Continuation of the Outline of the Two Dynasties' Annals

Author: (Song) Anonymous Compiler/You Qihe Edited and Proofread
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-03-01
Features: In terms of volume, Liu's Comprehensive Mirror () consists of fifteen volumes, with the last five volumes containing historical events from the Guang and Ning dynasties, totaling over 37,000 characters. The Song History Full Record () has thirty-six volumes, with only three volumes covering these two dynasties, amounting to approximately 160,000 characters. Chen Geng's Continuation of the Comprehensive Mirror () also has only three volumes and about 33,000 characters, even fewer than Liu's Comprehensive Mirror. The Ming Dynasty's official continuation, the Outline of the Comprehensive Mirror of the Treatise on Governance During the Reigns of Emperors Shizong and Ningzong (), only the seventeenth and eighteenth volumes deal with the history of the Guang and Ning dynasties. If the text such as "broad definition" and "elucidation" is excluded, the number of characters is still less than 100,000. Xue Yingliu's Comprehensive Mirror of the Song and Yuan Dynasties () has a portion of thirteen volumes (i.e., volumes 90 to 02), but the number of characters is only about 82,000. Wang Zongmu's Continuation of the Comprehensive Mirror of the Treatise on Governance During the Reigns of Emperors Shizong and Ningzong () has only five volumes and over 40,000 characters covering the events of these two dynasties. Xu Qianxue's Post-Compilation of the Comprehensive Mirror of the Treatise on Governance () has 184 volumes, with only nine volumes and over 91,000 characters related to these dynasties. Bi Yuan's Continuation of the Comprehensive Mirror of the Treatise on Governance (hereinafter referred to as "Bi Mirror") has 220 volumes, with eleven volumes and about 134,000 characters covering this period of history. Meanwhile, the Outline of the Guang and Ning Dynasties has a larger volume than other books, reaching over 177,000 characters. The Outline of the Guang and Ning Dynasties is also one of the most original sources among all the books. In terms of the time of compilation, the above-mentioned books, except for Liu's Comprehensive Mirror which may have been compiled in the late Song Dynasty, are all works from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Since Liu's Comprehensive Mirror contains historical events from the Ningzong dynasty, its compilation must have been after the 17th year of the Jiading era, meaning it could not have been earlier than the Lizong era. Currently, there is no material to prove that Liu's Comprehensive Mirror was published earlier than the Outline of the Guang and Ning Dynasties, but two points have been confirmed: first, the volume of the former is only one-fifth of the latter; second, the content of the Guang and Ning dynasties in the former is almost entirely included in the latter. This is the conclusion drawn by the author after a detailed comparison of the contents of the two books. In other words, nearly four-fifths of the content of the Outline of the Guang and Ning Dynasties is absent in Liu's Comprehensive Mirror, so it is not an exaggeration to say that the Outline of the Guang and Ning Dynasties is one of the most original sources among all the books. To make the vertical comparison clear at a glance, a table is provided below:
Later, they sold them using wooden boards. Every day, they transported them to the Jiangkou of Xuzhou and engaged in trade with others. Governor Gao Hui first set up a market to collect taxes, calling it the "Tax Collection Market," which is still in use today. (Volume 12) On the other hand, the book also presents a series of illustrations of their uprising against national oppression, such as the headings "Xuzhou Mian Chief Mi Zai Xiang" and "Vainly Resenting the Mian Bandits in the Zhongzhen Fortress," which almost entirely cover this content. These historical materials are of great value for the study of ethnic history, and they vividly reflect the national policy of suppression and appeasement adopted by the Southern Song rulers. In addition to the above, the Outline of the Guang and Ning Dynasties also records the activities of many other ethnic groups, such as "Lizhou Mians," "Ya Zhou Mians," and "Longzhou Fanzu," among which many are valuable materials not recorded in general history books.
(II) Rich Historical Materials from the Sichuan and Chuan Regions
The Outline of the Guang and Ning Dynasties has over 1,360 headings, of which one-eighth are related to the history of Sichuan and Chuan. These numerous headings provide many details that are omitted in other books from political, economic, and military perspectives. The following is a detailed description.
In terms of politics, a major event in the Sichuan and Chuan regions at that time was the "Wuxing Rebellion" (i.e., Wu Xi's surrender to the Jin), which was recorded in very brief terms in books like the Song History, while the Outline of the Guang and Ning Dynasties provides a detailed account. For example, the heading "Wu Xi Enters Sichuan" in the seventh month of the first year of the Jiatai era, with over 400 characters, reveals the background of Wu Xi's entry into Sichuan, depicts the various treasures he transported in "seventeen large boats," and portrays the scene of extensive construction he carried out after arriving in Sichuan. These are undoubtedly important evidence for studying the subjective factors behind Wu Xi's rebellion. Another example is the section "An Bing and Others Execute Wu Xi, Sichuan Pacified" in the second month of the third year of the Kaixi era, which includes the details of the execution, the relationship between An Bing and Wu Ting and Wu Xi's father, the behavior of Sichuan officials during the "Wuxing Rebellion," and a concluding discussion on "Since ancient times, those who caused chaos in Sichuan were not from Sichuan." According to modern research, the Song Dynasty headings "Xuzhou Mians" and "Vainly Resenting Mians" refer to the ancestors of the Yi ethnic group in the modern areas of Ebian, Maben, and Lebo.
The Outline of the Guang and Ning Dynasties provides a detailed account of them in six headings and over 3,000 characters (these headings include: "Xuzhou Mians Attack and Seize Lidian Fortress," "Xuzhou Mians Invade Longdou Fortress," and "Xuzhou Mians Raid the Border" in Volume 12; "Xuzhou Mian Chief Mi Zai Xiang" and "Vainly Resenting Mian Bandits in Zhongzhen Fortress" in Volume 13; and "Ma You Attacks and Kills Vainly Resenting Mian Kuqian and Others" in Volume 14). The main four aspects of content not recorded or only briefly mentioned in the above three books are as follows:
(1) A brief overview of the ancestors of this ethnic group. The book traces its history back to the Southern and Northern Dynasties period: "The Xuzhou Mians are a branch of the Western Cai and Kunming peoples. Their land was part of Ningzhou during the Liang Dynasty and was ruled by the prefect Xu Wensheng in the Chengsheng era. Later, a man named Cai Zan seized the land, and his descendants continued to rule, eventually dividing into the Eastern and Western branches." (See Volume 12). This historical material provides clues for studying the ancestors of the Yi ethnic group and the important ancient southwestern ethnic group, the Cai people.
(2) The geographical location of the ethnic group during the Southern Song Dynasty. Volume 12 provides a detailed description of their territory: "Southeast it borders Shimen, southwest it borders the desert and Vainly Resenting Mians as well as the Lili and Ya Mians and the Tibetans, northwest it borders the Shangzhou Fortress and Xuanhua County of Xuzhou, west it borders Laiyin and Muchuan of Jiading, and northwest it borders Yibin of Xuzhou." These records reflect their development in the Song Dynasty from a geographical perspective and also define the scope for tracing ancient remains today.
(3) Living customs. "Their people wear felt and have their hair tied in a bun, but their houses are all tiled, like the Chinese, and their diet, agriculture, and craftsmanship are mostly the same as the Chinese." (Volume 12). This shows that their customs had already been significantly influenced by the Han Chinese by the Song Dynasty.
(4) Relations with the Han Chinese. The records mainly reflect two aspects: one is trade with the Han people, "In the Taiping Xingguo era, they began to trade horses, and in the later part of the Outline of the Guang and Ning Dynasties, they sold them using wooden boards. The Mians transported them to the Jiangkou of Xuzhou every day and engaged in trade with others. Governor Gao Hui first set up a market to collect taxes, calling it the 'Tax Collection Market,' which is still in use today." (Volume 12); on the other hand, the book presents a series of illustrations of their uprising against national oppression, such as the headings "Xuzhou Mian Chief Mi Zai Xiang" and "Vainly Resenting Mian Bandits in Zhongzhen Fortress," which almost entirely cover this content. These historical materials are of great value for the study of ethnic history, and they vividly reflect the national policy of suppression and appeasement adopted by the Southern Song rulers. In addition to the above, the Outline of the Guang and Ning Dynasties also records the activities of many other ethnic groups, such as "Lizhou Mians," "Ya Zhou Mians," and "Longzhou Fanzu," among which many are valuable materials not recorded in general history books.
(III) Detailed Records of Han Tuozhu's History
Han Tuozhu was a prominent and powerful minister during the Southern Song Dynasty, whose activities directly influenced domestic and foreign policies at the time. He is also a major figure in the Outline of the Guang and Ning Dynasties, with the author dedicating a significant portion of the book to him. There are over 80 headings related to Han Tuozhu in the book, accounting for one-tenth of the total volume, which is about five times the length of Han Tuozhu's biography in the Song History. If these headings are compiled together, they would form a detailed account of Han Tuozhu's life, documenting his origins and rise to power, vividly portraying the gradual expansion of his influence, its peak, and his dramatic downfall and execution. It also involves many major issues, such as his rivalry with the famous minister Zhao Ruyu, his opposition to "Daoism," and his role in the resistance against the Jin. Below are a few examples.
Han Tuozhu has always been viewed as a treacherous and cunning minister in feudal historiography, so general history books often focus on his manipulation of power and recruitment of private factions, while rarely mentioning other aspects. In the section "Han Tuozhu Rejects Birthday Gifts," the book objectively records over 400 characters of the document in which he refused lavish gifts from officials. To fully understand Han Tuozhu, this historical material, which is absent in all other books, is naturally extremely important. Another example is the section "Han Tuozhu's Letter to Wu Xi," which includes the original text of his letter, over 220 characters long. Phrases such as "Suddenly, I heard rumors that were deeply suspicious. If the merits of our ancestors were as great as the achievements of the middle restoration, and if your daily loyalty to the country was as deep as I knew, there must be no such thing," and "If the rumors are false, I hope you will give it deep consideration. The enemy's intentions are unpredictable, as the past can teach us," reflect Han Tuozhu's attitude toward Wu Xi's betrayal of the Song and surrender to the Jin. These are also relatively original materials for studying the relationship between Han Tuozhu and Wu Xi. The Outline of the Guang and Ning Dynasties records other historical events related to Han Tuozhu that are richer and more complete than those in other books. For example, "Han Tuozhu Requests Retirement" is a relatively important event in his political career, but it is briefly mentioned or omitted in books like the Song History, while the Outline of the Guang and Ning Dynasties provides a detailed account of his memorial, over 400 characters long.
Taking the major historical event of the "Qingning Party Ban" as another example, there are over 20 headings related to it in the book. They are all crucial for studying Han Tuozhu himself and the political struggles in the mid-Southern Song Dynasty.
The above are just three aspects where the historical value of the Outline of the Guang and Ning Dynasties is most prominent, and its value is certainly not limited to this. For example, the book contains many important details about the Southern Song scholar Zhu Xi that are omitted in other books, which are worth attention for Zhu Xi researchers.
Additionally, the book has headings on Song-Jin wars that account for over one-tenth of the total volume. They provide a detailed outline of the progress of the war in each stage, which can also be used as reference material for researchers. The book also contains a large number of records of special celestial phenomena, abnormal weather, and natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, which have certain value for the study of astronomical history, meteorological history, and seismic history.
Furthermore, the book vividly depicts several major fires in Lin'an and the detailed process of extinguishing them, which are also valuable references for related researchers.