红楼梦Chapter14_小升初阅读_小升初-查字典英语网

红楼梦Chapter14

the whole night， the lanterns emitted a bright light and the fires brilliant rays; while guests were escorted on their way out and officials GREeted on their way in; but of this hundredfold bustle and stir nothing need， of course， be said.

the next morning at the dawn of day， and at a propitious moment， sixty-four persons， dressed all alike in blue， carried the coffin， preceded by a streamer with the record in large characters： Coffin of lady Chin， a lady of the fifth deGREe， (by marriage) of the Chia mansion， deceased at middle age， consort of the grandson of the Ning Kuo Duke with the first rank title of honour， (whose status is) a guard of the Imperial antechamber， charged with the protection of the Inner Palace and Roads in the Red Prohibited City.

the various paraphernalia and ornaments were all brand-new， hurriedly made for the present occasion， and the uniform lustrous brilliancy they shed was sufficient to dazzle the eyes.

Pao-chu， of course， observed the rites prescribed for unmarried daughters， and dashed the bowl and walked by the coffin， as she gave way to most bitter lamentations.

At that time， among the officials who escorted the funeral procession， were Niu Chi-tsung， the grandson of the Chen Kuo duke， who had now inherited the status of earl of the first deGREe; Liu Fang， the grandson of Liu Piao， duke of Li Kuo， who had recently inherited the rank of viscount of the first class; Chen Jui-wen， a grandson of Chen Yi， duke of Chi Kuo， who held the hereditary rank of general of the third degree， with the prefix of majestic authority; Ma Shang， the grandson of Ma Kuei， duke of Chih Kuo， by inheritance general of the third rank with the prefix of majesty afar; Hou Hsiao-keng， an hereditary viscount of the first degree， grandson of the duke of Hsiu Kuo， Hou Hsiao-ming by name; while the death of the consort of the duke of Shan Kuo had obliged his grandson Shih Kuang-chu to go into mourning so that he could not be present. These were the six families which had， along with the two households of Jung and Ning， been， at one time， designated the eight dukes.