Liu Xianglian is a very special character in "Dream of Red Mansions", he is a wandering and heroic personality, a bit like the "warrior" in martial arts novels, a little lonely, not very close to people. He was a good friend of Baoyu and a good friend of Qin Zhong, and he also went to repair Qin Zhong's tomb. So under his cold exterior, there is actually another side of affection and righteousness.
That Liu Xianglian was originally a child of a family, unable to study, her parents died early, she was a simple and cool man, not informal, cool and good at playing guns and swords, gambling and drinking, and even sleeping flowers lying on willows, playing flutes and kites, and doing everything. Because he was young and beautiful, people who did not know his identity were mistaken for a good person.
It can be seen that Xianglian's appearance conditions are excellent, but it is a pity that the family road has declined, and he has suffered from the warmth and coldness of the world, if Liu Xianglian's family road has not declined, presumably he is also another Jia Baoyu. Some people once said that Liu Xianglian is Jia Baoyu outside the garden, Jia Baoyu is Liu Xianglian born in the garden, Baoyu has been loved by her mother and grandmother since birth, and the maids and sisters around her are considerate and take care of everywhere, someone brings tea and pours water when thirsty, someone burns the stove and dresses when it is cold, and has not been snubbed in the slightest.
And Xianglian has been wandering outside for a long time, and he sees the essence of the world more clearly than Baoyu, so there is always a kind of arrogance hidden in his temperament. When Baoyu persuaded Xianglian to see the You family sisters, Xianglian gave it up and said with disdain
Except for the two stone lions in your East Mansion, I am afraid that even the cats and dogs are not clean.
And in this time, I met a lecherous Xue Pan, who liked him so much that he always wanted to stick to him, and was beaten by Liu Xianglian.
The so-called "male style" move is probably "the good of Longyang". It is not uncommon for people who have had "male style" in "Dream of Red Mansions". The most obvious is the "dull overlord" Xue Pan, who came to Jia Fu's house to learn because of his good "male style", so he befriended a lot of "qi brothers", and many "qi brothers" were also coaxed by him. He later also entangled Liu Xianglian.
He heard that "there are many young children in school, and it is inevitable that Longyang Zhixing will be moved, so he also pretends to go to school." "Longyang Zhixing" is an allusion, during the Warring States period, the king of the Wei State favored a man called Longyang Jun, and later people used it to describe the love of male style. Later, "Longyang" was used as a synonym for gay men. Longyang Zhixing is also a homosexual behavior, and similar to the meaning of "Longyang Zhixing" is the "joy of broken sleeves" between the Han Dynasty Han Mourning Emperor and the man Dong Xian, and the "love of peaching" between Wei Linggong and the male pet Mi Zifang in the Spring and Autumn Period.
Baoyu reading is an excuse, and so is Xue Pan.
The text describes Baoyu and Qin Zhong very explicitly: seeing that Qin Zhong is shy and gentle, his face is red before speaking, he is timid and shy, he has the style of a daughter, and Baoyu is emotional and considerate, and his words are entangled, so the two are more intimate, and they can't complain that the classmate is suspicious, and you talk behind my back, all over the study inside and outside.
Looking at the school in Jia Fu, most of those children did not come to study, some for the "prosperity of Longyang", and some for greedy money. This so-called school is really a microcosm of Jia Fu.
In the early Manchu Qing Dynasty, the rulers learned the lesson of the Ming Dynasty's desolation and desolation, and specifically stipulated in the "Great Qing Regulations" that civil and military officials who prostituted and ate flowers and wine should be beaten with 60 sticks, and those who pimped should be beaten with 30 sticks. As a result, the "smart" dignitaries and dignitaries opened up a different way and created the "private apartment" system, and it became a common practice for officials and wealthy businessmen to raise each other.
These large families bought little boys with beautiful eyebrows for the owners to enjoy, called "male style", and the children were called "Xianggong" or "Xianggu". The style of Fox was prevalent among officials, and the rich and wealthy businessmen and dignitaries bought young men with clear eyebrows as male pets. Qi official Jiang Yuhan is in a sense the male favorite of the old prince Zhongshun. These male pets will also be brought to various parties by the host like courtesans.
The objects of male style are mainly maids, who either set up shifts in the streets of hutongs or are raised by officials and eunuchs, and they are used as prostitutes for entertainment. Then there are the confiscated family members and slaves of the criminal courtiers who have become the playthings of other families, so after Jia Fu is confiscated, it must be very miserable. There are also child prostitutes and slaves who have been raised by their own families. Of course, there are also some like-minded and sympathetic people, such as Baoyu and Qin Zhong.
The reason why "male style" pervades "Dream of Red Mansions" from time to time is due to the social customs of the time, and Cao Gong just recorded the real reality with pen and paper.