Judgment of the Twelve Golden Hairpins in A Dream of Red Mansions

1. Xue Baochai: It’s a pity that he has such a virtue of stopping, but he has such a pity for his talent.

"Stop the virtue" refers to the story from the Warring States Period, when the wife of Le Yangzi of Yan State stopped weaving to encourage her husband to seek fame and virtue. A woman who conforms to feudal moral standards is said to have "stop virtue". Here she is praising Baochai. "The gold hairpin is buried in the snow" refers to Xue Baochai being buried in the snow like the gold hairpin in the picture, which is also out of place, implying that Xue Baochai must be left out and lonely.

2. Jia Yuanchun: After twenty years of distinguishing between right and wrong, the pomegranate blossoms illuminate the palace. The three springs are competing for the first spring scene, and the tiger and the tiger meet and return to the big dream.

"Twenty Years of Distinguishing Right from Wrong" writes that Yuanchun has lived in the palace for more than twenty years, and has a new understanding of the honor, disgrace, joys and sorrows of the world, and feels that he has truly reached "that place where no one can go" , "ultimately boring". "The Pomegranate Blossoms Shine on the Palace" writes that in the Yuan Chun period, from the female historian to the minister of Fengzao Palace, to the virtuous noble concubine, the glory was as bright as the pomegranate flowers in full bloom.

In the eyes of outsiders, being a woman in a feudal society should be enough, but Yuanchun’s conclusion is that she has learned to "distinguish right from wrong", realized all the darkness and corruption within the palace, and has a certain understanding of her own life path. Adopted a negative attitude. The three springs in "Three springs strive for the scene of early spring" refer to the three sisters of Yuanchun who welcome, explore and cherish spring; "early spring" refers to Yuanchun. This sentence means that welcoming spring, exploring spring and cherishing spring cannot compare with the glory and wealth of Yuanchun.

“Tiger and Si meet in a dream,” “Tiger and Si meet in a dream.” “Tiger and Si meet” refers to the fight between tiger and rhinoceros. It should mean that something happened in the palace. The December when Yuanchun died is not only the end of the Year of the Tiger, but also the end of the Year of the Tiger. It is the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit, so it is said that "tiger and rabbit meet". The rabbit being eaten by the tiger is the inevitable outcome of Yuanchun entering the palace and becoming a concubine. The author here points his criticism directly at the imperial power that most people consider to be "sacred" and inviolable.

3. Jia Tanchun: He is talented and shrewd, his ambition is high, and he was born in the last days when his luck has declined. I shed tears on the Qingming Festival and look out to the riverside. The east wind thousands of miles away is just a dream away.

"Talent comes from shrewdness, ambition comes from high" refers to her high ambition, shrewdness and ability, sobriety and alertness, and not being blinded by wealth. "Born in the last days of the world with diminished fortune" describes that she was born in the last days of the decline of feudal society. It was also the misfortune of being a commoner, and it was a pity that her "talent" and "ambition" could not be fully utilized. "Looking at the riverside with tears in the Qingming Festival, thousands of miles away in the east wind, a dream away" implies that Tanchun will marry far away from the frontier, and will never return like a kite with a broken string. He will take a boat when he gets married.

The word "Qingming" in the sentence points out that she will marry away from home during the Qingming Festival. Just like the woman in the Zongguan painting, she will "cover her face and cry" on the boat facing the river to say goodbye to her parents and family. From now on, I can only reunite with my family in my sleep.

4. Shi Xiangyun: What does wealth mean? Parents violate it when they are still young. Open your eyes and hang the slanting light, the water of Xiangjiang River passes by and Chu Yunfei flies away.

"What's the point of wealth and honor? Parents disobey it when they are still young" writes that Xiangyun was born in a wealthy family of a feudal noble family. The so-called "Efang Palace, three hundred miles away, cannot accommodate a person in Jinling" refers to her home. But so what? Xiangyun's parents died when he was an infant. Although he is rich and no one cares about him, he has never received any warmth since he was a child.

"Extending one's eyes to see the slanting light" means that in a blink of an eye, Xiangyun is the only one who faces the sunset alone. "The water of Xiangjiang River passes and Chu Yunfei" points out the word "Xiangyun". Xiangjiang River is in Hunan, which belongs to the ancient Chu State, so it is called Chuyun. The passage of the Xiangjiang River and the scattering of Chu clouds are a metaphor for the decline of the historian's family and the short life of the Xiangyun couple, as well as the omen of family ruin. It is an allusion to King Huai of Chu's dream of having a rendezvous with the Wushan goddess.

5. Miaoyu: If you want to be clean, you will never be clean. The clouds are not necessarily empty. Poor gold and jade, eventually sinking into the mud.

"Jie" has two meanings. The first meaning is that she fled to Buddhism because she disliked the disturbance and uncleanness of the secular society; the second meaning is that she also has "geriaphobia". Grandma Liu drank tea with her once, and she actually wanted to use a piece of tea that Grandma Liu had used. Only the precious kiln cups were thrown away. She wanted to be spotless, but that society would not prepare her with such conditions, and fate would arrange her to live in the most unclean place.

According to the rules, to become a monk, you must "purify the six roots", but she insists on "cultivating with her hair", and seems to have left something behind. This is the basis for her unrequited heart.

The sixty-third chapter writes that when Baoyu celebrated his birthday, Miaoyu specially sent a greeting note, which read: "Miaoyu, a stranger outside the threshold, respectfully holds Fangchen from afar." It was absurd at the time for a young nun to pay birthday wishes to a noble prince, as it seemed to reveal that she had unconsciously developed an admiration for Baoyu.

"Gold and jade quality" gold and jade means preciousness. "Poetry·Xiaoya·Baiju": "There is no sound of gold and jade, but a dreamy heart." In ancient times, gold and jade were often used as metaphors for gorgeous or valuable things, and quality was the essence. The quality of gold and jade means that the body is very precious, as precious and pure as gold and jade. Yu Miaoyu's identity. A servant of the Jia family said that her "ancestors also came from a family of scholars and officials... She is also very proficient in writing, very familiar with classics, and her appearance is very good."

6. Wang Xifeng: Everyone knows that all birds come from the end of the world. I admire this talent. One follower and two people make three people dead, crying to Jinling is even more sad.

"Fanniao comes from the end of the world" refers to the misfortune of a capable strong woman like Sister Feng who was born in the end of the world. "Fanniao" is the word "Feng" in traditional Chinese, which also alludes to Wang Xifeng. The word "fanniao" was split from the word "phoenix" to describe mediocrity. Borrowing Lu An's allusion to Xi and pointing out "phoenix" is naturally a kind of ridicule. The iceberg on which the female phoenix in the painting is leaning refers to the backing symbolized by the melting Jia Mansion.

"One obedience and two consequences make three people dead" refers to the change in husband Jia Lian's attitude towards Sister Feng. After the wedding, she first "obeys", being obedient to her and obeying her in everything; "erling" is interpreted as "cold", which refers to her husband's gradual indifference towards her and the beginning of giving orders to her; "three people" The word "wood" refers to her fate of being abandoned in the end.

"Crying to Jinling makes things even sadder" is a sad portrayal of her crying back to her parents' home after being abandoned. In the feudal society at that time, being abandoned was very tragic.

7. Jia Xichun: It has been discovered that the spring scenery does not last long, and the pure clothes suddenly change from the clothes of the past. Poor embroidered household girl, lying alone next to the ancient Buddha with a green lantern.

The phrase "Three spring scenes do not last long" in "The three spring scenes do not last long" is a pun. Literally refers to late spring (i.e. late spring), but actually refers to the misery of Xichun's three sisters (i.e. Yuanchun, Yingchun and Tanchun) in the "three springs". "缁yi suddenly changes the makeup of the past", 缁yi refers to the black clothing worn by nuns. These two sentences mean that Xichun saw from the experiences of her three sisters that the good times of the feudal ruling class would not last long, and decided to get rid of the secular world and escape into Buddhism.

"The poor embroidered house girl, lying alone next to the ancient Buddha with a green lantern" specifically points out that Miss Xichun of the Jia family finally became a nun and was no longer a daughter of the government but lived a life of "begging for food" Life. This poem writes that Xichun had a premonition that she would not have a good outcome in the future due to the unfortunate experiences of her three sisters, so she decided to become a nun. But this bleak, lonely path of escaping reality still doesn’t work.

8. Jia Yingchun: The son is a Zhongshan wolf, and he will run rampant when he succeeds. The golden boudoir flower and willow quality will last for a long time.

In "Zixi Zhongshan Lang", the two characters "Zixi" are combined into the traditional Chinese character "Sun", which refers to Yingchun's husband, Sun Shaozu. "Zhongshan Wolf" is an allusion from "The Legend of Zhongshan Wolf", which refers to a cruel, cruel and ungrateful person. This is a metaphor for the viciousness of Sun Shaozu, the husband of Yingchun, and the suffering of Yingchun.

"When you are successful, you will be rampant." When you are successful, you will do evil and be domineering. Sun Shaozu once bowed to Jiamen's house and begged for help when his family was in difficulty. Later, Sun Shaozu took an official position in Beijing, and "waited for promotion in the Ministry of War", becoming a "nouveau riche". After the decline of the Jia family, Sun Shaozu forced debts from it and trampled on Yingchun at will. "One Year to Huangliang" means that one year later, Yingchun and Sun Shaozu were insulted to death by their husbands.

9. Sister Qiao: If the situation is defeated, leave Yungui. If the family is destroyed, don’t talk about relatives. Occasionally, I met a benefactor due to the help of the Liu family.

"If the power is defeated, stop Yungui" means that when the power has declined, there is no need to talk about the past wealth. "When a family is dead, don't talk about relatives" means that when the family business has withered, there is no need to talk about flesh and blood relatives. "Ouyinji village woman" refers to Qiaojie's mother Wang Xifeng who once "helped" Grandma Liu. The word "qiao" in "encountering a benefactor by chance" is a pun. It clearly refers to coincidence, implying sister Qiao. The benefactor refers to Grandma Liu.

Sister Qiao was abducted and trafficked by her uncle Wang Ren, which is homophonic to "Wangren". Fortunately, she was taken away by Grandma Liu and escaped from the tiger's mouth.

According to the original text "Grandma Liu Enters the Grand View Garden for the Second Time", there is a scene where Sister Qiao and Ban'er exchange grapefruits and bergamot hands. The author wrote this scene in detail, which is most likely to imply the marriage of Sister Qiao and Ban'er. This verdict exposed the hypocritical relationships between people within the feudal rulers.

When you are powerful and wealthy, you will discuss family ties; when you are in decline, you will cheat, kidnap, and kill each other; it is a completely naked transaction of power and money. Sister Qiao's experience is pitiable. She came to the countryside, grew up in a farm family, and became a village girl. Comparatively speaking, she is much luckier than her aunts.

10. Li Wan: When the peaches and plums bear fruit in the spring breeze, they will look like a pot of orchids in the end. Like ice water, it is empty and jealous, and it is useless to joke with others.

"The peach and plum blossoms are finished in the spring breeze" here is "Li", and "End" hints at Li Wan's name. Li Wan's youth is like peach and plum blossoms in the spring breeze. Once they bear fruit, they will wither.

"Who is like a pot of orchid in the end" refers to Jia Lan as in the picture. This sentence says that among the last descendants of the Jia family, no one is as "promising" as Jia Lan.

The word "like ice water is good" in "like ice water is good and empty is jealous" describes Li Wan who lost his husband when he was young, respected etiquette and integrity, and established an orphan. This kind of character was like ice water in the eyes of feudal rulers. Just as clean and beautiful. "Empty phase jealousy" means that although Jia Lan won the imperial examination and Li Wan also won the reputation of "chastity", this could not reverse the decline of Jia's family and could only make others jealous in vain.

"It's in vain to make jokes with others" means to provide others with nothing to laugh at. Li Wan pursued "three obediences and four virtues" throughout his life, and was a model of a virtuous and chaste woman in feudal society. In the end, Li Wan only ended up with "ashes of dead wood" and became a burial figurine of feudal ethics.

11. Qin Keqing: Love in the sky, love in the sea, and love in the body are illusory. When love meets, it will lead to lust. It is honor to speak unkindly, but it is actually peaceful to start a fight.

In "Love in Heaven, Love in the Sea, Fantasy and Deepness", "Love in Heaven, Love in the Sea," refers to the love between men and women, which is deep and wide. "Fantasy" means illusion and absurdity. This sentence exposes the inappropriate and ambiguous relationship between Jia Rong's father Jia Zhen and his daughter-in-law Qin Keqing. "Everything that is unscrupulous and dishonorable comes from Rongguo, and the troubles begin with Ning" pointed out, not to mention that the unscrupulous people are all from Rongguo Mansion, it is actually the people from Ningguo Mansion who cause the trouble in the first place. Qin Keqing was also forced to commit suicide by being raped by Jia Zhen.

12. Lin Daiyu

The jade belt hangs in the forest, and the gold hairpin is buried in the snow.

The word "Yong Xu Cai" originated from the talented girl Xie Daoyun, and was later used to refer to women's talent in poetry. Later generations praised women who were good at poetry and writing as "Yong Xu Cai." Here it means that Daiyu should be cherished. "Jade Belt" "Hanging in the forest" refers to "Lin Daiyu" backwards. A beautiful feudal bureaucrat's belt was reduced to hanging on a dead tree. It is a portrayal of Daiyu's talent being ignored and her tragic fate.

Baidu Encyclopedia —Judgment of Jinling Twelve Hairpins