A Study on the Narrative Characteristics and Reception Psychology of Ancient Judgment Texts of Early Seventh Century

Objectives As one of the crucial literary genres in the imperial examination system of early seventh-century, judgment texts left profound imprints on the development of prose. This study aims to investigate the stylistic evolution of ancient texts and the aesthetic psychology of literati from an interdisciplinary perspective combining narratology and psychology. Methods Through systematically reviewing ancient judgment texts and employing psychological research methodologies integrated with classical prose theory, this study conducts an interdisciplinary investigation into the narrative characteristics, stylistic evolution, and literati aesthetic psychology reflected in these texts. Results The research demonstrates narrative characteristics in of early 7th century judgment texts: The textual language evolved from florid ornamentation to a harmonious balance between literary refinement and substantive content; the adjudicated scenarios transitioned from strictly factual accounts to consciously fictionalized narratives. “From psychological and aesthetic perspectives, as a unique hybrid genre of judicial document and literary creation, the early seventh-century judgment texts reflected the contemporary literati’s reception psychology.” Conclusions From the perspective of reception psychology in classical prose, literati demonstrated a distinct propensity for hybridizing diverse literary genres to formulate new paradigms. Though originating from judicial practice, judgment texts underwent a remarkable stylistic evolution from factual documentation toward literary fictionalization during their integration into the examination system. This generic transformation, propelled by the creative adaptation and receptive psychology of literati, offers seminal insights into the development of ancient prose aesthetics. Such genre innovation not only reflected public psychological acceptance but also resolved intrinsic anxieties about stylistic development on a spiritual level. Acknowledgments This research was supported by the following grants: 2023 Humanities and Social Sciences Youth Fund Project of the Ministry of Education of China “The Transformation of Tang Dynasty Parallel Prose and Intellectual Trends in Prose Reform”, (Grant No. 23YJC751031).