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Author: Zhou Mi (Song Dynasty) compiled by Zhang Maopeng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-03-01
Features: The Eastern Capital Wild Records primarily records events from the Southern Song Dynasty, such as "The Three Battles of Zhang Jun," "The Inner Abdication of Shaoxi," "The Execution of Han Kan," "The Eastern Capital Campaign of Duanping," "The Xiangzhou Campaign of Duanping," "The Story of Hu Mingzhong," "Li Quan," "The Story of Zhu Hanzhang," "Deng Youlong's Border Expansion," "An Bing's Forged Edict," "The Annual Tribute of Chun and Shao," "The Anecdotes of Yue Wumu," "The Story of Bailang," "The Implementation of Jingding Gongtian," "The Jingding Comet," "The Joint Memorial of Zhu and Tang," "Zhao Xingguo's Resignation from Office," "The Two Zhangs' Aid to Xiangyang," "The Jingding Treasure Seal," and "Zhang Zhongfu." These entries can fill gaps in historical records, providing factual and truthful accounts of history, thereby supplementing the shortcomings of the Song Dynasty History compiled during the Yuan Dynasty. The Eastern Capital Wild Records also documents literary anecdotes and the lives of scholars. "Poetry Using History for Argument" highlights the connection between lyric poems and historical discussions, "Writing Must Be Original" emphasizes the creativity of literary composition, and "Poetry Using Allusions" satirizes the tendency of poets at the time to rely on allusions to demonstrate erudition. "Fang Wen's Affection for His First Wife" recounts the tragic marriage of Lu You and Tang Wan, "The Courtesan Yan Rui" exposes the hypocrisy of the Confucian scholar Zhu Xi and the absurdity of Chen Liang, and "The Story of Wang Kui" narrates the deeds of Wang Junming to debunk the legendary tale of Wang Kui. Similar examples abound in the book. The Eastern Capital Wild Records also includes some fictional stories, such as "Hong Duanming's Journey to the Underworld," which features imaginative plots and intricate storytelling, and "Wu Jiqian's Rank Change," which records a story of a murderer stealing a wife, influencing later fiction. The Eastern Capital Wild Records meticulously examines ancient meanings with great detail. "Avoiding Names" lists examples of name avoidance from ancient times to the Song Dynasty, "Basking in the Sun" cites historical instances of people sunbathing to demonstrate its benefits to health, "The Distinction Between Left and Right in Antiquity" thoroughly explores the customs of preferring the left or right, and "The Discrepancy in the Calendar and Leap Years" examines ancient methods of determining leap years, showcasing Zhou Mi's erudition. The Eastern Capital Wild Records also includes miscellaneous topics such as medicine and astronomy. "Experienced Prescriptions" records medical theories and formulas, "Acupuncture and Moxibustion" discusses the functions of acupuncture, and "A Simplified Calendar Calculation" explains how to determine the solar terms using numbers. In summary, The Eastern Capital Wild Records is rich in content, fair in judgment, and often reveals the truth behind historical events, making it a valuable supplement to official histories. It is a fine example of ancient Chinese miscellanies.