"Yu Haowen Collection -- Basic Collection of Chinese Family Bookshelves"

Author: Li Zhengmin et al.
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Yuan Haowen, styled Yuzhi, was known as Yishan and revered as Master Yishan. Born on the eighth day of the seventh lunar month in the first year of the Mingchang era of the Jin Dynasty (1190) and passing away on the fourth day of the ninth lunar month in the seventh year of the Mengge era of the Yuan Dynasty (1257), he was from Hanyan Village, Xiurong, Taiyuan (now Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province). He was one of the most accomplished writers and historians of the Jin Dynasty in China over 700 years ago, a major representative of Northern literature during the Song-Jin confrontation, and a bridge in literary continuity between the Jin and Yuan dynasties. Yuan Haowen came from a scholarly official family. His ancestors were of the Xianbei tribe, the Tuoba clan of the Northern Wei imperial family, who later moved south from Pingcheng (now Datong City) to Luoyang with Emperor Xiaowen during his Hanization reforms and changed their surname to Yuan. After the fall of the Northern Wei, they settled in Ruzhou (now Linru County, Henan Province). During the Five Dynasties period, they moved again to Pingding Prefecture (now Pingding County, Shanxi Province). His great-grandfather, Yuan Yi, served as the Military Commissioner of Shenwu (Tiger) Army in Xinzhou during the late Northern Song's Xinao era (1119–1225). His great-great-grandfather, Yuan Chun (also known as Chun), was appointed as the Military Commissioner of Xi Prefecture (now Xi County, Shanxi Province) in the Northern Song Dynasty and later moved to Xinzhou, becoming a native of the region. His grandfather, Yuan Zishi, served as the Chief Administrator of Roufu (near Togto in Inner Mongolia's Tumet Right Banner) in the second year of the Zhenglong era of the Jin Dynasty (1157). His father, Yuan Deming, failed the imperial examinations multiple times and made a living as a local teacher, indulging in poetry and wine, and authoring the "Dongyan Collection." Seven months after Yuan Haowen's birth, he was adopted by his second uncle, Yuan Ge (later known as Lord Longcheng), who was serving as a county magistrate. Yuan Haowen lived during the transition between the Jin and Yuan dynasties, a time when the Jin Dynasty, which had risen from prosperity to decline, was conquered by the Mongols. The Mongols, originally vassals of the Jin, rose to power and conquered the Jin. In this period of great turmoil and war, Yuan Haowen experienced the suffering of a country torn apart and the hardships of displacement. His life can be broadly divided into several stages:
Before the age of 21, he lived a life of luxury as a student and young nobleman. During these two decades, he followed his adoptive father Yuan Ge, serving as a county magistrate in Shandong, Hebei, Shanxi, and Gansu. On one hand, he received a good education and showed early literary talent, earning the title of "child prodigy" at the age of eight for his poetry. Although he failed the imperial examinations initially, he made significant academic progress through the guidance of renowned scholars such as Wang Zhongli (styled Tangchen), Lu Duo (styled Xuanshu), and Hao Tianting (styled Jinqing). On the other hand, his affluent lifestyle and the disappointment of failing the examinations led him to develop a fondness for alcohol.
From the age of 22 to 35, Yuan Haowen faced repeated failures in the imperial examinations, endured war, and suffered the loss of his family. He fled from Shanxi to Henan and gradually settled in western Henan. During this time, he experienced the hardships of life but also made connections with prominent officials such as Zhao Bingwen, Yang Yunyi, Lei Yuan, and Li Yan through the examinations in Bianjing. These relationships not only enhanced his knowledge and literary skills but also laid the foundation for his future career. From the age of 35, when he was admitted to the Hanlin Academy after passing the Bixue Hongci examination, to the fall of Bianjing in the second year of the Tianxing era of Emperor Shouzu of the Jin (1233) and his capture by the Mongols, this period marked his rise and fall in the imperial bureaucracy and the end of his official career. Dissatisfied with his dull role in the history bureau, he resigned and returned to his hometown in western Henan. Later, he was recommended as a magistrate of Zhenping, Neixiang, and Nanyang, and then transferred to the central government as the Secretary of the Shangshu Ministry, settling in Bianjing. He endured the Mongol siege, Cui Li's betrayal, the fall of Bianjing, and the hardships of captivity—hunger, sorrow, and separation.
From April 1233, when he was captured by the Mongols and held in Liangcheng, to August 1238, when he ended his period of detention at the age of 49, he lived as a captive, wandering between Liaocheng and Guanshi in Shandong. During this time, he gradually established connections with the leaders of the Han army in the Mongol Empire, such as Yan Shi and Zhao Tianxi, and his living conditions improved. Heartbroken over the fall of the Jin Dynasty and the incompetence of its officials, he diligently compiled the "Zhongzhou Collection," a comprehensive anthology of poetry and prose by Jin-era figures, as a way to preserve history. The name "Zhongzhou" symbolized his nostalgia for his homeland and his belief in the legitimacy of the Jin Dynasty.
From the autumn of 1239, when he returned to his hometown Xinzhou at the age of 50, to his death on the fourth day of the ninth lunar month in the seventh year of the Mengge era of Emperor Xianzong of the Yuan (1257), he lived as a recluse, dedicated to compiling the history of the Jin Dynasty. During this period, his circle of friends expanded, his literary output increased, and his attitude toward the Mongols gradually softened.
Yuan Haowen was a versatile and talented literary figure. He mastered almost all literary forms of his time, except for theatrical works like the Jin Dynasty's yuanben, which had not survived. These included poetry, ci, songs, qu, fu, fiction, as well as traditional prose forms such as essays, records, memorials, decrees, inscriptions, epitaphs, odes, epitomes, prefaces, introductions, eulogies, letters, explanations, postscripts, and official documents such as edicts and proclamations. His works were characterized by their realistic content, sincere emotions, and elegant yet unpretentious language. His contemporaries and later generations held his poetry and prose in high esteem. His friend Xu Shilong remarked, "His poetry and prose are well-structured and demonstrate a distinct stylistic evolution. His poems, which draw inspiration from Li Bai and Du Fu, are precise and profound, yet imbued with a bold and unrestrained spirit. His prose, modeled after Han Yu and Ou Yangxiu, is clear and straightforward, free of obscurity or intricacy. His qu poetry is fresh and expressive, with a melodious and luminous style. He excelled in all forms. He could transform the mundane into the sublime, revitalizing the art of his predecessors. He surpasses Su Shi and Jia Jun." His friend Li Ye even praised him as the "reincarnation of the two Li's (Li Bai and Li Yong)."
The "General Catalogue of the Siku Quanshu" on the "Yishan Collection" describes Yuan Haowen as "a literary giant of the Jin-Yuan period, with a brilliant talent and extensive knowledge. His 'Zhongzhou Collection' aimed to preserve history through poetry but was not entirely selective in its curation. His own works, however, are profound in imagery and powerful in style, free of the habits of the Song Jianghu school and the awkwardness of the Jiangxi school. His classical prose is rigorous and comprehensive, covering all genres, with inscriptions and epitaphs being particularly well-composed."
Yuan Haowen was also a sharp literary critic. His works such as "Three Poems on Poetry," "Thirty Poems on Poetry," "A Discussion of Literature with Zhang Zhongjie," and "Postscript to the Xizhe Collection" offered incisive critiques of ancient poets and literary schools. He advocated for sincerity and emotional expression in writing, proposed numerous principles for writing techniques, and opposed rigid, obscure prose and the excessive use of allusions. His insights were the result of decades of personal experience and held practical value.
Yuan Haowen served as both central and local official, always dedicated and diligent, concerned with the fate of the nation and the suffering of the people. His political reputation was high. When he resigned as the magistrate of Zhenping during the Lantern Festival, the people, young and old, bid him farewell with wine. During his tenure as the magistrate of Neixiang, he "comforted the displaced and maintained peace on the borders," so when he resigned to mourn his mother for three years in accordance with traditional rites, the officials and people praised him, saying, "Yuan Haowen comforted the displaced and acted as a virtuous magistrate, not just a poet." As the magistrate of Nanyang, he fought to reduce taxes by three years and promote production, giving the people hope for recovery. The Henan records praised him as "a remarkable magistrate of Nanyang." The "Nanyang County Records" noted, "Nanyang is a large county with over 100,000 soldiers and civilians, and the commandery magistrate, Yuan Haowen, governed with benevolence and wisdom."
Witnessing the decline of the Jin Dynasty and its conquest by the Mongols, and having served in government for many years, Yuan Haowen's strong sense of social responsibility led him to advocate for the preservation of Jin history. As the Jin approached its end, he suggested to the ruling authorities that a history of the Jin be written in the Jurchen script, but this was not realized. He privately compiled the "Wanchen Zabian." After the fall of the Jin, he, with the belief that "when a country falls, history rises, and it is my duty to do so," resolved to compile a history of the Jin Dynasty alone, a task he pursued with great effort and sacrifice. He refused offers to serve in the Mongol government to maintain his identity as a loyalist of the fallen Jin. Yet, to gather the necessary materials for his history, he had to interact with officials who had served the Mongols, which led to misunderstandings and criticism: "He endured countless insults and ridicule, bringing shame upon his ancestors and descendants."
For over two decades, Yuan Haowen endured humiliation to fulfill his dream of completing the history of the Jin. He built a "Wild History Pavilion" in his courtyard to store materials and write. Through years of travel, he accumulated over a million words of records on the words and deeds of Jin officials and scholars, later titled the "Records of the Jin Dynasty's Rulers and Officials." With the aim of preserving history through poetry, he compiled the "Zhongzhou Collection," an anthology of Jin poetry that included over 2,116 works (2,001 poems and 115 ci) by poets of the Jin era, including the two emperors, ministers, and commoners, as well as brief biographies of over 250 authors. This collection and served as the basis for the "Biography of Literary Works in the Jin Dynasty" and later the "Complete Poetry of the Jin Dynasty." The "Zhongzhou Collection" also provided invaluable historical materials for the Jin era. Unfortunately, just as he confidently believed he could complete the "History of the Jin" by reviewing and copying relevant content from the "Jin," a friend intervened, preventing him from accessing the historical records at Zhang Rou's residence in the Mongol army, leaving him with unfulfilled ambitions and regret.
Although Yuan Haowen did not live to see his dream of completing the history of the Jin fulfilled, the materials he collected became a wealth of primary sources for later historians, particularly for the compilation of the Jin Dynasty's history during the Yuan Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty. His respect for historical facts and refusal to pander to prevailing opinion led later scholars to agree that the "History of the Jin" was closely tied to his work, with the "General Catalogue of the Siku Quanshu" noting, "It largely draws from his writings." His approach to compiling history after the fall of his country was emulated by later generations, such as Wan Sitong, a Ming Dynasty loyalist who refused the Qing government's invitation to the Bixue Hongci examination and declined the title of a seventh-rank official in charge of compiling history, instead participating in the "History of the Ming Dynasty" as an independent scholar. During the third year of the Republic of China (1914), the Qing History Bureau was established, and many Qing loyalists joined in compiling the "Draft History of the Qing Dynasty" to serve their former sovereign.
Yuan Haowen placed great importance on nurturing talent and encouraged the younger generation. In the second year of the Tianxing era of Emperor Shouzu of the Jin (1233), he recommended 54 outstanding scholars from the Central Plains, including Wang Ruoxu, Wang E, Yang Huan, Zhang Dehui, Gao Ming, Li Zhi, Liu Qi, Du Renjie, Zhang Zhongjing, and Shang Ting, to the Mongol official Yelü Chucai for protection and employment. He also mentored numerous literary figures, such as Hao Jing, Wang Yun, Xu Ji, Wang Silian, Meng Qi, Xu Yan, Hao Jixian, and Yan Fu. His story of protecting and guiding Bai Pu remains a celebrated tale in literary circles. Bai Pu later became one of the four great masters of Yuan Dynasty qu poetry, and Wang Bowen, who wrote the preface to Bai Pu's "Tianlai Collection," attributed his success to Yuan Haowen's guidance: "After Master Yishan, who were the masters of qu poetry? The remnants of his legacy transformed into brilliance, and this is evident in the 'Tianlai Collection' of Master Taisu (Bai Pu's style name). Therefore, who else could follow in Master Yishan's footsteps but Master Taisu?"
Yuan Haowen's attitude toward the Mongol Empire evolved over time. He was heartbroken over the fall of the Jin and deeply resented Cui Li's betrayal and surrender to the Mongols in the second year of the Tianxing era, which led to the loss of the Jin's empresses and ministers. However, he did not entirely condemn Cui Li's surrender, as it saved the lives of millions in Bianjing from immediate annihilation. Consequently, he was coerced into writing a for Cui Li, an act that weighed heavily on him and became a source of ridicule from others. During the transition between the Jin and Yuan dynasties, Yuan Haowen's thoughts were filled with pain and contradiction. On one hand, he lamented the corruption and chaos of the Jin Dynasty, hoping for a new era of renewal. When he realized the Jin's fall was inevitable, he recommended the 54 "excellent citizens" of the Jin to the Mongol Empire, a "renewed era." He even showed leniency toward former Jin officials who had served the Mongols, as long as they had done some good for the people. After living in the Mongol Empire for over two decades, his perspective on the Mongols gradually changed. He admired the Han Chinese officials who served the Mongols, such as Zhang Rou and Yan Shi, for promoting education and stabilizing people's lives. He was particularly grateful to the Mongol ruler Khublai Khan for his emphasis on Confucianism, the establishment of schools, and policies that favored cultural and economic development. He was also impressed by Khublai Khan's conquest of Yunnan and the restoration of the Han-Tang borders, praising his achievements. Gradually, he came to view the Mongol government as a legitimate and proud regime like the Han and Tang dynasties, referring to it as "Hanjia" in his poem "Liu Shiji's Control of Yunnan": "The mountains of Yunnan are high as the heavens, the strings of Hanjia break the walls with thunderous sound. Beyond the nine provinces, there are more provinces, the sea's reflection mirrors the southern pole." Over time, Yuan Haowen began to see himself as a subject of the Mongol Empire, and his sense of opposition faded.
Under these circumstances, in the spring and summer of the second year of the Xianzong era of Emperor Khagan of the Yuan (1252), Yuan Haowen, at the age of 63, traveled north with his friend Zhang Dehui to pay homage to Khublai Khan, requesting him to be the grand master of Confucianism. Khublai Khan happily accepted. They also proposed exempting Confucian households from military taxes, which Khublai Khan agreed to.
Yuan Haowen was a versatile figure, skilled not only in poetry, prose, and governance but also in astronomy, medicine, calligraphy, and the philosophies of Buddhism and Taoism. His friends came from all walks of life, including prominent officials, princes, scholars, painters, hermits, physicians, monks, and even farmers. It is estimated that there were over 500 individuals with documented relationships, such as Li Gao (Dongyuan) and ZhangCongzheng (Zixi), two of the four great medical masters of the Jin and Yuan dynasties (the other two being Liu Wansu of the Jin and Zhu Zhenheng of the Yuan). Thus, he could also be regarded as a social activist.
Yuan Haowen was a profound scholar with extensive writings, who mentored the younger generation and served with integrity. He held the highest position in the Jin-Yuan literary world, with few peers even in the Ming and Qing dynasties. He was revered by his students, friends, and later generations as the "Master of the Generation" and the "Master of the Craft."
To date, the works believed to be by Yuan Haowen include over 1,380 poems, over 380 ci, six qu poems, over 250 prose pieces, four volumes of the "Continuation of the Yijian Zhi" (202 stories), the 10-volume "Zhongzhou Collection," and the 10-volume "Tianli Quigui." His other lost works include "Jinji," "Su Shi Shiyu," "Du Shixue," "Prose and Poetry Self-Awareness," "Wanchen Zabian," "Records of the Jin Dynasty's Rulers and Officials," "Nanguan Lu," "Collected Medical Formulas," and "Catalogue of Antiquities."
Yuan Haowen had four sons and five daughters. His eldest son, Yuan Fu (styled Shuqi), served as the magistrate of Ruzhou in the Yuan Dynasty. His second son, Yuan Zhen (styled Shuke), served as a deputy assistant in Taiyuan Road. His third son, Yuan Zong (styled Shugang), served as the inspector of the Secretariat. Another son, Aixin, died young. Among his five daughters, the second daughter, Yuan Yan, later became a Taoist nun.
The texts of Yuan Haowen's works selected in this book are based on the "Complete Works of Yuan Haowen." The collection includes 89 poems, 39 ci, 3 qu poems, 2 fu pieces, 6 prose pieces, and 4 stories. To assist readers, an appendix includes a "Brief Chronology of Yuan Haowen," "Major Editions of Yuan Haowen's Works," "Major Works on the Study of Yuan Haowen," and "Quotations and Sayings."