Wang Xin
王信
“The Hand That Carries the Silver”
His Story
Xifeng’s man for the job that has to stay quiet. In Chapter 68, having set 张华 — You Erjie’s discarded betrothed — to sue Jia Lian at the Censorate as part of her campaign against the second wife, she calls in 王信 and hands him the silver to buy the court’s answer before the case is heard. He does the errand and leaves the book. The other stewards here keep ledgers; this one carries the money that never reaches one.
In Xiang Li's Hands
Young, thickset, plain-faced, in a grey-green robe with a black sash and a jade-studded cap. His right arm is thrown straight up above his head, holding a red-and-gold spotted parcel — the brightest thing on the sheet, and the only object in this whole group of stewards raised above eye level. The face carrying it is entirely blank.
The Calligraphy
王信 — the bare two-character name, 信 meaning both “trust” and “message,” which the sheet neither points out nor avoids.
Connections
- Wang Xifeng 王熙凤 — his mistress, who employs him for the bribe.
- You Erjie 尤二姐 — Jia Lian’s second wife, the target of the scheme.
- Zhang Hua 张华 — her former betrothed, put up to the lawsuit.
Others of the same kind · steward / manager Lai Da 赖大 · Lai Er 赖二 · Lai Sheng 赖升 · Lai Shangrong 赖尚荣 · Lai Mama 赖嬷嬷 · Lin Zhixiao 林之孝 · Zhou Rui 周瑞 · Dai Liang 戴良 · Yu Lu 俞禄 · Laiwang 来旺 · Jin Cai 金彩 · Jin Wenxiang 金文翔 · Jiao Da 焦大 · Li Shi'er 李十儿 and 8 more
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
