Chapter 29 Chapter 5 Qing Stone Classic

Qing Stone Classics are commonly known as "Qianlong Stone Classics".It began to be engraved in the fifty-sixth year of Qianlong (AD 1791), Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty, and was completed in the fifty-ninth year of Qianlong (AD 1794), which lasted three years.The stele stands in the Imperial College of Beijing.According to the decree issued in November of the fifty-sixth year of Qianlong: Since the Han, Tang, and Song Dynasties, there have been inscriptions on stone scriptures...but the history is long and the rate is incomplete.Immediately there are fragments of stone handed down, such as those published during the Kaicheng and Shaoxing years, which are still stored by scholars in Xi'an, Hangzhou and other prefectures, and none of them are complete.In my dynasty, Wenzhi Guangchang, respect Confucianism and Taoism.I have been in the imperial court for more than fifty years, and I have diligently collected ancient records, but I have diligently not scrolled... and the Thirteen Classics may be published in the Hall of Martial Arts, but the Stone Classics are not compiled.Because of thinking about the Thirteen Classics written by Jiang Heng in the past, he ordered the Hanlin in the inner court to check and verify the mistakes.There are years in the Maoqin Palace in Tibet [juju, collection], and the stone tablets that are allowed to be published are listed in Taixue, and they will be used forever... to express the meaning of the right text of the Sutra.

The scriptures published in the Qianlong Stone Classic include: "Zhouyi", "Shangshu", "Mao Shi", "Zhouli", "Yili", "Book of Rites", "Chunqiu Zuoshi Biography", "Gongyang Biography", " There are 13 volumes in total, including Guliang Biography, The Classic of Filial Piety, Erya, and Mencius, with 189 steles.The scriptures were written by Jiang Heng, a scholar from the south of the Yangtze River, in regular script.The Preface to the Stone Classic written by the Emperor Qianlong said: Covering this scripture is Jiang Heng's handwriting, dedicated to Qianlong Gengshen (the fifth year of Qianlong, AD 1740).During this period, there were many difficulties, and I ordered Nei Han to conduct a detailed review, and Shu Zhi's high pavilion in the Maoqin Hall has been forgotten for more than fifty years.Last year, I ordered the sequel "Shiqu Baoji", and the stewards are invited by this.But then he realized it and said, "Is it true?"How can it be compared with ordinary ink marks, thinking that it is a plaything for a few leisure time!It is a stone tablet that should be published, and it is listed in Piyong. It is believed that the rules of advocating literature and Taoism will be respected throughout the ages...but all the stones carved today are listed in Piyong, and things should be done at the right time. Isn't it a great fortune!Jiang Heng's hard work in his life is also rewarded!

Jiang Heng was from Jiangsu. In the third year of Qianlong's reign (1738 A.D.), he finished writing the 13 classics and was awarded the official title of Guozi Jianxue. He died in the eighth year of Qianlong's reign (1743 A.D.) at the age of 72.Fifty years after his death, the Stone Classic was published.There are legends in Qing history. When the Qianlong Stone Classic was published, the deacons appointed by Emperor Gaozong included President Heshen and Wang Jie, and Vice Presidents Dong Hao, Liu Yong, and Peng Yuanrui.It is Peng Yuanrui who actually manages the affairs of the stone scriptures and is responsible for revising the scriptures.He used to refer to school magazines such as Tang Shi Jing and other scriptures, and wrote "Summary of Textual Research on Stone Classics", but he was in a hurry to complete the project and did not have time to revise it.Later, in the eighth year of Jiaqing Emperor Renzong of Qing Dynasty (1803 A.D.), it was modified.It is now completely preserved in the Imperial College of Beijing.