Xin Lie Guo Zhi And The Study Of Spring And Autumn Annals In The Ming Dynasty

This paper takes Feng Menglong's Xin Lie Guo Zhi and the study of Spring and Autumn Annals in the Ming Dynasty as the research object.It is devoted to investigating how his learning on the Spring and Autumn Annals influenced his outlook on fiction,thus enhancing the character of novels of kingdoms in the Spring and Autumn Period,and realizing the paradigm transformation from the Confucian Classic to the popular historical romance.Reflecting the characteristics of Feng Menglong's learning on Spring and Autumn Annals from his consciousness as a Confucian scholar shown in his novel narrative,and putting his learning in the context of the development of Spring and Autumn Annals Studies in the Ming Dynasty,then inspecting his response and acceptance of the development trend in the late Ming Dynasty,which are also the meanings of the topic.In addition to the introduction and conclusion,there are five chapters in the text.On the basis of systematically combing the pre-academic history,the introduction establishes the writing conception of this paper.From the popularization of Confucian Classics,Feng Menglong's Xin Lie Guo Zhi was a typical case of cross-border and transformation of the Spring and Autumn Annals learning in the Ming Dynasty.The deep influence of Feng Menglong's thought of Spring and Autumn Annals on novel creation needs to be comprehensively grasped through the barriers of Confucian Classics,historiography and literature.Chapter one differentiates the influence of Feng Menglong's imperial examination career on his Spring and Autumn Annals Complex.Although there were contradictions between examination-oriented education and quality-oriented education in the imperial examination era,the long-term Confucianism cultivation was indeed helpful to shape Confucian feelings: the spirit of integration of Confucian classics and history represented in Spring and Autumn Annals had important enlightenment for Feng Menglong's compiling strategy of realizing the ideal through novel,and also affected his basic dimension and ideal form of engaging in popular literature creation.Chapter two examines the internal relationship between the narrative attitude of Xin Lie Guo Zhi and Zuo Zhuan's inheriting Confucian canon through historical events.Feng Menglong paid attention to textual research and verifying facts in his historical narrative,quoted a large number of historical biographies,corrected the names of characters,carried out geographical textual research,exemplified ritual and image canonical system,and at the same time,he did not hesitate to clarify the story and restored the face of historical events,with the help of historical biography and classics so as to realize the significance of classics transmission.Chapter three explores Feng Menglong's meaningful transformation of the interpretation method of the Spring and Autumn Annals classics and elucidations in Xin Lie Guo Zhi.He reflected on history from the following four aspects: fatality and human,justice and selfishness,rank and status,the Confucian idea of invariability and flexibility,which were consistent with the focus of his theoretical elucidation on Spring and Autumn Annals.He applied the explanatory style of Spring and Autumn Annals classics and elucidations to the historical romance.He integrated the interpretation of Confucian classics into characters and stories by means of original meaning,assertion by words,comparison of events,interpretation by circumstances and exegesis,taking into account both historical interpretation and historical commentary.Chapter Four analyses the three main narrative interpretation ways in Xin Lie Guo Zhi.Feng Menglong was well versed in eight-part grammar and drew lessons from the relevant constitutional,syntactic and character methods in his narrative and discussion;he used the writing methods in the Spring and Autumn Annals: subtle and obvious,ambitious and obscure,tactful or direct language,to make detailed,deep,euphemistic and direct narrative;he also moderately used the methods of Jiang Shi to realize the integration of folk interest and literati interest in a way combining entertainment with enlightenment.The fifth chapter explores the position of Feng Menglong's learning on Spring and Autumn Annals in the context of Confucian classics in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties.Influenced by the trend of historiography of Confucian classics,Feng Menglong paid attention to interpreting according to the facts,which was consistent with the tendency of acquiring both Han and Song learning in the late Ming Dynasty.He echoed the trend of literary interpretation of Confucian classics,but combined topic analysis,rhetoric taste and interpretation of Confucian classics,which was different from the popular focus on grammar and rhetoric.He realized the transformation from the Spring and Autumn Annals classics to novel narrative,breaking through the mainstream academic norms at that time.The conclusion points out that Feng Menglong creatively transformed and applied the thinking and method of reconciliation of the Spring and Autumn Annals in his historical romance,and realized the high integration of historical records(textual research),connotations and literature.It was a breakthrough not only to the predicament of Confucian classics in the Ming Dynasty,but also to the predicament of historical works.