The Beginning of the End
WHEN THEY HAD drunk wine enough, and there was nobody in the room, Hsi-men Ch'ing took the ribbon from his sleeve, put it round his penis and tied it round his waist. Then he drank some medicine mixed with wine. Porphyry stroked the prick, which quickly became proud and erect. The veins stood out; it looked like a piece of purple liver. The silk ribbon had far more effect than the clasp1. Hsi-men Ch'ing lifted her onto his lap and pressed his prick into her queynt. They drank wine, each from the other's mouth, and their tongues played together.
In the evening, old woman Feng made some pies with pork and radishes for them. Porphyry ate some with him and, when the maid had cleared away, they went to the bed. They pulled aside the silken curtains
and took off their clothes. The woman knew that Hsi-men Ch'ing liked to do things in the light and she set the lamp on a small table near the bed. Then she made fast the door and went to wash her queynt. When she came back she took off her trousers and went to bed. They lay down together and put their arms round one another. Hsi-men Ch'ing was still thinking of Captain Ho's wife and his passion blazed like fire. His penis was very hard. He told her to get onto hands and knees like a horse, and he plunged to the flower in her bottom. He did this six hundred times, while her behind showed its noisy approbation. She felt down her body, played with the flower in her belly, and called him endearing names unceasingly.
Still Hsi-men was not content. He sat up, put on a white short coat and set a pillow beneath him. Then he bade the woman turn over and tied her feet with two ribbons to the bed-posts. He began by playing the game of the golden dragon stretching its claws, and thrust this way and that, sometimes plunging deep, sometimes just a little way. He was afraid she might catch cold and wrapped a red silk coat about her body. He brought the light nearer and bent his head to watch the movements. Whenever he took out his penis, he put it in again right up to the hilt; he did this six hundred times. The woman, her voice trembling, called him every endearing word she could think of. Soon he withdrew completely and put some of the red powder on the tip of his penis; when it was set in motion again it so stimulated her queynt that she could hardly bear it. She climbed on top of him and begged him to go in deeper; but he deliberately played about the opening, touching the treasure inside only lightly and refusing to go in further. Love-juices flowed from her like slime from a snail. In the candlelight Hsi-men beheld her white legs raised about his body on either side. He saw them quivering in response to his movements, which became still more violent.
'Do you love me, you strumpet?' he asked her.
'I have been thinking about you all the time,' she said. 'I can only hope that you will be like the pine tree and the cypress, evergreen. Do not weary me and give me up. If you should do that, it would kill me. I dare not tell this to anyone else, and nobody knows it. And I shall not tell that turtle of mine. He is away and he has money. He has other women and need not bother about me.'
'My child,' Hsi-men said, 'if you will give yourself entirely to me, I will find another wife for him when he comes back and then you can belong to me always.'
'Darling,' Porphyry said, 'do get him another wife. Whether you take me into your household or leave me outside does not matter. Do as you please. I give my worthless body to you utterly and entirely and I will do anything you wish.'
'I know you,' Hsi-men Ch'ing said.
They went on for a very long time. Then Hsi-men unloosed the ribbons which tied her feet, and they went to sleep together. About the third night-watch he got up, put on his clothes, and washed his hands. Porphyry opened the door and bade the maid bring them wine and food. They drank again. After more than ten cups of wine, Hsi-men began to feel tipsy and asked for tea to rinse his mouth. He took a paper from his sleeve and gave it to Porphyry. 'Take this to clerk Kan, and ask him for a dress,' he said. 'You can choose your own pattern and design.' She thanked him, and he went away. Wang Ching carried a lantern and Tai An and Ch'in T'ung led his horse, one on either side.
It was the third night-watch. Dark clouds covered the sky, and the light of the moon could hardly pierce them. The street was deserted; only the barking of dogs could be heard in the distance. Hsi-men Ch'ing went westwards. Suddenly, as he came near the stone bridge, a whirlwind swept before his horse. It was like a dark form advancing from the bridge to attack him. His horse was startled and reared. Hsi-men shuddered. He whipped his horse. It shook its mane. Tai An and Ch'in T'ung clung to the bridle with all their strength, but they could not hold it, and the horse galloped wildly till it came to Hsi-men's gateway. Then it stopped. Wang Ching, with the lantern, was left far behind. When Hsi-men Ch'ing dismounted, his legs were almost useless, and servants came out to help him in. He went to Golden Lotus's room.
Golden Lotus had come back from the inner court, but she had not gone to bed. She was lying upon her bed, dressed, waiting for Hsi-men Ch'ing. When he came, she got up at once. She took his clothes and saw that he was drunk, but she asked no questions. Hsi-men put his hands on her shoulders and drew her towards him.
'You little strumpet!' he murmured, 'your darling is drunk. Get the bed ready: I want to go to sleep.'
She helped him to bed, and, as soon as he was on it, he began to snore like thunder. She could do nothing to wake him, so she took off her clothes and went to bed too. She played delicately with his weapon, but it was as limp as cotton-wool and had not the slightest spirit. She tossed about on the bed, consumed with passionate desire, almost beside herself. She pressed his prick, rubbed it up and down, bent her head to suck it; it was in vain. This made her wild beyond description. She shook him for a long time and at last he awoke. She asked him where his medicine was. Hsi-men, still very drunk, cursed her.
'You little strumpet!' he cried, 'what do you want that for? You would like me to play with you, I suppose, but today your darling is far too tired for anything of that sort. The medicine is in the little gold box in my sleeve. Give it to me. You will be in luck if you make my prick stand up.'
Golden Lotus looked for the little gold box and, when she found it, opened it. There were only three or four pills left. She took a wine-pot and poured out two cups of wine. She took one pill herself, leaving three. Then she made the terrible mistake of giving him all three. She was afraid anything less would have no effect. Hsi-men shut his eyes and swallowed them. Before he could have drunk a cup of tea, the medicine began to take effect. Golden Lotus tied the silken ribbon for him and his staff stood up. He was still asleep. She mounted upon his body, put some powder on the top of his penis, and put that in her queynt; immediately it penetrated right to the heart of her. Her body seemed to melt away with delight. Then, with her two hands grasping his legs, she moved up and down about two hundred times. First it was difficult, because she was dry, but soon the juices of love flowed and moistened her queynt. Hsi-men Ch'ing let her do everything she wished, but himself was perfectly inert. She could bear it no longer. She put her tongue into his mouth. She held his neck and shook it. She writhed on his penis, which was entirely inside her queynt; only the two testicles remained outside. She caressed it with her hand, and it looked remarkably fine. The juices flowed; in no time she had used up five handkerchiefs. Still Hsi-men persevered, although the head of his prick was swollen and hotter than burning coal. The ribbon felt so tight that he asked her to remove it, but the penis stayed erect, and he asked her to suck it. She bent down and, taking it in her lips, sucked it and moved up and down. Suddenly the white sperm squirted out like living silver; she took it in her mouth and could not swallow it fast enough. At first it was sperm and then it became an unceasing flow of blood. Hsi-men Ch'ing had fainted and his limbs were stiff outstretched.
Golden Lotus was frightened. She hastily gave him some
red dates. Blood followed sperm, cold air followed blood. Golden Lotus
was terrified. She threw her arms round him and cried: 'Darling, how do
you feel?'
From Chin P'ingMei, attributed to Wang Shih-Chen, translated as The Golden Lotus by Clement Egerton