Abstract: In drama theories, criticisms and creative practices during the reign of Emperor Wanli in the Ming dynasty, the combination of elegance and popularity in chuanqi plays' lyrics was prominent, which demonstrated the interactive characteristics of aesthetic theories and literary writings. In terms of theories, Tu Long made a first attempt, which was fulfilled by Wang Jide and inherited by Wang Tingne, Zang Maoxun, etc. In terms of creative practices, Mei Dingzuo's The Story of the Jade Box initiated this thought, and then Tang Xianzu's Peony Pavilion pushed it to its peak, followed by the other two plays The Story of Nanke and The Story of Handan. From the viewpoints of the whole evolutionary history of chuanqi in the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was this thought and its practitioners that changed the situation of the circle of chuanqi plays once led by the Wenci school, and thus that offered people a new aesthetic ideal of coexisting elegance and popularity. The trend from separation to combination led to the great prosperity of chuanqi in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

Key words: the Reign of Emperor Wanli, combination of elegance and popularity, Tu Long, Wang Jide, Peony Pavilion