Beach Whisperings -- Millennial Eye Anthology

Author: Mu Hui
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: When I was a child, I listened to adults telling myths and knew about the "" () and "" (). These tales sparked endless imagination in my young mind. As I grew older and got married, my late wife, Ms. Guo Yuan (1937—1970), who graduated from Fudan University's physics department and studied cutting-edge technologies like infrared, told me that from a modern technological perspective, radio telescopes and long-distance direct-dial phones have already made the mythical "" and "" a reality, with even more magical functions than those in the myths. However, the myths did not mention a "" (). In historical records and anecdotes, there are occasional accounts of geniuses who predicted events hundreds or thousands of years in the future, but these are nothing more than nonsense and are not worth a laugh. The "Bingbing Song" () by Liu Bowen, which emerged in modern times, was a divination created by the people during times of war and turmoil—it was no more than the ramblings of a madman and had nothing to do with historical perspectives. In the early 1980s, shortly after the "Gang of Four" was overthrown, many people reflected on the decade of chaos that had brought unprecedented disaster to the Chinese nation, seeking the roots of the problem. At that time, I read The Thousand-Year Eye () by Zhang Sui, a Ming Dynasty author from the Wan period. This book was not widely circulated and is not listed in the General Catalogue of the Four Treasuries, with only Ming Dynasty printed editions and a collection in The Great Collection of Notebooks and Novels, Supplement surviving. The Institute of History at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, where I work, has a Ming Dynasty printed edition, so I borrowed it to read. What caught my attention was the title of the book—I guessed the author must be a person with a historical perspective, otherwise why would he call it The Thousand-Year Eye? After reading the entire book, I realized my guess was correct. Zhang Sui was indeed a scholar with a historical perspective. The book discusses the past and comments on the present, transcending a millennium and often standing at the height of history to observe the ancients and the moderns, occasionally shining with intellectual sparks. For example, in Volume 1, it states: "Although King Wu of Zhou despised the officials of the Shou dynasty, he could not change their ingrained habits, and over time, it became difficult to reform. Mencius said: 'When a ruler promotes the virtuous, if he has no choice, he will let the humble obstruct the noble, and the distant surpass the close.' In modern terms, what necessity is there? If one abandons the plow in the morning and joins the civil service by evening, people would accept it. The three clans of Lu, the seven clans of Zheng, and the three clans of Chu all dominated their respective states. Even though they were as greedy as wolves, as cruel as sheep, and as foolish as pigs, their rulers still employed them. Meanwhile, talented scholars and outstanding citizens were suppressed by clans, and countless others died in the fields in old age, their names lost to history." Here, Zhang Sui exposes the harms of the hereditary system of officials. In reality, what he describes is not limited to the great clans of ancient Lu, Zheng, and Chu. Connecting it to the Ming Dynasty's reality, the ugly phenomenon of a de facto hereditary system of officials is almost countless. I wonder if Zhang Sui did not live to see the downfall of Wei Zhongxian? During Wei Zhongxian's reign of terror, his nephew, son-in-law, and clan relatives rose to power one after another. His nephew Wei Liangqing was particularly typical. Originally, he was a farmer in his hometown of Suning, unable to read even a large character, yet Wei Zhongxian promoted him to high positions, from a clerk in the Embroidered Uniform Guard to overseeing the Southern Town Pacification Commission, and eventually enfeoffed as the Marquis of Suning and the Duke of Ning, even granted the title of Grand Tutor (a very high honor in the Ming Dynasty), soaring straight to the heavens. However, the higher one climbs, the harder one falls. After Wei Zhongxian's downfall, Wei Liangqing said during his trial, "I grew up in the countryside, content with farming—I had no need for wealth or status. Today, I am praised for my achievements, tomorrow, my virtues are lauded. My merits are great, and I should naturally be enfeoffed. But I never expected to be forced into power as a eunuch's nephew, wearing robes and insignia. Those who praise my merits and virtues are the ones who forced me into wealth—I have no crime!" (From The Collection of Essays from Tian Jue Hall by Xue Gang, Volume 19, Chou Yin Wen Jian Zhi, Chongzhen edition.) Wei Liangqing's words are truly worth highlighting. "Forced by wealth," how profound! Even in the last century, on the Chinese political stage, were there not farmers, vegetable sellers, weavers, and security guards from factories, etc., who were suddenly "forced" into the highest echelons of power? For a time, under a collapsing nest, no egg was left unbroken—where are these people now? The Chinese people are perfectly clear. Clearly, it was precisely because Zhang Sui had profound historical insight that he could offer deep and enlightening insights when discussing the past and the present. Throughout The Thousand-Year Eye, every passage contains wisdom. In light of Sima Qian's "understanding the changes between past and present," whether in governance, scholarship, or writing, lacking a historical perspective is certainly short-sighted. On a grand scale, it can lead to national disaster; on a small scale, it results in mediocrity and prevents great achievements. Therefore, I named this series of selected historical essays "The Thousand-Year Eye Collection." Although only I among the authors of this series majored in history and have always made a living by studying the ancients, the senior literary figures such as He Manzi, Mu Hui, Chen Siyi, Xiong Zhaozheng, Li Qiao, and Wu Liyang are all well-read in history and deeply versed in historical studies. Their historical essays observe the past and examine the present, always using a thousand-year perspective to pierce through the fabric of history and illuminate both the ancient and the modern. Calling them "thousand-year eyes" is entirely justified. My colleague and friend Mu Hui passed away unexpectedly on June 8, 2004. On June 7, he called me and asked about this series, and I replied that I was still planning it. Now that the series is about to be published, he cannot see it, and I cannot help but feel sorrow. Li Qiao is a close friend I met shortly after moving to Beijing, with whom I have exchanged thoughts for over twenty years. After finishing his contribution, he fell seriously ill, but thankfully, after major surgery, he survived the ordeal and is now recovering. I hope the publication of this book is a sincere blessing for my dear friend Li Qiao. On this occasion, I also sincerely wish the academic elder Wang Yuanhua, who inscribed the cover of this series, good health and longevity.