Qi Dongye Language -- Tang and Song

Author: Zhou Mi (Song Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-08-13
Features: The Eastern Wild Records primarily records events from the Southern Song Dynasty, such as "The Three Battles of Zhang Jun," "The Inner Abdication of Shaoxi," "The Execution of Han Kan," "The Eastern Capital Campaign of Duanping," "The Xiangzhou Campaign of Duanping," "The Events of Hu Mingzhong," "Li Quan," "The Events of Zhu Hanzhang," "Deng Youlong's Border Expansion," "An Bing's Forged Edict," "The Annual Tribute of Chun and Shao," "The Anecdotes of Yue Wumu," "The Events of Bailin," "The Implementation of Jingding Common Land Tax," "The Jingding Comet," "The Events of Zhu Tang's Mutual Accusation," "Zhao Xingguo's Resignation as Prime Minister," "The Support of the Two Zhangs for Xiangyang," "The Jingding Imperial Seal," and "Zhang Zhongfu." These can fill gaps in historical records, provide factual accounts and truths about history, and supplement the shortcomings of the Song Dynasty History compiled during the Yuan Dynasty. The Eastern Wild Records also documents literary anecdotes and the lives of scholars. "Poetry Utilizing Historical Arguments" highlights the connection between lyric poems and historical discussions, "Writing Must Be Original" emphasizes the creativity of literary composition, and "Poetry Utilizing Allusions" satirizes the tendency of poets at the time to rely on allusions to demonstrate erudition. "Fang Wen's Affection for His First Wife" recounts the tragic marriage of Lu You and Tang Wan, "The Courtesan Yan Rui" exposes the hypocrisy of the Confucian scholar Zhu Xi and the absurdity of Chen Liang, and "The Tale of Wang Kui" narrates the deeds of Wang Junming to debunk the legendary story of Wang Kui. Similar examples abound in the book. The Eastern Wild Records also includes some fictional stories, such as "Hong Duanming's Journey to the Underworld," which features imaginative plots and intricate details, and "Wu Jiqian's Rank Change," which records a story of a murderer stealing a wife, influencing later fiction. The Eastern Wild Records meticulously examines ancient meanings with great detail. "Avoiding Names" lists examples of name avoidance from ancient times to the Song Dynasty, "Basking in the Sun" cites historical instances of people sunbathing to demonstrate its benefits to health, "The Distinction Between Left and Right in Antiquity" thoroughly investigates customs of favoring the left or right, and "The Discrepancy in the Calendar and Intercalation" examines ancient methods of determining leap years, showcasing Zhou Mi's erudition. The Eastern Wild Records also includes miscellaneous records on medicine, astronomy, and other subjects. "Experienced Prescriptions" documents medical theories and herbal formulas, "Acupuncture and Moxibustion" discusses the functions of acupuncture, and "A Simplified Calendar Calculation" explains how to determine the solar terms using numbers. In summary, The Eastern Wild Records is rich in content, fair in its arguments, and often reveals the true nature of historical events, supplementing the shortcomings of official histories. It holds significant historical value and is a fine example of ancient Chinese miscellanies.