In love's heaven and love's ocean, an illusory form of love;
When passions meet, they must lead to excess.
Do not say all the unworthy come from the Rong house—
The trouble's origin truly lies in Ning.
English titles, text, and notes are AI-assisted for reading only; for scholarship cite the Chinese and authoritative editions.
Annotation
This verdict concerns Qin Keqing. 'Love's heaven and ocean' suggests her deep entanglement in passion. 'Passions meeting lead to excess' alludes to her illicit relationship with Jia Zhen. The final couplet declares that the Ningguo Mansion, not the Rongguo Mansion, was the true origin of the family's downfall.
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