Writers › Writer / Poet

Cao Xueqin

Qing novelist from a disgraced bondservant family of the Imperial Household, grandson of Cao Yin, who wrote the first eighty chapters of The Story of the Stone

Also known as Cao Zhan · Xue Qin · Meng Ruan

Cao Xueqin, personal name Zhan, also used the names Qinpu and Qinxi. His grandfather Cao Yin had been textile commissioner at Jiangning, and the family were bondservants of the Plain White Banner under the Imperial Household; whether his father was Cao Yong or Cao Fu is still debated. Early in 1728 Cao Fu was disgraced and his property confiscated, and the family moved from Jiangning (Nanjing) to Beijing. He spent his last years in poverty west of Beijing, and his friends the clansmen Dunmin and Duncheng wrote of his drinking, verse and painting. His novel circulated in manuscript as The Story of the Stone (Shitou ji) with commentary by Zhiyanzhai, until Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E printed a 120-chapter Dream of the Red Chamber (Honglou meng) in 1791. A note in the Jiaxu manuscript dates his death to the eve of the renwu new year, February 1763; some place it a year later. Hu Shi's 1921 study of the novel used these sources to establish his authorship and family.

Life and times

  1. c. 1715 CEBornQing
  2. c. 1763 CEDieddeath by another account 1764

Works

  1. Literature · Fiction125
    1. Dream of the Red ChamberQingCao Xueqin's Qing novel of the Jia family's decline and the tragic love of Baoyu and Daiyu
    2. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 1: Zhen Shiyin Learns of the Magic Jade in a Dream; Jia Yucun, in Straitened Times, Longs for a MaidQing
    3. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 2: Lady Jia Dies in Yangzhou; Leng Zixing Discourses on the Rongguo MansionQing
    4. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 3: Jia Yucun Regains Office Through Connections; Lin Daiyu Leaves Her Father for the CapitalQing
    5. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 4: An Ill-Fated Girl Meets an Ill-Fated Man; The Gourd Monk Settles a Muddled CaseQing
    6. +25 more
      1. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 5: Touring the Land of Illusion, Baoyu Sees the Twelve Beauties; Drinking Fairy Wine, He Hears the Dream of the Red Chamber SongsQing
      2. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 6: Jia Baoyu's First Taste of Love; Granny Liu's First Visit to the Rongguo MansionQing
      3. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 7: Delivering Palace Flowers, Jia Lian Flirts with Xifeng; At a Ningguo Feast, Baoyu Meets Qin ZhongQing
      4. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 8: Comparing the Jade and the Locket, Yingr Hints at Their Match; Visiting Baochai, Daiyu Is Faintly JealousQing
      5. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 9: Loving Companions Enter the Family School; Suspicion Leads Unruly Boys to Riot in the ClassroomQing
      6. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 10: Widow Jin Swallows an Insult for Gain; Doctor Zhang Traces an Illness to Its SourceQing
      7. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 11: A Birthday Feast at the Ningguo Mansion; Jia Rui Lusts After XifengQing
      8. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 12: Wang Xifeng Sets a Cruel Love Trap; Jia Rui Looks into the Wrong Side of the Mirror of LoveQing
      9. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 13: Qin Keqing Dies and Her Husband Is Made a Guard Officer; Wang Xifeng Helps Run the Ningguo MansionQing
      10. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 14: Lin Ruhai Dies in Yangzhou; Jia Baoyu Meets the Prince of Beijing on the RoadQing
      11. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 15: Xifeng Abuses Her Power at Iron Threshold Temple; Qin Zhong Finds Pleasure at Steamed Bun ConventQing
      12. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 16: Jia Yuanchun Is Chosen as Imperial Consort; Qin Zhong Dies YoungQing
      13. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 17: Testing Talents by Naming the Garden's Inscriptions; The Imperial Consort's Lantern Festival Visit HomeQing
      14. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 18: By Imperial Grace Yuanchun Visits Her Parents; Family Joy as Baoyu Displays His TalentQing
      15. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 19: Deep Feeling: Flower Speaks on a Quiet Night; Tender Love: Jade Gives Off Fragrance on a Still DayQing
      16. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 20: Wang Xifeng Rebukes Jealousy; Lin Daiyu Teases a LispQing
      17. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 21: Virtuous Xiren Sulkily Admonishes Baoyu; Clever Pinger Gently Rescues Jia LianQing
      18. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 22: Hearing Opera Lyrics, Baoyu Grasps a Zen Truth; Making Lantern Riddles, Jia Zheng Grieves at Ill OmensQing
      19. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 23: Lines from The Western Chamber Serve as Banter; Songs from The Peony Pavilion Stir a Girl's HeartQing
      20. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 24: The Drunken Diamond Spurns Money for Chivalry; A Lovesick Girl's Lost Handkerchief Kindles LongingQing
      21. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 25: Bewitched, Sister and Brother Meet Five Devils; The Magic Jade Encounters Two ImmortalsQing
      22. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 26: At Wasp-Waist Bridge a Pretext Conveys Feelings; At Bamboo Lodge Spring Languor Reveals Hidden LoveQing
      23. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 27: Baochai Chases Butterflies by Raindrop Pavilion; Daiyu Weeps over Fallen Blossoms at the Flowers' GraveQing
      24. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 28: Jiang Yuhan Gives a Scarlet Sash in Friendship; Xue Baochai Shyly Wears a Red Musk BraceletQing
      25. Dream of the Red Chamber: Chapter 29: The Blessed Pray for More Blessings; The Lovesick Grow More LovesickQing
    7. Open all works→
  2. Literature · Sayings2
    1. A Cornered Dog Leaps the WallQingIdiom from Dream of the Red Chamber: the cornered will do anything
    2. You Finish Your Song and I Take the StageQingFamous line from Dream of the Red Chamber, chapter 1: one player exits, another takes the stage
  3. Literature · Drama1
    1. Dream of the Red Chamber: Commentary on the Song of Won-DoneQing