The Book of the Stone Chamber the Second Collection of the Book of the Stone Chamber

In the turbulent times of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Zhang Dai wrote the masterpieces "Shikui Shu" and "Shikui Shu Hou Collection" with a sincere heart. The first book was written in the first year of Chongzhen and was compiled after decades of collecting classic materials. The style is similar to "Historical Records" and is divided into chronicles, annals, aristocratic families, and biographies. It details the political evolution from Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty to Tianqi. The writing style is concise and true, reflecting the historian's rigor and literati sentiment. In the early Qing Dynasty, Zhang Dai occasionally obtained information from the Chongzhen Dynasty's residence, and then compiled it into the "Shouhou Collection of Shikui Shu", which has sixty-three volumes and records the rise and fall of the Chongzhen Dynasty to the Southern Ming Dynasty. The book not only contains the chronicles of Emperor Lie, Queen Lie, and Prince Xianmin, but also the families of kings and Qi Wan in the late Ming Dynasty. It also details the deeds of loyal ministers and righteous men such as Yuan Chonghuan, Shi Kefa, and Zhang Huangyan in the biographies. In particular, the biographies of "Martyrdom" and "Death for Righteousness" express the author's praise of the pain of country subjugation and his loyalty. In contrast, Zhang Dai was extremely contemptuous of peasant soldiers such as Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong and denounced them as "thieves". Even Li Dingguo did not record this, which shows that he insisted on restoring the Ming Dynasty. The two books have both historical value and literary brilliance. They not only fill the gaps in the history of the late Ming Dynasty and the Southern Ming Dynasty, but also reflect the pain of family and country and cultural responsibility of the scholars in the late Ming Dynasty with their unique writing style.