Hónglóu Zhēnmèng 紅樓真夢
The True Dream of the Red Chamber by 郭則
About the work
Hónglóu Zhēnmèng 紅樓真夢 is a 64-chapter Qīng-dynasty sequel novel (xùshū 續書) to Hónglóu Mèng 紅樓夢 KR4k0131, composed by Guō Zé 郭則 (pen name Yúncōng Huāyǐn 雲淙花隱). The text is distinguished among Hónglóu Mèng sequels by its markedly literary preface, written in ornate parallel prose (piánwén 駢文), which signals an author of considerable classical education. The work claims to offer the “true dream” (zhēnmèng 真夢) as opposed to other continuations, which the author dismisses as missing the spirit of the original.
Tiyao
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Abstract
Guō Zé 郭則, writing as Yúncōng Huāyǐn 雲淙花隱 at his studio Yìpǔ Zhúxuān 逸圃竹軒, composed a self-preface (zìxù 自序) dated “己卯小春” (tenth month of a jǐmǎo year). The two jǐmǎo years in the plausible Qīng range are Jiājìng 24 (1819) and Guāngxù 5 (1879). The CBDB record for Guō Zé 郭則 (id 150978) provides no dates. Given the sophisticated treatment of Hónglóu Mèng textual scholarship in the preface — noting the Zhīyān Zhāi 脂硯齋 commentated manuscripts, discussing debates about “索賈辨甄” (decoding Jiǎ and Zhēn), and criticizing rivals who “附會梅村贊佛之詩” (attribute the novel to Wú Wěiyè 吳偉業’s Buddhist poetry) — the work appears to engage with mature Hóngxué scholarship, which suggests the later date (1879) is more probable, though 1819 cannot be excluded. Both dates are provided as the range.
The self-preface is a literary tour de force, deploying dense classical allusion to position the author’s project as a response to personal and historical suffering (the preface mentions “板蕩” upheaval and “黍離” lament, possibly alluding to the Taiping destruction or other late-Qīng calamities). The author signals that he seeks to “抑釵揚黛” (demote Bǎochāi and elevate Dàiyù) and to “索賈辨甄” (distinguish the real Jiǎ from the false Zhēn) — positioning the work as a corrective to misreadings. The narrative continues from the 120-chapter ending, with Jiǎ Yǔcūn 賈雨村 meeting Zhēn Shìyǐn 甄士隱 at the ferry crossing (Juémí Dùkǒu 覺迷渡口), and traces the further adventures of surviving characters across 64 chapters, ending with chapter 64 “慶慈壽碧落會團欒 聚仙眷紅樓結因果.”
Translations and research
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