★ A Millennia-Spanning Poetic Dialogue! Reinterprets the "Classic of Poetry" through a contemporary lens, blending textual analysis from the Mao Commentary and Records of the Grand Historian to bring ancient verses like "The Reeds" (Jianjia) and "The Ospreys" (Guanju) to vivid life. More engaging than standard Classic of Poetry translations, deeper than pop-lit guides — it lets you hear the heartbeat of China's earliest poets.
★ The Perfect Primer for "Classic of Poetry" Newcomers! From ritual hymns to lovers' whispers, the author's lyrical prose unveils the Zhou Dynasty's turbulent history behind these poems. With Zuo Commentary anecdotes and clear breakdowns of fu-bi-xing literary techniques, even beginners can grasp this "cultural DNA of China."
★ A Douban 9.2-Rated Masterpiece! Scholar Shen Yanhong transforms academic rigor into accessible essays, linking ancient imagery — "reeds by the water," "hazelnuts on hills" — to modern emotions. Equal parts literary critique and Spring-Autumn social history: open it to meet the most poignant heartbeats of 2,500 years ago.

"Elegant Chats" explores the "Classic of Poetry" through cultural and historical lenses, uncovering the human stories behind its lines and the bittersweet flavors in its diction. Curating the anthology's most beloved verses into thematic clusters, Shen connects them to contemporary life — rescuing these ancient songs from dusty tomes to resonate in every reader's soul. Drawing on the "Mao Commentary", "Zhu Xi's Collected Interpretations of the 'Classic of Poetry'", and historical texts like "Zuo Zhuan" and "Records of the Grand Historian", she decodes pre-Qin allusions and culture, rendering each poem vibrant and unforgettable.

Shen Yanhang (Douban ID: Linglongxin)
A young historical fiction writer who earned her MA in Literature from Japan's Kanazawa University.
Specializing in ancient Chinese history — particularly the Spring and Autumn period — she has spent years researching and serializing accessible historical works that reveal multifaceted perspectives.

Publications:
"The Other Side of the Spring and Autumn Period" (history)
"Elegant Chats" (literary essays)
"Snow Woman and Lotus in the Imperial Pool" (novellas)
"Last Night's Moonlit Dream by West Lake" (essays)
"Only Fragrance Lingers as Before" (novel)

• Zhounan & Zhaonan
True Hearts, True Beauty
A Harmonious Union of a Hundred Years
Longing for Home (Part 1)
Fair as Flowers, Fleeting as Time

• Beifeng, Yongfeng & Weifeng
The States of Bei, Yong, and Wei in the Classic of Poetry
Silent Reflections
Pioneering Lament: The Grief of Parting and Death
Love, Love — A Solitary Affair
The Toil of the Noble Houses
Beauties in the Chaos of Political Satire
"A Man of Such Splendor": Peerless Beauty from Qi
The Tragedy of Prince Ji
Palaces in Ruins, Orchids Weeping Under Night’s Flames
"Stalwart Heroes, Graceful Bamboo": The Cultured Warriors of Wei
Decoding the "Decadent Tunes"

• Wangfeng
Elegy of a Troubled Era
Can You Feel This Bone-Deep Longing?

• Zhengfeng
The Troubles of a Spring-Autumn Minor Hegemon
A Youth Drama of the Pre-Qin Era
Love and Hate, Hard to Fathom
A Happy Household
"This is the Hour My Heart Breaks"
"Spring Returns—See the Silken Ribbons on Her Hair"
Ballad of the Eastern Gate
Pain for Kin

• Qifeng
Princess Wenjiang: A Scandal for the Ages
Reunion After Long Parting
A Hunt and a Kindred Spirit
"Warmed by the Lotus-Blossom Curtain"

• Weifeng
The Cry of the Weak
"Hearts Heavy with Sorrow"

• Tangfeng
Jin, Our Kinsmen
A State Within a State
Love and Hate Entangled in Lamb Fur
The Lonely Tang Tree
"Ah, You! Ah, You!"
The Dissolute
A Mournful Passion

• Qinfeng
Qin and Jin: Love and War
The Sorrow and Glory of a Hegemon
A Soldier’s Wife’s Melancholy
"O Noble One, Seen or Unseen"
Hunting Song
Warrior’s Song
The Reeds: The Pinnacle of the Classic of Poetry

• Chenfeng
Witchcraft Winds Over Wanqiu
The Peerless Enchantress
Under Flowers and Moonlight
Hermit or Lover?
Love in Chen: The Eastern Gate Ballad

• Kuifeng, Caofeng & Bin Feng
Can Man Be Less Sentient Than Grass and Trees?
"Like Morning Dew, Bitter Are Passing Days"
Gathering Thistles and Returning from the East Mountain

• Xiaoya & Daya
Harmonious Xiaoya, Ritual Feasts of Spring and Autumn
Brothers
The Chime of Jade Pendants
"Longing for My Lord, I Dare Not Speak"
King Xuan of Zhou | The Great House Crumbles
Daya | Legends of the Zhou Plains