Three Qing Hall Notes

Author: Ren Wenxiang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Three Clear Halls Notes consists of three parts: short essays, notes, and (random writings), totaling 135 articles, each being a thousand-word piece. The articles aim to liberate the mind and release the soul. The author wanders through the vast desert, searching for the green land he yearns for. His thoughts are profound, and his literary craftsmanship is exceptional. He questions history, analyzes historical facts, seeks answers, and judges sharply. Many of his viewpoints differ greatly from those learned from traditional history textbooks. He always asks why, to the point of making people tremble with fear! He exposes the harsh laws and tyrannical methods of Shang Yang, the ruthless cruelty of Han Feizi, and the burning of books and burying scholars of Li Si, dragging these so-called contributors to history into the light of day to reveal their true, frightening faces. He exposes the cruelty of Emperor Yang of Sui for his jealousy of talent and killing scholars, and he laments the brutal execution of scholars by Zhu Yuanzhang. He shows no mercy to spineless scholars, regardless of how history writers twist the truth. The madmen of the Western Jin and Eastern Jin dynasties, such as Ruan Ji, who lost his integrity in his later years; the poet Song Zhiqian, who knelt before Empress Wu Zetian; and Wang Guowei, who drowned himself in the Summer Palace for the feudal autocratic system—all evoke his bitter sighs and merciless satire. Without high mountains, it is difficult to appreciate the plains. After reading Three Clear Halls Notes, one realizes how narrow-minded they have been. In over one hundred articles, the author cites references from at least one hundred books. Official histories, unofficial histories; miscellaneous records, personal notes; poetic discussions, colloquial conversations. In his youth, he read books like a cow devouring grass, swallowing them whole. Now, the words he spits out are like polished jade and shining pearls, strung together to form a radiant rainbow. "Well, it’s at least niuhuang (bezoar)," old Ren says. "Your niuhuang is a good medicine for clearing heat and detoxifying for us literati!" Because Three Clear Halls Notes is so rich in allusions, one must read it in a zigzag manner, constantly consulting references. People are different, and books are different. Nowadays, there are so many new books, like watermelons on the roadside in summer—many of them sprayed with pesticides and fertilized. Reading such books is bland and sometimes leaves a foul smell in the mouth. Three Clear Halls Notes is like grapes from Turpan, (fragrant), that must be savored and appreciated slowly. Each short piece tells a profound story and contains a lesson that awakens one to the truth. Mr. Wenxiang was once the president of the Hebei Writers' Association, and we read his long Drum Mountain Storms decades ago. In recent years, his essays have appeared frequently in newspapers. Truly, the older the article, the more enduring it becomes. A few years ago, his mother fell seriously ill, and he returned home to care for her. After her passing, he refused to return to the concrete city. The rustic charm of his hometown captivated him, as did its blue skies and white clouds. He built a house and a garden, installed a computer and a phone, and enjoyed the tranquility of a bamboo fence and thatched cottage. Suddenly, he remembered a song by Bai Ru: "A lonely village under the setting sun and lingering clouds, with light smoke, old trees, and crows. A flying bird casts its shadow below. Green mountains and clear waters, white grass, red leaves, and yellow flowers." Isn’t this the epitome of old Ren’s leisurely heart? Old Ren has a few more books to publish, and the manuscripts are already well-prepared—short and exquisite articles, all sparks of the author’s thoughts. You might as well go to a bookstore and buy a copy of Three Clear Halls Notes to read. You will surely find it hard to put down.