评论
打印
Pao-yue and Tai-yue make use of some beautiful passages from the Record of the Western Side-building to bandy jokes. The excellent ballads sung in the Peony Pavilion touch the tender heart of Tai-yue.
Soon after the day on which Chia Yuan-ch'un honoured the garden of Broad Vista with a visit， and her return to the Palace， so our story goes， she forthwith desired that T'an-ch'un should make a careful copy， in consecutive order， of the verses， which had been composed and read out on that occasion， in order that she herself should assign them their rank， and adjudge the good and bad. And she also directed that an inscription should be engraved on a stone， in the Broad Vista park， to serve in future years as a record of the pleasant and felicitous event； and Chia Cheng， therefore， gave orders to servants to go far and wide， and select skilful artificers and renowned workmen， to polish the stone and engrave the characters in the garden of Broad Vista； while Chia Chen put himself at the head of Chia Jung， Chia P'ing and others to superintend the work. And as Chia Se had， on the other hand， the control of Wen Kuan and the rest of the singing girls， twelve in all， as well as of their costumes and other properties， he had no leisure to attend to anything else， and consequently once again sent for Chia Ch'ang and Chia Ling to come and act as overseers.
On a certain day， the works were taken in hand for rubbing the stones smooth with wax， for carving the inscription， and tracing it with vermilion， but without entering into details on these matters too minutely， we will return to the two places， the Yu Huang temple and the Ta Mo monastery. The company of twelve young bonzes and twelve young Taoist priests had now moved out of the Garden of Broad Vista， and Chia Cheng was meditating upon distributing them to various temples to live apart， when unexpectedly Chia Ch'in's mother， nee Chou，——who resided in the back street， and had been at the time contemplating to pay a visit to Chia Cheng on this side so as to obtain some charge， be it either large or small， for her son to look after， that he too should be put in the way of turning up some money to meet his expenses with，——came， as luck would have it， to hear that some work was in hand in this mansion， and lost no time in driving over in a curricle and making her appeal to lady Feng. And as lady Feng remembered that she had all along not presumed on her position to put on airs， she willingly acceded to her request， and after calling to memory some suitable remarks， she at once went to make her report to madame Wang： "These young bonzes and Taoist priests，" she said， "can by no means be sent over to other places； for were the Imperial consort to come out at an unexpected moment， they would then be required to perform services； and in the event of their being scattered， there will， when the time comes to requisition their help， again be difficulties in the way； and my idea is that it would be better to send them all to the family temple， the Iron Fence Temple； and every month all there will be to do will be to depute some one to take over a few taels for them to buy firewood and rice with， that's all， and when there's even a sound of their being required uttered， some one can at once go and tell them just one word 'come，' and they will come without the least trouble！"
Madame Wang gave a patient ear to this proposal， and， in due course， consulted with Chia Cheng.
"You've really，" smiled Chia Cheng at these words， "reminded me how I should act！ Yes， let this be done！" And there and then he sent for Chia Lien.
Chia Lien was， at the time， having his meal with lady Feng， but as soon as he heard that he was wanted， he put by his rice and was just walking off， when lady Feng clutched him and pulled him back. "Wait a while，" she observed with a smirk， "and listen to what I've got to tell you！ if it's about anything else， I've nothing to do with it； but if it be about the young bonzes and young Taoists， you must， in this particular matter， please comply with this suggestion of mine，" after which， she went on in this way and that way to put him up to a whole lot of hints.
"I know nothing about it，" Chia Lien rejoined smilingly， "and as you have the knack you yourself had better go and tell him！"
But as soon as lady Feng heard this remark， she stiffened her head and threw down the chopsticks； and， with an expression on her cheeks， which looked like a smile and yet not a smile， she glanced angrily at Chia Lien. "Are you speaking in earnest，" she inquired， "or are you only jesting？"
"Yuen Erh， the son of our fifth sister-in-law of the western porch， has come and appealed to me two or three times， asking for something to look after，" Chia Lien laughed， "and I assented and bade him wait； and now， after a GREat deal of trouble， this job has turned up； and there you are once again snatching it away！"
"Compose your mind，" lady Feng observed grinning， "for the Imperial Consort has hinted that directions should be given for the planting， in the north-east corner of the park， of a further plentiful supply of pine and cedar trees， and that orders should also be issued for the addition， round the base of the tower， of a large number of flowers and plants and such like； and when this job turns up， I can safely tell you that Yun Erh will be called to assume control of these works."
