A Study of Sun Deqian’s Critique of Six Dynasties Parallel Prose

The Liu Chao Lizhi(六朝麗指), under the intention of Sun De qian(孫德謙), is divided into the normative nature of Six Dynasties pian wen(騈文), termed “Honggui”(閎規), and the diverse aesthetic critiques, termed “Micai”(密裁). This study aims to systematize Sun Deqian’s critical thought with a focus on the theory of “Six Dynasties as the Ultimate Norm”(六朝極則), which corresponds to the notion of Honggui. The reason Six Dynasties pianwen was considered the highest normative model lies in its intrinsic grounding in the Confucian scriptures, which contain the principle of the Combination of Parallel and Prose(騈散合一). Moreover, Sun Deqian emphasized that the principle of the 騈散合一is not limited to the superficial addition of prose-like sentences but is fundamentally found in the aesthetic qiyun(氣韻) latent within the sentence itself. This, he argued, is the true secret(眞訣) of Six Dynasties pianwen, expressed in the concepts of “vital bloodline”(血脈) and “inner circulation of latent energy”(潛氣內轉). The idea of xuemai(血脈) is that these xuci(虛辭) provide a natural flow to the parallel sentences, allowing the text to breathe. If a text consists solely of parallel couplets, the coherence and wenqi(文氣) becomes blocked. However, by interspersing xuci, the prose flows like blood within a living body, creating a more natural and dynamic rhythm. 潛氣內轉, a critical concept that emerged in the late Qing dynasty, inherits and deepens this perspective: even without the intervention of xuci, Six Dynasties pianwen maintains a natural semantic continuity between clauses. This is because the language used in Six Dynasties prose is inherently charged with the potential for semantic transformation and condensation, allowing it to remain fluid even in the absence of xuci. This quality originates from the refined lexical choices of Six Dynasties writers and becomes a distinct artistic form unique to their literary style.