What do you mean by "reading classics in one day, but reading history in one day is soft"?

We can understand the rigid day and flexible day in "just reading classics and reading history softly" as a kind of human mentality. It means that people read some classic works when they are full of energy (on a sunny day) to cultivate their own integrity; People read history books and meditate when they are depressed.

"Reading Classics on a Positive Day, Reading History on a Soft Day" is a self-written couplet by Qian Daxin in Qing Dynasty, "Learning Buddhism with wine, learning Taoism with immortals, reading Classics on a Positive Day and reading history on a Soft Day". Later, Zeng Guofan also quoted in his letter to his disciples: "Reading classics in the first day and reading history in the second day are predetermined. Reading is often lazy and restless. I have read eight books after reading the book of the Later Han Dynasty. Although I don't remember anything, I have a deeper understanding than I saw the book of the former Han Dynasty last year.

Extended data:

In ancient times, stems and branches were used to mark the days, with odd numbers as yang and even numbers as yin. "A, B, C, D, E, B, G, A, B, C, B" is called ten-day work. Party A, Party C, Party E, Party G and Party N occupy odd numbers, belonging to masculinity, so it is called Gangri. B, D, F, C and D are even days, so they are called soft days. Classics refer to Confucian classics, and history refers to historical books (official history). "

Reading classics is more important than heaven, and reading history is softer than heaven. It is just a way and attitude of the ancients, and its meaning cannot be rigidly understood. First of all, "reading classics in a short day and reading history in a soft day" shows that reading has become a habit, that is, don't read every day, whether it is a short day or a soft day. Secondly, the ancients paid attention to the combination of reading with season and time, which was convenient for understanding and self-cultivation.

References:

Baidu Encyclopedia+Qian Daxin