The poem says:
Leaning against something, drunkenly searching for old promises without cause,
Yet feeling a melancholy that's hard to shake.
In the quiet pavilion, the deep spring rain falls,
In the distance, dim lights flicker through the curtains at midnight.
As I stand by the pillar, a gentle breeze stirs,
Thoughts swirl in my mind.
Clearly hearing the sound of fabric being cut beneath the window,
I knock on the railing, but there's no answer.
Ximen Qing died seven days ago, and on that day, the sixteen monks from Baoguo Temple were conducting a Water and Land Dharma assembly. Ying Bojue invited Xie Xida, Hua Ziyao, Zhu Shinian, Sun Tianhua, Chang Zhijie, and Bai Laiguang to sit down together. Bojue began, saying, "Ximen Qing has been gone for seven days. We were all quite familiar with him, eating his food, using his things, and even taking advantage of him, borrowing his money. Now that he's gone, can we really pretend we don't know? Even if we try to fool him by tossing some dirt on his grave, when we reach the underworld, the King of Hell will not let us off. Here's the deal: each of us chips in one silver coin, making it seven coins total, to hold a ceremony, buy a scroll painting, and get Master Shui to write a eulogy. We can pay our respects to Ximen Qing's spirit, and maybe even get back some money and mourning clothes. What do you think?" Everyone agreed, so they each handed over their silver coins to Bojue, prepared offerings, bought a scroll painting, and asked Master Shui to write the eulogy. Master Shui, who knew Bojue and Ximen Qing were both shady characters, secretly mocked him and wrote the eulogy. Bojue and the others set up the offerings at the spirit's altar, while Chen Jingji, dressed in mourning clothes, stood by to pay his respects. Bojue led the way, everyone lit incense, but they were all rather rough around the edges and didn't grasp the nuances. Once they lit the incense and poured the wine, they began to recite the eulogy. The eulogy likely went something like this:
In the first year of the Weizhong era, in the Wuxu year, on the fifth day of the second month of Wuzi, on the third day of the beginning of the month, the students Ying Bojue, Xie Xida, Hua Ziyao, Zhu Shinian, Sun Tianhua, Chang Zhijie, and Bai Laiguang respectfully offer sacrifices to the spirit of the late Jin Yi Xi Men Daguoren, with a ceremony of clear wine and offerings, they said: "The spirit was straightforward and steadfast; unafraid of gentleness and unyielding to harshness. Always aiding others with a drop of water, consistently supporting others with brilliance. His pockets were quite full, exuding a lofty demeanor. He lifts spirits in joy and endures through adversity. He resides among the Jin Dang team, keeping treasures at his waist. He has eight corners but does not scratch; encountering lice makes it difficult to bear the itching. The favored young one always follows closely. He has spent nights at Zhangtai, reveling among the willows, and has been wild at Xieguan. Shouldn't you keep your head held high and persevere? Why suffer from an illness that keeps you down? Now that you have stretched out your legs and left the younger generation behind, like a stumbling pigeon, where can you find support? It's hard to enter the fireworks camp and hard to lean on the red walls of the Eight Characters. No longer can we sit together in softness and gentleness; no longer can we ride together and enjoy warmth. Those who abandon will hang their heads in shame, while those who evade will be caught. Now we offer this white wine, followed by a toast. May the spirit remain clear, and may it be accepted and enjoyed." After the ceremony, Chen Jingji came down to reciprocate the courtesy and invited them to eat and drink in the tent, but let's not dwell on that for now.
On that day, when Old Lady Li from the Li family heard that Ximen Qing had died, she quickly made plans and prepared an offering table, asking Li Guiqing and Li Guijie to take a sedan chair to perform the paper-burning ritual. Wu Yueniang did not come out, and Li Jiao'er and Meng Yulou hosted them in the house. Li Guiqing and Li Guijie quietly told Li Jiao'er: "My mother said that since he is already dead, the people in your courtyard don’t need to mourn for so long anymore! As the saying goes, even the longest banquet must eventually come to an end. While you still have things left, secretly let Li Ming send the items back home, just in case something happens. Don’t be silly! There’s a saying: 'Yangzhou may be nice, but it’s not somewhere to linger.' No matter how long it is, you’ll eventually have to move on from the Ximen family." Li Jiao'er took these words to heart.
Unexpectedly, on that day, Han Daoguo's wife Wang Liuer also prepared an offering table, dressed simply, and came in a sedan chair to burn paper for her late husband Ximen Qing. She arranged the offerings in front of the spirit tablet and stood there the entire time. After standing for a long time, no one came out to greet her. It turned out that after Ximen Qing's death, Wang Jing had been sent back home on the seventh day. When the servants saw Wang Liuer arrive, they didn't dare to go in and inform. Lai An, unaware of this, ran to Madam Wu's room and told her, "Aunt Han has come to burn paper for Father; she has been standing outside all day, Uncle asked me to tell Mother." Madam Wu was already upset and snapped, "This good-for-nothing, instead of running errands for me, comes to tell me about Aunt Han. What Aunt? You dog, you keep a man's mistress, causing others to be ruined, father and son separated, husband and wife separated; what are you burning paper for?" Her harsh words left Lai An speechless, and he quickly ran to the spirit tablet. Wu Daifu asked Lai An, "Did you tell them behind?" Lai An couldn't say a word. After asking for a long time, he finally said, "Mother asked me to come out and say something." Wu Daifu hurried in and said to Madam Wu, "Sister, how can you be like this? Don't scold anymore! The ancients said, manners should not be too bad. He gave us a lot of money after all; how can you treat her like this? A good reputation is hard to come by; don't do this. If you don't want to go out, at least let Second Sister and Third Sister entertain her properly; it's the least you can do. Why do this, let people say you're not good?" Madam Wu fell silent after hearing her brother's words. After a while, Meng Yulou came out, returned the greeting, and sat with her in front of the offering table. After just one cup of tea, Wang Liuer felt embarrassed and decided to take her leave. As the poem goes:
Who can draw water from the West River, it's hard to avoid feeling ashamed today.
Li Guiqing, Li Guijie, and Wu Yiner were all sitting in the main room. When they saw Wu Yueniang scolding Han Daoguo's wife, calling her a slut, they felt uneasy and wanted to head home before sunset. Wu Yueniang repeatedly encouraged them, "The staff will be staying here overnight, so you can watch the opera and then leave." Eventually, Li Guijie and Wu Yiner still did not leave, only letting Li Guiqing leave. In the evening, the monks dispersed, and many neighbors, staff, stewards, Qiao Dahus, Wu Dajus, Wu Erjus, Shen Yifus, Huaziyaos, Ying Bojues, Xie Xida, and Chang Zhijes, probably more than twenty people, called in the opera troupe and set up a banquet in the tent for the night. They put on the play "Sun Rong and Sun Hua Kill the Dog to Persuade the Husband." The guests gathered in the room next to the memorial hall, surrounded by the screen, pulled down the curtains, set up the tables, and watched the performance outside. Li Ming and Wu Hui were also helping here and did not go home at night. Soon enough, everyone showed up. Once the rituals were complete, candles were lit in the tent, everyone sat down, music began, and the show began. It continued until the early hours of the morning before the play ended.
After Ximen Qing's death, Chen Jingji and Pan Jinlian were inseparable, either making eyes at each other in front of the spirit tablet or sneaking around behind the curtain. After the guests left and the servants finished their tasks, Pan Jinlian took her chance, pulled Chen Jingji's hand, and said, "Sweetheart, your mother has made your dreams come true today. While your elder sister is in the back, let's go to your room." Chen Jingji happily dashed back to open the door. Pan Jinlian quietly snuck into his room, said nothing, stripped down, lay on the kang, and waited for him. Truly: with the audacity of a lion, there's nothing to fear; the love of a pair of mandarin ducks lasts forever.
It truly is: two years of encounters, one morning as partners; several years of marriage, one day of harmony. One with a willow-like figure swaying, the other with a jade-like form gracefully unfolding. Whispering of the feelings of rain and clouds in each other's ears, sharing vows of loyalty like mountains and seas on the pillow. The oriole indulges, the butterfly gathers, and the enchanting lady flirts with countless charms; the torrential rain puts the clouds to shame, the delicate beauty displays countless attitudes. One keeps calling sweetly, the other embraces and calls out loudly. How much fresh green suddenly transforms into the color of willow, the flower's beauty does not diminish from the old red.
Afterward, Pan Jinlian, fearing discovery, hurried back. The next day, Chen Jingji tasted the sweetness and ran to Pan Jinlian's room early in the morning. Pan Jinlian was still sleeping in her bed, and Chen Jingji peered through the window and saw Pan Jinlian sleeping soundly, her face aglow, and said: "You, in charge of the storeroom, why aren't you up yet! Today, our in-laws are coming to pay respects, and the mistress instructed to clear away the offering tables for Li San and Huang Si from yesterday. Quick, give me the keys." Pan Jinlian quickly had Chunmei give the keys to Chen Jingji, who first sent Chunmei upstairs to open the door. Pan Jinlian then stuck her tongue out from the window, and the two shared a tender moment. Truly, how much fragrant sweetness fills the mouth, with sweet saliva spilling over the heart and soul. There are words to prove it:
I resent the cuckoo's call piercing through the beaded curtain. My heart feels like a needle, my emotions like glue. I see a smiling face, yet worry lingers in her cheeks, spring's slender beauty worn down, the cloud pine and emerald hairpin. Sleeping face flushed, jade reduced and red added. Once brushed by sandalwood-scented lips. Even now, my lips still carry that fragrance, and just thinking of it brings sweetness to my mouth.
After the door of Chunmei Building was opened, Chen Jingji went to attend to the sacrificial rites in front. Not long after, the Qiao family came to pay their respects. Qiao's wife and many relatives finished their offerings before the altar, and Wu Dajiu, Wu Erjiu, and Gan Huojii led them to the tent to entertain. Li Ming and Wu Hui played music to liven up the atmosphere. That day, Zheng Aiyue also came to light incense; upon seeing Li Guijie and Wu Yinjie, she complained that they hadn't informed her of Ximen Qing's death. When she saw that Yue Niang had given birth, she said, "Mother has both joy and sorrow. It’s a shame that father left us too soon; now you have a master, so there’s no need to worry." After the funeral arrangements were made, the guests stayed until evening before they finally left.
The third day of the second month was Ximen Qing's second seven. Wu Daoguan from the Jade Emperor Temple and sixteen Taoist priests recited scriptures and performed rituals at home. That day, He Qianhu from the government organized Liu and Xue, the two ministers, along with military officials like Zhou Shoubei, Jing Duzong, Zhang Tuanlian, and Yun Zhihui to light incense and pay their respects. Yue Niang invited Qiao Dahu, Wu Dajiu, and Ying Bojue to join them, while Li Ming and Wu Hui performed music to entertain the guests in the tent. In the evening, they recited scriptures to help guide the spirits. Yue Niang instructed them to carry Li Ping'er’s spirit bed out to be burned and to move the boxes and cages to the main room. The wet nurse Ruyi and Yingchun stayed behind to help, while Xiuchun was assigned to the room of Li Jiaor. Li Ping'er’s room was locked up tight. Truly: The painted beams and carved rafters are still not dry, and there are no devoted guests in the hall. There is a poem to prove it:
Under Xiang Wang Platform, the water flows gently, a single longing, a double sorrow. The moonlight is not as good as the changes in human affairs; as night deepens, it still touches the powder wall.
Li Ming took the opportunity to help with the rituals to secretly had Li Jiao'er steal things for him, and often didn't return home for two or three days, with only Yue Niang being unaware. Wu Er Jiu and Li Jiao'er had previously had an affair, and no one dared to say anything. On the ninth day, after the three sevens were recited, Yue Niang came out of the dark room, and by the fourth seven, she had stopped reading scriptures. On the twelfth day, Chen Jingji returned after breaking ground. On the twentieth, the funeral was held, but fewer people attended than when Li Ping'er had passed away. During the funeral procession, monks from Bao'en Temple were invited to carry the coffin, who sat in the sedan chair reciting a few lines of scripture. After finishing, Chen Jingji smashed the paper basin, the coffin was lifted, and the family members cried out loudly. Wu Yue Niang sat in the soul sedan chair, followed by guests, escorting the funeral together to the ancestral grave located five miles outside the South Gate for burial. Chen Jingji prepared a piece of cloth and asked Yun to inscribe the spirit tablet, and the Yin-Yang master oversaw the burial. After everyone finished filling the earth, at the altar on the hill for worship, only Wu Da Jiu, Qiao Da Hu, He Qian Hu, Shen Yi Fu, Han Yi Fu, and a few workers were present. Wu Dao Guan left twelve Taoist boys at home to carry out rituals, and after tidying up, they sent the relatives off. Wu Yue Niang kept vigil, and after the funeral was complete and everyone had returned, those who had helped also took their leave to return to the yamen. On the fifth and seventh days, Yue Niang invited Xue Guzi, Wang Guzi, the Master, and twelve nuns to recite scriptures at home to guide the departed souls. Wu Da Jiaozi and the wife of Wu Shun Chen stayed at home to keep her company.
Li Guiqing and Sister Gui whispered to Li Jiao'er, "Your mother said you don’t have anything of value, so don’t waste your time staying here. You don’t have children, so why stay? Now’s the time to take advantage of the chaos and make your escape! Yesterday your second brother mentioned that the Zhang family in town plans to spend five hundred taels of silver to take a second wife and be the head of the household. If you marry into that family, you'll gain status right away. Staying here until you grow old won’t get you anywhere. People in our courtyard always go for the new and follow the crowd, so don’t let this chance slip away." Li Jiao'er took this advice to heart, and after the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, she took her chance to leave without much hassle.
To her surprise, Pan Jinlian told Sun Xue'e that on the day of the funeral, she saw Li Jiao'er and Wu Erjue talking in the little house in the garden. Chunmei also saw Li Jiao'er giving Li Ming a package behind the curtain in the mourning hall, and then Li Ming went home. When Madame Yue found out about this, she gave Wu Erjue a good telling-off and banished him from the backyard. She also instructed the gatekeeper not to let Li Ming come and go. Madame Yue never liked Li Jiao'er, and now she saw her chance. One day, Madame Yue was having tea with Aunt Xue and Meng Yulou in the main room, without even inviting Li Jiao'er. Li Jiao'er got angry, had a big fight with Madame Yue, even hit the spirit tablet of Master Ximen, cried and made a scene until midnight, even thought about hanging herself. The maid rushed to tell Madame Yue. Madame Yue was shocked and talked it over with Aunt Xue, and called the matchmaker from the Li family to get Li Jiao'er sent away. The matchmaker was worried that Li Jiao'er would take off with her clothes and jewelry, so she said, "My family has suffered so many grievances in your house, it’s not easy for her to just up and leave, you should give her a few dozen taels of silver to help her out." Wu Dajue, being an official, didn't dare to offend Madame Yue, so after a lot of back and forth, he finally let Madame Yue give Li Jiao'er her clothes, jewelry, boxes, bed curtains, and daily necessities, and sent her packing, but she wouldn’t let her take Yuanxiao and Xiuchun, the two maids with her. Li Jiao'er insisted on taking these two maids, but Madame Yue firmly refused, saying, "You’re really something, turning good girls into prostitutes." This freaked out the matchmaker, who didn't dare to say another word, and left Madame Yue with a forced smile, and Li Jiao'er took a sedan chair back home.
Ladies and gentlemen, the folks in this courtyard make a living by flaunting their charms, treating makeup and dressing up as their trade; flirting in the morning and playing the field at night; sending one out the front door while welcoming another through the back; ditching old flames and currying favor with new patrons is just human nature. No matter how hard you try to hold onto them, you can’t tame their restless spirits. Whether they're sneaking around while alive or stirring up trouble even after they're gone, they’ll always end up back with their old lovers. As the saying goes, "A snake in a tube is still a snake; a bird out of its cage flies away easily." Here’s a poem to illustrate this:
It’s laughable how fleeting fireworks are, just like how the bridal chamber sees a new groom every night. Two delicate wrists shared among a thousand lovers, and a pair of ruby lips sampled by countless guests. Crafting all sorts of charming facades while harboring a false heart. Even if you've got plans to keep her, you can’t guarantee she won’t think of her old home when it counts. Madam Moon sent Li Jiaor away and cried. Everyone tried to cheer her up; Pan Jinlian said, "Sister, don’t be sad. As the saying goes, marry a loose woman and raise a sea turtle, always wanting to drink but thinking of the ocean. These are just things she did back then, and now it’s got big sister all riled up."
The house is in disarray, and Ping An suddenly reports: "The salt inspector, Old Master Cai, has come and is sitting in the hall. I told him the master has died, and he asked when he died. I said he passed away on the 21st day of the first lunar month, and it has now been seven weeks since then. He asked if a memorial hall has been set up, and I said yes, it's in the back courtyard. He wants to come to pay his respects, so I came to inform you, mother." Yue Niang instructed, "Let your brother-in-law go out to see him." After a while, Chen Jingji, dressed in mourning clothes, went out to greet Inspector Cai. After a while, the offerings were prepared in the back courtyard, and they invited Inspector Cai to pay his respects at the memorial for Xi Menqing. Yue Niang came out in mourning clothes to return the greeting, said little, and had the maid say, "Madam asks you to return to your room." She then said to Jingji, "I previously troubled you at the manor, and now that my duties have ended and I'm returning to the capital, I specifically came to express my gratitude. I didn't expect the old gentleman to..." Then she asked, "What illness did he have?" Chen Jingji replied, "It was phlegm-fire illness." Inspector Cai said, "What a pity, what a pity." He then asked his family to bring two bolts of silk from Hangzhou, a pair of velvet socks, four pieces of dried fish, and four jars of preserved fruits, saying, "Consider these humble gifts as offerings." He also took out fifty taels of silver, saying, "This is the debt of gratitude I owe you. I've saved some of my salary to repay this kindness." He instructed Ping An, "Take these things to the room." Jingji said, "You are too kind, old gentleman." Yue Niang said, "Please, old gentleman, sit in the front hall for a while." Inspector Cai replied, "No, thank you. Just a cup of tea will do." Soon, someone brought tea. After finishing his tea, Inspector Cai got into his sedan chair and departed. Yue Niang received the fifty taels of silver, feeling a mix of happiness and sadness. When Xi Menqing was alive, officials like this would never leave empty-handed. Who knows how long they would drink? Now that Xi Menqing has died, although the family wealth is considerable, there’s no one to keep her company. Truly: One must build friendships for joy and leisure; heaven paints a beautiful landscape.
Li Jiao'er returned home and, upon hearing about this from the earl, told Zhang Erguan, who then brought five taels of silver to let her stay for the night. Zhang Erguan was a year younger than Ximen Qing, born in the Year of the Rabbit, and was thirty-two. Li Jiao'er was thirty-four; Qian Po lied about her age, saying she was six years younger, and the earl went along with the lie. Three hundred taels of silver were spent to take her as a second wife. Zhu Shinian and Sun Guazui still brought along Wang Sanguan and frequently visited the Li family, maintaining a good relationship with Sister Gui, so I won't go into more detail.
The earl, Li San, and Huang Si borrowed five thousand taels from Xu Neixiang, and Zhang Erguan chipped in another five thousand, using the money to sort out provisions for Dongping Prefecture. They rode fine horses every day, hanging out in the courtyard. After hearing about Ximen Qing's death, Zhang Erguan spent over a thousand taels to leverage his connections to find Zheng Huangqin from the Tokyo Privy Council, then talked to Grand Commandant Zhu about wanting to take over Ximen Qing's role in the criminal court. Once he got home, he bought land and built a house.
The count flattered Zhang Erguan every day, telling him all about the affairs of Ximen Qing's household, saying, "Ximen Qing has a young wife named Pan Jinlian, who is the sixth in order. She is exceptionally beautiful, as if she stepped out of a painting! She is proficient in the four arts: music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; her handwriting is good, and she plays the pipa exceptionally well. She is not yet thirty this year, and she is more beautiful than those actresses." Upon hearing this, Zhang Erguan felt a stirring in his heart and particularly wanted to marry her, so he asked, "Isn't she the wife of Wu Dalang, who used to sell pancakes?" The count replied, "That's her. After Ximen Qing died, she has been a widow for several years, but I don't know if she would be open to remarrying." Zhang Erguan said, "Please help me find out. If she wants to get married, you tell me immediately, and I will marry her." The count said, "I have an acquaintance at Ximen Qing's house named Laijue; I will have him find out. If Pan Jinlian wants to marry, I'll let you know. Marrying her is much better than marrying an actress! Ximen Qing went to great lengths to marry her. As for women, each has her own fate; only those with good fortune can marry her. If you gain power and marry her, enjoying happiness together, that would be called a fulfilling life. I will have Laijue secretly inquire; as long as she has any intention of marrying, I will use sweet words to win her over, and you can spend a few hundred taels of silver to bring her home and enjoy her well!"
Ladies and gentlemen, those who love to flatter others in this world are all petty people. At first, Ximen Qing treated the count exceptionally well, better than a real brother, providing him with good food, drink, and clothing every day. Not long after Ximen Qing died, while his body was still warm, the count started getting involved in such unscrupulous behavior. This truly illustrates the saying, "It's hard to paint a tiger's bones after painting its skin." A poem best describes him: "Once, our bond was as precious as gold and jade, full of schemes to serve one another, never to be taken lightly. But since Ximen's death, they've all sought concubines for their beds."
