He Di (This book saved Peking University)

Author: Zhang Nanzhuang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-09-01
Features: "Nonsense, nonsense, truly unreasonable!" When the founding member of the Kuomintang, Wu Jihui, read these opening lines of He Dian, he had a profound realization and thus strongly advocated for colloquial writing style, becoming a prominent figure during the New Culture Movement. Scholars often question others, "Where did this quote come from?" He Dian is a rare humorous novel in literary history, characterized by its lifelike and colloquial style, and its cultural significance has been highly praised by Lu Xun, Liu Banrong, Hu Shih, Zhou Zuoren, and Lin Yutang. Since its publication in the Qianlong and Jiaqing reigns of the Qing Dynasty, it has sparked diverse opinions and mixed reviews over the past two centuries. In the 1930s, as Peking University was on the brink of closure, Liu Banrong published this book as a lifeline. He declared in a: "Whether you are the emperor or a scab louse, the author treats you as nothing but a worthless ghost." This led to a literary battle, with Chen Yuan attacking it as "a university professor who has sunk to such depths." Lu Xun furiously wrote, "Even if I am the most refined gentleman, I cannot oppose the printing and sale of this book." He also highly praised the book, calling it "discussing ghosts as if discussing humans, using new allusions just like classical ones." People often ask about the origin of unreliable rumors in the world, meaning, "Could it be that someone is telling ghost stories in broad daylight?" This is because He Dian, written by Zhang Nanzhuang, a Qing Dynasty scholar from Shanghai, features two-legged walking animals that are none of them human. The book is filled with ghosts talking nonsense, doing ghostly deeds, eating ghostly food, watching ghostly plays, carrying ghostly fetuses, and serving as ghostly officials. The new edition of He Dian is a renowned illustrated version with critiques by experts in the new century. Ye Mao guides readers through the ghostly realm, laughing at the mortal world, with every sentence humorous and every word sharp, capable of making the Chinese people laugh and weep in sorrow. This book is a peculiar Chinese classical novel with unforgettable artistic qualities, employing a unique "humorous" style. Through the contrasting experiences of the Huigui family, a wealthy landlord from the "Three Villages" in the "Lower World Yinshan" and the "Ghosts' Valley," the novel satirizes the underworld. It breaks away from the so-called "literary elegance" of traditional novels, lacking rules or references, yet filled with vulgar words without being vulgar, and witty without being sloppy. Due to its unconventional nature and the author being an out-of-power scholar, the novel was not recognized as high-brow literature for over seventy years, from the early Jiaqing era to the early Guangxu era, nor was it ever printed. It was not until 1878 that the Shanghai Shanghai Shibao published a version with a preface by the pseudonymous "Sea Cloud Traveler." In May 1926, Liu Fu (Banrong) accidentally obtained an old copy of He Dian, marked up and annotated, preparing it for publication and inviting Lu Xun to write a preface. Lu Xun wrote two articles on May 25th—A Note and In Response to Liu Banrong's Preface for He Dian (the former was included in Collected Works: Miscellaneous, and the latter in Continuation of The Red Cap Collection). Lu Xun "enjoyed" the printed sample and believed He Dian "discusses ghosts as if discussing humans, using new allusions just like classical ones," "showcases the human world," and that "at that time, the courage of Zhang Nanzhuang (the author) must have been immense." After its publication, He Dian became wildly popular, largely due to Lu Xun's strong promotion. The shocking "March 18th Massacre" shook the nation, and cultural figures could no longer sit in their studies in silence. The opening line of He Dian, "Nonsense, nonsense, truly unreasonable!" became the perfect commentary on current affairs. The founding member of the Kuomintang, Wu Jihui, claimed He Dian was his model for satirical writing. Meanwhile, important literary figures such as Hu Shih, Zhou Zuoren, and Lin Yutang frequently mentioned the book. However, some "literary elites" criticized He Dian as "unrefined." In 1932, when Japan planned to compile The World Collection of Humor, Lu Xun recommended He Dian as one of eight humorous works from China to Zenjiro Tanaka. In a letter to Tanaka on May 22nd, he wrote: "This book has recently been used as a source for humorous works and has gained considerable fame."