The Story of the Cao Family of the Jiangning Weaving Bureau is set against the backdrop of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, during the transition between the two. The story itself takes place after the Kangxi Emperor began ruling in his own right.
The main plot follows the bitter conflict and deadly struggle between Liu Xiangui, a general of the capital garrison, and the Cao family of the Jiangning Weaving Bureau.
The book depicts the relationships and ways of dealing with the world of three groups of characters.
The first group consists of Cao Yin, Gu Jingxing, and Nalan Xingde. Their bond combines family affection with friendship, and is deeply moving. Readers may find these three characters both familiar and unfamiliar. Nalan Xingde is well known, and his line, "If only life were always like our first meeting," remains beloved to this day. Cao Yin and Gu Jingxing may be less familiar, but everyone will recognize them once they learn that Cao Yin was Cao Xueqin's grandfather, and Gu Jingxing was Cao Yin's uncle.
The next group is Liu Xiangui, general of the capital garrison; Jia Ming, the provincial administration commissioner of Jiangnan Province; and Li Yuanfu, prefect of Zhenjiang. Their "friendship" is the sort of relationship where petty men are bound together by profit. For the sake of their own interests, the three can be as close as brothers when times are good. But as soon as trouble arises and their interests are threatened, they scheme against one another and even resort to murder to cover their tracks.
The final group is Cao Yin, Nalan Xingde, and the Kangxi Emperor. The three grew up together, and their friendship is also deeply moving to read about.
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Early morning, February 2, 2020
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