The Realm of Illusion is a long web novel by the online author Nalan Rongruo (also writing as Lao Zhuang Mohan). The title is borrowed from the "Realm of Illusion" in Dream of the Red Chamber. It takes up a rather familiar premise yet creates an extraordinary protagonist. The hero transmigrates from the present world into another realm and lands there already at the very top: wealth and power at their zenith. In his own words, his greatest wish is merely to be a "rich idler"—eating well, lazing about, doing no work, and nothing more. But this position is precisely the focus of everyone's attention, and he is exactly the kind of youth who faints at the sight of blood, fears heights, and harbors no grand ambitions. His mother suspects him; his wife treats him with courtesy while keeping her own counsel; his uncle is wary of him; his brothers resent him; his subordinates look down on him. Within, powerful ministers covet his position; without, enemy states encircle the realm; even his closest kin harbor their own schemes. The more sincere he is, the less anyone believes him. All the conspiracies, bloodshed, killings, and struggles unfold around him one by one, and he has no choice but to strive with all his might to break free of each. The story contains both the coldness of political intrigue and the ruthlessness of slaughter, as well as a hope for the light deep within human nature—time and again he shows leniency to those who harm him, preferring to leave himself open to attack rather than injure the innocent. According to publicly available information, the book was published in Taiwan by Novel Channel as an ultra-long series, serialized through Volume 27; complete serialized text also circulates online. For the exact total word count and completion status, refer to authoritative edition information; no speculation is made here.
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Nalan Rongruo was a Qing-dynasty ci poet whose name is closely associated with the graceful and restrained style of Chinese lyric poetry. Public information about his life is limited, so no conjecture is made about biographical details. Judging from the three works listed in the library, his writing centers on ci poetry, with themes often involving parting sorrow, reflections on life, and everyday moods. His language is clear and natural, his feeling sincere and understated, and he is skilled at conveying subtle psychological shifts through concise imagery. This style gives his ci a distinctive place in Qing-dynasty lyric poetry and offers later readers an entry into the抒情 tradition of classical ci. Among the library's holdings, Selected Ci of Nalan Rongruo presents the basic features of his craft, while the two biographical works on his ci pair his poems with his life, serving both literary appreciation and general knowledge. Overall, his works continue to be read today, commonly classified under classical poetry and literary appreciation, which shows that his influence lies mainly in the transmission and reception of classic ci works.
