This book selects twelve Qing Dynasty officials with legendary but obscure lives, and portrays their lives in detail. The subjects' lives are roughly evenly distributed across the more than two hundred years of the Qing Dynasty. They are primarily county and prefectural officials, with occasional lower-ranking officials in the capital and young scholars. Through meticulous analysis of notes, diaries, and official documents, the author unravels the complexities of these ordinary people living in the cracks of history, revealing their lives inextricably linked to the changing times. The professional struggles, interpersonal difficulties, the frustrations of unfulfilled ambitions, and the emotional turmoil of returning home with waning spirit—these are not only relevant to the ancients but also to us living in the 21st century.
本书择定十二位经历传奇但事迹不彰的清朝官吏，为其刻画生平。传主的生活时段大致呈均匀分布，贯穿有清二百余年。其人以州县官为主，间或京职下僚、青衿文士。作者通过对笔记、日记、公牍史料进行精密解剖，抽丝剥茧地还原出这些历史缝隙中小人物的生存状态，他们的命运与时代的变迁紧密相连。那些职业生涯的困扰、人情世故的麻烦，欲待英开偏阻遏，归来意气半消磨的情绪冲击，不但属于古人，而且属于生活在二十一世纪的我们。
本书择定十二位经历传奇但事迹不彰的清朝官吏，为其刻画生平。传主的生活时段大致呈均匀分布，贯穿有清二百余年。其人以州县官为主，间或京职下僚、青衿文士。作者通过对笔记、日记、公牍史料进行精密解剖，抽丝剥茧地还原出这些历史缝隙中小人物的生存状态，他们的命运与时代的变迁紧密相连。那些职业生涯的困扰、人情世故的麻烦，欲待英开偏阻遏，归来意气半消磨的情绪冲击，不但属于古人，而且属于生活在二十一世纪的我们。
