Preface (Continued)

...the middle of the dynasty declined. The factions of Jing and Shu original: 荆舒 (Jīng Shū). Referring to the reformist party of Wang Anshi (from Jing county) and his rivals, whose infighting weakened the Song Dynasty. initiated the calamity, and the Shu and Luo factions original: 蜀洛 (Shǔ Luò). Referring to the intellectual and political rivalry between the followers of Su Shi (Shu) and the Cheng brothers (Luo). clashed recklessly; it was then that the Records of the Whisk original: 麈史 (Zhǔ Shǐ). A work by Wang Dezhen of the Song Dynasty. appeared.

By the time the Jin invaders entered the capital at Bian and the "mud horse crossed the river" original: 泥馬渡江. A legend regarding the miraculous escape of the first Southern Song Emperor, Gaozong, across the Yangtze River to flee the Jurchen invaders., the disaster facing the "Heavenly Water" dynasty original: 天水 (Tiānshuǐ). The ancestral home of the Zhao imperial family, here used as a poetic name for the Song Dynasty. became even more severe. It was at this moment that the Waving the Whisk: Front and Back Records original: 揮麈前後錄 (Huīzhǔ Qiánhòu Lù). An influential collection of historical notes by Wang Mingqing, written after the fall of Northern Song. was produced.

Thereupon, the traitor [Qin] Hui controlled the state. Today they discussed peace; tomorrow they ceded land. The barbarian threat in the Central Plains lasted for more than a hundred and seventy years before it finally ceased.

Alas! How strange it is! As for the affairs of the world, I am but a foolish man and dare not claim to know them. Yet now, Shuyuan’s book is specifically titled Whisk Waving. For this reason, I cannot help but be deeply moved.

Shuyuan’s years are still in their prime, yet he has already set his heart upon statecraft original: 經世 (jīngshì). The practical application of Confucian learning to solve the administrative and social problems of the day.. In the future, he will surely bring forth his grand talent and vast learning. Within the ranks of the imperial entourage original: 屬車豹尾 (shǔchē bàowěi). Literally "attendant carriages and leopard tails," symbols of the Emperor's procession., he will carry his brush and await consultation, polishing the great imperial works—a task that belongs to no one else but him. As for holding the military banner to govern a region, or presiding over the sacrificial vessels to forge alliances, his strategies for navigating crises will surely be of a caliber rarely seen in any age. I see the evidence of this potential in the courage he displays in writing this book.

I previously wrote a preface for his Redundant Talks. Now that this book is complete, Shuyuan has again requested my contribution. Therefore, I have taken my feelings of deep admiration for Shuyuan and expressed them here; my own subtle purpose in observing the world and being moved by the times is also recorded in this piece.