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Author: Wang Pu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-08-01
Features:
We hereby examine the "Five Dynasties Essentials" (30 volumes), compiled by Wang Pu of the Song Dynasty. The Five Dynasties period was marked by turmoil and decline, and as a result, many institutional regulations were left unattended. However, over the span of fifty years, legal systems and statutes had still been somewhat preserved in the official records of successive dynasties. Wang Pu therefore searched through old histories, categorizing and compiling them into this collection. It was submitted to the court in the second year of the Jianlong era (961 AD) and presented alongside the "Tang Essentials," subsequently stored in the imperial archives.
Later, when Ouyang Xiu wrote the "History of the Five Dynasties," he only listed the chapters on the Imperial Observatory and the Ministry of Works, leaving out the rest. For instance, discussions on temple rituals by figures like Duan Gong of Jin, Liu Yun, and others, as well as Zhou Wang Pu's proposals on music, all relate to major institutional matters but were only briefly mentioned. Similarly, the printing of classical texts began during the Changxing era, marking the start of official publications. How could the "Chongwen Shanzheng" (Exemplary Governance) not be recorded? Yet Ouyang Xiu omitted these entirely, resulting in significant omissions. Thanks to Wang Pu's compilation, these lost historical records were preserved, and his achievement is truly remarkable.
In the section on taxation, it is recorded that Emperor Shizong of the Zhou Dynasty, while reading the "Collection of Changqing," saw Yuan Wei's memorial proposing a land equalization plan and thus ordered the creation of a map, which was distributed to the various circuits. However, Ouyang Xiu's history claims that Shizong saw Yuan Wei's land equalization map, directly attributing the map to Yuan Wei, which is a clear error. Wang Pu's compilation could not have corrected this mistake in Ouyang Xiu's history, as Ouyang Xiu's work focused on moral judgments, following the tradition of the Spring and Autumn Annals, while Wang Pu's compilation emphasized the verification of institutional norms, adhering to the example of the Zhou Rituals. Each serves a distinct purpose and complements the other. For readers of the "History of the Five Dynasties," this book is an indispensable companion.