As the Song Dynasty transitioned into the Yuan Dynasty, the status of literati plummeted dramatically. The abolition of the imperial examination system dealt a severe blow to the spiritual world of Han Chinese literati. Against this backdrop, the trend of reclusion flourished in the Yuan Dynasty. Literati immersed themselves in the mountains and rivers, creating landscapes that were elegant, tranquil, desolate, and profound. Meanwhile, the music of the guqin became a solace for their souls. Among the Four Great Masters of the Yuan Dynasty—Huang Gongwang, Wang Meng, Ni Yunlin, and Wu Zhen—all had a passion for the guqin. Ni Yunlin, in particular, had an extensive collection of guqins. He lived in seclusion by Taihu Lake, entertaining himself with the guqin, calligraphy, and painting. His painting style was innocent, serene, and desolate, exuding an atmosphere of desolation and quiet despondency.
Among the non-Han literati of the Yuan Dynasty, the most skilled qin player was Yelü Chucai (1190—1244). Yelü Chucai, styled Jinqing and also known as Master Zhanran, was a descendant of the eighth generation of Prince Dan of the Liao Dynasty, Tuyu. He served in the Yuan Dynasty as the Grand Preceptor. Yelü Chucai learned the guqin from Mi Dayong, Miao Xiushi, and Master Wansong, among others. He was proficient in many qin pieces, especially "The Solitary Orchid" and "The Guangling Melody." His poetry and prose contain numerous discussions on qin players and qin pieces. Whenever he obtained a new score, he would consult Miao Xiushi to "discuss the subtleties before playing it." Miao Xiushi was a renowned qin player during the Jin and Yuan periods. He was recommended as a qin daizhao (imperial qin player) and highly appreciated by Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin Dynasty, Wanyan Jing. Due to his high reputation in the capital, Miao Xiushi was constantly invited by the court's princes and high officials, which made it difficult for Yelü Chucai to frequently exchange qin skills with him, a fact that Yelü Chucai deeply regretted. After serving in the Yuan Dynasty, Yelü Chucai strongly recommended Miao Xiushi to Kublai Khan. Miao Xiushi's son, Miao Lan, presented over 40 inherited qin scores to Yelü Chucai for a preface. In his preface, Yelü Chucai praised the scores as "truly exquisite, mostly passed down by Wei Zhongru." While recovering from an injury sustained during a royal hunt, Yelü Chucai played over 50 pieces with Miao Lan, thereby mastering the essence of Miao Xiushi's qin art. He described Miao's performance as "sharp and brisk like the Sichuan style, pleasing to the ear and eye."
During the Yuan Dynasty, famous qin makers included Zhu Zhiyuan, and qins made by him still exist in museums and private collections today. The "Yuquan" qin, housed in the Hubei Provincial Museum, is a Yuan Dynasty qin in the Confucian style, measuring 120.5 cm in length and 20.0 cm in shoulder width. Made of桐wood and coated with black lacquer, it features snake-belly crackle patterns. The outside of the qin surface has 13 gold inlays. The "Yuquan" qin was once treasured by Xu Wenpu of the Ming Dynasty.
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