As a landmark achievement in the early Qing Dynasty，

Cilü

词律by Wan Shu 万树laid a foundation for the ci词 studies in the Qing Dynasty emphasizing metrical rules. Some important ideas in

Cilü

， such as the same tonal pattern with different forms， strict distinction between shang 上and qu去 tone， the use of the four tones in lyrics， and the idea of “when musical theory is lost， the poetic structure remains”， have produced far-reaching influences. But these ideas were also challenged in the history of ci studies in Qing Dynasty. By examining the ci

works of the Tang Dynasty， Five Dynasties， and the Northern Song Dynasty， we can find flaws in these concepts. With reference to qu

曲 studies in Yuan and Ming Dynasties， we can see that Wan Shu’s ideas did not stem from his study of Tang and Song ci poetry， but from his misconstruction of qu studies， leading to inherent logical flaws in

Cilü

and the Qing scholars’ views on metrical rules influenced by it.