Qiānzhāi wénlù 謙齋文錄
Humble-Studio Literary Records by 徐溥 (撰)
About the work
Qiānzhāi wénlù 謙齋文錄 in 4 juǎn — the writings of Xú Pǔ 徐溥 (徐溥, 1428–1499; CBDB 1427–1499), zì Shíyòng 時用, hào Qiānzhāi 謙齋, native of Yíxīng 宜興 (Chángzhōu, Jiāngsū), posthumous title Wénjìng 文靖. Jǐngtài jiǎxū (1454) jìnshì; reached Huágàidiàn dàxuéshì; Senior Grand Secretary 1490–1498 under Hóngzhì. The Sìkù tíyào’s literary-historiographical case rests on the Hóng-zhì-era cabinet style: under Xiàozōng (Hóngzhì), Xú Pǔ in the cabinet for 12 years with Liú Jiàn 劉健 and Xiè Qiān 謝遷 (the canonical Hóngzhì cabinet trio LiúXièXú); not setting himself in opposition; but on matters that could not be done, kǎnkǎn lìzhēng (frank-and-strong, energetically contesting) — many corrections. The principal documented remonstrances: rejecting Lǐ Huá 李華’s reinstatement; refusing to draft the Sānqīng yuèzhāng 三清樂章 (Daoist Three Pure Ones music — i.e. refusing imperial Daoist patronage); memorializing against the late-morning audience tendency. The Sìkù literary judgement: cabinet-memorials are zhǐshì chényán wěiqū kěnzhì (pointing-at-affairs, putting-forward-words, careful-and-sincere), the genuine voice of lǎochéng yōuguó (mature, country-anxious) sentiment — distinct from the later LóngWàn (Lóngqìng / Wànlì) factional jiéjī qǔmíng xiāozhēng lìdǎng (denouncing-and-stirring for fame, rowdy contention establishing factions). Other prose is rather yìngsú (responding-to-custom), structurally píngyǎn (level-and-spreading) — late-Tái-gé style. Wáng Áo 王鏊’s Zhènzé jìwén 震澤紀聞 quoted at the end: Xú Pǔ in the Hànlín did not have a literary name; in the cabinet, succeeding Liú Jí 劉吉’s faction-and-favour vengeance era, by quiet-and-harmonizing the inner-and-outer made the empire peaceful — administration not insistent on coming from himself, only that it was right; using men not insistent on coming from himself, only that they were worthy — the prose was not equal to the equanimity, but virtue’s words finally differ from those who polish characters and lines.
Tiyao
Qiānzhāi wénlù in 4 juǎn — by Xú Pǔ of the Míng. Pǔ, zì Shíyòng, native of Yíxīng. Jǐngtài jiǎxū (1454) jìnshì; office reaching Huágàidiàn dàxuéshì; posthumous title Wénjìng. The events are detailed in his biography in Míng shǐ. Pǔ in Xiàozōng’s time was in the cabinet for 12 years, with Liú Jiàn, Xiè Qiān and others, xiéxīn fǔzhì (united-heart, assist-administration); not setting differences; yet on matters that could not be done, kǎnkǎn lìzhēng, much kuāngzhèng (corrected). Such as jiànzhǐ (admonish-and-stop) Lǐ Huá’s reinstatement; zhízòu bù zhuàn Sānqīng yuèzhāng (firmly memorializing not to compose the Three-Purities music); seeing court-audience gradually late, shàngshū kànglùn (memorialized in vigorous discussion) — all displaying dǎngzhí (frank-direct) integrity. In Xiàozōng’s time the court was clear-and-leisurely, the realm in xiǎokāng (minor prosperity); discussants say Pǔ and others’ xiāngzàn (assisting-and-tutoring) effort was great. Now in the collection the memorials still are present; their zhǐshì chényán wěiqū kěnzhì fully shows the lǎochéng yōuguó sentiment — distinct in cíqì from the Lóng[-qìng]-Wàn[-lì] post-factional [men] who jiéjī qǔmíng xiāozhēng lìdǎng. Clearly the Míng’s flourishing time, the shìdàifū fēngqì was so. As for other compositions, [they are] rather many yìngsú zhī wén (responding-to-custom prose); jiétǐ (compositional structure) too is suspected of píngyǎn. Clearly at the time the Táigé school all valued chōngróng héyǎ (rich-leisurely, peaceful-elegant); liúbō jiànrǎn (the flow gradually contaminating), there was no knowing-it-was-so-and-it-being-so. Wáng Áo’s Zhènzé jìwén says: “Xú Pǔ in the Hànlín did not have a literary name; in the cabinet succeeding Liú Jí’s indulgent-power, vengeance-of-private-grudges era, with one [policy] of ānjìng tiáohé (peace-quiet, harmonizing) the inner-and-outer, made the empire peaceful. Administration not necessarily coming from oneself, only its being right; using men not necessarily coming from oneself, only their being worthy. The time praises xiūxiū yǒu dàchén zhī dù (gentleness-after-gentleness, the bearing of a great minister).” — etc. So prose not equal to capacity, the time already had a public discussion. Yet yǒudé zhī yán (the words of one-with-virtue) finally differ from those who túshì zìjù (smear-and-polish characters and lines). This is again [why] one cannot but use his qìliáng to weight his prose. Compiled and presented respectfully in the third month of Qiánlóng 43 (1778). Chief Compilers: Jì Yún, Lù Xīxióng, Sūn Shìyì. General Editor: Lù Fèichí.
Abstract
Xú Pǔ is the canonical Hóngzhì cabinet moderate — second of the three LiúXièXú Hóng-zhì-era Senior Grand Secretaries who steadied the realm after the Hóngzhì restoration from Liú Jí 劉吉’s late-Chéng-huà-era zī wēifú bào sīyuàn (indulgent-power, private-vengeance) regime. The Sìkù literary-historiographic frame is one of the most explicit defences of the Hóngzhì yǒudé zhī yán (virtuous-man’s words) tradition against both the prior Chénghuà degeneration and the later Lóngqìng / Wànlì factional polemics.
The LiǔXièXú Hóngzhì cabinet trio is one of the canonical formulations of mid-Míng administrative history. The Sānqīng yuèzhāng refusal — declining to compose Daoist liturgy at imperial command — is one of the cleaner cases of mid-Míng cabinet refusal-of-imperial-personal-religion preserved in the biéjí record.
The Wáng Áo Zhènzé jìwén quotation — prose not equal to the equanimity — is a notable case of contemporary near-peer judgement (Wáng Áo 王鏊 1450–1524, the great Hóng-zhì-Zhèng-dé-era Lǐbù shàngshū and Sūzhōu literary leader) preserved in the Sìkù tíyào.
CBDB id 34520 (1427–1499) lifedates; catalog meta gives 1428–1499; followed here as catalog meta.
Translations and research
- L. Carrington Goodrich and Chaoying Fang, eds., Dictionary of Ming Biography 1368–1644. New York: Columbia UP, 1976. Major notice of Xú Pǔ.
- Frederick W. Mote and Denis Twitchett, eds. The Cambridge History of China, vol. 7, The Ming Dynasty. Cambridge UP, 1988. Treatment of the Hóng-zhì-era cabinet.
- Wilkinson, Chinese History: A New Manual, §28.4 (Míng bié-jí) and §28.6 (Tái-gé tǐ).
- Míng shǐ j. 181 — Xú Pǔ biography.
Other points of interest
The Sìkù tíyào’s distinction between Hóng-zhì-era zhǐshì chényán wěiqū kěnzhì memorial style and Lóngqìng / Wàn-lì-era jiéjī qǔmíng xiāozhēng lìdǎng factional style is one of the cleaner late-Qiánlóng formulations of the Hóngzhì golden-mean vs. late-Míng faction historiographic frame.