Jinting Han people

Chapter 40 Chen Shou's Fame in Beijing (5k)

The day after Little Ruan Gong left, the chrysanthemums Liu Xian had transplanted bloomed. Their intricate yellow and white petals interwoven together resembled delicate feathers ready to flutter, or infant fingers yearning for a touch. Up close, they seemed inconspicuous, but from afar, they revealed a delicate tapestry of intricate stitching, breathtakingly beautiful, emanating a profound, invisible fragrance.

As Liu Xian inhaled the sweet fragrance, he listened to the rustling of the forest waves in the mountains. His heart felt as calm as the sea. After a long moment, he realized that the chirping of cicadas and frogs had disappeared without a trace. The geese flew south, the leaves turned their aging colors, and the refreshing autumn had arrived.

For living things, autumn often signifies aging, but for humans, it symbolizes harvest. Even Liu Xian felt this way. He was delighted to discover a vibrant orchard north of his thatched cottage, now laden with vibrant crimson fruit. On a whim, Liu Xian picked seven or eight, bringing them home to infuse with tea. The rich, fruity aroma instantly filled the air around his cottage.

Just as he raised his teaspoon to scoop some soup for himself, he overheard a noise from the north. Looking up, he saw a yellow horse approaching proudly. A man sat on the horse, wearing a yellow-green turban and a plain white Confucian robe. Two large, bulging bags hung from the saddle bridge behind him, clearly filled with books. Liu Xian caught sight of him, who was smiling at him, and was stunned.

That person was his teacher Chen Shou.

After five years, Chen Shou had changed considerably. Before his departure, he had been a thin, somewhat frail, ordinary scholar with a short beard. On his return, Chen Shou's face was covered in beard, his temples were gray, and his skin and figure looked aged. The dust on his clothes and the mud on his saddle only added to his sense of age. Yet, his spirits were excellent, his eyes sparkling, his posture erect, and his every move exuding high spirits and confidence.

The two had not seen each other for a long time, and seeing each other again at this moment was a mixture of surprise and joy. Chen Shou dismounted, and Liu Xian hurried over to greet him, inviting him to sit on the straw mat and then handing him a cup of hot fruit tea.

Seeing that Liu Xian had shed his childishness and had grown taller, Chen Shou could not contain his joy. He did not even care that the fruit tea was hot and drank it in one gulp. It was so scalding hot, but he could not bear to spit it out, so he held it in his mouth until his tongue was numbed by the heat.

Chen Shou thought to himself, "I haven't seen you for a few years. Bi Ji, oh, now he should be called Huai Chong. He has become a young man full of vigor and vitality."

Liu Xian was also studying his teacher closely. They seemed to have a lot to say, but didn't know where to begin. A pause passed. Outside, the autumn breeze blew through the chrysanthemums, bringing a quiet fragrance. Chen Shou said, "I've heard about your mother's situation. Fate plays tricks on you. You must be strong and don't let her down." After Liu Xian nodded in agreement, he mentioned himself again: "I'm coming back this time, and I probably won't leave Luoyang again."

At this point, he turned to talk about his experiences in Jiangnan, and said with a smile: "I have been traveling south for five years and met many famous families and nobles. It really opened my eyes."

"How to say?"

"I thought that poetry and prose were prevalent in the Central Plains, the best of several generations, but unexpectedly, there is also a prodigy in Jiangnan, so young, he is worthy of being called a literary master!"

Liu Xian asked curiously, "Who is the teacher talking about?"

Chen Shou said, "I went to meet Lu Xun's grandson, Lu Ji. He is truly a man of extraordinary literary talent, even more so than Chen Si. Thanks to his help and introduction, I was able to collect historical materials in Jiangdong and compile these works into a book."

"How's the teacher's book revision going?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Shou unloaded the pack from his mount and placed it before Liu Xian, smiling proudly. "Come, Huai Chong, take a look! These are the sixty volumes of the Records of the Three Kingdoms that I have compiled over the past fifteen years. I intend to use these books as a stepping stone to my success. What do you think?"

"Oh? Teacher, you've already finished it?" Liu Xian had thought that the teacher had gone south just to collect historical materials, but he didn't expect that he had already written it. This made him curious, and he immediately took it and started reading it.

With Chen Shou by their side, the two read and talked for two days and two nights. After Liu Xian finished reading the book, he couldn't help but praise it sincerely: "Teacher, your writing is as powerful as a rafter. I am afraid that no one in the world can compare with you in the field of history. It's only a matter of time before you are valued."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shou burst into laughter, stroked his beard and said with a smile, "I'm grateful for your kind words!"

Liu Xian's words were not forced praise born out of a teacher-student relationship, but rather a pragmatic statement. Since accompanying Chen Shou in his studies, the more history books Liu Xian read, the more he admired his teacher Chen Shou.

Since the end of the Han Dynasty, when local order was in disarray and the gentry rose to prominence, private history writing had become a trend among scholars.

Initially, scholarly historiography was fragmentary, either biographies of one or even a few figures, such as the Biography of Cao Man by a Wu scholar or the Biography of the Sages of Lingling by a Jing scholar, or simply collections of anecdotes about the remarkable figures of a given era, like Wang Can's Records of Heroes and Yuan Ye's Chronicles of Emperor Xian. Living in a turbulent era of frequent wars, they were compelled to record the heroes around them.

However, with the emergence of the Three Kingdoms situation, the scholars felt confused about the future situation. They had to flip through piles of old papers, sorting out the history that had just happened and comparing it with the history of previous generations.

As a result, historiography advanced by leaps and bounds. By the time Chen Shou completed his "Records of the Three Kingdoms," renowned works such as Yu Huan's "Wei Lue," Sima Biao's "Continued Book of the Han Dynasty," Xiahou Zhan's "Book of Wei," and Yu Pu's "Chronicle of Jiang Biao" had already been produced. Hua Qiao also compiled "Book of the Later Han" and Zhang Fan's "Records of the Later Han." These were all long, well-structured works, intended to be immortalized.

Although there are many people who wrote history, if we examine their works carefully, there are only a few who can be ranked alongside Ban Gu and Sima Qian.

First, most of them used history books to show off to each other in the literary world and to elevate their own political status, which was far from the purity of the early historical works of Sima Qian and Ban Gu.

Secondly, the historical talents of these people are really average: either they are not detailed enough and the texts are too long, which leads to the delay in completion; or they record various ghost and god anecdotes that cannot withstand much scrutiny; or they put political stance first and pay too much attention to the status of the contemporary gentry, thus damaging the authenticity of the text.

In comparison, although Chen Shou also had problems of one kind or another, such as flattering the Sima family, belittling Shu Han, and protecting some powerful families, and was not completely free from the limitations of the politics of the time, even so, his historical talent was still undisputedly the best in the world.

Chen Shou was well aware of this, so after a nightlong conversation with Liu Xian, he suddenly proposed a plan to his disciple, saying with a smile, "Huai Chong, I plan to invite some scholars from the capital to review this book together. What do you think?"

"Great! Sensei's completion of this book is a major literary event. I wonder who you're planning to invite?"

"We don't need too many people. I mainly plan to invite Yu Huan, Sima Biao, and Xiahou Zhan."

Liu Xian was surprised. The three people the teacher mentioned were the three most famous figures in the literary and historical circles today:

Yu Huan is a renowned historian, now over eighty years old. His work, Wei Lue, consists of over fifty volumes, each containing dozens of chapters, totaling over eight million characters. Due to its detailed records and lack of attachment to the powerful, it is currently recognized as the greatest work of the past century.

Sima Biao, a member of the current imperial clan, had access to vast amounts of material from previous dynasties. He compiled the history of the Later Han Dynasty, covering two hundred years since Emperor Guangwu, and compiled the "Continued Book of the Han Dynasty." He also wrote several of the most difficult chapters, making him an authority on the history of the Later Han Dynasty.

Xiahou Zhan is a rising star in today's literary world. He has a rich writing style and is good at composing new words. He is known as "Lianbi" together with Pan Yue. Although his new work "Book of Wei" has not been completed yet, based on his works such as "Book of Zhou" and "Edict to Kundi", people have high hopes for him.

Chen Shou invited these three, clearly because of their influence. If they could approve of the Three Kingdoms, it would have earned the approval of three generations of literary and historical scholars. Of course, this also carried its own risks. If any one of them believed the Three Kingdoms had serious flaws, Chen Shou's reputation would be ruined.

Chen Shou was clearly extremely confident. Holding the scrolls in his hands, he smiled at Liu Xian and said, "After these people have finished reading, I plan to go to Zhang's residence to pay a visit to Zhang Hua."

"Oh?" Liu Xian thought for a moment and understood what his teacher meant. Zhang Hua was the current emperor's favorite. If he could gain his attention, it would probably reach the emperor's ears. Given the current emperor's style of valuing reputation and scholars, it wouldn't be long before his teacher could enter the imperial court! This was truly a brilliant move that achieved the best of both worlds! Liu Xian smiled and said, "Then I'll congratulate the teacher in advance!"

"What's the point of saying this in advance?" Chen Shou patted Liu Xian's shoulder, his eyes fixed on the yellow flowers in front of the thatched cottage. He said calmly, "I came here this time just to get you to join me."

Liu Xian was stunned and asked doubtfully, "But the student is still in mourning..."

"Your term ends next month, doesn't it? You don't have to be so strict. Come to my house, and I'll arrange a vegetarian meal for you. You're my only disciple, and how can you not be by my side during such a difficult time?"

Chen Shou said to Liu Xian earnestly, "In two years, you will enter the government. Now is the time to accumulate reputation. Only then can you get a higher rank from Zhongzheng in the future. You should pay attention to it." "Yes..."

Liu Xian was somewhat moved. He thought that perhaps God was still kind to him. God had taken away some precious things from him, but also given him some things that others could not obtain.

After a short time of packing, Liu Xian went to his mother's grave to bid a brief farewell, and then moved to Chen Shou's house. Chen Shou's house was not large, a small courtyard bought in the southern suburbs of Luoyang Imperial College. That night, Liu Xian spread a mat in Chen Shou's bedroom and fell asleep there.

Three days later, the guests Chen Shou had invited finally arrived. Chen Shou and Liu Xian focused on three individuals, but in reality, nearly a hundred scholars and scholars came that day. Some were invited guests by Chen Shou, others were his disciples and friends, and still others were drawn to the temple by its reputation. Liu Xian, Chen Shou's disciple, was at the entrance, greeting and seeing off the guests. Unexpectedly, he also encountered an unexpected figure.

When Liu Xian saw the Duke of Juancheng getting off the ox cart, he was startled at first, then he immediately went forward to support him while asking, "Why are you here, father-in-law?"

The Duke of Juancheng first jokingly said, "I am the son of Prince Chen Si (Cao Zhi). I heard that there is a great event in the literary world. How can I be absent?"

He then surveyed his son-in-law's figure and demeanor, his satisfaction growing with each passing moment. He added his praise, "For the past two years, you've observed strict mourning in the mountains, strictly observing funeral rites. You've become a renowned filial son throughout the capital. I was worried that your excessive grief would damage your health, but seeing you again today, you seem even more heroic."

Liu Xian modestly said, "Father-in-law, you're too kind. I feel even more ignorant now."

As the two exchanged pleasantries, a commotion erupted among the guests. Liu Xian turned to see that it was the highly respected Yu Huan Gong who had arrived. Liu Xian hurriedly found a seat for Cao Zhi and his group, then stepped forward to greet them.

At this time, Chen Shou was chatting with Yu Huan Gong. "Come, Yu Gong, come in and sit down. I am truly grateful that you, at your age, are willing to take the trouble to come here. I have prepared the books, and I hope you will be able to teach me and speak freely."

Yu Huan Gong was already over ninety years old, his whole body trembling. Yet, he was very affable. As soon as they met, he grasped Chen Shou's hand, his expression as if he had met a close friend. He said, "I've read your 'Biographies of Elders in Yi Province' and 'Records of Ancient States,' which are truly first-rate works of the time. Later, when I hadn't heard from you, I thought you had lost interest in officialdom and had returned to your hometown to live in seclusion. A few days ago, I heard that you had returned to Luoyang and that another great historian had emerged. I was so happy! It's time to tell you all!"

Chen Shou had been subjected to much criticism in his early years, but he was unexpectedly moved by Yu Huangong's praise. He shook Yu Huangong's hand tightly and promised, "After you finish reading today, I will take the liberty of getting drunk with you!"

After saying this, both men laughed. By this time, everyone who was supposed to arrive had already arrived, with Xiahou Zhan and Sima Biao already seated in the inner room. Everyone was eagerly awaiting Chen Shou's history book, and Chen Shou, without further delay, immediately produced the four sets of his copied "Three Kingdoms." He placed two sets in the courtyard for Liu Xian to circulate, while the other two were in the inner room, where he personally accompanied the three masters in their critiques.

With the books, the noise in the courtyard gradually died down, leaving only the whispers of people passing the history books around. Since there were many people in the outer courtyard and few books, often two or three people would read a volume together. Cao Zhi didn't bother to join in the fun. When Liu Xian brought him tea, he pulled his son-in-law aside and asked, "Huai Chong, tell me, what do you think are the characteristics of your teacher's history books? Is he a good historian?"

His question coincided with the thoughts of many scholars in the outer court. They couldn't help but look up to see how the Prince of Anle would answer.

Under the gazes of many people, Liu Xian pondered for a moment and replied, "My teacher's historical writing is all about following the rules and regulations."

"Oh? What do you say?"

"The difficulty of compiling history lies in the complexity of the events and the people involved, making it difficult to untangle the threads. For example, Yu Huangong compiled the Wei Lue (Wei Lue), a work of eight million characters written with unwavering integrity. While it is truly a magnificent masterpiece, it is difficult for others to understand the myriad of issues and find it difficult to know where to begin. If it is too brief, it may not serve the purpose of recording historical events, clarifying cause and effect, and may not be a valuable reference for future generations."

"The reason Ban Gu and Sima Qian are considered great historians is not only because their writing conveys profound truths through subtle expressions, but also because they strike a balance between these two elements, achieving a balance between detail and omission, and a harmonious balance between literary quality and literary substance. In light of these two factors, my teacher's history is concise, comprehensive, and comprehensive. In just 360,000 words, he manages to detail a century of recent history, which is naturally well within the accepted standards."

"Oh?" a guest asked after closing his book, "According to what you said, Master Chen is more talented than Master Yu?"

This was a difficult question. Liu Xian looked over and recognized that the man was Yu Huan Gong's follower. He must be angry that Liu Xian put Chen Shou above Yu Huan Gong, so he asked this question.

But he remained calm and replied with a smile, "What I just said was simply a different style of historical writing. In terms of detailed historical materials and the preparation of different theories, I'm afraid that even if Ban and Ma were still alive, they would be inferior to Yu Gong."

The guest was immediately speechless. Liu Xian was using his own tactics against the guest. He posed a difficult question, asking Liu Xian to retract his assertion that Chen Shou was superior to Yu Huan. Liu Xian dodged the question and gave a similarly awkward answer, arguing that not only Chen Shou, but even Ban Gu and Sima Qian were inferior to Yu Huan. This left the guest in a dilemma, neither admitting nor denying.

A low laugh came from the crowd.

Duke Juancheng couldn't help but stroke his beard and said with a smile: "I haven't seen you for a few years, and you have become more eloquent." Then he asked Liu Xian to sit down, and said to the guest beside him: "Mr. Yu is studying in there. He is an upright person and fair in archaeological research. I'm sure he will give an accurate evaluation soon. Why are you in such a hurry?" Only then did he calm the guest down.

But then again, everyone at the meeting couldn't help but be anxious, because that's human nature. They value results more than the process, and they value the opinions of others more than the content itself.

Most people looked anxiously toward the door of the inner room, hoping to see everyone's expressions or to hear a few words that they could use as topics of literary conversation.

After a long wait, time finally arrived in the evening. Chen Shou and the other three had been talking in the inner room for three full hours, not even stopping for dinner. Just when most of them were tired and drowsy, someone suddenly said, "Everyone, come out! Come out!"

Everyone's spirits perked up as they saw Yu Huan, Sima Biao, Xiahou Zhan, and Chen Shou emerge from the room. They all had different expressions: Yu Huan looked lost, Xiahou Zhan was grave, and only Sima Biao and Chen Shou were talking and laughing happily.

It's finally time to give the verdict.

Yu Huan Gong, leaning on his crane staff, lamented to Chen Shou, "What a shame, Chengzuo! You've written so well, and yet you don't even include a summary! Don't you feel ashamed of Ban Gu?" Then, turning to the crowd, he said, "Without a summary, even though this book is the best of its time, it's still slightly inferior to the Han Shu and the Shiji."

The so-called "Zhibiao" refers to articles such as "Zhi of the Five Elements", "Zhi of Official Positions", "Zhi of Food and Goods", "Zhi of Princes and Kings", and "Zhi of Officials and Ministers" in "Han Shu".

While for ordinary people, the main content of history books is the Annals and Biographies, this only provides an understanding of the characters in the books. To fully understand social and institutional changes throughout history, one must read the Chronicles and Tables. This requires only those with a deep understanding of historical allusions and a keen insight into society to dare to write chronicles.

From this perspective, it is a pity that "Records of the Three Kingdoms" is called "Records" but does not have a table of contents.

But the premise for such a claim is that the rest of the content is impeccable. Yu Huan Gong's statement simply meant that Chen Shou was on par with Ban and Ma in the creation of the Annals and Biographies.
Everyone looked at each other in surprise. They thought Liu Xian's words were a compliment to their teacher, but unexpectedly, Yu Huan Gong gave the same evaluation!
Sima Biao laughed and said, "Mr. Yu, you don't have to be so demanding. You've read the Three Kingdoms. Even if I wrote a biography, how could I dare to boast about it?" He then asked Chen Shou, "Brother Chen, please let me copy a copy so that I can pass it on to my family."

"No, no," Chen Shou said with a smile. "I still remember when I went to Brother Shaotong's house to borrow the 'Continuation of the Han Dynasty'. Brother Shaotong generously let me copy it directly, which really benefited me a lot. How dare I not return the favor now?" After saying this, he ordered Liu Xian, "Huai Chong, quickly go and get a set. I want to give it to Brother Shaotong as a gift."

Even Sima Biao was so generous in his praise, and people finally began to talk about it, looking at "The Three Kingdoms" with a more cautious attitude. At the same time, they were more curious about Xiahou Zhan's attitude. I wonder how this young historian would express his opinion?

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Xiahou Zhan sighed deeply. He pulled out twenty volumes of books from his bag and said to Chen Shou, "I heard that Mr. Chen was compiling history, and I wanted to exchange a few volumes of my own, 'Book of Wei,' with Mr. Chen, as a courtesy and a gentleman's friendship. But now I think my work is really not worth mentioning, so I won't show it to you in public."

At this point, he walked over to the tea stove and threw the scroll into it. The paper instantly burst into flames, illuminating the horrified faces of the guests in the courtyard. Then, Xiahou Zhan announced to the public, "From this day forward, Xiahou Zhan will abandon the compilation of the Book of Wei."

On this day, Chen Shou became famous in Beijing.

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(End of this chapter)