-Thoughts on Reading Five Fates of Emperor China

-

Author Xiao Fuxing

History books are particularly popular in the book market this year, and there are many books explaining history alone. No wonder some people joked that "this year is next year". The popularity of history seems to have never been so popular.

We in China seem to be naturally willing to be close to history. China's traditional dramas and story novels are history textbooks for the general public. The story of history has become the most important external packaging and internal boiling point of history. The public is keen on historical stories, especially the story of the emperor in the palace. When talking about the past and discussing the present, they pay attention to the entertainment function and entertain themselves with history. One is the role of awakening the world. Today, in the oldest existing Yangping Theater in Beijing, there is still a "Awakening the World" plaque inscribed by Wang Duo, a calligrapher in the late Ming Dynasty, and that is the case.

In front of the stage of Sanqing Theater in Dashilan, Beijing, there used to be a column-holding couplet: "Illusion depicts love, evil is treacherous, try to see the principle of circulation;" Today's ancient story tells that clothes are dressed in powder, which makes the color in Sri Lanka. "The' circular principle' mentioned here is its role in awakening the world;" Hue is in Si ",that is, its entertainment function. No matter from which angle, the public has always regarded history as a story and a play. Drama and history are a mirror for people to read each other.

Today, the same is true of the enthusiasm for history books. The popularization of history probably starts from the TV series "Joke", which shows the side of "color in Sri Lanka" in the popularization of history. The abuse of "joke" makes many people feel dissatisfied or dissatisfied with the popularization or even vulgarization of such a historical writing. Some people began to try to write a historical, cultural and literary way, not only historical romance, but also hope to restate history, revive the trend of "awakening the world" and emphasize the relationship between history and reality, that is, "circular theory"

I recently read Zhang Hongjie's new book Five Fates of Emperor China, which belongs to the latter.

It is worth noting that even in the latter, the basic narrative strategies and methods are still the continuation of the "joke" pulse, but the "play" here is more to exclude the Zen-like "play" of the wild fox in the "joke" and add the "play" in the drama element, still calling readers back with stories and dramas as the yellow ribbon.

Zhang Hongjie's books also regard history as a drama.

In the first chapter about Wang Mang, shortly after the opening, when Wang Mang dug a well near Chang 'an and dug up a stone engraved with the words "Wang Mang is the emperor", the author eagerly wrote: "This historical drama is about to reach its climax. Everyone held their breath and the whole theater was in terrible silence. "

In the second chapter, I wrote that Emperor Yang Di wanted to rape Wendi's favorite princess, and Wendi's princess died after her blood spilled on the screen. Then the author wrote: "This is a rape movie."

Most symbolically, the fourth chapter states that Emperor Zheng De opened a free market in his palace, ordered eunuchs to play the role of vendors, and the emperor himself played the role of bargaining between citizens and vendors. Contrary to the popular court drama in the market, the emperor put on a popular street drama. The author especially points out the irony of the play: "the palace is the most unfree place in the world ... every inch of air here is full of taboos, every inch of ground is full of rules, and every gesture should be considered again and again." Everyone who lives here has to live according to the script written in advance. Everything in the palace is fake, like a play. "

Paying attention to the drama of history is the most convenient way to win readers in the upsurge of historical popularization. Knowing that readers love this bite, of course, they should serve this dish. However, too historical and dramatic writing can easily make readers doubt that history. Among the five fates of Emperor China, Wang Mang, a typical advanced traitor and traitor, and Emperor Yang Di, who only cared about grand plans before his death, had almost nowhere to die. The dramatic turn of fate and character is too dramatic. This play is just a play, but it is convincing enough to be stitched up.

In this book, the author's narrative style is literary, and he pays attention to details, personality and drama; Narrative attitude is subjective and passionate. Among them, there are many wonderful expositions, which just fit the readers' complex of giving a realistic view of history and their inner demands of pointing out the country with the help of history. In this book, the author said: "No nation pays more attention to history than China people, and China's history books are vast and unparalleled in the world. However, in history, there has never been a nation that has been so brazenly faking as the people of China. The ancient history of China is not so much a process of recording as a process of being destroyed, omitted, modified, smeared and fabricated. " This passage is very interesting. Today, with the popularization of history writing and history popularization, in so many hot history books, while we attach importance to and rewrite history, will there be a repetition of the phenomenon that history is destroyed, omitted, modified, smeared and fictional?