Jin Gu Qi Guan (Upper and Lower)

Author: Lao Ren of the Jar
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Novels are the complement to official histories. The tales of transformation and the old man with a hunched back recorded in the Zhuangzi and Liezi are not listed in history. The Mula Tianzi, The Four Gentlemen, and The Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue all belong to the category of novels. The tales such as The Remains of the Kaiyuan Era, The Crimson Thread, The Peerless, The Fragrant Pillar, and The Hidden Maiden, as well as the records in The Disconnected Car and Yi Jian, are named as novels, yet their style is refined and elegant, rarely discussed by ordinary people. The actors Huang Xianchuo and Jing Xinmo performed (a type of traditional opera), subtly satirizing current events. Though their stories were fictional, they were popular among the masses, though their original texts were not preserved. During the Song Dynasty, Emperor Xiaozong ordered his attendants to collect strange tales from the (folklore), with one tale presented daily by "storytellers," marking the rise of popular yanyi (narrative novels). However, these tales were often vulgar and filled with taboos, making them tedious to read and lacking in merit. In the Yuan Dynasty, Shi Nai'an and Luo Guanzhong created great works like Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which were both extraordinary and profound. Critics paired these two with The Lament of Dongyan and The West Chamber to form the "Four Great Classical Novels," a remarkable achievement. In the Ming Dynasty, with the flourishing of cultural refinement, authors excelled in both grand court chronicles and folk histories, with storytellers also developing specialized skills. Yet The Golden Basin was criticized for promoting lust, while Journey to the West and Journey to the West in the West indulged in fantastical depictions of ghosts. Such works, unrelated to moral guidance, were undeserving of being extended endlessly. Mo Hanzhai supplemented The Exorcising of Demons, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship without losing its essence, placing it between the level of Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. His compiled Three Words—All for the World, Warning the World, and Awakening the World—extensively depicted the diversity of human emotions and relationships, vividly portraying joys and sorrows. These works were innovative and shocking, yet ultimately returned to moral teachings. The master of the Empty Pavilion Studio, using ink and brush as his tools, created Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, a collection that required great effort to obtain and was highly regarded for discussions. Combined, these two collections total over 200 works, making them vast and difficult to fully appreciate. Moreover, the selection was exhaustive, how could everything be truly extraordinary? Just as printed books multiply, yet the classics remain arduous—even in an era of excellence, could there be no mediocre works? I propose to select the best 100 chapters, reprint them, and create a grand collection. Yet Lao Ren of the Jar shared my sentiment, selecting 40 works to name Strange Stories from Ancient and Modern Times.
The mirage over the sea and the fiery mountains may seem extraordinary, but since they are not witnessed by the senses, they remain like the "ice bug" of doubt. Thus, the true marvels of the world lie not in the extraordinary but in the ordinary. Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom are called "common hearts"; loyalty, filial piety, chastity, and heroism are called "common actions"; good and evil retribution is called "common principles"; and sages, heroes, and the virtuous are called "common people." Yet common hearts are rarely preserved, common actions are rarely practiced, common principles are rarely seen, and common people are rarely encountered. Thus, we marvel at and discuss them. Those who hear may weep or sigh, rejoice or be astonished. The good are encouraged, while the wicked feel shame and alarm, all contributing to the beauty of moral teachings. Thus, what moves us most is the teaching of the most common. How can I know that the concerns of the common folk are not as important as those of the court? How can folk tales not align with official histories? To view them as tales of sword-swallowing and fire-spitting or winter thunder and summer ice is to lead people into confusion, utterly misplaced. I hope those who read novels well will understand this.
Written by the laughing flower master of Suzhou