About the book: 1959 / "The Unofficial History of the Confucians" is one of the best examples of Chinese classical literature. The poet Wu Ching-tzu (1701-1754) completed this, his only prose work, at the end of his life. This novel can fully be called a literary monument and an outstanding example of Chinese classical literature. Against the historical background of the Ming dynasty, Wu Ching-tzu depicted the contemporary era, populating the novel with many characters, ranging from high dignitaries close to the emperor to minor employees. He sympathizes with some of them, ridicules others, but he does both with subtlety and high skill..