Stone is the predecessor of A Dream of Red Mansions. Today, A Dream of Red Mansions is listed as one of the four classical novels, but it was considered banned in Qing Dynasty. The story of Stone covers all aspects of life, such as gardens, poetry, health care, food, music, opera, management and so on. In particular, it tells the life of the nobles in the Qing Dynasty.
The Story of the Stone is a novel with great cultural and research value, but why was it still considered as a banned book by the imperial court at that time? In fact, the answer is not complicated, which can be roughly summed up in three points.
First, the literary inquisition in the Qing Dynasty was so serious that officials at the bottom of the imperial court dared not keep it.
In order to consolidate their rule, the rulers of past dynasties bound the people ideologically. For example, Qin Shihuang burned books to bury Confucianism, and Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty ousted a hundred schools of Confucianism, and the Qing Dynasty was no exception. At that time, the rulers of the Qing dynasty set up a literary inquisition, and any articles and books without political color might be taken out of context and then convicted. Therefore, writers are very careful, and people who want to publish books in public are also very careful, because they will be killed if they are not careful.
In addition to formal and traditional literature, many books are banned and are being destroyed. Although the Sikuquanshu compiled by Ji Xiaolan left outstanding works, more books were destroyed, accounting for 9/ 10 of all the books. Because of its advanced nature, The Story of the Stone was banned.
The content of the stone itself is no problem, which is the fundamental reason why it can be preserved in the later period, but there are many twists and turns in this process. It is said that Xiao Shenyang read The Story of the Stone and wanted to keep it, but he was afraid that the emperor thought it was a book of rebellion, so he compromised and told the Empress Dowager a Dream of Red Mansions every day, so that the Empress Dowager had a good impression on it. Sure enough, Empress Dowager Cixi was attracted by the story told by Xiao Shenyang, which was engraved by the emperor, so The Story of the Stone was handed down.
Many books are banned, not all of them are ordered by the emperor, because the emperor is very busy every day, and he can't read every book himself, so the investigation of books can only be done by the lowest-level officials. If there is a book that feels inappropriate, it will take the initiative to report it, and the emperor will give an order accordingly, and it will not be carefully identified. Therefore, there is no way for "Stone" to become a banned book.
Second, it is contrary to the mainstream values of society.
The Story of the Stone is a novel based on the author's real life, in which there is no lack of the author's compassion and reflection. Therefore, some of the ideas it reflected were contrary to the mainstream values of the society at that time. Its novelty can be liked by the public, but it may not be accepted by ethics.
In ancient times, people thought it was a great event for a man to be an official, but in the view of Baoyu, the hero of the novel, it is the right way for a man to be an official without studying. As long as he is an upright and kind person, he can engage in any profession.
At that time, monks and Taoists were respected, but Baoyu often destroyed monks and vilified Taoism. In "The Story of the Stone", many monks and Taoists with extremely bad hearts are indeed exposed.
At that time, men's status was much higher than women's, and women could only be men's accessories, and there were still many constraints on women. Women should abide by the "Three Obediences and Four Virtues", behave themselves at home, and be a good wife and mother when they get married. They have been tied to their families all their lives, with no thoughts, no ego, no status and no respect. But The Story of the Stone is a book that praises women and depicts an ideal state. Women can also yearn for and pursue themselves and bravely resist feudal ethics.
Described women with knowledge, talent and rebellious thoughts such as Daiyu, Xiangyun and Tanchun. They are girls, but they are better than men in knowledge and thought. Among them, the idea of equality, autonomy and women's rights is promoted. Even a slave, his body and mind are free, such as Yuanyang's refusal to marry and Qingwen's struggle. It also praises free love, such as the love between Baoyu and Daiyu, Siqi and Pan Youan, Jia Yun and Xiaohong, and Jia Qiang and Lingguan.
These ideas were deviant at that time. In the feudal marriage with strict ethics and parents' words as the criterion, free love is totally unacceptable. Because the connotation of stone is too profound, it is difficult to be accepted by the mainstream values at that time.
Third, its content aroused the dissatisfaction of the upper nobility.
At that time, there were few novels describing aristocratic life, and few people were able to explore their living conditions. The appearance of The Story of the Stone made up for this vacancy. At that time, it was very popular with folk readers, but it could not be accommodated by the upper nobility.
Tolstoy wrote a novel about aristocratic life, War and Peace, but The Story of the Stone was published in 100 years ago. You can imagine how much criticism and opposition you had to bear at that time.
Cao Xueqin was born in a noble family for generations. He witnessed the rise and fall of this family. He interspersed this process with one story after another, profoundly revealing the reasons for the corruption of upper-class aristocratic life and the rise and fall of families. These real situations were naturally unacceptable to the upper class at that time. Therefore, under their intervention, it is difficult for stones not to be banned.
In short, there will be works delayed by social factors in every era, and The Story of the Stone is one of them. Because of its advanced concept and unique description perspective, it was not accepted by the mainstream social values and the upper class aristocrats at that time, so it was not accepted by the court and could not escape the fate of banning books. However, in today's "open book is beneficial" era, "Stone" will show its charm and elegance.