The idea of “rejection of the Mao Prefaces”废序 and “skepticism toward the Classics”疑经 becomes a common excuse to explain the evolution and style of the study on

the Book of Songs

诗经 in Song Dynasty. In fact， the study of

the Book of Songs

in Song Dynasty exhibits a transformation analogous to that from the intellectual currents of the Warring States philosophers to the classical scholarship of Confucian masters in the

Han Dynasty. From the Northern Song， with scholars such as Ouyang Xiu欧阳修， Wang Anshi王安石 and other scholars contending with each other and expressing their views， to the Southern Song， where Confucian scholars adhered to orthodoxy and ideological unity， the evolution is evident. Southern Song Confucians， represented by Zhu Xi朱熹， drew a clear distinction between literati and Confucians based on the perspective of authorship and identity， rejecting the classical scholarship of Northern Song figures such as Ouyang and Su Shi苏轼. Meanwhile， Southern Song Confucians at one point revived admiration for Han and Tang commentaries and annotations， and re-endorsed the disciplines of Han Confucians， reflecting a return to the scholarship of Confucian classics in Han Dynasty. Recognizing this trajectory of evolution will better resolve the seemingly paradoxical logic dilemma underlying the theory of “skepticism toward the Classics”， that is， scholars in the Song Dynasty aim to uphold the authority and universality of Confucian learning， whether in textual criticism， the refutation of old interpretations， or in the exposition， construction， and internalization of semantics.