Author of Scholars and Foreign History

Wu Jingzi, author of "The Scholars". "The Scholars" is an outstanding realist satirical novel in the Qing Dynasty of my country. It was written around 1750 when the author was 50 years old. It mainly describes the activities and mental outlook of intellectuals, officials and gentry in the late feudal society. Mr. Lu Xun rated it as "like a collection of scraps of brocade, combined into a post, although it is not huge, but sometimes rare." The "Compendium of the History of Chinese Literature" co-authored by Feng Yuanjun and Lu Kanru regarded it as "big and minor flaws". Of course, due to the limitations of the times, although the author criticizes the dark reality in the book, he pins his ideals on scholar-bureaucrats who are "excellent in character and learning" and promotes ancient rituals and music, without seeing a real way out to change the Confucian community and society. , which should be criticized. "The Scholars" originally had only 55 chapters. According to Cheng Jinfang's "Poems of Remembering People", it can be proved that Wu Jingzi had already completed the manuscript when he was 49 years old ("Chun Sail Collection" contains more than a dozen "Poems of Remembering People", one of which is noted: "Quanjiao Wu Jingzi's courtesy name is Minxuan." The whole poem The last four sentences say: "The scholars in foreign history chronicle the story of He Gongyan! I feel so sad for this person that I use barnyard grass to tell the story."), but it was not until more than ten years after the author's death that Jin Zhaoyan published it for him. This engraving has now been lost. The current version of the book has 56 chapters, the last of which is a forgery by later generations. "The Scholars" is an outstanding realistic chapter-length satirical novel in the history of Chinese literature. Mr. Lu Xun rated it as "like a collection of scraps of brocade, combined into a post, although it is not huge, but sometimes rare." The "Compendium of the History of Chinese Literature" co-authored by Feng Yuanjun and Lu Kanru regarded it as "big and minor flaws". Although there is no main storyline in the whole book, there is a central theme running through it, which is to oppose the poison of the imperial examination system and feudal ethics, and to satirize the extreme hypocrisy and bad social customs caused by the passion for fame and wealth. Such ideological content undoubtedly had great practical and educational significance at the time. Coupled with its accurate, vivid and concise vernacular language, lifelike character creation, beautiful and delicate description of scenery, and excellent satirical techniques, it has also achieved great success in art. Of course, due to the limitations of the times, although the author criticizes the dark reality in the book, he pins his ideals on scholar-bureaucrats who are "excellent in character and learning" and promotes ancient rituals and music, without seeing a real way out to change the Confucian community and society. , which should be criticized. The 56 chapters of "The Scholars" are connected by many vivid stories, which are all based on real people and real events. The central content of the book is to criticize the rigid examination system and the serious social problems caused by it. "The Scholars" is a model of ancient satirical literature in my country. Wu Jingzi's successful portrait of the feudal literati living in the last days of feudalism and the imperial examination system The shaping, as well as the vivid description of cannibalistic imperial examinations, ethics and corruption, made him one of the outstanding writers of critical realism in the history of Chinese literature. "The Scholars" not only directly influenced modern condemnation novels, but also deeply inspired modern satirical literature. Now, "The Scholars" has been translated into English, French, German, Russian, Japanese and other languages, and has become a worldwide literary masterpiece. Some foreign scholars believe that this is a work that satirizes pedantry and showoff, but it can be regarded as a model of the least quotable and most poetic prose narrative in the world. It can be compared with the works of Italian Boccaccio, Spanish Cervantes, French Balzac and others. Brief introduction to the author Wu Jingzi (1701~1754), courtesy name Minxuan, also known as Limin, and in his later years also known as Wenlinshanren (the existing handwritten "Lanting Xu" by Wu Jingzi has a seal: "Quanjiao Wu Jingzi Hao Limin Seal"), Qing Dynasty Novelist, Han nationality, from Quanjiao, Anhui. Wu Jingzi was born in the 40th year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty and died in the 19th year of Emperor Qianlong of Emperor Gaozong at the age of fifty-four (54 years in his life, 23 years in Quanjiao, 10 years in Ganyu, and 21 years in Nanjing). I have been interested in novels since I was a child and am good at memorizing them. If it is a little longer, he will supplement his official position and become a disciple. You Jing's "Selected Works" was completed. If you are not good at managing your life and have a heroic nature, you will squander all your old products within a few years, and sometimes you may run out of food. In the thirteenth year of Yongzheng (AD 1735), the governor of Zhao State refused to go to the imperial examination in response to the "Bo Xue Hong Ci". . He moved to Jinling and became the leader of the literary world. They also gathered comrades to build two sages at the foot of Yuhua Mountain and worshiped 230 people under Tai Bo. With insufficient funds, he sold his house to make a living, which helped his family become poorer. In his later years, he called himself Old Man Wenmu. He visited Yangzhou and indulged in drinking. Later he died among the guests. Jingzi committed the most evil deeds in his life, and spent 20 years of hard work to write fifty-five chapters of "The Scholars" (one volume contains fifty-six chapters, and another volume contains sixty chapters, both of which are not original). The truth behind this story is humorous and hilarious to read.

There are also seven volumes of "Shishuo", five volumes of "Wenmu Shanfang Collection", seven volumes of poetry, and "A Brief History of Chinese Novels" which have been handed down to the world. Because his family had a "Wenmu Shanfang", he called himself "Old Man Wenmu" in his later years. And because he moved from his hometown Quanjiao, Anhui to the banks of the Qinhuai River in Nanjing, Jiangsu, he was also called "Qinhuai Yuke". He came from a well-known official family. He received a good education as a child and showed a special talent for literary creation. When he reached adulthood, he followed his father to serve as an official in various places and had the opportunity to gain a lot of insight, including the inside story of officialdom. When Wu Jingzi was 22 years old, his father passed away, and a fierce battle broke out within the family over property and power. After experiencing this incident, Wu Jingzi had no intention of being an official, was deeply disgusted with hypocritical interpersonal relationships, and had no intention of seeking fame. The governor of Anhui recommended him to take the Erxue Hongci exam, but he pretended to be ill and refused to go. He was not good at managing his family, so he gave alms when he was in poverty and sold all his property. He lived a life of poverty until his death in 1754 at the age of 53. Wu Jingzi created a large number of poems, prose and historical research works throughout his life, including the twelve volumes of "Wenmu Shanfang Poems and Essays", four of which are preserved today. However, it was his satirical novel "The Scholars" that established his outstanding status in the history of Chinese literature. The article "Fan Jin passed the examination" in this book was also selected as a Chinese book for the first volume of the ninth (third) grade. This novel took him nearly 20 years and was not completed until he was 49 years old. People built the "Wu Jingzi Memorial Hall" in his hometown; the "Wu Jingzi Former Residence" was also built at Taoyedu on the Qinhuai River in Nanjing. Because his study office was "Wenmu Shanfang", he called himself Old Man Wenmu in his later years; and because he moved to Nanjing from his former residence in Quanjiao, Anhui, he also called himself Qinhuai Yuke. Wu Jingzi's family can be said to be a gentry family with a prosperous family. His father Wu Linqi died. Later, many people in the immediate family coveted the inheritance. Wu Jingzi was the heir, which gave them an opportunity to take advantage of. As a result, what Wu Jingzi said in "Yijia Fu" occurred, "brothers participate in business, and clans quarrel" over property. This incident not only stimulated Wu Jingzi, but also made him see clearly the ugly nature of family ethics in feudal society, and the hypocrisy of those well-dressed gentry characters. Parting ways with those vulgar people who rely on their ancestral property and family status as a parasite, he first squandered his inheritance and failed in the provincial examination at the age of 29. From then on, he spent all his land and property before he was 30 years old. At the age of 33, he moved to Nanjing and began his literary career. At the age of 36, he was recommended to take part in the provincial preparatory examination, but he resigned due to illness. He lived a life of poverty and died in Yangzhou at the age of 54. [Edit this paragraph] Introduction: At the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, there was a young man named Wang Mian in a village in Zhuji County, Zhejiang. Because his family was poor, he had been herding cattle for others since he was a child. He was smart, diligent and eager to learn. His paintings of lotuses were vivid and vivid, and he was well-read and talented. He was unwilling to make friends, let alone seek fame and fortune. He did not accept the position of "consulting to join the army", and willingly fled to the Kuaiji Mountains and lived an anonymous life. After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the system of recruiting scholars in the form of eight-legged essays was implemented. Wang Mian couldn't help but sigh: This system of recruiting scholars in the form of eight-part essays Not only will they not be able to select real talents for the country, but future scholars will probably only have this way to achieve success. Therefore, they will take the principles of learning, morality, officialdom, and retirement lightly. This is a generation of literati. Bad luck! Wang Mian was a hermit who opposed the stereotyped recruitment of scholars and lived in poverty. However, there were too few people like Wang Mian in the society at that time. During the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty, a hundred years after Wang Mian's death, literati What they are taking is a wrong path that is obsessed with the fame of the imperial examination. In the late years of Chenghua of Emperor Xianzong of the Ming Dynasty, there was a teacher named Zhou Jin in Wenshang County, Yanzhou Prefecture, Shandong Province. In order to stand out and glorify his hometown, he took the imperial examination many times, but he failed. He was over 60 years old, but he was not even admitted as a scholar. One day, he and his brother-in-law came to the provincial capital and entered the Gongyuan. He was so moved by the scene that he hit the signal board and fell unconscious. He was rolling on the ground, crying so much that blood flowed from his mouth. Several businessmen saw that he was very pitiful, so they collected two hundred taels of silver and donated a prison student for him. He immediately kowtowed to everyone and said, "I, Zhou Jin, have become a donkey." Even if you become a horse, you must repay the favor! "Soon, Zhou Jin passed the exam with his qualifications as a supervisor. In an instant, people who were not relatives came to recognize him as relatives, and people who were not friends came to recognize him as friends. Even the school where he taught was actually enshrined." "Master Zhou"'s "immortality card". A few years later, he won the Jinshi again, was promoted to the imperial censor, and was assigned to study Taoism in Guangdong. In Guangzhou, Zhou Jin discovered Fan Jin.

In order to take care of this 54-year-old boy, he read Fan Jin's paper three times and finally found that it was the best article in the world, word for word, so he promoted Fan Jin to a scholar. Soon after, Fan Jin took the exam again and won the imperial examination. At that time, Fan Jin was in a similar situation to Zhou Jin, so he was looked down upon at home. His wife yelled at him, and his father-in-law scolded him in every possible way. When Fan Jin's family was worrying about being unable to open the pot and waiting to sell chickens for rice, the good news came that Fan Jin had passed the national examination. Fan Jin was found from the market. After learning the good news, he went crazy with joy. Fortunately, his father-in-law Hu Tuhu gave him a slap in the face, which woke him up and cured him of his madness. In the blink of an eye, Fan Jin's fortune changed. He not only had money, rice, and a house, but also servants and maids. Fan Jin's mother was so happy that she couldn't breathe and died. Butcher Hu was also uncharacteristically saying that he had known for a long time that his son-in-law was a descendant of Wenquxing and would not be like ordinary people. He was even more respectful to Fan Jin. Later, Fan went to the capital to meet Zhou Jin. He was recommended by Zhou Jin and won the Jinshi Scholarship, and was appointed as the Shandong Scholar. Although Fan Jin became prosperous with his eight-part essay, he was only familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics. When others mentioned Su Shi, the literary giant of the Northern Song Dynasty, he thought he was a scholar from the Ming Dynasty, which made a huge joke. The imperial examination system not only cultivated a group of mediocre people, but also fostered a group of corrupt officials. Jinshi Wang Hui was appointed as the prefect of Nanchang. The first thing he did when he took office was not to inquire about the local security, the people's livelihood, or the grievances of the case, but to inquire about local people and learn about local specialties. Where can I be accommodating? Then I ordered a number one treasurer, passed all the six-room book offices in the yamen together, asked about the remaining profits of each errand, and asked everyone to return the money to the public. From then on, the yamen was filled with the sound of clasps, abacuses, and boards all day long. The government servants and the common people were all beaten to the point of losing their wits, and they were all shaking in their sleep. But his personal creed is "Three years to clear the prefecture, and one hundred thousand snowflakes and silver." When the imperial court inspected his political achievements, they unanimously believed that he was "the most capable person in Jiangxi." Tang Feng, the magistrate of Gaoyao County, strictly enforced various imperial decrees in order to show that he was clean and honest in government. The imperial court had a ban on killing farm cattle. Tang Feng, without asking the reason, actually shackles his father, a Muslim teacher who was doing beef business, to death. The people were filled with indignation and went on strike to strike the market. After the incident. Not only did the Ancha Division not punish Tang Feng, but they accused the Hui victims of "treacherous men holding the government hostage and punishing them according to the law." Such an "incorruptible" magistrate actually plundered eight thousand taels of silver in one year. Officials were corrupt and perverted the law, and under the Eight-Part Examination system, local tyrants and evil gentry also ran amok. Zhang Jingzhai, who was born in Juren, was a tyrant in the South China Sea. He colluded with the government and took advantage of others. In order to seize the temple's property, he instigated seven or eight gangsters to falsely accuse the monk of adultery with a woman, so that the monk was in court without any explanation. Yan Zhihe, a prison student in Gaoyao County, is a wealthy man who regards money as everything and has a huge fortune. He was so sick that he couldn't eat enough, was bedridden, and was dying. He still kept thinking about harvesting early rice in the fields, and sent the servants in charge of the village to the countryside. He was worried and just impatient. He was stingy by nature, and his family's rice granary was rotten, and there were many cattle and horses. However, he was reluctant to buy a pound of pork in ordinary times. When he was dying, he still refused to die because there was an extra light bulb in the lamp. His elder brother Gongsheng Yan Zhizhong was even more of a villain running rampant in the countryside. He forced his neighbor Wang Xiaoer's pig into a pen, and when others came to take it away, he committed murder and broke Wang Xiaoer's brother's legs. He went around blackmailing people, not lending money to others, but forcing them to pay interest; he threatened the boatman by pretending that the cloud cake was a valuable medicine, and wasted a few cents on the ship's money. After Yan Jiansheng's death, as his elder brother, he forced his sister-in-law to adopt his second son as his son, and attempted to seize his brother's property. He also claimed that this was "a rightful title, but in our country gentry family, these great gifts are not allowed to go wrong." . The imperial examination system created a group of social worms and poisoned the entire society. In Yueqing County, Wenzhou Prefecture, there was a farmer named Kuang Chaoren. He was originally simple and honest. In order to support his parents, he went out to do small business and lived in Hangzhou. Later, I met Mr. Ma Er, who selected and printed eight-legged essays. Mr. Ma Er gave him ten taels of silver and encouraged him to study and make progress. After Kuang Chaoren returned home, he did small business while studying eight-part essay. Soon he was appreciated by Li Zhixian and was promoted to be a scholar. In order to pursue higher fame and wealth, he worked harder to learn and write eight-legged essays. Unexpectedly, something happened to the county magistrate. To avoid being implicated, he fled to Hangzhou. Here, he met Jing Lanjiang, the owner of a scarf shop who pretended to be a celebrity, and Pan Sanye, an official in the government office, and learned the "skill" of taking exams on behalf of others and handling lawsuits.

And because of Mr. Ma Er's relationship, he became the "selector" of eight-part essays, and boasted that he had printed 95 anthologies of eight-part essays. Everyone was vying to buy them. People who studied in the five provinces had them on their desks. "The divine position of the late Confucian Kuangzi". Soon, the Li Zhixian who had promoted him was vindicated and promoted to a capital official. Kuang Chaoren also followed him to the capital. In order to curry favor with the powerful, he abandoned his wife and son to become his mentor's nephew and son-in-law. He died in poverty in his hometown. At this time, Master Pan, who had helped him, was imprisoned. Kuang Chaoren was afraid of affecting his reputation and future, so he cut off relations with Master Pan and refused to even take a look. Not only was he ungrateful to Mr. Ma Er who had helped him, he also slandered and ridiculed him, completely degenerating into a beast in disguise who sold his soul. The imperial examination system not only corrupted people, but was also an accomplice of feudal ethics. Wang Yuhui, a poor scholar in Huizhou Prefecture who was over sixty years old, failed in the imperial examinations every year, but he always abided by the ethics and education. His third son-in-law died, and his daughter wanted to sacrifice her husband, but her parents-in-law refused. Instead, he persuaded his in-laws to let their daughter die. Then he said to his daughter: "My son, since you are like this, this is something that will leave your name in history. How can I stop you? Just do this." Eight days later, his daughter, wearing filial white clothes, went on a hunger strike and died. He looked up to the sky and laughed and said: "Good death! Good death!" But after the incident, when his daughter's spiritual tablet was sent to the Martyrs' Shrine for public sacrifice, he suddenly felt sad. When he returned home and saw his old wife grieving, he couldn't bear it and left home to relax. Along the way, he mourned for his daughter and was miserable. When he arrived at Huqiu, Suzhou, he saw a young woman in white on the boat. He suddenly thought of his daughter who died wearing mourning clothes, and he choked in his heart, and tears rolled down his face. All these trends that had been formed since the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty became more and more intense during the Wanli period. Those who succeed in the examination are considered to be outstanding; those who fail in the examination will be regarded as stupid and incompetent, regardless of their literary talents such as Li Bai or Du Fu or the conduct of Yan Yuan or Zeng Shen. Rich people talk about getting promoted and making a fortune, while poor and humble Confucian students talk about flattery and flattery. Scholars have fallen, and society has become more corrupt. It seems that if we want to find "wonderful people" who are not affected by the stereotypes of the imperial examination, we can only put aside the scholars and look at the common people. Unexpectedly, a few strange people really appeared in the middle of the market. One can write. This man's surname is Ji and his given name is Ya Nian. He has been homeless since he was a child and has always found a home in these temples. He has the best calligraphy, but he refuses to learn from the ancients' calligraphy. He just creates his own style and writes freely. He has a perverse personality, but if a mortal wants to ask him to write, he will fast for a day and grind for a day himself. He will not be happy until he is willing. If he doesn't want to, you can let him be a prince, general or prime minister and give him a lot of money, but he won't even look at it. He was unkempt, wearing a tattered straight jacket and a pair of shabby sandals. After writing every day, getting money from others, and eating at home, I didn't want the remaining money, and gave it to a poor person I didn't know. One day when it was snowing heavily, his rotten shoes stepped on the mud at his friend's house. His friend asked him to change his shoes, but he actually said that I can't sit in your house with these shoes? I'm sitting in your house, and I still think I'm flattering you. Once, he saw a box of fine fragrant ink placed in the monk's room. No matter whether the person wanted to write or not, he would just take it and write. When a powerful squire asked him to write, he actually yelled, "I don't know how to write." I'm greedy for your money, but I don't admire your power, and I don't want to borrow your light. How dare you ask me to write!" Another one is selling fire paper tubes. This man's surname is Wang and Tai. He has loved playing Go since he was a child. He had no way to make a living, so he went to Hujufu area every day to sell fire paper tubes. That day, there was a meeting at Miaoyi Temple. Wang Tai walked in and met three or four senior officials, surrounded by two people playing chess. Everyone looked down upon him at first, but as soon as they and Mrs. Wang played half a game, they had to admit defeat. Everyone was shocked and wanted to drag Mrs. Wang to drink. Mrs. Wang laughed and said: "Where in the world is there such a happy thing as killing Yaqi! I killed Yaqi, and I felt so happy. There was even food and wine!" After saying that, she burst out laughing without looking back. Just went. There are still many hermits like them in the market who are indifferent to fame and wealth, but in the eyes of those high-ranking officials, pursuing fame and wealth is the right way. [Edit this paragraph] Chapter Back to Contents "The Scholars" originally had only 55 chapters. According to Cheng Jinfang's "Poems of Reminiscence", it can be proved that Wu Jingzi had finished the manuscript when he was 49 years old, but it was not until more than ten years after the author's death that Jin Zhaoyan engraved it for him. This engraving has now been lost. The current version of the book has 56 chapters, the last of which is a forgery by later generations.

The first chapter tells the story of Chen Dayi and uses celebrities to hide the full text. The second chapter is about Wang Xiaolian's village scholar Zhou Mengshi, who came to the throne in his later years. The third chapter is about the Taoist school of Zhou Dynasty. Chapter 5: The squire is attacked by a lawsuit and something happens Good things come from a poor life. Mr. Lou meets a poor friend in his hometown. Chapter 9: Mr. Lou donates money to redeem his friend Liu Shoubei, a boatman who pretends to be his surname. Chapter 10: Lu Han and Lin Liancai choose their son-in-law, Peng Gongsun. Chapter 12 of the Recommendation of Talents in the Prime Minister's Mansion, Chapter 12 of the Great Banquet of Celebrities, and the Fake Head Meeting of the Knights and Knights. Chapter 13 of the Meeting with the Husband to Seek Merit and Enlightenment, Ma Chun's Devotion to Justice and Distribution of Wealth. Chapter 14 of the Party of Gongsun Bookstore to Farewell to a Good Friend, Ma Xiucai Meets in a Cave Chapter 15: The Burial of Immortals, Ma Xiucai, Farewell to Missing Parents, Kuang Tongsheng, Dutiful Son, Marriage, Yueqing County Xian Zai’s Lover, Chapter 17, Kuang Xiucai Returns to His Old Place, Dr. Zhao, High in the Poetry Circle, Chapter 18 Poetry Society Celebrities Bring Kuang Er to Visit a Friend's Bookstore and Meet with Pan San Chapter 19 Kuang Chaoren is lucky to have a good friend Pan's career is in trouble Chapter 20 Kuang Chaoman is happy that a cowboy on Chang'an Road died in Wuhu Pass Chapter 21 A boy pretending to be a surname asks for help The old man is ill in memory of his relatives. Chapter 22: Acknowledging ancestors and grandsons. Yupu joins the family, making love, traveling to Xuezhai, staying as a guest. Chapter 23: The private poet is beaten and lamenting about the old scene. The widow is looking for her husband. Chapter 24: Niu Pulang is involved in many lawsuits. Chapter 25: Bao Wenqing sorting out his old life; Chapter 25: Bao Wenqing meets old Ni Tingxi in Nanjing and getting married in Anqing; Chapter 26: Investigating the promotion of a friend who was crying; Bao Tingxi lost his father and got married; Chapter 27: Mrs. Wang and his wife turned against each other; Ni Tingzhu and his brothers meet; Chapter 28: Ji Wei Xiao Yangzhou's marriage to a daughter-in-law, Xiao Jinxuan's book selection in Baixia, Chapter 29: Zhuge You meets his friend Du Shenqing in Jiangjun County, Chapter 30: Ai Shaojun visits the god of friends, is optimistic, shows off his love, meets Mochou Lake, Chapter 31: Tianchang County Chapter 32: Du Shaoqing's daily life and heroic deeds; Lou Huanwen's last words before his death; Chapter 33: Du Shaoqing and his wife went on a trip to the mountains; friends discussed rituals at Chi Hengshan; Chapter 34: Discussions on rituals and music; celebrities visit friends; prepare Gongjing Chapter 35: The Emperor seeks talents. The emperor asks for talents. Zhuang Zhengjun resigns his title and returns home. Chapter 36: Changshu County Zhenru is born. Chapter 38: Kiss Guo Xiaozi encounters a tiger in the mountains, a dew monk encounters an enemy on a narrow road, Chapter 39: Xiao Yunxian comes to the rescue, Mingyue Ridge, Ping Shaobao plays Kai Qingfengcheng, Chapter 40: Xiao Yunxian appreciates the snow in Guangwu Mountain, Shen Qiongzhi, Li Shenqiong, and sells articles on the bridge. Chapter 41: Zhuang Zhuojiang Talks about the Old Qinhuai River, Shen Qiongzhi escorts Jiangdu County to the brothel, Chapter 42: Talks about the young master’s brothel in the examination room, reports information from the Miao Jiang family, Chapter 43: General Yeyangtang’s battle with the singing and dancing chief, and robs the camp, Chapter 44 Tang Zongzhen successfully returned to his hometown. Yu Mingjing asked about the funeral over wine. Chapter 45: Friendship with brother-in-law was accepted. Kanyu returned home to bury his relatives. Chapter 46: The sage from Sanshanmen bid farewell to the snobbery of Wuhe County. Chapter 47: Yu Scholars rebuilt the Yuanwu Pavilion, Fang Salt Merchants made a fuss about festivals and filial piety, the 48th chapter of the Huizhou Prefecture, martyred women and husbands, the Taibo Temple, the legacy of the sages expressed gratitude to the old, the 49th chapter of Hanlin's talk on the dragon and tiger list, and the book pretended to occupy the fifth place in the Phoenix Pool Chapter 10: A fake official makes a fool of himself in the street. He is loyal and begs for a name on behalf of his friends. Chapter 51: A young woman deceives people and breaks the love story. A strong man is happy to be tested for official punishment. Chapter 52: A martial arts competition. A young master injures his body and destroys the hall. The hero collects debts. Chapter 53: Snow Night at the Duke's Mansion. Guests visiting the building are lanterned and dreaming. Chapter 54: A sick lady, a fortune teller in a brothel, and a celebrity brothel offering poems. Chapter 55: Four guests are added to recount past memories. A song of mountains and flowing water is played. Chapter 56: Emperor Shenzong issues an edict to the wise Liu. Shangshu was ordered to honor Wu Jingzi and "The Scholars". Wu Jingzi's life can be divided into two parts, the former and the later, based on his migration to Nanjing. In the early days, like Xiao Shan, he strayed outside the "normal" life track with his sensual lifestyle. "When I was young, I painted boats with nine curves in Qingxi River, and I once recorded my travels... Morning and night, I spent money on Shu brocade and Wu Ling, but it was a pity that the price was too much." ("Buy Limtang") "The Wang family's head, the singing of skills and skills is carried in the spring. Wine, in the west of Baibanqiao, won the name of the talented people." ("Magnolia") Wu Jingzi is not really immersed in love like Xiaoshan, but more flaunts a life attitude that is not acceptable in the world. It’s not about traveling for the sake of traveling, but experiencing freedom while traveling. Hu Shi said that the Wu family's property was sold to prostitutes in Qinhuai. I think it was his intention to "sell gold and sand for a load".

Only after losing his property and breaking away from the constraints of his clan could he enter literary creation with a pure state of mind. "The owl bird's disciples in the East are confused and confused, and they are still singing more loudly"! ("Ode to a Moving Family") When the 33-year-old Wu Jingzi moved to Nanjing with no money, he was already a "prodigal son" who was "passed on as a disciple" in the eyes of his tribe. When it came to the point where "it rained for three days, and there was no money in the stove," he still refused to take Fu Xuehong's Ci examination. When "the elders murmured bitterly" and interfered with his freedom, he "crossed his hands to thank the elders, and his eyebrows were like a halberd and his voice was like a tiger's". [45] His "idiosyncratic", "dianhan" and "implicit" characteristics remain unchanged throughout his life, how similar he is to Xiao Yan! "The Scholars" uses Wang Mian as the "celebrity" who "contains the full text implicitly". The reason why he has such great ability is because he is an "upright and upright" person and an "interesting" person. Wang Mian is both a childlike cowherd and a talented freak. When he painted lotuses, "the spirit and color of the lotus are all the same" because he himself is a lotus that emerges from the mud but remains unstained. "In the season when the flowers are bright and the willows are beautiful, my mother is taken in an ox-cart. He wears a high hat and a wide coat, holds a whip, sings songs, and plays around in the country town and the lakeside, causing trouble. Even though the villagers laughed with him in small groups, he didn't take it seriously. "How self-indulgent and innocent this is!" Faced with the threat of "exterminating the county magistrate", Wang Mian would rather sleep in the open air and flee than bow his head. He lives far away from his hut but cares about the people in the world. He explains the essence of buying shares and getting an official position in one sentence: "This method is not well decided! In the future, scholars will have a road to prosperity, and they will take the source of their literature lightly. ." Father Feng Si seems to be dispensable in the novel, but in fact he is a key figure. According to research, the prototype of Feng Si's father is the knight Gan Fengchi. [46] Li Wei, the governor of Zhejiang Province at that time, described Gan Fengchi in his memorial: "I hate this group of thugs who fabricate false information and incite feelings. It is impossible to allow them to slip through the net. I think carefully about the people in Jiangsu and Zhejiang who do good deeds and do wrong. More than Gan Fengchi and other criminals who have been captured now." ("Yongzheng Zhu Pi's Edict") For such a rebel, Wu Jingbang sincerely praised: "The government severely punishes the secret network, and how many scholar-bureaucrats bend their knees when they see it, you are a commoner. , it is admirable to regard them as mustards!" "The Scholars" concludes with the stories of the four great people. When "all the celebrities in Nanjing were gradually sold out", strange people appeared in the middle of the market. Ji Yunian could write, "but he refused to learn from the ancients' calligraphy. He just wrote in his own style using his own pen." "If he is unwilling, let your prince, general, and prime minister give him a lot of money, and he will not even look at it." He scolded Yushi Shi in the face like this: "Who are you? How dare you come and ask me to write! I am not greedy for your money, nor do I admire your power, nor do I borrow your light. How dare you call me When I started writing, I had an independent personality and high spirits. Wu Jingzi regarded the "Four Great Strange Men" as first-class figures who "recounted the past and reflected on the past." The scholarly world was in shambles, but there was a shining personality in the market place. Wu Jingzi had quietly changed. A new set of value standards. Why can he maintain his independence of personality and freedom of mind in the market? Jing Yuan, a tailor, can play the piano, write, and also likes to write poetry. His friend asked him: "You want to do something. Masato, why do you still want to be in such a noble profession like yours? Why not get along with the people in some schools? He said: "I don't want to be an elegant person, but I just want to be similar in temperament, so I often study." As for our despicable business, it was inherited from our grandfather. Isn’t it defiled by reading, writing, and becoming a tailor? Besides, those friends in school have other ideas, so how can they be willing to get along with us! Now I can find six or seven cents of silver every day. After I have enough food, I can play the piano or write. Everything is done by me. He doesn’t covet people’s wealth, and he doesn’t serve people’s looks. He doesn’t care about heaven and earth, but what he said in Happy Factory is truly earth-shattering. Wu Jingzi realized that behind personal independence is economic independence. In the scholarly world covered by the power network, there are only vassals like wall-climbing vines, and independent people like Yuan Yanshangsong. The people in the market held a profession that was despised by the scholar-bureaucrats, but in this profession they gained real economic independence. What a "everything is up to me"! Even if a scholar reaches the highest position like Zaifu, he would not dare to say such big words. Wu Jingzi breaks through the traditional moral judgment and reveals the economic basis that produces "wonderful people". No one had realized this before. Wang Mian appears at the beginning, Father Feng Si appears in the middle, and four strange people appear at the end. This is the author's careful arrangement. They are all ordinary people without any social status and free from the ruling order.

Their cleanliness, ancient ways, and indifferent aspirations are in sharp contrast to the ugly scholars and officialdom. As Hu Shi said in "A Critical Biography of Wu Jingzi": "Not giving you official positions is the only way for an autocratic monarch to trap talented people. Wonderful method. There is only one way to resist this vicious cage: to promote a new social psychology, to make people aware of the ugliness of career and the ugliness of officials; to make people feel that "people" are more valuable than "officials". Personality is more valuable than wealth. If you develop this kind of mentality in society, you will not be afraid of the emperor's vicious tactics of "not giving you an official position." And the purpose of "The Scholars" is just to cultivate this kind of social mentality. ” However, this kind of social psychology is difficult to develop after all. Wu Jingzi, the upright prodigal son, is lonely, and so are the strange people in his works. Jing Yuan was a close friend and played the piano with the old man. "After playing for a while, there was a sudden change of sound, which was clear and subtle. When the old man heard the subtleties, he burst into tears without realizing it." When readers read this, they close their books and think deeply, and may even "cry in sorrow"!