His Majesty shows magnanimous bounty. the Imperial consort Yuan pays a visit to her parents. The happiness of a family gathering. Pao-yue displays his polished talents. But let us resume our story. A servant came, at this moment, to report that for the works in course of execution, they were waiting for gauze and damask silk to paste on various articles, and that they requested lady Feng to go and open the depot for them to take the gauze and silk, while another servant also came to ask lady Feng to open the treasury for them to receive the gold and silver ware. And as Madame Wang, the waiting-maids and the other domestics of the upper rooms had all no leisure, Pao-chai suggested: Dont let us remain in here and be in the way of their doing what there is to be done, and of going where they have to go, and saying this, she betook herself, escorted by Pao-yue and the rest, into Ying Chs rooms. Madame Wang continued day after day in a GREat state of flurry and confusion, straight up to within the tenth moon, by which time every arrangement had been completed, and the overseers had all handed in a clear statement of their accounts. The curios and writing materials, wherever needed, had all already been laid out and everything got ready, and the birds (and animals), from the stork, the deer and rabbits to the chickens, geese and the like, had all been purchased and handed over to be reared in the various localities in the garden; and over at Chia Ses, had also been learnt twenty miscellaneous plays, while a company of young nuns and Taoist priestesses had likewise the whole number of them, mastered the intonation of Buddhist classics and incantations. |