| This paper wants to explore the tradition and its historical changes in ancient novels by taking "annotating the text and tracking the origin" as a route. Starting from the deficiency and blank of current cognition, the paper expects to provide new culture viewpoint on understanding the historical biography origin of ancient novels and its cultural spirits, both paying attention to the inner connection and genealogy origin of family similarity between ancient novels and historical biography from macroscopic perspective, and taking note of the dynamic development and changes of similarity between them from microscopic perspective.There are four chapters in this paper.Chapter one aims to explore the historical changes of cognition towards relationship between the ancient novels and historical biography. Although the ancient novels can be distinguished from Shi(historical biography) theoretically in Han-Wei and Six Dynasties, it didn't become an independent style as an outsider. In Tang Dynasty, people intended to make novels. On the one hand the ancient novels were viewed as the branch of Shi (historical biography) and historical supplement was regarded as its function, on the other hand the ancient novels'innate feature of legend and imaginary were well-developed. As an independent style, the ancient novels began to have independent character and intended to be freed of restriction on Shi (historical biography) in order to show its true nature. Since there appeared vernacular novels in Song and Yuan, people began to separate ancient novels from Shi (historical biography) apparently. People implied the intention and design of distinguishing their boundary, in definition and restating the Qi(Oddity) and in making a distinction between "Chuan Xin (recording documentary)" and " Chuan Oi (recording oddity)", "recording historical events with literal method" and "making historical events by literal method" Coincidently, the changing process of understanding the relationship between the ancient novels and historical biography, concealed the fact that the ancient novels' historical biographic feature was fading, its subject was obtained as well, and its innate quality cognition was gradually deepened, in the evolutionary process in the ancient novels development.Chapter two aims to explore cultural origin and connotation changes of generating the concept of historical supplement in ancient novels. The generating awareness of historical supplement, was both derived from cultural identity of honorable Shi(historical biography) and humble ancient novels, and imitated the cultural activity of historian recording the historical truth by Shi(historical biography), as well as implied the profound thought of improving the class level and tastes of the ancient novels. As a direct descendant of Shi(historical biography), the concept of historical supplement, which is "recording the truth, studying the principle, making out the puzzle, showing persuasion, collecting customs", almost run through the whole classical Chinese novels. This concept appeared in Han-Wei and Six Dynasties, developed perfectly from Tang to Song Yuan, diversified after Ming and Qing. The concept of historical supplement in vernacular short novels mainly showed its appearance of assisting the deficiency of Jing Shu (Confucian classics) and historical biography. It helped the Shi(historical biography) to moralize the world. The concept of historical supplement mainly displayed in historical theme novel domain in long ancient novels in Zhang-hui style. The core of historical supplement was to assist Shi(historical biography) with Yi (demonstrating righteous). Besides, it showed other value pursuits. Based on the theoretical premise of plain and vivid aesthetic characteristics, vernacular novels achieved its function of historical supplement, regardless of long novels or short novels. Although prevalent concept of historical supplement postponed the mature process of novel's innate feature to some extent, it endowed the ancient novels with humanistic feature of both beauty and goodness.Chapter three aims to explore the historical origin and connotation changes of recording Qi(oddity) in ancient novels. Ancient novels and Shi(historical biography) are closely linked though they are not similar. Based on the purpose of instructing according to the sacred way,Shi(historical biography) collected strange news and intriguing stories in its narration, based on the purpose of recording Yi (righteous),it replied on the Wen(rhetoric), which furnished abundant art resources with recording Qi(oddity) in the ancient novels.Shi(historical biography) limited the usage of Qi(oddity), which opened the channel of recording Qi(oddity) in the ancient novels and promoted the generating innate feature of recording Qi(oddity) in ancient novels. Among them, creation of Zasshi(miscellaneous histories) and Zazhuan(miscellaneous records) played a role of bridge and transition. Tangren (people of the Tang) preferred to record Qi(oddity) deliberately and took updating Zheng(documentary) by Qi(oddity) as their voluntary art pursuit. In recording Qi(oddity), they not only focused on literary grace but also transformed Qi(oddity) contents into ren jian yan dong(human actual words). After Song and Yuan, with zi bu yu guai(the master didn't say disorder and spirits) widely quoted and constantly explained, on the one hand, the innate feature of recording Qi(oddity) of ancient novels finally established and became the substantive difference between ancient novels and Shi(historical biography), and on the other, recording Qi(oddity) of ancient novels embarked on a development road of chang zhong jian qi(showing oddity among the ordinary), you qi ru zheng(from oddity to documentary), bi xia sheng qi(creating oddity). During this historical changes, the so-called Qi shu(anecdotage) and Cai zi shu(romantic fiction) tracked the history of recording Qi(oddity), and the concise summary of their contents and artistic form implied the intention of driving up the position of the ancient novels.Chapter four aims to explore the origin and historical changes of ancient novel narration the Chunqiu (Spring and Autumn annals). The Chunqiu (Spring and Autumn annals) was both JingConfucian classics) and Shi(historical biography). As an classical history works, it not only opened a new era of shi xue(historiography) but had a profound effect on principle of value and narration method of ancient novels. In ancient novels, regardless of the narrative purpose of showing Yi (righteous) from the events, the narrative ethics of Yi (righteous) for criterion, direct narration of rule of showing Yi (righteous), or the aesthetic pursuit of simple and politely, they were all inherited voluntarily from the Chunqiu (Spring and Autumn annals). Respected as Jing(Confucian classics) through the ages, the Chunqiu (Spring and Autumn annals) was inner principle of controlling the ancient novel narration, the demonstrative principle of controlling novel discourse method and the meta-narration implied in all kinds of narrative styles in Chinese literature. The creation awareness following the Chunqiu (Spring and Autumn annals), appeared in Tang, stood out and reinforced from Song Yuan to Ming Qing. Of course, the dimension and strength of utilization was different because of the different cultural feature of different styles of novels. The process showed the cultural features of change in ancient novels.In sum, ancient novels and historical biography not only have the relationship of genealogy origin, but also have their own specific cultural traits and art boundary. By unscrambling the iner-texuality of ancient novels and historical biography, not only the origin of historical biography of ancient novels can be clearly displayed, but also its constituent elements and inner cultural spirits can be well understood.
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