Sixty Years of Changes (Complete Three Volumes) -- Collected Masterpieces of Contemporary Chinese Long Fiction

Author: Li Liuru
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-02-01
Features: From the founding of the People's Republic of China to 1966, China experienced a high tide of long creation and publication. Over a decade, a large number of works were produced, among which dozens had a widespread impact and reached the zenith of their time. These works adhered to the principles of socialist realism, using enthusiastic and simple expressions to celebrate the arduous struggles and vibrant spirit of the Chinese people during different historical periods, including the War of Liberation, the War of Resistance against Japan, the War of Liberation, and the construction of socialism. They represented the highest achievements of long creation during that period and held an extremely important position in the history of contemporary Chinese literature. With their unique charm, they influenced generations of readers and have endured the test of time. To present a more complete picture of the development of contemporary longs and the creative landscape of that era, we have compiled and published the series "Collected Masterpieces of Contemporary Chinese Long Novel."
I. The series is based on the "Selected Long Novel Series" published by our press in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as the "Red Classics" series from the 1990s, aiming to include as many outstanding works as possible.
II. The works in the series were published roughly between 1949 and 1965, with some multi-volume works whose publication processes extended beyond this period.
III. Due to various reasons, some works had multiple revised editions. For this publication, we selected the superior versions and conducted proofreading in reference to other editions.
Sixty Years of Change is a three-volume work.
Volume One covers the period from the late Qing Dynasty's reform and revolution to the failure of the Xinhai Revolution. The protagonist, Ji Jiaoru, was born in 1887 into a wealthy family in Pingjiang County, Hunan. His mother, Tong Shaoying, was the concubine of his father, Ji Wanhe. The Ji family had three sons, all of whom failed to produce a male heir, and Jiaoru's birth brought joy to the family. Later, Tong Shaoying gave birth to two more sons. However, when Jiaoru was seven years old, his father passed away. His mother had to take the three boys and move to Lingjiawan with her brother, Ji Changzhi. The landholdings in Lingjiawan were originally purchased by Ji Wanhe and Ji Changzhi through joint business ventures, but Ji Changzhi, with ill intentions, constantly mistreated the young children and their widowed mother, seeking personal gain. Tong Shaoying had no choice but to return to her hometown, Po, but she still endured the mistreatment from Ji Wanhe's eldest wife. Later, when Jiaoru grew to nineteen, he entered the Confucian academy of Huang Xincun to study. This was a time when the reformist ideas of Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao were popular. Under Huang's influence, Jiaoru extensively read publications with new ideas, such as The People's Magazine, A Record of Japan, and The Peril of the Times, particularly enjoying the writings of Liang Qichao, which he found fascinating. Not only did he enjoy reading them, but he also imitated Liang Qichao's "new style" in his own writings, often discussing current affairs and expressing patriotic views, earning him the nickname "Reformist Faction." His actions and diligent studies won Huang Xincun's admiration, who believed he could pass the county and prefectural exams. This made his mother very happy. Later, he successfully passed the county and prefectural exams but failed the provincial exam, disappointing his mother. At this time, his mother married him off. Soon after, he met Ling Yongxiong, who had returned from Japan, and learned about Sun Yat-sen and Huang Xing's revolutionary activities. He discovered that they differed from Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao, aiming to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and establish a democratic republic in China. This excited him and inspired him, leading him to express his desire to join a revolutionary party to Ling Yongxiong.
After his mother's death, Jiaoru was determined to enter the Hubei Military Academy to study military science. However, he missed the exam in Changsha and had to go to Jiujiang to seek refuge with relatives. But things did not go as planned, and he had to return to Wuchang. With the help of his friends, he wrote a long letter to Li Yuanhong, the commander of the Twenty-first Brigade of the Wuchang New Army, requesting to be recruited as a soldier despite not meeting the qualifications. He was eventually appointed as a second lieutenant, fulfilling his dream of becoming a soldier. In the New Army, Jiaoru met revolutionaries like Yang Wangpeng and actively participated in the activities of the literary society they organized, becoming one of its key members. The revolutionary ideas spread by the society had a significant impact in the New Army. Some members, like Ye Desheng, actively worked alongside Liu Fujī of the Commercial Daily, strengthening their forces. Soon after, they opposed the Qing government's plan to borrow money to build railways and were arrested and detained by the authorities. Li Yuanhong, aware of the presence of revolutionaries in the New Army, decided to crack down severely. Jiaoru and other key figures were severely beaten and expelled from the army. With no other choice, Jiaoru fled to Qinzhou and sought refuge with his uncle, Ji Xiaocun, who had become a prefect. In the prefectural office, Jiaoru was responsible for drafting documents. Here, he witnessed the corruption, self-interest, and petty politics of the officials, which deepened his sense of the necessity of revolution. At this time, he suddenly received a letter from the literary society, informing him that Wuchang was preparing for an uprising. He immediately rushed to Wuchang to join the struggle.
After escaping Li Yuanhong's pursuit, the activities of the literary society were temporarily suspended. However, soon after, Jiang Yiwu was elected as the new president of the literary society, which then allied with groups like the "Advanced Association" and established contact with the headquarters of the Tongmenghui, gradually strengthening the revolutionary forces. After the failure of the Guangzhou Uprising, all revolutionaries actively participated in the Wuchang Uprising. On August 18, 1911, Jiang Yiwu, the commander-in-chief of the Hubei Revolutionary Army, issued an order for uprising, overthrowing the Qing Dynasty. At night, Ye Desheng and others led the revolutionaries to storm the governor's office, forcing the Qing troops to surrender, and the uprising was successful. However, lacking a respected leader, the revolutionaries jointly proposed Li Yuanhong as the governor of Hubei. Li Yuanhong, timid and anxious, reluctantly agreed. Meanwhile, the Qing government appointed Yuan Shikai as the governor of Hubei and Hunan, further deepening Li Yuanhong's worries. As more than ten provinces declared independence, the revolution reached its climax. However, Jiaoru realized that the revolutionaries did not truly hold power, with Jiang Yiwu only serving as a liaison and members of the literary society being underutilized, which disappointed him. Soon after, Yuan Shikai sent Duan Qirui and Feng Guozhang to attack Hankou with troops, while also sending representatives to negotiate with the revolutionary forces. At this time, having become a standard commander, Jiaoru followed the instructions of Huang Xing, the wartime commander-in-chief, and successfully crossed the Hanyang Bridge at night. However, the Beiyang Army, guided by the rebellious Heshan Artillery, encircled the revolutionary forces, causing heavy casualties. Jiaoru had no choice but to retreat to Hanyang and Wuchang. In the battle, Ye Desheng heroically sacrificed his life. At this point, Huang Xing was forced to resign as commander-in-chief, and Jiang Yiwu took over, leading the forces to defend Wuchang. When the governors of various provinces met in Hankou, Yuan Shikai sent representatives to negotiate but deliberatelyed time. As a result, the provincial representatives elected Sun Yat-sen as the provisional president, who took office in Nanjing on October 12. Yuan Shikai was extremely displeased, and Li Yuanhong intervened, mediating the situation. After discussions, the Shanghai negotiating representatives were instructed that if Yuan Shikai could force the Qing emperor to abdicate, they would elect him as the formal president. Later, the Qing emperor agreed to abdicate, and Sun Yat-sen made concessions, allowing Yuan Shikai to become president, with Li Yuanhong as his vice president.
After seizing power, Yuan Shikai appointed Jiang Yiwu as a general in the army and Jiaoru as a major. However, he soon ordered the dissolution of the parliament, arrested Sun Yat-sen, Huang Xing, and other revolutionary leaders, and assassinated Song Jiaoren, leading five provinces—Hunan, Yunnan, Sichuan, and others—to declare independence and launch anti-Yuan struggles. The Xinhai Revolution failed, and China fell into chaos. Jiaoru, Jiang Yiwu, and Yang Wangpeng resigned and went to Japan for studies.
Volume Two covers the period from the rule of the Beiyang warlords in China to the failure of the Great Revolution. The success of the October Revolution in Russia and the end of World War I saw Jiaoru return to China from Japan. At this time, China was under the rule of Duan Qirui, with the north and south divided and fierce factional struggles, frequent wars, and suffering among the people. Upon returning to Pingjiang, Jiaoru became the director of the poverty relief factory and concurrently taught Chinese at the normal class of Qiming Girls' School, gaining popularity. Soon after, he sold his family's land to become a shareholder in the Industrial Textile Company, serving as its general manager and hoping to save the country through industry. However, the severe warlord conflicts at the time, particularly the intense struggle between the Zhili and Anhui warlord factions, led to Zhang Jingyao, an Anhui warlord, becoming the governor of Hunan. Wu Peifu, the vanguard attacking Hunan, colluded with Tan Yankai's Hunan army to withdraw their defenses, allowing the Hunan army to enter Hunan. Zhang Jingyao, seeking to preserve his strength, also withdrew from Yuezhou and Pingjiang. Like other industries, the Industrial Textile Company suffered from looting and forced military contributions by the Hunan army. With no choice, Jiaoru closed the company, ending his dream of saving the country through industry. He came to Changsha, initially earning a living by selling articles and later teaching. However, factional struggles within the education sector were equally severe, and the military and government often embezzled education funds to trade opium, leaving teachers struggling to make ends meet.
In 1921, the Communist Party of China was founded, marking a new stage in the Chinese revolution. At this time, Jiaoru met He Shuンハン and read revolutionary books like The Communist Manifesto. Later, he met Mao Zedong, who inspired him to join the Communist Party. Soon after, he witnessed the miserable lives of workers in Anyuan firsthand, deeply understanding the theory of The Capital and, under Mao's instructions, compiled A Popular Reader as a textbook for the night school of the Anyuan Coal Mine workers. Liu Shaoqi organized and led the workers' movement in Anyuan, achieving significant victories. At this time, Sun Yat-sen decided to reorganize the Kuomintang, implementing the three policies of "alliance with the Soviet Union, alliance with the proletariat, and assistance to the peasants." The Communist Party held its third national congress in Guangzhou, deciding to form an alliance with the Kuomintang. Jiaoru was sent by the party to Guangzhou to raise funds, where he met important figures from both parties, such as Fang Weixia, Tan Yankai, Chen Yannian, and. He was retained in the Party Affairs Department of the Northward Expeditionary Army Headquarters in Guangzhou and met Sun Yat-sen. Under Sun's guidance, he wrote pamphlets such as Essentials of Party Affairs and Why We Are Invading the North. He also introduced Fang Weixia to join the Communist Party. After Tan Yankai's first military campaign failed, he established the "Xiang Army Military Academy" in Guangzhou, and Jiaoru and Fang Weixia jointly worked in the Political Department.
The "May Fourth" Incident occurred, and the nationwide anti-imperialist struggle grew increasingly intense. At this time, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party formed an alliance, establishing the National Government. However, the right-wing Kuomintang established a second central committee in Shanghai. In Guangzhou, Chiang Kai-shek orchestrated the "Zhongshan Incident," arresting the ship captain Li Zhilong and launching the "Rectification of Party Affairs," opposing the Communist Party. Chen Duxiu, the leader of the Communist Party, showed excessive tolerance toward Chiang Kai-shek's actions, weighing heavily on Jiaoru and Fang Weixia's hearts. The National Government decided to launch the Northern Expedition, and Jiaoru became the party representative of Zhang Huizhen's Fourth Division. The Northern Expedition achieved victory, and Chiang Kai-shek's teaching army captured Nanchang, further expanding his ambitions to move the Kuomintang Central Committee and the National Government to Nanchang under his control. However, the Kuomintang Central Committee decided to move the capital to Wuhan, and Chiang Kai-shek, supported by British and American imperialism and the capitalists of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, established a new National Government in Nanjing to oppose the Wuhan government. Meanwhile, he launched "purge of party members" and "anti-communist" campaigns, brutally slaughtering Communist Party members in Shanghai and Jiangxi. However, Chen Duxiu remained right-wing, and at the fifth national congress of the Communist Party, his opportunistic rightism was severely criticized. Soon after, Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei cooperated to oppose the Communist Party. Tan Yankai also surrendered to imperialism, engaging in anti-revolutionary activities, causing significant losses to the Communist Party. As a result, the Communist Party replaced Chen Duxiu's leadership at the "August Seventh" meeting and decided to launch a land revolution. Afterward, Mao Zedong went to Jinggangshan, and Jiaoru was assigned by the party to work in Pingjiang.
Volume Three covers the Ten-Year War and the liberation of the entire country. Based on the existing partial manuscripts, the author wrote about the brutal persecution of revolutionaries by the reactionary Nationalist Party after the failure of the Great Revolution and the heroic struggles of revolutionaries like Luo Nachuan and Xia Minghan.
Sixty Years of Change is a renowned historical long novel of the contemporary era. As the author states in the preface to Sixty Years of Change, it is a novel with a "broad theme, long time span, and wide scope." The author aimed to "describe the political and social evolution of the era, various contradictions, the long-term and winding nature of the Chinese revolution, the process of struggles, the lessons and experiences of both failure and success." It can be said that the author largely achieved this goal. The characters and stories in the novel are both history and art, possessing both historical and literary value, both artistic fiction and historical authenticity, successfully blending history and fiction. This is the characteristic and achievement of the novel.
For example, in the chapter on the Xinhai Revolution, the author vividly depicts how the revolutionaries planned the Wuchang Uprising, the heroic martyrdom of Liu Fuxing, Yang Hongsheng, and Peng Chufen, the opening shots of the Engineering Corps, Li Yuanhong's unexpected appointment as governor, the cunning Yuan Shikai's exploitation of contradictions and manipulation to seize power, leading to the failure of the Xinhai Revolution. These are largely records of real history. However, the portrayal of characters' psychology, the atmosphere of the environment, the details of the story, and even the dialogue of the characters are all artistic fictions based on objective historical facts, following the laws of character development and the progression of events. This combination of historical facts and artistic fiction makes the novel a better work of art, enhancing its readability and artistic power.
Of course, the novel primarily describes the evolution of history and focuses on presenting a "sketch." Through the activities of Jiaoru, the author connects historical events and brings together different times and places, which is very beneficial for showcasing the changes in political of that era. It allows readers to see the outline of historical development, the customs and vibrant social scenes of different places, and the characteristics of different characters, which is also very good.
However, as a novel, the portrayal of the protagonist, Jiaoru, is not fully developed and still lacks depth. This is a shortcoming. Nevertheless, Jiaoru's life journey, from an ordinary young intellectual to joining the revolution and the Communist Party, and his trials and tribulations in the revolutionary storms, making him a steadfast revolutionary fighter, reflects the ideological state of some early modern Chinese intellectuals and has a certain typicality. His loyalty to the revolutionary cause and his patriotic spirit have strong artistic appeal. Many other historical figures in the novel are well-written, such as Li Yuanhong, Tan Yankai,, and He Shuンハン, Xia Minghan, who are portrayed with success and even prove quite engaging. The language of the novel is simple, natural, vivid, and fluent.
These features have made Sixty Years of Change an outstanding work, well-received by readers and recognized by literary critics.