2005 China Annual Story

Author: Chen Huifang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-01-01
Features: When Yuan Shikai, then President of the Republic of China, was determined to restore the monarchy, a letter of appointment for the Director of the National Historical Museum reached the hands of Wang Yunkai, a renowned scholar from Hunan. The octogenarian scholar, famous for his studies on the theory of emperors, cleverly mocked Yuan Shikai and narrowly avoided death. (Guo Changzheng, "Wang Yunkai Mocks Yuan Shikai") Jiang Shiquan, a Qing Dynasty litterateur who passed the imperial examination during the Qianlong era and once held the position of Compiler in the Hanlin Academy, was intelligent, upright, and exceptionally talented. At the age of eight, he solved a mysterious case in his hometown, Lianshan County, Jiangxi, earning widespread admiration. (Wan Wenwu, "Jiang Shiquan Solves a Mystery at Age Eight") In Shanyin County (now Shaoxing) during the Longqing era of the Ming Dynasty, the county magistrate Gao and his clerk Li, who had purchased their positions for 50 taels of silver, colluded to extort the people. Xu Wei, a famous scholar in the county known as one of the "Four Great Scholars of Jiangnan," used couplets and verbal sparring in court to expose their incompetence, leaving the county magistrate and clerk in disgrace. Li was beaten and expelled from the county government. (Zhang Guoxue, "Xu Wenlong Outwits the Clerk") Chen Shaohua, Zhang Ping, Ye Qiang, Guo Xuan, Xiangyang, Zhu Maquan, Zhao Zhenye, Xie Siqiu, Tao Bojun, and Yi Ming have selected 69 outstanding stories from 70 authors across dozens of literary publications. These works, whether ancient tales of virtuous officials, anecdotes of scholars, stories of the imperial court, folk legends, or modern and foreign tales, excel in clever plots, concise length, engaging and thought-provoking content, each with its own unique charm, making them worth reading. The stories from 2005 have three notable features. First, the themes are diverse, covering ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign. The "New Stories/New Legends" section alone includes a wide range of topics, from anti-corruption and anti-corruption campaigns to detective stories and white-collar life. This collection specially selects five tales of virtuous officials to express deep disdain for corrupt officials and hope for good ones. Second, there are many new authors. Nearly half of the authors in this collection are emerging talents who have shown remarkable talent in the past one to two years. Though young, they have proven their capabilities. Third, the stories are short. Most of the stories in this collection are short, ranging from two to three thousand words, and are both interesting and enjoyable. —Chen Huifang, Editor-in-Chief of Shan Hai Jing
When Yuan Shikai, then President of the Republic of China, was determined to restore the monarchy, a letter of appointment for the Director of the National Historical Museum reached the hands of Wang Yunkai, a renowned scholar from Hunan. The octogenarian scholar, famous for his studies on the theory of emperors, cleverly mocked Yuan Shikai and narrowly avoided death. (Guo Changzheng, "Wang Yunkai Mocks Yuan Shikai") Jiang Shiquan, a Qing Dynasty litterateur who passed the imperial examination during the Qianlong era and once held the position of Compiler in the Hanlin Academy, was intelligent, upright, and exceptionally talented. At the age of eight, he solved a mysterious case in his hometown, Lianshan County, Jiangxi, earning widespread admiration. (Wan Wenwu, "Jiang Shiquan Solves a Mystery at Age Eight") In Shanyin County (now Shaoxing) during the Longqing era of the Ming Dynasty, the county magistrate Gao and his clerk Li, who had purchased their positions for 50 taels of silver, colluded to extort the people. Xu Wei, a famous scholar in the county known as one of the "Four Great Scholars of Jiangnan," used couplets and verbal sparring in court to expose their incompetence, leaving the county magistrate and clerk in disgrace. Li was beaten and expelled from the county government. (Zhang Guoxue, "Xu Wenlong Outwits the Clerk") Chen Shaohua, Zhang Ping, Ye Qiang, Guo Xuan, Xiangyang, Zhu Maquan, Zhao Zhenye, Xie Siqiu, Tao Bojun, and Yi Ming have selected 69 outstanding stories from 70 authors across dozens of literary publications. These works, whether ancient tales of virtuous officials, anecdotes of scholars, stories of the imperial court, folk legends, or modern and foreign tales, excel in clever plots, concise length, engaging and thought-provoking content, each with its own unique charm, making them worth reading.