Xiǎobiànzhāi ǒucún 小辨齋偶存
Casual-Preservation from the Small-Discrimination Studio by 顧允成 (撰)
About the work
The literary collection of Gù Yǔnchéng 顧允成 (1554–1607), zì Jìshí 季時, of Wúxī 無錫 (Jiāngsū), younger brother of Gù Xiànchéng (cf. KR4e0223). Wànlì guǐwèi (1583) huìshì (Metropolitan Examination); Wànlì bǐngxū (1586) diànshì (Palace Examination) — in his duìcè (response-policy essay) he attacked the bìxìng (imperial-favorites), and was placed in the lowest grade. Officed Lǐbù zhǔshì; demoted to Guāngzhōu zhōupàn. The collection comprises: (i) the 1586 duìcè; (ii) the Jiù Hǎi Ruì memorial (defending Hǎi Ruì, cf. KR4e0207); (iii) the Sānwáng bìngfēng (“Three Princes Joint-Investiture”) memorial; (iv) Dài Dí Cóngxiān lùn jiù Lǐ Cái jí nǐshàng wéi cǐ sìzì biān (substituting for Dí Cóngxiān in arguing for the rescue of Lǐ Cái and the drafted “wéi cǐ sìzì” memorial) — 2 memorials. Shěn Sīxiào 沈思孝’s tomb-record states he was demoted for arguing the rescue of Zhào Nánxīng 趙南星, but no such memorial survives in the collection — yí chuánxiě yì yě (perhaps lost in transmission). The remainder is zhájì, shuōyì (post-retirement Dōnglín lecture-products), letters, miscellaneous prose, and 70 shǒu of poetry (in the Wúyǔ yín sub-collection). The appended 3-juǎn Shìdìnglù is the documentary record: Shěn Sīxiào’s tomb-record, Gāo Cúnzhī 高存之’s xíngzhuàng, and Gù Xiànchéng’s xíngshù.
Tiyao
Xiǎobiànzhāi ǒucún in 8 juǎn, appended Shìdìnglù 3 juǎn — by Gù Yǔnchéng of the Míng. Yǔnchéng, zì Jìshí, native of Wúxī, younger-brother of Xiànchéng. Wànlì bǐngxū (1586) jìnshì; officed Lǐbù zhǔshì; demoted to Guāngzhōu zhōupàn. Affairs detailed in Míngshǐ main biography. Yǔnchéng in guǐwèi (1583) passed the huìshì; in bǐngxū (1586) at last in the diànshì by duìcè gōng bìxìng, yì zhì mòdì (in the response-essay attacked the imperial-favorites, was thereby placed in the lowest rank). The current collection takes this biān as cap; next is the Jiù Hǎi Ruì memorial; next is the Zhēng Sānwáng bìngfēng memorial; next is the Dài Dí Cóngxiān lùn jiù Lǐ Cái and the drafted “wéi cǐ sì zì” memorial — 2 memorials. Shěn Sīxiào’s composed zhìmíng (tomb-record) of Yǔnchéng says: he was demoted “for arguing the rescue of Zhào Nánxīng” — but the collection has no such memorial — yí chuánxiě yì yě (perhaps lost-in-transmission).
Next is the zhájì; next is shuōyì — which Yǔnchéng after returning from Guāngzhōu guītián (returned-to-fields) and with Xiànchéng jiǎngxué Dōnglín (lectured-on-philosophy at Dōnglín) composed. Next is shūjiǎn and záwén; next is Wúyǔ yín — composed-poetry totalling 70 shǒu. Appended at end Shìdìnglù in 3 juǎn: Shěn Sīxiào’s composed tomb-record; Gāo Cúnzhī’s composed xíngzhuàng; Xiànchéng’s composed xíngshù.
Yǔnchéng’s prose is all lùnshì jiǎngxué zhī yǔ (event-discussing and learning-lecturing language); shūjiǎn jū shí zhī jiǔ (letters occupy 9 of 10); zhí shū xiōngyì, bù shì xiūshì (straight expression of breast-intent, not engaging in elaborate decoration). The poetry is the Jìrǎng jí pài (Beating-the-Earth Collection sect) — also not entering the gé (proper form). Yet his dàjié lǐnrán (great-virtue is awe-inspiring); his duìcè zòushū all are zhēnqì liúyì, fā yú zhōngài zhī chéng (“true-energy gushing-fully-out, issuing from loyal-loving sincerity”). What makes him bùxiǔ qiāngǔ (transmits-not-rotten-for-thousand-ages) is precisely here, not there. Compiled and presented in the ninth month of Qiánlóng 46 (1781). Compilers as usual.
Abstract
Gù Yǔnchéng of Wúxī, the younger brother and co-founder (with Gù Xiànchéng KR4e0223) of the Dōnglín movement, is one of the more documented Wàn-lì-era zhèngrén (upright-officials) whose career was determined by a single duìcè (response-essay) attacking the imperial-favorites in the 1586 diànshì — placing him in the lowest grade. He was a participant in the major late-Wàn-lì factional controversies: defending Hǎi Ruì (cf. KR4e0207); opposing the Sānwáng bìngfēng (“Three Princes Joint-Investiture” — the Wànlì emperor’s effort to deflect the succession crisis); the Lǐ Cái and Zhào Nánxīng defense efforts. The collection’s appended Shìdìnglù — combining Shěn Sīxiào’s tomb-record, Gāo Cúnzhī’s xíngzhuàng, and Gù Xiànchéng’s xíngshù — is one of the more substantial Míng biéjí appended-biographical-document collections, providing three independent biographical readings.
The Sìkù tíyào’s literary verdict is consistent with the family verdict on Gù Xiànchéng: literarily mediocre (bù shì xiūshì — does not engage in decoration; the poetry is Jìrǎng jí style, bù rù gé — not entering the proper form); but the dàjié (great virtue) and zhēnqì (true energy) of the political documents make the collection bùxiǔ qiāngǔ (transmits-not-rotten-for-thousand-ages).
Date bracket: 1586 (Wànlì bǐngxū jìnshì) — 1607 (death). CBDB 34743 confirms 1554–1607.
Translations and research
- Míng shǐ j. 231 — Gù Yǔn-chéng main biography (paired with brother).
- L. Carrington Goodrich and Chaoying Fang, eds., Dictionary of Ming Biography 1368–1644. New York: Columbia UP, 1976: entry on Gù Yǔn-chéng.
- John Meskill, Academies in Ming China; Heinrich Busch, “The Tung-lin Academy” — see KR4e0223.
- Wilkinson, Chinese History: A New Manual, §28 (Míng bié-jí).
Other points of interest
The 1586 duìcè (response-essay) attacking the imperial-favorites is one of the more remarkable cases of a diànshì candidate sacrificing his examination ranking for principled critique; the placement in the lowest grade was an early Wànlì instance of imperial-favorite faction punishment of an examination candidate.