The Golden Lotus, Volume 2

by Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng

  “Are you entertaining any other guests?” Ximen Qing asked Captain He.

  “No,” He said. “My old uncle will dine with us when he comes back.”

  “Since we are to be colleagues,” Ximen Qing said, “you should not have gone to all this trouble on my account.”

  “I beg your pardon,” He said, “but, as a matter of fact, my venerable uncle has done this.”

  When they had drunk tea, Ximen asked if he might pay his respects to the eunuch. He said he would not be long and, in a short time, Eunuch He came from the back of the house. He was wearing a green dragon gown, ceremonial hat and boots, and a jewel at his girdle. Ximen Qing bowed to him and asked leave to kowtow, but the eunuch would not allow him to do so.

  “Your Excellency is distinguished both by age and virtue,” Ximen Qing said. “You are a nobleman of the Court and, as your nephew and I are colleagues, you must permit me to do so.”

  They wrangled for some time, and, at last, the old eunuch accepted a compromise. He asked Ximen Qing to take the place of honor, seated himself in the host’s chair, and put his nephew on one side. Ximen Qing protested. “We are fellow officers,” he said. “I cannot allow him to take a lower position than myself. It would be seemly so far as your Excellency and he are concerned, for you are uncle and nephew, but it is not right for me.”

  The eunuch smiled. “Sir,” he said, “you seem to understand the Rites very well. I am an old fellow. I will take the lower place and let the officer take mine.”

  “That would be even more insupportable,” Ximen said. They finally sat down as they had before.

  “It is cold,” the eunuch said to the servants, “put more coal on the fire.”

  The servants brought fine water-polished charcoal and put it in the brazier. They pulled down the oiled-paper blind outside the hall. It was so arranged that, when the sun shone, it shone through the paper and gave light to the hall.

  “Sir,” the eunuch said, “will you take off your ceremonial clothes?”

  “I have nothing underneath,” Ximen said, “I must send my servant for something.”

  “Don’t trouble to do that,” the eunuch said. He bade one of his servants bring his green gown.

  Ximen Qing smiled. “How dare I put on the robes of your Excellency’s rank?”

  “Don’t let that worry you,” the eunuch said. “Put it on by all means. His Majesty gave me this new robe yesterday. I shall have no further use for the old one, and I should be glad if you would accept it and use it as a cloak.”

  When the servant brought it, Ximen Qing took off his ceremonial clothes and gave them to Daian. He put on the green robe, bowed to express his thanks to the eunuch and asked him, in turn, to take off his robes of ceremony. Tea was brought again.

  “Let the boys come in,” the eunuch commanded.

  He had twelve boys being trained as singers. They were brought in by their instructors. They kowtowed. The eunuch bade them begin, and they went to their places. The eunuch himself prepared to offer wine to Ximen Qing, but Ximen hastily begged him not to do so.

  “Your Excellency, pray do not offer me wine yourself,” he said. “The Captain will do it for you. I shall be more than happy if you set the cup on the table before me.”

  “I must do so,” the eunuch said. “My nephew has now secured his first appointment. He is quite ignorant. I am placing my confidence in your kind assistance. With it, I am sure, all will be well.”

  “Your Excellency,” Ximen said, “the old proverb says: When men become fellow officers, there will be friendship between them and their descendants for three generations. I am in your hands. How can I fail to do my utmost for your nephew?”

  “You are both in the service of his Majesty,” the eunuch said. “For that reason, you must help one another.”

  Ximen Qing did not wait for the eunuch to pour the wine for him. He took the cup from his hands and set it down on the table. In his turn, he offered a cup to the eunuch and to Captain He. They bowed to each other and sat down.

  After a prelude, three boys and their instructors played the banjo and the lute and sang the songs “Visiting Zhao Pu” and “The Silken Hangings in the Palace of Crystal.” When they had finished their songs they withdrew.

  The wine was passed several times and the second course brought. It was growing dark, and the lamps were lighted. Ximen Qing told Daian to give some money to the cooks and the musicians. He rose and said: “I have troubled you sufficiently. I must go now.”

  The old eunuch would not hear of this. “I happen to be free today,” he said, “and I wish you to stay. I have not made any special preparations for you. This is very ordinary food, and I fear you must be starved.”

  “Starved!” Ximen cried, “starved, with all this delightful food. I only wish to go back and rest because, tomorrow morning, I have to go with your nephew to pay a round of visits, have our names registered, and get the necessary documents.”

  “If you are going to be occupied with my nephew,” the eunuch said, “why not send for your luggage and spend a few days here? There is a small apartment in my garden that you would find very quiet. You could discuss everything you have to discuss with my nephew, and you would find it most convenient.”

  “I should very much like to come,” Ximen Qing said, “but I must not offend his Lordship Xia. If I come here, he may regard it as a sign that I am no longer anxious to be on good terms with him.”

  “Oh, you mustn’t bother about that,” the eunuch said. “Men who have been together in the same office are separated one morning, and, the same evening, do not even bow to one another. Officers come and go. You have served with him; he is now promoted and you succeed him. That’s all there is to it. If he thinks otherwise, he is not a reasonable man. No, we must have the pleasure of your company for the night. I shall not allow you to go.”

  He said to his attendants: “Give something to eat to his Lordship’s servants, and send somebody for his luggage. Get the apartment ready in the courtyard of the western garden, make up beds there, and get a fire going.”

  One word from his Excellency was sufficient. A hundred eyes were on the watch. Servants hurried to do his bidding.

  “Your Excellency,” Ximen Qing said, “this is very kind of you, but I am sure Xia will be displeased.”

  “He has nothing more to do with your office,” the eunuch said. “It doesn’t matter what he thinks. He is now officer of the Imperial Escort, and has no more to do with affairs of the law. I don’t believe he will mind in the least.”

  The eunuch said no more, but sent Daian and the other servant to have their evening meal. A number of other servants took poles and ropes and went to Cui’s place for Ximen Qing’s things.

  “There is one point I wish especially to mention to you,” the eunuch said. “When my nephew assumes office, he will need a house. I hope you will help him to find one. I am anxious that his family should join him at Qinghe as soon as possible. I think he had better go with you, and I will arrange for his family to follow when you have secured a house for them. It is not a very large household, only about thirty people, including all the servants.”

  “How much is your Excellency prepared to spend?” Ximen said.

  “I suppose something more than a thousand.”

  “Now that Xia is going to remain in the Capital,” Ximen said, “he will be getting rid of his house. You might buy that. It would be to the advantage of both parties. It is a good-sized house, seven rooms wide and five deep. When you go in by the second door, there is a large hall with side rooms. The living rooms branch out in different directions behind that, and there are quite a number of other rooms. The house is in a good broad street. It ought to suit Captain He very well.”

  “How much does Xia want for it?” the eunuch said.

  “He told me he paid thirteen hundred for it,” Ximen said, “and later, he built an extra wing and made a garden. If your Excellency cares for the idea, I should offer any sum you consider suitable.�
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  “I will leave the matter to you,” the eunuch said. “You shall arrange it for me. I am at home now, so why not send someone to tell Xia we think of buying his house and ask him for the title deeds? We shall be lucky if we get it. My nephew will have somewhere to live as soon as he gets to Qinghe.”

  Daian and a host of servants came with Ximen’s luggage. Ximen Qing asked him if Ben the Fourth and Wang Jing had come.

  “Wang Jing is here,” Daian said, “but Ben the Fourth is still at Secretary Cui’s house, making arrangements about the sedan chair.”

  Ximen Qing said softly to Daian: “Go and see his Lordship Xia, and ask him for the title deeds of his house. His Excellency here would like to see them. Bring Ben the Fourth back with you.”

  Daian went. Ben the Fourth, wearing black clothes and a small hat, soon came back with him. He brought the document.

  “His Lordship Xia,” Ben the Fourth said, “told us to say that, since his Excellency would like to have the house, there will be no difficulty about the price. Here are the title deeds. He says that, though he built the wings and spent a great deal of money on the place, he will leave the price to you.”

  Ximen Qing handed the papers to the eunuch. The sum mentioned was twelve hundred taels.

  “Xia has lived in the house a good many years,” the eunuch said, “and I expect it needs doing up. But since you, Sir, are seeing the business through for me, I will give him the price he paid for it.”

  Ben the Fourth knelt down. “Your Excellency does well,” he said. “The proverb says: The establishment of an estate is an expensive business, and though in a thousand years, a house may change hands a hundred times, each new master will have it redone his own way from top to bottom.”

  “Who are you?” said the eunuch. “You talk like a man of sense. You are right when you say that a man who is setting up an establishment mustn’t mind how much he spends. What is your name?”

  “He is called Ben the Fourth,” Ximen Qing said.

  “Well, I don’t see that we need look any further,” the eunuch said. “You shall act as our representative, and get the thing fixed up for us. This is an auspicious day, and I will pay Xia his money.”

  “It is late now,” Ximen said, “why not pay him tomorrow?”

  “No,” the eunuch said, “I have to be at the Palace before dawn tomorrow. It is the day when all the officers come to pay their duty to his Majesty. We will settle with him today.”

  “At what time will the Emperor come out tomorrow?” Ximen Qing asked.

  “His Majesty will go to make sacrifice about midnight,” the eunuch said. “An hour or two before dawn he will return and breakfast at the Palace. Then he will hold his court. All the officers of the Empire come at the Winter Festival to offer their congratulations. All the Ministers and some of the higher officials will remain for a banquet. You gentlemen simply attend the court.”

  The eunuch told Captain He to put twenty-four large bars of silver into a box, and ordered two servants to go with Ben the Fourth and Daian and take the money to Xia at Secretary Cui’s house.

  Xia was pleased. He signed the document and gave it to Ben the Fourth to take back to the eunuch. The eunuch, too, was satisfied. He gave ten taels of silver to Ben the Fourth and three taels each to Daian and Wang Jing.

  “They are only boys,” Ximen Qing said, “your Excellency should not have troubled to give them anything.”

  “It is only something to buy food with,” the eunuch said.

  The three kowtowed and thanked him.

  Then the eunuch bowed to Ximen Qing. “I am placing all my confidence in your kindness,” he said.

  “I am entirely at your Excellency’s service,” Ximen Qing said.

  “Now, Sir,” the eunuch said, “please ask Xia to have his place made free as soon as possible so that I can make arrangements for my nephew’s family to take possession.”

  “I will certainly tell him,” Ximen Qing said. “Perhaps, when Captain He arrives at Qinghe, he will stay a few days at the office while Xia’s family make their preparations to leave for the Capital. Then we will have the place put in order, and you will send your nephew’s family.”

  “No,” the eunuch said, “I think we will leave the question of repairs until next year. I will send his family before then. He will not be comfortable if he has to live so long alone at the office.”

  It was now the first night watch. Ximen Qing said: “Will not your Excellency retire and take some rest? I have had wine enough.”

  The eunuch went to bed, but Captain He bade the musicians play, and went on drinking with Ximen Qing. When it was time to go to bed, Ximen Qing went to the garden. There was a small three-roomed apartment used as a study. The garden was very delightful with its buildings, arbors, lake, hillocks, flowers, and woods. Candles burned brightly in the study, and fragrant incense burned. It was quiet and delightful. Captain He chatted for a while with Ximen Qing, and they took tea together. Then he said good night and went to his own rooms to sleep.

  Ximen Qing took off his hat, girdle and clothes and went to bed. Wang Jing and Daian waited on him, then went to their own place.

  Ximen Qing, lying on the bed, watched the moonbeams playing on the windows. He tossed about but could not sleep. He heard the drip, drip, drip of the water clock. He saw the tall shadows of the plants upon the casement. The cold wind rattled the windowpanes. He had now been away from home for some time and was thinking of calling Wang Jing to sleep with him. Suddenly, he heard a woman speaking very softly outside the window. He wrapped his cloak around him, put on his slippers, and quietly opened the door. He looked out. Li Ping’er stood there, her hair like mist. She was dressed in simple, beautiful clothes, and a white coat covered her snow-white body. She wore soft slippers, yellow in color, upon her dainty feet. She stood there in the moonlight.

  Ximen Qing went forward, took her into the study and kissed her. “My darling!” he cried, “what has brought you here?”

  “I have sought you,” she said, “because I wanted to tell you that I have a new home now. I was anxious to let you know, because, sooner or later, I must go to it.”

  “Where is this house?” Ximen asked her.

  “Not far from here. It is in the middle of the Zaofu Lane, east of the main street.”

  Ximen Qing put his arms about her, and they went to bed that they might enjoy each other the more fully. When they had taken their pleasure, she made her clothes tidy and dressed her hair, but she was loath to go away.

  “Brother,” she said to Ximen Qing, “don’t forget what I said to you. Do not drink wine late at night. Go home early. That fellow is only waiting his chance to destroy you. Remember.”

  Holding each other by the hand, they went to the main street. The moon shone so brightly that it might have been day. They came to a lane leading eastwards from the street. In the middle of it was a house with white double doors. Li Ping’er pointed to it. “That is the house,” she said. She loosed her hand from his, and ran in. Ximen dashed forward to stop her.

  Then he awoke. It was a dream. The moon was still shining upon the window; the flowers cast a deeper shadow than before. He passed his hand over the bedclothes. There was a pool upon them that seemed to show that all had not been in his imagination. He could still smell the delicate scent of her body upon the bed, and the lips which she had kissed were still sweet. He was very sad, but restrained his sobs.

  There was no sleep for Ximen Qing. He longed for the day to break. At last, when dawn was near, he began to doze.

  The next morning, Captain He sent his own servants to help Ximen to dress, and himself came early to call upon him. They drank tea and breakfasted together.

  “Why does his Excellency not come?” Ximen asked.

  “He went to the court before it was light,” Captain He said.

  They were served with gruel; then with buns stuffed with forcemeat, and soup of chickens’ brains. They called for their horses, put on their ceremonial dress and
went to the Ministry with their servants following. When they came out, Captain He went home, but Ximen went to the Xiang Guo Temple to visit the Abbot, Zhi Yun. The Abbot entertained him with monastic fare, but Ximen Qing would only eat one cake and gave the rest to his servants. Then he went away, passing through the main street on his way to Secretary Cui’s house to see Xia. They went through the Zaofu Lane. Halfway down it, he saw a house with white double doors exactly like the one he had seen in his dream. An old woman was selling bean curd nearby, and Ximen told Daian to ask her who lived in that house. “It is General Yuan’s house,” the old woman said.

  Ximen Qing sighed with curiosity and amazement. He came to Secretary Cui’s house. Xia was setting out to pay a call. He immediately ordered his servant to take the horses away, and took Ximen Qing to the great hall. Ximen told Daian to bring the presents that he wished to offer to Xia upon his appointment. There was one roll of black silk and another of figured silk.

  “I have not congratulated you,” Xia said to him, “yet you do so much for me. Yesterday you took a great deal of trouble over my house.”

  “Chamberlain He asked me about a house,” Ximen said, “and I told him about yours. He asked for the title deeds, and agreed to the price without the slightest ado. That is just like a eunuch. They think they can build a bridge in a couple of seconds. But, after all, it was to your advantage.”

  They laughed. “I have not yet called on Captain He,” Xia said. “Is he going back with you?”

  “Yes,” Ximen said. “And his family will follow later. His Excellency told me to ask you to be so good as to vacate the place as soon as you can so that he can send the Captain’s family. Until you have done so he will have to stay at the office.”

  “That will not be very long,” Xia said. “I am looking for a house here and, as soon as I find one, I will send for my family. I don’t see why the house should not be ready for him next month.”