——Reflections on reading "Heroes Aspire"
Feng Yulei
At the beginning of the new year, I received a long historical and cultural novel "Heroes Aspire" recommended by Xiang Qing. It will be published and I would like to ask me to write the preface. The author is his close friend and former colleague Mr. Ren Huaipu. Mr. Ren is engaged in art education in a middle school and spent decades writing this novel in his spare time. Xiang Qing has been a good friend and brother of mine for many years. Although he is not engaged in literary creation, he is honest and capable. He has many friends in the cultural circle and has a good artistic vision. In more than 20 years of dating, this is the first time Xiang Qing has intervened in such a matter. He must have thought carefully about it. Therefore, I immediately read the electronic version of "Heroes Conquer" on my computer.
I was a little shocked by the rich cultural information that hit my face in the novel. Obviously, the author read a lot of handed down documents and cultural classics during the creative process, which is enough to support his grand narrative based on the history of Qin.
The Qin Dynasty was a very important turning point in Chinese history. A concept often used in the field of literature and history, "Pre-Qin" refers to the historical era before the establishment of the Qin Dynasty. According to the Chinese historical genealogy, the pre-Qin period experienced the ancient cultural period including the Chao family, the Suiren family, the Fuxi family, the Shennong family (Emperor Yan), and the Xuanyuan family. Shi (Yellow Emperor), Yao, Shun, Yu and other eras, and then to the Xia, Shang and Zhou periods. The ancient historical system of "Three Emperors and Five Emperors of Xia, Shang and Zhou", represented by Sima Qian's "Historical Records" of the Han Dynasty, has been deeply rooted for thousands of years. For example, "History of Pre-Qin" says: "The traces of our country's civilization can be conquered starting from Chao, Sui, Xi, and Nong." In the early 1920s, the "ancient history debate" trend emerged, and Chinese archaeological researchers were committed to reconstructing China's ancient history through archaeology. After more than 60 years of research, the theory that the evolution of ancient Chinese state forms was divided into three stages: ancient states, Fang states, and empires has gradually become the mainstream understanding in academic circles.
The archaeological community calls the earliest country that appeared in ancient China the "Ancient Kingdom", which roughly ranged from 5,500 to 4,500 years ago. Ancient Chinese classics call this stage "Wan Guo" and "Wan Bang", which is equivalent to the "Five Emperors" in ancient history legends. The era of Huangdi, Zhuanxu and Emperor Ku. Ancient states are stable and independent political entities that are higher than tribes. They are generally characterized by advocating theocratic power. This is most fully demonstrated in the "Hongshan Ancient Kingdom" and the "Liangzhu Ancient Kingdom". The Fang Kingdom stage lasted from about 4,500 years ago to the unification of Qin in 221 BC. It was roughly equivalent to the Yao, Shun, Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties in ancient history. Although the basic social structure of this period was still maintained by blood relations, The concept of "land" has begun to emerge, and the ritual system with royal power as the core has continued to develop and improve, becoming one of the outstanding features of Chinese civilization.
In 221 BC, King Qin Yingzheng, a famous statesman, strategist, and reformer in ancient China, unified the world and called himself Qin Shihuang. This established China's political structure for more than 2,000 years until the end of the imperial era in 1911 AD. In December 2023, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage held a press conference to introduce the latest results of the Chinese Civilization Discovery Project: the period from 5800 years ago to 3800 years ago was divided into the ancient country era, and was further subdivided into three stages: the first stage is from Around 5800-5200 years ago, the second stage is around 5200-4300 years ago, and the third stage is around 4300-3800 years ago. China’s current description of ancient history is: 9,000-10,000 years of cultural history (represented by painted pottery culture and jade culture), 5,000 years of civilization history (represented by sets of jade ritual vessels), and 3,500 years of written history (represented by oracle bone inscriptions) ).
Although the ancient country era announced by the latest results of the Chinese Civilization Discovery Project is only a short 300 years from the era of written history, these 300 years were the transformation of Chinese civilization from the narrative of cultural relics to written records, and from oral transmission to documentary materials. important stage. Chinese literature records that there were ten thousand kingdoms in the Xia Dynasty, one thousand kingdoms in the Shang Dynasty, and one hundred kingdoms in the Zhou Dynasty. When Qin Shihuang unified the world and implemented a centralized system, he burned books and harassed Confucian scholars, which brought the bearers of a large number of important historical documents and oral historical materials to an "abrupt end", and the losses were inexhaustible. Estimate. Considering this background, the full-length historical novel "Heroes Aspire" may be better able to understand its value. Yan Fu, an emerging enlightenment thinker in the late Qing Dynasty, said in "Tianyan Lun": "There are three difficulties in translation: faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance. It is already very difficult to seek trustworthiness! If you only care about trustworthiness, but lack of reach, even if you translate, you will not translate it. , then it will be up to the mark." He is aiming at translation, and it also has reference significance for the creation of historical and cultural novels: "faithfulness" means that literary interpretation cannot deviate from historical facts and should not deviate as much as possible, and "da" means that the narrative is not limited to historical records. , to be smooth and clear; "elegant" means that the text should pursue elegance, conciseness and elegance. "Heroes Aspire" adopts the traditional chapter-style novel structure, and has conducted rigorous research on the historical figures and documents involved. It even indicates the pinyin of some names that may be misunderstood. For the sake of doing this homework, I can't help but be in awe. Who would have thought that art teachers working in county middle schools, in addition to their heavy teaching work and social activities, would spend decades burning oil and waste on searching for the historical reality of Xuedihong in the vast sea of literature and classics. claw. The wheels of history are roaring, the long river of history is surging, and the wars of history are continuous. How many complicated historical stories are there from prehistory to the written era? How many of them can be recorded in cultural relics and written texts? How many can be correctly interpreted or expressed? "It is better to believe in all the books than to have no books at all." Which historical materials are trustworthy and which are doubtful cannot be relied on imagination, but can only be down-to-earth and work hard. When writing this, I have not communicated with Xiang Qing or Brother Ren Huaipu on this matter, but from the vastness of the page (900,000 words), the smoothness of the writing, the accuracy of the names, and the rigorous use of allusions, it can be imagined that Brother Ren Huaipu has How many good times have slipped through your fingertips in the process of collecting historical data? My creations focus on historical and mythological themes, whether I am writing Dunhuang-themed novels such as "Dunhuang Centenary Ceremony", "Dunhuang Six Thousand Earths and Beyond", "Dunhuang Posthumous Notes", "Wild Horse, Dust", etc., or the jade cultural archaeological mythological novel " "Bear Totem", "Book of King Yu", etc., I have done a lot of homework on literature and materials, and I understand Brother Ren Huaipu's firm will, inner indifference and perseverance. What is particularly commendable is that he studied historical materials and created novels entirely out of interest and love. If there had been any interference from social factors, this magnificent masterpiece would not have been completed, and it would have been impossible to maintain a serious and pious attitude from beginning to end. The punctuation is meticulous, not to mention the arrangement and narration of characters and events!
"Heroes Aspire" is written with tough words. When reading, I can't help but think of the heroic and passionate works of Su Dongpo and Xin Qiji. Yu Wenbao's "Sequel to the Sword Blowing Sword" records: "On the day when Dongpo was in Yutang, there was a minister who was good at singing (singing), because he asked: How is my poetry better than Liu's poetry? He said to him: 'Liu Lang's poetry has to be done by a girl of seventeen or eighteen. Hongya claps the board and sings 'Willow bank, dawn wind and waning moon'; bachelor's poem requires a big man from Guanxi to hold an iron plate and sing 'The great river goes eastward'. The public is absolutely devastated." Guo Moruo wrote an inscription for the Xin Qiji Memorial Temple in Daming Lake Park. The couplet compares Xin Qiji to Su Dongpo and praises Xin's bold and majestic style in his poems: "Iron plate and copper lute, following Dongpo, singing loudly about the great river going eastward; Meiqin mourning millet, hoping for the Southern Song Dynasty, don't follow the wild geese flying south ." So, I gave this preface the main title: "Heroes are always tragic, and they don't ask about the achievements of the common people." The historical figures written by Brother Ren Huaipu, such as Chen Sheng, Wu Guang, Meng Tian, Wang Wan, Li Si, Li You, Ying Kui, Wang Ben, Zhang Han, Wang Li, Fan Zeng, Zhang Liang, Xiao He, Chen Ping, Li Shiqi, Lu Jia, Cao Shen, Fan Kuai, Xia Houying, Zhou Bo, Guan Ying, Li Shang, Ji Xin, Qingbu, Peng Yue, Ji Bu, Zhong Limei, Huan Chu, Yu Ying, etc. are all filled with a kind of generous and tragic heroism. The "morality" they shoulder with their "iron shoulders" is the noble character of the Chinese nation who dares to be the first for the world and sacrifice their lives for righteousness. Even Meng Jiangnu, Lu Pheasant, Yu Ji, Ying Xiaojun, Li Can and many other women looked heroic in the strong wind.
Writing about the heroic ideals carried by the portraits of heroes is also reflecting Brother Ren Huaipu's literary ideals or life vision.
As a diligent grassroots educator in western China, how difficult it is to not only dedicate yourself to work and support your family, but also adhere to an ideal that is in great contrast with real life!
On July 23, 2011, Minqin cultural workers and I visited Liancheng, Ancient City, and Triangle City. In the afternoon, we saw various forms of psammophyte Haloxylon ammodendron around Triangle City. This plant is resistant to drought, heat, cold, and salt-alkali, so it can survive in temperate deserts. Minqin is close to the Tengger Desert and the Badain Jaran Desert, with thousands of miles of yellow sand and thickets of Haloxylon ammodendron, guarding an oasis. After being tempered by wind and sand, some Haloxylon ammodendron branches feel like fossils when touched. Even if they die, they will still stand tall! This stubborn spirit is touching. Don’t many people in the West live like this? During that inspection, we also went to the Qingtu Lake area where sand and waves were still rolling at that time. Minqin’s friend Mr. Fang Jue picked a delicious plant fruit called Yangjiao Jiaojiao or Yangjiaojiao. I admired and said: "The earth is so generous, it exists in such a bitter way, and it also offers such sweet fruits!"
I once wrote an art review article "The Mental Image of the West Flowing Deep in the Soul" for Professor Xiang Jun, a Minqin-born ink artist and deputy director of the Jiangsu Academy of Traditional Chinese Painting, talking about the West in a geographical sense and the West in dreams. and the West brewing in the senses: “The West in a geographical sense gives people an intuitive impression: the naked sun and warm sunshine, the rolling and majestic mountains, the rolling desert, the endless grassland, the vast tracts of Large areas of blank Gobi, Gobi, gloomy, generous, thick and spectacular ancient walls of ancient cities, etc. These objects strongly stimulate people's perspective with their different styles of flying spirit, such as ancient trees ringing bells, simple and majestic. They are forcing us At the same time, they also show huge energy and passion. Their magnificence can easily lead people into the mythical era, heroic epics, and the long historical and cultural tunnels of time and space. Moreover, the color, weather, and personality of the West are also moving and withering. , perfecting and updating. If the snow-capped mountains are white, they will be white and independent from the world; if the grasslands are green, they will be green and exciting and open; if the Gobi is black, they will be mysterious and distant; if the desert is yellow, they will be yellow and overwhelming, and that The ancient roads rolled by the wheels of history, the storms that shattered the camel bells, and the red willows and white grasses that bear witness to the vicissitudes of life are all simple, pure, bright, and persistent. These geographical elements use wind knives and frost to carve the temperament of the generals, and ancient pottery The patience of storing wine nourishes the spirit of Xiang Jun. When many outsiders who have never been to the West or have just taken a quick tour of the West only know her in terms of desolation, backwardness and the splendor of the classical period, he was born in the sand sea oasis—— Minqin's army began to appreciate the beauty and charm of the western mountains and rivers intoxicatedly." "Most westerners with dreams are destined to live in the huge contrasting whirlpool of material poverty and cultural richness since birth. If we only focus on these natural factors, then Xiangjun will be like most people who experience the West mechanically, excited, lost, excited again, and lost again, just like a monkey trying to wreak buds in the valley. However, Xiangjun has been working as a civilian since childhood. Starting from a small mountain village in Qin, he opened his mind and understood the west. Later, it expanded to the Hexi Corridor, Lanzhou, and radiated to Beijing, and then traveled south to Suzhou. He was always settling and brewing, and at the same time he was also searching for and perfecting the language of pen and ink. Poetic expression. This kind of persistence is like a Kuafu chasing the sun, or a miner practicing for gold. Therefore, with a broad mind on the plateau, Xiang Jun connects his artistic nerve with the constantly developing ideological trends at home and abroad, and welcomes the waves. Feeling the rhythm, on the other hand, he is stubborn, tenacious, and almost crazy obsessed with the marginalized West and the dream West.”
I am quite satisfied with these two paragraphs. Rather than writing about the military, it is better to write about the survival groups in the west. They live and struggle with perseverance. Brother Ren didn't have this kind of sentiment and will, and it would have been impossible for him to spend decades completing this masterpiece in a small town at the foot of the Qilian Mountains. Therefore, the act of writing itself is like a metaphor, existing independently like Haloxylon ammodendron and Populus euphratica. Such a pure creator, the results of his dedication can stand the test of time. The biggest difference between "Heroes Conquer" and most purely fictional novels is that it is not entertainment-oriented. It is always filled with a positive and noble spirit in the grand narrative process of the history before and after the founding of the Qin Dynasty. This is a reflection of the outstanding national cultural heritage and great creation through the artistic creation of novels. Excavation and inheritance of traditions. On October 15, 2014, the Chairman said in his speech at the symposium on literature and art work: "Culture is an important force for the survival and development of a nation. Every leap forward in human society and every sublimation of human civilization is accompanied by the historic progress of culture. The Chinese nation has a civilization history of more than 5,000 years. China has been one of the world's powerful countries before modern times. In the historical changes of thousands of years, the Chinese nation has never been smooth sailing and encountered countless hardships, but we have survived and overcome One of the very important reasons is that generations of Chinese people have cultivated and developed a unique, extensive and profound Chinese culture, which has provided strong spiritual support for the Chinese nation to overcome difficulties and thrive. ... The needs of the people are The fundamental value of the existence of literature and art. Whether you can produce excellent works is most fundamentally determined by whether you can express your feelings for the people, for the people, and for the people. All literary and artistic works that made a sensation at the time and were passed down to future generations reflect the requirements of the times. and the voice of the people.”
Readers need to slowly appreciate the literary value of "Heroes Aspire". The only thing that is certain now is that Mr. Ren Huaipu, after decades of hard work and hard work, has cultivated such a tree with unique cultural endowment and spiritual temperament with his hard work and wisdom. The Haloxylon ammodendron tree stands quietly in the wilderness, even if it doesn't say anything, it already makes people full of emotions.
These words of mine are just some of my personal thoughts, and I hope to inspire others!
