Wiping the Dust at the Five-Hundred-Stone Grotto Heaven, Vol. 1

Wielding the Whisk in the Five Hundred Stones Grotto: Volume 1, Part 3

Yaoting Peilan Referring to Qu Dajun (1630–1696), a famous loyalist poet and scholar. is considered one of the Three Great Masters of Eastern Guangdong.

Qu Wengshan Another name for Qu Dajun., in his poem "Du's Tune" written at the shrine of Master Du Zimei The great Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu, whom these scholars emulated., once wrote the lines: "A generation's tragic songs become the history of the nation; the civilizing influence of the Two Nans resides within the poets." original: 二南 (èr nán). Refers to the "Zhou Nan" and "Shao Nan" sections of the Classic of Poetry, which represent the foundation of moral transformation through literature. Later, upon hearing of the sudden death of Gu Ningren Yanwu Gu Yanwu (1613–1682), a preeminent scholar-official known for his "practical learning" and loyalty to the Ming. of Kunshan, Qu wailed for him and wrote: "In this generation, no one truly knows the Sun and Moon; but among the imperial tombs, you alone recognized the Spring and Autumn." original: 日月 (rìyuè). This is a subtle wordplay; the character for "Sun" and "Moon" combined form the name of the "Ming" (明) Dynasty. "Spring and Autumn" refers to the Confucian annals of moral judgment. The sentiment and intent of these poems are subtly similar; his esteem for Gu could be called ultimate. This was a truly exceptional insight of that time.

The poetic studies of both Masters Qu and Gu were derived from Du Fu. Their shared sense of desolation and noble defiance original: 骯髒 (āngzāng). In modern usage this means "filthy," but in this classical context, it describes an unyielding, rugged, and upright character that refuses to compromise with a corrupt world. meant they had long recognized each other as kindred spirits.

Qu eventually became famous as a master of this style of poetry, whereas Gu’s ambition lay in statecraft original: 經世 (jīngshì). A philosophy focusing on practical governance and the actual welfare of society rather than abstract metaphysical speculation.; that which he believed in was certainly far greater than mere poetry. In an old letter to Huang Lizhou Huang Zongxi (1610–1695), another of the great "Three Scholars of the Early Qing.", Gu wrote:

"I humbly reflect that before my middle years, I did nothing more than follow in the wake of literati, merely annotating 'insects and fish' A metaphor for trivial, pedantic scholarship. and 'chanting of the wind and moon' A metaphor for frivolous, purely aesthetic poetry.. After accumulating years of exhaustive research into the past and present, I finally understood that increasing the sea begins with the first stream, and building a mountain depends on the final basket of earth. Thus, I gradually gained insight into the ultimate meaning of the Sages' Six Classics, the roots of order and chaos within the state, and the fundamental strategies for the people's well-being."

He also wrote: "Regarding the affairs of the world, those who possess insight may not encounter the right time, while those who face the right time may lack the necessary insight. This is why the gentlemen of old wrote books to await a future True King..." original: 王者 (wángzhě). A sage-ruler who governs by virtue.