On this day, 261 years ago, on February 1, 1764 (December 30, 1763, the lunar calendar), Cao Xueqin died of illness. Cao Xueqin (1715.6.4-1764.2.1) On February 1, 1764, Cao Xueqin died of illness. Cao Xueqin, the author of "Dream of the Red Chamber", is universally recognized as one of the greatest China writers. Unfortunately, he was lonely and unheard of for quite a while before and after his death, and no biographical materials were left behind. As a result, only sporadic fragments of his life are known today. Cao Xueqin's ancestors were originally Han people, but a long time ago, he joined the Manchu flag register and became the royal "cover"(slave) of the Aisin Gioro family. After entering the pass with the Qing people, he was gradually promoted to an official close to the royal family. Cao Xueqin's great-grandfather Cao Xi's wife was Emperor Kangxi's nanny. After Kangxi ascended the throne, Cao Xi served as Jiangning Weaver (specializing in supplying the royal family) until his death. Kangxi also ordered his son Cao Yin (Cao Xueqin's grandfather) to work as weaving in Suzhou, and later succeeded Jiangning weaving. Cao Yin served as Kangxi's companion when he was a child. He was both a servant and a friend of Kangxi, and he was deeply trusted by Kangxi. Cao Yin was extremely prominent. Kangxi made six southern patrols and used the Cao family as a palace four times. The Cao family developed to its peak at this time. It is precisely because the Cao family's ancestors were closely related to the politics and economy of the Qing Dynasty, as well as their deep family background in literature, that these had a profound influence and edification on Cao Xueqin and provided him with conditions for creating "Dream of the Red Chamber". Cao Xueqin was born on the eve of the decline of the Cao family. In his youth, Emperor Yongzheng, who inherited the Kangxi throne, dismissed Cao Zhao, the fourth weaving agent of the Cao family, from Jiangning, and sent him back to Beijing. During the Qianlong period, the Cao family may have suffered from natural and man-made disasters, completely ending Cao Xueqin's carefree life as a noble son. Cao Xueqin's unusual experience had an important impact on his creation of "Dream of the Red Chamber". Therefore, he cast the description of the noble lives of Rong and Ning in the profound artistic image creation of "Dream of the Red Chamber". In her down-and-down life, Cao Xueqin has always stubbornly persisted in writing "Dream of the Red Chamber". What has become a pity for the ages is that Cao Xueqin was prematurely deprived of his talented life by poverty and failed to complete his painstaking masterpiece. Cao Xueqin died in his forties, leaving behind a newly married wife and several bundles of manuscripts. Even the burial expenses were funded by several of his friends. However, the "Dream of the Red Chamber" he created was published thirty years after his death, typography came out and became popular across the country. Reference to the portrait of Cao Xueqin: The official website of the Four Famous Works www.sdmz.net