Lin Chang Bo Gao Ming
临昌伯诰命
“A Seat at the Lower Left”
Her Story
Chapter 71, Grandmother Jia’s eightieth birthday. Rongguo receives the women. The two princesses take the upper seats, the ranked ladies sit below them in order, and at the lower-left table two titled ladies are seated as supporting guests: the Countess of Jinxiang and the Countess of Linchang. Grandmother Jia’s own place is opposite, at the lower right.
She says nothing and does nothing. She is a measurement — the wife of an earl, brought in to fill out a table, on the last day this family is at its full height.
In Xiang Li's Hands
In profile, chin up, an octagonal painted fan raised over her shoulder with a blue ribbon flying from it. Court dress in layers: teal flecked with red, bands of mauve cloud-scroll, a hem worked in blue-green dragons. A red bloom in her hair. Behind her, grey trunks in wash. She is not seated at anyone’s banquet — she is walking, alone, arriving.
The Calligraphy
临昌伯诰命 — her husband’s title and the word for the imperial patent she holds, five characters and no name, which is the only form the novel ever gives her.
Connections
- Jinxiang Hou Gaoming 锦乡侯诰命 — the other titled lady at her table.
- Jia Mu 贾母 — whose eightieth birthday she is seated for.
- Beijing Wangfei 北静王妃 — takes one of the two upper seats above her.
- You Shi 尤氏 — carries the opera list to the head table while she sits.
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
