Abstract
It is widely accepted that Jian'an-period writing is best understood in tandem with society and political events. Past studies have explored the nature and function of writing, especially under the Cao-Wei regime, and future ones will do so as well. A strong focus should be cast on writing’s relationship with the military. This paper argues that Jian’an writings made while following military campaigns created a discourse of cultural conquest that claimed political legitimacy and provided moral justification for military actions. More importantly, they directly participated in the struggle for and the building of a new political power; thus they were effective acts of conquest themselves. Through a close examination of Jian’an views on the significance of writing vis-à-vis political and moral accomplishments, this paper sees a new identity that literati created for themselves, one that showed their commitment to political and military goals. Literary talent — the writing brush — became a weapon that marked these writers' place in a world primarily defined by politics and war.
Keywords
Jian'an literati, discourse of cultural conquest, power of writing, fu about military campaigns, poems on accompanying the army
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