Reflections on Writing Scholars' History

"If you collect all the broken brocade and combine it into a pillar, although it is not big, you can see the difference from time to time." Mr. Lu Xun once commented on this feudal novel in Qing Dynasty. Although I can't do anything about this, I feel the same way. This feudal novel, which is widely circulated in the history of China literature, enjoys more criticism and sighs more than sighs. Fan Jinzhong Residence is the most well-known anecdote in this book, and it is precisely because of it that I met the scholar and author Wu. Jin Fan Zhong Ju tells the story of an old student of Ming Dynasty, Jin Fan, who failed in the imperial examination. He didn't get a scholar until he was 54 years old, and then he was admitted to a scholar. Fan Jinzhong received a lot of cold eyes at home before he got together. His wife called him around and his father-in-law scolded him in every way. When Jin Fan's family was worried about selling chickens for rice, there was a happy news that Jin Fan had been recovered from the collection. After learning the good news, he was ecstatic. Fortunately, his father-in-law slapped him in the face before waking him up and curing his madness. In the blink of an eye, Jin Fan's luck changed. He not only has money, rice and a house, but also slaves and maids. Jin Fan's mother was breathless with joy and died in the West. Butcher Hu is also uncharacteristic, saying everywhere that he has long known that his son-in-law is satellites, and he will not be as respectful as ordinary people. Later, Jin Fan went to Beijing to visit Zhou Jin, was recommended by Zhou Jin, won the Jinshi, and was appointed as the Shandong Jinshi. Although Jin Fan developed eight-part essay, he only knew four books and five classics. When people mentioned Su Shi, a writer in the Northern Song Dynasty, they thought he was a scholar in the Ming Dynasty and made a big joke. After reading this story, people can't help laughing, laughing at Tong Sheng's abnormal personality and sighing the decadent feudal stereotyped writing. The novel uses humorous and sharp words to describe an interesting officialdom story in the examination room at the end of Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of Ming Dynasty. The main characters of the story are mostly folk literati. The author's dissatisfaction with real life and expectation of changing such a gloomy world are expressed by praising many upright Confucian scholars and lashing corrupt politicians. The novel begins with a description of some deeds of Wang Mian, an incorruptible hermit in Zhuji, Zhejiang Province, and his noble qualities of being unmoved by official positions and not polluted by the secular world. Through Wang Mian's mouth, the author also expressed his dissatisfaction with literati's feudal stereotyped writing, and was very angry at the poison brought by the imperial examination. Perhaps, Wang Mian is the portrayal of the author's own imagination. The author believes that the imperial examination has not only become the astray of scholars, but also corrupted social morality. Many celebrities and wise men, including Li Bai, Du Fu's talents and Yan Yuan's products, have not been ridiculed by the world as ignorant and lacking in talent. However, some people in the imperial examination only know no virtue and are not good at managing affairs. The imperial examination system not only trained a group of mediocre talents, but also trained a group of officials and corrupt officials. Xu was appointed as the magistrate of Nanchang. The first thing he did after taking office was not to ask about the local public security, people's livelihood and the public opinion of the case, but to ask about the local people's feelings, and to know what local specialties there are and where various cases can be accommodated. Then customized a No.1 library, handed over all six rooms in the yamen, asked about the profits of various errands, and asked everyone to transfer the money back to the government. From then on, the sound of castanets, abacus and boards was heard all day in the yamen. Chiefs and people were beaten out of their wits one by one, shivering in their sleep. And his own creed is "three years to clear the magistrate, 100 thousand snowflakes and silver." When the imperial court inspected his achievements, it was agreed that he was "the first able man in Jiangxi". Gaoyao County ordered Tang Feng to strictly enforce the laws and regulations of the imperial court to show incorruptibility. The imperial court explicitly forbids the killing of cattle. Regardless of the reason, Tang Feng flogged the father of the Hui teacher who was engaged in beef business to death, and the masses were filled with indignation, and gongs and drums were loud. After the incident. The inspector didn't punish Tang Feng, but asked the victims of the Hui people on the charge of "raping the government and investigating its responsibility according to law". Such a "clean" magistrate of a county actually found 8,200 pieces of silver in one year. And the list goes on. In feudal society, the author was deeply saddened by the darkness of imperial examinations and officialdom and the degeneration of Confucian scholars. But at the same time, the author also feels helpless as a private bachelor. He can't resist this, so he can only choose to sigh the struggle with excessive passion. Wu used one of his old pens to write down the lament of scholars for hundreds of years, and wrote down the prosperous Confucian scholars that the author looked forward to all his life. The author hopes that he can arouse that all upright literati are crying in their hearts and are looking for the clean road again. No matter whether the Confucian road advocated by the author is worthy of being respected by later generations, and whether this clean road can finally bring the Confucian out of that decadent period, Wu's Scholars is indeed a classic. A volume of "The Scholars" tells the story of rain and snow in the scholars once in a hundred years, which is both bitter and bitter.