有清一代，論者即對《金瓶梅》於《紅樓夢》的影響留下許多意見，降至現、當代學界，仍對兩者之間顯而易察的繼承關係饒感興趣。然而，《金瓶梅》真的對《紅樓夢》起到決定性的影響嗎？如果是，實際的影響又分佈在哪些層面？尤其，學術界對此的研究有無可議之處？本文除了擬釐清《金瓶梅》對《紅樓夢》的影響關係，還要試圖指出學界一些可能的「偏見」，期為這個課題的討論提供另一種詮釋。

Critics of the Ching Dynasty had numerous studies on the effect of the secular novel, Jin Ping Mei, on the creation of another masterpiece, The Dream of the Red Chamber. Modern scholars still have great interest in the successive relation of the latter with the former. However, did Jin Ping Mei really have decisive influence on The Dream of the Red Chamber? If so, in which aspect and how? On the other hand, is there any argument about such conclusion? This article aims to clarify the relation between Jin Ping Mei and The Dream of the Red Chamber. Further, the author tries to point out some potential "bias" that other scholars may have on this topic.