On her way to the Garden to see Tan-chun, Wang Hsi-feng , to her great horror, sees the ghost of Chin Ko-ching. As a result, Hsi-feng goes to the temple to pray to the Flower-Scattering Saint to ward off evil. She draws a divination lot predicting her future, and the Abbess interprets the oracle as a good omen: Wang Hsi-feng will "return home in splendor." Pao-chai, however explains to Pao-yu that the oracle could mean something else.
Although Wang Tzum-teng died while traveling, the deficit he left during his term of office must be paid by his brother Wang Tzu-sheng and by his nephew Wang Jen. In spite of the debt, however, Wang Jen is planning operas and feasts for an early celebration of his uncle's birthday in order to receive the money which is customarily given as a gift. Hateful as Wang Jen is, Chin Lien has to help him financially; otherwise, disgrace would reflect on them all.
In Chapter 102, Madame Yu bids farewell to Tan-chum on the day of her journey and goes back through the Garden at night. She is filled with apprehension because of its utter desolation, and when she arrives home, she falls ill. The prognosis is that a hostile ghost is the cause of the illness. It is the prediction of the diviner that Chin Chen will soon fall ill also. (The prediction will prove to be true.) The family members discuss the strange phenomena which have been occurring recently: Hsi-feng 's illness after going through the Garden, Ching-wen's becoming the Spirit of Hibiscus in the Garden, music sounding from above after Tai-yu's death, the latter indicating that Tni-yu must also be in charge of some flowers in the Garden. All of them are terrified by what seems to be "monsters" haunting the Garden. Chia Sheh calls in some Tanists to exorcise the spirits haunting the Garden, and all the people turn out to watch the priests catch the monsters. The healthy recovery of Chin Chen and the other invalids is attributed to the Taoists' magic.
In the last forty chapters, there are many descriptions of ghosts and angels, and the author depicts them realistically and imaginatively. But since so many of the misfortunes and deaths seem to be caused by the appearances of these ghosts, this handling reduces the significance and value of the novel's indictment of feudal society. However, to be fair, we should state that Tsao Hsueh-chin also included brief descriptions of ghosts, but they were illusionary ones and clearly served the purpose of indicating the unfortunate fate of the four aristocratic families and the destined end of the feudal system.
Chin Lien reports that Chin Cheng has been impeached by the governor and demoted three ranks. Accordingly, he will return to the capital to serve as assistant minister of the Ministry of Works. Kao Ngo describes the impeachment concisely, but even so, the exposure of the governor's leniency concerning his heavy taxation and cruel exploitation of the people is forceful. It illustrates the fact that officials help one another out of difficulties, and the venality of officialdom is laid bare before us once again.
In Chapter 103, Chin-kuei suddenly dies an unnatural death, and after a thorough investigation, significant facts are uncovered. In order to rid herself of Hsiang-ling, Chin-kuei plotted to poison her with arsenic, but, by mistake, Chin-kuei killed herself. Chin-kuei's mother and brother charge Hsiang-ling with the murder, but Pao-chan reveals the truth, making the cause of the death clear to everyone. Here, Kao Ngo succeeds beautifully in his portrayal of Chin-kuei, a shrew from a royal merchant family. Her intentions are obvious, and her death reveals the rotting dissension among the feudal family members. Chin Yu-tsun has been promoted to be the prefect of the capital in charge of taxation. On a tour of inspection, he passes by a small temple in a village and meets a Taoist whom he believes to be Chen Shih-yin. When Yu-tsun addresses him as his benefactor, the Taoist replies, "Why talk about chen [true] and chia [false]? They are the same." This is a sarcastic reference to the fact that truth and falsity are interchangeable in the feudal world.
Chapter 104 opens, and as Chin Yu-tsun leaves, the temple catches fire, but instead of going back to see if the priest is all right, he continues on his journey, asking one of his runners to investigate the whereabouts of the Taoist. Later, he learns that the Taoist mysteriously disappeared.
As Chia Yu-tsun reenters the capital, Ni Erh, the Drunken Diamond, refuses to get out of the way of the group and brags that not even high officials can interfere with his behavior. Yu-tsun orders him to be arrested and beaten.
Upon his return to the capital, Chia Cheng is summoned to see the Emperor and learn what has been decided regarding Chia Cheng's fate. When he emerges from the interview, Chin Cheng is dismayed and sweating because he has been thoroughly frightened by the Emperor's mentioning two instances of crimes committed by Chin Hua and Chin Fan, remote relatives of the Chia family. The Emperor is angry about Chin Fan's abduction of a good citizen's wife, an incident which illustrates the fact that the bad reputation of other branches of the Chin family influences the Chin family's prestige as a whole.
In Chapter 105, while Chin Cheng is entertaining his guests, Chao Chuan (of the Imperial Guards) and the Prince of Hsiping enter uninvited with the Emperor's decree, according to which Chin Sheh's property must be searched because he has allegedly been in league with provincial officials and has abused his power to molest the weak. Furthermore, the Emperor has ordered that Chin Sheh's hereditary rank is to be abolished, and, accordingly, Chin Sheh is to be arrested and must stand trial.
In the meantime, the commissioner's attendants and runners search both mansions and, in Chin Lien's house, they find some clothes from the palace and some title-deeds and promissory notes, contracted at illegally exorbitant rates of interest. The Prince of Peiching arrives to proclaim a second decree, asking Chin Cheng to hand over Chin Sheh's property.
At this, all the ladies' emotions are plunged into chaos and fear—the old lady crying from terror, unable to utter a word; Lady Wang and Lady Hsing terrified out of their wits; Hsi-feng crying out in alarm, then lying down on the ground as if dead; and Pao-yu and Pao-chai looking on, helpless.
Chin Cheng and Chin Lien are trying to calm them all when Chiao Ta arrives, announcing the arrest of Chin Chen and Jung and complaining about his dissatisfaction with his masters' neglecting his warnings and their treatment of him as a sworn enemy.
Next, Hsueh Ku brings more bad news concerning the Ning Mansion: Chin Chen is accused by two censors of corrupting young nobles and abducting an honest citizen's wife.
This is a particularly well-written chapter. Kao Ngo again follows Tsao Hsueh-chin's creative intent, vividly describing the heavy blows descending one by one on the Chin family—particularly the ransacking of the mansions, which is indicative of the lack of unity among the feudal rulers and the decline of the feudal class as a whole. However, we are not meant to be too sympathetic: the wickedness, debauchery, and unethical behavior of the Chin family rulers over the years have aroused the people. In turn, the people have risen and revealed their hatred for the Chin family, exposing their crimes, and, to some degree here, those crimes are punished and evil is denounced.
In Chapter 106, a messenger from the Emperor arrives to announce his decision concerning Chin Cheng and Chin Lien: Chin Cheng is to retain his post in the Ministry of Works, and only his share of the family property is to be confiscated, a foreshadowing of the later revival of the Chin family's prosperity. In addition, all of the promissory notes contracted at usurious, illegal rates of interest are to be confiscated. Chin Lien is dismissed from his post, but will be released without further punishment.
