[Dream of the Red Chamber] Plotting a Grand Scheme with the Cold Beauty

While returning to his hometown to observe mourning, Su Hong has an accident. At death's door, he encounters an immortal, who hands him a copy of The Story of the Stone and orders him to save the world. Before he can grasp the immortal's deeper meaning, Master Xue, whose family once saved his life, falls gravely ill. On his deathbed, he asks Su Hong to become engaged to a Xue girl, with the marriage to take place once the two are grown. Su Hong: "???" Isn't the eldest Xue girl Bao-jie-jie from The Story of the Stone...? Wait, what about the fated marriage of gold and jade? Watching his future brother-in-law Xue Pan, who became his father's student and studied alongside him while being genuinely pushed to improve, Su Hong realized that the plot of The Story of the Stone had taken a sharp turn. * Everyone who knows him says that the eldest young master of the Su family, Su Hong, is as pure and upright as the moon shining through clear skies. Just when his career was taking off, he was implicated by his wife's family and sent away from the Hanlin Academy to serve as a county magistrate. No one knew this was exactly what Su Hong wanted: keep his distance from the imperial capital, build high walls, stockpile grain, and bide his time before making a bid for the throne, moving toward supreme power one step at a time. From county magistrate to the widely celebrated Prince Jingnan, Su Hong received one people's umbrella after another, while Lady Xue became known throughout the realm as a female Zhuge Liang, a goddess whose living shrine was built in her honor. In the chaos of war, Su Hong seized his chance, donned the imperial robes, and succeeded in his rebellion! Did Su Hong succeed in his rebellion today? Su Hong: I'm in the imperial palace, and I've already ascended the throne. My wife and I are both doing well. Thanks for asking. Please note: 1. The four great families are destined to fall. The men will suffer, and the women will become commoners, though Xue Pan will be spared a little. 2. The heroine is Xue Baochai, and this is a one-on-one romance. The love story begins after she turns fifteen. 3. The author dislikes theories about hidden meanings and mourning the Ming dynasty. This story is based on the annotated version of The Story of the Stone. 4. Those who hate Baochai or Daiyu should stay away. Apart from Qin Keqing, who will die as in the original, the other young women will be given the best endings possible. 5. I'll try to update daily. Theme: Success takes thirty percent fate and seventy percent hard work.