Abstract: In a dialogue depicted from The Analects (Lun Yu), Confucius praised his disciple ZI Xia for “being a worthy partner for yan shi”. Conventionally, “yan shi” has been explained as “discussing the meaning of The Book of Poems (Shi Jing)”, which has been seen as a proof of ZI Xia's good knowledge of The Book of Poems and authorship to The Preface to Mao's Edition of 'The Book of Poems' (Mao Shi Xu)”. In this depiction, however, “yan shi” means “expressing one's own ideas by citing from The Book of Poems” (“fu shi yan zhi”). It was an expression in the Spring and Autumn period (771-476 B.C.) subordinated to the ceremonial and music rites at that time and had nothing to do with the interpretation in The Preface to Mao's Edition of “The Book of Poems”. Confucius' discourses on The Book of Poems are all about expressing ideas by citing from it (fu shi), rather than interpreting or annotating. Since the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), the carrier of social ideology had shifted from the ceremonial and music rites to the canons. In this situation, The Preface to Mao's Edition of “The Book of Poems”, which provided a fixed interpretation of each poem in The Book of Poems, came into being. The ancient tradition of ruling the country through rites and music was still embedded in the interpretation, so the Book of Poems has long been understood as metaphors connected to the extensive meaning, while the true meaning has been kept concealed.

Key words: The Preface to MAO's Edition of “'The Book of Poems”(Mao Shi Xu), the Book of Poems (Shi Jing), Confucius, expressing ideas by citing from The Book of Poems (“fu shi yan zhi”), yan shi (discussion on or citation of The Book of Poems)