Compilation of Stumps

诞叟Qunyan Publishing House · ChinaApr 2022

Rating 3.5
Word count
230K words
Chapters
26

Tags

Classical Literature OfficialdomOfficialdom VicissitudesChapter NovelSatirical StyleLate Qing BureaucracyLate Qing and Early Republic

Summary

Among modern full-length serial novels, Wucui Bian (also known as The Bell of Officialdom) does not stand in the most prominent position, yet it is nonetheless a brilliant and distinctive specimen. The author, Dansou, is Qian Xibao, courtesy name Shuchu, a native of Hangzhou, Zhejiang. He lived during the late Qing and early Republic, and few details of his life are known. In the preface by Chanqi Ciren dated bingchen year (1916), there are passages such as "Dansou, down and out on the rivers and lakes, rose to serve among the high ministers; in the morning he wore the embroidered sash, at dusk he donned the misty rain cape" and "amid the galloping of war horses, in spare moments from grinding his shield, he produced this essay of laughter and curses." From these it is clear that the author had personally weathered the seas of officialdom but remained quite unfulfilled; his indignation at the world condensed into his writing and took form in this novel.

Editor's review

Wucui Bian, also known as The Bell of the Official Sea, is a long-underrated satirical novel among modern chapter novels. The author, Dansou, is Qian Xibao, a man of the late Qing and early Republic who experienced official life without success. Phrases in the preface such as "in the morning wearing embroidered robes, by evening a straw cloak" and "leisure between grinding shields" reveal his ups and downs between military campaigns and the official arena, which is why his mockery and scolding carry a sense of reality. The book uses the official arena as a mirror, depicting the strange conditions of late Qing administrative governance. Its satirical technique is cold and severe yet not without humor. For readers accustomed to The Bureaucrats Revealed and Strange Events Witnessed in Twenty Years, it is a worthwhile missing link in the same lineage. This Qunyan Press typeset edition makes the text accessible to modern readers and is suitable as extended reading for a topic on late Qing exposé fiction, as well as for casual reading by those interested in modern social history and official culture. Note that the novel has many characters and branching plots; on first reading, one should slow down, clarify character relationships, and then appreciate its satirical edge.

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Reading tips

  1. Read the preface and table of contents first to understand the book's structure, then read chapter by chapter to avoid confusion over character relationships.
  2. Prepare a brief character relationship chart and note official positions and kinship ties as you go to follow the plot.
  3. Read it alongside The Bureaucrats Revealed and compare the two works' satirical techniques and source perspectives.
  4. When encountering institutional terminology, skip it first and revisit after finishing the chapter; there is no need to parse every word.

About the publisher

Qunyan Publishing House China · Founded in 1989

Founded in 1989, Qunyan Publishing House has long been committed to publishing academic and educational books for mid- and high-level readers, and has built up a certain presence in Eastern philosophy, classical literature, and classic works. Representative titles available in the database include Records of the Grand Historian, Dream of the Red Chamber, Selections of Refined Literature, Complete Song Ci, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Record of Daily Knowledge, Taiping Huimin Hejiju Fang, and The Collected Works of Wang Yangming, covering common categories such as ancient poetry, medicine, and examinations. Its author resources include Sima Qian, Cao Xueqin, Xiao Tong, Li Shan, Pu Songling, and Gu Yanwu. The press also offers distinctive series such as the Biographical Series of the China Democratic League and the Historical Documents Series of the China Democratic League, and publishes research on historical documents, biographies, memoirs, and textbooks and academic works by League members. Public information is limited, and its overall publishing scale and complete catalogue require further verification.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 序
  3. 第一回 龙伯青凑趣开筵 贾端甫临崖勒马
  4. 第二回 赘姻富室大度能容 买笑秦淮酸怀难遣
  5. 第三回 沆瀣相投高谈道学 睚眦必报巧遇冤家
  6. 第四回 龙伯青忍辱绍箕裘 增朗之避风登仕版
  7. 第五回 戒懔四知正言规友 政成百里密疏荐贤
  8. 第六回 学步后尘苦心独运 荣膺简擢坦腹双栖
  9. 第七回 甘小就正士知机 恶作伪才媛择木
  10. 第八回 屈膝负荆终成佳偶 啮臂断袖别具赏音
  11. 第九回 助奁妆院司同掷锦 误朝贺府县共迷花
  12. 第十回 澄叙官方惊看白简 褒崇勋绩荣擢乌台
  13. 第十一回 月夜看山魂销罗绮 凉宵听雨乡恋温柔
  14. 第十二回 买军火太守展长才 开绮筵钦差饶雅兴
  15. 第十三回 长袖善舞利益均沾 新学争鸣诗张百出
  16. 第十四回 会短离长萧郎萦别梦 情深胆怯弱弟试灵丹
  17. 第十五回 侍疾承恩正名有待 酬庸表绩特荐频邀
  18. 第十六回 得色思财惊传噩耗 以财易色细演奇谈
  19. 第十七回 祝融一炬熔尽铜山 飞燕重逢营成金屋
  20. 第十八回 怙恶不悛远戍榆塞 嗜痂成癖死殉莲钩
  21. 第十九回 中萋菲飞章移柏座 执斧柯投刺访兰交
  22. 第二十回 女偿父债供状分明 李代桃僵遗言惨切
  23. 第二十一回 药石误投丧朋抱痛 蒹葭幸托凉血甘居
  24. 第二十二回 矢贞珉娇女善承欢 吞巨款恶奴谋反噬
  25. 第二十三回 六亲同运幕燕分飞 一梦荒唐辕驹息辙
  26. 第二十四回 甘偕隐海陵营别墅 约同心嵩岳访名山

FAQ

Are Wucui Bian and The Bell of the Official Sea the same book? Yes, they are two titles for the same book. Wucui Bian, also known as The Bell of the Official Sea, both refer to this full-length chapter novel by Dansou (Qian Xibao). The content is the same; only the title differs by edition or period.
Who is the author Dansou? Dansou is Qian Xibao, courtesy name Shuchu, a native of Hangzhou, Zhejiang, who lived in the late Qing and early Republic. Records of his deeds are sparse. According to phrases in the 1916 preface by Chanqi Ciren such as "fallen to the rivers and lakes, yet placed among the ministers" and "amid galloping horses and military campaigns," he was involved in official and military affairs but was quite unsuccessful, and he lodged his indignation at the world in this novel.
Can I read this directly without having read late Qing exposé fiction? Yes, but it is advisable to first understand the basic background of the late Qing official arena. The book's satirical targets are mostly related to institutions such as administrative governance, purchased offices, and private secretaries; without any background knowledge, the satirical effect will be diminished. One may first read an overview of the late Qing official arena or selected passages from The Bureaucrats Revealed as preparation.
How difficult is this book to read? It is moderately to considerably difficult. The language is a chapter-style mix of classical and vernacular Chinese, with many characters and branching plots, so initial reading requires patience. It is best to slow down and take notes on characters; after getting through the first few chapters, the rhythm becomes much smoother.

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About the author

诞叟 Author

Dan Sou is an author in the field of classical Chinese literature about whom very little biographical information is available. His real name, dates of birth and death, native place, and nationality are not clearly recorded, and public sources are limited, so his general profile can only be inferred from the works he left behind. Four of his works are collected here, the representative one being Wucui Bian, alongside three volumes of the classical novel Wucui Bian (Parts One, Two, and Three). The book belongs to the category of classical literature and classic works. The title "Wucui" comes from the name of a fierce beast in ancient legend, often associated with the idea of punishment and moral warning, suggesting that the subject matter tends toward satire of worldly affairs and criticism of human conduct. The language follows the style of traditional fiction, alternating narrative with commentary, and has a certain distinctiveness within the genealogy of classical novels. Because historical sources are lacking, other details of Dan Sou's life cannot be verified; readers may instead focus on the text of Wucui Bian itself and appreciate the author's artistic pursuits through its choice of subject and style of writing.