Huo Songlin

Not long after the Red Army's Long March arrived in northern Shaanxi, Mao sent a telegram to Li Kenong: "Please purchase two copies of the entire 'Popular Romance of Chinese Dynasties.'" "When the civil war is not over, the external troubles are in trouble, and the day is full of opportunities, I am still anxious to read this huge work, which fully shows that it can play a huge role in historical reference. More than half a century has passed, and people still need to read it. In view of this, the friends of Sanqin Publishing House decided to reprint it according to the original edition of Huiwentang, which is indeed a great joy in the reading world and is worth welcome.

China has a long history, and its historical works are vast as a sea of smoke. As far as the "official history" is concerned, the "24 histories" set by Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty include "Historical Records", "Book of Han", "Book of Later Han", "Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms", "Book of Jin", "Book of Song", "Book of Southern Qi", "Book of Liang", "Book of Chen", "Book of Wei", "Book of Northern Qi", "Book of Zhou", "Book of Sui", "History of the South", "History of the Northern North", "Book of the Old Tang Dynasty", "Book of the New Tang Dynasty", "History of the Old Five Dynasties", "History of the New Five Dynasties", "History of the Song Dynasty", "History of Liao", "History of Jin", "History of the Yuan" and "History of the Ming Dynasty", with a total of 3,259 volumes. Together with the 257 volumes of the History of the New Yuan Dynasty and the 536 volumes of the Manuscripts of the History of the Qing Dynasty, a total of 4,052 volumes. This kind of imperial masterpiece that records the history of our country from ancient times to the end of the Qing Dynasty for thousands of years is rare in the world and is a huge spiritual wealth. However, the vast volume of the gorge and the esoteric meaning of the text make the majority of non-professional readers sigh. Therefore, people of insight among folk artists and literati have long paid attention to making popular and interesting work. "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty" are representative works in this regard.

Since the late Qing Dynasty, the invasion of foreign powers and the collapse of the country, patriots have sought ways to save the country from all sides, and the theories and practices of "novels to save the country" and "romance to save the country" have also emerged one after another. Founded in 1897, the "Romance Vernacular Newspaper" serialized "The Romance of the Principles of Commerce", a total of 24 times, dedicated to the history of the Opium War, and later published a single book entitled "Infant Corn". In 1912, the Shanghai Book Company published the "Romance of the New Han Dynasty", a total of 40 times, writing the history of the Xinhai Revolution.

In the same year, Guangyi Book Co., Ltd. published Xue Xiang's "Romance of the Liberation of Shenzhou", a total of 120 times, writing the history from the death to the establishment of the Republic of China. "The Romance of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom" and "The Romance of Hong Xiuquan" have also passed away. Wu Woyao (1866-1910), the author of the famous condemnation novel The Strange Status Quo Witnessed in Twenty Years, even "made a great vow to compile historical novels" ("General Preface to Historical Novels"), but unfortunately he only wrote half of "The Romance of the Western Jin Dynasty" and then put his pen on hold. And the one who really completed the creation of the large-scale historical novel "Popular Romance of Chinese Dynasties" was Cai Dongfan, who was born 11 years later than Wu Woyao.

Cai Dongfan (1877-1 94 5), known as Qiu, was known as Chunshou and pen name Dongfan. He is a poet, educator, editor, historian, romance writer and doctor, and a native of Daijiaqiao, Linpu Town, Xiaoshan County, Zhejiang. At the age of seventeen, he was selected for the Yougongsheng Dynasty Examination at the age of twenty-seven, and was dispatched to Jiangxi Province to be an alternate in Zhixian County. On the eve of the Xinhai Revolution, he once went to Fujian and returned soon after. In the first year of the Republic of China, his fellow villager Shao Botang introduced him to Tang Dixian, the host of Shanghai Huiwentang Bookstore, and participated in the editing work of the bookstore, revised Shao's "Higher Primary School Essay Style", wrote another "Middle New Essay Essay Style", and began to write "Popular Romance of Chinese Dynasties" for Huiwentang.

"Popular Romance of Chinese Dynasties" starts with Qin Shi Huang and ends in 192. In the year, a total of 2,166 years of history were written, including "Popular Romance of the Former Han Dynasty", "Popular Romance of the Later Han Dynasty", "Popular Romance of the Two Jin Dynasty", "Popular Romance of Northern and Southern History", "Popular Romance of Tang History", "Popular Romance of the History of the Five Dynasties", "Popular Romance of Song History", "Popular Romance of Yuan History", "Popular Romance of Ming History", "Popular Romance of Qing History", "Popular Romance of Republic of China", a total of 11 parts, 1040 times, about 6 million words, all of which were successively printed by Shanghai Huiwentang Bookstore. Among them, "Popular Romance of the Republic of China" has a total of 120 times, written until 1920. Subsequently, the book company asked Xu Father to continue to write 40 times until 1924. Xu Mo's father was a primary school teacher at first, and later became a newspaper reporter and edited the supplement of Hangzhou's "Southeast Daily". In the early days of the Anti-Japanese War, he wrote a satirical novel "Mirror Flower New Yuan".

Cai Dongfan first wrote "The Popular Romance of Qing History", which appeared in September 1916, and finally completed "The Popular Romance of the Later Han Dynasty", which was undrafted in the autumn of 1926. In about 11 years, 11 romances were completed, and for each romance written, a large number of relevant historical materials had to be collected and studied. As mentioned earlier, there are 4,052 volumes of the "official history" alone, but it is not enough to study the "official history" alone. For example, when he wrote "The Popular Romance of the Yuan History", in addition to the "Yuan History", he also referred to the "Secret History of the Yuan Dynasty", "Mongolian Shoe Record", "Mongolian Origins", "Yuan History Translation Supplement" and foreign translations of Mongolian history. It can be seen from this that Cai Dongfan has paid so arduous and almost unimaginable spiritual labor in order to complete this popular interpretation of popularizing the history of the motherland.

Cai Dongfan wrote this historical romance with a clear purpose. Its purpose can be summarized as follows: to popularize historical knowledge, to reveal historical experiences and lessons, and to "help popular education."

"Preface to the Popular Romance of the Former Han Dynasty" cloud:

All the great things of the former Han Dynasty's chaos are not left behind, and in the rise and fall of women's disasters and foreign relatives, they pay tribute again and again to reveal future generations. I dare not say that there is a historiography, but in a simple and close way, the speech is multiplied, and it is expected to be the help of popular education.

"Preface to the Popular Romance of the History of the Five Dynasties" cloud:

The calamity of the five dynasties was fierce, and the calamity of the convulsion actually began in the feudal town of Tang Ji. The disease is not eradicated, but it is becoming more and more intense, so there is a result of five generations of history. Today, it has been a thousand years since the fifth season, and the warlords have taken advantage of the power, disputes have arisen repeatedly, and they have worn one for each other, which has made the people of the whole country smear their livers and FA brains under the hands of the martial arts, or how can it be similar to the five seasons! What's more, the program is often replaced, morality is decayed, internal governance is not cultivated, and external insults are very beneficial, and they are those who have the same grievances as the world of the five seasons. Yin Jian is not far away, the repetition exists, and the past and the fruit can be known, then the dream of China, it may be able to turn misfortune into blessing, not like the five seasons of more than 50 years of turmoil!

Hey, the two Jin popular romance sequences are divided into clouds:

There is no internal evidence, that is, there is external insult, and it is even worse, and there has never been such a catastrophe as the two Jin Dynasty in history! If the husband's internal affairs are in disrepair, the internal evidence must be raised; If you let it from within, then the external insult will take advantage of it. Wood rots insects, the wall is enough for ants to enter, since ancient times, Jin Te is more ear-focused. Contemptible people are not about historical talents, but according to the facts of the past dynasties, compiled as a romance, from the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Republic of China, no less than a dozen volumes, the purpose is to prove the present from the past, punish the evil and persuade the good, and in the "Romance of the Two Jin Dynasty", it is the beginning of the internal concession and external insult, especially the three compliments. Cover today's catastrophe, not outside but inside, let the inside rise and not aison, I am afraid of the disaster of the five Hu and sixteen countries, not the two Jin for the right, and the two Jin that is the car before today. Would it be better for the world to have mussels and cranes compete with each other than to give fishermen for profit? If the husband is loyal and adulterous, don't be chaste and adulterous, make a clear decision, and verify right and wrong, it is the aftermath of the book.

"Preface to the Popular Romance of Qing History" cloud:

The most relevant ones are compiled as popular romances, and especially the magic of imperial autocracy, which is repeatedly praised and hung as a precept, so that it can be used for the eyes of ordinary society, or as one of the ideas of the state.

The prefaces of several other romances also reflect the same spirit. It can be seen that the author's writing intention of taking history as a mirror and the past as the present is very prominent. And read through the "Popular Romance of Chinese Dynasties", you can verify it

This kind of writing intention proves that he has been consistent with it.

Cai Dongluo's writing purpose determines his writing style. Luo Guanzhong's "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" draws on Chen Shou's "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and Pei Songzhi's notes and Fan Hao's "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" at the same time, it also absorbs the artistic accumulation of folk artists for hundreds of years (such as "Three Kingdoms Chronicles"), and uses artistic fiction and exaggeration. However, Cai Dongfan's writing purpose prevented him from following Luo Guanzhong's creative path. He said in the "Preface to the Popular Romance of the Later Han Dynasty":

If Roche's "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is popular, it will be evaluated by people who have two or three links, and its value will increase. However, when compared with Chen Shou's "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", the whitewashers are five or six out of ten. Shou Jin Chen,

Yu Shu Wei is not without a curved pen, but it is said that it is distorted, and there will be no such disadvantages. Roche's first coincidence is baking and dyeing, pleasing to the ears and eyes, but I don't know that it is false and true, and the more it is spread, the more false it is, and there are many misleading people.

In the part of "Popular Romance of the Later Han Dynasty" where the history of the Three Kingdoms is written, he often raises the bar with Luo Guanzhong. His own principles in terms of historical sources and linguistic expressions are:

Things must be documented, the language is not deep, it is consistent with the righteousness, and it is appropriate for Fu Ya and the vulgar.

- "Preface to the Popular Romance of the Later Han Dynasty"

Take the correct history as the scripture, and strive for certainty; Take anecdotes as the weft, not false accusations.

——"Preface to the Popular Romance of Tang History"

It is easy to know and easy to understand, clear at a glance, and there is no need to worry about the depths of the difficult abyss. After several searches, several verifications, and verification, the huge government has been verified, and the trivial records must also seek truth.

- "Preface to the Popular Romance of Qing History"

The historical romance written by the contemptible people also has a year, and each book is out of the book, which is welcomed by the readers, and it is needless to say that from the shallow and near, the traces are different and false, so that the hasty does not work, and in the popular purpose, it is not contrary to the soft!

——"Preface to the Popular Romance of the History of the North and the South"

If Fu Yanzi NP said, if it is not listed in the official history, if there is circumstantial evidence, it will be saved; If there is no circumstantial evidence and it is too absurd, it should be omitted, or it should be asserted to make it clear. The text is not empty, but the language is vulgar.

——"Preface to the Popular Romance of the Ming History"

He repeatedly emphasized two points: First, the "official history" should be the mainstay, and the history and anecdotes should be collected at the same time, and those who are based on the history and anecdotes must have circumstantial evidence, and the historical materials should be "verified several times" and "be conclusive"; Second, the language should strive to be simple, popular, and "easy to know and understand". Both of these points are considered from the perspective of popularizing historical knowledge, providing historical references, and contributing to "popular education."

The style of "Popular Romance of Chinese Dynasties" is also worth mentioning. "Water Margin" has Jin Shengsi's comments, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" has Mao Zonggang's comments, and Cai Dongfan has his own criticism. The annotations have sandwich notes and general annotations, involving many aspects: 1. Refute the relevant fictional statements, such as the 11th chapter of "Popular Romance of the Ming History" writes that Zhu Yuanzhang ** attacked Chen Youliang Zhoushi without the northeast wind, and the Tieguan Taoist said: "Real people are born, and ghosts and gods serve spirits." Zhou Dian said: "There will be a northeast wind at dusk today. Jia Piyun: "This is what I know, don't think that he can call the wind and rain." 2. For the use of certain historical materials, the sources and similarities and differences are indicated, such as the 33rd chapter of "The Popular Romance of the History of the Song Dynasty" when Zhu Shouchang abandoned the official to find his mother, and the cloud was added: "The History of the Song Dynasty Shouchang Biography said that Liu's prescription was born immediately, and Shouchang returned home at the age of a few years. But Wang Fu's "Eastern Capital Affairs" and Su Shi's "Zhilin" are all born at the age of three, and they are all from now. 3. For some ancient official systems, legal systems, geography, artifacts, names, and even dialects, give popular explanations, such as the 82nd chapter of "The Popular Romance of the Former Han Dynasty" writes that Huo Guang "used the spokes to carry the corpse" when he was buried, and the clouds were interjected: "The radiant car is the funeral car of the Son of Heaven, and there are windows in the car, which is warm when it is closed, and cool when it is opened, so it is called the radiant car." ”

Fourth, some of the characters written are either positive or negative, such as the third chapter of "Popular Romance of the History of the Ming Dynasty", which writes that Ma has repeatedly admonished Zhu Yuanzhang and criticized Yun: "Good Ma, good virtuous woman, I wish Fan Jin to do it." For example, the 75th chapter of "Popular Romance of the Republic of China" is the general criticism: "The purpose of Yuan's life is nothing more than to be the emperor, and the big mistake of Yuan's life is not worse than being the emperor." In other words, there is the blame for betraying the alliance; In other words, there is a cure for treason. 5. Boasting and praising his own ideas, layout, penmanship, opinions, etc., such as the first chapter of "Popular Romance of the Former Han Dynasty" denounced Qin Shi Huang as "absolute autocracy", and called the "Holy Emperor Ming King" who "brainstormed, followed public opinion, and was good for the people, and evil for the people" as "enlightened autocracy". As for comments such as "unique eyes", "brilliant vision", "inserted in this paragraph, containing countless brushstrokes", "copying and writing", and "using fictional writing method, it is more brilliant than real writing", etc., can be seen in more places. In short, all kinds of annotations help readers understand the text and clarify history, which is consistent with the purpose of writing "popular education".

Cai Dongfan was an ardent patriot. His "Popular Romance of the Chinese Dynasties" embodies in many places the ideas of opposing autocracy, separatism, internal evidence, foreign aggression, and patriotism, the people, and democracy.

This "Popular Romance of Chinese Dynasties", written in the genre of Zhanghui novels, is not a literary work that creates a series of artistic images like "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", but a popular history book with conclusive historical strength. while

However, writing popular history books also requires literary accomplishment. Cai Dongfan was known as a "prodigy" in his early years, with quick thinking, strong writing, and extensive reading, and later had a wealth of creative practices in poetry, prose, and couplets. His unpublished poems include "Fengyue Yincao", "Writing Sorrowful Grass" and "The Aftermath of the Catastrophe" (long narrative poems), and his published works include "Medium New Treatise on Literary Style", "Guest-Chinese Pastime", "Yinglian Daquan", "Continuing to Add Tang Writings to New Rulers" and "New Kindergarten Qionglin". His writing has been tempered in many ways. Therefore, the text, annotations, chapter titles, epic poems, etc. of "Popular Romance of Chinese Dynasties" are all clear and stable. It is no accident that it has been very popular with readers since its inception.

The limitations of the author's view of history and some erroneous ideas are inevitably revealed in this great work. For example, the slander of peasant uprisings and minority movements, the feudal smell of women, and the failure to jump out of the quagmire of Destiny and karma on the issues of personnel blame and the rise and fall of dynasties, etc., although they are only in a secondary position compared with the democratic essence and great achievements of the book, they are after all in vain. We yearn for a new popular romance of the Chinese dynasties that is advanced in concept, beautifully written, and sufficient to fully reflect the historical truth, but in the absence of such a new book today, this great work by Cai Dongfan is still urgently needed. As long as it is read in an analytical and critical manner, it will play an active role in popularizing historical knowledge and providing historical reference.

It was written in mid-October 1996 at the Institute of Literature and Research of Shaanxi Normal University