Wu Jingzi Poetry and Prose Collection

Author: Wu Jingzi (Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Wu Jingzi is the author of the classic novel The Story of the Stone, styled Minxuan, and was from Quanjiang, Anhui. In middle age, he moved to a residence behind the Qinhuai River in Nanjing and called himself the "Resident of Qinhuai." He named his study "Wenmu Shanfang" and was known as Mr. Wenmu. In his later years, he took the name Wenmu Laoren. He was born into a prestigious family known for its scholarly achievements, with his great-grandfather Wu Guodi being the third place winner (top three) in the imperial examination during the 15th year of the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty. He progressed from a compiler in the Hanlin Academy to a reader and served as the director of education in Shuntian Prefecture, with the notable achievement of "four of his five brothers becoming imperial scholars." Among his ancestors, Wu Sheng was the second place winner (runner-up) in the imperial examination during the 30th year of the Kangxi reign, while Wu Zao and Wu Hao were also scholars. His grandfather Wu Dan passed the examination as a student under official sponsorship (jincheng) and was appointed as a deputy prefectural magistrate. His father Wu Linqi was a recommended candidate (bagua) in the 25th year of the Kangxi reign and only achieved the position of a county education officer in Jiangsu's Gan'yu County, failing to attain higher success in his lifetime, leading to a decline in the family's fortunes.