《永乐大典》是怎么散佚的？

Group 1 - The core idea of the article revolves around the historical significance and tumultuous fate of the "Yongle Dadian," a massive encyclopedia compiled during the Ming Dynasty, which faced destruction and loss over centuries [2][3][11]. - The "Yongle Dadian" consists of 22,877 volumes, divided into 11,095 books, with a total word count of approximately 370 million, encompassing a vast array of literature, history, philosophy, and sciences from before the Ming Dynasty [11][19]. - The encyclopedia was commissioned by Emperor Zhu Di and took five years to compile, involving over 3,000 contributors [11][15]. Group 2 - The "Yongle Dadian" suffered significant losses due to fires, wars, and theft, with only 64 volumes remaining by the early Republic of China period, despite efforts to recover the lost texts [2][29][32]. - The collection was notably affected during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, when the Hanlin Academy, which housed many volumes, was set on fire, leading to the destruction of countless ancient texts [6][10][30]. - After the Boxer Rebellion, some surviving volumes were returned to China, with the National Library currently holding 224 volumes, the largest collection worldwide [30][34]. Group 3 - The "Yongle Dadian" reflects the cultural and political dynamics of its time, serving as a tool for Emperor Zhu Di to consolidate power and address societal unrest following his usurpation of the throne [14][15]. - The compilation process of the "Yongle Dadian" was influenced by earlier works and aimed to create a comprehensive reference that included a wide range of subjects, unlike previous encyclopedias that focused primarily on Confucian classics [17][18]. - The fate of the "Yongle Dadian" highlights the broader historical context of cultural preservation in China, with its compilation and subsequent losses illustrating the challenges faced by Chinese literature and scholarship over centuries [26][28].