Through the Dynasties · LH14

Ming

The great chaptered novels mature beside chuanqi drama and the informal essay: urban literature flourishes

177works

8forms

50authors

Poetry

10 works

Orthodox classical Chinese poetry spanning archaic ballads to Tang regulated verse.

  1. Chant of the LimeYu Qian · Regulated QuatrainsExtracted from deep mountains after a thousand hammer blows and chisels, roaring blazing fires are treated as nothing unusual. Unafraid even of having body shattered and bones ground to powder, resolved only to leave pure unblemished integrity to the mortal world.
  2. Poem Inscribed on Ink GrapesXu Wei · Regulated QuatrainsHalf a life of destitution has turned me into an old man, standing alone in my study whistling to the evening gale. The luminous pearls beneath my brush find nowhere to sell, casually tossed and scattered among wild tangled vines.
  3. Song to Awaken the World · Red Dust and White WavesHanshan Deqing · Old-Style SongsRed dust and white waves, both a boundless blur; forbearance and gentleness are the wondrous cure.
  4. Ode to CoalYu Qian · Regulated OctavesI only wish that all the common people be fed and warm, and I will not shrink from the toil of coming out of the mountain forests.
  5. Going to the CapitalYu Qian · Regulated QuatrainsWith only the clear breeze in my two sleeves I go to court
  6. Deep in the Study of StrategyQi Jiguang · Regulated OctavesTo be made a marquis is not my wish; I only hope the sea waves will be calm.
  7. Written on HorsebackQi Jiguang · Regulated QuatrainsOf the three hundred and sixty days in a year, most are spent on horseback with a spear across my saddle.
  8. Reading BooksYu Qian · Regulated OctavesBooks are as affectionate as old friends; morning and evening, in sorrow and joy, they keep me company.
  9. The Moon-Hiding Mountain LodgeWang Shouren (traditionally attributed) · Regulated QuatrainsIf a man had eyes as large as the sky, he would see the hill is small and the moon much broader.
  10. Seeing Off the Celestial MasterZhu Quan · Regulated OctavesAt dawn he rides a single crane through the sky; at night among men he unties his two ducks.

Lyrics

3 works

Pinnacle of lyric verse and musical poetry spanning delicate grace and heroic grandeur.

  1. The Surging Yangtze River Rolls EastYang Shen · Short LyricsThe surging Yangtze River rolls endlessly to the east, its billowing waves washing away all heroes of old. Right and wrong, triumph and defeat, turn to void in the blink of an eye. Green mountains remain unchanged as ever; how many crimson sunsets have they seen? White-haired fishermen and woodcutters on the river shoals are accustomed to watching autumn moons and spring breezes. Over a flagon of cloudy wine, we rejoice in reunion: how many deeds of past and present dissolve into cheerful laughter!
  2. Jinming Pool · Chanting the Winter WillowLiu Rushi · Long LyricsI grieve at the cold tide and the heartless evening glow: this is the bleak southern shore of parting.
  3. Charming Eyes · Autumn Boudoir: Misty Grass West of the Little TowerLiu Bowen · Short LyricsThe heartless moon and a loving dream of return reach her quiet room together.

Drama

3 works

Sanqu lyric suites, Yuan Zaju poetic dramas, and Ming-Qing Kunqu masterworks.

  1. The Peony PavilionTang Xianzu · Chuanqi DramaSo all this riot of purple and crimson in full bloom has been left to broken wells and crumbling walls.
  2. The Girl Washing SilkLiang Chenyu · Chuanqi DramaA Kunshan-tune chuanqi on the rise and fall of Wu and Yue through Xi Shi and Fan Li.
  3. The Lychee and the MirrorAnonymous (anonymous Ming playwrights of southern Fujian) · Southern DramaThe love story of Chen San and Huang Wuniang in Quanzhou and Chaozhou dialects.

Prose

69 works

Authoritative classical prose from Pre-Qin philosophers to Tang-Song prose masters.

  1. Preface Presenting to Student Ma of DongyangSong Lian · Letters & PrefacesIn the bitter cold, when the inkstone froze hard and my fingers could not bend or straighten, I did not slacken.
  2. Discourse on Deep ForesightFang Xiaoru · Essays & MemorialsYet calamity always breaks out in what was neglected, and disorder always arises from matters thought unworthy of suspicion.
  3. Epitaph for a Dead TravelerWang Yangming · Epitaphs & ElegiesYou and I are just like them!
  4. Record of the Xiangji StudioGui Youguang · Informal EssaysIn the courtyard there is a loquat tree that my wife planted with her own hands in the year she died. Now it stands tall and spreads like a canopy.
  5. Biographical Sketch of My Late MotherGui Youguang · Epitaphs & ElegiesThat there should be people in this world without a mother! O Heaven! What anguish!
  6. Reply to Master LiuZong Chen · Letters & PrefacesThis is what the world calls superiors and inferiors in mutual trust. Do you, sir, think I could manage it?
  7. Record of a Tour to ManjingYuan Hongdao · Travel WritingOnly then did I realize that outside the suburbs spring had never been absent, though city dwellers were unaware of it. To not neglect duty through excursions, while wandering carefree among mountains, rocks, and trees—such is the joy of this humble official.
  8. Record of an Evening Tour on Six Bridges Awaiting the MoonYuan Hongdao · Travel WritingFrom the Broken Bridge to the Su Causeway, a green mist and a red haze spread for more than twenty li.
  9. Preface to the Poetry of XiaoxiuYuan Hongdao · Letters & PrefacesExpressing one's innate spirit and authentic sensibility, unconstrained by rigid stylistic molds; refusing to put brush to paper unless flowing straight from one's own heart. When emotion meets circumstance, a thousand words flow in an instant like waters rushing east, captivating the soul.
  10. Record of a Journey to TaoyuanYuan Zhongdao · Travel WritingThe Three Gorges are majestic and astonishing; the Flower Spring is graceful and secluded.
  11. Record of Wushigang RidgeTan Yuanchun · Travel WritingThe stones were jet black, ancient, rugged, and precipitous. Climbing to the summit and overlooking the great river, sails and masts appeared and vanished amid misty hazes as if wandering inside a painted scroll.
  12. Watching Snow at the Mid-Lake PavilionZhang Dai · Informal EssaysMist and frost coalesced into boundless haze; sky, clouds, hills, and waters were pure white above and below. Shadows on the lake were merely one line of long dike, one dot of Mid-Lake Pavilion, one blade of grass for my skiff, and two or three mustard seeds for the passengers aboard.
  13. West Lake on the Fifteenth of the Seventh MonthZhang Dai · Informal EssaysOn West Lake at the mid-month of the seventh month there is nothing at all to see; one can only look at the people of the seventh-month festival.
  14. Liu Jingting the StorytellerZhang Dai · Informal EssaysWhen Wu Song reached the inn to buy wine and found no one there, he gave a sudden roar, and all the empty vats and jars in the inn hummed and rang.
  15. Letter in Reply to Li YuanshanYuan Hongdao · Letters & PrefacesWith syntax, diction and cadence all flowing from one's own breast—that is true novelty.
  16. Instructions for Practical LivingWang Yangming · Pre-Qin MastersKnowing is the beginning of acting; acting is the completion of knowing.
  17. Compendium of Materia MedicaLi Shizhen · NotebooksBroad yet not cluttered, detailed yet to the point, thoroughly examined to the end: it looks straight into the depths of the sea.
  18. The Travel Diaries of Xu XiakeXu Xiake (Xu Hongzu) · Travel WritingOn the last day of the third month of the guichou year, I left Ninghai by the west gate. The clouds scattered and the sun shone bright; the mood of men and the light on the hills alike wore a look of joy.
  19. Inscription for the Tomb of the Five MenZhang Pu · Epitaphs & ElegiesThose who, stirred by righteousness, died.
  20. Yongle EncyclopediaJie Jin (comp.) · NotebooksRhymes order the characters, and characters link the matters.
  21. Inquiry on the Great LearningWang Shouren · Essays & MemorialsThe great man is one who regards Heaven, Earth and the ten thousand things as one body. He sees the world as one family and the Middle Kingdom as one person.
  22. Instructions for the Students at LongchangWang Shouren · Letters & PrefacesIf the will is not set, nothing in the world can be accomplished.
  23. Memorial on Order and SecurityHai Rui · Essays & MemorialsSo the people of the realm have taken the name of Your Majesty's reign and interpreted it: 'Jiajing means every household is wiped clean and has nothing to use.'
  24. Memorial on Six MattersZhang Juzheng · Essays & MemorialsBut recently customs and human feelings have accumulated habits that breed abuses; there are signs of gradual decline and of the weight of accumulated habit becoming hard to reverse.
  25. New Treatise on Military EfficiencyQi Jiguang · Pre-Qin MastersThere are three reasons why our troops have so often been defeated.
  26. Last Memorial (Though Stripped of Rank)Gao Panlong · Essays & MemorialsWhen a great minister is humiliated, the state is humiliated
  27. On Being Wise and Discerning to Preserve OneselfWang Gen · Essays & Memorialsone who can love others will be loved by others in return; and when others love me, my self is preserved.
  28. Record of the Miraculous Responses of the Celestial ConsortZheng He, Wang Jinghong (traditionally attributed) · Epitaphs & ElegiesIf a man can be wholly loyal in serving his sovereign, no task will fail; if he can be wholly sincere in serving the gods, no prayer will go unanswered.
  29. Collected Works of Hai RuiHai Rui · Essays & Memorialsits repair cannot be put off for a single day
  30. Collected Works of Zhang TaiyueZhang Juzheng · Essays & MemorialsI have entrusted everything to the great public good
  31. Record of Practical Troop TrainingQi Jiguang · Pre-Qin MastersToday's orders must be like those of Grandpa Yue's army.
  32. War Diary (Nanjung Ilgi)Yi Sun-sin · NotebooksDriving on from victory to victory as if into an empty land.
  33. Surviving Writings of Master GaoGao Panlong · NotebooksWhat is called reverence is this; what is called benevolence is this; what is called sincerity is this: it is the way of returning to one's nature.
  34. Jinggao Collected DraftsGu Xiancheng · Letters & PrefacesThe Donglin society is where this bookish scholar's foolish heart has not yet given up
  35. History of YuanSong Lian (comp.) · Historical NarrativeThe pears may have no owner, but has my heart no master?
  36. Sights and Scenes of the Imperial CapitalLiu Tong, Yu Yizheng · NotebooksA late-Ming account of Beijing's sights and customs in eight juan.
  37. Collected Statutes of the Great MingLi Dongyang (comp.) · Essays & MemorialsThe official compendium of Ming institutions, arranged by government office.
  38. Preface Seeing Off Chen Tingxue of TiantaiSong Lian · Letters & PrefacesOf all the landscapes of the southwest, those of Sichuan are the most extraordinary.
  39. Record of the River-Viewing TowerSong Lian · Travel WritingHow could it be merely for viewing the Yangtze?
  40. Sima Jizhu on DivinationLiu Bowen · Essays & MemorialsTo whom is the Way of Heaven close? Only to virtue. Whence do ghosts and spirits get their power? From people.
  41. On Yu RangFang Xiaoru · Essays & MemorialsYu Rang's death was loyal indeed, but there was something disloyal in how he chose to die.
  42. On the Ruler Governing in PersonWang Ao · Essays & MemorialsWhen high and low meet, their wills become one.
  43. Record of the Pavilion for Honouring the ClassicsWang Shouren · Travel WritingThe Six Classics are nothing other than the constant Way of my own mind.
  44. Record of the Shrine to XiangWang Shouren · Travel WritingThere is no one under heaven who cannot be transformed.
  45. On the Lord of Xinling Rescuing ZhaoTang Shunzhi · Essays & MemorialsWhat I condemn is the Lord of Xinling's heart.
  46. Record of the Painting of the Wu HillsGui Youguang · Travel WritingWhen a magistrate is truly worthy, even the hills and trees of his county share his glory.
  47. Record of the Canglang PavilionGui Youguang · Travel WritingWhat keeps a scholar's name alive for a thousand years lies elsewhere.
  48. Preface to the Collected Works of Master QingxiaMao Kun · Letters & PrefacesEnough to chill the hearts of treacherous ministers and spur the horses of frontier soldiers.
  49. On Lin Xiangru Returning the Jade Intact to ZhaoWang Shizhen · Essays & MemorialsThat Lin Xiangru came through whole with the jade was Heaven's doing.
  50. Biography of Xu WenchangYuan Hongdao · Historical NarrativeThe grief of a hero who has lost his way and has no door to set foot in.
  51. Birthday Preface for Zhou XianzhaiGui Youguang · Letters & PrefacesLooking between past and present, seeing how affairs change and how hard it is for life to last
  52. Birthday Preface for Lady Gu, Mother of the Wangs, at SixtyGui Youguang · Letters & PrefacesLooking back twenty years, it is like a dream, like sleep, like pain that has just eased.
  53. Birthday Preface for the Lady of the Gu House at EightyGui Youguang · Letters & PrefacesOnly then does one know that the lord had the most complete good fortune under heaven.
  54. On the Room Named Keeping to the PloughGui Youguang · Essays & MemorialsAll affairs under heaven now come down to names; only the farmer keeps the substance.
  55. On the Sobriquet Two StonesGui Youguang · Essays & MemorialsMusic is the voice of humaneness and the outflow of the living spirit.
  56. On the Style Name of Zhang XiongGui Youguang · Essays & MemorialsWho cannot keep to the female cannot be the world's ravine, nor be called a hero under heaven.
  57. Biography of Two Filial Sons of the Gui ClanGui Youguang · Historical NarrativeGrown old and dying, the filial son never once spoke of what his stepmother had done.
  58. Biography of the Old Man of YunxiGui Youguang · Historical NarrativeThe old man seems like a man who has lived a thousand years.
  59. Biography of the Chaste Widow TaoGui Youguang · Historical NarrativeShe alone endured in silence to wait for the end of his mother's life.
  60. Biography of the Martyred Wife WangGui Youguang · Historical NarrativeA lone woman, moved to resolve on her own death, whose sincerity reached the spirits.
  61. Biography of the Chaste Widow WeiGui Youguang · Historical NarrativeAbove all she mourned her husband, and each time she wept it was with the deepest grief.
  62. Grave Marker for My Late Friend Fang SizengGui Youguang · Epitaphs & ElegiesHeaven brings forth talent with difficulty, and brings it to completion with more still.
  63. Burial Note for HanhuaGui Youguang · Epitaphs & ElegiesLooking back to that time, in a flash ten years have gone. Ah, how sad it is!
  64. The Pavilion of Longing for My SonGui Youguang · Travel WritingSurely one day I shall see my son come lightly home.
  65. The Village-View TowerGui Youguang · Travel WritingThe feeling of trees for their waters, the reverence for the trees of home.
  66. Written on the Wall of the Wild Crane StudioGui Youguang · Travel WritingCould its builder have known that forty years on our circle would gather here?
  67. The Weilei PavilionGui Youguang · Travel WritingWho would ever worship me as the people of Weilei worshipped their sage?
  68. The Roll of Changxing MagistratesGui Youguang · Travel WritingTheir records lost and scattered, they are no longer seen by later ages.
  69. The Hall of Fulfilling Early WishesGui Youguang · Travel WritingSuch is the aspiration of the gentleman.

Fiction

7 works

Narrative masterworks from Six Dynasties strange tales to epic Ming-Qing novels.

  1. Stories to Caution the WorldFeng Menglong (comp.) · Vernacular StoriesThrough the voice of the marketplace storyteller, it lays bare human nature and the ways of the world, to warn and awaken its readers.
  2. New Tales Told by LamplightQu You · Tang–Song TalesA double-peony lantern on Lantern Festival night leads into a strange romance of the living and the dead: the crown of early Ming tales.
  3. Slapping the Table in Amazement, First CollectionLing Mengchu · Vernacular StoriesWithin the everyday world before our eyes and ears, there is much that is strange beyond ordinary reckoning.
  4. Romance of the Three KingdomsLuo Guanzhong · Chapter NovelsOn and on the Long River flows east; its waves have washed away the heroes. Right and wrong, success and failure — all empty at a turn of the head; the green hills remain as before, and how many times has the sunset glowed red.
  5. Water MarginShi Nai'an (traditionally attributed) · Chapter NovelsThe red sun blazes like a fire; in the fields the rice is half scorched dry. The farmer's heart boils as if in a pot, while young lords and princes wave their fans.
  6. Journey to the WestWu Cheng'en (traditionally attributed) · Chapter NovelsBefore chaos was divided, Heaven and Earth were in disorder, vast and dim, seen by no one.
  7. Fan Juqing's Chicken-and-Millet Pact of Life and DeathFeng Menglong (comp.) · Vernacular StoriesA man cannot travel a thousand li, but a soul can travel a thousand li in a day.

Fables

3 works

Philosophical fables, historical allusion narratives, and primordial mythology.

  1. Seeking a Steed by Its PictureYang Shen · Satirical ParablesFollowing the book without regard for reality turns a toad into a thoroughbred.
  2. Making a Big Essay of a Small TopicAnonymous · Satirical ParablesTreating trivial matters as grave ones only adds needless burden.
  3. The Legend of the White SnakeAnonymous · Folk LegendsWhen West Lake runs dry, when river and lake rise no more, when Leifeng Pagoda falls, the White Snake shall come forth.

Sayings

80 works

Living Chinese linguistic heritage comprising idioms, proverbs, aphorisms, and couplets.

  1. Unity of Knowledge and ActionWang Yangming · IdiomsWang Yangming's teaching that knowing and doing are inseparable; true knowledge shows itself in action.
  2. Wielding Broad AxesShi Nai'an (traditionally attributed) · IdiomsActing boldly and decisively, sweeping aside obstacles with great resolve.
  3. Tearing Down the Bridge After CrossingSong Lian et al. (comp.) · IdiomsAbandoning those who helped you once you have got what you wanted.
  4. A Thousand Pieces All AlikeWang Shizhen · IdiomsMany works or things following one pattern; monotonous and lacking variety.
  5. A Sudden Surge of the HeartXu Zhonglin (traditionally attributed) · IdiomsA sudden impulse or whim that springs to mind.
  6. Hanging Lanterns and FestoonsShi Nai'an (traditionally attributed) · IdiomsLanterns hung and silk festoons tied; describes the lively, joyful decorations of a festival or celebration.
  7. Neither Servile nor ArrogantZhu Zhiyu · IdiomsNeither humble nor haughty; poised and appropriately dignified in manner.
  8. Clinging to the Last BreathMa Zhongxi · IdiomsBarely hanging on to life; struggling to survive a little longer.
  9. Expanded Words of WisdomAnonymous · Common SayingsA long road shows a horse's strength; long days reveal a person's heart.
  10. Holding the Emperor to Command the LordsLuo Guanzhong · IdiomsCao Cao now commands a host of a million and holds the Son of Heaven in his grip to give orders to the lords; truly, he cannot be challenged head-on.
  11. Land of AbundanceLuo Guanzhong · IdiomsYi Province is guarded by strong passes and has a thousand li of fertile plain; it is a land of natural abundance, and on it the founding emperor of Han built his imperial cause.
  12. Weeds Suddenly Cleared from the MindLuo Guanzhong · IdiomsXuande, hearing this, rose from his mat, clasped his hands and thanked him: "Your words have suddenly cleared the weeds from my mind; it is as if clouds and mist were swept away and I could see the blue sky;
  13. Thirsting for TalentLuo Guanzhong · IdiomsGeneral, you are a descendant of the imperial house, famed for good faith throughout the land; you gather heroes about you and long for worthy men as the thirsty long for water. If you hold both Jing and Yi, guard their natural defenses, make peace with the Rong in the west, pacify the Yi and Yue in the south, ally with Sun Quan abroad and set your government in order at home;
  14. Brilliant Purples and Lovely RedsTang Xianzu · Idioms[To the tune Zaoluopao] So everywhere brilliant purples and lovely reds are in bloom, and all of it given over to broken wells and crumbling walls.
  15. Fiery Eyes and Golden PupilsWu Cheng'en (traditionally attributed) · IdiomsOnly the wind stirred up smoke that smoked his pair of eyes red, leaving him with a chronic eye ailment; hence he was called 'Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils.'
  16. Like Thunder in the EarsLuo Guanzhong · IdiomsA distant scion of the Han house and a simple man of Zhuo, I have long heard your great name; it rings in my ears like thunder.
  17. A Shake and a TransformationWu Cheng'en (traditionally attributed) · IdiomsSeeing the thunder generals' swords, spears, halberds, whips, maces, hammers, axes and other weapons pressing in hard, he shook himself and transformed: he became three heads and six arms;
  18. Beaming with SmilesLuo Guanzhong · IdiomsIndeed he saw Kongming sitting in the tower above the city, his face full of smiles, burning incense and playing the zither.
  19. Three Heads and Six ArmsWu Cheng'en (traditionally attributed) · IdiomsSeeing the thunder generals pressing hard with swords, spears, halberds, whips, maces, axes, golden melons and crescent spades, he shook himself and changed: he became three heads and six arms;
  20. Divine Plans and Marvelous CalculationsLuo Guanzhong · IdiomsZhou Yu was astonished and sighed with feeling: "Kongming's plans are divine and his calculations marvelous; I am not his equal!
  21. A Fine Hour and a Lovely SceneTang Xianzu · IdiomsA fine hour, a lovely scene, under a helpless sky; whose courtyard holds the joy of a happy heart!
  22. Tugging Ears and Scratching CheeksWu Cheng'en (traditionally attributed) · IdiomsThe timid ones each craned their necks and shrank back, tugging their ears and scratching their cheeks, shouting loudly; after hanging back a while, they too all went in.
  23. Baskets of Rice and Pots of DrinkLuo Guanzhong · IdiomsWhen you yourself lead the forces of Yi Province out toward the Qin river valley, will any of the common people fail to bring baskets of rice and pots of drink to welcome you?
  24. A Person Without Good FaithWu Cheng'en (traditionally attributed) · AphorismsThe stone monkey sat upright on high and said: "Friends, 'a person without good faith, who knows how they can get by.'
  25. Sky and Lake One Seamless WhiteZhang Dai · AphorismsFrost mist filled the air; sky and clouds and hills and water were all one white, above and below.
  26. The Loquat Tree Now Tall as a CanopyGui Youguang · AphorismsIn the courtyard is a loquat tree that my wife planted with her own hands in the year she died; now it stands tall, spreading like a canopy.
  27. Mind Like a Monkey, Will Like a HorseWu Cheng'en (traditionally attributed) · IdiomsWhen scheming ends, the mind-monkey lies down; when the spirit is at ease, the will-horse walks calmly.
  28. Upholding Justice on Heaven's Behalf at LiangshanShi Nai'an (traditionally attributed) · IdiomsThe leaders on your mountain are all good men who carry out the Way on Heaven's behalf.
  29. Zhuge Liang Outargues the Scholars of WuLuo Guanzhong · IdiomsZhuge Liang debates the scholars with his tongue; Lu Zijing overrides the majority.
  30. Zhuge Liang Borrows Arrows with Straw BoatsLuo Guanzhong · IdiomsWith a clever plan Kongming borrows arrows; offering a secret scheme, Huang Gai is flogged.
  31. Lin Chong Is Driven to Mount LiangshanShi Nai'an (traditionally attributed) · IdiomsZhu Gui shoots a signal arrow from the water pavilion; Lin Chong goes up Liangshan on a snowy night.
  32. Everything Ready but the East Wind at Red CliffsLuo Guanzhong · IdiomsTo defeat Lord Cao, use fire; all is ready, only the east wind is lacking.
  33. Long Divided, the Realm Must Unite; Long United, It Must DivideLuo Guanzhong · IdiomsNow, the general trend of the realm is this: what is long divided must unite, and what is long united must divide.
  34. A Hundred and Eight Thousand Li ApartWu Cheng'en (traditionally attributed) · IdiomsA monk asked: "What was the meaning of the coming from the west?" The master said: "A hundred and eight thousand li."
  35. Having Eyes Yet Failing to Recognize Mount TaiShi Nai'an (traditionally attributed) · IdiomsMaster, with such great skill you must be an instructor. My boy had eyes but did not recognize Mount Tai.
  36. Zhuge Liang's Empty City StratagemLuo Guanzhong · IdiomsKongming put on his crane-feather cloak and silk kerchief, took two boy attendants carrying a zither, sat by the railing before the tower on the wall, burned incense and played.
  37. The Spell of the Tightening HeadbandWu Cheng'en (traditionally attributed) · IdiomsI have a spell as well, called the True Words for Settling the Mind, also known as the Spell of the Tightening Band.
  38. Quicker Than Words Can Tell ItShi Nai'an (traditionally attributed) · IdiomsQuicker than words can tell it, Wu Song saw the tiger spring, and with a single dodge he was behind it.
  39. Guan Yu Crosses Five Passes and Slays Six GeneralsLuo Guanzhong · IdiomsEven now, ten thousand generations on, who does not speak of the great hero who crossed five passes and slew six generals, turning heaven and earth upside down?
  40. A Hundred and Eight Characters, Each Unlike the RestJin Shengtan · AphorismsThe Water Margin depicts the natures of a hundred and eight people, and truly they are a hundred and eight different kinds.
  41. Free of Fixed Forms and FormulasYuan Hongdao · AphorismsMost of my younger brother Xiaoxiu's poems express his own spirit and are not bound by fixed forms; unless the words flowed from his own heart, he would not set them down.
  42. Nothing in His Sleeves but a Clear BreezeYu Qian · IdiomsWith only the clear breeze in my two sleeves I go to court, so the villagers will have nothing to gossip about.
  43. Study Hard and Love to AskWang Shouren · IdiomsFirm in purpose and earnest in practice, diligent in study and fond of asking questions.
  44. Meeting Hardship Calmly: Xu Heng's PovertySong Lian (comp.) · IdiomsWhen the millet failed he ate husks and greens, yet took it calmly, his recitation ringing out like bells and stones.
  45. Weighing the Times and the Tide: Zhang Juzheng on GoverningZhang Juzheng · IdiomsBut weighing the times and the trend, this is how government must be.
  46. Houses as Bare as Hanging Chime-Stones: Hai Rui's MemorialHai Rui · IdiomsYour Majesty spends ever more ruinously on worship, and homes are as bare as hanging chime-stones.
  47. Turning a Small Question into a Grand EssayAnonymous (Ming–Qing examination term) · IdiomsIt gives form to the void through the concrete, making a small topic big and achieving the utmost breadth; marvellous invention.
  48. Perfect in Goodness and Beauty: Jie Jin on Zhong and WangJie Jin · IdiomsThat is why the methods of Zhong Yao and Wang Xizhi are perfect in goodness and beauty.
  49. Unlocking the World's Secrets to Accomplish Its TasksJie Jin (comp.) · IdiomsThe Changes opens up things and accomplishes affairs, and covers the way of all under heaven; that is all.
  50. A Mind Grown Clear and StillTan Yuanchun · AphorismsWe sat in silence for a long time, and our minds grew clear and still.
  51. The Heart That Feels for Others' SufferingWang Shouren · IdiomsThe heart of compassion is found in all people.
  52. Gripping One's Wrist and SighingZhang Pu · IdiomsHow could they have made heroes bow, clasping their wrists at the tomb path and pouring out the grief of men of purpose?
  53. Restringing the Zither to Reform the GovernmentZhang Juzheng · IdiomsCompare it to a zither out of tune: in serious cases its strings must be taken off and restrung before it can be played.
  54. Mending One's Faults and Turning to GoodWang Shouren · IdiomsIf you can wash away your old stains at a stroke, then even if you were once a robber, today nothing stops you from being a gentleman!
  55. Clear-Sighted Wisdom That Keeps the Self WholeWang Gen · IdiomsClear-sighted wisdom is innate moral knowing; keeping oneself whole by clear-sighted wisdom is innate knowing and innate ability.
  56. The People Have No Means to LiveHai Rui · IdiomsAcross the realm officials are greedy and generals weak, the people have no means to live, floods and droughts never cease, and banditry grows ever worse.
  57. Expressing One's Own True Spirit: The Gong'an School CreedYuan Hongdao · AphorismsThey mostly express his own spirit and do not follow set forms; unless it flowed from his own heart, he would not set down his brush.
  58. Idling Away the Years: Wang Yangming's Charge to His StudentsWang Shouren · IdiomsToday's students are neglectful and lazy and idle away the years, achieving nothing at all, simply because they have not set their resolve.
  59. Reaching the Very Summit: Jie Jin on CalligraphyJie Jin · IdiomsIn a whole piece, though every character should be good, one or two must reach the very summit.
  60. Too Heavy to Turn Back: Zhang Juzheng's Six ProposalsZhang Juzheng · IdiomsThere is a drift toward slackness and decline, and the beginnings of a weight too heavy to turn back.
  61. Pearls Beneath the Brush with No Buyer: Xu Wei's Ink GrapesXu Wei · AphorismsThe bright pearls beneath my brush have nowhere to be sold; idly I toss them among the wild vines.
  62. Ground to Powder Without Fear: Yu Qian's Ode to LimeYu Qian · IdiomsEven if my bones are ground to powder I have no fear; I want only to leave my whiteness in the world.
  63. Green Mist and Red Haze over West Lake's Su CausewayYuan Hongdao · AphorismsFrom the Broken Bridge to the Su Causeway, green mist and red haze spread for more than twenty li.
  64. A Swan Let Out of Its Cage: Yuan Hongdao at ManjingYuan Hongdao · AphorismsGazing over the open expanse, I felt like a swan let out of its cage.
  65. As If Wading Deep Water and Treading on Ice: the Accession Edict of 1333Song Lian (comp.) · IdiomsI tremble in fear, as if wading through deep water and treading on ice, not knowing how to cross.
  66. Putting Oneself in Another's Place: Gu Xiancheng's Letter to Li SancaiGu Xiancheng · IdiomsI beg you to put yourself in my place and decide for me.
  67. Suddenly Seeing It Whole: Xie Jin on Mastering CalligraphyJie Jin · IdiomsWhen it is already fine, seek to make it finer still, and one day everything suddenly connects.
  68. Book Box on the Back, Dragging Worn Shoes: Song Lian's Hard Road to LearningSong Lian · AphorismsWhen I followed my teacher, I would carry my book box on my back and drag my shoes through deep mountains and great valleys.
  69. Rotting Cash Strings and Stale Grain: Hai Rui Holds Up Emperor WenHai Rui · IdiomsThe cash strings rotted and the grain grew stale, the people enjoyed some comfort and plenty, and he was called a worthy ruler after the Three Dynasties.
  70. Facing Death Without a Second Thought: the Five Men of SuzhouZhang Pu · AphorismsStirred by a great cause, they went to their deaths without a backward glance. What could be the reason?
  71. Trapped Whether Advancing or RetreatingGu Xiancheng · IdiomsAnd yet I look all around and pace back and forth, trapped whether I advance or retreat, and to this day I do not know what to decide. Why is that?
  72. Wind and Rain Dark as Night at the River CrossingSong Lian (comp.) · IdiomsAt dawn on the yisi day they reached the riverbank; wind and rain made all dark as night, and the generals all thought the river could not be crossed, but the emperor would not agree.
  73. As If Entering a Land Without PeopleYi Sun-sin · IdiomsThe great enemy is rampant and none can withstand its spearhead; it drives forward on its victories, as if entering a land without people.
  74. Dongting Red Oranges: Wen Ruoxu's Lucky VoyageLing Mengchu · AphorismsIt cost a tenth of the price of Fujian oranges, and was called Dongting Red.
  75. Heroes Are Those Who Read the Times: From Sima Hui to Zhang JuzhengZhang Juzheng · IdiomsThus I know that ordinary people can hardly be engaged on matters beyond the common run; those who understand the times are called outstanding men.
  76. A Long Road Proves a Horse's StrengthAnonymous (anonymous Ming and Qing compilers) · AphorismsA long road proves a horse's strength; long days reveal a person's heart.
  77. The Waterside Tower Gets the Moonlight FirstAnonymous (anonymous Ming and Qing compilers) · IdiomsThe tower near the water gets the moonlight first; flowers and trees facing the sun meet the spring early.
  78. In the Yangtze the Waves Behind Drive On Those AheadAnonymous (anonymous Ming and Qing compilers) · IdiomsIn the Yangtze the waves behind drive on those ahead; in the world new people chase the old.
  79. An Inch of Time Is an Inch of GoldAnonymous (anonymous Ming and Qing compilers) · IdiomsAn inch of time is an inch of gold; an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time.
  80. Only When Needed Do We Find Our Reading Too LittleAnonymous (anonymous Ming and Qing compilers) · AphorismsOnly when books are needed do we regret having read too few; without going through a thing one does not know how hard it is.