Great Dream Who Awakens -- Millennial Eye Anthology

Author: Wu Liyang
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, Lady Guo Yuan (1937—1970), who graduated from Fudan University's physics department and researched 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, and their magical functions have even surpassed those in the myths. However, the myth does 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 a dreamer's delusion and has no relevance to historical perspectives. In the early 1980s, shortly after the "Gang of Four" was overthrown, many people reflected on the ten-year Cultural Revolution, which had brought unprecedented disaster to the Chinese nation, and sought to understand its roots. At that time, I read "" () 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 in the "Collected Notes on Fiction and Novels." 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 book's title—I guessed the author must be a person with a historical perspective, otherwise why would he call it "" ()? 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 Zhou Dynasty, he could not change the long-standing customs. Over time, it became increasingly difficult to reform. Mencius said: 'When a ruler promotes virtuous officials, if he has no choice, he will appoint the humble over the noble, the distant over the close.' In modern terms, what necessity is there? If one abandons farming tools in the morning and joins the civil service by evening, people would still be content. 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 common people were suppressed by clans, and countless of them died in the fields." Here, Zhang Sui exposes the harms of the hereditary system of officials. In reality, what he describes is not limited to the ancient states of Lu, Zheng, and Chu. Connecting it to the Ming Dynasty, 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 farmed 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 later enfeoffed as the Marquis of Suning and the Duke of Ning, even elevating him to Grand Tutor (a very high honor in the Ming Dynasty), as if he had ascended to the heavens. However, the higher one climbs, the harder it falls. After Wei Zhongxian's downfall, Wei Liangqing said during his trial: "I grew up in the countryside, content with farming—what do I know about wealth and status? Today, I am praised for my merits, tomorrow, I am lauded for my virtue. My merits and virtues are so great that I should naturally be enfeoffed. But I never expected to be forced into power as a eunuch's nephew, and now I am adorned with robes and seals. These praise and laudations are what forced me into wealth and status—what crime have I committed?" (From "Chou Yin Wen Jian Zhi" in Volume 19 of "Tian Jue Tang Wen Ji" by Xue Gang, a Ming Dynasty edition.) Wei Liangqing's words are truly worth quoting. "Forced by wealth and status"—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 eggs were left unbroken—where are these people now? The Chinese people are perfectly clear. Clearly, because Zhang Sui had profound historical insight, he could offer deep and enlightening insights when discussing the past and the present. Throughout the entire "" (), every passage contains genuine wisdom. In light of Sima Qian's "understanding the changes between the past and the present," whether in governing a country, conducting research, or writing, lacking a historical perspective is undoubtedly shortsighted. 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 "" (). Although only I among the authors in this series majored in history and have always made a living by studying the ancients, both the literary elder He Manzi and the gentlemen Mu Hui, Chen Siyi, Xiong Zhaozheng, Li Qiao, and Wu Liyang are well-read in history and possess considerable erudition. Their historical essays offer a distant view of history and a close look at the present, always shining with a 、 perspective, piercing through the of history to illuminate both the past and the present. Calling them "" () is well-deserved. My colleague Mu Hui passed away unexpectedly on June 8, 2004. On June 7, he called me and asked about this series, which I replied was still in the planning stages. Now that the series is about to be published, he cannot see it, and I cannot help but feel deeply sorrowful. 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 would also like to sincerely wish the elder scholar Wang Yuanhua, who inscribed the title for this series, good health and longevity.