On the Inheritance and Innovation of the Ming Dynasty's Comprehensive Works on Distinguishing Styles in Relation to the Four-part Literary Classification of Authentic ArticleA Study Focused on Distinguishing Styles of Writing, Clear Distinction of Literary Styles, and Selected Works on Distinguishing Styles of Writing

Historically, research on the influence of the four-part stylistic classification of Authentic Articles primarily focused on collections used by scholars like Chu Xin, Yao Nai, Wu Zengqi, Li Zhaoluo, and Zeng Guofan. These collections emphasized the importance of maintaining simplicity while managing complexity in stylistic classification. Works such as Distinguishing Styles of Writing although adhering to the traditional method of distinct categories for each style, reveal a trend towards the author Zhen Dexiu's four-part classification upon closer examination of their genre arrangements. Integrating this classification with the Ming Dynasty's comprehensive genre collections could enhance our understanding of shifts in literary genre connotations. This integration is also crucial for objectively assessing Zhen Dexiu's classification and potentially developing a method for classifying ancient prose.