The pre-Qin Dynasty Confucian scholars contrasted reasoning with rhetoric and advocated that rhetoric should be based on reasoning. They argued that an article not based on reasoning would not be a good one. In the Southern Dynasties, Liu Xie (465?-520? or 532?) continued to uphold this view, further arguing that persuasive reasoning constituted the substance of a piece of writing and that a graceful literary style enhanced its appeal. He believed that Confucian scholars produced reasoning-based writings with graceful literary style, thus turning these fine writings into classics.

Those who are born with natural instinct to acquire knowledge have extraordinary vision, because they possess outstanding intelligence and wisdom. They produce reasoning-based writings with graceful literary style. (Liu Xie: The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons)

Graceful literary style marks Meng Haoran’s writings. Reciting his poems, I have come to his hometown to admire him. (Bai Juyi: Remembering Meng Haoran on Trip to Xiangyang)