Zhu Changwen (AD 1038-1098), named Boyuan, also known as Lepu and Qianxi Yinfu, was a native of Wuxian County, Suzhou (now Suzhou, Jiangsu Province), and was not crowned. A calligraphy theorist in the Northern Song Dynasty, his grandfather Zhu Yi was the Minister of Justice during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty. He was a Jinshi at the age of nineteen. Later, he injured his foot after falling from a horse and refused to become an official. He studied, taught, and wrote in his hometown of Suzhou. He believed that a special history of Qin should be written just like calligraphy and painting, so he compiled six volumes of "History of Qin" from histories, biographies, notes, and collections by "broadly reading and seeking extensively". From the pre-Qin Dynasty to the early Song Dynasty, in chronological order, *** collected 156 people's records about Qin. Zhu Changwen wrote my country's first monograph on the history of qin and made contributions to the development of qin science.
In accordance with the writing method of historical biographies, he summarized it by person, focusing on the narrative about Qin, and often added his own comments to the narrative. He does not list some historical materials of Qin music purely objectively, but can often make his own judgment based on the analysis of various materials.
"History of Qin" was written in 1084 AD and was not published until 1233 AD by his grandnephew Zhu Zhengda. Under the influence of this book, Zhou Qingyun compiled "Supplement to the History of Qin" and "Continuation of the History of Qin" in modern times.
The "History of Qin" has six volumes. The first five volumes include the deeds of 156 qin players from the Pre-Qin Dynasty to the Song Dynasty in chronological order, as well as reviews of qin players in the past dynasties. The first volume of the volume narrates the Qin-related deeds of nine emperors including Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang, as well as 26 sages including Zhou Gong and Confucius, in the order of historical time. The second part of the volume collects the rumors of palace musicians or folk qin players such as Shi Kuang, Shi Xiang, Boya, Zhong Ziqi, Zou Ji, Yongmen Zhou, as well as women such as Wei Nu and Baili Xi's wife. This was a common practice in the feudal era. Very rare. Volume Three records the affairs of qin players in the Han, Wei and Jin dynasties. Such as Han Gaozu, Huainan King Liu An, Sima Xiangru, Liu Xiang, Huan Tan, Cai Yong and others. Volume 4 is a relatively rich part and includes many qin players, such as Tao Yuanming, Wang Sengqian, Dong Tinglan, Xue Yijian, etc., reflecting the development of lyre art in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Among them, there are more folk qin players than court qin players. This is not only an objective historical fact that existed at that time, but also a reflection of Zhu Changwen's view of qin history and history. Volume 5 contains 10 qin players from the Song Dynasty, including Song Taizong, Cui Zundu, and Zhu Wenji.
The sixth volume of "History of Qin" is a special exposition of Qin science, including "Yinglu", "Shi Xian", "Brightness", "Image", "On Sound", and "Tune" , "Vocal Songs", "Guangzhi", "Perfect", "Zhiyan", and "History Narration" are 11 special topics, which embody Zhu Changwen's view of history and music aesthetics, that is, the overall reflection of the author's respect for Confucianism. Thoughts and traditions of Qin are optimistic. For example, "The birth of music is based on human feelings. When a husband encounters the rule of the world, he will feel peaceful and happy; when the government is harsh, he will become resentful and angry; when mourning is in danger, he will feel sad and think about it." He believes that playing the piano is not only for himself, but also for others. For people, qin music can regulate qi and nourish the spirit. For example, "the ancient gentleman, who did not know how to play the qin and harp, did not do it for himself. Instead, he could also play the music of the qin for others, to guide and nourish his spirit, harmonize his emotions, and capture his anger." It touches the good heart, and the people who listen to it are also delighted. How can it be as good as other music? That is, it is not just about taking the sound. If you are successful, you can observe politics, and if you are poor, you can kill your life.
The author of "History of Qin" roughly divides the history of Guqin before the Song Dynasty into three stages, as follows. This outlines the basic appearance of the history of Guqin. Its compilation style and selection of historical materials reflect the author's historical view of Guqin and his aesthetic pursuit, which has a great influence on later generations.