We continue our exploration of the lyrical Land of Illusion 太虛幻境 showcased in one of the most famous chapters of Dream of the Red Chamber (Hong lou meng 紅樓夢, Story of the Stone 石頭記), Chapter 5, the dream chapter! Do you commend the marriage rites of gold and jade, or do you still recall the bond of old by stone and flower made? (A blood bond, or blood covenant 盟, as discussed in this episode.) As for Qin Keqing, if “love was her sea, her sky,” why does Baoyu see depicted a beautiful girl hanging by her neck from a beam? Lots to discuss as we delve ever deeper into this wondrous and complex dreamscape.
