Wang Xifeng
Wang Xifeng (Chinese: 王熙鳳) is one of the principal characters in the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. A not-so-well educated upper-class woman with finesse, she is also known as "Peppercorn Feng" (鳳辣子) or "Hot Pepper".
Purse Strings
Xifeng is a niece of Lady Wang and is married to Jia Lian, the eldest grandchild of Grandmother Jia (hence, she is related to Baoyu by blood and by marriage). As such she plays a significant role in the day-to-day running of the Rongguo household; in fact, she is the de facto holder of the household's purse. She is the most powerful woman of the Jia Clan, after Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang. She is also worldly, tactful, able to sweettalk Grandmother Jia and the other powerful ladies within the family, while controlling the servants with an iron fist. However her husband Jia Lian does not treat her kindly, and is often caught womanizing outside.
Most Capable Woman
Sister Feng (Feng Jie) as Xifeng is also known, is well known in the novel both for her great capability as well as her almost-venomous character; when a poorer member of the Jia family once showed interest in her, she tricked him repeatedly into "rendezvous" which turned out to be a trap, and eventually got the offending man killed (Chapters 11 and 12). Yet she is without doubt the most capable woman, if not the most capable character, within the novel; impartial and harsh in her discipline, she is hailed by her niece-in-law Qin Keqing as "a hero amongst womenfolk". She can be kindhearted towards rustic folks like Granny Liu, yet capable of great cruelty when her power is challenged, such as engineering the suicide of her husband's concubine Second Sister You, whom she hated.
She has a daughter, her only child by Jia Lian, Jia Qiaojie, who is named by Granny Liu.
See also
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