Lectures from the Dust of Xiangtian by Wang Baishi, Volume 1

In the Informal History of the Yuan original: 元野史 (Yuán Yě Shǐ); a collection of historical anecdotes and literary snippets from the Yuan Dynasty., there is a seven-character phrase: "The pure essence of the universe is difficult to obtain." I pondered and reflected upon these words hundreds of times until I finally reached a state of realization. I began to regret the superficiality of my younger years, which was born of carelessness and a restless spirit. I had never truly explored the deeper meaning of the word "Clarity" original: 清 (qīng). In this context, it refers to a state of being untainted, transparent, and spiritually resonant—a quality highly prized in both a person’s character and their writing.. I had wasted ten years of scholarly effort without grasping even a fraction of its essence.

From that point on, whenever I engaged in editing or writing, I would silently seek out where this Clarity resided. I suddenly felt that every word written by the ancients was drawn directly from the source of my own heart. Gazing up or down, I felt a sense of leisurely detachment; everything, inside and out, became transparent. Even when examining the works of my contemporaries, I view them through this same lens. Although this compilation is not an original treatise, I have remained extremely cautious regarding the true meaning of Clarity.

Mr. Zhang Nanshan of Panyu Zhang Weiping. He earned the highest imperial degree in the year 1822 and served as the Prefect of Nankang. His poetic pseudonym was "The Hut for Listening to Pines," and he published a collection of poems under that name. and Mr. Zhang Hengfu of my own Fujian province Named Zhang Jiliang, a native of Jianning. He earned the provincial degree in 1835. His poetic pseudonym was "Hermit of the Pine Thicket," and he authored a collected works. were contemporaries of equal fame. They stood as towering figures, recognized as the leading masters of poetry during the Jiaqing and Daoguang eras The reigns of the Jiaqing (1796–1820) and Daoguang (1821–1850) Emperors..

Mr. Nanshan’s life was quite smooth; his later years grew even sweeter. His students and family connections spanned the entire Guangdong region. His works, such as the Brief Survey of Poetry and Lyrics, are destined to be passed down through the ages. In contrast, Mr. Hengfu lived a life of hardship and poverty. He spent his years wandering through mountains and rivers, and in his old age, he lived as a guest in a strange land. He eventually died far from home in the capital Beijing. His surviving manuscripts are fragmented; not one in ten remains. Yet his posthumous reputation has only grown more brilliant over time. To this day, when people of Guangdong discuss poetry, they inevitably speak of Nanshan; when people of Fujian discuss poetry, [they speak of Hengfu].