Lu Longqi's Chronology: A Collection of Chronologies

Author: Wu Guangyou et al. (Qing Dynasty), edited and annotated by Zhu Jiewei and Zhang Wenling
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Features: Lu Longqi's Chronology, including Lu Jia's Chronology (recompiled by Wu Guangyou, supplemented by Guo Lin), Changlao Lu Zi's Chronology (original by Lu Lizheng and Lu Chenzheng, revised by Zhou Liang), and three appendices. Lu Longqi (1630-1692), originally named Longqi, styled Jiaшу, was a native of Pinghu, Zhejiang. He passed the imperial examination in the ninth year of the Kangxi reign (1670) and held positions such as magistrate of Jiading County in Jiangnan and Lingshou County in Zhili, as well as censor of Sichuan Circuit. Lu's administration was marked by integrity and emphasis on moral influence rather than harsh punishments. As a county magistrate, he was attentive to the people's hardships and strove to alleviate their burdens, earning their affection. After becoming a censor, he criticized the corrupt practice of appointing officials through donations to the court, which drew the resentment of the ruling powers. He was persecuted and forced to resign, returning to his hometown, where he died the following year.
Lu Longqi revered Cheng and Zhu as the orthodox of Confucianism, believing that the teachings of Confucius and Mencius reached their zenith with Zhu Xi. He emphasized "residing in reverence and exploring the principles," using Confucianism to guide the hearts of the people. Starting from Zhu Xi's proposition that "each person has their own Taiji," he argued that this did not lie in "understanding the Taiji of heaven and earth" but in "understanding the Taiji of the human body," thereby elucidating that the feudal ethical norms were the so-called "Heavenly Principle." This book compiles biographical accounts, records, summaries, epitaphs, and academic case studies of Lu Longqi, with appendices provided for reference.