Written in the style of Dream of the Red Chamber, this novel tells the secret history of the Qing court. It remains faithful to the historical framework of the Qianlong era while restoring the characters, poetry, and scenes of Dream of the Red Chamber to their real historical context one by one. It reveals how the “pledge between wood and stone” was destined to shatter under the weight of imperial and national obligations, ultimately pointing to the eternal tragedy of “though they sat side by side as husband and wife, their hearts remained unsettled.” It also reconstructs scenes from Dream of the Red Chamber through Qing court history, interpreting the secrets behind the novel.
