The source of the content of Shangshu

Shangshu is the earliest extant compilation of laws and regulations in China, which preserves some important historical materials of Shang Dynasty and early Western Zhou Dynasty.

Shangshu is a compilation of works about ancient deeds, the earliest title of which was Book. It is divided into Yu Shu, Xia Shu, Shangshu and Zhou Shu. Because it is one of the five Confucian classics, it is also called the Book of Songs.

The popular versions of Notes to Thirteen Classics and Shangshu are the co-edited versions of Jinwen Shangshu and pseudo-ancient prose Shangshu. In the existing version, the authenticity is mixed.

Twenty-eight pieces of Shangshu dictated by Fu Sheng, a scholar in the Western Han Dynasty, are modern versions of Shangshu. When Liu Yu, the Duke of Lu in the Western Han Dynasty, demolished a section of the wall of Confucius' former residence, he found another section of Shangshu, which is the ancient prose Shangshu.

"Four Books" and "Five Classics" are important components of traditional culture in China, classic works of Confucianism in China and historical and cultural classics handed down from ancient China. The name of "Four Books" began in the Southern Song Dynasty when Zhu Jiang, a great scholar, compiled and engraved the Analects of Confucius, Mencius, Daxue and The Doctrine of the Mean, and asked them to be published in the world, calling them "Four Books".

Among them, The Analects of Confucius is the earliest recorded prose in China, which records the words and deeds of Confucius and his disciples. The words are concise and implicit, and the language is concise and vivid. The content involves literature, history and philosophy, social ideals, culture and education, and dealing with people. It embodies the spirit and demeanor of the sage Confucius.