Yutang Jiahua Shanju Xinyu Yuanming

Author: Wang Yun (Yuan Dynasty), Yang Yu (Yuan Dynasty), edited by Yang Xiaochun, proofread by Yu Dajun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: This book is part of the "Collected Notes on Yuan and Ming Historical Materials," including two Yuan Dynasty notes. Yutang Jiahua (Eight Volumes): Wang Yun (1227–1304), styled Zhongmou, known as Qiujian, was from Jixian County, Weizhou (now Jixian County, Henan). The Wang family was a wealthy and well-established household. His grandfather, Wang Yu, served as a Duntwuschool, and his father, Wang Tianze, passed the legal examination in the early years of the Jin Dynasty and rose to the position of Head of the Ministry of Revenue. Wang Yun was "a child with exceptional integrity, diligent in learning and eager to ask questions, as hungry and thirsty as one is for knowledge." The content of Yutang Jiahua is half historical accounts of the late Jin and early Yuan periods, and the other half consists of research on historical records and anecdotes of previous dynasties, making it rich in content. Shanju Xinyu (Four Volumes): Yang Yu (1285–1361), styled Yuancheng, was from Hangzhou. Born in the 22nd year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Emperor, he died in the 21st year of the Zhizheng era at the age of 77. During the Tianli era (around 1329), he was promoted to the position of Chief Clerk of the Zhongrui Bureau. The Emperor Wenzong admired his integrity and diligence, appointing him as a Minister of Proposals and a Judge of the Imperial Observatory. In the 15th year of the Zhizheng era (1355), bandits roamed the Jiangdong and Zhexi regions, and he was appointed as the Chief Administrator of Dezhou. Yang Yu governed the region as if it were his home, and the people regarded him as their parents. The provincial government recognized his contributions, promoting him to the rank of Zhongfeng Dafu and the position of Zhedong Road Procurator-General and Military Commander. In the 20th year of the Zhizheng era (1360), he retired. Yang Yu wrote Shanju Xinyu (Four Volumes), which, as recorded in the Siku Zongmu, documents his observations and experiences, often incorporating supernatural tales. This work was completed in the late Yuan Dynasty and includes many accounts of Yuan Dynasty institutions, social customs, economic culture, and more. Both of these notes hold significant historical value.