Cíbù jí 祠部集
The Cí-bù (Sacrifices Bureau) Collection (of Qiáng Zhì) by 強至 (撰)
About the work
Cíbù jí 祠部集 is the 35-juǎn Sìkù reconstitution from the Yǒnglè dàdiǎn of the 40-juǎn literary collection of Qiáng Zhì 強至 (1022–1076, zì Jǐshèng 幾聖), a Hángzhōu native who served as Sānsī Hùbù pànguān and Shàngshū Cíbù lángzhōng (whence the title). His historical importance lies in his close service to Hán Qí 韓琦 as mùfǔ secretary: Qiáng Zhì drafted Hán’s celebrated 1069 memorial against the Wáng Ānshí 青苗 (“green-sprouts”) loan policy, which is recorded as having moved Shénzōng to the verge of cancelling the new policy. He also compiled the Hán Zhōngxiàn yíshì 韓忠獻遺事 — one of the principal anecdotal sources for Hán Qí’s career.
Tiyao
[Translation summary] The Sìkù tíyào: the Cíbù jí in 35 juǎn was composed by Qiáng Zhì of the Sòng. Zhì, zì Jǐshèng, of Qiántáng. Held Sānsī Hùbù pànguān and Shàngshū Cíbù lángzhōng. The Sòngshǐ gives him no biography. Zēng Gǒng’s 曾鞏 preface says he was esteemed by Hán Qí, brought into the mùfǔ; the present-day Hán Zhōngxiàn yíshì is by Qiáng. His official career as recorded in this collection: after the jìnshì he obtained Sìyuàn pànguān; on recommendation went as zhīxiàn to Pǔjiāng, Dōngyáng, Yuánchéng; was once recalled to Jīngcáo; followed Hán Qí into the Shǎnxī mùfǔ. His “shàng Héběi dūyùn Yuán Jǐshì shū” mentions “sì lì zhōuxiàn, sān rèn bùshǔ” — gives his life roughly. Esteemed by dàxián, his talent stood out. The zòudú 奏牘 prose is precisely-stated, moving — useful for the world. The Hángzhōu zhì records: when Hán Qí was zhèn (commander) [in Běijīng], all his memorials and other writings were drafted by Qiáng. When Hán memorialized to suspend the Qīngmiáo loans, Shénzōng on reading it remarked “this must be Qiáng Zhì’s pen!” — and showed it to the Zǎixiàng; the new policies almost stopped. Hán’s loyal sincerity could move the throne, but Qiáng’s writing’s earnestness contributed. The collection’s poetry is somber, dignified, and high-toned — a distinctive flag among Northern Sòng poets. The Sòngshǐ Yìwénzhì and Mǎ Duānlín’s Jīngjí kǎo both record Cíbù jí in 40 juǎn; the Wényuàngé shūmù still has it; later it lapsed; recent compilers like Lì È could only find a few poems via Gāo Sìsūn’s Xiè lüè and Fāng Huí’s Yíngkuí lǜsuǐ. We have gathered from Yǒnglè dàdiǎn under various rhyme-headings several hundred poems and prose pieces; arranged as 35 juǎn. Qiánlóng 49 (1784) 10th month, respectfully collated.
Abstract
Qiáng Zhì’s biographical importance is that he is one of the two Hán-Qí-circle secretaries (alongside Liú Bān 劉攽) who shaped the verbal counter-strategy against the Xīníng reforms; the Cíbù jí preserves drafts of memoranda that Wáng Ānshí’s New Policies opponents used in 1069–1071. The 1075-Hán Qí Lùn Qīngmiáo memorial (preserved in KR4d0024 Ānyáng jí) was drafted by Qiáng. The poetry — explicitly praised by the Sìkù compilers as “chényù dùncuò” 沈鬱頓挫 (a Du-Fu echo) “高” (lofty) — is among the more personally-voiced corpora of the Xīníng generation. Note: the catalog meta says Qiáng’s birth year is 1046 (catalog also records date: 1046); CBDB 7138 gives 1022–1076, which is the standard date used here. The discrepancy reflects an old transmission slip in some Sòng records; CBDB and the standard Sòng-shǐ-derived chronology of 1022–1076 are followed here.
The dating bracket marks Qiáng’s death (1076) to the Sìkù reconstitution (1784).
Translations and research
- Liu, James T. C. 1959. Reform in Sung China. Harvard. Treats the Hán Qí / Wáng Ān-shí Qīng-miáo dispute that ran through Qiáng’s drafting.
- Bol, Peter K. 1992. “This Culture of Ours”. Stanford UP. Briefly treats the Hán Qí mù-fǔ.
- Yú Yīng-shí 余英時. 2003. Zhū Xī de lì-shǐ shì-jiè 朱熹的歷史世界. Lián-jīng. Discusses the political mù-fǔ writing of the Xī-níng reform period.
Other points of interest
The Shénzōng’s exclamation on reading the Lùn Qīngmiáo memorial — recognizing Qiáng Zhì’s hand — is one of the more striking attestations of authorial recognition in Sòng court politics. The Hán Zhōngxiàn yíshì, separately catalogued, is the principal anecdotal source for Hán Qí’s biography.
Links
- Qiang Zhi (Wikidata Q56286527)
- Wilkinson, Chinese History: A New Manual, §44 (Xīníng reforms); §28.1 (Sòng biéjí).