Record of the Old Garrison and the Cold Reed Horn

叶楚伧Jun 2024

3.4

Word count: 150K words
Chapters: 47

Summary

A thousand scrolls of verse where mountain and stream meet; one boat of wine beneath the bright moon and clear wind. Ask who might serve as companions: beauties and talents, and the immortals.

Editor's review

"Old Garrison, Cold Reed Pipe" opens in a vein of poetic wine and elegance, setting "mountain and stream" and "bright moon and clear wind" alongside "beauties and talents, and the immortals" to create an atmosphere at once open and serene yet tinged with the desolate air of the frontier. The title's "old garrison, cold reed pipe" stands in subtle tension with the free-spirited verses of the text, signaling to readers that this is not merely a work of leisure but may harbor a spirit of self-possession amid troubled times. Ye Chucang's writing shows a grounding in classical verse, with crisp imagery and brisk rhythm, suited to being read and savored in scattered moments. Readers familiar with modern classical poetry can sense here how traditional imagery extends into a new context; ordinary readers might treat it as a window onto the hard-to-express mood of an era, concealed behind the solace of poetry and wine.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy classical verse and are interested in modern literati writing
Readers who wish to feel frontier imagery and the air of the distinguished scholar in short pieces
Readers who need fragmentary reading and prefer condensed language

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a complete novelistic plot and character arcs
Beginners unfamiliar with classical Chinese or classical verse expression
Readers seeking systematic historical narrative or textual research

Reading tips

First read the verses aloud to feel the syllables and parallelism, then return to the title "old garrison, cold reed pipe" to consider its intent
Break the four lines apart, associate each with images and moods, record your own responses, then compare them with the author's intent
Read alongside anthologies of modern classical verse or frontier poetry to observe how traditional imagery is carried on and transformed

版权信息
第一回楔子
第二回系颈以来似曾相识排闼而入不知谁何
第三回露消息奇方参谜语叩山村避地识佳人
第四回前度之艳史泪于中宵流
第五回联珠弩中宵惊杰士孤树村客邸志奇逢
第六回孤树村煮酒谈心古凝神建瓴定策
第七回软玉温香独来艳境纸窗雪夜追述奇谋
第八回弄聪明桃僵李代走钦犯人去楼空
第九回官太太床头传妙策差伯伯意外遇佳人
第十回乍现双尸失魂落魄不禁一吓命将出师
第十一回一士谔谔屈居坐末有客翩翩来自江南
第十二回紫藤篱外诗改村居白草风中人来晚市
第十三回珠走如意美人入局车镶七宝妃子进宫
第十四回春云乍展绣闼留宾山雨欲来穷荒设教
第十五回说大义鸠儿驯野性约会师鸳侣走长途
第十六回夜行船孤村访遗硕破阵乐三泖练舟师
第十七回恩变仇鸳鸯成小劫假作真蚌蛤误渔人
第十八回开狗府湖山蒙不洁全鸳侣侠士结同盟
第十九回美停云指掌太仓州莽乞儿大闹断头港
第二十回罢诗战鸾绡离绣阁陈水嬉画桨演明湖
第二十一回雌抚院闻歌知雅意女才子雄辩析群疑
第二十二回试水性龙舟传馀韵得天助蛛网决休祥
第二十三回述地势名词辩旧诂泄机密抚部下征书
第二十四回箫鼓画船临淮新涨龙蛇上陆瀛海生波
第二十五回抵掌谈兵别翻酒令抱衾送笑独具风情
第二十六回江上良宵名姬同枕关中羽檄远道征师
第二十七回闻恶耗两日夜行九百里挫敌锋一女子杀六十人
第二十八回惑虚利赤力克退兵议战守郝子玉坚壁
第二十九回月下沙明何来轻骑濠边血冷突现佳人
第三十回古凝神飞檄策各路吉尔杭秉节视三边
第三十一回童子跌金刚吉尔杭受缚游龙遇醉鳖奇色渥褫官
第三十二回以怨报德全家被困引虎离山五儿复仇
第三十三回订新欢祁夫人别嫁闻密耗杨春华起兵
第三十四回红石山上差官荷叶岭前熟客
第三十五回衙官卫霍拈须一笑云霓幽燕弹指重关
第三十六回骊山烽火传中夜易水歌声又一时
第三十七回制中权书生进大计探敌信江左出偏师
第三十八回粗客出嘉猷松江唾手狡奴娴军略石瓮设奇
第三十九回一棹载佳人朝山拜佛千人下名邑行赏论功
第四十回东门锁钥江口雄师北地缁尘楼头歌舞
第四十一回因美人留下一命借题目激起三军
第四十二回恒王旧人黄冠野服云门仙诀玉版新诗
第四十三回秦亡汉禅历历眼前鹤驭鸾吟翩翩世外
第四十四回出梦入梦迷离神境欲去未去迢递心盟
第四十五回看日出诠释旧闻下峰腰惊睹异物
第四十六回出梦境火攻第一关遇道人金箴参万世

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a poetry collection?

From the available materials, it is short, with verse as its main body, closer to a work of classical poetry and prose than to a novel with a complete plot. It is best savored as verse; do not expect narrative development.

Why is there such a contrast between the title and the style of the verses?

"Old garrison, cold reed pipe" carries a frontier desolation, while the verses in the text write of poetic wine and elegance, talents and immortals. This contrast is precisely what merits attention; it may embody a mood of self-possession through poetry and wine amid troubled times, for readers to consider for themselves.

Is it suitable to read in one sitting?

It is short and can be finished quickly, but it is better suited to repeated recitation. Reading only a line or two at a time and pondering the tension among images in light of the title yields more than a hurried reading.

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About the author

叶楚伧 Author

Ye Chucang is the author of Gu Shu Han Jia Ji (An Account of the Old Garrison and the Cold Reed Whistle). Publicly available information about his life is limited: his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly documented, and only one of his works is included in the collection. Judging from this work, which is classified under Eastern philosophy, the title evokes frontier garrisons and a bleak, mournful reed whistle, suggesting that the book may use historical or frontier imagery to develop its narrative and to reflect on human affairs and life. Owing to the scarcity of verifiable sources, it is difficult to determine the full range of his writing style and its specific influence. What can be confirmed is that Ye Chucang enters the view of Chinese-language readers through this single work, which offers a text worthy of reading and reflection. For both researchers and general readers, further understanding of the author and his writing will depend on the discovery and organization of more public documents.