Chapter 21 postscript

From 1981 to 2002, Beijing Shiyue Literature and Art Publishing House published 22 kinds of "Modern Chinese Writers Series", which is well-known.If it weren't for the editor's appointment, I would not be able to write it. Although I have been familiar with Jin Yong's martial arts novels since I was a child, they are just as a kind of leisure and entertainment, to relax my body and mind. "Ming Pao" was too far away, so I didn't understand it at that time.For Jin Yong, a martial arts novelist, to be honest, I am not very interested. In midsummer ten years ago, when this book was first published, Jin Yong accepted an exclusive interview with CCTV's "News Night Talk" in Hangzhou. The host read a book review from "Beijing Daily" to him, saying that the new edition said he was "slow in eloquence, as a boss He is stingy, and then he is stingy, cunning, scheming, and caressing like a businessman. He has a strong complex of Great Chinaism, and he is attached to powerful people" (Actually, this is a summary of the book review, in the book There is no such simple conclusion, but to speak with materials).He said unhappy on the spot: "I don't recommend reading it, I don't know this person, and he doesn't know me." "No matter what, it's a lie, why should I read it?"

Because of the dissatisfaction of the author, the book has attracted widespread attention and some controversies as soon as it came out. The biggest controversy is that the author is still alive and the author has not interviewed the author.My point of view is that what I write is a biography, not a report, and I don't necessarily have to interview the subject.The subject is a public figure, and there are a large number of works published in the world. It is not difficult to collect records, memories, and reports about him. As long as the materials I use are credible, and my writing is objective and fair, I don’t need to pay attention to the subject. feelings.I look at him at the same level, as a real person, who is right and who is not is not.Due to the limited materials I have, there will be some gaps in my grasp of his life, but the biography itself can be tailored and made choices.I have never had personal contact with the hero, and I did not get the consent of the hero when I wrote it, nor did I show it to him after the draft was completed, and I was not affected by the attitude of the hero from the beginning to the end.This is a loss and a gain, and the gain is at least more than the loss.

I did not adopt the perspective of looking up (before me, almost all related biographies looked up to the subject), and I did not want to please the subject. Whether the subject approves or likes it has nothing to do with me.I just want to maintain a rigorous attitude, abide by objectivity and neutrality as much as possible, and write the real life, mental journey and career of the hero in plain language, and write an era in his fate The ups and downs, the ups and downs, the turbulent. The reason why I am willing to write this biography is not to set up a biography for the master, but to present the era in which he lived through the fate of a person, and to see the tortuous historical context of China in the 20th century with a specific case.Born in 1923, Jin Yong experienced the great turmoil and changes in Chinese society after the "May 4th Movement", but he grew up in the educational environment of the Republic of China. Primary and secondary education established his intellectual foundation and spiritual temperament.He was also fortunate to enter the "Ta Kung Pao", a model of "literati discussing politics", and was influenced by his predecessors. After 1948, he settled in Hong Kong, between Beijing, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. While guarding his favorite culture of his homeland, he eagerly followed the current situation.He created "Ming Pao" for decades, pointing out the country's affairs, inspiring writing, and winning a wide readership with his imaginative martial arts works.His fate and his choices at every important historical juncture are worthy of careful consideration.As a scholar, his response to the great era and the unique opportunities brought to him by the great era are propositions that can be discussed for a long time.

Jin Yong's self-effacement is just a small person, "it's not worth writing a biography, it's not of great value".He also said, "Although I am a small person, my life is very complicated", "My life experience is extremely complicated, I have done many activities, and my interests are very wide. I don't believe that anyone can fully understand me and write an interesting and real one biography".His life experience is indeed "extremely complicated". In his personal privacy, whether it involves emotions or politics, it is often difficult for outsiders to know.He said that he is unwilling to share his inner secrets with the public. He knows a lot of people and it is not convenient to talk about it publicly.He has run a newspaper in Hong Kong for more than 30 years, his political attitude, his choice of positions among Beijing, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and his complicated heart, all of which are beyond doubt.It is not accidental that he is favored by politicians on both sides of the strait (for example, Mr. Hao Ming, who is familiar with him, knows a little-known experience of his. Hao Ming was originally the editor of the "New Construction" magazine of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. After moving to New York, he once told Mr. Fan Dainian about their origins and entanglements).

Fortunately, I care more about him as a public figure, and his performance at every stage can be seen by the world.Although his performance in his later years has attracted a lot of criticism, I still believe that he has nothing to lose in the face of big right and wrong, at least based on the materials I have so far.Mr. Qian Mu once said to his disciple, Professor Xin Yiyun: "When looking at history, you must be able to grasp it from the historical events. When evaluating historical figures, you should mainly look at his deeds in major historical events and their influence on major events, not just small things." I think this is "Understanding of sympathy" should also be viewed in the same way for Jin Yong.For some reason, I can't write about his performance in some major historical events, which may affect readers' fair evaluation of him.

Since the first edition of this book ten years ago, I have continued to collect relevant materials. During this period, I have visited the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong twice. The memories of his subordinate Ms. Shi Bei and others also provided a lot of new materials. They all had first-hand specific memories of his living habits, personality, eloquence, etc.In this revision, I have added a lot of new materials, which greatly enriched the content of his golden age (1959-1989), and can give more convincing answers to some major choices in his life.There are also many new gains in his early study and work in Quzhou Middle School, "Southeast Daily", "Time and Tide" semi-monthly, and "Ta Kung Pao".In addition, the length of the book has also been greatly increased and deleted. The deleted chapters are mainly related to his later years after he sold "Ming Pao". There are few traces of him either, and although he has always been the subject of media attention, he is of little biographical importance.I don't know whether the revised version completed ten years later has truly written the fate of a person and an era, but I have tried my best.I am fully responsible for the mistakes and deficiencies, and please feel free to correct the Fang family and readers.

Thanks to Teacher Ding Dong and Sister Ding Ning, brothers Jin Zhong, Brother Dong Jiongming, Brother Qian Gang, Sister Cai Yongmei, Brother Fan Baihua, Brother Chen Yuanhuan, Brother Yu Guoming, Brother Ying Hui, Brother Wu Shaofei and other teachers and friends for providing me with precious help, thank you, Mr. Mr. Wang Zhichen and Mrs. Xu Nailing, descendants of Ta Kung Pao, helped me copy the internal magazine "Great Park". It has been six and a half years since Mr. Wang Zhichen passed away.Thanks to Mr. Zhang Kebiao, a centenarian who answered my questions and problems. He was a math teacher in the first year of Chuanzhu. It has been five and a half years since he passed away.I would also like to thank Dong Jinzhi for his help at the University of Hong Kong, as well as the Zhejiang Provincial Archives, Hangzhou Archives, Quzhou Municipal Archives, the Ancient Books Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Library, the University of Hong Kong Library, and the Chinese Studies Service Center of the Chinese University of Hong Kong for their services .I would like to thank my wife Cao Lirong and son Fu Yang for their love and understanding. The first and revised editions of this book cannot be completed without you. I am grateful for this and may the Lord bless you.