Describes written works that are excessively long, verbose, and redundant, often lacking substantial content or focus.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
Li E, with the courtesy name Shihui, served as a censor (zhishu shiyu shi) during the reign of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty. He was very eloquent and an excellent writer. He observed that articles since the Six Dynasties period were often ostentatious but lacked substance. He decided to submit a memorial to Emperor Wen, hoping to change the prevailing literary style through imperial decree.
Having made up his mind, he began to write. Li E's "Petition to Rectify Literary Style" was finally completed. Before submitting it, he reviewed it one last time: The document started by discussing Emperors Wu, Wen, and Ming of Wei, stating that they favored elaborate prose and did not prioritize the principles of good governance, focusing instead on superficial literary flourishes. Their subordinates followed suit, gradually forming a style that had brought adverse effects and harm to later generations. Li E expressed his hope that the current emperor would issue a decree to reform this literary trend. He felt he had clearly articulated all his points.
The next day, he submitted his memorial. Emperor Wen read Li E's memorial and nodded repeatedly. When he came across the line, "连篇累牍，不出月露之形；积案盈箱，唯是风云之状" (voluminous and verbose, merely describing moon and dew; files filling cases, only depicting wind and clouds), he thought, "Li E is right! Today's articles and countless documents, they all revolve around trivial things like moon and dew, truly long and cumbersome! If this continues, people of all statuses, noble or humble, wise or foolish, will all pursue ornate writing styles and superficial fame. How can this be tolerated?"
Thus, he issued an order saying, "Promulgate Li E's memorial throughout the realm. If any future memorials deliberately focus on elaborate style, severe penalties will be imposed."