Gu Sui’s Way （Dao） of Literary Interpretation： A Concurrent Discussion on the Intellectual Origins and Academic Legacy of Ye Jiaying

Gu Sui， upholding the Confucian ideal of pursuing the Way （Dao）， demonstrates his modern identity as a Chinese literary scholar， educator， and classical literature researcher through multidimensional literary interpretation. Rooted in Confucian literary thought， his approach to literary interpretation evinces a precise understanding of the essence of literature and its social function. Gu Sui’s literary interpretation began with the birth of “new literature，” and then went through the recreation of classical literature， including ancient-style poetry， ci-poetry， and qu-poetry in modern language， and finally returned to the modern interpretation of Chinese classical literature. In this final stage， he “rearticulated” the intellectual dimensions of classical Chinese literary forms， “reconfigured” the relationship between these forms and modern ideological frameworks， and “redefined” their contemporary value. Through his creative and interpretive practices， Gu Sui achieved the modern transmission of China’s classical literary lineage. Simultaneously， Gu realized his ideal and goal of literary interpretation by identifying a modern trajectory for the evolution of Chinese literature and thought， which provided a unique perspective for the study of classical Chinese literature in modern China. In essence， Gu Sui’s approach to literary interpretation was realized through the interplay of textual analysis and creative practice. Ye Jiaying， a disciple of Gu Sui， inherited and expanded upon his literary thought and academic vision. In light of what Ye has elucidated， an in-depth exploration of Gu Sui’s approach to literary interpretation will not only help present the modern development of the study and transmission of classical literature， but also facilitate a positive impact on the future transmission of classics and the inheritance of intellectual thoughts.