Fangguan
芳官
“Twice Renamed, Then Shaved”
Her Story
Principal female lead of the twelve girl actors at Pear Tree Court. When the company is dissolved in Chapter 58 she goes to Baoyu, and becomes the most disruptive thing in Green Delights. In Chapter 60 the swapped rose-nitre and jasmine powder sets Zhao Yiniang on her and ends in a brawl. In Chapter 63 she drinks at Baoyu’s birthday night and he renames her twice over, 耶律雄奴 and 温都里纳, after foreigners. In Chapter 77 Wang Furen turns her out, and the nun Zhitong takes her away to be shaved.
In Xiang Li's Hands
Two sheets. In the first she is the performer: hair up, coral sleeves swinging, a bamboo flute with a red cord at her shoulder, grey scenery ghosted behind. In the second the hair falls loose to her knees, the red robe hangs open, magnolia behind. The actress, then the girl.
The Calligraphy
Both sheets read 芳官 alone — the stage name with its troupe suffix, and neither of the foreign names Baoyu tried on her.
Connections
- Jia Baoyu 贾宝玉 — the master she is given to, who renames her twice for sport.
- Zhao Yiniang 赵姨娘 — who attacks her over the substituted powder in Chapter 60.
- Zhitong 智通 — the nun who takes her away after her expulsion.
Others of the same kind · actress – Pear Tree Court troupe (梨香院十二官) Ruiguan 蕊官 · Ouguan 藕官 · Kuiguan 葵官 · Douguan 豆官 · Aiguan 艾官 · Qieguan 茄官 · Lingguan 龄官 · Baoguan 宝官 · Yuguan 玉官 · Diguan 菂官
Named on these pages Wenguan 文官 · Xiaoluo 小螺 · Kuiguan 葵官 · Douguan 豆官 · Zhitong 智通
Dream of the Red Chamber
Xiang Li painted all 413 characters of the novel between 1975 and 1985, the first person to complete the entire cast. See the whole collection · Chinese Empresses
