Jian Qi Xiao Xin (Biography of Gong Zizhen)

Author: Chen Ming
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Gong Zizhen is an intriguing historical figure whose magnificent literature and turbulent life have provided ample material for discussion. During the "Cultural Revolution," I was teaching at a rural secondary school in the eastern Zhejiang mountains. On a quiet spring night, I slowly pored over The Complete Works of Gong Zizhen, imagining the true visage of this historical figure. It wasn’t until the "Gang of Four" was overthrown and I returned to a research institution that I had the opportunity to organize my thoughts from that time. Since publishing my first paper on Gong Zizhen in 1980, I have continued to publish several more over the years, analyzing Gong through his own words. Later, as I dedicated myself to exploring classical Chinese aesthetics, my research on Gong Zizhen was delayed for several years. In 1989, my Comprehensive Study of Gong Zizhen was published, followed by further exploration, which finally led to the publication of A Critical Biography of Gong Zizhen in 1998. Now, I have completed this Sword Qi and Flute Heart: A Biography of Gong Zizhen, and I think this may be my last book on Gong Zizhen. My engagement with this familiar yet unfamiliar cultural and historical figure may now come to an end. To say he is familiar to me is because his works and materials have been read many times, as if I know a friend; to say he is strange to me is because his writings are magnificent and rich in meaning, with ambiguities that seem to offer new insights with each reading. Therefore, until I gain deeper or fresher understanding, I see no need to add to the existing literature. The greatest difference between this Biography of Gong Zizhen and the previous two books is that this one follows the life of Gong Zizhen as a thread, passing down the times and the people, the times and the events, hoping that readers can see here what Gong Zizhen experienced, thought, and did from birth to death. There are some periods in the biography where the events are unclear, due to the lack of reliable historical records. This book is not a work of fiction—it contains no fictional or imaginative elements, which may disappoint those who seek novelty. But as an academic study, it must be so. The time spent writing this book seems even longer and more laborious than the previous two, likely due to my advanced age and physical exhaustion. Therefore, I am deeply grateful to my wife, Lu Zishan, for her meticulous care, which enabled me to finally complete this book. Of course, any errors in this book cannot be excused by old age or illness, and I sincerely hope that readers will kindly correct me in advance.