A few Redologists suggested.
Zhang Ye shrugged his shoulders. “Alright, I know many people still do not believe that the chapters after the eightieth are not the original work of Cao Xueqin. Then let’s not talk about the continuer. Let’s assume the 120 chapters of ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’ were written by Cao Xueqin, but there arises a problem. Later on, the reason why Ning-guo mansion and Jia Zheng were raided was only mentioned in passing. It was roughly accounted for, so almost no one noticed it, nor has anyone researched it. This is because everyone’s focus was on more ‘important’ matters in this plot, but I want to tell everyone to not look elsewhere. Focus your attention on this. Here, I can prove that the plot was not written by Cao Xueqin!”
The students were all listening.
The people from the literary world all began to recall the content.
Zhang Ye ignored them and carried on speaking, “Cousin Zhen’s first crime: forcefully took to his bed the fiancée of an innocent person and drove her to her death when she would not gratify his desires. It sounds serious, and is actually referring to Second Sister You’s death. If you think right away, you might not find it problematic, but if you read it carefully again, who forcefully took Second Sister You? It was not Cousin Zhen, but Jia Lian. And was Second Sister You kept in Ning-guo mansion? No, it was a place called Little Flower Lane!”
Ma Hengyuan leered at him. “Don’t you know that Second Sister You was later duped into Rong-guo mansion by Wang Xifeng?”
Zhang Ye looked back at him. “You are right, but even if Cousin Zhen had some responsibility in this, he was at most regarded as an accomplice. The main perpetrator was Jia Lian. This thing was all Jia Lian’s problem, right? Later on, Wang Xifeng even directed a scheme to let Second Sister You’s former fiancé indict on this matter. It caused quite a stir, resulting in Second Sister You’s death. However, that is Wang Xifeng and Jia Lian’s crime. What has this got to do with Cousin Zhen? However, ‘Cao Xueqin’, for some unknown reason, wrote that the first crime of Cousin Zhen was Second Sister You’s death!”
Many people exclaimed.
Teacher Yang also loosened his eyebrows.
This problem had really not been mentioned in the Redology world. Zhang Ye was really the first!
Zhang Ye ignored their reactions and carried on speaking, “Then the second charge is even more ridiculous. What is it? Buried secretly and the facts of her death were concealed from the authorities. This is talking about Third Sister You’s death. Following her suicide meant she committed suicide and that was finally buried.” Zhang Ye could not help but laugh. “What sort of serious crime is this? Furthermore, Third Sister You committing suicide does not have much to do with Cousin Zhen. It was Jia Lian who paired Liu Xianglian and Third Sister You. The matching failed, causing Third Sister You to commit suicide. What did Cousin Zhen have to do with this?” Saying that, Zhang Ye pointed to the screen. “As for the third charge, it says for corrupting the sons of noble families, encouraging them to gamble. When I see this, I do not know what others may think, but I can’t bear reading it further.”
Meng Dongguo said coldly, “It was foreshadowed early on.”
Another youth who studied Redology said, “Right, and it was in your so-called first 80 chapters.”
“There was such a plot in front.” Zhang Ye said, “In chapter 75, Cousin Zhen gathered a bunch of family members to gamble, but think about it, were they really gambling? Cousin Zhen had set up a shooting gallery below Celestial Fragrance Pavilion, allowing young men to compete there. Gambling was just a guise. If one had to insist, Cousin Zhen’s crime is the shooting gallery. This is because it is a very dangerous behavior and signal, but for some reason, ‘Cao Xueqin’ decided that the third charge would be Cousin Zhen’s gambling. Who can explain this to me?”