Qiutong
秋桐
“The Borrowed Sword”
Her Story
Jia She’s maid, handed on to Jia Lian as a concubine, a reward for services rendered to his father. Wang Xifeng, who could not move against You Erjie openly, took Qiutong up instead — praised her, deferred to her, and let her jealousy do the work. Qiutong abused Erjie daily. Erjie, already ill and having lost her child to a quack’s prescription, swallowed raw gold and died in Chapter 69, whose title calls the method killing with a borrowed sword. Qiutong was the sword and was never told so.
In Xiang Li's Hands
Two sheets, opposite. In one she is half-undressed, back turned, lifting a pearl-strung green gauze with bare paper all round her. In the other she is armoured — dense pink blossom silk, olive jacket with black medallions, hand raised in a curled gesture — and a snarling green beast-head rides in behind her on a ribbon of cloud.
The Calligraphy
秋桐 on both sheets, the personal name alone — autumn and the paulownia, upper left on one and lower right on the other.
Connections
- Wang Xifeng 王熙凤 — used her against You Erjie without ever naming the purpose.
- You Erjie 尤二姐 — the woman she was set on, dead by Chapter 69.
- Jia Lian 贾琏 — took her as concubine; her position in the house rests on him.
- Jia She 贾赦 — her original master, who gave her away.
Others of the same kind · Jia household – wives, concubines, in-laws Wang Xifeng 王熙凤 · Li Wan 李纨 · Qin Keqing 秦可卿 · Wang Furen 王夫人 · You Erjie 尤二姐 · You Sanjie 尤三姐 · Xue Baoqin 薛宝琴 · Xing Xiuyan 邢岫烟 · Li Wen 李纹 · Li Qi 李绮 · Xing Furen 邢夫人 · You Shi 尤氏 · Xue Yima 薛姨妈 · Zhao Yiniang 赵姨娘 and 11 more
Named on these pages You Erjie 尤二姐
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
