I. He Zhu
Xu Shidong (1814-1873), the word Yun Sheng, later changed to Ding Yu, the word tertiary. No. Lian Zhai,No. Xiao Geng,No. West Lake Waishi, and the literati called him Mr. Liu Quan. Because it ranks thirteenth among peers, it is also called Xu Thirteen. My father went to the sea to do business, often benefiting the village, building bridges and paving the way, building temples and private schools, and enjoying collecting books and reading. He wholeheartedly hopes that Liuzi will study hard and honor his ancestors. In the 13th year of Daoguang (1833), the third son, Xu Shidong, was admitted to a student in Ningbo. In 26 years (1846), I took the provincial examination and got a position in the examination. However, he failed to attend the meeting twice and was awarded a cabinet letter with a reduced salary. However, his brother Xu Shiliang was admitted to high school in the twenty-five years of Daoguang. Xu Shidong stopped taking the exam and plunged into the study to concentrate on his studies. Xu Shidong's life is full of legends. He/kloc-lost his father at the age of 0/6, his mother at the age of 0/8, his wife twice and his son four times at the age of 33. In turbulent times, he worships mechanics, learns to be a man, learns to be chivalrous, learns to be brave, and Huize Sang Zi.
He is an outstanding bibliophile in eastern Zhejiang. He began to collect books at the age of 10, which became the passion of his life. He built three huge libraries. First, in the west of Yuehu Lake in Ningbo, it was first named Aihu Academy and later renamed Yuyanlou, with a collection of more than 60,000 books. 186 1 year, the Taiping Army invaded Ningbo, and he fled into the mountains. His works and some books are hidden in temples and caves. Unexpectedly, a monk stayed in the cave and used books to drive away the cold, all of which were ashes. 1862 During February and March, the Taiping rebellion continued and thieves ran rampant. For example, Tianyi Pavilion and Lushi Baojing Building were all destroyed and looted, and Yuyan Building was not spared. After re-collection, I got 50,000 to 60,000 books. The second is the Chengxi Caotang built outside the west gate of Ningbo. It was burned in Tongzhi for two years (1863). The cottage in the west of the city is full of ashes. Third, build Shuibei Building, rebuild a new house on the original site of Caotang in the west of the city, and name it Shuibei Pavilion. After such a robbery, two fires and three gatherings, Xu Shidong's original intention remains unchanged. Although his fate is ill-fated, his persistent and enterprising spirit is admirable. His idea and behavior of book collection also directly influenced his friends and students around him, forming a considerable group of Ningbo book collectors at that time.
Xu Shidong loved reading, proofreading and writing all his life. He is a great Shang Yong writer who is a link between the past and the future, and has created more than 30 kinds of works in his life. There are 40 volumes of anthology, 8 volumes of poetry anthology/kloc-0, and 6 volumes of the above classics. He is also an outstanding local chronicler and genealogist, presiding over the compilation of seventy-five volumes of Yinxian Annals, collating six Siming Annals in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, and revising Cixi County Annals. It is embarrassing that he worked hard but died of illness.
Zhu (1805— 1860), whose real name is Beishan. Famous bibliophile, bibliographer and philologist in the late Qing Dynasty. He has made great contributions to bibliography, especially to the collection, collation and research of local documents in Nanjing. In the second year of Daoguang (1822), the winner of the provincial examination was named "Zhu Sima" because the official was acquainted with Xiushui, Xiaofeng County Order, Haining Prefecture Governor and Taizhou Prefecture.
Its quick name is "Kaiyi", with more than 100,000 books, which is called the southeast of Fu Jia. In the third year of Xianfeng (1853), when the Taiping Army captured Jiangning, most of its books were burned by the war, and then they were collected, sorted, edited and patched day and night, which was a spectacular reappearance. At the same time, he wrote a book and wrote a lot in his life, but he was also quite lost. There are mainly Cao Zijian Collection, Meili Poetry Collection, Guo Chang Dianyong, Beishan Collection, Reading Record of Opening a Tour and a Zhai Ming, etc. In particular, Reading with a Friend is one of Zhu's important representative works, which has high academic value. In addition, after 30 years, it has been carefully selected and edited into 92 volumes of Jinling Poems, all of which are excellent works of more than 1,000 local poets in Jinling from Qin Zhou to Qing Dynasty.
He loves books as much as his life, enjoys sharing them, gets good books, and is diligent in copying them in order to improve communication. During the official period, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces sympathized with people's feelings, advocated resisting foreign invasion, and had deep patriotic feelings. General Zhu Gui, who died in the Opium War, wrote the Temple of General Wu in Cixi, which was praised by scholars in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and other places at that time. Xu Shidong and Zhu Xu once debated and thought about the book "The Classic of Chang Guo", and after four drafts, they forged a profound friendship. They were born in troubled times, but they are like-minded, similar in nature, similar in heart and appreciate each other. When Zhu Shuzhi got into trouble again and never heard from him again, Xu Shidong hung up his diary every day, worried every night, and tried his best to write to him.
Second, interpret Sima Shu with Zhu Shuzhi.
The sixth volume of Yan Yu Lou Ji includes Sima Shu written by Xu Shidong and Zhu Shuzhi. The whole letter is about 1300 words, divided into thirteen sections, rich in content and sincere. According to the structure of the letter, it is divided into four parts: the beginning, the body, the end and the signature.
The first part is mainly about caring and thanking friends. The whole letter begins with the honorific words of "Mr. Tree, Your Excellency Mr. * * * Zu", and puts feelings I haven't seen for more than ten years into it, eager to know each other's security situation. "I knew that I would be guilty the year before last. I knew that Jinling was lost and the book was swaying." According to Jiang Shiduo's Diary of Party B and Party C, "1March 8, 853, Nanjing fell, and the Taiping Army stretched for more than ten miles from outside the city to Jiangdongmen; At first glance, everyone is red-headed (Taiping Army wears a red scarf) ".
As his friend, Xu Shidong felt the same way when his friend's bookstore was destroyed by the war and his wife and children were separated and left his hometown. However, due to the chaos of war and chaos, it is too long to visit, and it is difficult to ensure peace day and night. Only letters can be used to express concern. Then he asked three questions in succession: "Do you have to get together if you don't know your own flesh and blood?" Okay？ Does the countryside still exist? " Deeply expressing the "heartache" of "forgetting it every day"
In the letter, I asked Duan Jinghu, Song Sizan and Yuan Taoxuan about Zhu. They were all local officials at that time and had a good reputation. It can be seen that although Xu Shidong was not an official, he was closely related to many civil servants in Ningbo and even in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces at that time by virtue of the honor of "a book in a cabinet" and his status as a bibliophile.
In addition, the author also briefly mentioned his recent life, saying, "I have suffered a lot since I became corrupt, and my name and heart are indifferent." The purpose is to comfort each other. Under the cover of the nest, does Ann have any eggs? He empathized with his friend's experience and expressed deep condolences. At the same time, he did not forget to thank Zhu. In many places in the letter, it is mentioned that Zhu Xu has written inscriptions for himself many times, such as "Meng Ci Ming Zhi, Rong You Shi", and his gratitude is beyond words.
The second part focuses on reporting academic progress to friends, hoping to get more help in difficulties. As far as academics are concerned, Xu Shidong always has extraordinary enthusiasm and persistence. In the years when his friends have not heard from him, his academic field has not been abandoned. Writing books, collating, filling gaps, repairing genealogy, etc. Still make every effort to adhere to rigorous scholarship. For example, Zhi Ming has been engraved for two years, but it has not been revised, so it has not been published. I want to be a person who replaces the school, but I am afraid of negligence. I have no time since school. It has been postponed until today and is often remembered. This autumn, this will be a great wish. "Another example is" From near to far, it is planned to repair the genealogy of Leng's family first. "As a family heirloom last year, it has not been released yet." Another example is "the ancient manuscripts planned to be engraved last year, about 40 volumes." It's already written, but it hasn't been put on the blackboard. " A lot of things, very busy. "In one year, I am better than giving other girls a wedding dress" refers to correcting and supplementing other people's works, and I have spent a lot of energy here. For his own works, once the publication approaches, Xu Shidong will be particularly rigorous. For example, there are nine volumes in the collation of Six Stories of Siming in Song and Yuan Dynasties, but 21 volumes are mentioned in the letter, so a question arises. Where did the twelve volumes go? According to exquisite textual research, another volume 12 has not been published, which may also be related to Xu Shidong's meticulous academic attitude. On the one hand, he doesn't trust others. On the other hand, in his view, most of the collations of Six Chapters of Siming in Song and Yuan Dynasties need to be re-edited, and only nine volumes can really be published. Therefore, the Collation of Six Records of Siming in Song and Yuan Dynasties, which was officially published in Guangxu period, has only nine volumes.
As far as relationship is concerned, Xu Shidong always shows a casual intimacy in front of his eldest brother. He told his friends about the difficulties he encountered in his study, and asked them for help in preface, or helped Qu Ci: "Mr. Xu promised to preface, why didn't he come?" "So I have to ask general Bo for help. Today, I recorded its collection name according to Sikuquanshu and made a bet. If you don't have it, look for it widely, or see the benefits by respecting it, or borrow it from the cabinet to get it, and its cost is also high. " When looking for a friend to order food, his words are so straightforward and his attitude is so calm. It seems that he has found that the other party will definitely not refuse to work so hard. If the friendship between friends is not deep, how can you be so presumptuous and push your luck?
The third part is an introduction. Take a letter and look forward to meeting again; Attach an epitaph rubbings, engraved with a number, requesting "acceptance"; I hope to "seek big orders by love."
Throughout the full text, we can strongly feel that the friendship with Zhu has been baptized by bonfires and is precious. They are eager to pay attention to the safety of their friends when the country is ruined and the family is ruined. Even on the road of life and death, friends still help each other, ask for words, give each other works, concentrate on their studies, remain infatuated, be loyal to their friends and treat each other with sincerity. They are like-minded friends and brothers, loyal guardians and pioneers of traditional culture, and are really admired by future generations.
Third, the value of Sima Shu and Zhu Shuzhi
The personal letter "Sima Shu and Zhu Shuzhi" reflects the current affairs and politics, human feelings and social customs during the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty, as well as the knowledge discussion with friends. Therefore, its literary value and historical value cannot be underestimated.
The first is the literary value. Xu Shidong has a colorful professional personality. He is not only a famous bibliophile and scholar, but also a famous local poet and calligrapher with a strong desire to create. He is also an excellent educator, and it is his bounden duty to preach and dispel doubts. Letters to friends are naturally exposed because they are like-minded, unpretentious, close to life and touching. The strong personality charm of both sides is clearly revealed between the lines, which deeply inspires and influences future generations.
"Sima Shu" and "Zhu Shuzhi" to a certain extent reflect the unique characteristics of the late Qing Dynasty, such as concise language, rich words, proper manners, orderly hierarchy and fixed format. However, in the face of brotherly friendship and rigorous scholarship, these inherent traditional expression patterns were broken by Xu Shidong from time to time. For example, take back the preface of "Why didn't Mr. Xu make a preface?" bluntly, and point out several mistakes in the epitaph written by Zhu Xu for him, which shows that there are rules but not rigid, humility but not inferiority. In this way, once the emotional connotation is enriched, the readability of this letter will be greatly enhanced, and its literary light will be unstoppable. At the same time, "Sima Shu follows Zhu Shuzhi" and is modest and polite. If we can seriously study the fixed written language, it will greatly enrich the classical cultural knowledge of good scholars and obtain the aesthetic pleasure of classical language. The written language of this letter is listed in the order of beginning, body, end and signature. There are many honorific words, modest words and polite words.
Such as "sir", "your Excellency", "first", "disdainful", "courtesy", "poor family", "stealing", "brother", "respecting Tibet", "kowtowing", "being photographed" and "Zhu being inspected".
The special letter language in Qing Dynasty can be described as a link between the past and the future. Nowadays, there are still some special words with positive significance and practical value in many public and private letters, which are the result of thousands of years of cultural accumulation in China. We should see that we can still play an active role in modern letter writing as long as we learn to dialectically sublate the special writing of letters.
Secondly, it is the value of historical materials. The letters of cultural celebrities truly reflect the thoughts, academic viewpoints and some work and life situations of celebrities from a certain aspect, covering a wide range and rich in content, which is often of high historical value for studying a person or a historical event. The research value of letters of cultural celebrities lies in the discovery through research, so as to trace back to the source.
You can calculate the writing time from this letter. The whole letter is not clearly marked, but it can be carefully deduced according to the contents of the letter. Mentioned that "my brother moved to Ximen in April", the year of Qing Dynasty refers to the fifth year of Xianfeng (1855), and then according to Xu's preface to "Willow from House to House", "Xianfeng lived in the west gate of the city in March (1855), and was named Chengxi Caotang" (The Research on Book Collection Activities in Qing Dynasty further concluded that this letter was written after 65435. During the twelfth lunar month, Lu wrote eight volumes of Miscellanies of the Spring and Autumn Period, in which the annotations of Gao and Bi were collated, and there are still considerable points. "Chalu's Miscellaneous Notes on Spring and Autumn Period ended with Preface to Xianfeng Six Years (Preface to Miscellaneous Notes on Spring and Autumn Period of Lu in Yan Yu Lou). The sixth year of Xianfeng is 1856, which is believed to be "last year". So this letter should have been written in the seventh year of Xianfeng (1855).
The letters mentioned the engraving status of many documents, such as Si Zhi Ming, Yan Xu Wang Zhi, Si Ming Legacy and Si Ming Official Examination, which provided clues for us to study these local documents and corrected many cognitive mistakes in the past. Taking Siming Zhi as an example, Xu Shidong carefully collected and sorted out these six local chronicles, which are treasures of Ningbo and even the whole country, and then engraved them to make them see the light of day again. This is a reprint of Yuyanlou, which has been handed down to this day, that is, the "Four Ming Zhi" mentioned in the letter. Traditionally, the engraving date of Siming Zhi was in the fourth year of Xianfeng (1854). However, according to the information in the letter, Si Mingzhi has been written, but it has not been engraved. The book should really be written after 1854. After consulting relevant materials, it is found that this book was officially written in the fifth year of Guangxu (1879), and was engraved by many descendants such as Long Shou, which confirmed the author's idea. In addition, he also collated the original text of Six Records of Siming, Song and Yuan Dynasties, which can be seen from the collation notes mentioned in the letter. Traditionally, this book was recorded and compiled in Siming that year (1854). In fact, according to this letter, there is a lack of order, so Zhu wrote it, so the collation notes are true.
In a word, the letters of cultural celebrities are a window of historical feelings and a concentrated humanistic world. It is also an orphan of history, and its uniqueness determines that its literary value and historical value will be infinitely improved. Talking about the letters of cultural celebrities in Sima Shu by Zhu Shuzhi aims to show that this unique treasure handed down from generation to generation is worth playing well, and there must be "gold" here.
(Author: College of Humanities and Media, Ningbo University)