The Plum in the Golden Vase Or, Chin P'ing Mei, Volume 4: The Climax

1030 Pages·2011·10.12 MB·English

by  Roy

THE PLUM IN THE GOLDEN VASE
PRINCETON LIBRARY OF ASIAN TRANSLATIONS
The Plum in the Golden Vase
or, CHIN P’ING MEI
VOLUME FOUR: THE CLIMAX
Translated by David Tod Roy
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
PRINCETON AND OXFORD
Copyright © 2011 by Princeton University Press
Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street,
Princeton, New Jersey 08540
In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press,
6 Oxford Street, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1TW
press.princeton.edu
All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hsiao-hsiao-sheng
[Chin P’ing Mei. English]
The plum in the golden vase, or, Chin P’ing Mei /
translated by David Tod Roy.
p. cm. —(Princeton library of Asian translations)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents: v. 1. The gathering. v. 2. The rivals. v. 3. The aphrodisiac.
ISBN-13: 978-0-691-15043-7
ISBN-10: 0-691-15043-5
1. Roy, David Tod 1933–. II. Title III. Series.
PL2698.H73C4713 1993
895.I'346–dc20 92-45054
British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available
This book has been composed in ElectraLTstd
Printed on acid-free paper. ∞
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To all those students, friends, and colleagues
WHO PARTICIPATED WITH ME IN THE EXCITEMENT
OF EXPLORING THE WORLD OF THE CHIN P’ING MEI
OVER THE PAST QUARTER CENTURY
This page intentionally left blank
CONTENTS
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ix
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi
CAST OF CHARACTERS xiii
CHAPTER 61
Han Tao-kuo Prepares an Entertainment for Hsi-men Ch’ing;
Li P’ing-erh Painfully Observes the Double Yang Festival 1
CHAPTER 62
Taoist Master P’an Performs an Exorcism on the Lantern Altar;
Hsi-men Ch’ing Laments Egregiously on Behalf of Li P’ing-erh 44
CHAPTER 63
Friends and Relatives Offer Funeral Oblations at a Memorial Feast;
Hsi-men Ch’ing Is Reminded of Li P’ing-erh While Watching a Drama 83
CHAPTER 64
Yü-hsiao Kneels in Making an Appeal to P’an Chin-lien;
Offi cers of the Guard Sacrifi ce to a Rich Man’s Spouse 104
CHAPTER 65
Abbot Wu Meets the Funeral Procession and Eulogizes the Portrait;
Censor Sung Imposes on a Local Magnate to Entertain Eunuch Huang 121
CHAPTER 66
Majordomo Chai Sends a Letter with a Consolatory Contribution;
Perfect Man Huang Conducts a Rite for the Salvation of the Dead 153
CHAPTER 67
Hsi-men Ch’ing Appreciates the Snow While in His Studio;
Li P’ing-erh Describes Her Intimate Feelings in a Dream 174
CHAPTER 68
Cheng Ai-yüeh Flaunts Her Beauty and Discloses a Secret;
Tai-an Perseveres Assiduously in Seeking Out Auntie Wen 211
CHAPTER 69
Auntie Wen Communicates Hsi-men Ch’ing’s Wishes to Lady Lin;
Wang Ts’ai Falls for a Trick and Invites His Own Humiliation 244
CHAPTER 70
Hsi-men Ch’ing’s Successful Efforts Procure Him a Promotion;
Assembled Offi cials Report before Defender-in-chief Chu Mien 277
viii CONTENTS
CHAPTER 71
Li P'ing-erh Appears in a Dream in Battalion Commander Ho's House;
The Judicial Commissioners Present Their Memorials at the Audience 306
CHAPTER 72
Wang the Third Kowtows to Hsi-men Ch'ing as His Adopted Father;
Ying Po-chüeh Intercedes to Alleviate the Grievance of Li Ming 342
CHAPTER 73
P'an Chin-lien Is Irked by the Song "I Remember Her Flute-playing";
Big Sister Yü Sings "Getting through the Five Watches of the Night" 384
CHAPTER 74
Censor Sung Ch'iao-nien Solicits the Eight Immortals Tripod;
Wu Yüeh-niang Listens to the Precious Scroll on Woman Huang 420
CHAPTER 75
Ch'un-mei Vilely Abuses Second Sister Shen;
Yü-hsiao Spills the Beans to P'an Chin-lien 456
CHAPTER 76
Meng Yü-lou Assuages Yüeh-niang's Wrath;
Hsi-men Ch'ing Repudiates Licentiate Wen 503
CHAPTER 77
Hsi-men Ch'ing Slogs through the Snow to Visit Cheng Ai-yüeh;
Pen the Fourth's Wife Sits by the Window Waiting for a Tryst 544
CHAPTER 78
Hsi-men Ch’ing Ventures upon a Second Engagement with Lady Lin;
Wu Yüeh-niang Invites Ho Yung-shou’s Wife to View the Lanterns 579
CHAPTER 79
Hsi-men Ch’ing in His Sexual Indulgence Incurs an Illness;
Wu Yüeh-niang Bears a Child upon the Death of Her Husband 627
CHAPTER 80
Ch’en Ching-chi Resorts to Pilfering Jade and Purloining Perfume;
Li Chiao-erh Makes Off with the Silver and Returns to the Brothel 668
NOTES 689
BIBLIOGRAPHY 855
INDEX 895
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Hsi-men Ch’ing While Drunk Burns Moxa on a Mons Veneris 12
Li P’ing-erh While Ill Observes the Double Yang Festival 19
Taoist Master P’an Conjures Up a Yellow-turbaned Warrior 64
Hsi-men Ch’ing Weeps Painfully on Behalf of Li P’ing-erh 69
Master Han Produces a Portrait as a Posthumous Memento 87
Hsi-men Ch’ing Is Deeply Stirred While Watching a Drama 102
Yü-hsiao Kneels in Order to Accept the Three Conditions 109
Shu-t’ung Secretly Decamps Setting Sail before the Wind 110
Desire to Share Her Afterlife Inspires a Lavish Funeral 134
During a Nightly Vigil He Succumbs to the Scent of Rouge 140
Perfect Man Huang Petitions for the Salvation of the Dead 159
Majordomo Chai Sends a Letter with a Consolatory Present 162
Hsi-men Ch’ing Appreciates the Snow While in His Studio 181
Li P’ing-erh Describes Her Intimate Feelings in a Dream 200
Ying Po-chüeh Playfully Nibbles at a Jade-white Forearm 230
Tai-an Surreptitiously Sets Out to Find a Bee Go-between 240
In Wang I-hsüan’s Mansion He Enjoys a Tryst with Lady Lin 258
In Verdant Spring Bordello Wang Ts’ai Is Frightened Away 262
The Eunuch Ho Hsin Treats a Guest in a Palace Building 288
The Two Judicial Commissioners Report before Chu Mien 304
Li P’ing-erh Appears in a Dream in Ho Yung-shou’s House 324
Defender-in-Chief Chu Presents a Memorial to the Throne 337
P’an Chin-lien Thumps Chang Ju-i’s Stomach with Her Fists 346
Wang Ts’ai Kowtows to Hsi-men Ch’ing as an Adopted Father 364
Chin-lien Is Irked over “I Remember Her Flute-playing” 391
Hsi-men Ch’ing First Tries Out the Band of White Satin 417
P’an Chin-lien Uses Her Fragrant Cheek to Caress the Jade 422
Nun Hsüeh Recites a Precious Scroll in the Buddhist Style 438
Feeling Indisposed Meng Yü-lou Harbors Jealous Sentiments 485
In Defense of Her Shortcomings Chin-lien Throws a Tantrum 491
Ch’un-mei Manages Coquettishly to Resist Hsi-men Ch’ing 523
Hua-t’ung Is Reduced to Tears in Escaping Licentiate Wen 539
Hsi-men Ch’ing Tramples the Snow to Visit Cheng Ai-yüeh 555
Pen the Fourth’s Wife Braves the Cold to Engage Her Lover 571
Lady Lin Has a Second Engagement within the Bed Curtains 593
Chang Ju-i Savors the Taste of the Dew on the Jade Stalk 602
Hsi-men Ch’ing in His Sexual Indulgence Forfeits His Life 649
Wu Yüeh-niang Loses Her Husband but Gives Birth to a Son 660
P’an Chin-lien Peddles Her Charms in Her Son-in-law’s Bed 674
Li Chiao-erh Steals the Silver and Returns to the Brothel 682