The Study Of Three Kingdoms' Historical Narrative

This article mainly used a problem-oriented research method to discuss and reflect Chen Shou's way of historical explanation properly with historical explanation of Three Kingdoms as a research object. This article is completed from three aspects :the analysis level, academic background and modes of emplotment.First of all, in terms of the academic background of Chen Shou's historiography, the author discusses the background of Chen Shou's teachers. At the same time, the author also investigated popular schools of thought including Metaphysics and Confucianism at that time which have influented thoughts of Chen Shou's historiography. In the early stage,Chen Shou was affected by a master of Confucianism whose name was Qiao Zhou in ancient Sichuan Area.Deeply influenced by thoughts of Qiao Zhou's historiography, he began to inspect Three Kingdoms' history.After Western Jin Dynasty crushed Shu Han, Chen Shou went to Luoyang with a purpose to be an official when he was affected by the local style of study and his thoughts of historiography diversified.Chen Shou was influenced by metaphysics,so he commented more about characters of historical figures in Three Kingdoms.Second,in relation to layers of Chen Shou historical research objects, the author investigated different levels of research objects in Three Kingdoms so that we can know that the basis units of Chen Shou's historical research are individuals as well as the regional groups and dynasties.The thoughts of Chen Shou's historiography gradually got rid of history of the mandate of heaven and then explained the rise and fall of Three Kingdoms from historical figures. For example, at the beginning of Three Kingdoms, Chen Shou mainly analysed from the talents of Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Quan,which had a great effect on the world situation and also analysed the downfall of Sun Wu dynasty from individual character of Sun Hao.Regional groups are groups with important influence in Wei-Jin period, which could affects rises and declines of political and military groups.The author analyzed the the historical research levels with two examples that the Jing Xiang family had influence on ruling ways of Liu Zhang and local nobles in Bashu affected ruling ways of Liu Chan.Chen Shou studied history of Three Kingdoms in different time. Furthermore, as for modes of emplotment,the author mainly analysed the conflict between historical narrative of individuals and dynasties. Chen Shou analysed tragic modes of emplotment with an example of ZhugeLiang.In dynasty narrative,Chen Shou described the conflict between that the nobles strived for the unification and the world was cut into three parts. Shu Han regime called themselves orthodox dynasty so they attacked central plains but they fell first. People wanted to unify,whereas the world was cutinto three parts.Chen Shou used tragic modes of emplotment to narrate dynasty stories.The author analyzes ways of historical narrative in Three Kingdoms so that Chen shou we can identify three levels of historical research units and tragic modes of emplotment.Identifying the artistic aspects in this article can establish the dignity of its independent existence.