Chapter 86: A corrupt official alters the verdict for a bribe; The gentle lady finds solace in the study of music

When Aunt Xue heard the news brought by Xue Ke, she called in the servant and asked, “Did you hear what your young master said—how exactly did it come about that someone was beaten to death?” The servant replied, “I didn’t catch it clearly myself. That day, the young master told the second young master.” He turned and looked back; seeing no one, he continued, “The young master said that since the trouble at home had become so severe, he had lost heart and wanted to go south to buy goods. That day he thought of asking someone to travel with him—this man lived over two hundred li south of our town. The young master went to find him and met Jiang Yuhan, the one who used to be close to him, bringing some young actors into town. The young master ate and drank with him at a shop, and because the waiter kept staring at Jiang Yuhan, the young master grew angry. Later, Jiang Yuhan left. The next day, the young master invited that man for a drink, and after drinking, he remembered the previous day’s incident. He told the waiter to change the wine, but the waiter came late, and the young master began cursing him. The man objected, and the young master picked up a wine bowl and struck him. But that man turned out to be a ruffian too—he stuck his head out and dared the young master to hit him. The young master smashed the bowl on his head, and blood gushed out. He fell to the ground, cursed at first, and then fell silent.” Aunt Xue said, “Why didn’t anyone try to stop it?” The servant said, “I didn’t hear the young master say anything about that, so I dare not speak rashly.” Aunt Xue said, “Go and rest for now.” The servant assented and left.

Then Aunt Xue went herself to see Lady Wang, asking her to entreat Jia Zheng on her behalf. Jia Zheng inquired about the whole affair and could only give a vague promise, saying they should wait until Xue Ke submitted his petition and see how the county magistrate ruled before deciding what to do.

Here, Aunt Xue also exchanged silver at the pawnshop and sent the servant hurrying off. Three days later, a reply indeed came. Aunt Xue received it and immediately told a maid to inform Baochai, who quickly came over to read it. The letter read:

“The silver brought was used to bribe everyone at the yamen. Elder brother is not suffering much in prison; please rest assured, Mother. But the people here are very cunning; the deceased’s family and witnesses refuse to cooperate, and even the friend elder brother invited is helping them. Li Xiang and I are both strangers in a strange place. Fortunately, we found a good advisor, promising him silver, and he gave us a plan: we must drag in Wu Liang, who drank with elder brother, and have someone bail him out, promising him silver to make him settle the matter. If he refuses, we can claim that Zhang San was killed by him, shifting the blame onto an outsider—he won’t be able to bear it, and then we can handle it. I followed his advice, and indeed Wu Liang came out. Now we have bribed the deceased’s family and witnesses, and drawn up another petition. It was submitted the day before yesterday, and the reply came today. Please see the copy of the petition for details.”

Then she read the petition copy aloud:

“The petitioner, so-and-so, submits this petition on behalf of his elder brother, who has met with a sudden calamity, to seek redress for a wrong. I, your humble petitioner, have an elder brother, Xue Pan, by origin a native of Nanjing, now residing in Xijing. On a certain day of a certain month, he prepared capital to travel south for trade. A few days after his departure, a servant brought word home that he had been involved in a manslaughter case. I immediately hastened to your honor’s jurisdiction and learned that my brother had accidentally injured one Zhang. Upon arriving at the prison, I heard my brother, weeping, state that he had never known the said Zhang, nor had there been any enmity between them. By chance, during a quarrel over exchanging wine, my brother spilled the wine on the ground, and at that very moment Zhang lowered his head to pick something up; in an inadvertent slip, the wine bowl accidentally struck him on the fontanel, causing his death. Out of your honor’s benevolence, he was summoned for questioning, but fearing torture, he confessed to a brawl resulting in death. Relying on your honor’s heavenly mercy, knowing there was an injustice, the case has not yet been settled. My brother, while in custody, submitted a petition of defense, but this contravenes regulations. I, mindful of our brotherly bond, risk death to submit this on his behalf, humbly beseeching your honor’s gracious approval to summon witnesses for cross-examination, granting great mercy. Our entire family looks up to your boundless benevolence, forever without end. Earnestly submitted.”

The endorsement read:

“The inquest at the scene of death produced clear and conclusive evidence. Moreover, no torture was used; your brother himself confessed to manslaughter in a brawl, and the confession is on file. Now you come from afar, having witnessed nothing, so how can you fabricate a false accusation? You ought to be punished, but in consideration of your fraternal devotion, you are forgiven. Petition denied.”

When Aunt Xue heard this, she said, “So there’s no saving him! What can be done?” Baochai said, “Second brother’s letter isn’t finished yet; there’s more.” Then she read on: “For important matters, ask the messenger who came.” Aunt Xue then questioned the messenger, who said, “The county magistrate already knows our family is well-off. We must seek powerful connections in the capital and send a large gift; then a retrial can be arranged, and the sentence can be lightened. Madam must act quickly now; if we delay further, I fear young master will suffer.”

When Aunt Xue heard this, she sent the young servant off and immediately went to the Jia residence to explain the matter to Lady Wang, begging Jia Zheng for help. Jia Zheng was only willing to entrust someone to speak to the magistrate on their behalf, refusing to mention any money or gifts. Fearing this would not be enough, Aunt Xue begged Xifeng and Jia Lian to handle it, spending several thousand taels of silver to bribe the magistrate. Xue Ke also managed to get things smoothed over on his end. Then the magistrate posted a notice, held court, and summoned all the neighbors, the village head, witnesses, and the victim's family, bringing Xue Pan out from the jail. The clerks in the penal office checked and called the roll one by one. The magistrate ordered the local constable to verify the initial confession, then called for the victim's mother, Zhang Wang-shi, and the victim's uncle, Zhang Er, to be questioned.

Zhang Wang-shi sobbed and testified: "My husband was Zhang Da, from the southern countryside. He died eighteen years ago. My eldest and second sons are also dead, leaving only this dead son, called Zhang San, twenty-three years old this year, who had not yet taken a wife. Because our family is poor and couldn't support him, he worked as a waiter in Li's tavern. That day at noon, someone from Li's tavern sent for me, saying, 'Your son has been beaten to death.' My good lord, I was frightened to death. I ran there and saw my son lying on the ground, his head bleeding and gasping for breath. When I asked him what happened, he couldn't speak, and in a little while he died. I wanted to grab that little bastard and fight him to the death." The yamen runners shouted her down. Zhang Wang-shi then kowtowed and said, "I beg you, my good lord, to seek justice for me. I only had this one son." The magistrate ordered her to stand aside and called for the people from Li's tavern, asking, "Was Zhang San an employee of your tavern?" Li Er replied, "He wasn't an employee, he was a waiter." The magistrate said, "That day at the scene of the corpse, you said Zhang San was killed by Xue Pan with a bowl. Did you see it with your own eyes?" Li Er said, "I was at the counter when I heard someone in the guest room asking for wine. Shortly after, I heard shouts of 'It's terrible, someone's been hurt!' I ran inside and saw Zhang San lying on the ground, unable to speak. I then reported it to the local constable and also sent word to his mother. How they actually fought, I truly don't know. I beg Your Honor to ask the drinkers, and you'll find out." The magistrate shouted, "In your initial confession, you said you saw it yourself. How can you now say you didn't?" Li Er said, "The other day I was frightened out of my wits and spoke nonsense." The runners shouted again. The magistrate then called for Wu Liang and asked, "Were you drinking with them? How did Xue Pan beat him? Confess truthfully." Wu Liang said, "That day I was at home when this Mr. Xue invited me to drink. He complained the wine was bad and wanted to change it, but Zhang San refused. Mr. Xue got angry and threw the wine in his face. Somehow, it hit him on the head. I saw this with my own eyes." The magistrate said, "Nonsense. The other day at the scene, Xue Pan himself admitted to killing him with a bowl, and you said you saw it. Why doesn't your testimony match today? Slap his mouth." The runners prepared to carry out the order, but Wu Liang pleaded, "Xue Pan truly didn't fight with Zhang San. The wine bowl slipped from his hand and accidentally hit him on the head. I beg Your Honor to question Xue Pan, and that will be mercy enough." The magistrate ordered Xue Pan brought forward and asked, "What grudge did you have against Zhang San? How did he actually die? Confess truthfully." Xue Pan said, "I beg Your Honor for mercy. I truly didn't beat him. Because he refused to change the wine, I threw it at him. I didn't expect to lose my grip, and the bowl accidentally hit him on the head. I immediately tried to stop the bleeding, but no matter what I did, it wouldn't stop. He bled too much and died after a while. The other day at the scene, I was afraid Your Honor would beat me, so I said I hit him with the bowl. I only beg Your Honor for mercy." The magistrate then shouted, "What a muddleheaded fool! Earlier I asked you how you hit him, and you confessed that you were angry at him for not changing the wine and so you hit him. Today you claim it was an accident." The magistrate put on a show of severity, threatening to beat him or apply the leg-screws, but Xue Pan stuck to his story. The magistrate ordered the coroner to report the wounds recorded at the scene truthfully. The coroner reported: "The previous day, when examining Zhang San's corpse, no wounds were found except for a porcelain injury on the fontanel, one inch and seven-tenths long, five-tenths deep, with the skin broken and the fontanel bone cracked three-tenths. It was indeed a bruise from a collision." The magistrate checked the corpse examination report and found it consistent, knowing well that the clerks had altered it to be less severe. He did not challenge this but casually ordered the confession to be signed. Zhang Wang-shi cried out, "My good lord! The other day I heard there were many wounds. How is it that today there are none?" The magistrate said, "This woman talks nonsense. The corpse examination report is here. Don't you know?" He called for the victim's uncle, Zhang Er, and asked, "When your nephew died, how many wounds did you know of?" Zhang Er quickly replied, "One wound on the head." The magistrate said, "There you have it." He ordered the clerk to show the corpse examination report to Zhang Wang-shi and had the local constable and the victim's uncle point it out to her. He also noted that the witnesses at the scene had all testified there was no fight, so it was not a brawl. He only recorded it as accidental injury and ordered the confession to be signed. Xue Pan was remanded to prison pending review, while the others were released on bail. The court was adjourned. Zhang Wang-shi wept and shouted wildly, so the magistrate ordered the runners to throw her out. Zhang Er also urged Zhang Wang-shi, saying, "It was truly an accident. How can you blame someone? The magistrate has now made a clear judgment. Don't make a fuss." Xue Ke, having found out everything outside, was delighted and sent someone home with the news. He planned to wait for the official review to come back before arranging for a commutation of the sentence, so he stayed to await news. On the road, he heard people talking in twos and threes that an imperial consort had died and the emperor had suspended court for three days. As this place was not far from the imperial tombs, the magistrate was busy with official duties and road repairs. Realizing the magistrate would have no leisure time, Xue Ke thought it useless to stay here. He decided it was better to go to the prison and tell his brother to wait patiently, saying, "I'll go home and come back in a few days." Xue Pan was also worried about his mother's distress, so he sent a message saying, "I'm fine. It will just take a few more bribes at the yamen, and then I can go home. Just don't begrudge the money."

Xue Ke left Li Xiang there to attend to matters, returning home himself. Upon seeing Aunt Xue, he recounted how the magistrate had bent the law for personal favor, how he conducted the trial, and how the final verdict was manslaughter. He added that with some more money spent on the deceased’s family, they could surely redeem the crime and all would be well. Aunt Xue, upon hearing this, temporarily set her mind at ease and said, “I was just hoping you’d come back to look after things at home. We ought to have gone to the Jia family to thank them, especially since Consort Zhou has passed away. They’re going to the palace every day now, and the house is empty. I was thinking of going over to help Madam Wang and keep her company, but there’s no one here. Your coming is just right.” Xue Ke said, “I heard outside that Consort Jia had died, which is why I hurried back. Our Lady Yuanfei was perfectly fine—how could she have died?” Aunt Xue replied, “She was ill once last year, but she recovered. This time, I heard nothing of any illness afflicting Yuanfei. I only heard that the old lady in that mansion was unwell a few days ago, and whenever she closed her eyes, she saw Lady Yuanfei. Everyone was worried, but when they inquired for news, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Then, the night before last, the old lady said herself, ‘How is it that Yuanfei has come to me all alone?’ Everyone thought it was just the rambling of a sick mind and didn’t believe it. The old lady added, ‘If you don’t believe me, Yuanfei told me that glory and wealth are fleeting, and one must seize the chance to withdraw and step back.’ Everyone said, ‘Who hasn’t thought of that? It’s just the musings of an elderly person reflecting on the past and future.’ So no one took it seriously. Then, the very next morning, word spread from the palace that the consort was gravely ill, summoning all the titled ladies to pay respects. They were astonished and suspicious, and hurried in. Before they came out, our household had already heard of Consort Zhou’s death. Just think—outside rumors and inside suspicions all colliding at once—isn’t that strange!” Bao Chai said, “It’s not just the outside rumors that are confused. Even at home, as soon as anyone hears the word ‘consort,’ they panic, only to understand later. These past two days, some maids and old women from that mansion came and said they knew early on it wasn’t our consort. I asked, ‘How could you be so sure?’ They said, ‘A few years ago, in the first month, a fortune-teller from another province came, said to be very accurate. The old lady had Yuanfei’s birth characters mixed in with the maids’ and sent them out for him to calculate. He singled out the girl born on the first day of the first month at the hour of zi, saying the hour might be wrong, but if not, she was truly a noble, though not destined to stay in this mansion. The master and everyone said, “Never mind if it’s wrong or not—calculate according to the characters.” The gentleman then said that the characters jia shen, first month, bing yin contained hurtful officers and defeated wealth, with only the shen character having a proper officer and official salary, meaning she couldn’t be kept at home, and nothing favorable was seen. The day was yi mao, early spring when wood is strong; though it was a rival shoulder, who knew that the more it rivaled, the better, like fine timber—the more it’s hewn and shaped, the greater the vessel it becomes. The only joy was in the hour, with some xin metal being noble, and the si character having a proper officer and official salary uniquely abundant—this was called the “flying horse of heaven” pattern. He also said it was “daily salary returning to the hour,” extremely noble, with heaven and earth virtues seated in the native destiny, blessed with the favor of the pepper chamber. If this girl’s hour was correct, she would surely be a principal consort. Isn’t that accurate! We also remember he said, “Pity that glory won’t last long; beware of meeting the yin year and mao month—that would be rival upon rival, plunder upon plunder. Like fine timber, if it’s carved too intricately, the essence won’t be solid.” They’d all forgotten those words and just bustled about blindly. I just recalled it and told our eldest young mistress, but this year is neither a yin year nor a mao month.’” Before Bao Chai finished, Xue Ke interrupted urgently, “Never mind others’ affairs. Since there’s such a divine fortune-teller, I think my brother’s evil stars are afflicting him this year, bringing this calamity. Quick, give me his birth characters so I can have them calculated and see if there’s any harm.” Bao Chai said, “He was from another province—I don’t know if he’s still in the capital now.”

As she spoke, they prepared for Aunt Xue to go to the Jia mansion. Upon arriving, only Li Wan and Tan Chun were there to receive her, asking, “How is Master Xue’s matter going?” Aunt Xue said, “We have to wait for it to be reported to the higher authorities before it’s settled, but it seems it won’t be a capital offense.” Everyone was relieved. Tan Chun then said, “Last night, Madam Wang was thinking that last time when our family had troubles, we relied entirely on you, Aunt, for help. Now that you have your own troubles, it’s hard to bring it up. She’s just worried.” Aunt Xue said, “I’m also very distressed at home. But your eldest brother has met with misfortune, your second brother has gone to handle affairs, and your sister is alone at home—what use is she? Besides, our daughter-in-law isn’t very sensible, so I couldn’t get away to come. Now that the magistrate there is also busy preparing for Consort Zhou’s funeral and can’t conclude the case, your second brother has returned, so I could come to see you.” Li Wan said, “Please, Aunt, stay here for a few days—that would be even better.” Aunt Xue nodded and said, “I did want to stay and keep you girls company, but your Cousin Bao will be lonely.” Xi Chun said, “If Aunt is worried, why not invite Cousin Bao here too?” Aunt Xue smiled and said, “That won’t do.” Xi Chun asked, “Why won’t it do? Didn’t she stay here before?” Li Wan said, “You don’t understand. Their family has troubles now—how could she come?” Xi Chun believed it and didn’t ask further. Just as they were speaking, Lady Jia and the others returned. Upon seeing Aunt Xue, they didn’t even bother with greetings, immediately asking about Xue Pan’s matter. Aunt Xue recounted everything in detail. Bao Yu, standing nearby, heard the part about Jiang Yuhan, but with everyone present, he didn’t dare ask, thinking to himself, “Since he’s returned to the capital, why hasn’t he come to see me?” He also noticed that Bao Chai hadn’t come over and wondered why. Lost in thought, he happened to see Dai Yu arriving to pay respects. Bao Yu felt a slight lift in spirits, setting aside thoughts of Bao Chai, and joined the sisters in having dinner at Lady Jia’s. After dinner, everyone dispersed, and Aunt Xue made do by staying in the side room of Lady Jia’s quarters.

Bao Yu returned to his own room, changed his clothes, and suddenly thought of the sweatband Jiang Yuhan had given him. He asked Xiren, “Do you still have that red sweatband you didn’t wear that year?” Xiren said, “I’ve stored it away. Why are you asking about it?” Bao Yu said, “Just asking casually.” Xiren said, “Haven’t you heard? Master Xue has been associating with those disreputable people, leading to a matter of life and death. Why bring those up? Instead of worrying about such things, you’d be better off quietly studying and letting go of these trivial matters.” Bao Yu said, “I’m not making a fuss. I just happened to think of it—whether it’s there or not, it doesn’t matter. I asked casually, and you come up with all this talk.” Xiren laughed and said, “It’s not that I’m talking too much. A person who knows books and understands reason should strive to improve. Even if a beloved person comes, they should be happy and respectful to see you.” Bao Yu, provoked by Xiren’s words, said, “Oh no! Just now at the old lady’s place, I saw so many people that I didn’t get to talk to Cousin Lin. She didn’t even acknowledge me, and when we dispersed, she left first. She must be in her room now. I’ll go and come right back.” With that, he started to leave. Xiren said, “Hurry back. It’s all my fault for bringing this up—I’ve stirred up your excitement.”

Baoyu did not reply. With his head lowered, he walked straight to the Naiad’s House. There he found Daiyu leaning over her desk, reading a book. Baoyu approached and said with a smile, “Cousin, you came back early.” Daiyu also smiled and replied, “If you were ignoring me, what reason did I have to stay there any longer?” Baoyu laughed and said, “There were so many people talking that I couldn’t get a word in edgewise, so I didn’t speak with you.” As he spoke, he glanced at the book Daiyu was reading. He recognized none of the characters in it; some looked like the character for ‘peony,’ others like ‘vast,’ and there was one with a ‘great’ character next to a ‘nine’ with a hook, and a ‘five’ inserted in the middle, and another with a ‘five’ and ‘six’ above and a ‘wood’ added, with a ‘five’ below. Puzzled and curious, he said, “Cousin, you’ve grown more learned than ever—reading a book from heaven!” Daiyu laughed out loud and said, “What a fine scholar! You’ve never even seen a qin score before.” Baoyu said, “How could I not know a qin score? But why don’t I recognize a single character in it? Do you recognize them, cousin?” Daiyu replied, “If I didn’t recognize them, why would I be reading it?” Baoyu said, “I don’t believe you. I’ve never heard you play the qin. There are several qin hanging in our study. Two years ago, a gentleman guest called Ji Haogu came, and Father asked him to play a tune. He took down a qin and said none of them were usable, adding, ‘If the old gentleman is interested, I’ll bring my own qin another day to offer instruction.’ Probably because Father didn’t understand, he never came back. How can you have such skill hidden away?” Daiyu said, “I don’t really know how to play. A few days ago, feeling slightly better, I was browsing books on the large shelf and came across a set of qin scores. They had great elegance, and the principles of qin playing described were very thorough, with clear explanations of techniques. It truly is an art for calming the mind and cultivating one’s nature. When I was in Yangzhou, I heard people discuss it and even learned a little, but since I stopped playing, I forgot it all. As they say, ‘If you don’t play for three days, your fingers grow thorns.’ The other day I read a few sections without lyrics, only the names of the pieces. Then I found another book with lyrics, and that was more interesting. But how to play well is truly difficult. The book says that Shi Kuang could summon wind, thunder, dragons, and phoenixes by playing the qin, and Confucius himself learned from Shi Xiang, recognizing King Wen in a single note. The high mountains and flowing waters found their soulmate.” As she said this, her eyelids fluttered slightly, and she slowly lowered her head. Baoyu was thoroughly enjoying this and said, “Good cousin, what you’ve said is truly fascinating, but I don’t recognize any of those characters. Teach me a few.” Daiyu said, “No need for teaching; once I explain, you’ll understand.” Baoyu said, “I’m a dullard; you’ll have to teach me that one with the ‘great’ character and a hook, and a ‘five’ in the middle.” Daiyu laughed, “That ‘great’ and ‘nine’ mean pressing the ninth stud with the left thumb, and that hook with the ‘five’ means plucking the fifth string with the right hand. It’s not a single character but one note. It’s very simple. There are also methods like yin, rou, chuo, zhu, zhuang, zou, fei, and tui, all about fingering techniques.” Baoyu was so delighted he danced with joy and said, “Good cousin, since you understand the principles of qin, why don’t we learn to play?” Daiyu said, “The qin is for restraint. The ancients made it to cultivate oneself, nourish one’s nature, suppress excess, and remove extravagance. To play the qin, you must choose a quiet room or lofty studio, or a place on a high tower, among forests and rocks, on a mountain peak, or by the water’s edge. You must also wait for a time when heaven and earth are clear and harmonious, with a gentle breeze and bright moon. Then burn incense, sit quietly, let your mind not wander, and keep your blood and breath calm, so you can merge with the spirit and harmonize with the Way. That’s why the ancients said, ‘A soulmate is hard to find.’ Without a soulmate, it’s better to play alone facing the breeze and moon, ancient pines and strange rocks, wild apes and old cranes, to express your feelings, so as not to waste the qin. Another point: you need good fingering and good tone production. To play the qin, you must first dress neatly, either in a crane cloak or a deep robe, imitating the ancients’ appearance, to be worthy of the sage’s instrument. Then wash your hands, burn incense, sit on the couch, place the qin on the table, position yourself at the fifth stud, facing directly toward yourself, and raise both hands calmly. Only then are your mind and body aligned. You must also understand lightness and heaviness, speed and slowness, relaxation and control, and maintain a dignified posture.” Baoyu said, “If we’re just learning for fun, making it so complicated would be too difficult.”

As they were talking, Zijuan entered. Seeing Baoyu, she smiled and said, “Second Master Bao, you’re in high spirits today.” Baoyu laughed and said, “Hearing cousin’s explanations has opened my mind; the more I hear, the more I enjoy it.” Zijuan said, “That’s not what I mean by high spirits; I mean that you’ve come to our place.” Baoyu said, “Earlier, cousin wasn’t feeling well, and I was afraid of annoying her. Besides, I’ve been busy with school, so it seemed we grew distant.” Before he could finish, Zijuan said, “Miss is only just better. Since you say so, Second Master, you should sit a while and then let her rest. Don’t let her tire herself out with all this explaining.” Baoyu laughed, “Ah, I was so absorbed in listening that I forgot she might be overtaxing herself.” Daiyu smiled and said, “Talking about this is actually enjoyable; it’s not tiring. But I’m afraid that no matter how much I say, you still won’t understand.” Baoyu said, “I’ll gradually understand it, sooner or later.” With that, he stood up and said, “Truly, cousin, you should rest now. Tomorrow I’ll tell Third Sister and Fourth Sister to learn too, so I can listen.” Daiyu smiled and said, “You’re too indulgent. If everyone learns to play and you still don’t understand, won’t it be like playing to—” She stopped mid-sentence, thinking of something on her mind, and refused to continue. Baoyu laughed and said, “As long as you can play, I’ll love to listen, never mind if it’s like casting pearls before swine.” Daiyu blushed and laughed, and Zijuan and Xueyan also laughed. Then Baoyu walked out the door, and saw Qiuwen leading a young maid carrying a pot of orchids. Qiuwen said, “Madam has received four pots of orchids from someone, but as she’s busy, she has no time to enjoy them. She ordered one pot for Second Master and one for Miss Lin.” Daiyu looked at them; there were several double blossoms. Her heart stirred suddenly, uncertain whether it was joy or sorrow, and she stared blankly at the flowers. Baoyu, however, was completely focused on the qin and said, “Cousin, now that you have orchids, you can compose the ‘Orchid Song.’” Upon hearing this, Daiyu felt uncomfortable instead. Returning to her room, she looked at the flowers and thought, “In spring, plants and trees are fresh and leafy. I am still young, yet I feel like autumn willow catkins. If only my wishes could come true, I might gradually improve; otherwise, I fear I’m like flowers and willows at the end of spring, unable to withstand the wind and rain.” At this thought, she couldn’t help but shed tears again. Zijuan, seeing her like this, could not fathom the reason. Just now, when Baoyu was here, she was so happy; now, simply looking at the flowers, why was she so sad? As she worried about how to console her, a maid arrived from Baochai’s quarters. What this was about will be told in the next chapter.