In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the disadvantages of the eight-strand essay being bound to the form and the incomprehension of literature and science, and the inability to apply it in practice caused dissatisfaction among the scholars, and the rulers of the early Qing Dynasty passedThe compilation of "Imperial Selection of Ancient Texts" and "Selected Ancient Texts" is to promote ancient texts, narrow the relationship with literati, and show their own level of literary governance.
Emperor Qianlong continued the ancient literary tradition of the Kang and Yong dynasties and adjusted it according to the new situation of the imperial examination, and put forward the view that "the way of composition is based on qi", which played an important role in the standardization of the style of the imperial examination and the dissemination of related ideas.
This article examines the old books and tries to clarify the background, purpose, and origin of Emperor Qianlong's "Theory of Literary Atmosphere", as well as its influence on the imperial examination system, policy questions, answer sheets, and selection of scholars in the Qianlong Dynasty.
In April of the first year of Qianlong (1736), Emperor Qianlong summoned the ministers of the palace to read the papers, took the palace test papers one by one, and issued an edict: "The way of composition is based on qi, and if you are thick, you will be good at writing."
As for the carved words, they are beautiful for a while, and the smell is not deep. For example, the pines and cypresses do not wither in winter, but they are thick and can last for a long time. The flowers of land and water, when they first bloom, are not bright and pleasant.
However, those who cannot endure it will be weak in their breath. I think it's the way of the article. The same is true. 1 Emperor Qianlong believed that literary creation must have a "profound" "literary atmosphere", which may be related to the influence of Emperor Qianlong's reception of the Song Dynasty's literary atmosphere theory and Meng Xue's "Haoran Qi".
(1) The inheritance of Emperor Qianlong's "Wenqi Theory" to the Song Dynasty's Wenqi Theory
The first to introduce the concept of "qi" into literary criticism was the "text based on qi" in the "Classics", which also discussed the author's talent and article style.
In terms of poetry style, the "Complete Works of Leshantang" written by Emperor Qianlong when he was in the feudal palace has an obvious "atmosphere" of Song studies.
In the preface, Prince Yunlu of Heshuozhuang said that his style "is based on the law of the ancients, and there is no disagreement in the slightest";Heshuo and Prince Hongday called Emperor Qianlong's text "gentle and generous, and has the purpose of 300 articles".
Jiang Tingxi said that this book is "about full of mellow and peaceful, and has the air of harmony between heaven and earth, which is deep and rich."
Ortai also pointed out that "The Complete Works of Leshantang" "is moving, the air of warmth and solemnity is possessed, and the occasional discussion is exhaustive, and there is a warp and weft".
"Wensu" is generally used to describe the quality of people, both to be virtuous and easy, but also to be honest and self-contained, sincere and not to slander others, mostly used for county kings, military ministers, high-ranking concubines, such as Emperor Yongzheng's biological mother Empress Xiaogongren in the nickname of "Wensu".
Ortai uses this word, if it praises the Hongli of the domain, it is a little reluctant, but it is used to describe the creative style of "The Complete Works of Leshantang", and the virtue "wide and easy" is quoted to describe the article The atmosphere is wide and comfortable;
Zhengji took the "is quoted to describe the layout of the ** layout words are strictly correct, which is just right.
In addition, Heshuo and Prince Hongday said in the preface: "Although the brothers are in the same place, they have shallow hearts, thick and thin strength, and they are clumsy in their words, and they dare not speak in the same year." ”
The focus of these praises is not the beauty of the words and the profundity of the truth, but the extreme saying that Emperor Qianlong's articles are "thick", which shows that Emperor Qianlong himself is also practicing his concept of "the way of composition, focusing on qi".
In terms of physical thought, Emperor Qianlong's "Theory of Literary Atmosphere" also absorbed the Song Dynasty's literary and Taoist thoughts.
His "Song of Reading Songs" claims to be "Wen Huai continues to exhale, and explores the source of sexual roots", and flaunts that he is quite accomplished in the study of sexual theory.
Yunlu, the prince of Heshuozhuang, called the "Complete Works of Leshantang" "a book of righteousness and principles in the Five Classics and four sons, and a compromise in the words of Song Confucianism"15, obviously following the Song ** scholars.
In the fourth year of Qianlong (1739), Emperor Qianlong asked the candidates to "imitate the six policies of public security, the three strategies of virtue and virtue, and reach the principles of heaven and man, the origin of life, and the opportunity to control chaos and safety, and not to be bound by the system."
The "Principle of Heaven and Man" and "The Origin of Life" are placed on the opposite side of the style of advocating the style of writing, as a banner to advocate the function of the article.
Emperor Qianlong proposed that "the way of composition, based on qi", there is an urgent need of the times. Under the influence of the imperial examination system, Baguwen became popular for a while.
The essence of the Baguwen is to standardize, standardize and simplify the examination, which can greatly improve the efficiency of the examiner's marking and facilitate the examiner to quickly discover outstanding talents from the vast sea of candidates.
However, in the mode of taking the exam, the reader gradually does not care about the sophistication and people's livelihood, and "does not pay attention to the beginning and the end of the article, and the rhyme of the article", and only knows how to endorse and play with the text for the exam.
The Qing Historical Manuscript summarizes the shortcomings of the Baguwen as follows: "Poetry and fu are only flashy, but not practical at all.
The Ming Sutra is recited in vain, but the meaning of the text is not understood. For example, Wang Maolin, the author of the "Preface to the Anthology of Xiong Pheasant Zhai", proposed: "Fang Jin's system takes scholars, and when he takes special exams, he abides by the rules and sentences, and Xi the program, but if it is not, it is a foreign way." ”
The method of "saving the present with the past" has appeared in the middle of the Ming Dynasty.
Emperor Qianlong used the "theory of literary style" to save the evils of the times, which was mainly reflected in the promotion of ancient literary style. He learned Xi and admired ancient Chinese since he was a child, so he proposed that the reason for the shortcomings of Shiwen was that scholars did not learn ancient Chinese
Recently, scholars have not paid much attention to the ancient texts in scattered style. After the Chinese style test, read the three heavens and people to take the test. ......I learned ancient Chinese since I was a child, so I knew its advantages and disadvantages at first sight. The way of composition is based on qi, and thick qi is the best way to write.
As for the carved words, they are beautiful for a while, and the smell is not deep. ”
Emperor Qianlong's admiration for ancient texts is that the ancient texts are naturally mellow and elegant, and they are rational and righteous out of the Six Classics. He has repeatedly expressed his criticism of the end of the "Shiwen" and his admiration for the ancient texts in his edicts and Zhu criticisms
Scholars put character first. Learning is based on the meaning of ......As for learning, there must be a root, and only then can it be practiced.
The treatment of a scripture must be deep, and this is a text, which is naturally mellow and elegant. If it is simple because of ugliness, and only reciting more than 100 outdated texts, thinking that it is a tool to take the name of the department, then the learning of the scholar has been deserted, and the quality of the scholar has been humble. ”
Although I don't like to write the current texts, I have also recited the texts of the famous masters and everyone in the study in the Ming Season and the beginning of the country, and the texts of everyone have also been recit Xi ed, among which there is light and Huang Chunyao is pure ancient texts, and the heart of reading is happy, and Yu Yili is fine and righteous, which is enough for fun”
Emperor Qianlong's "learning ancient literature from a young age" came from his father's advocacy of "ancient literary style", and the Kang and Yong dynasties highly respected the "literary atmosphere" of ancient literature, and promoted the ancient literary atmosphere through the compilation of "Imperial Selection of Ancient Literary Yuanjian" and "Ancient Literary Covenant Selection".
During the Kangxi period, the Qing Shengzu ordered the compilation of the "Imperial Selection of Ancient Texts", emphasizing the important role of literary tone in the quality of articles, and at the same time advocating practical learning and opposing false words.
For example, "Taishi Gong's Self-Introduction" said: "Pei Qian said that Sima Qian is good at ordering things, arguing but not flashy, and quality but not slang." Since Liu Xiang and Yang Xiongbo have written a lot of books, they are all known as talents with good history.
And Su Zhe said that his writing was sparse and strange, and the air was full of middle and overflowing appearance. Zheng Qiao Zeyun Zhongni died, and after the Six Classics, only this is the great view of the same pole article. ”
The Preface to the Biography of Yimin said:"The text of the late Han Dynasty and the early Wei Dynasty, Kong Rong is full of strange spirits, Chen Si is talented, and he is above Tokyo, the world of Dianwu, the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, Lingyi and the Six Dynasties.
The north and south chapters, the state of wind and clouds and moon dew, the waves are irreversible, and people say that there is no article in the six dynasties!However, at that time, the county was always the first person in the middle of the county, and the scholar Xi was not bad at the imperial examination, well-dressed and well-dressed, and the family was familiar with allusions, and discussed the scriptures.
Therefore, the existence of his writings in the present day is still polite and impressive. ”
During the Yongzheng period, Fang Bao compiled the "Selected Ancient Texts" for Prince Yunli, emphasizing the concept of "ancient texts gas": "The texts before Emperor Weiwu of the Western Han Dynasty were vigorous and vigorous, and they could not be used for things but had their own laws.
After Zhao and Xuan, he was ashamed of being heavy and sluggish, but Liu Zizheng was outstanding, but he also tended to step by foot, and the style of the Han Dynasty did not exist. ......Ancient gas, the precious clarity is clear.
The clarity is extreme, and it is natural to shine its essence, so the magnificence and richness of "Zuo Biography" and "Historical Records" are also. Beginning to learn and seek the classics, it will be the pseudo-body of the seven sons of the Ming Dynasty, so it is not recorded in "Guest Difficulty", "Mockery", "Answering Guest Play", "Quotation" and so on.
The "ancient text gas" advocated by the "Selected Ancient Texts" is clear and unruly and not heavy and sluggish, magnificent, rich and majestic, and self-contained, so Fang Bao focused on choosing the ancient texts before Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and opposed the rope trend of the ancient texts after the Zhao, Xuan and Ming Qizi.
The Yongzheng Emperor's ancient literary thinking is consistent with the "Selected Ancient Texts", and the Yongzheng Ten Years (1732) issued a special edict: "Since the recent period, the style of writing has also changed, but the scholar has recklessly resigned his talent, and it is inevitable that there will be a lengthy and superficial Xi, so it is a special edict."
The text drawn by the examiner must be elegant and halal, and both law and reason, although the size is not formal, and the exaggerated words should be screened. ”
The "clarification of the unruly" and "the law is self-contained" proposed in the "Selected Ancient Texts" correspond to the Yongzheng Emperor's "elegant and halal, both rational and legal", and the "halal and elegant as the sect" advocated by the Qianlong Emperor also inherited the Yongzheng Emperor's norms for literary style.
Emperor Qianlong's "Theory of Literary Style" continued the promotion and standardization of ancient texts in the late Ming Dynasty and the Kang and Yong dynasties, and combined the connotation of Confucian morality with the fresh and elegant form of articles.
"Literary tone" is not only the "righteousness" from the author's heart, but also the context and style of the article's soothing and gentle, dignified and graceful between the lines.
Its purpose is to eliminate the emptiness of the content and the superficiality of the language caused by the imperial examination, and to guide the scholars to create practical essays that are substantial, practical and have a certain literary level.
Emperor Qianlong's "Theory of Literary Style" is not to depreciate the artistic color of literature, but to specifically target the articles of the imperial examination and the recital of the minister's book, which has a very strong practicability and standardization.
In addition to the promotion of literary concepts and the criticism in the edicts, Emperor Qianlong selected literati who met the norms of "literary style" through the questions of the imperial examinationWith the help of these fresh bloods, it has changed the mediocre and superficial or flashy and ugly atmosphere in the court, and promoted the social spread and development of "taking ancient texts as contemporary texts".
References:
Records of Emperor Gaozong Chun of the Qing Dynasty: Volume 16 [Z].Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 1986:431
Cao Pi. Classics ·**a].Yan Kejun, ed. The three dynasties of the Qin and Han dynasties, the three kingdoms and the six dynasties of the whole ancient world[C].Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 1958:2195
[Tang] Huangfu Xiang. Oracle[a].Dong He, et al., eds. Quan Tang Wen [c].Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 1983:7035