The ancestors of Li Zicheng, Ye Shaoyuan, Chen Yuanyuan, Liu Rushi, and Dong Xiaowan were sworn brothers with a Ming dynasty guard, and together they protected a secret of the Ming. The ambitious Li Zicheng launched a rebellion for that secret, brought down the Ming, and ultimately died in defeat. To fulfill their ancestors' last wish, women like Chen Yuanyuan even risked everything as they dealt with such figures of the age as Wu Sangui, Qian Qianyi, Hong Chengchou, and the Shunzhi Emperor. Ye Shaoyuan's daughter, Ye Xiaoluan, tragically paid for it with her life, as delicate as a flower. His son Ye Xie recounted his life to his old friend Cao Yin, and his descendants drew on it to create the immortal classic Dream of the Red Chamber.
