A beautiful and elegant origin (must-read)
Let's just say we're still students, on a summer afternoon, the weather is hot, nothing is suitable, find a shady place to read a leisure book, occasionally have a pleasant surprise, cool breeze arrives, body and mind are happy.
Have you ever had such an experience?
Having entered society, I'm very busy and tired, but every day I still need to have some leisure time, brew a cup of tea, smell the fragrance, watch the mist rising from the cup, think about some ethereal things that have nothing to do with real life. Having such a moment, you are living in this place, with a brief liberation of your soul.
Very artistic, very petty bourgeoisie?
No, Xiaodao is just a commoner, living a mundane life of rice, oil and salt, but even commoners can occasionally indulge in some elegance. Xiaodao often has such fantasies, like the Qing dynasty's Zhang Chao said: recognizing Xi Shi in the Spring and Autumn period, watching Wei Zifu in the Wei and Jin dynasties, seeing Yang Guifei in the Tianbao era, meeting Su Dongpo in the Northern Song... but if Xiaodao really went to those eras, without a golden finger, he would probably just be a small nobody at the bottom of society, still dreaming of seeing Xi Shi and Yang Guifei - what a joke!
I once thought that if I were born in the Ming Dynasty, I wonder if I could pass the Imperial Examination to become a Xiucai. A Xiucai in the Ming Dynasty is equivalent to a graduate of a prestigious university nowadays. If I couldn't get into a prestigious university, it's likely that I wouldn't be able to pass the Imperial Examination either. Fortunately, one can take the examination repeatedly, perhaps until they are fifty years old. Ha! A poor and destitute scholar.
This is the origin of "Elegant and Refined", Xiaodao entrusted his own fantasy to young Zhang Yuan, making him possess the hard work and intelligence that Xiaodao himself did not have. From the imperial examination for children, he took the exam all the way up. Of course, it's impossible to just write about the imperial examination; along the way, the beauty of the late Ming Jiangnan region will be revealed one by one. Only after experiencing the prosperity of late Ming culture can one regret the fragmentation of cultural heritage under alien rule. Zhang Yuan in "Elegant and Refined" will try to change this historical process.
All old book friends of Xiaodao know that Xiaodao's writing style is comfortable and relaxing, just like a long scroll slowly unfolding with majestic scenery gradually appearing, just like a gentle stream in the mountains gathering and flowing magnificently. There are red lanterns, dawn breeze, and residual moonlight, as well as iron pipa and the great river flowing eastward. What's required is a heart that can calm down to appreciate it, rather than merely seeking excitement. Take your time, don't rush, Xiaodao won't disappoint you.
Finally, let's talk about the title of the book. As you know, "sao ya" refers to the Book of Songs and Li Sao, which is a general term for poetry. Using "sao ya" as the title of the book doesn't seem quite right. One day, Xiaodao had an epiphany and reversed the order of the words - "ya sao". The meaning changed greatly, becoming a new word that was both contradictory and unified. Late Ming society was like this too, full of contradictions and conflicts, luxurious yet corrupt, radical yet conservative, self-indulgent yet ridiculous... Xiaodao sought to portray such a late Ming era, and the protagonist's personality would also be different from Chen Cao in "Hanshi". Zhang Yuan's personality could be both elegant and vulgar, and he was more adept at adapting and maneuvering. What remained unchanged was that they all shared Xiaodao's ability to appreciate beauty in their helpless lives, and they still believed in the existence of love.
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Collect and recommend, this is very important for new books. Your collection/recommendation can make a book successful. Xiaodao really wants to get your support.
