Chapter 17: The Garden Is Inspected; Inscribed Couplets Are Tested; Baoyu Shows His Literary Talent

Chapter 17: Testing Talent by Inscribing Couplets in the Garden of Assembled Fragrance; Jia Baoyu’s Quick Wit Impresses the Guests

Now, after Qin Zhong had died, Baoyu wept bitterly, and it was only with great difficulty that Li Gui and the others managed to console him, finally calming him down after half a day. Even on his return, he remained sorrowful and grief-stricken. Grandmother Jia contributed several dozen taels of silver and, in addition, prepared other funeral offerings, which Baoyu took to offer at the mourning rites. After seven days, the funeral procession was conducted and the burial completed; there is nothing more to record of that. Only Baoyu daily yearned and mourned, but there was nothing to be done. Then, after some unknown time had passed, one day Jia Zhen and others came to report to Jia Zheng: “The work in the garden is entirely finished. His Lordship, the elder, has already inspected it and now only awaits your inspection. If there are any unsuitable spots, they can be altered before the plaques and couplets are inscribed.” Jia Zheng, upon hearing this, pondered for a moment and said, “These plaques and couplets are indeed a difficult matter. In principle, we ought to request the Imperial Consort to bestow the inscriptions, but if she has not personally seen the views, she would likely be unwilling to compose arbitrarily. If we wait until after the Consort has visited and then request the inscriptions, with such vast scenery and numerous pavilions and terraces lacking any words as markers, it would feel desolate and uninteresting. Even with flowers, willows, hills, and waters, they would certainly lack luster.” The various literary gentlemen at his side replied with a smile, “Your insight, venerable sir, is extremely apt. Now we have a humble suggestion: the plaques and couplets at each spot are absolutely indispensable, yet they must also not be given fixed names. For now, let us, in accordance with the scenery, compose provisional names of two, three, or four characters that loosely capture the essence, and hang them as temporary lantern plaques and couplets. When the Imperial Consort comes to tour, we can then request her to set the final names. Would that not be a perfect solution?” Jia Zheng and the others, hearing this, all said, “That is a sound view. Let us go and have a look today, and we can simply inscribe as we go. If they are suitable, we will use them; if not, we can then invite Yu-cun and have him compose new ones.” The others laughed and said, “You, sir, will certainly produce excellent inscriptions today; why wait for Yu-cun?” Jia Zheng smiled and replied, “You do not understand. Since childhood, I have been only mediocre at composing verses on flowers, birds, hills, and waters. Now that I am older and burdened with official duties, I have grown even more unfamiliar with such essays meant to delight the heart and cheer the spirit. Even if I were to compose something, it would inevitably be pedantic and archaic, and instead of enhancing the flowers, willows, gardens, and pavilions, it would be unsuitable and quite pointless.” The literary gentlemen laughed and said, “That is no problem. Let us all look at the spots together and compose collectively, each contributing his strengths. We can keep the good and discard the inferior; that would be perfectly acceptable.” Jia Zheng said, “That is an excellent suggestion. And fortunately, today the weather is mild and warm, so let us all go for a stroll.” With these words, he rose and led the group forward.

Jia Zhen went ahead into the garden to inform the others. As it happened, Baoyu, still grieving incessantly over the memory of Qin Zhong, had been frequently sent by Grandmother Jia with attendants to play in the garden. He had just entered when he suddenly saw Jia Zhen approaching, who smiled at him and said, “Why haven’t you gone out? Your father is coming.” Upon hearing this, Baoyu, with his nanny and young servants, slipped out of the garden in a flash. As he turned a corner, he came face to face with Jia Zheng, who was leading the guests. Unable to avoid them, he could only stand to one side. Jia Zheng had recently heard from the schoolmaster that Baoyu was especially skilled at composing couplets, and though he did not enjoy studying, he seemed to possess a certain unorthodox talent. On this chance encounter, Jia Zheng ordered Baoyu to follow. Baoyu had no choice but to accompany them, still uncertain of what was intended.

When Jia Zheng arrived at the garden gate, he saw Jia Zhen leading a group of attendants standing respectfully to one side. Jia Zheng said, “First, close all the garden gates. Let us inspect the exterior before entering.” Upon hearing this, Jia Zhen ordered the gates closed. Jia Zheng then stood upright and examined the gate. The main gate consisted of five bays, with rounded tiles and a ridge like a mud eel. The door frames, windows, and latticework were all finely carved with novel patterns, without any red or powder paint. The walls were uniformly polished, and the white stone steps at the base were carved with a pattern of Western trillium. Looking left and right, he saw snow-white plastered walls, with tiger-skin stone at the base, laid in a natural curve along the terrain. Truly, it was free from the clichés of opulent vulgarity, and he was naturally pleased. He then ordered the gate opened, and a green mountain barrier stood before them. All the literary gentlemen exclaimed, “Fine mountain! Fine mountain!” Jia Zheng said, “Without this mountain, all the scenery within the garden would be visible at a glance—what interest would there be then?” The others replied, “Exactly right. Only someone with great depth of mind could have conceived this.” After speaking, they looked ahead and saw white rocks towering steeply, some like demons, others like wild beasts, crisscrossing and standing upright. On them, moss formed patches, and creepers intertwined, revealing a narrow, winding path. Jia Zheng said, “Let us tour from this path, and on our return, exit from the other side, so that we may see everything.”

With that, he ordered Jia Zhen to lead the way, and supporting Baoyu, he wound his way into the mountain pass. Looking up, he suddenly saw a mirror-like white stone on the mountain, precisely the spot left for an inscription. Jia Zheng turned back and smiled, saying, “Gentlemen, please look. What name would be most fitting for this spot?” The others, upon hearing this, suggested names such as “Layered Verdure,” “Brocade Screen,” “Rivaling the Incense Burner,” or “Lesser Zhongnan,” offering a multitude of names, more than a dozen. In truth, these literary gentlemen had long known that Jia Zheng intended to test Baoyu’s progress and accomplishments, so they merely offered these conventional suggestions to fill the space. Baoyu also understood this intention. After listening, Jia Zheng turned and ordered Baoyu to compose something. Baoyu said, “I have heard the ancients say, ‘Weaving the new is not as good as recounting the old; carving the ancient is always superior to engraving the modern.’ Moreover, this is not the main mountain or the central view, and there is nothing truly worth inscribing here—it is merely a stepping stone for exploring the scenery. Why not directly use the old line, ‘A winding path leads to a secluded spot,’ from the poem? That would be far more natural and impressive.” Upon hearing this, all praised him, saying, “Exactly right! The second young master has extraordinary natural talent and profound literary grace, unlike us who have merely read ourselves into pedantry.” Jia Zheng smiled and said, “Do not overpraise him. He is young and merely makes a little knowledge go a long way; he is just amusing us. Let us wait for further selections.”

As he spoke, they entered a stone grotto. There, they saw luxuriant, verdant trees, dazzling exotic flowers, and a clear stream winding from deep among the flowers and trees, trickling down through crevices in the rocks. Advancing a few more steps, they gradually turned northward, where the ground became level and spacious. On both sides, flying pavilions seemed to pierce the sky, with carved ridges and embroidered balustrades hidden among the mountain hollows and treetops. Looking down, they saw a clear stream like falling snow, stone steps piercing the clouds, white stone railings encircling the pool, and a three-arched stone bridge with beast-head spouts. On the bridge stood a pavilion. Jia Zheng and the others ascended the pavilion, leaned against the railings, and sat down. He then asked, “Gentlemen, what name shall we give this?” All said, “In the past, Ouyang Xiu’s ‘Record of the Old Drunkard’s Pavilion’ says, ‘A pavilion with wings outspread,’ so let us name it ‘Wings Outspread.’” Jia Zheng smiled and said, “Though ‘Wings Outspread’ is fine, this pavilion is built over water, so the name should lean toward water to be fitting. In my humble opinion, Ouyang Xiu’s phrase ‘pours out between two peaks’—why not use that character ‘pours’?” One guest said, “Exactly, exactly. The word ‘Pours Jade’ would be wonderful.” Jia Zheng stroked his beard and pondered, then, looking up and seeing Baoyu standing nearby, he smiled and ordered him to compose a name as well. Baoyu quickly replied, “What you, sir, have just discussed is already good. But if we examine it more closely, when Ouyang Xiu inscribed the Brew Spring with the character ‘pours,’ it was appropriate, but if we use ‘pours’ for this spring today, it seems unsuitable. Moreover, though this place is called a villa for the Imperial Consort’s visit, it should still follow the conventions of imperial poetry. Using such a character feels coarse and inelegant. I beg you to consider something more subtle and restrained.” Jia Zheng smiled and said, “Gentlemen, what do you think of this argument? Just now, when everyone was weaving something new, you said it was not as good as recounting the old. Now we are recounting the old, and you say it is unsuitable. Come, tell me your own idea.” Baoyu said, “Instead of ‘Pours Jade,’ why not use ‘Seeping Fragrance’? Would that not be novel and elegant?” Jia Zheng stroked his beard, nodded, and remained silent. The others all chimed in eagerly, praising Baoyu’s extraordinary talent. Jia Zheng said, “The two characters for the plaque are easy enough. Now compose a seven-character couplet to go with it.” Upon hearing this, Baoyu stood in the pavilion, looked around in all directions, and as inspiration struck, he recited:

“By the embankment, willows lend three spans of green to the water;

Across the shore, flowers share a thread of fragrance through the air.”

Jia Zheng, upon hearing this, nodded and smiled faintly. The others were already lavish in their praise. Then they left the pavilion, crossed the pool, and observed every hill, rock, flower, and tree with careful attention. Suddenly, looking up, they saw ahead a whitewashed wall, within which stood several modest buildings, shaded by thousands of green bamboo stems. All exclaimed, “What a fine spot!” They then entered, and upon passing through the gate, they saw a winding covered walkway, with a path of pebbles at the foot of the steps. Above were two or three small rooms, one bright and two dark, all furnished with beds, tables, chairs, and stands made to fit the space. From the inner room, a small door led to a rear courtyard, where there were large pear trees and plantains. There were also two small retreat rooms. At the back wall of the courtyard, a gap suddenly opened, revealing a spring, from which a channel barely a foot wide led the water into the wall, winding around the steps and along the eaves to the front courtyard, where it meandered under the bamboo and exited.

Jia Zheng smiled and said, “This place is quite passable. If one could sit by this window on a moonlit night reading a book, one would not have lived this life in vain.” Having said this, he looked at Baoyu, who was so frightened that he quickly lowered his head. The guests promptly interjected to smooth things over, saying, “This spot needs a four-character inscription on the plaque.” Jia Zheng asked with a smile, “Which four characters?” One guest suggested “Qi Shui Yi Feng” (Legacy of the Qi River). Jia Zheng said, “Too vulgar.” Another guest proposed “Sui Yuan Ya Ji” (Elegant Traces of the Sui Garden). Jia Zheng said, “Also vulgar.” Jia Zhen laughed and said, “Why not let Brother Baoyu come up with one?” Jia Zheng said, “He hasn’t even composed anything yet, and he’s already criticizing others’ work—clearly a frivolous fellow.” The guests said, “His criticisms are quite reasonable; what can one do about him?” Jia Zheng quickly said, “You must not indulge him like this.” Then he ordered Baoyu, “Today, you may speak and act as wildly as you please; first state your criticisms, then you’ll be allowed to compose. What the others just said—is any of it suitable?” Baoyu, upon being asked, replied, “None of them seem quite right.” Jia Zheng sneered, “How are they not right?” Baoyu said, “This is the first place to be visited by the imperial presence; it must eulogize the emperor. If we use a four-character plaque, there are already ready-made phrases from the ancients; why bother composing new ones?” Jia Zheng said, “Aren’t ‘Qi Shui’ and ‘Sui Yuan’ from the ancients?” Baoyu said, “Those are too rigid and stale. Better to use ‘You Feng Lai Yi’ (The Phoenix Comes to Sojourn).” The crowd all exclaimed in praise. Jia Zheng nodded and said, “You beast, you beast—truly one can say you ‘look at the sky through a tube and measure the sea with a gourd’!” Then he ordered, “Compose a couplet as well.” Baoyu then recited:

The tea from the precious tripod still steams green,

The chess game ended by the quiet window leaves fingers cool.

Jia Zheng shook his head and said, “It’s not particularly good.” Having said this, he led the crowd out. Just as they were about to leave, he suddenly remembered something else and asked Jia Zhen, “These courtyards and buildings, along with the tables, chairs, and desks, are all in place—what about the curtains, screens, blinds, and the decorative objects, antiques, and playthings? Are they all properly matched and arranged at each spot?” Jia Zhen replied, “The decorative items have been largely added; naturally, they will be arranged appropriately at the time. As for the curtains and blinds, I heard from Brother Lian yesterday that they are not yet complete. Originally, when the construction began, drawings of each place were made, measurements taken, and people sent to procure them. It seems half arrived yesterday.” Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng realized that this matter was not Jia Zhen’s responsibility, so he ordered someone to summon Jia Lian.

Soon, Jia Lian arrived, and Jia Zheng asked him how many types there were, how many had been obtained, and how many were still lacking. Jia Lian, upon being asked, quickly took a folded paper memorandum from the boot-leg pocket inside his boot, glanced at it, and replied, “Of the embroidered and tapestry hangings, cut silk and ink-rubbed patterns, and various silks and satins for large and small curtains, there are one hundred and twenty sets in total. Eighty sets were obtained yesterday, with forty still owing. Of the two hundred hanging blinds, all were obtained yesterday. Additionally, there are two hundred red felt blinds, two hundred gold-thread rattan and red-lacquered bamboo blinds, two hundred black-lacquered bamboo blinds, and two hundred five-colored silk-knotted patterned blinds—half of each type has been obtained, and the rest should be complete by autumn. As for chair covers, tablecloths, bed valances, and table skirts, there are one thousand two hundred pieces of each, and these are also available.”

As they walked and talked, they suddenly encountered a green hill blocking their path. Turning around the mountain’s embrace, they faintly saw a stretch of low mud walls topped with rice stalks. There were several hundred apricot trees in bloom, like spurting flames and steaming clouds. Inside were a few thatched cottages. Outside grew mulberries, elms, hibiscus, and thorn bushes—young branches of various trees, twisted and woven into two rows of green hedges. Beyond the hedges, at the foot of a slope, was an earthen well, beside which were devices like a well-sweep and a windlass. Below, the fields were divided into plots, with fine vegetables and flowering plants stretching endlessly into the distance.

Jia Zheng smiled and said, “This place has some merit. Though it is certainly man-made, seeing it now inevitably stirs in me a desire to return to farming. Let us go in and rest a while.” Having said this, he was about to enter the hedge gate when he noticed a stone tablet by the roadside, prepared for an inscription. The crowd laughed and said, “Even better, even better—if we hung a plaque here for an inscription, the rustic farmhouse style would be utterly lost. Erecting this tablet adds much color; nothing less than Fan Shihu’s pastoral poems could capture its charm.” Jia Zheng said, “Gentlemen, please offer your inscriptions.” The crowd said, “Just now, our young friend said, ‘Weaving something new is not as good as recounting the old.’ The ancients have already said it all here; it would be perfect to simply inscribe ‘Xing Hua Cun’ (Apricot Blossom Village).” Jia Zheng, upon hearing this, smiled at Jia Zhen and said, “You’ve reminded me in the nick of time. Everything here is excellent, but it’s missing a wine banner. Tomorrow, have one made—not too ornate, just following the style of village banners, and hang it on a bamboo pole from a treetop.” Jia Zhen agreed and added, “This place should not keep other birds; we should only buy some geese, ducks, and chickens to match the scene.” Jia Zheng and the crowd all said, “Even better.” Jia Zheng then said to the crowd, “‘Xing Hua Cun’ is certainly good, but it conflicts with the actual village name; the village name should await an official designation.” The guests all said, “True. For now, what characters should we use?”

As everyone was thinking, Baoyu could no longer wait and, without waiting for Jia Zheng’s order, said, “An old poem says, ‘At the tip of red apricot boughs hangs a wine flag.’ How about using ‘Xing Lian Zai Wang’ (Apricot Banner in Sight)?” The crowd all said, “Excellent—‘in sight’! It subtly echoes the meaning of ‘Apricot Blossom Village’.” Baoyu sneered and said, “If the village name uses the characters ‘Apricot Blossom,’ it would be vulgar and crude. There’s also an ancient poem: ‘A thatched gate faces water, fragrant with rice flowers.’ Why not use ‘Dao Xiang Cun’ (Rice Fragrance Village) instead?” The crowd, upon hearing this, clapped their hands even louder and exclaimed, “Wonderful!” Jia Zheng gave a sharp shout: “Ignorant wretch! How many ancients do you know, how many poems have you memorized, that you dare show off before these venerable scholars! Those wild words of yours were merely to test your discernment and for amusement—and you take them seriously!”

As he spoke, he led the group into the thatched hall, where paper windows and wooden couches swept away all traces of wealth and grandeur. Jia Zheng was pleased inside, but he glared at Baoyu and asked, “How do you find this place?” The guests, seeing the question, quickly nudged Baoyu, urging him to say it was good. But Baoyu ignored them and replied directly, “It’s far inferior to ‘You Feng Lai Yi’.” Jia Zheng, hearing this, said, “Ignorant fool! You only appreciate painted towers and carved beams, thinking garish splendor is fine, and have no understanding of this pure and tranquil atmosphere. It’s all because you don’t study!” Baoyu quickly retorted, “Your lesson is certainly correct, Father, but the ancients often speak of the word ‘natural.’ I wonder what it means?”

The crowd, seeing Baoyu stubbornly obstinate, thought him foolish and unchanging. Now that he asked about the word “natural,” they quickly said, “We understand everything else; how can you not know ‘natural’? ‘Natural’ means what exists by heaven’s own nature, not created by human effort.” Baoyu said, “Exactly! To place a farmstead here is clearly the result of human artifice and forced contrivance. In the distance, there’s no neighboring village; nearby, it doesn’t back onto the city wall. It leans on a mountain with no veins, faces water with no source; above, there’s no temple tower hidden in the hills; below, no bridge leading to the market. It stands out in stark isolation, hardly fitting the grand view. How does it compare to the earlier place, which has natural principle and natural vitality? Though they planted bamboo and drew in a spring, it doesn’t harm the sense of the natural. The ancients spoke of the phrase ‘natural picture,’ precisely to caution against forcing a place to be what it is not, forcing a hill to be what it is not—however finely wrought, it ultimately fails to suit…” Before he could finish, Jia Zheng, furious, ordered, “Throw him out!” As soon as he was out, he called out again, “Come back!” and ordered him to compose another couplet: “If it’s not good, I’ll slap your mouth as well!” Baoyu had no choice but to recite:

Newly risen green waters add to the place where clothes are washed,

Good clouds fragrantly protect the gatherers of watercress.

Jia Zheng shook his head upon hearing this and said, “Even worse.” He then led the party out, rounded the slope, threaded through flowers and willows, caressed the rocks and leaned on the springs, passed the trellis of roses, entered the arbor of Arabian jasmine, went beyond the Peony Pavilion, crossed the Herbaceous Peony Garden, stepped into the Begonia Court, and emerged from the Plantain Dell, winding and twisting all the way. Suddenly they heard the gurgling sound of water issuing from a stone grotto, with climbing fig and ivy hanging down from above and fallen petals floating and bobbing below. Everyone exclaimed, “Fine scene! Fine scene!” Jia Zheng said, “What name shall each of you propose?” The others said, “There’s no need to deliberate further—the name ‘Wuling Spring’ fits perfectly.” Jia Zheng laughed and said, “That’s too literal, and moreover it’s hackneyed.” The others laughed and said, “Otherwise the phrase ‘Refuge of the Qin People’ would do.” Baoyu said, “That’s even more blatant. ‘Refuge of the Qin People’ refers to escaping from turmoil—how could that be appropriate? Better to use ‘Liao Ting Hua Xu’ (Smartweed Bank and Flower Harbor).” When Jia Zheng heard this, he scolded him again for talking nonsense. Then, as they were about to enter the harbor and grotto, he thought to ask whether there were boats. Jia Zhen said, “There are four lotus-gathering boats and one passenger boat, but they haven’t been finished yet.” Jia Zheng laughed and said, “What a pity we can’t go in.” Jia Zhen said, “We can also enter by way of the mountain path.” With that, he led the way, and the whole party advanced by grasping vines and holding onto trees. They saw that the fallen petals on the water were increasing, the water becoming clearer, rippling and eddying, winding and meandering. On both banks were rows of drooping willows, interspersed with peach and apricot trees, their shade blotting out the sky and sun, so that there was truly not a speck of dust. Suddenly, from within the willow shade, a zigzag bridge with red railings came into view. After crossing the bridge, all paths led to various places, and they saw a cool, neat house with walls of polished brick and a roof of plain tiles with ornamental flower-work. The branches of the great main mountain all passed through the walls.

Jia Zheng said, “This house here is quite uninteresting.” As he stepped inside, he was suddenly confronted by a huge, exquisitely perforated rock that soared into the sky, surrounded on all sides by various stones, which completely concealed all the buildings within. Moreover, there was not a single flower or tree to be seen—only many strange herbs: some trailing vines, some creeping tendrils, some hanging down from the hilltop, some threading through crevices in the rocks, some even drooping from the eaves and coiling around the pillars, entwining the steps and winding around the stairs—some like emerald ribbons fluttering, some like golden cords coiling, some with fruits like cinnabar, some with flowers like golden osmanthus, their fragrance rich and overpowering, not to be compared with ordinary floral scents. Jia Zheng could not help laughing and said, “Interesting! But I don’t recognize most of them.” Someone said, “They are fig ivy and climbing vines.” Jia Zheng said, “Fig ivy and climbing vines wouldn’t have such an unusual fragrance.” Baoyu said, “Indeed they are not. Among these there are some vines and ivy, but the fragrant ones are du ruo and heng wu. That one is probably chai lan, this one is probably qing ge, that one is jin deng cao, this one is yu lu teng. The red ones are naturally zi yun, and the green ones must be qing zhi. I imagine that all the strange herbs mentioned in books like Li Sao and Wen Xuan—some called huo na jiang qian, some called lun zu zi jiang, and also shi fan, shui song, fu liu, and what is called lü yi, and dan jiao, mi wu, feng lian—over the years, as people have forgotten their true names, they have been called by borrowed names based on their shapes, and gradually misnamed.” Before he could finish, Jia Zheng shouted, “Who asked you!” Baoyu backed away in fright and dared not speak further.

Jia Zheng noticed that on both sides there were covered verandas, so he followed one and entered. There he saw five clear, spacious halls with a crescent-shaped roof, verandas on all four sides, green windows and oiled walls, more elegant and refined than the previous places. Jia Zheng sighed and said, “In this pavilion, one could brew tea and play the lute without needing to burn rare incense. The construction is already beyond expectation, and you gentlemen must surely have fine new compositions to inscribe the tablet, so as not to let this scene go to waste.” The others laughed and said, “None could be more apt than ‘Orchid Breeze and Iris Dew.’” Jia Zheng said, “Then we’ll have to use those four characters. And what about the couplet?” One person said, “I have thought of one; may I ask everyone to criticize and correct it?” He recited:

Musk and orchid fragrance fills the courtyard in the slanting sun;

Du ruo’s scent drifts over the moonlit isle.

The others said, “It’s ingenious, but the phrase ‘slanting sun’ is not quite right.” The man said, “An ancient poem says, ‘Gathering mi wu, my hands full, I weep in the slanting light.’” The others said, “Too mournful, too mournful.” Another person said, “I also have a couplet; please let everyone judge it.” He recited:

A triple path’s fragrant breeze wafts jade-like iris;

A whole courtyard’s bright moon shines on golden orchids.

Jia Zheng stroked his beard and pondered, also thinking of composing a couplet. Suddenly he looked up and saw Baoyou beside him, not daring to speak, so he shouted, “Why don’t you speak when you should? Must you wait for people to ask you?” Baoyu, upon hearing this, replied, “There is nothing here like ‘orchid,’ ‘iris,’ ‘bright moon,’ or ‘islet.’ If we were to be so literal, we could write two hundred couplets and still not exhaust the subject.” Jia Zheng said, “Who’s holding your head down and forcing you to use those words?” Baoyu said, “In that case, the tablet might better read ‘Heng Zhi Qing Fen’ (Fragrance of Heng and Zhi). And the couplet would be:

Reciting cardamom, one’s talent still fresh;

Sleeping off tipsy fragrance, even dreams are sweet.

Jia Zheng laughed and said, “That’s a copy of ‘Writing on banana leaves, the ink still green’—nothing remarkable.” The guests said, “Li Bai’s ‘Phoenix Terrace’ is a complete imitation of ‘Yellow Crane Tower,’ but the imitation is skillfully done. Now, if we examine it carefully, this couplet seems even more refined and lively than ‘Writing on banana leaves.’ That line, in fact, seems to have been imitated from this one.” Jia Zheng laughed and said, “Preposterous!”

With that, they all emerged. Before they had gone far, they saw lofty pavilions towering high, multi-storied buildings rising up, with splendid halls enclosing on every side, winding covered passageways stretching into the distance, green pines brushing the eaves, jade balustrades encircling the stone steps, golden gleams from animal masks, and colorful carvings of chi dragons. Jia Zheng said, “This is the main hall, but it’s too sumptuous.” The others said, “It must be so to be fitting. Although the Imperial Consort esteems frugality and by nature dislikes extravagance and loves simplicity, today’s honor demands such ritual—it is not excessive.” As they spoke and walked, a white jade memorial archway appeared before them, carved with coiling dragons and guarding chi, exquisitely chiseled. Jia Zheng said, “What inscription should go here?” The others said, “It must be ‘Penglai Fairyland’ to be perfect.” Jia Zheng shook his head and said nothing. When Baoyu saw this place, his heart was suddenly stirred; he pondered, feeling as if he had seen it somewhere before, but could not recall the year or day. Jia Zheng again ordered him to compose an inscription, but Baoyu was entirely absorbed in recalling that previous scene and had no mind for it. The others, not understanding his state, thought only that after half a day’s torment, his spirit was exhausted and his talent depleted, and that if pressed further, he might become upset and cause trouble, which would be inconvenient. So they hastily urged Jia Zheng, “Stop, stop—let the inscription wait until tomorrow.” Jia Zheng himself was also afraid that Grandmother Jia might be worried, so he sneered and said, “You beast, so even you have your limits. Very well, I’ll give you one day. If you can’t do it by tomorrow, I’ll certainly not let you off. This is a crucial place, and you must do it well!”

As he spoke, he led the group out, and when they looked again, they realized that from the entrance gate until now, they had only toured about five or six-tenths of the garden. It happened that someone came to report that Jia Yucun had sent a messenger with a reply. Jia Zheng smiled and said, “We cannot tour these remaining areas now. Even so, we ought to exit from that side; though we cannot examine them closely, we can still take a brief glance.” So saying, he led the guests forward until they came to a great bridge, where they saw water rushing in like a crystal curtain. This bridge was in fact the sluice gate connecting to the outer river, channeling the spring water inward. Jia Zheng then asked, “What name should this sluice gate be given?” Baoyu said, “This is the main source of the Qinfang Spring; let it be called ‘Qinfang Sluice.’” Jia Zheng said, “Nonsense! I refuse to use the word ‘Qinfang’ here.” So they continued along the path, encountering now elegant halls and thatched cottages, now walls built of piled stones, now windows woven from flowers, now a quiet Buddhist nunnery at the foot of a hill, now a Taoist alchemy chamber among the trees, now long corridors and winding grottoes, now square pavilions and round kiosks—but Jia Zheng had no time to enter any of them. Because they had walked for half a day and their legs were sore without rest, they suddenly saw a courtyard ahead. Jia Zheng laughed and said, “Now that we have reached this place, we must go in and rest a while.” So saying, he led the group straight around some flowering peach trees, passed through a moon-shaped gate formed by bamboo hedges and flower trellises, and soon saw pink walls encircling the area, with green willows hanging low. Jia Zheng and the others entered. As soon as they passed through the gate, winding verandas connected on both sides. In the courtyard were a few decorative rockeries; on one side were several plantains, and on the other side a Xifu crabapple tree, shaped like an umbrella, its emerald branches drooping with silken threads, its blossoms spitting forth cinnabar red. Everyone praised, “Fine flowers, fine flowers! We have seen many crabapple trees before, but never one so exquisite as this.” Jia Zheng said, “This is called ‘Maiden Crabapple,’ a variety from a foreign land. It is commonly said to come from the ‘Kingdom of Women,’ where this flower is said to be most abundant—but that is also an absurd and unfounded tale.” The guests laughed and said, “Though it may be unfounded, how has this name been handed down for so long?” Baoyu said, “It is probably because literary men and scholars, seeing the color of this flower blushing like rouge and its delicate form like one leaning on a sickbed, found it very much like the manner of a lady’s boudoir, and so named it ‘Maiden.’ I suppose that when vulgar and wicked people of the world heard this, they used wild histories to fabricate evidence, passing on vulgarity as truth and error as fact, until everyone took it seriously.” The guests all swayed their bodies and praised his words as excellent. As they spoke, they all sat down on the couches that had been prepared under the outer eaves. Jia Zheng then asked, “What fresh characters can we think of to inscribe here?” One guest said, “The two characters ‘Plantain Crane’ are most wonderful.” Another said, “‘Lofty Light and Rippling Colors’ would be truly fine.” Jia Zheng and the others all said, “Excellent, ‘Lofty Light and Rippling Colors’!” Baoyu also said, “Supremely wonderful.” Then he sighed and added, “But it is a pity.” The others asked, “Why is it a pity?” Baoyu said, “Here there are two plants, the plantain and the crabapple, and their meaning secretly contains the words ‘red’ and ‘green’ within them. If one only mentions the plantain, then the crabapple has no place; if one only mentions the crabapple, then the plantain also has no place. So to have the plantain without the crabapple will not do, and to have the crabapple without the plantain is even worse.” Jia Zheng said, “What do you propose to do about it?” Baoyu said, “In my opinion, inscribing the four characters ‘Red Fragrance and Green Jade’ would achieve both purposes perfectly.” Jia Zheng shook his head and said, “Not good, not good!”

As he spoke, he led the group into the rooms. These rooms were arranged quite differently from others; one could not even distinguish the partitions. It turned out that all four sides were made of carved, hollow, and ingenious wooden panels, some depicting “A Hundred Bats Amid Flowing Clouds,” some “The Three Friends of Winter,” some landscapes and figures, some birds and flowers, some assembled treasures, some antique motifs, some ten thousand blessings and ten thousand longevity—all kinds of patterns, carved by famous hands, inlaid with gold and gems in five colors. Between the partitions, some held books, some held tripods, some were set with brushes and inkstones, some offered flowers and vases, or displayed potted landscapes. These partitions were of every shape: some were round heaven and square earth, some were sunflower and plantain leaves, some were interlocking rings and half-jade discs. Truly they were a riot of flowers and brocade, exquisitely translucent and ingenious. Suddenly, five-colored gauze was pasted over some, forming small windows; suddenly, colored silk lightly covered others, forming hidden doors. Moreover, the walls were entirely carved with grooves shaped like antique curios and playthings. Such items as zithers, swords, hanging vases, and table screens, though hung on the walls, were all flush with the wall surface. Everyone praised, “What a fine and ingenious design! How could anyone have thought of it?” As it happened, Jia Zheng and the others had entered, but before they had passed two partitions, they had already lost their way. Looking to the left, there seemed to be a door leading through; looking to the right, there was a window temporarily blocking the way, but when they reached it, a shelf of books obstructed them. Turning back to go another way, there was bright window gauze and a path to follow, but when they reached the door, they suddenly saw a crowd of people coming toward them, all looking just like themselves—it was a large glass mirror reflecting them. After turning past the mirror, they saw even more doors. Jia Zhen smiled and said, “Uncle, follow me. If we go out through this door, we will reach the rear courtyard, and from the rear courtyard, it will be shorter than before.” So saying, they turned past two more layers of gauze screens and brocade partitions, and indeed found a door through which they exited. In the courtyard, the trellises were full of roses and Baoxiang flowers. Turning past the flower trellis, they saw a clear stream blocking their way ahead. The guests exclaimed in surprise, “Where does this stream come from?” Jia Zhen pointed from afar and said, “It originally flows from that sluice gate to that grotto, then from the northeastern hill hollow it is channeled to that village, where a branch is opened and led to the southwest, and finally it all flows here, merges again, and exits from beneath that wall.” When the guests heard this, they all said, “Truly miraculous!” As they spoke, they suddenly saw a great mountain blocking their path. Everyone said, “We are lost.” Jia Zhen laughed and said, “Follow me.” He led them forward again, and following him, they suddenly turned at the foot of the mountain, and there was a smooth, broad road, opening directly onto the main gate. Everyone said, “Interesting, interesting! Truly this is the ultimate in seeking out the divine and seizing the ingenious!” So they all came out. Baoyu’s mind was entirely preoccupied with the inner chambers, but since Jia Zheng had not given him any orders, he had no choice but to follow him to the study. Jia Zheng suddenly remembered him and shouted, “Why haven’t you gone in? Are you still not done wandering? Have you not thought that after roaming for half a day, the old lady must be fretting about you? Go in quickly—it would be a waste to dote on you in vain.” Upon hearing this, Baoyu withdrew. But let us see what the next chapter reveals.