Four Dynasties Records

Author: Ye Shaoweng
Editor: Cui Wenyin
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1997-12-01
Features: The Record of Four Dynasties, written by Song Dynasty scholar Ye Shaoweng. Shaoweng, styled Sizong, was also known as Jingyi. He self-identified as a native of Longquan. Li Li's "Records of Song Poets" (Volume 71) describes him as a native of Jian'an, which differs from his self-identification. In the "Record of Four Dynasties" (Volume B), the section on Emperor Gaozong's "Six Voyages to the Sea," Shaoweng mentions that his ancestor, Li Yingshi, was originally from Gushi, Guangzhou, and later moved to Pucheng in Jian'an. The "Record of Chuzhou Prefecture" also states that Shaoweng's ancestors were originally from Gushi and moved to Pucheng before settling in Longquan. Based on this, Shaoweng's ancestral origin is believed to be Gushi, Guangzhou (now Henan), and he later resided in Longquan, Chuzhou (now Zhejiang). His self-identification is considered more accurate. There is no biography of Shaoweng in the "History of the Song Dynasty," making his life difficult to trace. The "Record of Four Dynasties" (Volume A) includes a section on the "Six Gentlemen of Qingyuan," which records that in the year Gengchen (1220), when the capital was in turmoil, Zhou Duanchao said to Shaoweng, "You can now reveal your inner thoughts." Shaoweng replied, "With the master present, how dare I speak." The same volume also mentions Shaoweng's private correction of the examination papers for Xu Huang's palace. Based on this, the "General Catalogue of the Four Treasuries" notes that Shaoweng "may have also served as an official, though his specific position is unclear." Later scholars generally agree with this, suggesting it is likely true.
When the "Record of Four Dynasties" was compiled, Neo-Confucianism was flourishing. Shaoweng was a disciple of Lu Xue and had a close relationship with Zhen Dexiu, both of whom adhered to Zhu Xi's teachings. However, in the book, Shaoweng was unafraid to criticize Zhu Xi. For example, in the "Record of Lu Learning" (Volume B), he writes, "I once traveled with scholars from Min on a boat and rested together. We discussed the decline of Zhu's family's reputation, deeply regretting its fall." This exemplifies his willingness to speak out against Zhu Xi. The "General Catalogue of the Four Treasuries" praises Shaoweng as "not one to blindly follow sects" and "capable of fair judgment." Zhou Zhongfu's "Zhengtang Reading Records" also comments, "He truly knows the difference between right and wrong." These evaluations are quite fair.
After the Southern Song Dynasty's relocation, records became sparse. Li Xin's "Annals of Jianyan Since the Reunification" and "Personal Records of the Court" are considered detailed and can supplement historical records. Beyond these two works, the "Record of Four Dynasties" stands out. However, Li's two works only cover the 36 years of Emperor Gaozong's reign, while the "Record of Four Dynasties" differs. It is divided into five volumes—A, B, C, D, and E—with 209 entries. Each entry has a title and is not arranged chronologically. Volumes A, B, C, and E record events from the reigns of Emperor Gaozong, Emperor Xiaozong, Emperor Guangzong, and Emperor Ningzong, while Volume D only covers three events: Emperor Ningzong's accession and the Qingyuan Party Ban. The entries are clear and rich in historical material. Notably, it provides detailed accounts of Han Tuozhou's rise to favor and eventual execution, which are unmatched in other works. The "History of the Southern Song Dynasty" on Han Tuozhou largely draws from this record.
The "Record of Four Dynasties" also contains many important records of the Southern Song Dynasty's court rules, state policies, institutional systems, and anecdotes of the time. When Cheng Gongxu reviewed the two volumes, he praised them as "detailed and comprehensive, with factual accounts and subtle wording. In the future, they will be valuable for historians to supplement lost records and address minor issues." The "Record of Four Dynasties" is one of the indispensable works for studying the Southern Song Dynasty. However, it also contains many errors. For example, in Volume A, the section on "Gongxiao's Grand Ceremony and Wang Da's Dignity" mistakenly attributes Liu Yuxi's poem "Gantang Pavilion" to Zhao Zhongshi's visit to Tianfu. Chen Yu's "Zangfu" criticized this. In the same volume, the section on "Harmful Saints and Enthronement" records Emperor Guangzong's abdication, where the Empress Dowager Ciyi was said to have retrieved the imperial seal from her bedchamber. Zhou Mi's "Qidongye" (Volume 3) also questioned this, arguing, "How could the imperial seal be taken only after the abdication? Each has its own duties—how could it be placed in the bedchamber? This is unlikely to be true."
Other errors include the section "Letter to Han" in Volume B, which records that after Han Tuozhou's execution, Zhang Liangneng suggested using his head to negotiate with the Jin, but Wang Jie protested. Zhou Mi believed this was "not true," and it was likely Lin Daizhong, Lou Ling, and Ni Si who strongly argued against it. Additionally, Wang Shizhen criticized the work in "Juyi Records" (Volume 8) as "rather trivial" and inferior to Li Xin's "Personal Records of the Court," which is also true. Previous scholars categorized Li's work in the "History" section, while placing this one in the "Fiction" section, likely due to the aforementioned flaws. However, this does not diminish its reference value.
The standard edition of the "Record of Four Dynasties" was published in the Guangxu era (1778) by the Zhiyuzhiqi Press. This edition was used as the basis for the current collation. The original work was divided into five volumes, each with one scroll. When Bao Tingbo published the book, he added an appendix because the end of Volume E included a detailed account of Wang Da's mother's tombstone. He used Gao Shiqi's copy of Zhou Mi's rubbing and a scroll of inscriptions by famous scholars of the Song and Yuan dynasties. This appendix is still included here for reference. Due to the collators' limitations, errors and flaws are inevitable. We hope readers will point them out for correction.
Excerpt from the collator:
"If one has private desires, the heart is burdened, and even if one tries to correct it, it is difficult. Therefore, to rectify the heart, one must be sincere in their intentions." Yang of Cihu's interpretation of the "Analects" suggests that Confucius originally intended to "be like a mother," while the "Great Learning" emphasizes sincerity, leading to doubts about whether the "Great Learning" originated from Zisi himself. This is why Zhu Xi and Lu Xun's schools differ. However, Confucius' teachings, Zisi's arguments, and the interpretations of Mr. Kaiting all add the word "sincerity," highlighting the concern that desires burden the heart. Yang, in teaching his disciples and writing epitaphs, sought to eliminate desires, much like Confucius, Zisi, and Mr. Kaiting. Yet, completely eliminating desires is impossible. The heart cannot be without intention, and intention cannot be removed. Therefore, Mr. Kaiting said, "Intention is what the heart gives rise to. To be sincere about what the heart gives rise to is simply to align it with goodness." Since it is called "sincerity," it complements the idea of "being like a mother" in the "Analects." Why then doubt the "Great Learning"? Thus, Mr. Kaiting criticized Lu Xun's school as "Buddhism," with all its leaders being mistaken, while Lu Xun argued that Mr. Kaiting's views were "fragmented."
At the conference, Mr. Kaiting wrote a poem that roughly translates to:
"Old learning, when studied, becomes deeper;
New knowledge, nurtured, grows profound."
Lu Fuzhi wrote:
"Leaving emotions behind in annotations,
Focusing on subtleties, one sinks deeper."
Xiangshan wrote:
"Easy and simple methods endure forever;
Fragmented efforts sink in instability."
This reveals the essence of the two schools.
Yang passed the imperial examinations and served as a clerk in Fuyang. Xiangshan, from the Lu family, was still taking the exams and docked at Fuyang. Yang, hearing of his fame, went to greet him at the dock and invited him to stay at the hall. In the morning, he greeted Xiangshan and then took charge of the county affairs. Did Xiangshan have confidence in himself? According to the text, something seems to be missing here. A scholar said, "It's just believing a few 'Confucius said.'" Xiangshan replied, "How many 'Confucius said' did the Han scholars fabricate? Do you believe them?" The scholar could not answer and asked Xiangshan, "What do you believe in?" Xiangshan replied, "The nine provinces are all about believing in the heart." Li Tang told me, "That scholar is quite good, but Xiangshan is even better. This old man is very sharp, but he is also a Buddhist."
Yang also revised Zhouzi's "Great Ultimate Diagram," believing Zhouzi's explanation was too detailed and simple. His intent was to reject the idea of the "Boundless" and accept that the Dao begins with the "Great Ultimate" and flows from there, a thought rooted in Xiangshan.
At a banquet, the emperor wiped the cups clean and served wine to the ministers, but there was no mention of wiping the cups. Emperor Xiaozong hosted a banquet in the inner court, and Prime Minister Wang Hui's tears flowed into his wine, only to be sniffed back into his nose. At the time, Wu Gongjue's younger brother was also at the banquet. The emperor noticed his difficulty drinking and discreetly asked the attendants for the reason. Later, an edict was issued to wipe the cups clean. This practice began with Wang Hui.
When ministers wore short robes to meet officials, both hosts and guests used full court attire. At the time, the heat was extreme, and Wang Hui, being frail, could not bear it and nearly fainted. The emperor quickly summoned a doctor. After some time, another edict was issued, allowing officials to meet the prime minister in short robes—starting with Wang Hui.
During the Qingyuan Party Ban, Zhao Zhongding suffered severe exile. On the day he left the capital, blood rained, and the people of the capital used basins to catch it, showing deep sorrow. The students of the Imperial Academy submitted a memorial...