妙玉归去，早有道婆接着，掩了庵门，坐了一会，把“禅门日诵”念了一遍。吃了晚饭，点上香，拜了菩萨，命道婆子自去歇着，自己的禅床靠背俱已整齐，屏息垂帘，跏趺坐下，断除妄想，趋向真如。坐到三更以后，听得房上“骨碌碌”一片瓦响，妙玉恐有贼来，下了禅床，出到前轩。独自一个凭栏站了一会，忽听房上两个猫儿一递一声厮叫。妙玉忽想起日间宝玉之言，不觉一阵心跳耳热，自己连忙收慑心神，走进禅房，仍到禅床上坐了。怎奈神不守舍，一时如万马奔驶，觉得禅床便恍荡起来，身子已不在庵中。便有许多王孙公子，要来娶她；又有些媒婆扯扯拽拽，扶她上车，自己不肯去。一回儿，又有盗贼劫她，持刀执棍的逼勒，只得哭喊求救。早惊醒了庵中女尼、道婆等众，都拿火来照看，只见妙玉两手撒开，口中流沫，急忙把她叫醒。然后便打发人去请大夫来看脉，但医生们意见不一致。后请得一个大夫来看了，问：“曾打坐过没有？”道婆说道：“向来打坐的。”大夫道：“这病可是昨夜忽然来的么？”道婆道：“是。”大夫道：“这是走魔入火的原故。”写了降伏心火的药，吃了一剂，稍稍平复些。一日，惜春正坐着，彩屏忽然进来，问道：姑娘知道妙玉师父的事吗？惜春道：“他有什么事？”彩屏道：“他自从那日和姑娘下棋回去，夜间忽然中了邪，嘴里乱嚷，说强盗来抢他来了。到如今还没好呢。姑娘，你说这不是奇事吗？”惜春听了，默默无语。因想：“妙玉虽然洁净，毕竟尘缘未断。”这正是为什么妙玉那日和惜春下棋回去忽然中邪的原因。
Miaoyu returned to the nunnery， and the old deaconess waiting for her there closed the gate. She satdown for a while to chant the sutra for the day， and after supper burned incense and worshiped Buddha.
This done， she dismissed the deaconess for the night. As her couch and back-rest were ready， she quietlylet down the curtain and sat cross-legged to meditate， banishing all frivolous thoughts to concentrate on thetruth. Some time after midnight， she heard a thud of tile on the roof. Suspecting a thief， she left her couchand went out to the veranda. She stood there alone for a while by the balustrade till a sudden caterwaulingbroke out on the roof. Abruptly recalling Baoyu’s remarks that day， Miaoyu’s heart started beating faster andher face burned. Hastily suppressing her feelings， she returned to her cell and sat down again on the couch.
But her fancy， now running as wild as galloping horses made her imagine that the couch was rocking and shewas no longer in the nunnery. Many young lordlings had come to ask for her hand and， against her wishes，go-betweens were tugging and pushing her into a carriage. Then brigands kidnapped her and threatenedher with swords and clubs， so that she screamed for help. This aroused the novices and deaconess， whocame with torches to see what was the matter. Finding Miaoyu with outflung arms， frothing at the mouth，they hastily woke her up. They sent for doctors then. But the doctors could not reach agreement. Later theycalled in another doctor who after examining the patient asked，“Did she practice yoga？”“Yes， everynight，”answered the deaconess.“Was this a sudden fit last night？”“That’s right.”“Then it came onbecause evil thoughts crossed her mind and kindled a hot humour.”The doctor prescribed some medicineto alleviate the hot humour in her heart， and after taking it Miaoyu felt some relief. One day， Xichun wassitting quietly when Caiping came in to ask，“Do you know， miss， what happened to Sister Miaoyu？”“No.
What？”“The night after she went back from playing chess with you， some evil spirit took possession ofher， and she started raving that bandits had come to kidnap her！ Even now she hasn’t recovered. Isn’t thatextraordinary？”Xichun remained silent， thinking，“Though Miaoyu is so chaste， she’s not severed allearthly ties yet.”This is why that night after Miaoyu went back from playing chess with Xichun， some evilspirit took possession of her.
那伙贼一心想着妙玉，知是孤庵女众，不难欺负。到了三更夜静，便拿了短兵器，带了些闷香，跳上高墙。其中一人潜身溜下，藏在房头僻处。等到四更，见里头只有一盏海灯，妙玉一人在蒲团上打坐。歇了一会，便唉声叹气的说道：“我自玄墓到京，原想传个名的，为这里请来，不能又栖他处。昨好心去瞧四姑娘，反受了这蠢人的气，夜里又受了大惊。今日回来，那蒲团再坐不稳，只觉肉跳心惊。”因素常一个打坐的，今日又不肯叫人相伴。岂知到了五更，寒颤起来，自己坐着，觉得一股香气透入囟门，便手足麻木，不能动弹，口里也说不出话来，心中更自着急。只见一个人拿着明晃晃的刀进来。此时妙玉心中却是明白，只不能动，想是要杀自己，索性横了心，倒也不怕。哪知那个人把刀插在背后，腾出手来，将妙玉轻轻的抱起，轻薄了一回子，便拖起背在身上。此时妙玉心中只是如醉如痴。可怜一个极洁极净的女儿，被这伙强盗的闷香熏住，由着他撮弄了去了。不知妙玉被劫，或是甘受污辱，还是不屈而死，不知下落，也难忘拟。正如“金陵十二钗正册”中诗所说：“欲洁何曾洁，云空未必空；可怜金玉质，终陷淖泥中。”
The thieves were set on kidnapping Miaoyu， knowing that there were only weak women in the nunnery.
By the third watch when all was still， armed with daggers and narcotic incense they climbed on to the highwall. One of them slithered down and hid himself beside it. He waited till the fourth watch， when there wasonly one lamp left burning inside， and saw Miaoyu on her hassock sitting cross-legged in meditation. Aftera while she sighed，“I came from Xuanmu to the capital hoping to make a name； but then I was invitedhere and couldn’t go anywhere else. Yesterday out of kindness I called on Xichun only to be abused by thatlout， and during the night I had another bad fright. Coming back today I still feel on tenterhooks， unable toconcentrate.”As a rule she meditated in solitude and she was therefore reluctant to call in someone todayto keep her company. But by the fifth watch， shivering with cold， she sat there and smelt a whiff of scentwhich seemed to seep into her brain； and a numbness overcame her， making her unable to move or utter asound. Panic-stricken then， she saw a man climb in with a gleaming dagger. Although still conscious shecould not stir and， thinking that he must be going to kill her， she resigned herself to her fate and her fear lefther. However， the intruder tucked his knife in the back of his belt to free his hands， then quietly took her inhis arms and trifled with her a while. He then picked her up and slung her on to his back. Miaoyu felt as ifdrunk or deranged. So， alas， this pure-minded girl was drugged by the robber and ravished！ Whether Miaoyulived on in shame after being kidnapped， or whether she resisted and was killed we cannot venture to say， notknowing the sequel. Just as the verse in the First Register of Twelve Beauties of Jinling reads：
Chastity is her wish，Seclusion her desire；Alas， though fine as gold or jade，She sinks at last in the mire.
王熙凤：王熙凤出身在名宦富贵之家——即“护官符”中说的“东海缺少白玉床，龙王请来金陵王”的王家。“自幼假充男儿教养”，“一双丹凤三角眼，两弯柳叶掉梢眉，身量苗条，体格风骚，粉面含春威不露，丹唇未启笑先闻”。“嘴甜心苦，两面三刀，上头笑着，脚底下就使绊子，明是一盆火，暗是一把刀，她都占全了。”她“模样又极标致，言谈又爽利，心机又极深细，竟是个男人万不及一的！”
Wang Xifeng： Wang Xifeng was born into a rich and noble family—just the family as it’s said inthe“Official’s Protective Charm”that“if the Dragon King wants a white jade of bed， he applies to theWangs of JinLing”.“She was educated like a boy.”“She had the almond-shaped eyes of a phoenix，slanting eye-brows as long and drooping as willow leaves. Her figure was slender and her manner vivacious.
The springtime charm of her powdered face gave no hint of her latent formidability. And before her crimsonlips parted， her laughter rang out.”“She’ll give you sweet talk when there’s hatred in her heart， she’s sodouble-faced and tricky. All the time she’s smiling she tries to trip you up， making a show of great warmthwhile she stabs you in the back. That’s the way she is”.“She’s extremely good-looking and a clever talker，so resourceful and astute that not a man in ten thousand is a match for her.”
她嫁给了她姑妈王夫人丈夫贾政的侄儿贾琏。贾琏捐了个同知，也是个不喜正务的；于世路上好机变，言谈去得，所以他们婚后仍在叔政老爷家住，帮着料理家务。谁知他们婚后，倒上下无人不称颂他夫人凤姐，琏爷倒退了一舍之地。越称颂，熙凤变得越胆大。她毒设思局，害死追求者贾瑞。
She was married off to a relative Jia Lian， the nephew of her aunt Lady Wang’s husband Jia Zheng. JiaLian has bought the rank of a sub-prefect， takes no interest in books but is a smooth man of the world； sothey live with their uncle Jia Zheng and aunt Lady Wang afer their marriage and help them to manage theirdomestic affairs. Since their marriage Jia Lian has been thrown into the shade by his wife Xifeng， who ispraised by everybody high and low. The more praised， the bolder Xifeng becomes. She sets a vicious trap fora lover Jia Rui， who dies of the trap at last.
在秦可卿死后，贾珍去请熙凤照料里头，王夫人说：“她一个小孩子，何曾经过这些事，倘或料理不清，反叫人见笑，倒是再烦别人好。”贾珍笑道：“从小儿大妹妹玩笑时就有杀伐决断，如今出了阁，在那府里办事，越发历练老成了。我想了这几日，除了大妹妹再无人可求了。”“那凤姐素日最喜揽事，好卖弄能干，今见贾珍如此央她，心中早已允了。”贾珍便命人取了宁国府的对牌来，命宝玉送与凤姐，说道：“妹妹爱怎么就怎么样办，要什么，只管拿这个取去，也不必问我。只求别存心替我省钱，要好看为上；二则也同那府里一样待人才好，不要存心怕人抱怨：只这两件外，我再没不放心的了。”从此，熙凤管理贾府内事，“弄权铁槛寺”，使张李两家“人财两空”——张家女儿闻得父母退了婚约聘礼，便一条汗巾悄悄地寻了自尽；李家公子也是个情种，听说她自杀了，遂投河而死。熙凤却安享了张家三千两，并对老尼说：“我从来不信什么阴司地狱报应的；凭是什么事，我说要行就行。”她除受贿外，还放高利贷。“这个月的月钱，我们奶奶早自己支了，放给人使呢。等别处利钱收了来，凑齐了才放呢。”“她这几年，只拿着这一项银子翻出有几百来了。她的公费月例又使不着，十两八两零碎攒了，又放出去，单她这体己利钱，一年不到，上千的银子呢！”
After Qin Keqing’s death， Jia Zhen went to ask Xifeng to take charge of the inner apartments.“She’syoung and inexperienced in these matters，”said Lady Wang.“If she handled things badly people wouldlaugh. You’d better find someone else.”Jia Zhen smilingly replied：“Ever since she was a child at playCousin Xifeng has known her own mind， and by managing the other house since her marriage she’s gainedexperience. I’ve been thinking this over for some days and there’s no one else so competent.”“Now Xifengloved nothing better than displaying her administrative ability. Although she ran the household competently，as she had never been entrusted with grand affairs like weddings or funerals she was afraid others were notyet fully convinced of her efficiency and she was longing for a chance like this.”Jia Zhen made a low bowand， before Xifeng could return it， produced the Ning Mansion tally from his sleeve and asked Baoyu tohand it to her.“You will have a free hand， cousin，”he promised.“Just use this to requisition whateveryou want， there’s no need to consult me. I’ve only two requests to make. First， please don’t try to spare meexpense， as I want everything done handsomely. And secondly， treat the servants here as you would your own，don’t be afraid they may resent it. Apart from these two provisions， nothing else worries me.”From then onXifeng manages the domestic affairs of the Jia Mansions. She abuses her power at Iron Threshold Temple.
She’s made the Zhang and Li families“lose both girl and money”—the Zhang’s daughter learned that herengagement had been broken she found a rope and quietly hanged herself； and the Li’s son was so much inlove that he drowned himself when he heard of her suicide， showing that he was worthy of his good fiancée.
Only Xifeng has become the gainer by three thousand taels from the Zhang’s family，”and she said to theabbess：“I’ve never believed all that talk about Hell and retribution. I do what I please and am always as goodas my word.”Besides accepting bribes， she practices usury as well.“My mistress got this month’s allowancesome time ago but has loaned it out. She’ll distribute it as soon as she’s collected the interest”.“These lastfew years she’s been lending out this money for the monthly allowances together with her own. The interestshe gets on these loans comes to more than a thousand taels of silver a year.”
熙凤善于阿谀奉承。她携着黛玉的手，上下细细打量一回，便仍送至贾母身边坐下，因笑道：“天下真有这样标致人儿！我今日才算看见了！况且这通身的气派竟不象老祖宗的外孙女儿，竟是嫡亲的孙女儿似的，怨不得老祖宗天天嘴里心里放不下。只可怜我这妹妹这么命苦，怎么姑妈就去世了呢！”说着便用帕拭泪。熙凤也善于察言观色，见风使舵。例如，贾母笑道：“我才好了，你又来招我。你妹妹远路才来，身子又弱，也才劝住了，快别再提了。”她忙转悲为喜道：“正是呢！我一见了妹妹，一心都在她身上，又是喜欢，又是伤心，竟忘了老祖宗了，该打，该打！”
Xifeng is good at flattery and cajolery. She took Daiyu’s hand and carefully inspected her from head tofoot， then led her back to her seat by the Lady Dowager.“Well，”she cried with a laugh，“this is the firsttime I’ve set eyes on such a ravishing beauty. Her whole air is so distinguished！ She doesn’t take after herfather， son-in-law of our Old Ancestress， but looks more like a Jia. No wonder our old Ancestress couldn’tput you out of her mind and was for ever talking or thinking about you. But poor ill-fated little cousin， losingyour mother so young！”With that she dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. Xifeng is also good at watching aperson’s expressions and weighing his words carefully so as to sail with the wind. For instance，“I’ve only justdried my tears. Do you want to start me off again ？”said the old lady playfully.“Your young cousin’s had along journey and she’s delicate. We’ve just got her to stop crying. So don’t reopen that subject.”She switchedat once from grief to merriment.“Of course，”she cried.“I was so carried away by joy and sorrow at sight ofmy little cousin， I forgot our Old Ancestress. I deserve to be caned.”
凤姐禀赋气血不足，兼年幼不知保养，平生争强斗智，心力更亏，故虽系小月，竟着实亏虚下来，一月之后，复添了下红之症，不能理事，天天两三个大夫用药。王夫人便觉失了膀臂，凡大事就自己主张，将家中琐碎之事，一应都交李纨和探春暂理。在这种情况下，熙凤对她心爱的丫头平儿说：“若按私心藏奸上论，我也太行毒了，也该抽回退步，回头看看；再要穷追苦克，人恨极了，他们笑里藏刀，咱们两个才四个眼睛两个心，一时不防，倒弄坏了。趁着紧溜之中，李纨和探春出头料理，众人就把往日咱们的恨暂可解了。”但当她搞清贾琏偷娶了尤二姐为妾时，她是个醋罐子，尽管身体尚未完全康复，但岂肯善罢甘休？
于是，她借刀杀人——“凤姐虽恨秋恫，且喜借她先可发脱二姐，用‘借刀杀人’之法，‘坐山观虎斗’，等秋桐杀了尤二姐，自己再杀秋桐。”然而，事与愿违，她年轻轻的就死在了秋桐之前。真是“机关算尽太聪明，反误了卿卿性命”。“凡鸟偏从末世来，都知爱慕此生才，一从二令三人木，哭向金陵事更哀。”
Xifeng has a delicate constitution， however， and as a girl has never looked after her health. In herpassion to shine she has overtaxed her strength， with the result that her miscarriage has left her very weak. Amonth after it she is still losing blood. She has to stop running the household and two or three doctors attendher every day. Lady Wang feels as if she lost her right arm， and simply has not the energy to cope. She hasdecided important matters herself， entrusting lesser domestic affairs to Li Wan and Tanchun for the timebeing. Under such circumstances， Xifeng says to her favorite maid Ping’er：“From a selfish point of view，I’ve made myself so unpopular that it’s time for me to back down and look about me； because if I go on beingso strict I shall get myself thoroughly hated， and everybody’s smiles will hide daggers！ You and I have onlyfour eyes and two brains between us： if they once catch us off guard they can do for us. We must make themost of this chance. So long as Li Wan and Tanchun are in charge， they’ll forget their past grudges againstus for the time being.”But when she came to know that Jia Lian had taken a concubine Second Sister Youin secret， as she is very jealous， though she has not completely recovered her health， how can she let SecondSister You off ？ Thus， she kills her rival by proxy.“Xifeng， though hating Qiu Tong， was eager to use her firstto rid herself of Second Sister by‘killing with a borrowed sword’and‘watching from a hilltop while twotigers fought.’For once Qiu Tong had killed Second Sister， she could do this new concubine in.”However，she gets the opposite of what she wants. She dies young before Qiu Tong. It’s true that“Too much cunningin plotting and scheming is the cause of her own undoing.”“This bird appears when the world falls on eviltimes； None but admires her talents and her skill； First she complies， then commands. then is dismissed，Departing in tears to Jinling more wretched still.”
李纨：李纨出身金陵名宦之家，其父李守中，曾为国子监祭酒；族中男女无不读诗书者。至李守中当家以来，便谓“女子无才便是德”，故生了此女不曾叫她十分认真读书，只不过将些《女四书》、《列女传》、《贤媛集》读读，认得几个字，记得前朝这几个贤女便了；却以纺绩女红为要，因取名李纨（意为平纹丝绸），字宫裁（意为皇宫中的裁缝）。她嫁给贾政和王夫人的大儿子贾珠，生有一子名叫贾兰。但不幸的是贾珠不到二十岁，一病就死了。
Li Wan： Li Wan was born of a notable official family of Jinling， whose father Li Shouzhong serves as aLibationer in the Imperial College. All the sons and daughters of his clan have been devoted to the study ofthe classics. When he became head of the family， however， in the belief that“an unaccomplished womanis a virtuous woman”， instead of making his daughter study hard he simply has her taught enough to reada few books such as The Four Books for Girls， Biographies of Martyred Women， and Lives of ExemplaryLadies so that she might remember the deeds of worthy women of earlier dynasties while devoting her mainattention to weaving and household tasks. That’s why he gave her the name Li Wan (it means plain silk) andthe courtesy name Gong Cai (it means a tailoress of Imperial Palace). She was married off to Jia Zhu， the firstson of Jia Zheng and Lady Wang. She and Jia Zhu have a son named Jia Lan. But unfortunately Jia Zhu fellill， and died before he was twenty.
李纨虽青春丧偶，且居处于膏粱锦绣之中，竟如“槁木死灰”一般，对外界事物，一概不闻不问，唯知侍亲养子，闲时陪侍小姑等针黹诵读而已。当熙凤小月不能理事时，王夫人决定大事自己主张，将家中琐碎之事，一应都暂令李纨协理。李纨本是个尚德不尚才的，未免逞纵了下人，王夫人便命探春合同李纨裁处，只说过了一月，凤姐将养好了，仍交给她。
因李纨素日是个厚道多恩无罚的人，一惯过着平淡恬静的生活，与世无争。她有意让探春去管理家政，自己严格遵守“三从四德”，成了封建妇节的“典范”。李纨的人生正如《金陵十二钗正册》判词所云：桃李春风结子完，到头谁似一盆兰；如冰水好空相妒，枉与他人作笑谈。
Although Li Wan is a young widow and living in the lap of luxury， she is no better off than witheredwood or cold ashes， taking no interest in the outside world. Apart from waiting on her elders and looking afterher son， all she does is to accompany the girls at their embroidery or reading. When Xifeng had a miscarriageand couldn’t run the household for a month， Lady Wang decided important matters herself， entrustinglesser domestic affairs to Li Wan for the time being. But Li Wan， being one of those people who have morevirtue than ability， inevitably let the servants have their own way； so Lady Wang told Tanchun to help herout for a month， until Xifeng was well enough to take over again. As Li Wan is too kind-hearted to punishanyone， always living a simple and peaceful life and holding herself aloof from the world， she intentionallylets Tanchun deal with the domestic affairs and she herself strictly observes the three obediences (in ancientChina a woman was required to obey her father before marriage life and her husband during married life andher sons in widowhood) and the four virtues(fidelity， physical charm， propriety in speech and efficiency inneedle work)—wifely submission and virtue. Consequently， she has become a model of the feudal women’svirtue. Li Wan’s life is just like the summary in the First Register of Twelve Beauties of Jinling. It reads：
Peach and plum in spring winds finish seeding，Who can bloom like the orchid at last？
Pure as ice and water she arouses envy，Vain the groundless taunts that are cast.