Two Episodes of Surprising Events (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: Ling Mengchu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Ancient Chinese vernacular short stories, originally intended as scripts for storytelling by performers, which had been widely circulated among the common folk for a long time. By the late Ming Dynasty, some scholars edited, refined, and imitated these scripts for novel writing, and through the extensive printing and distribution by book merchants, vernacular novels gained significant influence across all social strata, especially among the lower classes. Among these, the most notable are the two collections, "Three Words" and "Two Acts." The Case of the Striking Table was compiled by Ling Mengchu of the Ming Dynasty. It was initially published in 40 volumes and later expanded to another 40 volumes. There is also The Stories of Antiquity and Modern Times, which is known as "Two Striking Tables." Ling Mengchu (1580-1644), styled Xuangfang, styled Chucheng, alias Jikuoguanzhe, was from Wucheng. At the age of 18, he was appointed as a stipendiary scholar, but he faced repeated failures in imperial examinations throughout his life. At the age of 55, he was recommended as an outstanding and appointed as an assistant magistrate of Shanghai County, later promoted to the position of assistant magistrate of Xuzhou and concurrently served in Fangcun. In the 17th year of the Chongzhen era (1644), when Li Zicheng's forces approached Xuzhou, he died of sorrow and frustration. He wrote extensively in his lifetime, but his most renowned works are the "Two Striking Tables." The "Two Striking Tables" were compiled by selecting "various stories from ancient and modern times that could amuse and entertain, and elaborating on them." The content was largely drawn from works such as The Comprehensive Records of the Peaceful Reign of Great Peace, The Strange Stories of Yi'an, The New Tales of the Scissors Lamp, and The Leftovers of the Scissors Lamp. The stories in the First Collection include nine from the Tang Dynasty, seven from the Song Dynasty, six from the Yuan Dynasty, thirteen from the Ming Dynasty, and five of unknown era; the Second Collection includes one from the Spring and Autumn period, fourteen from the Song Dynasty, three from the Yuan Dynasty, nineteen from the Ming Dynasty, and two of unknown era, plus one miscellaneous piece, Song Gongming's Celebration of the Lantern Festival. Some works in the "Two Striking Tables" reflect the life and ideology of the urban populace. For example, The Lucky Merchant Encounters the Red Lotus of Dongting depicts the maritime trade of merchants, revealing the strong desire of Ming-era merchants to pursue wealth. Works such as General Wu's Promise of a Meal and The Extraordinary Journey of the Traveler emphasize commercial themes, which were rare in short stories of that time. Some works advocate for gender equality in love and marriage. For instance, The General Li's Mistaken Recognition of a Mouse portrays the steadfast love between Liu Cuicui and Jin Ding. The "Two Striking Tables" excel in plot organization, making most chapters engaging and their language vivid. However, in terms of overall artistic charm, the "Two Striking Tables" often promote feudal morals, feature repetitive plots, and lack both ideological depth and artistic quality compared to "Three Words." The "Two Striking Tables" have been published in various editions, such as the Ming-era Shangyou Tang and Qing-era Jingye Tang. The compilation of this book, based on numerous versions, has carefully selected the best elements and improved upon them to create the current edition. The illustrations used in the book are mostly chosen from the finest (embroidered illustrations) of past editions, and contemporary renowned painters have been commissioned to recreate styles from the Ming and Qing dynasties.