Chapter 80 Postscript

After proofreading the last word, he finally let out a long sigh of relief facing the manuscript that was about to be sent out.Because this means that a sixteen-year creative journey has finally come to an end.These sixteen years—from thirty-seven to fifty-three years old—should belong to the most vigorous and perhaps the most creative period of a person's life.As far as I'm concerned, although I can't say all of them, at least most of them have been handed over to the creation of this long historical novel-"White Gate Willow" trilogy.At this moment, the March breeze is blowing on my body, covered with a thin layer of faint sunshine, playing shadows among the green trees outside the balcony, I sit down in front of the computer, and prepare to write this article When writing the "Postscript", the first thing that came to my heart was a kind of deep gratitude - I am grateful that I was born in a peaceful time, so that I can always maintain a basic but intermittent but basic life in such a long span of years. A continuous creative environment in the Internet, a calm and calm writing mentality.As for literary and artistic creation, especially multi-volume long-form writing, this kind of environment and mentality should be very necessary. Not to mention, at least in the more than 150 years since the Opium War, I am afraid that it has not happened.Although I haven't examined them one by one, I always think that in such a turbulent era, many authors with such abilities, talents and ambitions must be unable to display them, and eventually lose their ambitions and regret all day long.

I don’t know if it’s because my novel is trying too hard to be included in multiple volumes, and the history I intend to reproduce is just a terrible history full of turmoil, war, suffering and death. Is this kind of feeling particularly strong? The period of history that my novels try to reproduce really belongs to a chaotic world of "heaven and earth disintegration" in China's feudal era.It coincided with the transition of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Class contradictions, ethnic contradictions, and contradictions within the ruling group were all intensified unprecedentedly. Coupled with the opposition and agitation of old and new concepts, and the conflict and fusion of different cultures, they interweave into a colorful scene. , Thrilling picture.Among them, evil and justice, conquest and resistance, despicableness and sublime, decay and new life, despair and pursuit, ambition and lust, all kinds of human nature in this period are fully and thoroughly displayed.It should be said that such an era is far from being represented by only one work, and it is definitely not something that one work can contain.Therefore, what I choose is only one of the cross-sections.That is, from the intellectuals at that time, that is, the so-called "scholar" class, trying to record some footprints of history from one side and reveal some development clues through the rough and tortuous road they walked during this period. .I think about it this way: As far as the great changes that cost Chinese society a heavy price in the middle of the 17th century, if there was historical progress in a certain qualitative sense, then I am afraid that neither Aixinjue Luo's entry into China was not a failed peasant uprising, but the early democratic thought of our country represented by Huang Zongxi, Gu Yanwu, and Wang Fuzhi in the class of "scholars".This kind of thinking was not only an epoch-making leap at the time, but also its ruthless and systematic criticism of the imperial autocratic system. After being destroyed and imprisoned by the rulers of the Qing Dynasty for more than two hundred years, it still took the opportunity of the Opium War. In the end, he broke through and provided valuable spiritual support for the reforms of Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao, and even the revolutions of Sun Yat-sen, Zhang Taiyan and others.A work, if it intends to find and express those things that represent positive aspects and can embody human ideals and social progress, then in my opinion, this seems to be a suitable choice.

Of course, a novel is a novel after all, and it only needs to have a starting point to determine the concept, and to express it vividly, there must be a plot and characters. The trilogy of "White Gate Willows" is 1.3 million characters long, but in fact it only covers three years - from March of the 15th year of Chongzhen on the eve of the fall of the Ming Dynasty to December of that year; After Beijing, the Nanming Hongguang regime was established in Nanjing and its collapse from April to May of the following year in the 17th year of Chongzhen; and from June of the same year to May of the following year, the Nanming Luwang regime was established in eastern Zhejiang until it collapsed across the board.The reason why I shortened the span of time and space is that during the past three years, the society has undergone extremely rapid changes, and the opposing parties have fought hand in hand, and the conflicts have been extremely sharp and intense, which is very in line with the requirement of a high degree of concentration in artistic creation; at the same time, it is also because The personalities, behaviors, thoughts and faces of the main characters related to it are also exposed most fully and thoroughly during this period, not only can trace their origins, but also can herald their consequences.As far as the completion of character shaping is concerned, there is already enough room for operation.

In addition, although there are hundreds of people with names and surnames written in the novel, these characters occupy different positions in the book, but the core characters throughout the book are actually only five——Qian Qianyi, Liu Rushi, Mao Xiang, Dong Xiaowan, and Huang Zongxi.Among the five characters, Qian, Mao, and Huang belong to three different types in the class of "scholars", each with its own general representation; Liu and Dong belong to the special social group of "famous prostitutes". Women with two personalities and different pursuits.Of course, as the opposite of this group of people, the novel also spends a considerable amount of time writing about power traitors Ma Shiying, Ruan Dacheng, and Qingming minister Hong Chengchou. They should also belong to the first level of important figures.

With the prosperity of the creation of historical novels in recent years, the topic of what is a historical novel has aroused people's interest again.But this is actually a rather complex and difficult question.Because different authors have different understandings of the connotation and extension of this concept, and especially hold different philosophical and historical concepts, it may be difficult to even start a dialogue.Of course, in fact, there is no need to worry, you can continue to practice independently, and let readers and time verify. However, as far as I am concerned, I have my own guidelines that I follow.Among the many "isms" and categories, I am more attracted to the realistic creative style.Perhaps this is because I am more willing to let my works act as a medium for spreading history, and I hope that through my works, readers can understand the arduous and magnificent journey of human beings, and feel the culture contained in it. beauty of.And to do this, my method is to reproduce history as faithfully as possible, even if this is a subjective wish that can never be truly realized.For this reason, in my creation, I always follow strict textual research, and strive to have evidence in the book, ranging from major historical events to characters' words and deeds.Even some specific plots are only resorted to fictional means when they are indeed groundless in history and are very necessary for artistic treatment.Some people may think that this kind of "dancing in shackles" is asking for trouble too much.But I think this is the best way to make up for the lack of life experience.Moreover, as long as you are good at excavating and moving, it can achieve twice the result with half the effort compared with fictionalizing the wall.

Of course, the emphasis on reproducing history as faithfully as possible, if understood as merely referring to faithfully and vividly reproducing historical events and characters, I think that is far from enough.In fact, literary works that reflect the image of social life should have a much larger capacity than textbooks that aim to record and explain the process, and popular books that aim to popularize historical knowledge. Something much richer than the movement of events (or characters).According to my understanding, these things are the manifestations of those seemingly trivial but with cognitive value and aesthetic value in all aspects of social life at that time.If a successful work is compared to a frame full of spring flowers, then the characterization part naturally belongs to the main body - the flower, and the basic historical events may be regarded as the supporting frame.Only the various forms of social life that have been screened and explored by the author with his unique aesthetic vision and keen thinking tentacles are the green leaves and branches that support the flowers and make them graceful.This is another important aspect for the author to show his ideological literacy and artistic creativity, and it is also an effective means to make the work appear rich in connotation and graceful.Therefore, in my creation, I not only pay great attention to the performance of historical events themselves, but also pay special attention to the performance of historical life outside of events; "Recorded things.Try to set your sights as wide as possible, and use your brushstrokes liberally, including all aspects of social life at that time - politics, economy, military affairs, culture, including philosophy, religion, sports, architecture, customs, etiquette, cooking, science and technology, education, etc. Law, legal system, catastrophe, etc., I regard them as important materials to make the "branches" of the work full and flourish, and fully mobilize them to serve the creation. Of course, this is by no means equal to the implementation of knowledge exhibition and material patchwork.My pursuit has always been: try to find the "extraordinary" with aesthetic value in the above-mentioned ordinary forms of social life, that is, "everyone has what they have in their hearts, and what they have in their pens" and make it It is organically blended into the overall description of art.However, pursuing it is one thing, and being able to achieve it is another.That can only be left to the reader to judge.

Fiction creation is basically a kind of individual labor.As with short stories, so with long stories.However, the creation of long novels, especially the creation of multiple volumes, is especially a kind of "lonely" "Long March" due to the long time-consuming and the many obstacles encountered.In this journey, the support, love and encouragement from all sides are undoubtedly the most important and precious to the author.Today, looking back, I deeply feel that in the long years of the past sixteen years, without the support and help of many seniors, superiors and friends—they may have provided me with the necessary conditions for creation, Either you put your heart and soul into editing and reviewing the manuscript, or comforted and warmed the author’s often arduous and exhausted heart through various methods, gained the strength to overcome difficulties, and the confidence to move forward——then this novel will definitely not be able to be completed in the end. of.On this occasion, I would like to sincerely express my gratitude to Chen Yueping, Lin Jiang, Huang Hao, Yu Youjun; Xing Fuyuan, Song Wenyu, Chen Haozeng, Li Shuoru, Sun Yanxing, Wei Jiang, Luo Jun; Huang Qiuyun, Liu Sihan, Rao Pengzi, Cai Kui, Huang Shusen, Chen Yongzheng, Gao Feng, Gu Shounv, Chen Guokai, Xu Junxi, Li Shuzheng, Lin Yong, Lin Yuchun, Lin Jianfa, Chen Zhihong, Cheng Wenchao, Wang Xiaoyin, Chen Jinrong, Zhang Wei, Xu Nantie and others not listed one by one People, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks!

Finally, I would also like to express my deep gratitude to my wife, Ye Hong.It is because of her selfless sacrifice and dedication during the long years that I am finally able to write the above words with a sense of relief in this beautiful spring day in the southern country. Liu Sifen March 13, 1997 in Meihua Village, Guangzhou