What is the experience of Cao Xueqin, the author of A Dream of Red Mansions?

Speaking of A Dream of Red Mansions, many people can even know the family background of Jia, Shi, Wang and Xue like the back of their hands. But when it comes to Cao Xueqin, the author of A Dream of Red Mansions, people agree with his poor life. Who is his father? Where is his ancestral home? Where is he buried? These basic problems for a person have also become the cause of the war of words in the Red Chamber.

A Dream of Red Mansions has been a popular novel since it came out, and reading it seems to be an enduring cultural fashion. At the same time, people gradually put forward new questions: what kind of author and what kind of experience can write such a legendary story?

Cao Xueqin (1724~ 1764), the author of A Dream of Red Mansions, whose real name is Zhan, is Xueqin, Qinpu,,.

His ancestors lived in Daxunhe Village, Yaobao, southwest suburb of Tieling City, Liaoning Province before the end of Ming Dynasty. When the Jin army plundered the land after Nurhachi, Cao Xiyuan, the distant ancestor of Cao Xueqin, was captured by the Jin army and became Dourgen's domestic slave, belonging to Zhengbaiqi's coating ("coating" is short for Manchu transliteration of "domestic slave" and "coating Aha"). After the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, the "Office of the Interior" was set up to manage daily chores such as property, food and utensils and palace chores for the emperor, and Cao Jia became a member of the "Office of the Interior". Cao Zhenyuan's son Cao established a military service system, and officials adjusted salt in Zhejiang and formulated the company's salt law. From Cao's son, Cao and Cao's eldest son, to his eldest son, Cao Qing, and his nephew, four people in three generations successively held the post of Jiangning Weaving. Weaving is mainly to manage, manufacture and buy palace supplies for the emperor, but in addition, it also serves as the work of collecting information for the emperor. Cao Yin often told Kangxi about all aspects of the South, including politics, economy, culture, ideology, public security, people's feelings and so on. The Cao family has held this position for generations, which shows that they have a particularly close relationship with the emperor. Cao's wife is Kangxi's nanny. During Kangxi's southern tour, she met Sun Shi in Jiangning Weaving Factory and called her "my old man". Cao Xueqin's grandfather, Cao Yin, was the prefect of Kangxi when he was a child, and later served as a bodyguard. In the memorial to Kangxi, it was claimed that "all the ministers were vulgar", which showed that Cao furniture had a special status: to the emperor, it was a slave, but to the average person, it was a very prominent bureaucrat and a member of the highest ruling class. After Yongzheng ascended the throne, Cao Jia was left out in the cold and Cao was reprimanded. At the end of the fifth year of Yongzheng (1727) and the beginning of the sixth year (1728), Cao was ordered to take property, and Cao was "cangue". Cao Yin's widow and other family members moved back to Beijing and lived in a few houses outside Chongwenmen. The Cao family has since declined. Cao Xueqin, who has experienced such family changes, has a profound understanding of the darkness and evil of aristocratic families, which has become an important life foundation for his creation of A Dream of Red Mansions.

Cao Yin has a good literary accomplishment and a rich collection of books. He was a famous bibliophile and sculptor at that time. He can write poems and plays at the same time, and has works such as Copy Poems, Copy Words, and Copy Articles from the Lotus Pavilion. He has commissioned the publication and engraving of Complete Tang Poetry and Pei Yunwen Fu. He had contacts with some famous poets and writers at that time, such as Shi, You Dong, Zhu Yizun and Hong Sheng. Such a cultural tradition in the family will certainly make Cao Xueqin receive a good cultural education and artistic edification from an early age. His extraordinary artistic genius in A Dream of Red Mansions is justified.

Hu Shi made a preliminary discussion on Cao Xueqin's lineage through his famous work Textual Research on a Dream of Red Mansions. The Family Tree of Cao Shi compiled by Hu Shi only comes from Cao Yan-array, the distant ancestor of Cao Xueqin. With the discovery of new materials and the deepening of research, there are more places to explore and analyze.

1In July 1992, a tombstone of Cao Xueqin was unearthed in Zhangjiawan, Tongxian County, the eastern suburb of Beijing. According to Li, a local villager who found this tombstone, this tombstone was found in 1968. At that time, it was at the climax of the "Cultural Revolution". In order to level the barren graves around Zhangjiawan Town and turn them into farmland, the village decided to level the Doujiafen, Majiafen and Caojiafen in the northwest of Zhangjiawan Village. These three tombs are connected and have a large area. Caojiafen is more than 1 m above the ground. It was during Cao Ping's burial that this tombstone was discovered. Tombstone buried underground 1 meter. The front of the headstone is engraved with the words "Cao Gong dare not move the tomb" and the word "Renwu" is engraved on the lower left. The word "noon" has been disabled. Under the tombstone, a skeleton was dug up at a depth of about 1.5 meters from the ground. It was a naked burial, no coffin, and the skeleton of the body was intact. It is said to be a male corpse.

At that time, he was eager to level the cemetery, especially during the Cultural Revolution. When he claimed Li, he didn't dare to think much. He saw a dream of red mansions, knew that Cao Zhan was Cao Xueqin, and told everyone present. At that time, a man in the flat heard that Cao Zhan was Cao Xueqin, and thought there was probably something in the tomb, so he went down to the grave and fiddled with the bones, but found nothing. In the evening, Li and his cousin Li Jingquan took the tombstone home and buried it in the yard. Until 1992, the town planned to develop tourism and establish the "Zhangjiawan People's Park", and wanted to gather the surrounding monuments to build a forest of monuments, so it remembered this monument and took it out. Since no one in the local area studied A Dream of Red Mansions, Mr. Feng Qiyong, the president of the Red Cross Society, was invited to make an appraisal. Through careful observation and demarcation, Mr. Feng thinks that this tombstone should belong to Cao Xueqin, a great literary master.

The tombstone is about 1 m high, 40 cm wide and 5 1 cm thick. The tombstone is made of bluestone, and its workmanship is very rough, like an ordinary stepping stone. It's just rough, and it's not polished like an ordinary tombstone. The diagonal line on the surface of the tombstone has not been moved, which proves that it has not been polished at all. On the surface of the tombstone, the words "Cao Gong is forbidden to touch the tomb" seem to be a chisel, because the font is as thick and square as a stroke, a bit like an eight-part book, but it has no pen meaning. It may be carved directly without writing. In short, it gives a very hasty impression. Because the carving is very shallow, the handwriting is the same color as the stone, and it is almost impossible to see clearly. You can't recognize it until you look carefully.

Therefore, the issue of Cao Xueqin's family background and ancestral home has aroused the ongoing debate and research in academic circles. Among them, Mr. Zhou, Mr. Wang and Mr. Wang are the most diligent, and have collected a lot of relevant materials for textual research over the years.

Mr. Zhou's point of view is that Cao Xueqin's ancestral home is rich in Hebei and has a great influence in academic circles. Although there is some speculation about this statement, there are many articles discussed with him.

For example, Chronology of Cao Xueqin compiled by Chinese Department of Nanjing Normal University said: "The ancestor of Cao (also known as' Xiyuan') was originally from Xianning Li, Feng Run County, Hebei Province, and later moved to the northeast." The book "On Cao Xueqin" by the Chinese Department of Northwest University also said: "Cao Shi was originally from Feng Run County, Hebei Province, and later moved to Tieling Wei (now Tieling County, Liaoning Province) to Liaoyang." It can be seen that this statement does represent the current general view about Cao Xueqin's ancestral home.

However, Mr. Feng Qiyong's statement proves that it was nine years ago that a branch of Cao Cao's family in Hebei moved to Liaodong. He thinks that Cao Xueqin's ancestor should be the ancestor of Cao Shi's genealogy in Wuqingtang, which originated in Liaoyang and later moved to Shenyang. His native places are indeed Liaoyang and Shenyang, and he is not rich in Hebei.

The earliest ancestor of Cao Xueqin's family, whether it is "Feng Run Theory in Hebei Province" or "Liaoyang Theory", is found in "Cao Xiyuan, who once lived in Shenyang" in the Eight Banners Manchu Ancestor Genealogy. This record is the most reliable. It also confirmed that Cao Jia was an official among the Ming Dynasty's Destiny, Tiancong and Chongde. In the War of the Later Jin Dynasty in the Ming Dynasty, he joined the Later Jin Dynasty and began to turn to the Han flag, which was later included in the Zhengbai Banner of the Manchu Dynasty. About the ancestors of Cao family above Cao Xiyuan, their birthplace, occupation and even names are still in a state of mutual debate in academic circles due to the lack of historical materials.

Who is Cao Xueqin's father? This is also a controversial topic. According to the research of Mr. Zhou, a master of Redology, Cao Xueqin's father was adopted by his fourth son. Another view is that Cao Xueqin is the posthumous son of Cao Yin. Cao Qing is the only adult beloved son in Cao Yin. Also deeply loved and valued by Emperor Kangxi. He died at the age of 27. About this Cao Yong's posthumous child, after Cao Yin's compromise, Cao Jin's compromise specifically mentioned:

"... I'm a slave's sister-in-law, Ma Shi, because I'm pregnant now. In July, I'm afraid I have to travel a long way, but I haven't been able to go to the north to attend my funeral. If I am lucky enough to have a boy in the future, my slave's brother and heir will be there. ……"

Some people think that Cao Xueqin is probably the posthumous son of Cao Yong. However, the discovery of new data leads to Cao Tianyou, who seems to be Cao Yong's posthumous son in terms of age and status. So which branch Cao Xueqin came from has become a controversial topic until now.

In a word, Cao Xueqin is a master of culture with profound knowledge, and he is proficient in poetry, music, painting and books. In A Dream of Red Mansions, the time he hides should actually be the time when his grandparents, father and himself lived, that is, the three dynasties of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, which was the heyday of the Qing Empire.

In addition, there is a Suzhou weaving-Xu Li, who presides over Jiangnan weaving and takes turns to be the salt patrol ambassador of Huaibei and Huaibei. Xu Li is the brother-in-law of Cao Yin. In July of the fifty-first year of Kangxi (17 12), after Cao Yin died in Yangzhou, Xu Li took care of everything that followed, including all the losses under Cao Yin's name, and Xu Li demanded compensation. In the fifty-fourth year of Kangxi (17 15), Cao Yong died in Beijing in the first month, and Xu Li took care of the funeral. Xu Li said in her memorial to Kangxi:

"Slave and Cao Yin and his son are close relatives, and colleagues for many years. They dare not have the heart to admire the Lord, so the young and old are well painted. I propose that Cao Yong's coffin leave the city one day this month and stay with his ancestors for the time being. Please go to Jiangning's office afterwards. "

Therefore, to understand Cao Xueqin's family, Xu Li is indispensable.

His father, Li Shizhen, was born in Duchang, Shandong Province, and his real name was Jiang. According to Du Zhen's Epitaph of Li Gongshizhen, the right deputy governor of Guangdong Governor Douchayuan, he said:

"Male surnamed jiang, who lives in the capital donglai. ..... set out from Longliao at noon, follow Zhengbai Banner, and attract the public, that is, Li. "

And "Changyi County Records" records:

"In the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, in December, the Qing soldiers surrounded Changyi and broke the city on the 16th."

Li Shizhen was arrested in this city and sent back to Li Xiquan. His life experience is slightly similar to that of Cao Xueqin's distant ancestors Cao Xiyuan and Cao Yanzhen. The difference is that Cao Shi was an officer stationed in Liaodong in the Ming Dynasty, and Li was a citizen of Changyi. Two years later, Shen Jia, Wu Ming and Li Shizhen really entered the Dragon and Tiger Pass.

In the 12th year of Shunzhi (1655), Cao Yin was born in B Wei, and was three years old. In the seventeenth year of Kangxi (1678), he became the magistrate of Shaozhou Prefecture at the age of 24. Later, he was transferred to Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, and later served as the general manager of Changchun Garden. In the thirty-second year of Kangxi (1693), he was appointed as Suzhou Weaving, and later he was appointed as the salt inspector of Lianghuai, alternating with Cao Yin.

Xu Li and Kangxi also have a special relationship. First, Xu Li's biological mother Shi Wen is also Kangxi's nanny, which is the same as Cao Yin's identity. Moreover, Cao Yin was not his real mother, but his first mother, Sun Shi, was Kangxi's nanny. In this respect, the relationship between Xu Li and Kangxi is even closer than that between Cao Yin and Kangxi. Kangxi was very kind to the Cao family and was once called "my old man"; And he is also very good to the Li family. Xu Li said in "Thank you for calling Li Ding Folding":

"Mongolian ordered me to inquire about my slave, and I am also the mother of my slave. I am like a family father and son. "

In "Li Yun with whistle deer offer thanks", he said:

"My 93-year-old mother was kindly asked by Wan Lian, and the whole family was blessed by the Lord."

In the biological mother died, she thanked her for her life, she said:

"On the fifth day of November, the mother tongue of stealing slaves suddenly suffered from domestic troubles and foreign invasion. Although she was very ill and clear-headed, she still made the slave say,' Long live my kindness and give me a patent. Is year after year, you face the sacred season, will ask; That is, this autumn, grandchildren will be asked by warm words when they see cars in Jehol. I am a humble person, who has been blessed by heaven and earth for a long time. " "

The above shows the special intimate relationship between Xu Li and Kangxi.

Thanks to the support of Emperor Kangxi to Cao and Li, and the mutual echo of Cao and Li, the Cao and Li families at this time showed unprecedented prosperity.

However, just behind this prosperity, there is already a crisis lurking. Cao Yin's daily ostentation, entertainment and gifts, especially Kangxi's four southern tours, caused a huge economic deficit. It can be said that it has laid the bane of decline for the Cao family.

In the forty-eighth year of Kangxi (1709), on the sixth day of December, the then Governor of Liangjiang participated in the performance, and secretly reported that Kangxi claimed that he owed Huaiyan three hundred and twenty pieces of silver and requested public impeachment. Kangxi regarded Cao Yin as a "family member" and demanded public impeachment. Kangxi certainly won't approve it. However, this is very important. Kangxi had to seriously warn Cao Yin and his brother-in-law Xu Li privately that they must try to make up the deficit.

Faced with a sea of debts, Cao Yin has been unable to make up for it, and it is also unable to save the situation. In the fifty-first year of Kangxi (17 12), he died in Yangzhou. Xu Li said on the throne: At the end of my life, I counted it, and the deficit was 232,000 yuan. Cao Yin had no assets to make up.

After his death, Kangxi appointed his son as the successor of Jiangning Weaving in order to protect Cao's property from the damage of relocation. Two years later, Cao Qing died, and Kangxi personally presided over the adoption of the fourth nephew Cao, and took over the position of Jiangning Weaving. At the same time, Kangxi let Cao Yin's brother-in-law Suzhou Weaving Xu Li take charge of the salt affairs in two Huai provinces for one year, and used the money to make up for the deficit in Cao Yin.

In the fifty-fourth year of Kangxi (17 15), it was found that the weaving warehouse in Cao Yin had a deficit of 373,200 silver.

Kangxi had to make arrangements again, so that the two Huai salt administrations, Li He, could make up for it. It was not until the fifty-sixth year of Kangxi that this account was finally made up.

Because of the mutual affection between Cao and Cao, Kangxi took care of Cao's family. In Cao Cao's generation, he became alienated and indifferent. Kangxi once explicitly said to Cao: "Nianer's father has contributed for a long time, and stern is here." In the sixty-first year of Kangxi, due to Cao's default in selling ginseng money, the Ministry of Internal Affairs summoned Kangxi and ordered him to pay off the money in arrears before the end of the year, otherwise hell to pay and Kangxi immediately approved it. Obviously, this is completely different from Kangxi's previous attitude towards Cao Yin.

After Yongzheng came to power, he issued imperial edicts one after another and began to conduct a nationwide inventory of money and grain to make up for the deficit. He has repeatedly said that I can't be as tolerant as my father. Any official who loses money and food will be dismissed as soon as it is exposed.

In the first year of Yongzheng alone, dozens of officials at all levels were dismissed and property seized. Suzhou Weaving, which has a close relationship with the Cao family, was also sentenced to deficit and deprived of property.

But at first Yongzheng did not punish Cao Jiahe Xu Li together, but allowed him to repay the deficit within three years. Cao's own deficit has not been filled, and it has increased the deficit left behind. He has to ask for help from many sources. In order to prevent someone from scaring and blackmailing Cao, Yongzheng specially wrote a harsh comment on Cao's greeting: running around and making friends with people can only drag himself down and waste energy to buy trouble; Make up your mind, behave yourself, and don't mess around, or my reputation will be damaged, and I will be severely punished, and Prince Yi can't save you!

Yong Zhengdi's "Zhu Pi Te Zhao" shows that although he was very dissatisfied with Cao's "running around", Yongzheng's kindness, compassion and care were still told.

In the fourth year of Yongzheng (1726), the quality of satin cloth handled by Cao was "coarse and light", and he was compensated and fined one year's salary. Soon, the azurite satin robe worn by Yongzheng faded and was found to be a product woven by Jiangning. As a result, Cao was fined another year's salary. Cao's repeated dereliction of duty led to Yongzheng's growing dissatisfaction and disappointment with him.

Yongzheng didn't condemn Cao, so he decided to call him back to Beijing for a lecture. In May of the fifth year of Yongzheng, Suzhou Weaving was ordered not to return to Beijing, and the satin horse ordered was sent by Cao. Unexpectedly, while supervising satin weaving, Cao extorted money and harassed Changqing County Post Station in Shandong Province, which finally caused Yongzheng's "great anger". On the fourth day of December, Yongzheng ordered Cao to be handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the official department for strict investigation.

When Cao was dismissed pending trial, Yongzheng learned that Cao had transferred his property in an attempt to hide it, so the new crimes and old debts were counted together. In the fifth year of Yongzheng, "Manchu Upload the Archives of the Interior Office" recorded that1February 24th, Cao's property was sealed up by decree. He ordered Fan Shiyi, the governor of Jiangnan, to immediately seal up and guard Cao's property and seize important family members.

When Fan Shiyi received the imperial edict, he immediately took down several of Cao's housekeepers, detained them for interrogation, found out all the properties and belongings together, made a record and sealed them up. In February of the following year, Sui Hede, a newly appointed Jiangning weaving company, identified and accepted Cao Jiangnan's family property population, and Cao's family property population in Beijing was also sealed up by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In June, the case of harassing Shandong Station was concluded, and Cao was sentenced to pay 443.22 yuan in silver. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is responsible for urging Cao to put on a wooden cangue for public display.

In the early summer of the sixth year of Yongzheng, Cao Xueqin returned to Beijing from Nanjing with his grandmother, mother and other family members, lived in the old house of Cao family outside Chongwenmen, and began a miserable life of poverty. This year, Cao Xueqin was just 18 years old.

Cao Xueqin has been reduced from a prosperous bureaucratic family to a "couch potato", especially because he personally experienced the decline and bankruptcy of his family. This sharp turning point made Cao Xueqin very painful. If Cao Cao's family didn't have such an ending and Cao Xueqin didn't have such an experience, then there would probably be no world-famous novel A Dream of Red Mansions.