Zhiyanzhai Quanping: Shitou Ji (Complete Two Volumes)

Author: Huo Guoling
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The Dream of the Red Chamber left to posterity by Cao Xueqin consists of only eighty chapters, but it includes the comments of Shi Yanzhai. This book appears incomplete, but in the first eighty chapters, it has already revealed the main plot and ending of the subsequent eighty chapters, forming a complete story. What sets The Story of the Stone apart from other works is that the author only left behind some clues, hidden words, and comments for the later story, allowing readers to think and complete it themselves. Due to this feature of The Story of the Stone, two phenomena have emerged:
First is the phenomenon of continuation: The existing 120-chapter Dream of the Red Chamber includes the last forty chapters, which were added by later authors. It was once mistakenly believed that these were written by Gao E, who was actually a reviser, not a continuation writer. To this day, the author of the continuation remains unknown—it is an anonymous work. Besides this version, other continuations have also appeared later.
Second is the phenomenon of exploration: Since the existing continuations, especially those revised by Gao E, have been widely circulated but do not align with Cao Xueqin’s original intent, researchers have increasingly explored the structure, plot, and ending of the Story of the Stone after the first eighty chapters, gradually forming a field of study known as "deep exploration." In this regard, scholars such as Yu Pingbo, Zhou Ruchang, Liang Guizhi, and Wang Guohua have made significant efforts.
How should we view these phenomena? Continuations are unnecessary. Since the author already cut off part of the story after the eighty chapters, others adding to it is a futile effort, especially as it contradicts the author’s original intent. However, exploration should be encouraged—since there are gaps, they should be explored. The eighty-chapter version of The Story of the Stone contains both a positive and a negative aspect: On the one hand, it appears to be half a book, but in reality, it is already a complete novel. On the other hand, it hides a piece of real history. How to uncover this hidden history is the task of "seeking"; how to complete the story after the eighty chapters requires "exploration."