Yu Jideng's "Chronicles of Allusions" is a note on the history of the body, the whole book is eighteen volumes, described from the Ming Taizu below (Ming Chengzu, Mingzong, Xuanzong, Yingzong, Daizong, Xianzong, Xiaozong, Wuzong, Sejong, Muzong) eleven dynasties, it is said to be of great historical value. The five volumes of Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang were devoted to the description in great detail. As far as the anecdotes of Taizu's remarks and anecdotes he remembers are concerned, it seems that he is suspected of subverting the impression of this grassy emperor, and considering his arguments and deeds, his profound knowledge, his lofty insight, his far-sightedness, his worries about the country and the people, and his frugality and simplicity and compassion for the people's livelihood, he is no inferior to any wise monarch. After covering up his thoughts, he was quite puzzled, and he always wondered whether Yu Jideng's statement was exaggerated.
Yu Jideng was born in the fifth year of the Ming Wanli Dynasty, was commissioned to review the Hanlin Academy, participated in the compilation of the "Great Ming Huidian", and successively served as a zhan shi, a direct lecturer, a waiter, and a right attendant of the official to the ministry of etiquette. He is knowledgeable and familiar with the affairs of the DPRK and China, and his statements should have a factual basis, and they will never fabricate false arguments. However, historians have a tradition of writing straight books, and there are also the customs of Spring and Autumn brushwork, and the world's writings are not contaminated with the traces of the writers. Sima Qian placed Xiang Yu in this era, and the narrative of the Three Kingdoms takes the Shu kingdom as the main line, the praise and depreciation are stored between the lines, and the emotions permeate the tone of the tone, from ancient times to the present, and the list goes on.
According to Yu Jideng, Emperor Taizu knew people well, knew the way of governing the country, advocated filial piety, knew the people as the foundation of the country, sympathized with the people's livelihood, was generous and frugal, was generous and benevolent, was familiar with the principles of rise and fall, and clearly distinguished between loyalty and treachery and foolishness, and was worthy of being a ming emperor for hundreds of generations. But in fact, Zhu Yuanzhang did not seem to reach such a height. Zhu Yuanzhang deposed the chancellor, used university scholars to perform his duties, used eunuchs to monitor hundreds of officials, strictly adhered to the rigid ethics of the program, and passed on to weak grandsons rather than sons with great talent and great strategy like Zhu Di, which can only prove that Emperor Zhu lacked foresight and foresight, lacked advanced governing concepts, and compared with previous dynasties, Anbang did not make achievements in governing the country, or even backward.
Therefore, there is reason to doubt the authenticity of the "Allusions chronicle", at least it should be more than beautiful, and the straight book is insufficient. It is no wonder that when the people of the DPRK tell about the affairs of the DPRK, who dares to "write straight and straight"? From this point of view, we have to admire Sima Qian's courage and boldness. At the beginning, TaiShi Gong (太史公), as a historical record, was not approved by the imperial court and was written privately. The creativity of the "History" lies not only in the style of the history book, but in the attitude of writing the history book. The affairs of the former dynasty can be objectively narrated, and the affairs of the current dynasty are difficult to write in a straight and straight book. Sima Qian's attitude toward Li Guang, his attitude toward Li Ling, and his evaluation of Xiang Yu were based on facts without losing his righteousness, which was very difficult.
Isn't there no praise in the history of Tai Shi Gong? Of course, there are also "Gao Zu Benji" that has a praise for Gao Zu Liu Bang. This brings us to another problem. How many historians write history in a straightforward manner? How many of the facts it says are trustworthy? There are still differences between the characters of the Three Kingdoms mentioned in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and the characters of the Three Kingdoms described in the Zizhi Tongjian. Is the factual truth of Tang Taizong's "Xuanwumen Change" really exactly as stated in the Book of Tang? Is the truth about Song Taizu's biography located in his younger brother Zhao Kuangyi really consistent with what the Book of Song says? People have reason to question because many things are contrary to human nature.
But after all, it is a matter of the former dynasty, no one has heard and witnessed it, who is who is right and how can it be clear? There is certainly a discrepancy between what is contained in the history books and the historical facts, and even those at that time are different because of differences in their positions and emotional attitudes. Reading Yu Jideng's "Chronicles of Allusions" is like this, there is a big difference between the Zhu Yuanzhang I know and the Zhu Yuanzhang described by Yu Jideng, but my common sense is also derived from some books.
Back to the logical origin, there is the truth of facts, there is the truth of history books, the same thing, the same person, and the truth of the version, confusion and helplessness, questioning and counter-questioning, negation of negation, and so on. The solution given by the wise Zhuangzi is that the absolute saint abandons wisdom, returns to the pure, and all things are one. The specific approach is to be convinced of the relativity of things, not to be more true, because everything, nothing but each other, is what it is, not what it is, but the difference in angles, the so-called "liver and gallbladder, Wu Yue also" "Wu Yue, liver and gallbladder also." Therefore, let nature take its course, and there is no need to worry about it, and suffer from gain and loss.
But this is just Zhuangzi's helplessness, seeking truth and pragmatism, tracing back to the source, careful argumentation, it is still very necessary, reading and learning can not be "ruled by doing nothing". Zhuangzi's teachings can nourish the heart and be pleasant, but they cannot be used to stand in the world.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019