如果說《紅樓夢》裡，誰最有骨氣，許多人第一個想到的，未必是林黛玉，也未必是晴雯，而是賈母的大丫鬟鴛鴦。因為別的女子，大多是在命運逼到絕路之後，才選擇了死。
而鴛鴦，卻是在一開始，就已經看透了賈府的吃人本質，瞭解自己的命運。她知道，一旦低頭，這一生就徹底完了。所以她寧可死。
鴛鴦是賈母身邊最得力的大丫鬟，她雖是奴婢，卻與一般丫鬟不同。她自幼在賈母身邊長大，深得信任，賈母日常飲食起居、衣物首飾、庫房器用，幾乎都由她管理。府中上下，無論主子還是管事媳婦，都不敢輕視她。
李紈曾說，老太太那些穿的戴的，別人未必記得，只有鴛鴦樣樣清楚。這句話，說明了她在賈府中的地位。她不是普通丫鬟，她幾乎就是賈家大家長賈母的管家人。
而且她生得也極好。曹雪芹在書中寫她：「蜂腰削背，鴨蛋臉面，烏油頭髮，高高的鼻子，兩腮微微幾點雀斑。」那不是俗艷的美，而是一種乾淨利落的俊俏。
更難得的是，她心氣極高。她雖然是奴婢，卻從不輕賤自己。她比很多主子都活得清醒，也比很多小姐更有尊嚴。
所以，當賈家的長房賈赦，看上她，要納她為妾時，她立刻便明白，自己的災難來了。如果說《紅樓夢》裡，誰最有骨氣，許多人第一個想到的，未必是林黛玉，也未必是晴雯，而是賈母的大丫鬟鴛鴦。因為別的女子，大多是在命運逼到絕路之後，才選擇了死。
而鴛鴦，卻是在一開始，就已經看透了賈府的吃人本質，瞭解自己的命運。她知道，一旦低頭，這一生就徹底完了。所以她寧可死。
鴛鴦是賈母身邊最得力的大丫鬟，她雖是奴婢，卻與一般丫鬟不同。她自幼在賈母身邊長大，深得信任，賈母日常飲食起居、衣物首飾、庫房器用，幾乎都由她管理。府中上下，無論主子還是管事媳婦，都不敢輕視她。
李紈曾說，老太太那些穿的戴的，別人未必記得，只有鴛鴦樣樣清楚。這句話，說明了她在賈府中的地位。她不是普通丫鬟，她幾乎就是賈家大家長賈母的管家人。
而且她生得也極好。曹雪芹在書中寫她：「蜂腰削背，鴨蛋臉面，烏油頭髮，高高的鼻子，兩腮微微幾點雀斑。」那不是俗艷的美，而是一種乾淨利落的俊俏。
更難得的是，她心氣極高。她雖然是奴婢，卻從不輕賤自己。她比很多主子都活得清醒，也比很多小姐更有尊嚴。
所以，當賈家的長房賈赦，看上她，要納她為妾時，她立刻便明白，自己的災難來了。
為了清楚瞭解鴛鴦之死的深層原因， 有必要把賈家的兩個主要人物， 賈赦和賈政簡單介紹一下。
在《紅樓夢》中，賈母有二子一女， 長子賈赦，次之賈政， 他們二人是榮國府第二代的核心人物。雖然是同胞兄弟，但在性格、為官、治家以及在賈母心中的地位，存在著極大且鮮明的不同。
賈赦，字恩侯， 是個有名無權的襲職者。賈赦身為長子，世襲榮國公一系爵位。但在家族內部，他實際上是一個被邊緣化的名義掌門人。
他荒淫好色、貪婪暴虐、執拗且毫無遠見。他不學無術，不務正業，一生沉溺於不擇手段地搜羅古玩字畫，甚至不惜違法逼死人命。 另外就是無休無止地搜羅美色，沈溺於聲色享樂。
雖然他是長子，且襲爵位，但榮國府的實際財政大權，當家大權，都由賈母主導， 是由其弟賈政、弟媳王夫人以及他的兒子賈璉、兒媳王熙鳳掌握，與他無關。他甚至只能住在榮國府東側的「別院」，原榮府舊園，並需由另外的「黑油大門」出入，書中常以「大老爷院」指代。
身為長子， 卻無法入住象徵家族正統的榮禧堂。他深知賈母偏愛弟弟賈政，因此對賈母，心生怨恨，雖然那是他親媽 。
次子賈政，字存周，是個正統刻板、內心矛盾的衛道人士，是賈母最疼愛的小兒子。他雖然沒有襲爵，但透過「賜封」獲得官職，並代為掌管榮國府的正統大權。他隨賈母，史太君住在榮國府的正房「榮禧堂」，那是當家宅邸， 是家族正統的象徵。
賈政篤信儒家禮教、為人端方正直、個性嚴厲且極度注重名譽。他雖然想當個嚴父與清官，但能力有限，性格流於迂腐、刻板，且缺乏實際治國與治家才幹。
他在家族中的地位， 是正統代表。 是賈母眼中的「好兒子」，代表了賈府在主流社會的清正形象。他喜歡結交清客相公，如賈雨村之流的名流，談論詩詞學問為樂 。
賈政是個嚴厲的父親，極度崇尚傳統科舉，因此對不愛讀聖賢書、流連閨閣的次子賈寶玉極其嚴厲，動輒打罵，父子關係形同水火。
他的為官與治家能力都不怎麼樣，為官清廉但無能。他曾外放擔任江西糧道等官職，雖然本人不貪污，卻因為人迂腐、不懂官場潛規則，放任下屬與僕人，在地方上敲詐勒索，導致名聲受損。
他治家採取放任政策， 雖然是一家之主，但日常家務與財務完全交給王夫人與王熙鳳處理，對底下奴才們欺上瞞下、利令智昏毫無察覺，是導致榮國府經濟崩潰的「甩手掌櫃」。
賈赦是什麼人，整個賈府人人皆知。荒淫，好色，自私，冷酷。最讓人不齒的是， 年紀已經那麼大，卻仍然到處搜羅年輕女子糟蹋。
就是這個老色鬼，看中了賈母身邊的大丫鬟鴛鴦，想納她為妾。 這件事表面上是賈赦好色，如果往深裡洞察， 何嘗不是他試圖通過控制鴛鴦， 從賈母手中，奪取賈家家族財產，走的一步陰險棋。
因為鴛鴦不僅是賈母最信任的貼身大丫鬟，更是賈母「私房錢」的實際保管人。賈母活了七十多年，累積了富可敵國的財富。
賈赦因為揮霍無度、娶小老婆，搜羅古玩，面臨嚴重的財政危機。他想納鴛鴦為妾，真正的目的，是想在自己房裡安插了解賈母財產的眼線，將來可以侵吞賈母的巨額遺產。
賈赦要納鴛鴦為妾這件事，在賈府許多人眼中，覺得算不得什麼大事。丫鬟被老爺收房，納妾，本就是常事。多少家生奴婢，做夢都盼著能被老爺納妾做姨娘。
可鴛鴦不一樣，她太清楚，一旦進了賈赦房中，等待自己的將是什麼。那不是富貴，而是活地獄。所以當邢夫人轉彎抹角地讓人向鴛鴦傳話， 賈赦要收她做妾時， 她沒有半點猶豫，直接拒絕。
後來她的哥哥嫂子，在賈赦示意下，也輪番逼她。那些人嘴裡說得好聽，什麼「姨娘體面」、「將來有靠」，其實不過是想把她送去討好賈赦，可鴛鴦一句也不肯聽。
最後她被逼急了，當著眾人的面發下重誓。 為了瞭解鴛鴦如何拒絕賈赦的納妾要求， 把紅樓夢的原文抄錄一段如下：
鴛鴦…… ，拉了他嫂子，到賈母跟前跪下，一行哭，一行說，把邢夫人怎麼來說，園子裡他嫂子又如何說，今兒他哥哥又如何說，鴛鴦說：
「因為不依，方才大老爺越性說我戀著寶玉，不然要等著往外聘，我到天上，這一輩子也跳不出他的手心去，終久要報仇。
我是橫了心的，當著眾人在這里，我這一輩子莫說是『寶玉』，便是『寶金』『寶銀』『寶天王』『寶皇帝』，橫豎不嫁人就完了！
就是老太太逼著我，我一刀抹死了，也不能從命！若有造化，我死在老太太之先，若沒造化，該討吃的命，伏侍老太太歸了西，我也不跟著我老子娘哥哥去，我或是尋死，或是剪了頭髪當尼姑去！
若說我不是真心，暫且拿話來支吾，日後再圖別的，天地鬼神，日頭月亮照著嗓子，從嗓子裡頭長疔爛了出來，爛化成醬在這里！」
原來他一進來時，便袖了一把剪子，一面說著，一面左手打開頭髪，右手便鉸。眾婆娘丫鬟忙來拉住，已剪下半綹來了。眾人看時，幸而他的頭髪極多，鉸的不透，連忙替他挽上。』
鴛鴦知道，自己只是奴婢。沒有資格決定自己的人生，也沒有資格談條件。她唯一能真正掌握的，只有一件事，那就是死。所以她寧可死，也不肯被賈赦糟蹋。
賈母聽了鴛鴦的哭述， 才了解賈赦要納鴛鴦為妾事情原委，不覺大怒。因為鴛鴦不是普通丫鬟，是她身邊最可靠， 也離不開的人。她直接當眾斥責，硬生生把這件事壓了下去。
當然賈母不同意賈赦納鴛鴦為妾， 並非是考慮鴛鴦前途， 她只是因為離不開鴛鴦的照料， 賈赦的行動直接侵犯了她的利益。
鴛鴦暫時得救了。可她心裡明白，整個大觀園裡， 真正能保她、救她的，只有賈母， 因為賈母需要她。只要賈母還活著，就沒人敢動她。
但如果有一天，賈母死了呢？那時候，誰還能保她？
那時賈赦就是老大， 沒有人可以制約他。 賈政雖然人不壞， 但是迂腐無能， 絕對保護不了她。 所以從她直接拒絕賈赦的要求那時起，鴛鴦就已經替自己準備好了， 如果那一天真的到來， 老太太走了， 她就會以死來對抗。
後來賈府一步步敗落，大觀園散了。那些曾經繁花似錦、烈火烹油的熱鬧日子，終於走到盡頭。而賈母，也老了，走了。
賈母死後，整個賈府氣氛，立刻大變。借一句俗話， 真個是山中無老虎， 猴子稱大王。
從前那些對鴛鴦恭恭敬敬的人，忽然變得冷淡起來；從前那些不敢得罪鴛鴦的人，也開始對她不再看重。因為大家都知道，她最大的靠山倒了。
鴛鴦自己更明白，她知道，賈母死後，賈赦不會放過她。她也知道，一旦被賈赦收房，做了他的小妾， 絕不會有好下場。像她這樣剛烈的人，進了賈赦屋裡，只會慢慢被折磨死，她受不了。
所以，她選擇了最後一條路。
高鶚續書裡寫，鴛鴦在賈母靈前痛哭一場，最後自縊而死。
她用自己的生命，守住了做人的最後尊嚴。所以她或許才是《紅樓夢》裡，最有骨氣的奇女子。
（未完待續）If one were to ask who possessed the greatest integrity in Dream of the Red Chamber, many readers might first think of Lin Daiyu, or perhaps Qingwen. Yet the answer may well be Yuanyang, Grandmother Jia's chief maid.
Most of the young women in the novel chose death only after fate had driven them into a hopeless corner.
Yuanyang was different. From the very beginning, she had already seen through the devouring nature of the Jia household and understood the destiny awaiting her. She knew that once she lowered her head in submission, her entire life would be ruined. Therefore, she chose death rather than surrender.
Yuanyang was Grandmother Jia's most trusted senior maid. Although she was technically a servant, she was unlike ordinary maids. Having grown up beside Grandmother Jia since childhood, she enjoyed her complete confidence. Almost every aspect of the old lady's daily life—from food, clothing, jewelry, and household treasures to the management of storerooms—was entrusted to her. Throughout the mansion, whether masters or senior servants, no one dared underestimate her.
Li Wan once remarked that while others might forget what Grandmother Jia wore or used, Yuanyang remembered every single detail. That simple observation reveals her true position within the Jia household. She was far more than a maid; she was, in effect, the house steward serving the matriarch of the Jia family.
She was also remarkably beautiful. Cao Xueqin describes her as having "a slender waist, graceful shoulders, an oval face, glossy black hair, a high nose, and a few faint freckles upon her cheeks." Hers was not a flamboyant beauty, but one of refinement, freshness, and quiet elegance.If one were to ask who possessed the greatest integrity in Dream of the Red Chamber, many readers might first think of Lin Daiyu, or perhaps Qingwen. Yet the answer may well be Yuanyang, Grandmother Jia's chief maid.
Most of the young women in the novel chose death only after fate had driven them into a hopeless corner.
Yuanyang was different. From the very beginning, she had already seen through the devouring nature of the Jia household and understood the destiny awaiting her. She knew that once she lowered her head in submission, her entire life would be ruined. Therefore, she chose death rather than surrender.
Yuanyang was Grandmother Jia's most trusted senior maid. Although she was technically a servant, she was unlike ordinary maids. Having grown up beside Grandmother Jia since childhood, she enjoyed her complete confidence. Almost every aspect of the old lady's daily life—from food, clothing, jewelry, and household treasures to the management of storerooms—was entrusted to her. Throughout the mansion, whether masters or senior servants, no one dared underestimate her.
Li Wan once remarked that while others might forget what Grandmother Jia wore or used, Yuanyang remembered every single detail. That simple observation reveals her true position within the Jia household. She was far more than a maid; she was, in effect, the house steward serving the matriarch of the Jia family.
She was also remarkably beautiful. Cao Xueqin describes her as having "a slender waist, graceful shoulders, an oval face, glossy black hair, a high nose, and a few faint freckles upon her cheeks." Hers was not a flamboyant beauty, but one of refinement, freshness, and quiet elegance.
Even more admirable was her proud spirit. Though born a servant, she never regarded herself as inferior. She lived with greater clarity than many of her masters and possessed more dignity than many noble young ladies.
So when Jia She, the eldest son of the Jia family, set his sights on taking her as a concubine, she immediately understood that disaster had arrived.
To understand the deeper reasons behind Yuanyang's tragic end, it is necessary to briefly introduce the two principal male figures of the Jia family: Jia She and Jia Zheng.
In Dream of the Red Chamber, Grandmother Jia had two sons and one daughter. Her eldest son was Jia She; the younger was Jia Zheng. Together they represented the second generation of leadership within the Rongguo Mansion. Though brothers by blood, they differed dramatically in character, political outlook, household management, and, above all, in the affection they received from their mother.
Jia She, courtesy name Enhou, was the hereditary holder of the Rongguo title, yet possessed little real authority. Although he was the eldest son and inherited his ancestral rank, within the family he had become little more than a marginalized figurehead.
He was lustful, greedy, cruel, stubborn, and utterly lacking in foresight. Uneducated and irresponsible, he devoted his life to acquiring rare paintings and antiques by any means possible—even at the cost of innocent lives—and endlessly pursued beautiful women, indulging without restraint in sensual pleasures.
Although he was the eldest son and inherited the noble title, the actual financial power and authority over the Rongguo Mansion remained firmly under Grandmother Jia's control and were administered by his younger brother Jia Zheng, Jia Zheng's wife Lady Wang, and his own son Jia Lian together with Wang Xifeng. Jia She himself had no meaningful control. He was confined to living in the eastern annex of the mansion—the former old garden of the Rong estate—and even entered and exited through a separate "Black-Lacquer Gate." Throughout the novel, this residence is commonly referred to as "the Eldest Master's Courtyard."
Though the eldest son, he was never allowed to reside in Rongxi Hall, the symbolic center of the family's legitimate authority. Fully aware that Grandmother Jia favored his younger brother Jia Zheng, he nurtured deep resentment toward his own mother.
Jia Zheng, courtesy name Cunzhou, stood in complete contrast. Conservative, orthodox, and morally rigid, he was also a man of inner contradictions. He was Grandmother Jia's favorite son. Although he inherited no noble title, he received an official appointment from the imperial court and assumed responsibility for the legitimate administration of the Rongguo Mansion. Living together with Grandmother Jia in Rongxi Hall—the family's principal residence—he became the public representative of the Jia family's orthodox authority。
Jia Zheng was a devoted follower of Confucian orthodoxy. Upright in conduct, stern in temperament, and deeply concerned with reputation, he sincerely wished to be both a strict father and an honest official. Yet his abilities fell short of his ideals. His rigid conservatism and lack of practical talent left him ill-equipped to govern either the state or his own household.
Within the Jia family, Jia Zheng represented legitimacy and orthodoxy. In Grandmother Jia's eyes, he was the "good son," the one who embodied the respectable public image of the Rongguo Mansion. He enjoyed surrounding himself with scholarly guests and self-styled literati—men such as Jia Yucun，spending his leisure discussing poetry, literature, and classical learning.
As a father, Jia Zheng was uncompromising. He worshipped the traditional civil-service examination system and therefore despised the fact that his second son, Jia Baoyu, had no interest in Confucian classics and preferred the company of young women. His discipline often took the form of severe beatings and harsh reprimands, leaving the father and son almost irreconcilable.
His abilities as both an official and a household administrator were equally limited. Although personally incorruptible, he lacked political wisdom. During his appointments outside the capital, including his service as Grain Commissioner in Jiangxi, he failed to restrain his subordinates and household retainers, allowing them to extort the local people. As a result, his reputation suffered despite his own honesty.
His approach to family management was equally passive. Though nominally the head of the household, he left virtually all domestic affairs and financial management to Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng. Blind to the deception, corruption, and greed flourishing among the servants, he became the classic "hands-off master," whose negligence contributed significantly to the financial collapse of the Rongguo Mansion.
Everyone in the Jia household knew exactly what sort of man Jia She was. Lustful, selfish, cold-hearted, and shameless, what disgusted people most was that, despite his advancing age, he never ceased hunting for young women to satisfy his desires.
It was this aging libertine who fixed his attention upon Yuanyang, Grandmother Jia's chief maid, intending to make her his concubine. On the surface, the matter appeared to be nothing more than another episode of Jia She's lechery. Yet beneath it lay a far more calculating design. By gaining control over Yuanyang, he hoped to gain control over Grandmother Jia's immense private fortune.
Yuanyang was not merely Grandmother Jia's closest personal attendant; she was also the actual custodian of the old matriarch's private wealth. After more than seventy years, Grandmother Jia had accumulated an enormous personal fortune.
Jia She, meanwhile, was suffering from severe financial difficulties brought on by his extravagant lifestyle, his numerous concubines, and his obsession with collecting expensive antiques. His true purpose in taking Yuanyang as a concubine was to place someone familiar with Grandmother Jia's finances inside his own household, thereby paving the way to seize her enormous inheritance after her death.
To many people within the Jia family, Jia She's proposal seemed hardly worth discussing. A maid becoming her master's concubine was commonplace. Countless hereditary servants dreamed of being elevated to the status of an official concubine.
But Yuanyang was different. She understood perfectly what awaited her if she entered Jia She's chamber. It was not wealth or honor that lay ahead, but a living hell. Therefore, when Lady Xing cautiously sent word that Jia She intended to take her as his concubine, Yuanyang refused without the slightest hesitation.
Later, encouraged by Jia She, even her own brother and sister-in-law took turns pressuring her. They spoke sweetly of the "honor" of becoming a concubine and the "security" it would bring her future. In truth, they merely wished to curry favor with Jia She by sacrificing her. Yuanyang refused to listen to a single word.
Driven to the limit, she finally made a solemn oath before everyone present. To understand the extraordinary courage with which Yuanyang rejected Jia She's proposal, it is worth reading Cao Xueqin's own words:
Yuanyang took her sister-in-law by the hand, knelt before Grandmother Jia, and wept as she recounted everything—how Lady Xing had approached her, how her sister-in-law had tried to persuade her in the garden, and how even her own brother had joined in the pressure. Then Yuanyang declared:
"Because I refused, the Eldest Master has now spread the rumor that I have secretly set my heart upon Baoyu. Otherwise, he says, I must be waiting to marry someone outside the family. Even if I were to flee to Heaven itself, I could never escape his grasp. One day, he would surely have his revenge.
I have already made up my mind. Before everyone gathered here today, I swear that I shall never marry—not Baoyu, not 'Precious Gold,' not 'Precious Silver,' not even an emperor himself. I simply will not marry anyone.
Even if the Old Madam herself were to command me, I would rather cut my own throat than obey. If fate is kind, I shall die before the Old Madam does. If fate is otherwise, then after I have served her until the end of her days, I will never return to my parents or my brother. I shall either end my own life or shave my head and become a Buddhist nun.
And if these words are not spoken from the bottom of my heart—if I am merely delaying matters while secretly planning another course—then may Heaven and Earth, the gods, the sun and the moon bear witness against me. May dreadful sores grow within my throat until I rot away where I stand!"
Only then did everyone discover that she had concealed a pair of scissors inside her sleeve before entering the room. As she spoke, she loosened her hair with one hand and, with the other, cut off a large lock of it. The women and maids rushed forward to stop her. Fortunately, her hair was thick, and only part of it had been cut away. They quickly gathered it up and pinned it back into place.
Yuanyang knew that she was only a servant. She possessed neither the right to decide her own future nor the right to bargain with her masters. There was only one thing that truly remained under her own control—her death. Therefore, she would rather die than allow herself to become Jia She's victim.
When Grandmother Jia heard Yuanyang's tearful account, she finally understood the entire scheme behind Jia She's attempt to force Yuanyang into becoming his concubine. She flew into a rage. Yuanyang was no ordinary maid; she was the most dependable person at her side, someone Grandmother Jia simply could not do without. In front of everyone, she sharply rebuked Jia She and forcefully suppressed the matter.
Of course, Grandmother Jia opposed the marriage not because she was particularly concerned about Yuanyang's future. Her primary concern was that she could not live without Yuanyang's devoted care. Jia She's actions had directly threatened her own interests.
For the moment, Yuanyang was saved.
Yet deep inside, she understood the truth. Throughout the entire Grand View Garden, only Grandmother Jia could truly protect her, because Grandmother Jia needed her. As long as the old matriarch remained alive, no one dared lay a hand upon her.
But what would happen when Grandmother Jia was gone?
Then Jia She would become the undisputed master of the household. No one would be able to restrain him. Jia Zheng, though not an evil man, was timid, rigid, and utterly incapable of protecting her. From the very moment she openly rejected Jia She's demand, Yuanyang had already prepared herself for that day. If the old matriarch were gone and no one remained to shield her, she would resist in only one way she still could，by choosing death.
As the Jia family gradually declined, the Grand View Garden was dispersed, and the days of dazzling prosperity finally came to an end. Grandmother Jia, too, grew old and eventually passed away.
The moment she died, the atmosphere throughout the Jia household changed completely. As the old Chinese saying goes, "When the tiger leaves the mountain, the monkeys proclaim themselves kings."
Those who had once treated Yuanyang with the greatest respect suddenly became distant. Those who had never dared offend her no longer regarded her with any importance. Everyone understood that the strongest pillar supporting her had collapsed.
Yuanyang understood this better than anyone. She knew Jia She would never let her escape once Grandmother Jia was gone. She also knew that if she were finally forced into his chamber as his concubine, no good could possibly come of it. A woman as proud and unyielding as she was would only be broken, little by little, until death itself became a mercy. She could never endure such a fate.
So she chose the final road.
In Gao E's continuation of Dream of the Red Chamber, Yuanyang weeps bitterly before Grandmother Jia's coffin and finally hangs herself.
With her own life, she preserved the last dignity that no one could take away from her.
For that reason, she may well be the woman of greatest moral courage in Dream of the Red Chamber.
(To be continued)
