An Epic History of Confucius and Early China

It traces the journey of Confucius-his growth, his metamorphosis, and the profound tension between his steadfast ideals and the pragmatic compromises he made.写孔子的成长和转型，写孔子的执著与妥协Confucius in the Grand Tapestry of History is a biography of Confucius by Li Shuo, author of The Three Hundred Years of North-South Wars. This vivid narrative traces the entirety of Confucius’s life: born as an illegitimate child and raised in a single-parent household of humble means, he rose step by step to the high office of 'Minister of Justice and acting Prime Minister.' Throughout his career, he witnessed the dramatic political shifts, diplomatic maneuvers, and remarkable anecdotes of the late Spring and Autumn period. After suffering political setbacks, he traveled from state to state but ultimately failed to realize his ideal of governance. Nevertheless, his teachings were preserved and reinterpreted by later generations, and his disciples gradually 'fashioned' him into the supreme sage and teacher.In our conventional imagination, Confucius often exists as an abstract figure-an elevated 'sage.' Confucius in the Grand Tapestry of History seeks precisely to peel away this halo of sainthood and restore his journey as an ordinary person. He experienced joy, anger, sorrow, and fear, just as he knew doubt, inner conflict, and persistent dedication. Author Li Shuo delves into Confucius’s state of mind and motivations in facing various life events, thereby portraying a rich and fully rounded image of the man.Through a close reading of classical and historical texts, this book brings to life Confucius’s struggles within the hereditary oligarchic political game of his era. It also reconstructs the living environments, daily rituals, and social customs of the Spring and Autumn period, offering an anthropological-even cinematic-restoration of Confucius’s lived world.《孔子大历史》是《南北战争三百年》作者李硕所写的孔子传记。生动书写孔子的一生：以私生子的身份出生，在底层单亲家庭中成长，一步步做到'大司寇行摄相事'，同时也见证了春秋末期各国内政外交的风云变幻与奇闻轶事。孔子遭遇政治失意后周游列国，终究未能实现自己的从政理想。但他的学说经后人的传承与解释，流传后世，他也被弟子'制造'成了至圣先师。我们通常的印象中，孔子作为一个高高在上的'圣人'，是一个抽象的人物。《孔子大历史》正是要去掉孔子的这层'圣人'光环，还原他作为普通人的成长历程。他有自己的喜怒哀乐与忧惧，也有困惑、纠结与执着。作者李硕探究了孔子面对各种人生事件的心理状态与动机，从而描画出一个丰富、完整的孔子形象。通过解读经史文献，《孔子大历史》再现了孔子在寡头世袭政治游戏规则中沉浮的一生，以及他生活的春秋时代的种种生活场景、日用礼俗，对孔子的生活世界进行了人类学乃至影视视觉层面的还原。