Chapter 93 dialogue

Wang Guowei is a representative of conservative scholars, and Hu Shi is a leader of the New Culture Movement. These two scholars with diametrically opposite academic ideas, but cherish each other, leaving a good story. In 1917, Hu Shi returned to China after studying in the United States for 7 years. In Shanghai, after inspecting the publishing industry, he wrote in "Returning Miscellaneous Feelings": In recent years, among the academic "literary books, only Wang Guowei's "Song and Yuan Opera History" "It's good". On April 15, 1922, Hu Shi recorded in his diary: "Read Mr. Wang Guowei's translation of the French Pelliot article, and add punctuation for him. This article is very good." On August 28, Hu Shi expressed his disapproval again. Wang's favor, he wrote in his diary: "Today's Chinese academia is really withered and fragmented. There are only four old-style scholars left: Wang Guowei, Luo Zhenyu, Ye Dehui, and Zhang Binglin; secondly, there are only half-new and half-old transitional scholars. Liang Qichao and a few of us. Among them, Zhang Binglin is semi-inflexible academically, Luo and Ye are not organized, and only Wang Guowei is the most promising."

In 1922, Wang Guowei said in a letter to Gu Jiegang: "After reading the two volumes of Hu Junshi's "Water Margin" and "Red Mansion", I am sure that I should take it seriously, but I dare not agree with him advocating vernacular poetry." Gu Jiegang was Hu Shi's most proud student, and academically he was the most admired by Hu Shi's true spirit of "doubting ancient times" and researching ancient history.Wang Guowei commented on Hu Shi, and soon passed it from Gu to Hu Shi.Thus, there was Hu Shi's visit to Wang Guowei.According to "Hu Shi's Diary" on December 16, 1923:

"I visited Mr. Wang Jing'an (Guowei), and we talked for more than one hour. He said that none of his disciples understood Dai Dongyuan's philosophy, and he almost killed himself. This is true. Dai's disciples, such as Duan Yucai, are outstanding. Yes. However, he complimented Dai's ancient prose and stereotyped essays in the "Chronicle", not as good as his philosophy, how ugly! Mr. Jing'an asked me if Xue Dingshan and Fan Lihua killed his father in the novel "Xue Family General", is there any special significance?I never thought about this question.Things of this kind abound in ancient Greek tragedies.

He also said that Westerners promote desire too much, and after a certain period of time, it will be destroyed.I am not pessimistic about this.Even if we are pessimistic, we cannot follow the Westerners on this road today.He thought so too.I think the major problem in the West today is not the development of desires, but the fact that the progress of reason has never caught up with the progress of material civilization. He cited that an American company spent 6 million yuan to produce a film and used more than 1,000 acres of land, saying that this method cannot last long.I said that it takes so much time and effort to produce a film, just as we spend a lot of energy researching a word and searching for countless versions. "

The first two things that Wang Guowei talked about were things that Hu Shi hadn't noticed, so they naturally stimulated him accordingly.After leaving the palace, the sensitive Hu Shi went to Ma Youyu to borrow a copy of "The Collection of Diaoyulou" written by Dai Zhenhou and Jiao Xun (Li Tang).That night, he began to study Dai Zhen, and tried to write a short article "Describing Dongyuan's position in the history of thought" for the "Dongyuan Library" initiated by Tao Xingzhi. After that, Hu Shi wrote "Dai Dongyuan's Philosophy" Book. Wang Guowei, who is well versed in academic etiquette, paid a return visit to Hu Shi's residence the next day (December 17).Until Hu Shi's later years, he still had a special impression of Wang Guowei. He said to his assistant Hu Songping: Wang Guowei is a very smart person. When he was young, he used Schopenhauer's philosophy to explain his later achievements. It was Luo Zhenyu who trained him successfully, of course it also depends on his own talent and skills.Said Wang Guowei, "He is very ugly, with small braids, and his appearance is really ugly, but just reading his poems and words, I think he is a romantic talent!"

In 1924, Tsinghua University wanted to "reform into a university" and set up a research institute at the same time.Cao Yunxiang, the principal of Tsinghua School, asked Hu Shi to be the dean of the Tsinghua Research Institute under construction, but Hu Shi refused. He recommended Wang Guowei, and suggested that President Cao should adopt the tutor system of Song and Yuan academies. At the same time, he recommended four tutor candidates: Liang Qichao, Wang Guowei, Zhang Taiyan, Zhao Yuanren.Later, because of Zhang Taiyan's refusal, Chen Yinke (recommended by Wu Mi) was hired instead.

At that time, Wang Guowei was traveling for the Southern Study of Emperor Xun Puyi. Cao Yunxiang went to ask for it in person, but Wang Guowei refused to accept it.In November of the same year, Puyi moved out of the palace and temporarily lived in Prince Chun's Mansion, and Wang Guowei also accompanied him. In 1925, Hu Shi asked Wang Guowei to be the tutor of Tsinghua Academy of Chinese Studies, but Wang Guowei refused.Hu Shi did the work of the abolished emperor Puyi and John Stoneston (Puyi's English teacher), and asked Puyi to persuade him to drive him.Puyi then ordered his masters to write an imperial edict, but Wang Guowei could not refuse, so he agreed to teach under the edict.

Hu Shi's sincerity and Principal Cao's kindness moved Wang Guowei.So, he decided to go to Tsinghua Research Institute to take a look in person.Hu Shi took Wang Guowei in his own car, accompanied him back and forth, and took a trip to Tsinghua University. It is said that after that, Wu Mi, director of Tsinghua National Academy, went to invite Wang Guowei with a letter of appointment written by Cao Yunxiang himself.Before going to the door, Wu conducted a special investigation and research on the life, thoughts, and habits of Wang, a relic of the Qing Dynasty, and planned a careful countermeasure.After arriving at Wang Guowei's residence, Wu Mi entered the hall, without saying a word, lay down on the ground with a "plop", first kowtowed three times, then got up and sat down, and then slowly mentioned the matter of employment.Wang Guowei was surprised and deeply moved by such a move, and agreed on the spot.According to "Wu Mi's Diary": "Mr. Wang said after the fact that he thought that the person who came would be a young man in a suit and leather shoes, shaking hands and sitting opposite him. He knew the difference, so he decided to hire him."

After Wang Guowei sank into Kunming Lake, Chen Yinke specifically mentioned a major event in Wang's later life in "Mr. Wang Guantang's Elegy", that is, Hu Shi recommended Wang Guowei as the tutor of the Tsinghua Research Institute. Chen Yinke has a poem: "Lulian Huangyao Jixi Hu is the only one who cherishes great Confucianism in China" (Hu Shi is from Jixi, Anhui).And Chen Yinke has always respected Hu Shi since then, probably because Hu Shi respected Mr. Wang Guowei, whom he respected, and urged Wang Guowei to become a tutor of Tsinghua National Academy.