Yán běi zá zhì 研北雜志
Miscellaneous Records “North of the Inkstone”
by 陸友 (Lù Yǒu, also Lù Yǒurén 陸友仁; fl. 1330–1333; hào Yánběishēng 研北生).
About the work
A 2-juàn Yuán bǐjì by 陸友 (Lù Yǒu), the bibliophile-connoisseur-calligrapher of Wújùn (Sūzhōu). The studio-style Yán běi (“north of the inkstone”) is from Duàn Chéngshì’s Hànshàng tíjīn jí, which Lù took as his self-styling and as the book-title. The book records yí wén suǒ shì (remaining-hearings and trivial-matters) — particularly substantial connoisseurial kǎozhèng on calligraphy, painting, and antiquities, drawing on Lù’s expertise in zhuànlì (seal-and-clerical) script. The book also contains classical exegesis (the Lǐ Shāngyǐn jīnchán couplet; Xú Kǎi’s Shuō wén xìzhuàn internal contradictions on xiǎn and mí; Mǎ Dìngguó’s misattribution of the Shí gǔ wén to the Northern Zhōu Yǔwén period), with biàn lùn on the Sòng tradition.
Tiyao
We respectfully submit that Yán běi zá zhì in two juan was compiled by Lù Yǒurén of the Yuán. Yǒurén has the Mò shǐ, already recorded. Yǒurén once took the Hànshàng tíjīn jí — Duàn Chéngshì’s saying — and self-styled Yán běi shēng; hence the zázhù title.
What is recorded is all yí wén suǒ shì (omitted-hearings and trivial-matters). Yǒurén was jīng shǎngjiàn (refined-in-connoisseurship), and also gōng zhuànlì (expert in seal-and-clerical script). Hence on calligraphy, painting, and antiquities, there is much; in the middle also frequent kǎozhèng. As, for instance: the interpretation of Lǐ Shāngyǐn’s “jīnchán niè suǒ” couplet; the refutation of Xú Kǎi’s Shuō wén xìzhuàn — that the xiǎn and mí characters are hù xiāng máo dùn (mutually contradictory); citing the Běi shǐ to verify Mǎ Dìngguó on the Shí gǔ wén coming from the Yǔwén Zhōu period — incorrect; citing Zhèng Kāngchéng’s argument to verify zhuànzhù (commentaries) referring to cuò jiǎn (scrambled-bamboo-slips) — incorrect — all have kě cǎi (taking-points).
To his “Zhǎng-shi xìng from the Liáng sìgōng zhuàn” — without knowing Mèngmǔ’s previous family was Zhǎng-shi; or “Wáng Míngqīng zì Zhòngyán” rooted in Zhāng Huá’s Zèng Hé Shào shī — “qí yán míng qiě qīng” — without knowing the Lǐ jì previously had this text. These are also occasional shū chuǎn (sloppy mistakes).
Xú Xiǎn’s Bài zhuàn records Yǒurén composed Yán shǐ (Inkstone History), Mò shǐ (Ink History), Yìn shǐ (Seal History) — but does not record this book. This recension comes from Chén Jìrú’s household; Chén Jìrú cut it into the Pǔ mì jí — markedly failing collation. As the Huáng Xiàng’s Tiān fā shénchèn bēi zì entry — upper and lower juàn show the entry twice — clearly there has been diāndǎo cuò luàn (inverted-and-disordered). Qián Zēng’s Dú shū mǐn qiú jì says there was a Kē Zhèhú collated recension and a Xiàng Yàoshī printed recension — both today are not seen.
Respectfully revised and submitted, twelfth month of the forty-sixth year of Qiánlóng (1781).
Abstract
The Yán běi zá zhì is one of the principal Yuán-period bǐjì of connoisseurial-bibliographic kǎozhèng. Lù Yǒu’s expertise in calligraphy and seal-script — combined with his bibliographic eye — gives the book a distinctive critical-connoisseurial flavour. The book’s principal contributions:
- Lǐ Shāngyǐn jīnchán couplet: interpretation of “jīnchán niè suǒ” (“gold-cicada chewing the lock”).
- Xú Kǎi Shuō wén xìzhuàn: identifying internal contradictions on the xiǎn and mí graphs.
- Shí gǔ wén dating: refutation of Mǎ Dìngguó’s Northern Zhōu Yǔwén period attribution, citing the Běi shǐ.
- Zhuànzhù as cuò jiǎn (scrambled slips): refutation, citing Zhèng Xuán’s argument.
Weaknesses flagged: the Zhǎng-shi / Liáng sìgōng zhuàn attribution (Mèngmǔ’s previous family-name); the Wáng Míngqīng zì Zhòngyán / Zhāng Huá / Lǐ jì source-tracing.
The textual transmission has been compromised: Chén Jìrú’s Pǔ mì jí (Pǔ secret-collection) recension contains a duplicated Huáng Xiàng Tiān fā shénchèn bēi entry — clear evidence of disorder. Qián Zēng’s Dú shū mǐn qiú jì notes the existence of the Kē Zhèhú and Xiàng Yàoshī recensions — both lost.
Dating. Lù Yǒu is recorded as fl. 1330–1333 (CBDB). NotBefore 1330 / notAfter 1333. The standard text is the SKQS 2-juàn recension, derived from the Chén Jìrú Pǔ mì jí exemplar.
Translations and research
No complete Western-language translation. The book is cited in modern Chinese-language scholarship on Yuán connoisseurial bǐjì, on calligraphic and bibliographic history, and on the Shí-gǔ-wén dating problem.
Other points of interest
The book preserves 吾丘衍 (Wúqiū Yǎn)‘s draft Xián jū lù (KR3j0145) — Lù having transmitted Wúqiū’s cóngfù family copy. The two books are accordingly thematically connected and the present bǐjì is the principal channel of Xián jū lù’s preservation.
Links
- Sìkù quánshū zǒngmù tíyào, Zǐbù · Zájiā lèi 3, Yán běi zá zhì entry.