Zhong Su Collection

Author: Liu Zhi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Liu Zhi (AD 1030–1098), styled Shenlao, was a native of Dongguang, Yongjing Prefecture, in the Northern Song Dynasty. He passed the imperial examination in the first class in the fourth year of the Jiayou era. Initially appointed as the magistrate of Nan Gong County in Ji Prefecture, he was renowned for his outstanding achievements in governance and was known as one of the "Three Magistrates of He Shuo" alongside Li Chong of Xindu and Huang Shen of Qinghe. Later, he served as the Observator of Jiangling Prefecture and was recommended by Han Qi to become a Librarian and later promoted to the position of Academician. During Wang Anshi's early tenure in power, he highly valued Liu Zhi and promoted him to the position of Director of the Imperial Secretariat. Subsequently, Liu Zhi was further promoted to the position of Assistant Censor-in-Chief. After Wang Anshi became Prime Minister, he implemented the New Policies, but Liu Zhi, believing them to be full of flaws, submitted a memorial to Emperor Shenzong outlining the shortcomings of the New Policies. Emperor Shenzong, at the time favoring Wang Anshi, demoted Liu Zhi to the position of Supervisor of the Salt Caches in Hengzhou. In the early years of the Yuanfeng era, he was reassigned as the Academician of the Jixian Academy and later became the Chief Clerk of the Grand Court of Justice and the Procurator of Kaifeng Prefecture. He was then appointed as the Minister of the Ministry of Rites and later promoted to the Minister of the Right Department. After Emperor Zhizong ascended the throne, Liu Zhi was reassigned as the Vice Director of the Secretariat and later promoted to Censor-in-Chief. In the first year of the Yuanyou era, he was promoted to the position of Vice Director of the Imperial Censorate, and in the sixth year of the Yuanyou era, he was appointed as the Right Vice Minister of State. He and the Left Vice Minister of State Lü Dafang jointly governed the state and abolished the New Policies. Later, due to conflicts between Lü Dafang and Liu Zhi, the Censor Yang Wei, who allied with Lü Dafang, impeached Liu Zhi, leading to his dismissal as Prime Minister. In the eighth year of the Yuanyou era, Emperor Zhizong took personal control of the government and reinstated the New Policies. The following year, Liu Zhi was demoted to the position of Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. In the fourth year of the Shaoxing era (AD 1097), Liu Zhi was exiled to Xinzhou and died shortly thereafter, filled with resentment.
Due to Liu Zhi's unwavering integrity, righteous demeanor, and patriotic loyalty, after Emperor Zhizong's death, Han Zhongxian, who became the Right Prime Minister, overturned the case against Liu Zhi and posthumously awarded him the title of "Zhong Su" (Loyal and Pure). He was later posthumously honored as "Yuanyou Zhong Xian" (Loyal and Virtuous of Yuanyou). Liu Zhi was deeply devoted to learning, meticulous in his studies, and exceptionally talented. His collected works, the Zhong Su Ji (Collected Works of Zhong Su), were widely circulated by later generations. Zhong Su Ji is one of Liu Zhi's works. According to existing records, Liu Zhi's writings include the Liu Zhi Ji (Collected Works of Liu Zhi), Liu Zhong Su Ji (Collected Works of Zhong Su Liu), Liu Zhi Zongyi (Memorials and Proposals of Liu Zhi), Liu Zhi Yigao (Unpublished Drafts of Liu Zhi), and Liu Zhi Riben (Diary of Liu Zhi), but the last three have been lost. The Zhong Su Ji was widely circulated until at least the early Ming Dynasty, as evidenced by the Wenyuan Pavilion Catalogue. It was also included in the Yongle Dadian (Yongle Encyclopedia). The Zhizhai Shulu Jieshi (Catalogue of the Direct Library) by Chen Zhensun, the Wenyuan Tongkao (Comprehensive Examination of Literature and Documents) by Ma Duanlin, and the Jingji Ke (Examination of Classics and Literature) all recorded the Zhong Su Ji as a 40-volume work. From the surviving fragments of the Yongle Dadian, portions of the Liu Zhi Ji, Liu Zhong Su Ji, and Wen Su Gong Ji can still be found. However, by the time the Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries) was compiled in the Qing Dynasty, the book had long been lost, forcing the compilers to extract the verses from the Yongle Dadian according to rhyme. The Siku Quanshu Zongmu (General Catalogue of the Siku Quanshu) describes the Zhong Su Ji as follows:
Zhong Su Ji, 20 volumes, by Liu Zhi of the Song Dynasty. His collected works were originally 40 volumes, as recorded in the Art and Literature Catalogue of the Song Shi (History of the Song Dynasty). Due to the lack of a complete transmission, the compilers extracted and compiled the verses from the various rhymes of the Yongle Dadian, resulting in a total of 285 pieces of literature. Compared to the original volume titles, there were still about six to seven tenths remaining. The compilers carefully organized and compiled them into 20 volumes. In the current edition of the Zhong Su Ji, memorial essays account for five volumes, totaling 70 pieces, with approximately 50,000 characters, making up one-fourth of the entire book. Tableaus and memorials account for two volumes each, also making up one-fourth of the book. Prefaces, miscellaneous writings, and memorial essays constitute one volume, while epitaphs and tomb inscriptions take up four volumes, also making up one-fourth of the book. The rest consists of seven-character ancient poems, five-character regulated poems, five-character long regulated poems, and seven-character regulated poems, among other poetic and literary works.