Cheng–Gao versions
In the study of the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber, the Cheng-Gao versions or Cheng-Gao editions refer to two illustrated, woodblock print editions of the book, published in 1791 and 1792, both entitled The Illustrated Dream of the Red Chamber. The 1791 version, produced at the year's end, was the novel's earliest print edition. A revised edition, differing in minor details, was published less than eighty days after the first print edition in early 1792. Both editions were edited by Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E and were published by Suzhou's Cuiwen Book House.
The Cheng-Gao versions differed from earlier scribal copies, which were titled The Story of the Stone 石头记). Their edition is known as the Cheng-Gao continuation. This 40-chapter ending is now the continuation read by most readers.
Hu Shih in the 1920s referred to the 1791 version as the Chengjia edition and the 1792 version as the Chengyi edition. These remain the names they are known in the field of Redology. From the mid-20th century until the 1980s the Chengyi edition was the most read, studied and reprinted Dream version in Taiwan owing to Hu Shih's influence. In China, the People's Literature Publishing House published an annotated 1982 edition based on the Rouge versions, effectively ending the era where the Cheng-Gao versions were used extensively. The 1982 People's Literature Publishing House edition was edited by a team of scholars from the "Red Chamber Dream Academy", which included influential Redologist Feng Qiyong. This 1982 edition was subsequently revised in 2008 and 2015.
Original Cheng-Gao editions are now very rare and are highly prized collector's items – less than twenty copies are believed to be extant.
The 1791 prefaces
Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E wrote prefaces for the 1791 Chengjia edition in Classical Chinese. Both prefaces were short and owing to the brevity of Classical Chinese, are reproduced here in full:Cheng's preface
Cheng Weiyuan's 1791 preface was as follows:In his 1791 preface Cheng Weiyuan stated that the novel, which he renamed Dream of the Red Chamber, was originally entitled The Story of the Stone. It had been ascribed to "different people", the author being unknown, but a certain "Mr" Cao Xueqin edited and revised it several times as was stated in the novel proper. Such was the popularity of the book that contemporaneous temple market scribes could make copies and sell them for several taels of gold. But the book's incomplete, 80-chapter nature disappointed readers. Cheng searched extensively for the remaining chapters, from renowned book collector's libraries to spare paper piles, and in the process collected over "twenty more chapters". Cheng wrote after several years, to have chanced on "ten more chapters" of the final version from a book vendor, and paid a hefty price for them. Being the working manuscript, however, it was unedited and in disarray. Cheng Weiyuan invited his friend, a scholar/official to edit this version, consulting existing versions, then printed the 120 chapter edition to satiate the appetites of fellow fans.
Later Qing Dynasty editions reprinting the Cheng-Gao versions removed Cheng's preface and used Gao's preface solely.
Gao E's preface
Gao E's 1791 preface was shorter:Gao's preface was penned in 1791 winter, five days after the winter solstice, in Tieling. He revealed the overwhelming popularity of the novel, although there was no final version after "over twenty years". He first read the book at a friend's place since he could not have a share of it. In spring 1791 Cheng Weiyuan approached Gao to co-edit a "complete" version; Cheng mentioned that he himself was then quite idle but the editing task seemed to him arduous. Gao said that although the novel concerned "unofficial stray anecdotes" of the past, it did not slander the "orthodox" Confucian classics, and hence he gladly assisted in its editing. Thereafter Gao wrote this preface in appreciation of Cheng's offer of collaboration.
The 1792 foreword
The 1791 preface was replaced with a more impersonal, jointly written foreword, also in Classical Chinese:The foreword was dated March 5, 1792. 1. The first eighty chapters of this book have been copied and circulated by book collectors for thirty years. Now, the last forty chapters have been compiled into a complete version. Many friends have borrowed copies, and many have eagerly awaited them. Copying is difficult, and printing takes time, too. So, I've assembled movable type to print it. Because I'm anxious to share it with fellow enthusiasts, I didn't have time to proofread it carefully during the initial printing, and there are occasional omissions. Now, I've collected all the originals, carefully reviewed them, and revised them to ensure they are correct. Those who understand this are welcome to share. 1. Various copies of the first eighty chapters of this book differed from one another. We have now compiled and verified them, correcting any omissions as appropriate. Some additions and deletions may have occurred, but this is intended to facilitate the reader, not to vie with previous versions. First, because this book has been handed down for so long, the surviving copies and the secret manuscripts held by various collectors have different levels of complexity and simplicity, and some have been misinterpreted. For example, in Chapter 67, some are present but others are absent, the title is the same but the text is different, and even Yan Shi is unable to distinguish. I have chosen the most consistent version as the definitive edition. 1. The last 40 chapters of the book are based on what I have learned over the years, and there is no other version to examine. I have only slightly revised them to make them coherent and without contradictions, taking into account the connection between the previous and subsequent chapters. As for the original text, I have not dared to change it arbitrarily, and will further verify it when I find another good copy, and I do not want to completely obscure its original appearance. 1. This book is novel and elegant in its language and has long been appreciated by famous officials. However, since it was first printed, it has many volumes and the labor required is enormous, so I have not commented on it. The wonderful use of the pen and the interplay of reality and illusion will be appreciated by those who are knowledgeable. 1. The prefaces and signatures of rare books and novels are often written by famous authors. I begin this book with a few words, not as a preface, but because it has been incomplete for years, and now that it is finally complete, it has greatly pleased everyone, so I am pleased to give it this title, as a token of my happiness at its completion. First, this book was originally printed for the enjoyment of fellow enthusiasts. Later, due to repeated requests for it, we have agreed to a price to cover the cost of the work, not because it is a rare commodity.
Authorship
In 1921, Hu Shih published one of the most influential Redology essays in the modern era, Studies on A Dream of the Red Chamber. In it Hu Shih proposed the hypothesis that the last forty chapters were not written by Cao Xueqin but were completed by Gao E. Hu Shih based his hypothesis on four pieces of evidence – though three of them were circumstantial and Hu Shih was himself uncertain of his second proof. He went on to accuse Cheng and Gao of being dishonest in their 1791 prefaces, stating direct evidence from a contemporary, Zhang Wentao, that Gao was the author of the continuation. The conclusion, in Hu Shih's own words, was irrefutable. His stand was supported by Zhou Ruchang and Liu Xinwu. Another Redologist, Yu Pingbo, originally supported this proposition, but later retracted it.Modern Redologists continue to be skeptical about the authenticity of the Cheng-Gao ending, partly owing to stylistic differences, and also because the many foreshadowings in the earlier 80 chapters are not precisely fulfilled in the subsequent chapters.