The opening chapter of the classic novel "Journey to the West" reads:
There is a fairy stone on Huaguo Mountain, which lays an egg as big as a ball. One day, in a shocking event, a monkey jumped out from the stone egg and grew long in response to the wind. He was Sun Wukong, the "Monkey King" who later made a big splash in the sky.
The classic novel "A Dream of Red Mansions" also starts from the mythical story of a stone to unfold the narrative. It is said that when Nuwa was refining stones to mend the sky, there was an unused stone to mend the sky, which was discarded under the Qinggeng Peak of Wuji Cliff in Dahuang Mountain. Master Mang Miao and Master Miao Miao passed by here and used magic to turn the stone into a psychic jade and brought it into the mortal world, experiencing a period of dreamy prosperity. I don’t know how many lifetimes and calamities have passed. Taoist Kongkong passed by Wuji Cliff and saw a story carved on a big stone. He was entrusted by the stone to copy it and spread it to the world. Therefore, "A Dream of Red Mansions" is also called "The Story of the Stone".
Later, the book was passed to Cao Xueqin. He read it in Mourning Hongxuan for ten years, added and deleted it five times, compiled it into a catalog, divided it into chapters, and titled it "The Twelve Hairpins of Jinling" . The book explains that Cao Xueqin was the one who read, added and deleted "Dream of Red Mansions". The author of "Dream of Red Mansions" was Shitou, who was also called "Brother Shi" by Taoist Kong Kong.
Obviously, Cao Xueqin borrowed the narrative method of "Journey to the West" and placed the "paper full of absurd words" in the mouth of the "psychic treasure jade", but he himself was invisible outside the surface of the story. He has a special liking for "Brother Stone" and uses stone as a metaphor for himself. The reason comes from the deep-rooted Chinese people's awareness of stone worship, which embodies the literati sentiment of "a gentleman is as gentle as jade".
Cao Xueqin's repeated emphasis on the image of "stone" is also a hint to readers: the story he narrates takes place in "Stone City". "Stone City" is Jinling, which is today's Nanjing city.
As for the real name of the author of "A Dream of Red Mansions", is it "Shi"? Or is it a name containing "Stone"? People who make associations from this can easily follow the picture and go astray. However, this did arouse our attention and interest in the characters named "Shi" involved in "A Dream of Red Mansions".
(1) Shi Manqing "makes wedding clothes for others"
In the second chapter of "A Dream of Red Mansions", Jia Yucun spreads across ancient and modern times, preaching a "Theory of Good and Evil", Then he listed the names of more than 20 historical figures, such as Xu You, Tao Qian, Ruan Ji, Ji Kang, Liu Ling, Gu Hutou, Chen Houzhu, Tang Minghuang, Song Huizong and others. Some of them are infatuated, some are lofty scholars, or some are famous and famous. They are all outstanding figures who Jia Yucun believed were infected by "good and evil" between heaven and earth at the same time and emerged as the times require. Among them, Shi Manqing is a legendary "Brother Shi".
Shi Manqing (992-1040), named Yannian, also named Manqing, also known as Anren, also known as Bao Laozi, was a famous poet and calligrapher in the Northern Song Dynasty. He was the school manager of the secret pavilion and the prince Zhongyun. Shi Manqing was talented and famous all over the world, and many literati were friends with him. The famous poet Mei Yaochen praised his poem: "The stars are shining together, and it is so clear that it cannot be grasped." Liu Kezhuang, a poet in the Southern Song Dynasty, commented on his poem: "It is clear and powerful.". Ouyang Xiu, a great writer in the Northern Song Dynasty, said: "Shi Manqing has been proud of his poetry and wine since he was a child. He has a majestic appearance and a strange style of poetry. He is also good at calligraphy, with powerful strokes and beautiful body, which is treasured by the world." After Shi Manqing's death, Ouyang Xiu also specially wrote "Essays on Sacrifice to Shi Manqing" and gave him high praise.
Shi Manqing has a free and easy personality, is bold and open-minded, and does not adhere to etiquette and does not seek fame and fortune. According to "Xu Mo Ke Hui Xi" written by Peng Cheng of the Northern Song Dynasty: At first, Shi Manqing passed the examination and passed the imperial examination. But at this time, someone complained, saying that someone cheated in the exam. The court then ordered a re-examination. As a result, some people failed the re-examination, and Shi Manqing was among them. After hearing the news, those who failed were shocked, and some even burst into tears. Only Shi Manqing was very calm. He took off the robes and boots given by the court as if nothing had happened, handed them back to the envoy, then put on his underwear and tied up his bun, and talked, laughed and drank with his friends, as if nothing had happened. Afterwards, he also wrote a poem "Xia Di Oucheng": "I have been busy coming and going year after year, making wedding clothes for others.
Laughing up to the sky, go out and dance alone in the spring breeze. "
This is a collection of poems, in which "make wedding clothes for others" is exactly the conclusion of Zhen Shiyin's "Commentary to the Good Song" in "A Dream of Red Mansions":
" It’s such a chaos, you just finished singing and I came on stage, but you think a foreign country is your hometown; it’s so ridiculous, in the end, you are just making wedding clothes for others!”
For scholars, losing their reputation is undoubtedly the saddest time. Imperial Examination The exam seems fair, but in fact the number of places is limited, and most people are destined to fail. They study hard all their lives and are busy in the end. If you think about it, Cao Xueqin must have had such a subject. It was a painful experience.
Later, Shi Manqing, who was unjustly dismissed, was awarded the "third class loan" by the court, which is the lowest official position. Shi Manqing wrote another quatrain poem: "If you have no talent, you will be a third class official." Class borrowing, asking for salary is like recording affairs. From then on, the title of tribute to the village was stopped, and it was necessary to travel east, west, and south. "Shi Manqing cleverly embedded the imperial examination and official names in the poems, satirizing and ridiculing the absurd practices of the imperial court, expressing his contempt for the imperial examination system and officialdom.
Chapter 1 of "A Dream of Red Mansions", In the article narrated by "Brother Shi", Taoist Kongkong saw the trivial matters of the family, the leisure time in the boudoir, and the riddles of poetry. There is also a verse at the end, which goes: "If you don't have talent to make up for the sky, you will spend many years in the world of mortals." This is a matter of past and present life, who will remember it to write a legend?"
This is undoubtedly the author's summary statement of his life experience. It can be seen that Cao Xueqin and Shi Manqing pride themselves on being "talentless", which reflects their They have a feeling of loss that their talents are not appreciated and that they have no way to serve the country.
(2) The Lotus Flower God and the "Elegy of Lotus's Daughter"
Shi Manqing is a temperamental person. After entering the officialdom, he has a difficult temperament. Although he moved, he was still upright and unconventional. As a result, his career became ups and downs, with many ups and downs, and he suffered many hardships.
According to the records of Xing Jushi's "Kaozhang Lu" of the Northern Song Dynasty, Shi Manqing's poems. He was a prolific drinker and was humorous, and was regarded as the reincarnation of Li Bai. One day when Shi Manqing was traveling to Baoning Temple, his horseman was careless and his horse jumped up in fright, causing Shi Manqing to fall off the horse. His attendants hurriedly helped him. Many onlookers thought he was going to be angry. Unexpectedly, he pointed at the groom and said with a smile: "Thankfully I am a bachelor of stone. If I were a bachelor of tiles, I would be smashed to pieces this time." " Shi Manqing laughed at himself easily, which not only eliminated his own embarrassment, but also resolved the fear of the groom.
Shi Manqing spoke uprightly in the court, offended the powerful, and was demoted to Haizhou as a general judge. According to Ming· Sun Sheng's "Sun Gong Tan Pu" records: "Shi Manqing made a general survey of Haizhou. Because the mountains were high, the roads were inaccessible, and there were no flowers to decorate them, he ordered people to wrap peach (peach tree) cores in mud and throw them on the mountains. Within a few years, the mountains were covered with flowers, as beautiful as brocade. "It can be seen that Shi Manqing is also a person who loves life, pursues beauty, and is full of romantic interest.
Shi Manqing loves drinking and is also a wine master. He has "a majestic appearance, a proud drinker", and "self-care is not suitable for others. At that time, it was mixed with wine." It is said that Song Renzong loved his talent and persuaded him to stop drinking. Later, he became ill from alcoholism and died young at the age of forty-nine. After Shi Manqing's death, people still remembered him, performing There are many legends. According to Ouyang Xiu's "Sixty-One Poems": "After Manqing died, his old friends were in a trance as if in a dream. It is said that I am now a ghost and immortal, and I rule Furong City. I wanted to call my old friend to travel, but he couldn't. I angrily rode on a plain donkey and went away like flying. "
After Shi Manqing's death, it was said that he had turned into a god and was the lord of Furong City. Later generations regarded Shi Manqing as the flower god of Furong in October.
"Dream of Red Mansions" Chapter 1 Chapter 78, Jia Baoyu specially wrote a memorial poem "Fu Rong Daughter's Memorial" in memory of his maid Qingwen. The article was full of emotion and moved people to tears. The strange thing is that the erudite Jia Baoyu actually believed the temporary fabrication of a girl. It is said that Qingwen turned into a hibiscus flower god after her death. Perhaps Jia Baoyu got some comfort from this girl's words, thereby alleviating his guilt for Qingwen's death. However, the only person who really understood his memorial service was. It was Lin Daiyu who suddenly walked out from the hibiscus flowers.
Jia Baoyu followed Daiyu's suggestion and immediately revised the memorial text. The sentence "Under Qian's screen window, I had no chance; in the loess, how could you be so miserable!" came out of his mouth. Lin Daiyu's expression changed after hearing this, and she became inexplicably flustered. In connection with the following article, this "Hibiscus Daughter's Era" turned out to be the curse for Lin Daiyu's early death.
The hibiscus flower is also known as the "frost-resistant flower". Faced with the harsh environment of "wind, frost, and sword," it still blooms proudly, and its delicate style and heroic figure match the nobleness. The beautiful Lin Daiyu is the most appropriate. The noble "Hibiscus Goddess" in Jia Baoyu's mind is undoubtedly his sister Lin, whom he is infatuated with.
The hearts of Cao Xueqin and Shi Manqing are connected, and "Hibiscus's Daughter" pays homage to the infatuated and infatuated people like Shi Manqing. A tragic song, with a long and shrill scream, which shocked the heavens and the earth and made ghosts and gods weep. Many crazy men and women shed tears of sympathy for it.
(3) The stubborn resistance of the "Stone Dumb"
In the 48th chapter of "A Dream of Red Mansions", another scholar named Shi appeared. He only left the nickname "Stone Dumb" in the book, and did not officially appear. Instead, he appeared through the oral narration of Wang Xifeng's dowry girl Ping'er.
Ping'er hurriedly went to Baochai to ask for sore medicine, gritting his teeth and scolding Jia Yucun. It is said that the old man Jia She took a fancy to the twenty old fans in Shiduozi's house. They were all made of Xiangfei, palm bamboo, elk, and polygonatum. They were all authentic paintings by ancient people. Jia She then asked his son Jia Lian to buy it and give him as much silver as he wanted. The stone idiot was so poor that he had nothing to eat, but he refused to sell the fans. He also said: "I will starve to death and freeze to death, and I will not sell a thousand taels of silver!", "If you want a fan, you must kill me first." !" Jia Lian tried every possible means, but there was nothing he could do.
After Jia Yucun learned the news, he came up with a bad idea. He blackmailed Shi DuoZi into defaulting on official silver and took him into the yamen. He asked him to sell his property to compensate for the official silver owed. Jia Yucun sent officials to seize the fans from Shi Daizi's house, paid the official price, and immediately sent them to Jia She. The old man held the fan and asked Jia Lian proudly: "How did they get it?" Jia Lian replied: "For such a trivial matter, it is nothing that can be done to ruin the family's career!" Jia She listened. Very angry. Afterwards, he found something wrong and beat Jia Lian until his skin was bruised and he could not move.
This "Stone Dumb" must be a poor scholar. Those twenty old fans with original writings and paintings by ancient people should be from family inheritance. From this point of view, Shi Duzi's family should also be a scholar. The home of poetry, calligraphy and etiquette. It's a pity that in his generation, he was poor, hungry and cold. However, the idiot is poor and strong, and maintains the arrogant character of a scholar who "treats money as dirt". No wonder he is called a "idiot".
Jia Yucun took advantage of his power, took advantage of others, and shamelessly curry favor with powerful people. When a stone idiot encounters such a gangster, he must be doomed. Ping'er said that he "doesn't know whether he is alive or dead now". According to Shi Duozi's belief that "it is better to be broken than to be destroyed", he is likely to be tortured to death by Jia Yucun in the end. This is another man named Shi who fights tenaciously for his ideals and is determined to do so.
The Jia Baoyu described by Cao Xueqin is a stubborn stone. In his previous life, he was the waiter of Shenying in Chixia Palace. Ying is a precious stone. The waiter Shenying was reincarnated into the human world with a small colorful stone in his mouth. That stone was Brother Shi, the author of "A Dream of Red Mansions". Jia Baoyu is really a strange man descended from heaven. However, in the eyes of Jia Mu, Mrs. Wang, Baochai and others, he is dull, stubborn and ignorant of worldly affairs. It is also appropriate to call Jia Baoyu the "Stone Dumb".
Facing the cold wind, cold rain, and dark forces, the painful struggle and tenacious struggle of the stone idiot are narrated in Cao Xueqin's seemingly romantic and calm pen and ink. This is also the author's pain. And fight. Only when we calm down, savor it carefully, and feel the pride and strength in the words of "Dream of Red Mansions" can we live up to the author's good intentions.