Tang Xiaoxian: The old friendship and family ties of the three masters of Qian's Chinese studies

Tang Xiaoxian: The old friendship and family ties of the three masters of Qian's Chinese studies Phoenix City Tang Xiaoxian The three masters of Qian's Chinese studies mentioned here refer to Qian Mu, Qian Jibo and Qian Zhongshu, their father and son. All three of them are...

Phoenix City Tang Xiaoxian

The three masters of Qian's Chinese studies mentioned here refer to Qian Mu, Qian Jibo and Qian Zhongshu's father and son. The three of them are all natives of Wuxi, Jiangsu, and are descendants of King Qian Liu of Wuyue, from the same clan and different branches. There are two Qian clans in Wuxi. Qian Mu belongs to the Qian clan in Hutou, Qian Jibo and Qian Zhongshu belong to the Qian clan in Houshan. They have a common ancestral hall in Huishan - King Qian Wusu Temple, which worships the ancestor Qian Liu and other three generations and five kings as well as the ancestors of Wuxi.

>Qian Mu

Qian Zhongshu and his father Qian Jibo

Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang Qian Mu, Qian Jibo and Qian Zhongshu have a very close friendship. "The older ones are called uncles, and the younger ones are called nephews." Qian Mu, the younger Qian Jibo, was 12 years old, and he called Qian Jibo his uncle; while Qian Zhongshu, the younger Qian Mu, was 15 years old, and he called Qian Mu his uncle. In the 21st year of Guangxu (1885), Qian Mu (zibinsi) was born into a scholarly family in Hongsheng Qifangqiao, Wuxi, a land of fish and rice in the south of the Yangtze River. He is a famous contemporary classics historian, a master of Chinese studies and an educator well-known at home and abroad. He is self-taught and is a university professor who has never attended university. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Hong Kong and Yale University in the United States.

> Wuxi Huishan Qian Wusu Temple

> Qian Mu edited and finalized the "History of Chinese Academic Thought Series" at his residence in Taipei, "Su Shulou". The complete set has eight volumes. It is a collection of his sixty years of academic papers and is also a summary of his research on Chinese history and national culture for more than half a century.

Mr. Qian Jibo (also known as Ziquan) is the father of Qian Zhongshu, a famous expert on ancient Chinese literature and a master of Chinese studies. His knowledge is vast and boundless. He can expound scriptures and talk about history. He can judge the pros and cons and discover the secrets of hundreds of schools of thought. Qian Jibo is familiar with all four works, and is especially proficient in the works of Jibu. Because of his father's studiousness and the collection of books at home, Qian Zhongshu was able to read in detail and use all his time to read. When Qian Mu recalled Qian Zhongshu, he praised him for "loving all kinds of books in his early years, and after the Song Dynasty, he collected almost all books without exception." His diligent study laid a good foundation for his later knowledge. Qian Jibo attaches great importance to the education of his children through practice. He guided Qian Zhongshu in his composition, asking him to write letters for him, and then write articles on his behalf, so he made rapid progress. The Commercial Press wanted to publish Qian Mu's monograph "Introduction to Chinese Studies". Qian Mu asked Qian Jibo for a preface, but Qian Jibo actually asked Qian Zhongshu to ghostwrite it. Qian Zhongshu, a newborn calf, actually finished the work in one go after thinking about it for a while. Qian Jibo carefully read this article several times without changing a word. So this preface was given to Qian Mu in the name of the author Qian Jibo. Qian Mu was very satisfied. At that time, neither outsiders nor Qian Mu himself noticed that this preface was written by a young man of 17 or 18 years old. Qian Mu, like Qian Jibo and Qian Zhongshu, were both eager to learn and knowledgeable. When they read "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" when they were young, they were able to recite the following text immediately after being asked to read it. Therefore, the three of them have similar minds and have close contacts. In the summer of 1933, Qian Zhongshu got engaged to Yang Jiang, a talented woman from Wuxi, in Suzhou. Because Qian Jibo was in poor health and was simply engaged in work, he only held a banquet in a restaurant in Suzhou and invited a few close relatives and friends to the banquet. Qian Mu was among the invitees. At the banquet, Qian Jibo specially brought his future wife to Qian Mu and introduced "Mr. Qian Binsi" to Yang Jiang. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, one summer vacation, the three Qians met by chance at a lecture in Changshu and were overjoyed. They lived in the same hotel, got together day and night, and talked happily. After 1949, the world was in a state of confusion. Qian Jibo, his son and Qian Mu never met again, but they were always concerned about each other. Qian Mu left the mainland and went to Hong Kong and Taiwan. Later, he heard that Qian Jibo had passed away in Wuhan, Hubei Province, and felt deeply saddened. He wrote in "Miscellaneous Memories of Teachers and Friends": However, he "worked in Jimei, Wuxi, and Suzhou for eight years, and worked with more than a hundred people. Among the most respectful people, Ziquan was the first to be praised. He had known him for his life-long friendship, diligence in scholarship, and kindness to others." He sighed: "There are not many years left, and I don't know when I will be able to meet other people I have never met again." His words vaguely revealed the regret of not being able to meet Qian Zhongshu again. In 1985, Suzhou held a commemoration event for the 2,500th anniversary of the founding of the city. Qian Zhongshu was entrusted by relevant parties in Suzhou and wrote to Qian Mu, inviting him to return to Suzhou to attend the event. The full text of the letter is as follows: Visiting the Taoist throne of the old master of the Four Sects: I have violated the agreement, and suddenly I am fifty. Mount Tai stands tall, and the Palace of Lu remains. The fragrant sound spreads far away, and the time is full of reverie. Last year I came across a large book called "Reminiscences of the Past", recalling the memory of our ancestors, without leaving any scraps behind. The old friendship, family ties, and feelings are all still there. Next year Suzhou will hold a commemoration meeting for the 2500th anniversary of the founding of the city. Although the people here are originally from Wuyi, Sangzi borders Suzhou and is located between Lianrang and Buzhai Wumen. It is what ancient local chronicles call "the residence of famous overseas Chinese". Moreover, Yu Gongqin was well aware of the situation and had no chance to hold hands. The grand meeting happened and the opportunity was rare. I secretly thought that Qu Ben would come at that time to increase his honor and favor, so that he could look forward to it. Mere selfishness is restored with one heart and one mind. The old country and the old hometown are full of hope, and what's more, when it comes to hearing, seeing, and seeing, Zhuang Sheng said that he should be grateful and eager for benefits. The official sent a special letter to invite you, to repair the piece of paper, and to talk to you and persuade you to come. Lining the fist with the drum, the strength is weak but the intention is deep. That is to say, the Spring Festival is unprepared.

Zongmo Zhongshu wrote that Yang Jiang was waiting on February 3, 1985.

After Qian Mu received the letter, he was unable to attend the Suzhou event due to health reasons. In March 1986, at the invitation of Taipei's "United Monthly", the 92-year-old Qian Mu published "Looking at the Current Situation in the Bingyin New Year", pointing out that "in China today, only the peaceful reunification of the whole of China is a great future and a great hope. Peaceful reunification is the great future, great ideal, and great principle of China's cultural spirit and national character." Later, Beijing's "People's Daily" published an abstract of the article. This was the first time Qian Mu's writings appeared in mainland newspapers after 1949. Mr. Qian Mu was far-sighted and expressed his deep concern for the future of China as a whole. His patriotic remarks received enthusiastic response from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and had far-reaching influence.

>A corner of Qian Mu’s Taipei residence, Sushu Building