The 100^thAnniversary of Hebei University: HBU Moments

OnCao Xueqin and The Dream of the Red Chamberby Zheng Tiesheng

Liu Fengxiao, graduated from the Chinese department of Hebei University in 1977, whose official WeChat account is “Yi lun Hong Ri Liu Lao Lao” .

The Dream of the Red Chamber is one of the four great classical novels in ancient China. Many people have read The Dream of the Red Chamber, but few people know which version of it has the most popular, concise and lively language. Zheng Tiesheng believes that "Cheng Yi Ben"(the work in 1792) is the most suitable version for popularization. His monograph Cao Xueqin and The Dream of the Red Chamber is based on "Cheng Yi Ben". Many people know that Cao Xueqin is the author of The Dream of the Red Chamber, but a few people know Cao Xueqin's family background and the background of his creation of The Dream of the Red Chamber. Although lots of readers mistakenly think that the last 40 chapters of The Dream of the Red Chamber are added by Gao E, few know that 120 chapters of The Dream of the Red Chamber are compiled, edited and printed by Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E 220 years ago.

As Professor Zheng Tiesheng said in his book: "The first 80 chapters are written by Cao Xueqin, and the last 40 chapters are regarded as Gao E's sequels. In the past half century, it have been the common sense for everyone. However, after several generations of redologists' search for the source and their arguments, the haze was finally cleared and the nature of history was restored. In 2008, 120 chapters of The Dream of the Red Chamber were published in People's Literature Publishing House, which indicated that Cao Xueqin was the author of the first 80 chapters of it, the last 40 chapters were Anonymous, and the 120 chapters of The Dream of the Red Chamber were compiled by Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E. What is commendable is that, Zheng Tiesheng used a large number of detailed historical materials to give a clear explanation on the traditional idea of Gao E's sequel in the last 40 chapters, help readers overcome the bias, limitations, misunderstanding and entanglement brought by the theory of the sequel, and make The Dream of the Red Chamber a complete artistic work and a vivid artistic life for the readers, so as to enjoy the inexhaustible spiritual wealth brought to readers by the whole 120 chapters of The Dream of the Red Chamber, which is one of my gains after reading Zheng Tiesheng's Cao Xueqin and The Dream of the Red Chamber for the first time.

Zheng Tiesheng, a monograph on the interpretation of classical masterpieces published in 2016, has already been sold out on the market and online because the first print run is only 3,000 copies. Fortunately, it will be reprinted soon, and Zheng Tiesheng's book Cao Xueqin and The Dream of the Red Chamber published by Zhongzhou Ancient Books Publishing House will soon be seen.

There are more than a dozen editions of The Dream of the Red Chamber, which are divided into two systems: Cheng Gao Ben(compiled by Cheng Gaoyuan) and Zhi Ben(only copied the 80 chapters of it). The popular edition is Cheng Jia Ben(the work in 1791). Bai Xianyong once said: "The Dream of the Red Chamber is a sealed book, with passwords that can never be solved and various deep meanings that can never be read." Zheng Tiesheng's Cao Xueqin and The Dream of the Red Chamber is a book dedicated to interpreting the password of The Dream of the Red Chamber.

When I was in college, in order to write my graduation thesis, I had looked up a large number of materials on the study of The Dream of the Red Chamber in the library, including the handwritten Zhipi Ben(version of criticism). However, there are more than a dozen versions of The Dream of the Red Chamber, which are divided into two systems: Cheng Gao Ben and Zhi Ben. Which version is better? I haven't figured it out. After reading Cao Xueqin and The Dream of the Red Chamber written by Zheng Tiesheng, my old classmate, the third chapter of the book specifically explains the version and dissemination of The Dream of the Red Chamber. After reading it, I have a clear understanding of the ins and outs of the relevant versions of The Dream of the Red Chamber, and have a brief introduction of the controversy focus of academic redologists in the version of The Dream of the Red Chamber.

Cao Xueqin's The Dream of the Red Chamber was first circulated in the form of transcripts among their his friends, which was the first spread of The Dream of the Red Chamber before Cao Xueqin's death. The earliest version of criticism was the Jiaxu Ben. After Cao Xueqin's death, Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E compiled it, namely Cheng Jia Ben. Before the publication of Cheng Jia Ben, the manuscript of Zhi Yan Zhai's Re-evaluation of The Story of the Stone had been circulated during Qianlong period. There is a poem to prove that "Cao Xueqin’s literary technique is scholarly and influence a long time. Only lovers shed tears when they read it. It is a pity that they did not know each other at the same time, and several times I covered up and cried for Cao Xueqin". This poem was written in the 33rd year of Qianlong period(1768), only five years after Cao Xueqin's death (1763).

Most of the more than a dozen manuscripts found in The Dream of the Red Chamber retain the comments represented by Zhi Yan Zhai. In 1927, Hu Shi discovered Zhiping Jiaxu, and later discovered more than ten Zhiping editions(the version of criticism) such as Gengchen Ben and Jimao Ben. In his early years, Hu Shi published long papers such as "New Materials for Textual Research on The Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Postscript Qianlong Gengchen's Ben Zhi Yan Zhai Comments on Stone Story "which shocked the academic circles. Hu Shi came from textual research in his later period and returned to the text. From beginning to end, Zhou Ruchang believed that the Zhi Ben was Cao Xueqin's real version, while Cheng Weiyuan's Gao E edition was a "fake version".

In 1959, a 120-chapter manuscript of The Dream of the Red Chamber was discovered in Shanxi province. According to the collector's inscription on the title page, Zheng Tiesheng thought it was a manuscript from the Qianlong period, thus concluding that the last 40 chapters of The Dream of the Red Chamber could not be continued by Gao E.

220 years ago, Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E compiled, edited and printed 120 chapters of The Dream of the Red Chamber, which enabled the great work to be published and spread. In 2008, 120 chapters of The Dream of the Red Chamber were published in People's Literature Publishing House, which indicated that Cao Xueqin was the author of the first 80 chapters of it, the last 40 chapters were Anonymous, and the 120 chapters of The Dream of the Red Chamber were compiled by Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E. After reading Cao Xueqin and The Dream of the Red Chamber, Zheng Tiesheng’s ideas that Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E are the most contributors to The Dream of the Red Chamber and Cheng Yi Ben(the work in 1792) is most suitable as a popular version, is undoubtedly correct to my mind.

Zheng Tiesheng studied and taught classical literature, and classical literature made him. With the publication of monographs on The Dream of the Red Chamber and Romance of the Three Kingdoms one after another, Zheng Tiesheng is well-known from the small world of academia to the big stage of society.

The first five chapters of The Dream of the Red Chamber has special significance in the narrative structure of the book. It is not only a microcosm and symbol of tragic stories, but also the trend and acupuncture points of the whole narrative form. The splendid collapse of Jia’s Mansion, the fate trend of all kinds of characters, and the whirlwind of the main melody of the Red Chamber tragedy all seem to grow here. It seems that a slight move in one part may affect the whole situation.

The fifth chapter of Zheng Tiesheng's Cao Xueqin and The Dream of the Red Chamber is very interesting. In this chapter, Zheng Tiesheng focuses on three small characters: Zhen Shiyin, Jia Yucun and Leng Zixing. In the past, when reading The Dream of the Red Chamber, it was easy to ignore the small characters, and the role of the small characters was also elusive.

After reading Cao Xueqin and The Dream of the Red Chamber, I realized that Cao Xueqin helped readers know Jia’s Mansion through Zhen Shiyin, Jia Yucun and Leng Zixing. The events and characters run through them not only showed the typical environment of Jia’s Mansion, but also expanded the narrative content of the story to varying degrees. Zhen Shiyin, who stepped on the world with one foot and on the fairyland with the other foot, kicked off The Dream of the Red Chamber; Jia Yucun sent the typical character Lin Daiyu to Jia’s Mansion, showing the personalities of Lin Daiyu and Jia Baoyu and the special environment on which they lived; The pedigree in Jia’s Mansion was described through the shrewd and sophisticated Leng Zixing, so that readers have a rough understanding of the framework of the characters in Jia’s Mansion from the beginning.

Jia Baoyu's wandering in illusionary palace unveiled the mysterious veil of dreams and fairyland, and lifted the hijab of "the Twelve Hairpins in Jinling", implying the personality, behavior and fate of "Twelve Hairpins in Jinling" Daiyu, Baochai, Yuanchun, Tanchun, Xiangyun, Miaoyu, Yingchun, Xichun, Xifeng, Qiaojie, Li Wan and Qin Keqing. The last tune of The Dream of the Red Chamber is "As an official, his property withers; as the rich, their gold and silver are used up;...... The good food has been eaten up, and the birds are scattered into the forest, leaving only a vast expanse of white land, clean and with nothing." It is a summary of the life and fate of the Twelve Hairpins in Jinling and the low-ranking Xiangling, Jingwen and Xiren, and it is also a general summary of the collapse and failure of Jia’s Mansion.

Zheng Tiesheng's Cao Xueqin and The Dream of the Red Chamber has no specific readership. After reading it, I think college students can read it, middle school students can read it, lovers of The Dream of the Red Chamber should read it, and scholars should read it too. Reading Professor Zheng Tiesheng's book Cao Xueqin and The Dream of the Red Chamber was very pleasant. It is not very tiring to read, nor is it afraid to read, nor is it worried about not being able to read it, because Cao Xueqin and The Dream of the Red Chamber has smooth language, vivid words and a large amount of academic information, which is suitable for the public to read. This monograph on the interpretation of Redology is the best work to help readers understand Cao Xueqin and his The Dream of the Red Chamber.

Zheng Tiesheng, an alumni of Chinese major Grade 1977 in Hebei University, was once the dean of School of Chinese Studies of Tianjin Foreign Studies University, the executive deputy editor-in-chief of academic journal and professorⅡof Tianjin Foreign Studies University. He also acts as Director of China Dream of Red Mansions Society, Vice President of China Romance of the Three Kingdoms Society, Director of China Rhetoric Society and Vice President of China Rhetoric Society as a Foreign Language.