Novels of Han, Wei and Six Dynasties

The prosperity of Zhiren novels has a lot to do with the literati's evaluation of the characters and their worship of frivolous. This kind of novels about volunteers is not only the result of judging characters and advocating frivolous, but also promotes the development of this trend in turn. From the degree of social attention to Zhiren's novels at that time, we can also see that its compilation was adapted to the needs of society. As soon as Pei Qi's Yu Lin was written, many people from far and near rushed to imitate it. Liang Wudi once ordered Yin Yun to write "novels", which are good examples.

There are few biographies of Zhiren's novels now, which can be divided into three categories according to their contents:

Novels of the Han, Wei and Six Dynasties i. Jokes. (Wei) Han Danchun's Laughing Forest satirizes the world. For example, it was written that the Chu people had a pheasant, and even the emperor believed it and lied about "Phoenix". The old people in the Han Dynasty were rich and childless, but they were very stingy. His property was confiscated after hunger. Laughing Forest opened the end of humorous writing in later generations.

Second, unofficial history. (Eastern Jin Dynasty) Ge Hong wrote "Miscellanies of Xijing" under the guise of Liu Xin, which described the anecdotes of people in the Western Han Dynasty, and also involved the court system, customs, costumes, etc., with a strange color. Some of these stories became very popular, such as those of Wang Zhaojun and Mao Yanshou, Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun.

Third, anecdotes. This is the main part of the novels of Zhi Ren, including Yu Lin by Pei Qi in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Guo Zi by Guo in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Popular Theory (Liang) and Novel by Yin Yun (Liang). Liu Yiqing's Shi Shuo Xin Yu is the most successful and influential one. The novels of Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties are short in length, simple in narration, and only some sketchy stories, which are basically recorded directly according to rumors, without artistic imagination and detailed description. Although there is a characterization, it cannot be unfolded. Therefore, it is just a novel, not a mature novel. In the history of China's novels, strange stories and stories of people in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties are indispensable. They have accumulated experience for the writing of Tang legends in the aspects of characterization, detailed description and narrative language. Some legendary stories of the Tang Dynasty were extracted from the novels of this period, such as A Pang in Away from Soul and Swimming, Hu Muban in Liu Yichuan and Search, and Jiao Zhu in Pillow and Swimming. After the Tang Dynasty, there has been a strange classical Chinese novel, and Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio is the peak of this novel. There are dozens of novels imitating Shi Shuo Xin Yu, which also shows the influence of novels in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties.

The name "knowing people" was established by Mr. Lu Xun in A Brief History of Chinese Novels, as opposed to "knowing the strange". "A Brief History of Chinese Novels" also said: "People who remember human events are very old. Both Lieyukou and Han Fei have recorded them, but the reason why they have recorded them is because they are used as metaphors and Han is discussing politics. If it is written for pleasure, it really sprouted in Wei and flourished in Jin. Although it is inevitable to follow the customs or ponder, it should be far practical and close to entertainment. " The idea put forward here is very important, that is, the so-called novel with lofty ideals. Although its writing purpose is still to record historical facts and make people think deeply, it is very ornamental and entertaining.

Works of this nature and earlier times include Xijing Miscellanies written by Ge Hong in the Eastern Jin Dynasty under the guise of Liu Xin's suicide note in the Western Han Dynasty. Among them, "Wang Qiang" tells the story that Wang Qiang married the Huns because he refused to bribe the painter, which is a common theme in later poems, novels and plays. However, although Miscellanies of Xijing is mainly about personnel, it involves a lot of miscellaneous things, and most of the records are too trivial. Guo Zi, written by Pei Qi in the middle of Eastern Jin Dynasty and Guo Chengzhi in Jin and Song Dynasties, is a book dedicated to recording characters' words and deeds. Both books are lost.

The following are the remnants of the "language forest":

Wang Ziyou tried to send someone to live in an empty house temporarily, so he ordered the planting of bamboo. Or ask, "Why stay?" "For a long time, he pointed to Zhu and said," How can you live without this gentleman for a day! "

Shi Shuo Xin Yu, formerly known as Shi Shuo, was written by Liu Yiqing, king of Linchuan in Song Dynasty. It is the only well-preserved one of its kind and a masterpiece. The remains of Pei and Guo are often found in Shi Shuo Xin Yu (the one mentioned above), which shows that this book has the nature of compilation. Of course, there are also people who write rumors. There are more than 400 kinds of books quoted by Liu Jun in the Liang Dynasty, which is famous for its rich information and precious historical materials.

Shi Shuo Xin Yu is arranged in the form of a book, which is divided into 36 articles including morality, language, politics and literature. The content mainly describes the words and deeds of literati and celebrities from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, especially in the Jin Dynasty. The record mainly reflects the character and mental outlook of the characters. As historical facts, most of them are irrelevant. The book commends the deeds of some dutiful sons, good wives, good mothers and honest officials, and also exposes and satirizes the greedy, cruel, stingy and hypocritical behaviors of some characters in the gentry, which embodies some basic evaluation standards. But as far as the whole book is concerned, it is not aimed at promoting enlightenment and encouraging achievements. We don't hold narrow and single standards to praise or criticize characters, but people-oriented, and give wide recognition to people's behavior. Noble conduct, detached tolerance, open-minded mind, outstanding manners, witty conversation, or selfless devotion to the country, or selfless scenery, or generous and open-minded, or cautious and solemn, are all affirmed by the author. Even if you are angry and frivolous, cunning and hypocritical, it is unnecessary to ridicule and slander. Therefore, it also reflects the various life characteristics of the gentleman class and their ideological interests.

Although the real life of the gentry is not as superb as they claim, as an ideal expectation and exemplary performance, they are required to get rid of secular interests, gains and losses, honor and disgrace, so that their personality can be freely carried forward and their spirit can be sublimated. This cultural feature is embodied in Shi Shuo Xin Yu.

Ji Kang is seven feet eight inches long and has a unique charm. The person who saw it sighed and said, "Sue, hearty." Or: "Su Su is like a scattered wind, high and Xu Yin." Gong Shan said: "Uncle Ji is a man at night, and the rocks are as solitary as pines; If he is drunk, Russia will collapse if it is Yushan. " (Rong Zhi)

Pay attention to the appearance of some excellent people, because bread here contains enviable personality cultivation. There are many similar examples. For example, the article "Rong Zhi" also records people's evaluation of Wang Xizhi: "If you float in the clouds, you will be surprised by agility."

Wang Ziyou lives in the shade, and it snows heavily at night, so he sleeps, opens a room and orders himself to drink. Looking around Jiao Ran, I hesitated, recited Zuo Si's poem "Solitude", and suddenly remembered Diane Road. Wear it at all times, even when taking a boat at night. When I arrived at Sufang, I built the door and didn't return. When people asked him why, the king said, "I left on impulse and came back exhausted." Why should I wear it? " "("Ren Dan ")

It was respected at that time to let emotions overflow, be informal and speak freely. Xie Gong played Weiqi with others, but Xie Xuan believed it. Reading is unexpected and silent, Xu Xiangju. When the guest asked about Huai Shang's interests, he replied, "Child thief." The color behavior of Italians is no different from usual. (magnanimous)

Xie An was a great star in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, not a man without achievements. At that time, his nephew Xie Xuan was fighting 800,000 troops of the former Qin Dynasty on the water front. The rise and fall of the country, the survival of the family, at this stroke, he can not be indifferent. It is detached to remain calm in the face of major events. On the other hand, sometimes trivial things can make those celebrities emotional. On the way to the Northern Expedition, a generation of lean Huan Wen passed through Jincheng, which he had been to a few years ago. Seeing that the willows planted by hand in the past have grown a lot, he generously said, "How can people be inferior to others?" So I cried. Because even if the success or failure of the body can be ignored, life itself is unforgettable. And Hans Zhang, seeing Qiu Fengsi's hometown water shield habitat, abandoned his post and returned to mourn his old friend:

Gu Yanxian had a good piano skill all his life, and his family often put it on the spiritual bed. Zhang kept crying, so he went to bed, played the piano and played some songs. He said: "Gu Yanxian is quite rewarding." "Because of the taboo, don't hold the hand of the dutiful son. ("I regret it")

Contemporary scholars try to separate spiritual life from the ever-changing social relations and get close to the inside story of life, which also includes appreciating life in their understanding of nature. "Text" contains:

Prince Jing Yun said, "Walking up the mountain road, mountains and rivers set each other off, which is overwhelming. If it is autumn and winter, it is especially difficult to get pregnant. "

In the metaphysical words of Wei and Jin Dynasties, scholars often get together to argue and cultivate the wit and agility of language expression. This wit is also applied to daily life. A beautiful word will spread all over the country and bring a good reputation. In all the articles in Shi Shuo Xin Yu, you can read wonderful words everywhere, and there is another article called Yan, which is specially recorded. Wang Zijing mentioned above and Huan Wen mentioned above, as well as "People Crossing the River" later, are all giving speeches, so I won't give other examples here.

The upper-class women written in Shi Shuo Xin Yu and Shi Shuo Xin Yu often have their own personalities and interests, unlike the later women who were severely bound; People's requirements for women are not blindly docile and virtuous. For example, in Yuan Xian, Xie Daowen was dissatisfied with her husband Wang Ningzhi and went back to her family to complain to her uncle Xie An: "Unexpectedly, there is Wang Lang!"

Another article in Fake Money said that Wen Qiao, a famous Eastern Jin Dynasty star, pretended to be the matchmaker of Gu Liu's daughter and married her back. "since marriage is a gift, the woman clapped her hands and laughed and said,' I firmly doubt that I am an old slave, as expected!' ""Wen Qiao is a hero and cunning, so the bride is very happy and interesting. But it is so presumptuous that it is unimaginable for later generations. The words in Shi Shuo Xin Yu are simple and meaningful, and the style is subtle and euphemistic. It has no description, no description and no exaggeration. But a few strokes can show quite vivid characters. This is because the author adopts the method of taking the spirit from the appearance, deleting the branches and leaves, grasping the most distinctive and meaningful movements and languages of the characters themselves, and presenting them directly to the readers. Moreover, most of the characters' languages recorded in it are spoken, which makes people feel like hearing their voices. Wang Ziyou visited Dai Tiao on a snowy night. "When it snowed at night, I slept, opened a room, ordered wine and looked around. Because of hesitation, I recited Zuo Si's poem "Swinging", and suddenly remembered Diane's words, "There are no superfluous words, and there is a subtle feeling in the protagonist's movements." Another example is Xie An's "Chess with the Guest", "Reading unexpectedly, being silent, Xu Xiangju", which is written in an abyss, but unpredictable. Another example is Wen Qiao's Marrying a Wife, which describes the bride's manner and tone vividly. People's mental outlook and emotional activities are subtle and elusive. Rendering, description and explanation often seem to gain something, but in fact they lose a lot. On the contrary, it is possible to gain a character's charm just by reproducing his own activities with simple words, and the author knows this very well. Sometimes, in order to highlight the characters to be represented, the author often uses the method of contrast to set them off and see what he wants. For example, one sentence:

When people cross the river, every time they go to the United States and Japan, they invite new pavilions and hold flower banquets. Zhou Houzhong sat down and sighed: "The scenery is different, different from mountains and rivers." Everyone looked at each other in tears. However, the three prime ministers suddenly changed color: "When * * * pokes the royal family and restores China, how can it be a relative prison?" "

In two sentences, two different characters are written. There are many such examples in the book.

Shi Shuo Xin Yu has always been particularly loved by ancient literati, and later note novels often imitate the style of characters' words and deeds. There are also many works that directly imitate its format. Mr. Lu Xun's A Brief History of Chinese Novels lists nearly 20 kinds, such as Wang Shu's Tang Yu Lin in Song Dynasty and Kong's Theory of Continuing the World. It's just that Shi Shuo Xin Yu was originally the product of the aristocratic society in Wei, Jin and Southern Dynasties, which has remarkable characteristics of the times, history cannot be repeated, and this artistic style is difficult to repeat.