In particular, the decline of the Jia family in the book has much to do with the struggle of the royal family. Yuan Chun is still the emperor's concubine. If you meet some officials who love to fan the flames, it will be easy to speculate in stocks. Cao Xueqin alludes to authority? The wind, then Cao's future life will be difficult to guarantee. Therefore, it is better to put the background of the story overhead. It is not clear in which era, at least some risks can be reduced.
In addition, it should be pointed out that the costumes in A Dream of Red Mansions are not all from the Ming Dynasty, but mainly from the Ming Dynasty. The costumes inside, more precisely, should be the costumes of past dynasties. Like a sparrow's golden robe darned by Qingwen, it appeared in aristocratic families in Tang and Song Dynasties. There are scorpions often worn in the harem of the Red Chamber, which were also made in the Song Dynasty. Therefore, the costumes in A Dream of Red Mansions are exquisite, but in terms of age, they are actually not so elegant.
So why are the costumes in A Dream of Red Mansions dominated by the Ming Dynasty? Some scholars believe that, firstly, due to the short time, although some Ming dynasty costumes are no longer worn, their shapes, patterns and names are still preserved, making it easier to write.
Secondly, many people who are familiar with the Red Chamber can see that the novel Jin Ping Mei is very similar to the novel Jin Ping Mei in the late Ming Dynasty. In particular, Jin Ping Mei is also a book describing the life of a wealthy family. There are also many descriptions about food and clothing in the book, which is widely circulated among scholars. Cao Xueqin must have read this book. There will naturally be some impressions after reading it, so it is normal to draw lessons from some descriptions in the book when writing A Dream of Red Mansions.