Abstract: Since Drunkard Pavilion Records was published in Qingli six years (1046 AD) of the Northern Song Dynasty, the lofty reputation of the prose has overweighed dissents and criticisms in the history of acceptance. Its comical style, which contains many profound connotations, is an important point that has not been paid much attention to and explained thoroughly. From a stylistic perspective, this view reveals the technique of the prose, which “takes the prose as Fu(赋) literature” and “takes the prose as the travel notes”, and reflects conflicts between two stylistic concepts of unstandardized form and style-respect. When it comes to individual feeling, OUYANG Xiu intends to break through the stylistic boundaries of “ancient prose” and “contemporary prose”, merges parallel prose and prose, and inherits HAN Yu's tradition of “Playing on Literature” (Treating essay writing as a game). He combines gravity in humor and deliberately highlights the sensation of “joy”. By reconciling the suffering of life, OUYANG shows political frustration and efforts to transcend the misery. The breakthrough of stylistic boundaries and the blending of joy and sorrow are rooted in OUYANG's painful experience in the Northern Song Dynasty Parties struggle, and also accord with the common experience of ancient Chinese intellectuals. The vivid physical features and deep emotional tension endow this work with the nature of literary classics.

Key words: Drunkard Pavilion Records, OUYANG Xiu, ancient prose, unstandardized form, comical style, Playing on Literature, the joy of the prefecture chief