"Quilin Road"

Author: Li Luyuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: In the 13th year of the Qianlong reign (1748), in Henan County, known as the "renowned region of Confucian learning in Central China," a scholar in his forties decided to write a unique novel that could "inspire people's good intentions and discipline their idle ambitions," naming it The Crooked Road to Enlightenment (Qiqiandao). This scholar was named Li Luyuan. The Crooked Road to Enlightenment is a lengthy work, spanning 108 chapters, telling the story of a scholar-official's son who descends into decline and disrepute, only to later reform and restore his family's honor. The Crooked Road to Enlightenment can be considered an educational novel, as it realistically portrays the process of Tan Shaowen's decline and subsequent self-improvement. The author aimed to warn the world: be strict with your children, choose teachers wisely, and be cautious in making friends. The final words of Tan Xiaoyi at his death—"Dedicate yourself to studying and associate with upright people"—are the novel's central theme, serving as a guiding light for educating children in the feudal era. As a learned scholar with profound knowledge and worldly experience, Li Luyuan wrote this novel with a spirit of realism. The Crooked Road to Enlightenment authentically depicts the social life of 18th-century China, providing valuable material for social history and holding significant academic value.