車胤集

Chē Yìn jí 車胤集

Collected Works of Che Yin (Reconstructed) by 車胤 (撰)

About the work

A reconstructed collection (jíyìběn 輯佚本) of the surviving fragments of Chē Yìn 車胤 (ca. 320–401 CE), an Eastern Jin ritual official who served as Tàicháng 太常 (Director of Ceremonies) under Emperor Xiaowu of Jin 晉孝武帝 (r. 372–396). The single juǎn consists entirely of memorial opinions (yì 議) and policy submissions (shàngyán 上言) on court ritual, preserved in the Jìnshū lǐzhì 晉書·禮志 and Tōngdiǎn 通典. The pieces are:

1. 〈上言宜擇經學最優者一人領博士〉 — Submission urging that one outstanding classical scholar be appointed to lead the Bureau of Erudites (bóshì 博士), reviving Han and Wei precedents. Cited in Tōngdiǎn juǎn 53.
2. 〈上言庶母服制〉 — Submission on mourning dress for a concubine-mother (shùmǔ 庶母) by the heir of an ennobled house, dated to Tàiyuán 太元 17th year (392 CE); cited in Jìnshū lǐzhì zhōng 晉書·禮志中 and Tōngdiǎn juǎn 82.
3. 〈又上言〉 — Follow-up submission on the same mourning question, dated to Tàiyuán 18th year (393 CE); cited in Jìnshū lǐzhì zhōng 晉書·禮志中.
4. 〈修明堂議〉 — Opinion on the Bright Hall (Míngtáng 明堂) reform, emphasizing that ceremonial substance matters more than architectural formalism; cited in Jìnshū Chē Yìn zhuàn 晉書·車胤傳, Jìnshū lǐzhì shàng 晉書·禮志上, and Sòngshū lǐzhì sān 宋書·禮志三.
5. 〈朝臣上禮太子議〉 — Opinion on whether attending ministers should present gifts at the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony, distinguishing regional governors from court officials; cited in Tōngdiǎn juǎn 70, dated to Tàiyuán 12th year (387 CE).
6. 〈群臣見皇太子儀服議〉 — Opinion on the ceremonial dress worn by ministers when calling on the Crown Prince; cited in Tōngdiǎn juǎn 70.
7. 〈荅謝琰問〉 — Reply to a ritual query from Xiè Yǎn 謝琰 on mourning periods following reduced (jiàng 降) dress; cited in Tōngdiǎn juǎn 60.
8. 〈荅徐廣問李太后服〉 — Brief reply on mourning protocol for the Empress Dowager Li, dated to Lónɡ’ān 隆安 4th year (400 CE); cited in Tōngdiǎn juǎn 81.

Tiyao

No tiyao found in source. This text is an extra-catalog reconstruction not included in the Sìkù quánshū 四庫全書.

Abstract

Chē Yìn 車胤 (ca. 320–401 CE), zì Wǔzǐ 武子, was a native of Línlíng 零陵 in Nánpíng 南平 (modern Hubei/Hunan border region). He is best remembered in popular tradition for the childhood anecdote of studying by the light of fireflies captured in a gauze bag (nángyíng yìngxuě 囊螢映雪, “firefly bag and snow reflection”), a proverbial image of dedicated study under poverty that became a staple of moral exemplar literature. In official life, he rose to become Tàicháng 太常 under Emperor Xiaowu of Jin, one of the highest ritual offices in the Eastern Jin court, and played a central role in the codification of court ceremonial during the Tàiyuán reign period (376–396). His biography is in Jìnshū juǎn 83.

The surviving fragments consist wholly of yì 議 (ritual opinions) and shàngyán 上言 (policy memorials), reflecting his role as the court’s leading ritual authority. A recurring concern is the tension between classical protocol and Eastern Jin custom in matters of mourning dress (fúzhì 服制), and the relationship between the Erudites (bóshì) and the Ministry of Rites. He consistently advocates a return to Han-Wei precedent over the relaxed customs of the period. Zhāng Pǔ 張溥 reconstructed the collection for inclusion in the Hàn Wèi Liùcháo bǎisān jiā jí 漢魏六朝百三家集. No CBDB record has been located for Chē Yìn.

Wilkinson’s Chinese History: A New Manual does not include a specific entry for Chē Yìn.

Translations and research

No substantial secondary literature located.

Links

• Jìnshū 晉書 juǎn 83 (biography)
• Tōngdiǎn 通典 juǎn 53, 60, 70, 81, 82 (citations)