The Twelve Beauties of Jinling – A Dream Across a Thousand Miles of East Wind, Yet Tan Chun's Family

　　Talented and ambitious, yet born in a declining era, her fate was ill-fated. On Qingming
　　Festival, tears streamed down her face as she gazed towards the riverbank, a thousand miles away, a distant dream carried on the east wind.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　— Prophecy

　　A thousand miles of wind and rain on a single sail, leaving behind family and home. Fearing tears would shorten her remaining years, she told her parents not to worry about her. Since ancient times, poverty and wealth have been predetermined, and separation and reunion are not without reason. From now on, we are separated, each keeping safe and sound. I am leaving, do not be concerned.
　　Jia Tanchun, a character in Cao Xueqin's *Dream of the Red Chamber*, one of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling, is the daughter of Jia Zheng and his concubine Zhao Yiniang of the Rongguo Mansion, and Jia Baoyu's half-sister. She is commonly referred to as the Third Miss in the Jia family. She was shrewd, capable, and decisive, earning the nickname "Rose." Even Lady Wang and Fengjie were somewhat wary of her. During the search of the Grand View Garden, she slapped Wang Shanbao's wife. She was skilled in poetry and calligraphy, possessing refined tastes. She initiated the establishment of the Begonia Poetry Club, making her a highly talented woman in the Grand View Garden. She cared about national affairs and had practical abilities. She was once ordered by Lady Wang to manage the household in place of Fengjie and presided over the reform of the Grand View Garden, demonstrating her strategic brilliance as a statesman and reformer. Jia Tanchun was born in a declining era and was born out of wedlock. Due to the interference of Aunt Zhao, she was not given important positions. Although she temporarily assumed power and initiated reforms in the Grand View Garden during Fengjie's sick leave, her power was limited, and it was too late to reverse the Jia family's decline. During the search of the Grand View Garden, she expressed her "centipede theory" with great grief and indignation. Her fate was intertwined with the important political storyline of suppressing the rebellion at sea. Her father, Jia Zheng, arranged for her to marry into the Zhou family, the governor of Zhenhai in Hainan, thus escaping the confiscation of her family's property. When the rebellion was quelled, she was able to return to the capital to visit her family. Tan Chun was the daughter of Aunt Zhao, Jia Zheng's illegitimate daughter. Tan Chun was capable, but because she was an illegitimate daughter, she was not valued and was looked down upon by the servants in the household. Ping'er quickly bowed and accepted the greeting, then quietly pointed to the other wives and said, "You're all being too unreasonable. He's a young lady, and he doesn't dare to show his anger; this is his way of showing respect. You all despise and bully him. Sure enough, he might provoke him, but he'll just call her rude, and that'll be the end of it. You'll find you can't afford to suffer any losses. Fortunately, Tan Chun's marriage to a distant man is quite good. Tan Chun drew a lot, which read, 'Whoever draws this lot will surely get a noble husband. Let's all congratulate him and drink a toast together.' Everyone laughed, '...Our family already has a princess; are you going to be a princess too?'" Unlike Yingchun, who was mistakenly married to a heartless man and died after only a year of marriage, Tanchun's fate is different. The judgment in the main register depicts two people flying a kite, a vast sea, and a large ship with a woman on board, weeping with her face covered. There are also four lines that read: "Talented and intelligent, with lofty aspirations, born in a declining era, her fate was ill-fated. Tears flow on Qingming Festival as she gazes towards the riverbank, a thousand miles of east wind carrying a distant dream." Tanchun is the most talented and intelligent woman in *Dream of the Red Chamber*. Cao Xueqin must have liked her, otherwise why would he use the word "intelligent" to describe her? Tanchun is the most beloved character in *Dream of the Red Chamber*; she is straightforward, direct, unpretentious, perceptive, possesses practical talent, and has foresight. In my eyes, Tan Chun is the purest woman in *Dream of the Red Chamber*. Unlike Miao Yu, who is impure despite her desire for purity, or Miao Yu, who is aloof and arrogant, or Bao Chai, who is composed and lacks the joy of a woman her age, or Dai Yu, whose scheming leads to her tragic fate, or Xiang Yun, who is frivolous and overly lively, or Xi Chun, who is aloof and disillusioned with the world, or Ying Chun, who is dull and timid, Tan Chun possesses a unique charm. As Zhi Yanzhai said: "Alas! How difficult it is! Tan Chun, with the dignity of a young lady, the love of Grandmother Jia, the entrustment of Lady Wang, and the fact that Feng Jie has not yet resigned, temporarily takes over for several months, yet treacherous servants rise up, and there is internal and external bullying. Even the smallest matters suddenly stir up a storm. Is this not difficult?" With Fengjie's intelligence, talent, political acumen, favored status, and tireless efforts, even with all her attempts to mend the situation, she still found herself in a predicament, unable to extricate herself from the predicament. Wasn't it incredibly difficult to devise a plan to shift blame to Dongwu? Moreover, those who lack Fengjie's intelligence, talent, political acumen, favored status, and tireless efforts, and who lack the love of Grandmother Jia, the dignity of a young lady, and the trust of the mistress, are even more difficult to manage and maintain order. Scholars aspiring to great things, upon reading this passage, cannot help but write down their thoughts, lingering and weeping.
　　Tanchun may not be the most outstanding among the Twelve Beauties of Jinling, perhaps not as talented as Baochai and Daiyu, perhaps not as worldly-wise as Xichun, but in managing a household, Tanchun may even surpass Fengjie. Tanchun is a uniquely beautiful presence in the Jia family, a delicate and beautiful rose with thorns.