Shuyuan Zaji

Author: Lu Rong of the Ming Dynasty
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1997-12-01
Features: The 15 volumes of Shuyuan Zaji were compiled by Lu Rong of the Ming Dynasty. Lu Rong, styled Wenliang and known by the sobriquet Shiqi, was a native of Taicang Prefecture. He passed the imperial examination in the Bingxu year of the Chenghua era and rose to the position of Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief of Zhejiang. His biography is recorded in the Ming Shi's Wenyuan Fu. Historians noted that Lu Rong was renowned alongside Zhang Tai and Lu Zhen, often referred to as the "Three Phoenixes of Loudong." While his poetic talent was inferior to that of Zhang Tai and Lu Zhen, his erudition surpassed them. This compilation consists of his selected writings, which provide a detailed account of the Ming Dynasty's court and folk customs, many of which can be cross-referenced with historical records. It also includes discussions on various miscellaneous matters, all compiled into one volume. This style of writing has been prevalent in Chinese literature since the Tang and Song dynasties. The text contains numerous critical annotations, such as Wang Bo's pairing of the "Two Southern Songs" with illustrations of the abandoned "Gantang," "He Pibu Yi," and "Wild Boar with Dead Deer," which are highly contradictory to the principles of the classics. Yet Lu Rong alone praised Wang Bo's insights as exceptional. Another example is the separate construction of the Temple of Confucius with a hall dedicated to the "Divine Ancestor," accompanied by the four accompanying sages. This proposal originated with Xiong He, but Lu Rong argued that the worship of Shu Liang He as the father of Confucius was baseless, and that Mengsun Ji was not a sage and should not be enshrined, demonstrating a misunderstanding of the principles of honoring merit and gratitude. These views are not worth considering. However, upon closer examination, there is much in the text that is valuable. Wang Ao often told his disciples, "The best records of our dynasty's events should be those of Lu Wenliang," referring precisely to this book. Although the praise may seem excessive, there must be valid reasons for its acclaim.