Zhang Xuecheng

Zhang Xuecheng

Zhang Xuecheng

(1738-1801), formerly known as

Wen Biao

、

Wen Mao

, words

Shizhai

, No

Shaoyan

He is a historian and thinker of Qing Dynasty, the terminator of Chinese classical historiography and the founder of local records.

Zhang Xuecheng failed repeatedly in his early years, but he was 41 years old when he became a Jinshi in Fangzhong in 1778. Ancient books and records of the Imperial Academy. He once lectured in Dingwu and Lianchi academies in Dingzhou, and majored in local chronicles for the northern and southern Local Records Museum. Zhang Xuecheng advocated the theory that the six classics are all histories, which has its own characteristics. In his whole life, he was a vagrant and destitute man. He once majored in more than ten local records, such as Hezhou records, Yongqing county records, Bozhou records, Hubei Tongzhi, and created a complete set of records. In addition, he devoted his whole life to writing works such as general meaning of literature and history, collation of general meaning and textual research of historical records, which summarized and developed the theory of ancient Chinese history and had a far-reaching impact on later generations. His "wenshitongyi" is as famous as Liu Zhiji's "Shitong" in Tang Dynasty, and is the "double Bi" of ancient Chinese historiography theory.

In 1794, Zhang Xuecheng, who had been wandering in a foreign land for more than 40 years, returned to his hometown. Jiaqing five years (1800), poor and sick, blind. The following year (1801) died in November, buried in Shanyin Fangwu.

Photo source: history of Local Records Museum

Life of the characters

Move with your father

In 1738, Zhang Xuecheng was born in Kuaiji County, Shaoxing Prefecture, Zhejiang Province. His father, Zhang Gu, was diligent in his studies and good at persuasion. Zhang Xuecheng was very ill when he was a child. He had a poor aptitude and memory. When he read only a hundred words a day, he got sick again and stopped studying. At the age of 14, he had already married. At that time, he had not finished his study of the four books.

Qianlong seven years (1742) Zhang ChuZhong Jinshi, Qianlong sixteen years (1751) by Hubei Yingcheng county magistrate. Fourteen year old Zhang Xuecheng also went to Yingcheng with his parents. At this time, his childlike innocence did not stop. Although his father invited a private school teacher who was good at graduation for him, he refused to write essays for the exam. Instead, he liked to read a lot of books and was interested in history. He tried to adapt the book from Zuozhuan and Guoyu into a biographical history book called dongzhoushu. After three years of operation, he was stopped by the librarian. At that time, he claimed that he had the ability to govern history. However, at that time, his basic skill of historiography was very poor. "It was not appropriate for him to use the transferred words to help the language.".

In 1756, Zhang was dismissed from office for some reason. Over the next ten years, Zhang Xuecheng worked as a lecturer in Yingcheng and Tianmen academies in Hubei Province. Zhang was poor and couldn't go back to his hometown. He hoped his son Zhang Xuecheng would strive for fame. But as Zhang grew older, he knew little about the hardships of the world and reflected on his studies. Nothing could be applied to his livelihood Therefore, he had to take the imperial examination as a scholar's step.

Frustrated in the imperial examination

In 1760, Zhang Xuecheng went to yingshuntianfu in the capital for the first time and failed to win the examination. The next year, he went to the village examination again and was dismissed, so he studied in Guozijian. During his study in Guozijian, Zhang Xuecheng was often inferior in the examination, and was despised and laughed by the examinees. But there are also Zeng Shen, Zhen Songnian and Zhang Xuecheng who know each other. At the age of 28, Zhang Xuecheng, under Zhu Yun, a Bachelor of Peking University, was able to enjoy his rich collection of books, discuss the academic origins and similarities and differences with famous scholars who came and went to Zhumen, and made great progress in his studies.

However, at that time, Zhang Xuecheng had a unique academic view. In 1763, he wrote two letters to Zhen Songnian, which showed his views on compiling local chronicles. The main points are as follows: first, local chronicles are historical style, so "genre should get historical method". The compilation of local chronicles should follow the historical records of biography, and put forward some suggestions, such as "art and literature" should not be overused in poetry, and poetry should be compiled as a supplement to local chronicles. Second, local chronicles should be "able to draw materials for national history", so they must be "detailed, clear and uniform". To this end, he proposed that the local government should "set up a Zhicheng kefang on weekdays" to preserve the relevant information. Third, local chronicles should be "created" and "not done carefully", so that they are not only the books of one city, but also the books of the world. These opinions were formed by Zhang Xuecheng's extensive reading, extensive reading of ancient and modern local chronicles, and careful analysis and thinking. Zhang Xuecheng established the understanding that local chronicles is a complete history of Fang, which is of great academic significance. This enabled him to closely integrate historical research in his later compilation activities, and opened up a broad future for the establishment of his own local chronicles and historical theory.

Then, in 1764, Zhang Xuecheng took part in the compilation of Tianmen county annals, and put forward some specific opinions on the compilation of Tianmen county annals, which was entitled ten opinions on the compilation of Tianmen county annals. It can be seen that he first achieved high academic attainments in the field of compiling local chronicles.

There is no way to make ends meet

In 1765, he was still the editor of the Imperial Academy. Zhu Yun had a close relationship with a large number of famous scholars at that time, which made Zhang Xuecheng get to know many famous scholars and broaden his horizons. Among them, Dai Zhen's remarks shocked him a lot, and put a huge problem in front of Zhang Xuecheng: how to study and how to achieve it. Dai Zhen was a first-class scholar and master of textual research in Qianlong period. He also had original ideas in philosophy and was an outstanding thinker. Dai's way of studying is: "therefore, those who understand the Tao are Ci, so those who become CI are also CI.". From the word to the word, from the word to the road, there will be gradual change. That is to say, we must explain the words and sentences to understand the Scriptures, then we can further understand the Tao, that is, we can get a theoretical understanding.

Dai Zhen saw Zhang Xuecheng for the first time, so he taught him with an authoritative attitude to pursue his studies. He claimed that he did not dare to read yuan henglizhen when he could study the nature and the essence of Heluo; he did not dare to read qinruojing when he could know the precession of stars and the surface of celestial phenomena; he did not dare to read guanguanjujiu when he could distinguish the sound and rhyme of LV and ancient and modern rhymes; he did not dare to read zhengshuo and Zhouguan ceremonies when he could study the three systems Dare to read "the first month of spring king". This discussion caused Zhang Xuecheng, who was not very knowledgeable and had been neglecting exegesis and textual research, to fall into contradiction and hesitation. He realized that "I have never opened the book in the four books, so I am ashamed, and I am cold hearted." Zhang Xuecheng's mood was clearly expressed in his book on learning with sun Runan in 1766. Is it to stick to the original way of "don't give opinions, don't be caged in exegesis" to study alone, or to change course and engage in textual research of classics and history? Zhang Xuecheng must make his own choice. During this period, after several years of ups and downs, he not only suffered setbacks in the imperial examination room, but also lost his way to study and govern.

In the autumn of 1767, the 32nd year of Emperor Qianlong's reign, Zhang Xuecheng once intended to "screen everything and vent his anger to make a decision". However, he was forced to make a living and accepted the appointment to compile the records of Guozijian. Since then, the burden of life has become more and more heavy. However, once Zhang Xuecheng entered the Local Records Bureau, he felt constrained everywhere, and it was difficult for him to display his talents. What makes him especially angry is that the leaders of the Zhi bureau are envious of the talents and abilities, rely on their own power, confuse right and wrong, and crowd out and attack the real talents and scholars. A few years later, Zhang Xuecheng couldn't bear it, so he left the Bureau angrily.

Shortly after he left the Local Records Bureau, Zhang Xuecheng wrote a long letter to Mr. Zhu Chunpu, who was once an examiners of Shuntian rural examination and always cared about and valued him, stating his reasons for leaving the Local Records Bureau and his future plans. According to the information stated in his letter, Zhang Xuecheng wrote the general meaning of literature and history the year after he left the capital. It was 20 years since he left his hometown. It was 1753 that Zhang Xuecheng left his hometown, so the time of writing wenshitongyi should be 1772, when Zhang Xuecheng was 35 years old.

In 1768, Zhang Xuecheng's father died in Yingcheng, and all his family came to Beijing. He had to write to his teacher Zhu Yun for help in writing a book. "It's a matter of life and death. Master, there should be help." The degree of his distress can be imagined.

Concentrate on learning

In 1771, Zhang Xuecheng disagreed with other officials in compiling the records of Guozijian, so he resigned. The next year, in a letter, he explained the reasons for his resignation with great emotion, and quoted Liu Zhiji of the Tang Dynasty as an example of dismissing his position as a historian and writing Shi Tong privately. He encouraged himself and initially wanted to compile Wen Shi Tong Yi. This is the first time that he mentioned the title of Wen Shi Tong Yi, which can be inferred from the inspiration of Liu Zhiji's Shi Tong.

In 1772, Zhang Xuecheng began to write the general meaning of literature and history, which lasted for more than 20 years. He was also employed to compile local chronicles of Hezhou, Yongqing County, Bozhou, Changde Prefecture and Jingzhou Prefecture, and participated in the revision of Hubei Tongzhi. Zhang Xuecheng was poor all his life. From the age of 32, because his father died, he relied on lectures and records to make a living. Because of his profound knowledge and unique historical theory, he failed to fully display his talent and ambition due to his social status and economic strength. His 12-year-old book of historical records has not been published. Wenshitongyi was only printed before his death.

In the 38th year of Qianlong's reign (1773), he was appointed by Liu Changcheng, the governor of Hezhou (now Hexian County in Anhui Province), and presided over the compilation of Hezhou annals. Based on the information provided by the old Hezhou annals, he extensively searched for literature, and wrote 42 articles in more than one year, and compiled them into eight volumes of Hezhou Wenzheng. This activity of compiling local chronicles is of great significance to Zhang Xuecheng's academic foundation

Chinese PinYin : Zhang Xue Cheng