Collection and Annotation of the Works of Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Compiled by Year

Author: Li Yuan of the Tang Dynasty
Publisher:
Publishing Date: July 1, 2002
Features: This book collects all the poems and writings of Emperor Gaozu of Tang that have been available so far. As the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, the main part of Li Yuan's writings consists of edicts, which include strategies during the unification wars, the initial establishment and refinement of the Zhu Yong Tiao system, the formulation of the Wude Law, advice-seeking, talent recruitment, emphasis on education, and the development of production. The compilers hope this book will help readers gain an objective understanding and fair evaluation of Li Yuan and his "Wude Governance" (Cambridge History of China: Sui and T'ang). The main features of this book are as follows:
First, this book includes one poem and 154 writings of Emperor Gaozu of Tang, making it the only and most comprehensive collection of Emperor Gaozu's works to date. Li Yuan of the Tang Dynasty had no collected works published separately until the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, when the Complete Works of Tang was compiled, and the compilers gathered 100 writings in three volumes of Li Yuan's works. During the Guangxu era, Lu Xinran and his son compiled Collected Tang Writings and Supplementary Tang Writings, adding another 21 writings. The compilers of this book conducted extensive research on transmitted documents and stone inscriptions unearthed in the 20th century, supplementing 33 writings not recorded in the Complete Works of Tang, Supplementary Tang Writings, and Continued Supplementary Tang Writings. The number of newly added writings is approximately one-fourth of the original total. For example, new supplements based on The Day-by-Day Chronicle of the Founding of the Great Tang Dynasty, The Literary Collection of the Imperial Academy, Taiping Imperial Encyclopedia, Taisho Tripitaka, and Jing County Gazetteer include works such as Letter to the Turks, Decree on the Appointment of Zhengding as a Document Official, and Decree on Enfeoffing Xu Shiyi as Duke of Cao and Granting the Surname Li. Additionally, based on the Biography of Li Feng unearthed in Xifuping County in 1973, a new supplement titled Decree on Enfeoffing Li Feng as King of Bin has been added. These newly added writings hold significant historical value.
Second, the compilers have made every effort to identify reference texts, providing readers with a basis for collation. The Complete Works of Tang was compiled based on the Tang Writings that still existed during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, supplemented by extensive searches for relevant documents from the Tang and Song dynasties. However, the Tang Writings are now lost, and the Qing compilers did not indicate the sources of each article. Subsequent readers have faced great difficulties in accurately reading the texts and understanding their complete context. Although the Supplementary Tang Writings and Continued Supplementary Tang Writings note the sources of the writings at the end of each article, these two books do not list other reference texts, and the sources of the writings recorded are not always the earliest in historical records. For example, the Supplementary Tang Writings include an article titled Imperial Edict to the Prince of Qin, which is marked as originating from The Collection of Offices (Volume 19). In fact, the Old Book of Tang·Biography of Emperor Taizong had already included this article earlier. Similarly, regarding Imperial Edict on Determining the Attire of the Emperor, the Supplementary Tang Writings note it as originating from The Imperial Conference Records (Volume 32). The compilers of this book conducted a thorough review of various documents and discovered that the Tang Tongdian already contained this article, and it was also found in the Old Book of Tang (Volume 45).
Third, some errors of misattribution have been corrected, and incomplete texts have been supplemented. The Supplementary Tang Writings (Volume 1) include an article titled Imperial Edict Prohibiting Unlawful Prayers, noted as originating from The Imperial Conference Records (Volume 44). However, The Imperial Conference Records classify this as an "Imperial Edict of the Ninth Month of the Wude Era." The compilers of this book conducted a detailed review of various documents and found: 1. According to the Two Books of Tang, Emperor Taizong ascended the throne on the Jiashi day (the ninth day) of the eighth month of the Wude era, so imperial edicts issued after that date should be attributed to Emperor Taizong; 2. This article is also found in the Old Book of Tang·Biography of Emperor Taizong and The Collection of Offices Without a Turtle (Volume 159), both dated as the "Ninth Month of the Wude Era, Renzi Day Edict"; 3. The New Book of Tang·Biography of Emperor Taizong and Zizhi Tongjian (Volume 192) record an edict from the ninth month of the Wude era that aligns with the main content of this article, both attributing it to Emperor Taizong. Based on these findings, the compilers of this book believe that the date recorded in The Imperial Conference Records (the eighth month) is incorrect, and this article should be attributed to Emperor Taizong, not mistakenly included in the Supplementary Tang Writings. The Complete Works of Tang (Volume 1) include an article titled Ordering the Imperial Envoy to Pacify Foreign Tribes, with the original text containing 166 characters. The compilers of this book supplemented 70 characters based on reference texts such as The Literary Collection of the Imperial Academy, The Collection of Offices Without a Turtle, and The Collection of Imperial Edicts of the Tang Dynasty, restoring the full text to 236 characters and restoring its original form.
Fourth, the time of composition for each article has been, and errors in historical records have been corrected. Accurate dating is the foundation for reading works and conducting research. The compilers of this book have thoroughly reviewed relevant documents and determined the composition time for over 97% of the articles in the book, with only five poems and writings left uncompiled. These dates are based on solid and reliable evidence, avoiding subjective speculation. Any differing opinions are presented objectively, and any choices made are justified. For example, the Complete Works of Tang (Volume 2) include an article titled Imperial Edict Ordering Pei Ji et al. to Ascend the Throne and Attend to Affairs. This article is also found in The Collection of Imperial Edicts of the Tang Dynasty (Volume 61) and The Imperial Conference Records (Volume 45). The Collection of Imperial Edicts marks the date as "Second Month of the Wude Era," while The Imperial Conference Records dates it as the "Tenth Day of the Second Month of the Wude Era." Which is correct? According to the original text, the favored ministers listed include Pei Ji, the Left Minister of State and Duke of Wei, Zheng Shangguo, the Minister of People and Duke of Xingyang, and ten others. Checking the Old Book of Tang·Biography of Zheng Shangguo, Li Yuan ordered Zheng Shangguo "to join Pei Ji et al. in ascending the throne and attending to affairs" after Zheng Shangguo was captured by Li Shentong and sent to Chang'an, where he was appointed as the Left Vice Minister of the Crown Prince and Internal History Attendant. Zizhi Tongjian (Volume 187) records: "In the third month of the Wude era, Li Shentong sent Zheng Shangguo to Chang'an. On the Gengwu day (the thirteenth day), Zheng Shangguo arrived, and the emperor treated him with honor, appointing him as Left Vice Minister and Internal History Attendant." Therefore, in the second month of the Wude era, Zheng Shangguo had not yet become a Tang official, and Li Yuan had no basis to issue an edict honoring him for ascending the throne and attending to affairs. Based on this, the conclusion is drawn that The Collection of Imperial Edicts is incorrect in its dating. This article should have been composed in the second month of the Wude era.
In summary, this book is a significant work in the recent publication of Tang Dynasty historical and literary documents. It reflects the compilers' deep expertise in the study of Tang Dynasty authorship and works. The book provides the source, collates errors, distinguishes authenticity, and examines the composition time for each of the 154 articles, arranged in chronological order into five volumes. It is the most comprehensive collection of Li Yuan's works to date, offering a reliable reference for research on Li Yuan, as well as political, military, economic, cultural, and educational issues during the late Tang and early Tang periods, laying a solid foundation for such studies.