In ancient times, people who were rich but lost their fame could not be recorded, and only extraordinary special people could be known to future generations. After Zhou Wenwang was detained, he performed the sixty-four hexagrams in Zhouyi. Confucius began to write Spring and Autumn Annals after he came back from his predicament. Qu Yuan wrote Li Sao only after he was exiled. Zuo Qiuming began to write Mandarin only after he became blind. Sun Tzu's feet were cut off and Sun Tzu's art of war was compiled. Being demoted to Shu, Lv Chunqiu was published in the world. Han Fei was imprisoned by the State of Qin and wrote articles such as Shuo (Shu). Most of the 300 poems in The Book of Songs were written by sages to express their worries. These people are depressed and can't realize their ideals, so they describe their past, hoping that later generations can see and understand their thoughts. As for Zuo Qiuming, his eyes were blind, his grandson had his foot cut off, and he couldn't be appointed in the end. He retired and wrote a book to relieve their indignation, hoping to spread the article to future generations to show his ambition. Sima Qian devoted himself to useless words, collecting historical records and rumors scattered all over the world, researching the deeds of the previous generation and examining the truth of its success or failure. From Huangdi Xuanyuan to now, he has written ten tables, twelve biographies, eight books, thirty aristocratic families, seventy biographies and one hundred and thirty. I also want to explore the relationship between heaven and personnel through historical development and changes from ancient times to the present, and complete a unique and self-contained work. Before the draft was finished, Li Ling suffered a lot. He regretted not finishing the book, so he received the cruelest punishment without showing resentment. Sima Qian really wants to write this book, treasure it in famous mountains, pass it on to like-minded people, and let it spread among cities in the copper capital. In that case, he can repay the debt he owed when he was humiliated. Even if he is insulted again, will he regret it However, Sima Qian's painstaking efforts can only be said to the wise, and it is hard for laymen to say!
And it's hard to have a bad reputation. Being despised will attract more slander. Sima Qian suffered this disaster because of his remarks and was deeply laughed at by his hometown people. He thinks he insulted his ancestors and has no face to visit his parents' graves. He thinks that even after another hundred generations, the shame will only get deeper and deeper! So every day, I feel sad and turn around, and suddenly I lose something at home, and I don't know where to go when I go out. Every time I think of this shame, there is no one who doesn't sweat and get wet. I am a eunuch, how can I retire and hide in a cave in the mountains? Therefore, we have to temporarily follow the ups and downs of the secular world and deal with the current situation to express our inner confusion.
Now that we have read this historical record praised by Mr. Lu Xun as "a historian's swan song, Li Sao has no rhyme", we can imagine what kind of situation Tai Shigong was in at that time, waving his giant pen and completing this magnificent masterpiece.
Finally, I suggest the landlord read Sima Qian's Application for Ren An, and you can find the answer you need.