Héngtáng jí 橫塘集
The Cross-Pond Collection by 許景衡 (撰)
About the work
Héngtáng jí 橫塘集 in 20 juǎn (Sìkù reconstruction) preserves the writings of Xǔ Jǐnghéng 許景衡 (1072–1128), Wēnzhōu jìnshì of 1094 and one of the Yǒngjiā school’s second-generation figures. Originally 30 juǎn per Sòng shǐ Yìwénzhì and Chén Zhènsūn’s Shūlù jiětí. The principal documents are the memorials Xǔ submitted under Huīzōng (against Tóng Guàn 童貫’s misgovernance, against the huāshí gāng extravagance) and Qīnzōng / early-Gāozōng (against Wáng Ānzhōng 王安中’s zìbiàn request, defending Zōng Zé 宗澤 KR4d0135 against accusation, requesting relief for the suffering southeast).
Tiyao
The Sìkù tíyào: Héngtáng jí 20 juǎn, by Xǔ Jǐnghéng of the Sòng. Jǐnghéng, zì Shàoyī, of Wēnzhōu Ruìān. Jìnshì of Yuányòu 9; in Xuānhé mid-period summoned as Jiānchá yùshǐ, promoted Diànzhōng shìyùshǐ; Qīnzōng’s accession summoned as Zuǒ zhèngyán, promoted Zhōngshū shèrén; Gāozōng’s reign reached Shàngshū yòuchéng; dismissed as Zīzhèngdiàn dàxuéshì Tíjǔ Dòngxiāo gōng, died; canonised Zhōngjiǎn. Career details in Sòng shǐ biography.
Jǐnghéng, although source-emerging from Luòxué (Chéng school), held himself with gāngzhí (firm-vertical) — not with Jiǎ Yì and others xiāozhēng ménhù (factionally-clamouring). His prose is also tǎnbái guāngmíng cuìrán yī chū yú zhèng (clear-bright, pure-purely from the upright). At Huīzōng’s time he immediately spoke-extremely of cáilì kuìfá (resources exhausted), requesting cancellation of the huāshí gāng — for Wáng Fǔ’s struck-down and dismissed. And upon following Gāozōng to Yángzhōu, again disagreed with Huáng Qiánshàn — leveraged the cross-the-river issue and was chìzhú (expelled-and-driven), then died. Although blocked by quánxìng (powerful-favourites) and repeatedly raised-up and stumbled, finally not bowing.
In the collection’s preserved memorials — like Lùn Tóng Guàn wùguó, Biàn Zōng Zé wú guò, Lùn Wáng Ānzhōng bùdāng zìbiàn, Qǐ kuānxù dōngnán — these zházǐ are all chéngyì kěnzhì (sincere-and-pressing), incisive-and-thorough; the others also mostly relating to the state’s great plans. Although at the time not used fully — the shǐ says after his death Gāozōng often remembered his “encountering-affairs daring-to-speak”, chasing-thoughts not put-down — also enough to see his zhōngài (loyal-affection) sincerity having force-of-resonance in his everyday-life.
As to his poetry — pure-clear qīngbá (refined-and-elevated), not displaying kànglì (proud-fierce) air — like the yù zūn fú yǐ yīyàng bái, qīngyǎn yǔ shān xiāngduì héng (jade-jar floating-ant one-sample-white; blue-eyes with-mountain mutually-cross) lines — particularly rich in fēngdiào (style-tone). Hú Zǎi’s Yúyǐn cónghuà says Kòu Zhǔn’s poetry hánsī qīwǎn fùyú yánqíng shū bù lèi qí wéi rén (containing-thought sad-and-tender, rich-in expressing-emotion, particularly not resembling his person); today Jǐnghéng also so. Shī běn xìngqíng yì cún bǐxìng (poetry is rooted in nature, righteous storage of bǐxìng) — needn’t necessarily be LiánLuò fēngyǎ school after-only is called zhèngrén (upright person). Sòng shǐ Yìwénzhì records Héngtáng jí 30 juǎn; Shūlù jiětí same. From Míng onward transmission long broken. Now from the Yǒnglè dàdiǎn gathered, in-order arranged into 20 juǎn. Zhū Xī’s yǔlù once praised Chén Shǎoyáng’s affair — its detail visible in XǔYòuchéng’s elegy — today no-longer-seeing this piān — so the jùzhì hóngcái (great-pieces, grand-talents) lost are not few; what is fortunately preserved should be more-treasured. Qiánlóng 46 (1781), 2nd month, respectfully collated.
Abstract
Héngtáng jí preserves the writings of one of the more-distinguished Yǒngjiā-second-generation figures. Xǔ Jǐnghéng’s career arc — from the Yuányòu-cohort jìnshì through the late-Huīzōng remonstrance phase, the Qīnzōng-emergency phase, and the early-Gāozōng Yángzhōu dispute with Huáng Qiánshàn — places him at every transitional moment of the Northern–Southern-Sòng cataclysm. His memorials against the huāshí gāng extravagance (under Huīzōng) and his memorial defending Zōng Zé 宗澤 (against accusations from the héyì faction) are key documents of the resistance position.
The Sìkù editors note that Xǔ’s poetic register — qīngbá (refined-and-elevated), gentle and emotionally-rich — is unexpectedly distinct from his stern political prose. The Hú Zǎi-style observation that poetry is rooted in nature — and need not always be in the LiánLuò fēngyǎ mode to be morally valid — is one of the broader literary-critical positions the Sìkù editors articulate through this biéjí.
The lost Chén Shǎoyáng āicí — Zhū Xī’s yǔlù refers to it as the principal source for the Chén Shǎoyáng affair — is one of the documented losses from the original 30-juǎn collection. Lifedates 1072–1128 are confirmed.
Translations and research
- Sòng-shǐ j. 363 — biography.
- Sòng yuán xué-àn 宋元學案 j. 32 — Yǒng-jiā second-generation context.
- Tao, Jing-shen. Two Sons of Heaven (Tucson 1988). Background on the Jīng-kāng / Jiàn-yán transition.
- No dedicated monographic study of Xǔ Jǐng-héng located.
Other points of interest
- The pair of Zhōngjiǎn canonisations — Xǔ Jǐnghéng (here) and Zōng Zé KR4d0135 — is a notable doubling: two early-Southern-Sòng resistance officials posthumously honoured with the same canonical title.