{"product_id":"xu-shishuo","title":"Xu Shishuo","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA sharp reply, a quiet act of integrity: how much of a person can a few lines reveal?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Xu Shishuo, Kong Pingzhong gathers brief stories about real people from the centuries before his own time. A Song dynasty scholar and official, he continues the tradition of Liu Yiqing’s Shishuo Xinyu. Each anecdote offers a name, a moment and a remark—enough to bring a choice or habit into focus.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe collection groups these encounters by kinds of conduct, following headings such as virtue, speech and governance. Rebukes, jokes and clever replies sit alongside quiet examples of integrity. For Song readers, such stories offer more than entertainment: they provide models of conduct, enrich writing with allusions and preserve people’s reputations.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eInside this book\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCharacter in a moment\u003c\/strong\u003e – Watch a brief encounter reveal a habit, a quality or a way of thinking.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe force of speech\u003c\/strong\u003e – Discover how a rebuke, joke or clever answer gives a short anecdote its force.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVirtue and public life\u003c\/strong\u003e – Explore stories grouped around conduct, from personal integrity to the demands of governance.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLives kept in memory\u003c\/strong\u003e – Meet people whose reputations these compact stories help preserve beyond their own time.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAn older tradition continued\u003c\/strong\u003e – See how Kong Pingzhong follows an earlier collection’s loose frame with stories from later centuries.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect for readers who enjoy short, sharp stories and want a way into classical Chinese prose and its view of character.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOpen the first page and discover how much human character a small story can hold.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Library of Alexandria Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59534581104988,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1027\/9442\/8764\/files\/02175_en_ebook-front_c04_05fe1ed4-9a84-4b60-825a-f79ad1f1d16a.jpg?v=1792174917","url":"https:\/\/libraryofalexandria.com\/pt\/products\/xu-shishuo-pt-br","provider":"The Library of Alexandria","version":"1.0","type":"link"}