Qīndìng xiéjì biànfāng shū 欽定協紀辨方書
Imperially-Determined Book of Harmonized-Tally and Distinguished-Direction by 允祿 (Yǔnlù, Héshuò Zhuāng qīnwáng, 1695–1767, 清, fèngchì zhuàn 奉敕撰); imperial preface by the Qiánlóng emperor (1741)
About the work
A 36-juan imperial reference for xuǎnzé (auspicious-day selection), commissioned in Qiánlóng 4 (1739) and completed in Qiánlóng 6 (1741) — three years after the Qiánlóng emperor’s accession (1735). The work is the comprehensive successor to KR3g0050 Yùdìng Xīnglì kǎoyuán and represents the Qiánlóng court’s systematic effort to rationalize the xuǎnzé tradition by removing later-accreted superstitions and restoring the foundational yīnyáng wǔxíng technical apparatus.
The Qiánlóng emperor’s preface (preserved in the source file) articulates the project’s intellectual position: “The xiéjì (harmonized-tally) means respecting the heaven’s regulating-tallies; the biànfāng (distinguished-direction) means respecting the earth’s directions. Whether action-or-stop, speech-or-silence — heaven-and-earth indeed extend their gaze [into them]; how much more the great matters [of state]?” The work is presented as a state-cosmological-administrative reference, not as popular folk-divination.
Compositional history (per the 提要): the Qīntiānjiān’s old Xuǎnzé tōngshū — first issued Kāngxī 22 (1683) — was completed by Star-officials (xīngguān) and “because of erroneous-following [ yīné xímóu ] of [Bureau] precedents, in actual practice often raising spear-against-shield [self-contradicting]“. The Kāngxī emperor recognized the inadequacy and commissioned KR3g0050 Xīnglì kǎoyuán to correct it, but the Bureau’s working-recension was not actually changed — leaving the situation for the next reign to resolve. In Qiánlóng’s reign, Qīntiānjiān jiānzhèng Jìnài 進愛 memorialized for a comprehensive revision; the emperor approved, citing the urgency of acting “while there are still several persons such as [Yǔnlù] Zhuāng qīnwáng who were instructed by [Kāngxī] regarding this principle”. The Qiánlóng emperor’s preface ironically acknowledges that “compared to the old recension the absurd sayings are somewhat removed; nevertheless what folk-custom has long followed cannot be entirely removed for [reasons of] common-people use”.
Structure (36 juàn):
- Běnyuán 本原 — 2 juàn (Source-and-Origin)
- Yìlì 義例 — 6 juàn (Methodology Examples)
- Lìchéng yíjì yòngshì 立成宜忌用事 — 1 juàn each (Ready-Reckoner Tables: Appropriate, Prohibited, Used-Matters)
- Gōngguī 公規 — 2 juàn (Public Regulations)
- Niánbiǎo 年表 — 6 juàn (Year-Tables)
- Yuèbiǎo 月表 — 12 juàn (Month-Tables)
- Rìbiǎo 日表 — 1 juàn (Day-Table)
- Lìyòng 利用 — 2 juàn (Practical-Application)
- Fùlù biàné 附錄辨訛 — 1 juàn each (Appendix and Refutation-of-Errors)
The Qián-lóng-period revision specifically corrected various traditional errors that the Tōngshū had perpetuated: the zǐyuè / sìyuè Tiāndé (heavenly-virtue) errors; the 5th-and-12th-month yuèēn (monthly-grace) errors; the jiǎrì / chǒushí xǐshén (auspicious-spirit) errors; the zhèngyuè gēngrì / qīyuè jiǎrì fùrì (recovery-day) errors; the jiǔkōng dàbài (nine-empty great-defeat) day errors. Pseudepigraphic Xǔ Zhēnjūn Yùxiá jì (Master-Xǔ-Zhēn Jade-Box Records) materials were deleted entirely. The result is the most cosmologically-rationalized Chinese xuǎnzé manual ever produced.
The 提要’s verdict: “Truly the essential technique that uses-the-front-of-the-people for benefit”. The work served as the official Qīng dynasty xuǎnzé reference until the late-Qīng period.
For Yǔnlù’s biography and broader project, see 允祿. For the Kāngxī-period predecessor, see KR3g0050 Yùdìng Xīnglì kǎoyuán. For other Yǔnlù-directed imperial scientific projects, see KR3f0018 Lìxiàng kǎochéng and KR3f0019 Hòubiān.
Tiyao
[Full text in source file. Dated Qiánlóng 45 (1780), tenth month.]