On February 25, 1715, Pu Songling, a famous writer of the Qing Dynasty who wrote "Strange Tales from Liao Zhai", died.
Pu Songling, a famous ** family in the Qing Dynasty, is famous for his masterpiece "Strange Tales from Liao Zhai".
His life was full of legends, and he experienced repeated setbacks in the imperial examination.
However, he took literary creation as the first and criticized feudal rule and the imperial examination system, and became a giant in the history of Chinese literature that cannot be ignored.
What kind of person is Pu Songling, and what has he experienced in his life?
First,Pu Songling is talented and intelligent, but he has repeatedly failedPoverty in his family also dragged him down
Pu Songling was born in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, he was born in a scholarly family, he was brilliant since childhood, and loved to read.
His father, Pu Pan, studied since he was a child, and although he was not famous, he adhered to the family tradition and did his best to educate his children and grandchildren.
Pu Songling received a good education from an early age and knew all about the classics of scripture and history, and this family environment undoubtedly laid a solid foundation for his later imperial examination.
Pu Songling, who was only 19 years old, was admitted to Xiucai with excellent results, showing his talent and hard work in his studies.
However, it was not all smooth sailing for him, and the failure of the subsequent township exams left him in a frustration.
In order to pursue higher goals, Pu Songling devoted himself to studying and the imperial examination, but rarely paid attention to family affairs, which gradually caused a gap between him and his family.
With the failure of Pu Songling's several township tests, the contradictions within the family gradually surfaced.
In order to maintain the harmony of the family, his father Pu Pan decided to let his four sons separate, and Pu Songling only got a few acres of thin fields and a dilapidated old house.
The hardships of life and financial constraints made it impossible for him to study with peace of mind, and even filling his stomach became a luxury.
Fortunately, he had a bosom friend, Li Yaochen, who provided him with a peaceful study environment and gave him financial support.
However, Pu Songling's perseverance and uprightness made him unable to tolerate the gossip of others, and although Li Yaochen was a friend who sincerely helped him, Pu Songling chose to leave and become a village school teacher.
Although he was conscientious in teaching, his mind could not get rid of the road of the imperial examination.
His stubbornness and uprightness made it difficult for him to get along with others, which also led to the instability of his life and his failure to escape the predicament of poverty.
Pu Songling's story is not only the fate of an individual, but also a microcosm of the times.
In ancient China, the imperial examination system was the main way for scholars to pursue fame and social status.
However, the system is also fraught with uncertainty and unfairness for a variety of reasons.
Pu Songling's experience not only reflects his personal ups and downs, but also highlights the shortcomings and injustices of the whole society.
Second, Pu Songling came to Bi's house to work as a tutor, and his life was able to settle down.
The hardships of life forced Pu Songling to go south to Baoying County, Jiangsu Province, and served as the county official Sun Hui's master.
During this period of southern travel, Pu Songling did not give up the pursuit of literature because of hard work, but became more enthusiastic about poetry creation.
In less than a year, he composed more than 100 poems and compiled them into a collection of poems, "Nanyou Cao".
The poetry creation during this period not only shows Pu Songling's literary talent, but also reflects his perception of life and his adherence to ideals.
However, Pu Songling was not willing to serve as Master Wen for a long time, and he was eager to pursue higher goals and broader development space.
Therefore, he decided to resign from his position as a staff member and return to his hometown to prepare for the township examination the following year.
Although he resolutely quit his job, he still failed to do so in the township exam, which forced him to start his career as a sitter.
During this period of exile, Pu Songling successively worked as a tutor in the Zichuan Wang brothers' family and the Xipu Bi family.
Although life was still difficult, he got along well with his guests and hosts, which made his life gradually more stable.
Especially in the Bi family, he was able to have a rich collection of books, which provided him with a wide range of learning space and a source of inspiration.
While teaching and educating people, Pu Songling takes reading and writing as his spiritual sustenance in his spare time, and constantly enriches his literary attainments.
Third, Pu Songling persisted in narrating anecdotes for 20 years, and finally completed it at the age of 40.
Since the age of 20, Pu Songling has been recording the legends of fox ghosts that have been passed down among the people, which are full of mystery and contain profound life philosophy.
Although his friends thought that such creations would not be beneficial to the imperial examination and would even distract him, Pu Songling did not give up.
There is an irrepressible creative impulse within him that drives him to put these stories into words.
Time flies, and Pu Songling's pen has accumulated countless chapters.
His life is not rich, but his spiritual world is colorful.
He spent countless silent nights in the Bijia Stone Hidden Garden, which became a paradise for his creations.
When night fell, he lit the oil lamp and sat alone at his desk, letting his thoughts drift to the distant fantasy world with the scent of ink.
Finally, when Pu Songling was forty years old, he preliminarily edited the accumulation of these years into a book, which was named "Strange Tales from Liao Zhai".
This book is not only a literary work, but also the sustenance of Pu Songling's soul, his deep thinking and unique insights into the world.
At the beginning of the volume, he wrote a preface "Liao Zhai Zizhi", telling the reasons and hardships of his writing, as well as the mental journey of expressing his anger by talking about ghosts and foxes.
Strange Tales contains a total of 491 articles**, covering folklore, mythology, ghosts, fairies and other themes.
These stories are both allegorical and realistic, showing Pu Songling's deep insight into social reality and unique insights into human nature.
In this work, Pu Songling reveals the dark side of feudal society in a humorous and satirical tone, and makes a profound criticism of social phenomena such as the imperial examination system, the corruption of officialdom, and the inferiority of men and women.
For example, the article "Painted Skin" in "Strange Tales from Liao Zhai" tells the story of a demon who uses painted skin to turn into a beautiful woman and deceive a man.
This story seems absurd and bizarre on the surface, but in fact it is a satire on the inferiority of men and women in feudal society.
The evil spirits use painted skin to transform into beautiful women, suggesting the low status of women in feudal society, while men are confused by the appearance of beautiful women and cannot see their true colors.
This is just like in feudal society, people often only value fame and fortune, and ignore the importance of moral character.
In addition to "Strange Tales from Liao Zhai", Pu Songling also has other literary creations.
Although Pu Songling's life was tormented by the imperial examination system, he took literary creation as the best, criticized feudal rule and the imperial examination system, and became a giant in the history of Chinese literature that cannot be ignored.
His "Strange Tales" is not only a literary masterpiece, but also a work of profound social significance.
Pu Songling used his brushstrokes to reveal the dark side of feudal society, and made a profound criticism of social phenomena such as the imperial examination system, corruption in officialdom, and the inferiority of men and women.
It shows his deep insight into social reality and unique insights into human nature.
It is this profound social insight and unique insight into human nature that made Pu Songling a famous scholar in the Qing Dynasty and left a valuable literary legacy for future generations.
Nowadays, when we turn every page of "Strange Tales from Liaozhai", we can feel the persistence and enthusiasm of Pu Songling's pen back then.
His story, like the fox ghosts he created, has traveled through time and become eternal.
And Pu Songling's name will also be remembered by the world because of his persistence and the immortal work "Strange Tales from Liao Zhai".
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