Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Confinement Pagoda
The two alleys of Trousers Street stretch left and right like the two trouser legs of trousers, and Ruan Dacheng's house is located in the crotch of the trousers.In the Stone Nest Garden in Kusifang, Ruan Dacheng, Liu Jingting, a storyteller, and Su Kunsheng, a singer, admired the moon together.Liu Jingting's storytelling and Su Kunsheng's singing are well known in Nanjing.Liu Jingting's storytelling gallery never closed the door for three days and three nights, and his voice was almost ruined that time.From then on, Liu Jingting never talked about the last day.
Su Kunsheng's singing is the most famous in Nanjing. All the musicians of the royal and noble families have been taught by him, and the musicians of Ruan Dacheng's family are often taught by him. The emperor once summoned Su Kunsheng to listen to his singing. Take this matter as a glorious past in his singing career.
Su Kunsheng's wife Yun'er also got it because of his singing.Yun'er is the only daughter of a family outside Nanjing. She likes singing very much and often sings alone in the boudoir.Su Kunsheng's reputation at that time had spread to her ears, but Yun'er had never heard Su Kunsheng sing in person.
That day Yun'er went to Nanjing City by sedan chair to buy some boudoir items. Passing by a big teahouse, she heard very melodious singing from inside, so she stopped the sedan chair and walked into that teahouse.
That day Su Kunsheng was invited by the owner of the newly opened teahouse to add some excitement. He saw Yun'er get off the sedan chair and enter the teahouse slowly through the drizzle.Yun'er was beautiful and clean in Su Kunsheng's first eyes, and he met Yun'er's gaze with a knowing smile.After that, Su Kunsheng and Yun'er were often seen in the teahouse, and the business of the teahouse was always good.
Yun'er was eighteen years old that year.
Ruan Dacheng stroked his rooster-tail-like beard, and stroking the beard reminded him of the time when he was humiliated in offering sacrifices to Confucius.The newly grown beard gave Ruan Dacheng a feeling of lush vegetation, and he thought in his heart that his troupe going to Taoyehe Pavilion would make the princes of Fushe happy, and the longer his beard grew, the better it would be.
He looked up at the moon hanging in the sky for a while, and said to himself: "The moon is really round tonight."
Ruan Dacheng talked with Su Kunsheng and Liu Jingting about the skills of storytelling and singing. The pockmarks on Liu Jingting's face kept jumping under the moonlight, and Ruan Dacheng nodded falsely from time to time.Ruan Dacheng was waiting for his troupe to come back, he wanted to enjoy his troupe singing on this Mid-Autumn Festival night.Su Kunsheng's singing ability made Ruan Dacheng feel beyond reproach. He regarded Su Kunsheng as the most brilliant member of his family's club. He imagined that one day only his family had a club, and people would all scramble to curry favor with him.
He was not very anxious to wait for the troupe to come back, he even made a good plan that the troupe might be left behind by the fushe princes and could not come back.
Ruan Lu led the troupe and wandered in Trouser Alley for a long time. While Liu Rushi was playing "Returning Wind", they walked into Stone Nest Garden in a state of anxiety.
Ruan Dacheng looked at the theater troupe entering the garden, stopped talking with Su Kunsheng and Liu Jingting, and then a confident voice sounded in the night sky: "Ruan Lu, you nerds are still satisfied!"
"Master, I'm satisfied." There was a hint of hidden element in Ruan Lu's reply.
"I knew it wouldn't disappoint me."
Just as Ruan Dacheng finished speaking, a voice rang out from the troupe crowd: "Master, they gave you money, but they scolded you."
Ruan Dacheng's smile was quickly shattered by the hasty voice, and Ruan Lu's body also began to tremble, looking terrified under the moonlight.
"Ruan Lu, what are they cursing?" Ruan Dacheng roared.
"Small, small no..."
"They scolded the lord's eunuchs..." The urgent voice sounded again.
The embarrassment of the sacrifice to Confucius once again appeared in Ruan Dacheng's mind, and his beard like a rooster's tail jumped.
"The boys in the Fushe are too bullying. I want them to walk around without eating."
On August 16th in the seventeenth year of Chongzhen.
The sky is high and the air is crisp, and the leaves are falling.Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan sat quietly in the room of the Taoye Apartment, relatively silent, Dong Xiaowan's face shone brightly in the silence, and a ray of fragrance permeated the room.Mao Pijiang put his hands on Dong Xiaowan's lap, and fixed his eyes on Dong Xiaowan.His eyes were innocent and focused, and he saw the remnants of last night's alcohol on Dong Xiaowan's face.Time passed quietly, and the sunlight projected from the window gradually moved away from the place where they were sitting quietly.They are making a spiritual covenant, and they are close to each other's mind.The bridal sedan chair and red silk lanterns flashed through Dong Xiaowan's mind one by one. She saw burning red candles and a large carved bed hazy under the cover of gauze and silk.
Time seems to have passed for a long time, Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan have forgotten the past, they are immersed in reality and thinking about the future.During this period of time, no one bothered them, and they forgot everything outside, as if all objects that existed in the sky and on the ground were far away from them, and there was an air current of emotion in the space between them sitting upright. mixed up.
afternoon.The sunlight was blocked bit by bit by the cloud, and when the sky was completely covered by the cloud, Mingyan broke the silence in the house.
"My lord, there is a letter from home."
Maoquan, the housekeeper of Maofu, walked into the house quickly, kowtowed to Maobijiang at the same speed, and then delivered a letter from Maobijiang's father.Mao Quan sent his letter to Dong Xiaowan with his eyes fixed on him. He had heard about Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan, but he had never met Dong Xiaowan.At that moment, he realized very accurately that the woman standing in the room was Dong Xiaowan. When he saw Dong Xiaowan for the first time, he realized that Mao Pijiang was already in a lingering relationship.He is proud of Mao Pijiang, because Dong Xiaowan's image prevents him from having other thoughts. His first thought is that Mao Pijiang really has vision.
Mao Pijiang read the letter very slowly, then introduced Dong Xiaowan, and asked Mao Quan to meet Dong Xiaowan, Mao Quan stepped forward to kowtow to Dong Xiaowan, and Dong Xiaowan helped Mao Quan just as he bent down.At this moment, Maoquan was in a happy mood that he had never seen before. After reading the letter, Mao Pijiang was very calm. He asked Ming Yan to lead Maoquan to cook and eat, and then told Dong Xiaowan about the contents of the letter.
"The letter said that Jia Zun was granted the emperor's permission to take a vacation, and asked me to meet him in Wuhu today."
After listening to Mao Pijiang's words, Dong Xiaowan remembered the flute she played last night, but her face was as calm as a lake without wind and waves.
"Young master, the boss told you to go to meet him, you should go earlier."
"I will go to meet you, and you will have to go back to Rugao together. Zhu Tongrui knows you are here, so how can I rest assured?"
The sky outside is still gloomy, and the autumn sky always has a killing atmosphere.Dong Xiaowan walked slowly to the table and sat down. The stool was very cold, so she stood up and walked to the window.Mao Pijiang looked at Dong Xiaowan's back, a feeling of desolation came out from Dong Xiaowan's back, at this moment a yellow leaf fell over Dong Xiaowan's head from the window and fell behind her, Mao Pijiang stared at the yellow leaf, The lines on the leaf were very prominent, and then he cast his eyes on Dong Xiaowan's back.
Dong Xiaowan leaned on the window lattice, she saw light rain falling from the sky.The light rain fell on the struggling yellow leaves, and those yellow leaves could not bear the weight of the light rain, so they fell one by one.The rain was falling finely and softly, and the sky and the openness of the autumn day felt desolate.
Mao Pijiang's gaze was filled with resentment, and he felt that his mind had decayed.He looked at the humid sky outside, and the chilly wind rushed into the house through the window, and there was a sense of sadness in the wind.The father's letter broke the original silence in the house and presented another kind of tranquility. Mao Pijiang did not want to accept the reality of Maoquan's arrival and the letter in his hands, but the image of his father in his childhood memory seeped into his mind again.Mao Bijiang didn't want Dong Xiaowan's faint melancholy, but he had to face it like the morning sun.At this moment, he completely cut off his thoughts.
As the saying goes: Misfortunes never come singly.
Single mother's big foot stomped on the floor outside the house, and then there was a knock on the door.
Taking Pijiang's eyes away from Dong Xiaowan, he turned around and opened the door.At the same time, the single mother's voice sounded.
"Miss Xiaowan, there is someone from Aunt Sha."
Dong Xiaowan was startled, and hurried outside the house.Seeing Shan Ma brought a middle-aged man, and when the visitor saw Xiao Wan, he presented a letter written by Sha Jiuwan.Dong Xiaowan took the letter and asked Shan Ma to take it away, then opened the letter and read it.After reading the letter, Dong Xiaowan sobbed like in a nightmare, tears dripping like rain from the eaves.
Mao Pijiang heard sobbing mixed with the sound of rain in the house, so he went out of the house and saw Dong Xiaowan standing outside in a daze.He saw Dong Xiaowan tried hard to control her sobs, and this effort made her face look painful.Dong Xiaowan's hand holding the letter trembled slightly.
"Wan Jun, what did you say in the letter?" Mao Pijiang asked.
"It's nothing, my family asked me how I am doing." Dong Xiaowan stopped her sobbing, and said with a leisurely sigh.
Seeing that there was a helpless expression hidden on Dong Xiaowan's face when he spoke, Mao Pijiang reached out and quickly snatched the letter from Dong Xiaowan's hand.After reading the letter, Mao Bijiang looked up at Dong Xiaowan, two lines of bitter tears flowed down his face, and the letter paper fell from his hand to the ground.
The sky darkened, and the rain stopped at some point.Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan didn't have dinner, Ming Yan and Shan Ma took turns to ask if they want dinner, but Dong Xiaowan and Mao Pijiang sat motionless in the dark room, letting the melancholy flow in the room.
Shan Ma came to the room where Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan were sitting upright, she struck a match with a bang, and with the faint light of the fire, the pale faces of Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan appeared in Shan Ma's eyes. In front of her, she couldn't help shaking in horror, and the match went out under her shaking.Then Shan Ma lit a match to light the candles on the table, but Dong Xiaowan stopped her.
"Shan Mom, you go out." Dong Xiaowan said.
Shan Ma walked out of the house following Dong Xiaowan's words, and the death-like silence and darkness returned to the house.Shan Ma came to Mingyan's room next to her, and said to Mingyan, "Don't eat or drink, what's wrong with it!"
Mingyan didn't speak, showing a look of anxiety.
The ensuing disasters wiped out the joy of Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan last night.Mao Pijiang's helpless demeanor told him the pain in his heart, but the existence of darkness provided him with an environment to hide his sadness.Dong Xiaowan looked at the hazy figure in the darkness, she felt that it was a body left by someone who had gone far away, and she also felt that she was gradually moving away from the world.Dong Xiaowan knew that disaster was approaching her again, she seemed to have seen the shadow of disaster in the night, sometimes it was Zhu Tongrui, sometimes it was Dou Hu and Huo Hua.She knew that Mao Bijiang went to Wuhu to pick up his father, but she couldn't follow him, and she couldn't stay in Nanjing either.Sha Jiuwan from Suzhou wrote a letter saying that the viciousness of the Huo and Dou families made her terrified.
From the alley outside the house came the sound of the second watch, and the sound was heard far away in the silent night sky.The moon in the sky walks through the clouds, sometimes casting a ray of pure white light from the cracks in the clouds.Dong Xiaowan thought about the letter Sha Jiuwan brought. She looked at the moon that occasionally appeared in the night sky, and couldn't help but think of her father and Xixi who were frightened in Suzhou.
Also the night of August 16th.
Dong Min and Xixi are in the same room.Dong Min shrank in the corner of the room, he didn't care so much about the entanglement between Dou and Huo's family after Dong Xiaowan left, he seemed to be tired of life, and now the years left him with vicissitudes.Xixi sat at the table, the candlelight shone on her face.A few days ago, Huo and Dou's family said that they would burn the house if they didn't pay back the money, which terrified her. When she couldn't bear it, she ran to tell Sha Jiuwan's family, so Sha Jiuwan wrote to Dong Xiaowan to call her Find a way to pay back the money as soon as possible.Xixi waited for Dong Xiaowan's news in a state of extreme panic these days, but she was afraid of Dong Xiaowan's arrival, and she knew that the Huo and Dou families would not let go.
The next day, when Shan Ma got up, she heard the voices of Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan. Shan Ma didn't know when they went to bed last night.On this day, the autumn sky was clear again, and traces of yesterday's rain were faintly visible on the ground.Mao Pijiang ate a piece of rice cake for breakfast, Dong Xiaowan only drank some soup, she didn't have any appetite, as if her esophagus and stomach were filled with an emotion.
The sun slowly climbed out along the ridge, the sunlight flickered among the bushes, the dewdrops slowly disappeared under the sunlight, and the flickering light in the bushes gradually receded.
Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan had breakfast and sat in the room discussing the problems they were facing.
Due to the change of weather, their moods were no longer as melancholy as yesterday, but they still showed sorrowful agitation.Mao Bijiang showed a look of sincerity and fear, and Dong Xiaowan's heart beat much faster than usual under the calm cover.The sunshine outside the house did not make Dong Xiaowan feel bright, she knew that this time she would have to face separation again, maybe another escape was approaching her.The unresolved money for repaying the debt made her see the house in Suzhou burned, and the faces of her father and Xixi in the fire in fear.Mao Pijiang blamed himself for his incompetence, and felt sad and moved by Dong Xiaowan's hidden sadness.It seemed difficult for him to forget Dong Xiaowan's troubled past, every time he remembered something, the sadness in his heart increased, and when he couldn't control it, he walked out of the house.Dong Xiaowan saw Mao Pijiang's back walking into the bright sunlight was blurry, and that back showed a man's temperament.
The Mid-Autumn Festival at Taohe Pavilion has been a topic of discussion for the past few days. When Liu Shijun and Liu Daxing arrived in Nanjing, their ears were full of things about the Mid-Autumn Festival.The more they heard these words, the regret in their hearts increased a lot.
Liu Shijun is a post-changing brother who pretended to be in Pijiang. He was born in the second rank, worked in Beijing, and held a sixth-rank official position.This person looks very quiet, and he gets along very well with Mao Pijiang and other Fushe group of friends.On the surface, he deals with the rich and powerful, but in his heart he hates them very much, so his luck is better than that of Pijiang.During his tenure in Beijing, Liu Shijun did some good things for the people and got some appreciation. He left Beijing at the moment to be transferred to be the governor of Huzhou, and he went to Nanjing to visit some friends.Liu Daxing is also a close friend of Mao Pijiang. He has thick bones and gives people a bold feeling.He was visiting his uncle in Beijing, and Liu Shijun was transferred to be the prefect of Huzhou. The two traveled together to avoid loneliness on the road.When they arrived in Nanjing, they visited Fang Mizhi and Hou Chaozong first. From Fang Mizhi's tone, they showed admiration for Mao Pijiang. The two of them couldn't control their desire to meet Dong Xiaowan and rushed to Taoye Apartment.
When Liu Shijun and Liu Daxing came to Taoye Apartment, it was when Dong Xiaowan looked at Mao Pijiang and walked into the bright sunshine with sadness, and Mao Pijiang watched Liu Shijun and Liu Shijun enter Taoye Apartment with a smile. It was as if he saw a kind of hope, but this hope did not exist in his body for a long time, and Mao Pijiang hadn't figured out why this hope came from and was forgotten by him.For Liu Shijun, at the first moment of meeting, under the bright sunshine, they did not see clearly the sadness of Mao Pijiang, so that for a long time afterwards, they were immersed in a kind of joy and ridicule.
"Brother Pijiang, everyone is saying that you value sex over friends!" Liu Shijun said as soon as he saw Mao Pijiang.
Liu Daxing smiled foolishly at the side.
The two entered the room, Mingyan served tea, and Dong Xiaowan had already entered the back room.
"Haha, why don't you see my sister-in-law?" Liu Daxing asked from the side.
"When I first arrived in Nanjing, I heard friends talking about you and your sister-in-law. They all envied you very much. They dare not disturb you these few days. We can't bear it anymore." Liu Shijun said to Mao Pijiang.
Mao Pijiang's previous sorrow was concealed by the joy of reuniting with his friends, but the faint sadness still stubbornly revealed from his face.He met Liu Shijun and
Liu Daxing was anxious to see Dong Xiaowan, so he said to Shan Ma who was standing by, "Shan Ma, go and call Xiao Wan out."
Before Shan Ma entered the back room, Dong Xiaowan came out with lotus steps.She heard Liu Shijun's conversation in the back room, and she knew that she couldn't see him, so she forced a smile and walked out to appear.Watching Dong Xiaowan come out, Liu Shijun and Liu Daxing were amazed at Dong Xiaowan's beauty.At this time, Dong Xiaowan was in mourning, and the beauty of sorrow covered her whole body. Any man would be moved by this beauty.Dong Xiaowan saluted with Liu Shijun and Liu Daxing. At this time, Liu Shijun felt that it was impolite to stare at Dong Xiaowan, so they withdrew their gazes.After the two of Liu Shijun woke up from being immersed in Dong Xiaowan's beauty, they discovered the sadness hidden between Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan, and felt that sadness was very strong.
Mao Pijiang asked Mingyan to set up a banquet, and sat around with Liu Shijun, Liu Daxing and Dong Xiaowan.At the wine table, there were few words, Dong Xiaowan said nothing, and Mao Pijiang only occasionally asked Liu Shijun about the days after parting.Liu Daxing sat at the side and poured wine into his mouth one cup after another. When he drank, he made a "sizzle" sound, which was very loud in the silent air.Liu Shijun just drank a few drinks with Mao Pijiang, he felt the abnormal atmosphere, from the sad faces of Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan, he mistakenly believed that something unpleasant happened between Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan.He wanted to ask several times, but he held back.Liu Shijun wanted to break the silence, so he asked Mao Pijiang nonsense, but all he got were extremely simple answers, many of which were words like "yes" and "yes".The silent atmosphere soaked Liu Shijun's body like poison, and he felt extremely uncomfortable, so he couldn't bear the atmosphere any longer, so he asked Mao Pijiang what unpleasant things happened.
After being questioned by Liu Shijun, Mao Pijiang suddenly realized that Liu Shijun is the prefect of Huzhou and his family is also very rich, so he planned to tell Liu Shijun the predicament he was facing now.When Mao Pijiang was about to speak, Dong Xiaowan touched him lightly. Mao Pijiang realized that Dong Xiaowan's intention was to tell him not to speak, but Mao Pijiang did not follow Dong Xiaowan's intention.Later, when Dong Xiaowan returned to Suzhou under the escort of Liu Shijun, Dong Xiaowan regretted his intentions at that time.
Once the matter was said, it seemed to be resolved smoothly.The problem of Mao Bijiang and Dong Xiaowan's separation has been solved.Due to the appearance of Liu Shijun, he had to go to the prefect of Suzhou first to take a job in Huzhou. He could ask the prefect to find ways to solve the problems Dong Xiaowan faced in Suzhou. He asked Dong Xiaowan to raise half of the debt he owed, and he asked the prefect to come forward after he arrived in Suzhou. , Pay the urgent ones first, and return the rest by appointment.Regarding Huo Hua and Dou Hu, he fully estimated that the government would not dare to make things difficult for them.
Dong Xiaowan now feels that the sun outside the house is very bright. At this moment, Dong Xiaowan has forgotten the image of bare branches in autumn, and the young leaves in spring make her feel that it is not far away.Her mind began to imagine ways to raise money, and she was full of confidence in raising half of the debt.At this time, everything that her father did for her in her childhood flashed through her mind one by one.Although the hope brought by Liu Shijun has not been realized yet, Dong Xiaowan does not doubt its feasibility. She even has an urgent desire to rush back to Suzhou, and the appearance of Huo Hua and Dou Hu is also a little blurred to her.
When she encountered disaster again later, she was full of doubts about the government and fully recognized the misfortune of her life.
In the past few days, Zhu Tongrui has been in a very uneasy mood.His slumped appearance made his servants look more cautious than usual, and the movements of the servants were close to stealing.In fact, such a moment should be the time when the servants are debauched, and Zhu Tongrui's mind is completely on Dong Xiaowan at this time.Zhu Tongrui is like a ghost
The figure turned around in the yard, his obscene image made the servants feel that it was a volcano about to erupt, and they tried to avoid Zhu Tongrui as much as possible.Now only Dong Xiaowan exists in Zhu Tongrui's mind. He has forgotten the sky, the house and his servants. He is preoccupied with thinking about Dong Xiaowan's headdress and the color of her clothes, but he can't remember everything completely. for which he appeared to be suffering.He shuttled around every corner of the courtyard all day long, and the kitchen and toilet became places he frequented, and he seldom stayed in the study room uncharacteristically.These few days he watched Dong Xiaowan stay in Nanjing, beside Mao Pijiang, he didn't know how to get Dong Xiaowan.He hated the Fushe group all the time, and several times made up his mind to send someone to snatch Dong Xiaowan over, but reason stopped him.He knew that if that was the case, the people in the Fushe would not give up, and there would be a lot of trouble in the city, which would make it difficult for him to end.In the past few days, the pain in Zhu Tongrui's heart prevented him from seeing what was happening in front of him. He felt his ribs were exposed one by one, and the flesh on his body was disappearing bit by bit.The image of Dong Xiaowan that Zhu Tongrui remembers most clearly in the past few days is the night of Taoyehe Pavilion on the night of Mid-Autumn Festival.
These few days when Zhu Tongrui was very restless were the days when Zhu An, his favorite servant, was very proud.He gave full play to the wisdom of understanding Zhu Tongrui that he had established in ordinary times.He knew that Zhu Tongrui would not care about them in such a situation, so he tried his best to do what he wanted to do for a few days.Usually he would mess with the maids, but Zhu Tongrui would still take care of them at that time.Now Zhu Tongrui is completely fascinated by Dong Xiaowan, and he doesn't seem to notice all Zhu An's actions.Zhu An used this point to be more presumptuous, and achieved his goals again and again, and often used Zhu Tongrui to intimidate those maids who did not want to give in.These few days, Zhu An seems to have lived a few days as a master. He ordered the kitchen to prepare delicious food three times a day, saying that Zhu Tongrui wanted to eat, but he brought it to his room and ate it.And Zhu Tongrui didn't seem to eat anything these days.These things, after Zhu Tongrui recovered his sanity, some servants reported Zhu An's behavior to him, but Zhu Tongrui ignored them as if he hadn't heard them. As a result, those servants who reported were made things difficult by Zhu An everywhere.
In the afternoon of that day, Liu Shijun and Liu Daxing bid farewell to Dong Xiaowan and Mao Pijiang.
Then Dong Xiaowan and Mao Bijiang rushed to Liu Rushi's house to raise money to repay the debt.
There are not many pedestrians on the road in autumn, and the faces of people walking on the road are gloomy, and some taverns on the roadside also look lifeless.Dong Xiaowan and Mao Pijiang were riding in a carriage, and the carriage was walking forward slowly, and the old man who drove the carriage also acted lazily.Dong Xiaowan was in a hurry to raise money at this time, the carriage moved slowly, but she didn't want to urge the groom to hurry up, she seemed to be used to this speed and feeling.Every time the dilapidated carriage made a strange friction sound, this sound made Dong Xiaowan feel terrified and reminded her of Huo Hua and Dou Hu in Suzhou.
Mao Pijiang sat in the car without saying a word, immersed in the unhappiness of being separated from Dong Xiaowan.Under the sunlight, the shadow cast by the carriage on the ground followed the horse rolling forward. Mao Pijiang stared at the shadow and felt that the shadow gave him an ominous feeling, so he urged the coachman to hurry up, but the shadow also rushed forward quickly .
The carriage turned around and passed through many alleys to Qian's mansion.With the support of Mao Pijiang, Dong Xiaowan got off the carriage, Mao Pijiang paid the fare, and the carriage turned around and left.
Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan knocked on the door and entered the living room. A maid ran to wake up Liu Rushi who was taking a nap. Liu Rushi came to the living room with the muddy afternoon sleep. Two cups of tea were placed in front of Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan.
Liu Rushi smiled tiredly at Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan, that smile seemed to bring Dong Xiaowan back to the afternoon when he was a child watching plum blossoms in Dongpo Mountain.After Mao Bijiang waited for Liu Rushi to sit down beside Dong Xiaowan, he told her about the recent situation.After listening to the narration, Liu Rushi felt a chill in her heart. She used her experience to read Dong Xiaowan's future and past, but her mind was always gray.She stared at Dong Xiaowan with gentle eyes, and Dong Xiaowan's pale and beautiful face melted in the gentle eyes.Dong Xiaowan met Liu Rushi's gaze, she felt her eyes were filled with liquid, the liquid was rolling in her eyes, and she had a feeling of rushing out.Dong Xiaowan shifted his gaze to a withered wisteria in the courtyard.
"Sister Xiaowan, can you get back to Suzhou without any mistakes? You know the situation there best, and you have to make up your own mind." Liu Rushi said to Dong Xiaowan kindly.
Dong Xiaowan didn't answer Liu Rushi's Tian, her eyes still stayed outside the house.
At this moment, she thought of her mother.
Dong Xiaowan's silence made Liu Rushi feel a sense of determination, like a huge boulder making her powerless.Dong Xiaowan's decision to go back to Suzhou has been decided, and Liu Rushi knew that the result could not be changed, so she gave up the idea of persuading Dong Xiaowan.
"For debt repayment, you know my old man's character. I can only take out three hundred taels now. I'll call someone to call Wanrong and discuss it with her. It's a pity that Hengbo left yesterday, otherwise she would have some ideas Yes. Talk to Tuoniang and Yujing elsewhere, and Baimen, please run around for you, it’s inconvenient for you to walk around..." Liu Rushi’s gentle and considerate words filled the entire space, which was extremely The seductive words poured out Dong Xiaowan's salty tears that had been stored in his eyes.Tears flowed down Dong Xiaowan's cheeks.Dong Xiaowan felt that there was no crying incongruity, so she cried loudly with tears rolling down.
Dong Xiaowan's cry was very sad, and Mao Pijiang's heart was tightly grasped by the cry.He thought they came to find Liu Ru to find a way, and Dong Xiaowan's crying seemed to be able to stop this behavior, so he went to Dong Xiaowan's side to dissuade her.
Dong Xiaowan's crying didn't stop. She felt that the crying sound was very strange, and she didn't even believe it was her own voice.Liu Rushi looked at Dong Xiaowan's sad look from the side.This reminded her of her own life, and the experience of brothel life seemed to return to her side all of a sudden.She saw that Mao Pijiang was constantly comforting Dong Xiaowan, but Dong Xiaowan's crying was still continuous, mixed with an indistinct nasal sound from time to time.This cry attracted Liu Rushi, she felt that it was extremely natural for Dong Xiaowan to cry loudly, so she interrupted Mao Pijiang's persuasion.
"Young Master Mao, stop trying to persuade us, you don't understand how we feel..." Before Liu Rushi could finish speaking, she was interrupted by tears.
Seeing that Liu Rushi was also crying, Mao Pijiang returned to his seat depressed, "A man does not flick his tears easily" also had no effect on him at this moment.
There was an air of sadness in the room.The servant who went to invite Ma Wanrong rushed back when Dong Xiaowan's crying gradually subsided, and when the servant came to the house, Liu Rushi stopped crying.
"Ma'am, Mrs. Ma will be there soon," said the maid.
"Go down." Liu Rushi said.Then he said to Dong Xiaowan: "Sister Wan, Wanrong will be here soon, don't be sad anymore."
Dong Xiaowan stopped crying and wiped the tears off her face with a silk scarf.She looked up at Mao Pijiang, only to realize that Mao Pijiang also shed two tears, which inevitably aroused her sadness, and she cried again.
"You idiots, stop being sad." Liu Rushi said.
When Ma Wanrong came to the Qian Mansion, Dong Xiaowan was still sobbing intermittently, and she stopped sobbing only when she saw Ma Wanrong coming into the house.Liu Rushi waited for Ma Wanrong to sit down and asked the girl to bring tea, and then told about Dong Xiaowan and Mao Pijiang's situation.
"Sister Xiaowan, if we sisters don't help, who will help? I can contribute three hundred taels here." Ma Wanrong said.
Dong Xiaowan was very moved to see Ma Wanrong's enthusiasm, but thought of going to Li Xiangjun's place, so he planned to leave Qian's mansion.Seeing that Dong Xiaowan was about to leave, Liu Rushi immediately took three hundred taels of silver from the house and handed it to Dong Xiaowan, who graciously accepted the money.
"Sister Wan, when you leave, we won't give it away. Don't give it away even if your name is Xiangjun, lest everyone will be sentimental when you get it. We will meet many times in the future." Liu Rushi said.
Liu Rushi's words made Dong Xiaowan feel very uncomfortable.Since her mother died, she felt that she had lost a lot of people close to her, and now Liu Rushi and others are the people she feels closest to.Having had the same experience has become the link between them.Her father, Dong Min, has been tormented numb by the years, especially after her mother died, her father spends more time immersed in the silence of death, and she is gratified that she still has regrets this person.This time she has to rush back to Suzhou, not only that staying in Nanjing will cause trouble for Liu Rushi and others, but more importantly because she misses Dong Min and Xixi in Suzhou.Although the current Dong Min is not like her childhood image, the father in her childhood image often appears in her mind and makes her feel very excited.
When Dong Xiaowan and Mao Pijiang walked out of the Qian Mansion, Liu Rushi and Ma Wanrong turned their backs to them.
A guzheng sound resounded in Meixiang Building.The gate of Meixiang Building was open, Dong Xiaowan and Mao Bijiang came to the gate by car, got out of the car and went straight in.The sound of guzheng playing drifted into Dong Xiaowan's ears, and she knew that it was Li Xiangjun playing.Cuicui happened to come down from upstairs, and when she saw Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan coming, she was going to go back upstairs to tell Li Xiangjun, but Dong Xiaowan stopped her.
Dong Xiaowan and Mao Pijiang came upstairs, and Li Xiangjun sat facing the window and played the guzheng, her fingers fluttered up and down, and the sound of the piano poured out from under her fingertips.Her expression was very focused, as if she was intoxicated by it, she had no feeling about the arrival of Dong Xiaowan and Mao Pijiang.Cuicui came upstairs with tea, and she saw Dong Xiaowan and Mao Bijiang standing behind Li Xiangjun, and Li Xiangjun was still playing her zither, so she told Li Xiangjun that Dong Xiaowan was coming.The sound of the piano stopped abruptly, and Li Xiangjun yelled loudly: "You guys are here, why don't you make a sound, you want to scare me to death."
"I don't want to interrupt this beautiful music." Mao Pijiang said.
Dong Xiaowan smiled and remained silent.
Dong Xiaowan and Mao Pijiang looked exhausted after a day of running around.After one day of raising money to repay the debt, they reached two-thirds of the debt owed, which was better than they expected.During this day, Dong Xiaowan couldn't remember how many times she cried, she only felt her eyes were sore and her throat was hoarse.In the evening, Dong Xiaowan's sisters and a group of people from the Fushe came to the Taoye Apartment at the same time. These people bid farewell to Dong Xiaowan and Mao Pijiang affectionately in the Taoye Apartment, and then they left one after another. Leave this gentle night to Dong Xiaowan and Mao Pijiang.This passionate night reminded Dong Xiaowan of the night of Mid-Autumn Festival and the feeling of wine flowing down his throat.
Early the next morning, the autumn wind was blowing.Mao Bijiang took Dong Xiaowan and Shan Ma to the boat outside the Sanshan Gate with tea and money.Mao Bijiang took Dong Xiaowan to Yanziji with the boat before leaving the boat. He watched the boat gradually go away, and there were a few white clouds moving slowly in the sky with the gust of autumn wind on the shore.
On this day, a notice was posted in front of the government office in Suzhou. The content of the notice is as follows:
"Cao Shi, the Jiangnan alternate department of Zhili Province, taught Suzhou Prefecture. In order to show the edict and inform the matter, Chaben Prefecture belongs to Bantang. There is Dong Min, who owed money to various debtors because of his affairs. Now his daughter Dong Xiaowan, He has left his native place to become a good man, and married Rugao, pretending to be his son, to set up Xinjiang as his wife. Now Dong Xiaowan returns to Suzhou with his silver, pays off all debts, and registers with the government office within three days after seeing the notice. Because the silver is not enough, those who need it urgently will return it later. Those who take it easy will come to Su in a few days and return everything. Those who see the notice are not allowed to make noise with excuses, and if they dare to violate it, they will be punished as provoking trouble. On the fourth day of September in the 16th year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty."
The notice was hanging clearly, and the crowd of onlookers were like fallen leaves in the forest, layer after layer.The notice was hung for a day, and Dong Xiaowan asked Shan Ma to go home to check the situation on the boat. Shan Ma came back and told her that the people who gathered in front of the house to ask for debts disappeared after the notice was posted, so on the first day after the notice was posted, The next day, Dong Xiaowan and Liu Shijun returned home.On the same day, Liu Shijun returned to the boat, while Dong Xiaowan stayed at home.
Seeing Dong Xiaowan coming back, Dong Min smiled.Dong Xiaowan saw that Xi Xi had lost a lot of weight and was not as pretty as before, so she hugged Xi Xi and stretched out her delicate hands to caress Xi Xi's face.That night, Dong Min went to bed as soon as it was dark, while Dong Xiaowan and Xixi only fell asleep when the cock crowed.
"Master, a notice has been issued in front of the government office, and Dong Xiaowan is back." Huo He said to Huo Hua.
"Where is she?" Howard asked.
"I lived on the boat for the past two days, and I returned home yesterday. When she comes back this time, the government will support her." Huo He said.
Then Huo Hua just remained silent, with a sinister and unwilling smirk on his face, and Dong Xiaowan's frightened face was contained in his smirk.He knew that the government could not afford to offend, but Dong Xiaowan's temptation attracted him deeply like a thirsty man suddenly discovering a well.At the first moment, he showed a helpless look, but his lustful and corrupt heart made him unwilling to give up. His power and wealth once again caused Dong Xiaowan's misfortune.
"Go and find out where Dong Xiaowan lives today." Huo Hua said to Huo He.
同样的时间里，窦虎在官府的压力之下放弃了对董小宛的憧憬。虽然他作出了放弃，但他还是快速地派人前往官府进行了债权登记。
按照刘师峻的计划，府衙前的债权登记进行得很顺利。登记的记录上除了霍华一家外其他的都登了记。对于这一情况，刘师峻并没有在意，他对官府权力充分信任。如果刘师峻稍稍冷静一下，并对此事加以分析的话，这其中隐藏的问题也许会被发现，董小宛也许会再一次避免渐临的灾难，但他们都忽视了这一情况。
这天深夜，月光淡薄，董小宛和惜惜还在促膝相谈。稠密的黑暗在树丛潮湿的簇叶之间，在广阔的夜空聚集着。秋天的夜风吹响了树木光溜溜的枝条，那些静处于黑暗中的屋舍宛如巨鸟的阴影。在夜色的掩护下，一行人向董府靠拢，在董府外墙下，领头的牛二将脚在地上轻轻一点便飞到墙上，再一个转身便落到院中。牛二是霍华养的打手，此人会一点武功，这次是领了霍华的命令来抢董小宛的，他知道董府里只有三个女的和一个老头，于是他在整个行动中都显得十分轻松随便。牛二越过墙打开门，八个霍家家奴进到院中。他留下两名家奴看守大门、两名守在楼下，然后他领着四名家奴直奔楼上董小宛的房间。
屋里还燃着灯，传出董小宛和惜惜低声交谈的声音。牛二走到门边一脚将门踢开，五个人像潮水一样涌进屋中。董小宛只“唉呀”了一声便被牛二用棉花堵住了嘴，用绳子绑了起来。有三个家奴像抓小鸡一样扑向惜惜，惜惜在这一刻已被吓得发不出声音了，她只看见三个黑影像被狂风吹动的乌云一样扑来。一个家奴在惜惜嘴上塞上棉花，然后反扭过手捆了起来。那个将惜惜摔倒在床上的家奴在离开惜惜的时候在她屁股上捏了一把。捆绑董小宛和惜惜在同一时间里完成，前后不到一分钟。牛二扛起董小宛就下了楼，径直离开了董府。
董旻睡得很死，楼上发生的一切他浑然不知。单妈睡在楼下厨房隔壁房里，牛二一脚踢开门的声响惊醒了她，门响之后又归于沉寂，单妈觉得自己听觉出了错误，但不一会儿响起的声音使她确信有事情发生，单妈的胆子很小，她等楼下的声音消失后才点燃灯去唤醒了董旻。董旻睡意未消地跟着单妈来到楼上，但董小宛屋里的灯光和敞开的门完全打醒了他。他们快速地奔进屋去，只见惜惜被捆绑在床上，而董小宛却不见踪影。董旻和单妈见到这种情形惊呆了，他们从惊异中醒过来便哇的一声哭了起来。他们的哭声传出很远，处在惊吓中的董旻和单妈忘记了被捆绑的惜惜。惜惜在使劲翻滚中惊动了董旻，董旻才去解开惜惜的绳子。被解开绳子的惜惜失声哭起来，大声叫道：“姐姐被强盗劫走……”
座落在虎丘的云岩寺香火特别旺盛。云岩寺每天进香的人像赶季节的鱼群一样拥挤。云岩寺的香火旺盛的原因是云岩寺的方丈慧远禅师是一位得道高僧，在云岩寺求签问卦经他的解说十有八九是应验的。所以，苏州的人们遇事去云岩寺求一签以测祸福。
云岩寺的住持觉尘光溜溜的头，光溜溜的下巴，头上的戒疤十分明显，他四十多岁的光景，像一棵冲天的树，一对像老鼠一样的眼睛常眯成一条缝。觉尘很小就来到云岩寺。那次到了城里遇见一个叫玉兰儿的青楼女子，但只那一次觉尘便发现了寺外的天地美丽。那次，玉兰儿碰见觉尘可能是戏耍地对觉尘抛了些媚眼，但觉尘却被深深地吸引，一种晚来的青春激荡使觉尘难以控制。在那年的秋天觉尘在一个夜晚将玉兰儿引到寺里。起初，玉兰儿对觉尘提出上床的要求不肯答应，但觉尘已不能自拔，他便扔了五十两香客们进的香火钱给玉兰儿，玉兰儿便十分爽快地答应了觉尘的要求。觉尘在那一晚将集蓄了四十多年的欲望全部发泄了出来，但玉兰儿对觉尘一次又一次的要求感到力不从心，在觉尘提出第四次要求的时候，玉兰儿便拒绝了。对于觉尘来说，他对人生的体验在那一晚似乎达到了顶点，在遭到玉兰儿拒绝的时候，他觉得对不起那五十两银子，于是对玉兰儿采取了强迫手段。玉兰儿尽力地反抗，觉尘在用尽力后还是达不到目的，于是他恼羞成怒，认为玉兰儿欺骗了他，在愤怒中用一灯盏砸破了玉兰儿的脸，玉兰儿的脸从那以后便永远地留下了两寸长的疤痕。由于这疤痕，玉兰儿的卖身生涯也从此衰败，在维持不下生活的时候，她便嫁了一个五十多岁做小本生意的单身汉。
那晚觉尘和玉兰儿的打斗惊动了云岩寺，第二天慧远方丈召急了全寺僧人，决定驱赶觉尘出云岩寺。同一天，玉兰儿为了两寸长的疤痕也将觉尘告到了官府。后由于霍华的出面，觉尘既没有被官府治罪，也没有被赶出云岩寺。霍华经常到云岩寺求签，与觉尘有一定的来往。在他的说情下，慧远也不想失去这有钱的香客，并以慈悲为怀为理由，留下了觉尘，觉尘以后确实收敛了自己的行为。
在董小宛被劫的那天午后，霍华门人景尚天找到了觉尘，觉尘看见景尚天到来就预计到灾难的降临。迫于霍华的势力和恩德，他答应了将劫来的董小宛藏于寺中。
当天深夜，牛二将劫来的董小宛带到云岩寺，把董小宛藏于寺内的云岩塔里，牛二留下四名家奴看守董小宛，然后带着另外四名家奴回到了霍府。第二天觉尘依照景尚天的吩咐在塔外贴了一张字条，字条上写着：
塔中近日忽有怪异，请香客止步。
董旻、单妈、惜惜在深夜里放声大哭。他们悲伤一阵后，才想起应该把董小宛被劫的消息告诉刘师峻，刘师峻成了他们唯一的希望。于是董旻不顾外面的黑暗深一脚浅一脚地赶往了刘师峻府中。
刘师峻于沉沉的睡意中被董旻唤醒，得到董小宛被劫的消息后，他的睡意消逝了。刘师峻首先感到十分惊诧，然后他才觉察到同意董小宛回去住是一个极大的错误。他慢慢冷静了下来，安慰着董旻说董小宛暂时是不会有危险的，他叫董旻先回去，让他想办法查找董小宛。董旻走后刘师峻在焦急中等到天亮，他派人去叫来了刘大行一起赶到苏州府衙，知府听到消息便派出几名捕快，严限破案，按照离开南京时柳如是的吩咐，刘师峻又派人星夜赶至南京。
五六天的时间过去了，不论是对于董小宛还是刘师峻都觉得时间的缓慢，好像时间是行走在泥沼地里一样。刘师峻寻找董小宛毫无线索，仿佛她已从地上消失。刘师峻猜测劫走董小宛的不是什么强盗，而是与债主有关。但他的这一猜测被霍华等债主们在董小宛被劫走后上府衙去闹说董小宛不是被劫走而是躲债搞得迷惑不清，刘师峻在这几天心神不定，知府的查询毫无结果，而湖州催他上任的通知一封接一封。他最后在派人通知柳如是后便赶至湖州接任去了。
董小宛被锁在云岩塔里，整天以泪洗面。最初的两天，她什么也不吃，送来的饭都被她倒在地上，碗也摔破在墙角。两天过去，墙角堆了一堆破瓷渣，饭菜也发出一股难闻的气味。
她整日面对恐惧、想起许多难以忘怀的旧事。在将以前让人激动的事回忆一遍然后她便开始想象寻死的方式。她将在塔里能够达到死亡目的的办法都想了一遍，但总觉不如意，而离开南京时李香君对她说的“要寻死，就跳秦淮河”的话也常常出现在她的脑中。董小宛打消寻死的念头是在第三天霍华来到塔里以后才产生的。
董小宛被劫的第三天，霍华乔装打扮来到云岩寺的塔中。
觉尘那天接待了霍华，并委婉地告诉霍华希望能将董小宛尽快地弄走，并且不要在寺内滋事。沉浸于兴奋中的霍华并没有明白觉尘的意思，他嫌觉尘唠叨，对他冷冷地哼了几声，觉尘便没敢多说什么。
霍华带着景尚天和家奴进到塔中。他们所有的眼神都射向董小宛，董小宛经过两天的囚禁依然显得那样的美丽。她在心中已打定主意，如果霍华对她不轨，她将拼死相搏，尽管她已毫无一点力气。霍华似乎看穿了董小宛的心思，他只是盯着董小宛看了一时，然后吩咐看守的家奴好好照顾董小宛便离开了云岩寺。
第五天，觉尘贴出塔内有怪异，叫香客止步的字条传进慧远方丈的耳中。慧远听到消息，没有找觉尘询问。他不相信塔中有什么鬼怪，他所认定的是觉尘去年的病又犯了，是不是又引了女人藏在塔中？
晚上二鼓时分，整个虎丘山死一样的寂静，秋风吹动落叶簌簌的声音，秋虫的唧唧声此起彼落，慧远叫醒跟随他的哑沙弥，点燃灯笼，从他的禅房旁边的一扇小门向塔院走去。
那小门年深日久，已荒芜颓旧，被杂草和树林遮得严严的，看不出一丝痕迹。
通往小门的路杂草无数，哑沙弥拿着灯笼在前引路，一路上哑沙弥被树枝刺破了脸，一些被惊动的夜鸟扑扑地飞起，使小沙弥产生无比的寒气。慧远伸手推开小门，小门也应声倒在地上。
这几天董小宛很少睡眠，慧远接近塔的时候惊动了想着心事的她。灯笼的微光和草被踩倒发出的声响使董小宛不寒而噤。灯笼伸进塔洞，慧远模糊地看到一个女人。
“你是何人？为何在此？”慧远问道。
董小宛听见有人说话，稍稍镇静了一下，然后抬起头向塔洞望去。在灯笼的照射下，慧远的光头和花白胡子被董小宛看见，董小宛认得慧远，但在此时她不敢肯定，于是她问道：“是慧远法师吧？”
“我正是慧远，你怎么认得老衲？”慧远感到很惊异。
“我是董小宛呀！当初法师还赠了偈语给我的。”
“阿弥陀佛。女菩萨怎有此难？”
第七天，柳如是和钱牧斋乘着双骑马车赶至苏州，并带着替董小宛还债的银子。对于银子的由来，钱牧斋都不知道。
本来，钱牧斋是不想到苏州来的。那天接到刘师峻派人到南京的通知，钱牧斋感到十分为难，但迫于柳如是的压力，才同意前往苏州。到了苏州，钱牧斋和柳如是便协同刘大行赶往苏州府。朱知府看到钱牧斋的到来感到惶恐不安。他知道钱牧斋此次是专为董小宛的事而来的，而现在董小宛却在他的地方上被劫，所以在与钱牧斋的会见过程中一直有点心虚。钱牧斋在官场中混得久了，他知道要朱知府尽力地追查董小宛的下落就不能对朱知府过分使性子。于是他在整个询问过程中都表现出温和的态度，而朱知府在钱牧斋的温和态度下深深感到了自己的失职，于是他便派出得力捕快追查董小宛的下落。钱牧斋在会见了朱知府后，便又启程到苏州驻军主帅杨昆的府上，杨昆对钱牧斋的来访也表示愿意尽全力帮忙。
经过一天的奔波，董小宛的下落没有一点消息，柳如是的心中越是焦急。傍晚时分，她派人去叫来了惜惜。惜惜见到柳如是失声大哭起来，这哭声又勾起柳如是的悲伤，她想到董小宛的苦难命运便不由自主地掉下了眼泪。
第二天一早，钱牧斋和柳如是乘马车来到云岩寺里。昨晚柳如是想起董小宛曾告诉她说慧远禅师是位高僧，于是她今日便来寺里求见慧远，以测董小宛的祸福。在昨夜梦中，柳如是的脑海里灌满了董小宛飘浮不定的身影，那身影时而向她靠近，时而远去，柳如是觉得睡梦中的身影很痛苦，总是那样模糊不清。
觉尘接待了钱牧斋和柳如是，他看见钱牧斋和柳如是来到寺内，便产生一种不祥的预兆。柳如是在前殿求了一签，签上四句诗：“苧萝无复浣青纱，肠断湖帆十幅斜，蔓草尚沾亡国恨，乾坤何处可为家。”她见签语不祥，闷闷不乐。在云堂休息了片刻，柳如是便提出求见方丈。
慧远在方丈室接见了钱牧斋和柳如是，慧远坐在蒲团上，合掌当胸，手持佛珠。他精神饱满，高额深目，银髯飘拂于胸。柳如是见到慧远莫名其妙精神就愉快起来。她将刚才所求的签交给慧远，慧远看了一眼便说道：“施主放心，有吉无凶。”慧远见柳如是二人沉默不语，便又说道：“二位施主，不远千里而来，不就是为了此事吗？”
钱牧斋和柳如是听得心中一惊。慧远微笑着看他们。柳如是对慧远的话捉摸不透，于是她进一步试探性问道：“弟子世俗愚昧，望求法师指点迷津。”
“施主放心，贫僧方才不是说过有吉无凶吗。”慧远说。
慧远示意哑沙弥拿来笔砚，在一幅素笺上写了几句诗，然后递给钱牧斋。
“施主回去，请将贫僧偈语细细参阅，此行关心之事，即在此中。”慧远说完就叫哑沙弥送客。
事情的发展并不像霍华所预想的那样。刘师峻的离开使霍华高兴了一阵，他梦想着不久就将拥有董小宛。他打算等刘师峻离开苏州后外面对董小宛的追查风平浪静了，就将董小宛接到府中，即使董小宛不从，他也可以霸王硬上弓，将生米煮成熟饭，董小宛也无话可说了。如果按照霍华所想象的那样，董小宛是难逃厄运的，但柳如是和钱牧斋的到来使霍华意识到事情的严重性。这两天，街口到处是官府的捕快，连驻军官兵也进入城内寻找董小宛。霍华开始意识一旦董小宛被找到，他也逃脱不了责任。现在他想到劫持董小宛是他的一个错误。
霍华这两天都面对着虎丘的方向沉默不语，景尚天在此刻也表现出计穷。他也意识到董小宛的事终究要败露，他想劝霍华杀人灭口，但他清楚霍华无论如何是不同意的。景尚天眼看他的赏银将付之东流，于是对钱牧斋和柳如是恨之入骨，但他也只能是恨，在任何行动上他都无能为力。他觉察到霍府已被人监视，便告诉霍华并吩咐所有的人不准离开府内到云岩寺去。
觉尘感觉一种沉重的包袱压在心头，这感觉来源于董小宛。他从心里诅咒霍华，但他又无能为力，并对去年秋日的冲动而深深懊悔。他把现在面临的困境都归结于那次冲动，以至于现在受到霍华的操纵。他每天祈祷着霍华能尽快地将董小宛带离云岩寺，但佛祖对他的恩赐仿佛一无所有，他认为那是对他的惩罚。那天，他接待钱牧斋和柳如是以后，就知道无法脱离困境了。但他也存在侥幸心里，认为藏在塔中的董小宛是不会被人发现的。
“世人尽道皈依好，自在自然不了了；宝塔庄严佛法密，个中真谛须参晓。”钱牧斋面对慧远所赠的偈语苦苦思索着。
从云岩寺回来，他的脑子一直没有停止过思考。慧远所赠的偈语并不高深，但他仍然没有想出点头绪。柳如是见钱牧斋为救董小宛而非常辛苦，她早已准备好了几样可口的下酒菜，待钱牧斋参透偈语后便端出来，其实，钱牧斋对偈语的苦苦思索并不是考虑到董小宛的危难，他认为自己堂堂尚书大人如果对慧远的几句偈语都猜不透，有损他的自尊。看到钱牧斋痛苦思索的样子，柳如是几次想到云岩寺去请慧远给予明示，但她最终打消了这念头。
在此期间，刘大行曾几次来到柳如是的住处，钱牧斋沉浸于他的思考中，对刘大行的到来一点也不知道。刘大行每次到来都是和柳如是简单地谈论一会儿便走。
时间悄悄地向前滑行，已是三更时分。钱牧斋双手伏在桌上，他的头放在伸开的手臂中，灯光照着他的身影在墙上一动不动。柳如是在一旁也毫无睡意，她的一切精力也被董小宛的失踪牵制住。她的手上拿着一本书，书翻在第三页上。
她的眼睛并没有盯在书上，而是盯着钱牧斋。
钱牧斋对慧远的偈语已感到无能为力了，他的心也渐渐开始烦躁起来。他拿着慧远写的素篓不断展玩。最后他把那偈语的每一句拆开来，把每一个字也拆了开来，他无意中发现每一句的第二个字连起来读组成“人在塔中”，他的思绪无意中回到白天在云岩寺时的情景，他想起当时曾提出到云岩寺里的塔中一游，但觉尘说塔中有怪异而拒绝了。这时他肯定了问题就在云岩寺的塔中。在寂静的夜中，钱牧斋忽然大叫一声：“得了！”这一叫声使柳如是的全身一阵颤抖，钱牧斋现出欣喜若狂的表情。
参透慧远的偈语后，钱牧斋感到十分轻松自如。他这时才感觉腹中的饥饿，便叫柳如是去取饭来吃。柳如是快速取来早已备好的酒菜，然后依偎在钱牧斋的身旁替他倒酒。这一夜，钱牧斋和柳如是都很兴奋，看着柳如是那风韵犹在的身躯，钱牧斋引起一阵阵的激动。今晚的柳如是显得更加美丽动人，由于董小宛的下落已明，她似乎恢复了青春，全身洋溢出一种使男人不能拒绝的诱惑力。在钱牧斋表示需要她的时候，她默然地替钱牧斋宽了衣。这一夜钱牧斋无比兴奋，他仿佛忘记了自己的年龄，感觉精力无比的充沛。
事情开始按照钱牧斋和柳如是的设计顺利地进行。他们第二天晚上实施了援救计划。白天，他们找到驻军主帅杨昆，商议援救办法。在大地被夜色笼照住的时候，从军中开出了两队军士，一百人的官军在夜色的掩护下杀向虎丘云岩寺。零乱的脚步声轻微地打破了夜色的寂静。他们成网状包围了云岩寺，慢慢地接近，一个个朦胧的身影像在进行一次真正的伏击战斗。那些年轻一些的士兵显得有些激动，从他们的脚下发出一些与行动不相符的声响。这些没有使他们放在心上，他们知道这次行动十分地容易。本来在白天他们都可以大摇大摆地进行这次行动，但在夜晚使他们觉得更加刺激，更像一次战斗。不久牛二与另外两个家奴被捉了起来。当时在场的霍和按照钱牧斋的计划故意放跑了他。军士们的大呼小叫声惊动了寺内所有僧人，他们不知发生了什么事，吓得手足无措。觉尘作为寺里的住持来询问，他没有意识到董小宛的事已经泄露，他的话还没有说完，就被一根铁链锁了起来。
云岩寺的解救行动刚结束，两乘轿子也来到云岩寺。轿中走下钱牧斋和柳如是，刚被解救出来的董小宛看见柳如是便哇的一声哭了起来。董小宛被关押后的憔悴呈现在柳如是的眼中，但柳如是忍住了她的的眼泪。
看见霍和满脸惊恐地跑进霍府，霍华意识到灾难的来临，这几天来，他们的一举一动都处在捕头严密监视之下。霍华听完霍和的介绍，什么话也没有说，带着霍和和景尚天就从后门奔出霍府。此时，他们已是网中之鱼，刚奔出后门，便被一队官士擒住。