two—and had no choice but to restrain herself.
On the day of the wedding, Xiren, who was never a fiery or stubborn sort, climbed into the bridal sedan chair full of grievance and resentment, thinking to herself that she would decide what to do once she got there. But when she arrived, she found that the Jiang family conducted the affair with the utmost seriousness, following all the rites for a principal wife. As soon as she entered the door, the maids and serving women all addressed her as "Madam." At that moment, Xiren wanted to die there, but feared she would harm the family and betray their good intentions. That night she wept and refused to submit, but the husband was extremely gentle and accommodating, doing everything to please her. The next day, when the trousseau chests were opened, the husband saw a crimson sweat-band and realized that she had been Baoyu’s maid. Originally he had only known her as one of the Grandmother Jia’s attendants; he never imagined she was Xiren. Now Jiang Yuhan, remembering Baoyu’s old kindness to him, felt deeply uneasy and ashamed, and treated her with even greater care and attention. He deliberately brought out the pine-green sweat-band that Baoyu had given him in exchange. When Xiren saw it, she realized that this man surnamed Jiang was none other than Jiang Yuhan. Only then did she believe that their marriage was predestined. Xiren finally spoke her heart. Jiang Yuhan sighed deeply with admiration and respect, did not dare to press her, and became even more gentle and attentive, leaving Xiren truly with no place to die. Hearken, readers: Although matters are predetermined and cannot be helped, yet for the unfilial son, the loyal minister, the righteous husband, and the chaste wife, the word "cannot help it" cannot be used as an excuse in all cases. This is the reason why Xiren appears again in the supplementary register. It is just as the poem by someone passing the Peach Blossom Temple says:
"Through all ages, the hardest thing is death alone;
Does heartbreak belong only to Lady Xi?"
Let us leave Xiren, who from then on entered a new world, and speak instead of Jia Yucun. Having committed the crime of extortion, he was tried, convicted, and sentenced. Now, encountering a general amnesty, he was stripped of his official rank and reduced to commoner status. Yucun sent his family ahead, while he himself, taking a single servant and a cartload of luggage, came to the ford of Rapid Current Rapids, at the Ferry of Enlightenment. There he saw a Taoist emerge from a thatched hut at the ferry landing, who greeted him with clasped hands. Yucun recognized him as Zhen Shiyin and quickly bowed in return. Shiyin said, "Mr. Jia, you are well since we parted, I trust?" Yucun replied, "Venerable Immortal, you are indeed the Elder Zhen! Why, when we met face to face last time, did I not recognize you? Later, when I learned that the thatched pavilion had burned down, I was filled with fear and regret. Today, fortunate to meet you again, I am all the more in awe of your profound virtue. But I, alas, am of such base and stubborn nature that I could not change, and so have come to this." Zhen Shiyin said, "In the past, when you, sir, held high office and great honor, how would I, a poor Taoist, dare to acknowledge you? Because we were old friends, I ventured to offer you a word of advice, but I did not expect you, sir, to reject it so completely. Yet wealth, honor, poverty, and obscurity are not matters of chance. That we meet again today is also a singular event. My humble hut is not far from here; might I presume to invite you to come and sit down for a chat? Would that be acceptable?"
Yucun gladly accepted the command. The two walked hand in hand, with a servant boy driving the cart following behind, until they reached a thatched hut. Shiyin invited Yucun to enter and sit down, and a young boy served tea. Yucun then asked the immortal to explain the full story of how he had transcended the mundane world. Shiyin smiled and said: "In a single thought, the mortal world is instantly transformed. You, old sir, come from the realm of splendor and bustle—surely you know that in the land of gentle warmth and wealthy refinement, there is a Baoyu?" Yucun replied: "How could I not know? Lately, there has been widespread talk that he too has entered the gate of emptiness. In my ignorance, I once associated with him several times, but I never imagined he would have such resolute determination." Shiyin said: "It is not as you think. This extraordinary fate I knew of long ago. Back in the days before I spoke with you, sir, at the old gate of my residence in Renqing Lane, I had already met him once." Yucun exclaimed in surprise: "The capital is far from your esteemed hometown—how could you have met him?" Shiyin said: "Our spirits had been acquainted for a long time." Yucun said: "If that is so, then you, immortal, must surely know Baoyu's present whereabouts." Shiyin said: "Baoyu is precisely the jade. In that year before the Rong and Ning mansions were searched and confiscated, on the day when Baochai and Daiyu parted, this jade had already left the mortal world. One reason was to avoid disaster, another to bring about a union. From then on, the predestined bond was ended, form and substance returned to unity, and then, with a slight display of divine power, he topped the imperial examinations and fathered a noble son, thus showing that this jade was a treasure of heaven's marvel and earth's spirit, beyond comparison with anything mortal. Formerly, it was brought down to the world by the Vastly Mighty Monk and the Boundless Taoist; now that its earthly bond is fulfilled, it is taken back to its original place by these same two. That is Baoyu's whereabouts." Upon hearing this, Yucun, though unable to fully comprehend, grasped about four or five parts out of ten, nodded, sighed, and said: "So that is how it was. I, in my ignorance, did not know. But since Baoyu had such an origin, why did he become so lost in passion, and then suddenly awaken so completely? I beg to ask further." Shiyin smiled and said: "When this matter is told, you, old sir, may not fully understand. The Illusory Land of Great Void is precisely the Blessed Land of True Suchness. Turning over the registers once is the principle of tracing beginnings to ends; his life's events are vividly laid before him—how could he not awaken? When the immortal herb returns to its true form, how could the Divine Luminescence not revert to its original state?" Yucun listened but did not comprehend. Knowing that this was celestial mystery, he did not dare to press further, so he said instead: "I have already been instructed about Baoyu's affairs, but among the ladies of my clan there are so many—why is it that, from Imperial Consort Yuan downward, all their fates are so ordinary?" Shiyin sighed and said: "Old sir, do not take offense at my bluntness. The women of your noble clan all come from the realm of passion and the sea of sin. Generally speaking, among women of ancient and modern times, though the character 'lust' is certainly not to be violated, even the character 'love' is not to be touched. Thus, Cui Yingying and Su Xiaoxiao were none other than immortals with mortal thoughts; Song Yu and Sima Xiangru were largely men of letters with karmic burdens of speech. For all those whose feelings are deeply entangled, their outcomes are beyond inquiry." When Yucun heard this, he could not help stroking his beard and sighing deeply. Then he asked: "May I ask, venerable immortal, whether the Rong and Ning mansions can be restored to their former state?" Shiyin said: "Blessing good and punishing evil is the eternal principle of heaven and earth. Now, with the Rong and Ning mansions, the good cultivate their fate, the evil repent their misdeeds. In the future, the orchid and cassia will bloom together, and the family fortunes will recover as before—this is the natural way of things." Yucun bowed his head and pondered for a long while, then suddenly laughed and said: "Yes, yes. At present, there is one named Lan in that household who has passed the provincial examination, which exactly corresponds to the character 'Lan.' Just now, you, venerable immortal, spoke of 'orchid and cassia blooming together' and also said Baoyu would 'top the examinations and father a noble son.' Could it be that he has a posthumous son who will rise to high position?" Shiyin smiled faintly and said: "These are matters of the future, not convenient to reveal beforehand." Yucun wished to ask further, but Shiyin did not answer. Instead, he ordered refreshments and wine to be set out and invited Yucun to dine together.
After the meal, Jia Yucun still wished to ask about his own lifelong fate, but Zhen Shiyin said: "Old sir, rest for a while in this thatched hut. I still have a worldly obligation to settle, and it must be completed today." Jia Yucun said in surprise: "You, immortal, have cultivated yourself to such purity—what worldly obligation could you possibly have?" Zhen Shiyin said: "It is nothing more than a matter of parental affection." Jia Yucun, even more astonished, said: "May I ask, immortal, why you speak thus?" Zhen Shiyin said: "Old sir, you are unaware. My daughter Yinglian suffered calamities in the mortal world as a child, and when you first took office, you once tried this case. Now she has returned to the Xue family, and after a difficult childbirth, she has ended her karmic trial, leaving a son to carry on the Xue lineage. At this moment, her earthly bond is completely severed, and I must go to guide her." With these words, Zhen Shiyin flicked his sleeves and rose. Jia Yucun's mind was in a daze, and he fell asleep in the thatched hut at the Ferry of Enlightenment on the Rapids of Urgency.
Zhen Shiyin himself went to deliver Xiangling, escorting her to the Illusory Land of Great Void and handing her over to the Fairy of Disenchantment to check the registers. As he passed the memorial arch, he saw the monk and the Taoist approaching, drifting ethereally. Zhen Shiyin stepped forward and said: "Great Sage, True Man, congratulations, felicitations! The bonds of love are all concluded—have you settled the accounts?" The monk and Taoist said: "The bonds of love are not yet fully ended, but that foolish thing has already returned. We must still send him back to his original place and make his subsequent affairs clear, so that his descent into the mortal world will not have been in vain." Upon hearing this, Zhen Shiyin clasped his hands and took his leave. The monk and Taoist then took the jade back to the foot of Green Ridge Peak, placed Baoyu at the spot where Nüwa had smelted stones to repair the heavens, and each went off to wander. From then on, "the book from beyond heaven tells of matters beyond heaven; two persons become one person."
On this day, the Void-Seeking Daoist again passed before Green Ridge Peak. Seeing that the stone left unused for repairing heaven was still there, with its inscriptions as old as ever, he read through it carefully from the beginning. After the gatha, he saw a detailed account of how many fates were concluded and results achieved. He nodded and sighed: "When I first saw this extraordinary tale of Brother Stone, I was told it could be spread in the world as a legend, so I once copied it down. But I did not see the return to the origin. I wonder when this new chapter of fine events came to be. Now I know that Brother Stone descended to the mortal world once, polished to brightness, cultivated to perfect enlightenment—one could say he has no regrets. But I fear that as time passes, the inscriptions may blur and lead to errors. It would be better for me to copy it once more, find some idle person in the world, and entrust him to spread it abroad, so that people may know the strange is not strange, the vulgar not vulgar, the true not true, the false not false. Perhaps mortals, weary in their dreamlike toil, may for a while borrow the birds' call to return home; mountain spirits, fond of guests, may yet come from the stone's transformation. Who knows?" Having thought this through, he copied it again, tucked it in his sleeve, and went once more to the bustling, prosperous places. He searched everywhere, but found only those who sought to establish merit or merely to earn a living—none had the leisure to chatter again with the stone. He searched all the way to the Ferry of Enlightenment on the Rapids of Urgency, where a man lay sleeping in a thatched hut. Thinking this must be an idle man, he was about to show him the copied Record of the Stone. But no matter how he called, the man would not wake. The Void-Seeking Daoist pulled at him vigorously, and only then did the man slowly open his eyes and sit up. He glanced at the manuscript and tossed it aside, saying: "This matter I have seen with my own eyes and know completely. Your copy is not erroneous. I will simply direct you to one person; entrust it to him to spread abroad, and this fresh case will be concluded." The Void-Seeking Daoist hurriedly asked who it was. The man said: "You must wait until a certain year, month, and day, and go to a Pavilion of Mourning the Red. There will be a Mr. Cao Xueqin. Tell him that Jia Yucun has entrusted him to do thus and thus." Having spoken, he lay down to sleep again.
The Reverend Void，，，。Reverend Void，《》。Mr. Xueqin smiled and said: “Truly it is ‘Jia Yucun’s words’!” Reverend Void then asked: “Sir, how do you recognize this man, that you are willing to transmit his account for him?” Mr. Cao Xueqin laughed and said: “I told you that you were empty, and indeed your belly is truly empty. Since it is ‘false words and village talk,’ as long as there are no errors of ‘’ or contradictions and absurdities, it is a pleasure to share it with two or three like-minded friends, after wine and food are done, on rainy nights by the lamp at the window, to pass the time together in solitude—without needing the judgment of great men for transmission to posterity. To seek the root of every matter like this is to carve a mark on the boat for a lost sword, or to glue the lute strings and stop the tuning pegs.” When Reverend Void heard this, he looked up and laughed heartily, cast aside the transcript, and drifted away. As he walked, he said to himself: “Truly this is a fabrication of absurdity! Not only does the author not know, the copyist does not know, and even the reader does not know. It is merely a play of brush and ink, to cultivate the nature and temper the spirit!” Later generations, upon seeing this extraordinary tale, also inscribed a four-line gatha that went further than the author’s opening words:
When it comes to the bitter place,
Absurdity becomes the more pitiable.
From the beginning, it has been one dream—
Do not laugh at the foolishness of the world!