Chapter 53 Appreciate

When Huang Kan talked about Liu Shipei, a teacher who was only one year older than himself, he sighed infinitely: "What a genius, there were three geniuses in the Qing Dynasty, and they all died at the age of 36. In the early Qing Dynasty, there was Kong Guangsen, in the middle there was Dai Wang, and in the late Qing Dynasty, there were three geniuses. There is Uncle Liu Shen. It's a pity." Liu Shipei’s literary history teaching and research activities at Peking University, especially the publication of "Lecture Notes on the History of Chinese Literature in Medieval Times", played a "model" role for future generations.Some people commented: "In the modern Chinese academic circle, this book is probably the first one that truly discusses the 'history of literature' as a 'specialized study', and whose writings have a long-lasting influence."

After Liu Shipei's soul returned to Daoshan, Cai Yuanpei said with infinite regret in "Uncle Liu Junshen's Stories": "I want to devote myself to academics, not to be disturbed by external factors, to strengthen myself with health, and to devote myself to writing. Would you rather limit it? What a pity!" Some people say: Liu Shipei has repeatedly made mistakes in politics, and his conduct has been despised by others during his lifetime.However, the evaluation of his academic contribution has always been consistent. Someone ridiculed Liu Shipei for "making paste with laughter in a precarious and chaotic world", and this pot of "paste" was enough for him to digest for 10,000 years.In a chaotic world, everyone is prone to change, everyone is fickle, and many people are capricious in their political pursuits. The only difference is whether there is a high standard or a bottom line.Liu Shipei is fickle, always tossing and turning in the muddy water, and eventually becomes trivial and dirty, both moral and academic are damaged, and he is despised by others. Strictly stick to the bottom line, and have the drive to become happier as you become more depraved.

Huang Kan once commented on his teacher Liu Shipei, saying: "Worry and thought will hurt his life, and slander will spread to future generations. It is a pity to make people laugh!" In fact, it is not without ideological clues to go from radical revolution to support for dictatorship. There are many precedents in the modern history of China and foreign countries. The so-called polar opposites are also connected.” In his letter to Qian Xuantong, Lu Xun called Liu Shipei "a detective who has sold human flesh." Regarding Liu Shipei's "History of Chinese Literature in the Middle Ages", Lu Xun commented in 1928: "No published book (referring to the history of Chinese literature) I have read is good. Only Uncle Liu Shen's "History of Chinese Literature in the Middle Ages" is really good. It's good, but unfortunately there are too many typos." In his famous speech "Wei Jin Manners and the Relationship between Articles, Medicine and Wine", Lu Xun recommended: "It is easier to study the literature at that time, because someone has already done it. Work...the compilation of literature lectures of this era includes Liu Shipei's "History of Chinese Literature in Medieval Times"...it will be of great help to our research." At the same time, he declared: "If what I said today is detailed in Mr. Liu's book, I will Just a little bit; on the contrary, what Mr. Liu omitted, I will go into detail."

Liu Shipei's uncle said in the epitaph written for him: "My nephew got his name too early, his nature is impermanent, he likes to be strange and curious, and he is eager for quick profit." Chen Zhongfan said in "Mr. Liu's Actions" that Liu Shipei "can't forget his love and rank, and is always drawn by Qian Ren...so he fell into the trap".