The life of Wu Chengen, the author of Journey to the West ?

Wu Chengen (1501-1582), the name Ruzhong, was a native of Yangshan. Han nationality, a native of Shanyang County, Huai'an Prefecture (now Chuzhou District, Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province). He was an outstanding Chinese scholar in the Ming Dynasty and the author of "Journey to the West", one of the four famous novels.

Wu Chengen was born in a family that was reduced from a small official to a small businessman. Father Wu Rui, the word court, sells "colorful wisps of literature", and is a person who is "good at Tan Shizheng, but there is some grievances, and he is depressed". Wu Chengen has been smart since childhood, likes to read the history of wild barnyard barnyard and Zhiwei**, "taste the biographies written by the Tang people such as Niu Qizhang and Duan Ke Gu, and be good at writing about things, and every time you want to make a book for it", "Hip age, that is, with Wen Ming in Huai", which is quite appreciated by the government, celebrities and squires.

In the eighth year of Jiajing (1529), Wu Chengen went to study at the Longxi Academy founded by Ge Mu, the prefect of Huai'an, and was appreciated by Ge Mu. Zhu Yingdeng believes that he "can read all the books in the world", and "to divide half of the history of the family collection with it", Jiajing 29 years (1550) about 40 years old to make up for a year of tribute, to Beijing to wait for the assignment of official positions, was not selected, six years later, due to the poverty of his mother's hometown, to do Zhejiang Changxing County, often with his friend Zhu Yuefan booze, between the poetry and wine, and Jiajing champion Shen Kun, the poet Xu Zhongxing has dealings. In his later years, he made a living selling literature, went to Hangzhou at the age of about 67, and lived for about 82 years old.

Tianqi Huai'an Mansion Chronicles commented that he was "sensitive and wise, extremely well-read, written for poetry, elegant and fluent, with the style of Qin Shaoyou." Fu is good and humorous, and he has written several miscellaneous notes, which are famous for a while". But it's all after he dies.

He had a rich creative life in his life, but due to his poor family and no children, many of his works were lost. It is recorded that the ** collection of Zhiwei "Yu Ding Ji" has been lost. At present, only the four volumes of "Mr. Sheyang's Manuscripts" compiled by posterity remain.

He is generally recognized as the final author of China's Journey to the West, but there is also an opinion that it is not, and it is currently controversial in academic circles (the old legend is that it was the Quanzhen Taoist Qiu Chuji of the Yuan Dynasty).

It is possible that the author of Journey to the West is not Wu Chengen. The Journey to the West of the Ming Dynasty Gods and Demons can be described as the culmination of China's classical literary attainments for hundreds of years, and can be called one of the highest peaks of tradition. According to legend, this is a strange book written by Wu Chengen, a literati in the Ming Dynasty, and later became well-known to the public.

And their basis is that the folk local history book "Huai'an County Chronicles" records the collection of books in the home of a literati, among which the author of "Journey to the West" is signed by Wu Chengen. But to be honest, such a statement is not very convincing. Because Wu Chengen's "Journey to the West" is also likely to be a travelogue, not the "four famous novels" that we are familiar with.

Judging from the original chapters of Journey to the West, there are also big problems with Wu Chengen's authorship. For example, the twenty-sixth chapter of "Journey to the West" is called "Cheng'en Bajie Turns to the Mountains and Forests". The "Chengen" here refers to the favor that Zhu Bajie received, of course, not the Chengen of "Wu Chengen".

Just imagine, if the author of Journey to the West was really Wu Chengen, would he put his name and a pig together? Are the literati of the Ming Dynasty so "playful", don't lose face?

At present, we have agreed on the "common book" Journey to the West, and the main content is the "Shidetang book" of the Ming Dynasty. There is indeed an author's signature in the Shidetang book, but what is recorded above is his pen name, called "Huayang Cave Master".

This Huayang Cave Master is basically the original author of Journey to the West. As for whether he is Wu Chengen? remains a mystery.

I think the author of Journey to the West is Wu Chengen, because the book Journey to the West did not suddenly become popular in modern times, it can be traced back to its roots, if it was not written by Wu Chengen, then it would have been discovered when it was released.

No. "Huai'an Mansion Chronicles" is an official local chronicle, and will not include chapter back**. In the "Qianqingtang Bibliography", Wu Chengen's "Journey to the West" is divided into geography, and none of them are included in the chapter.

In the hundreds of years of circulation, there has been no version of "Journey to the West" Wu Chengen is the author, and it only appears in modern times.

Yes, the author of Journey to the West is indeed Wu Chengen, who is recognized by our modern scholars as the author of Journey to the West.

Yes, although some people say no, but there is no credible evidence.