Shǎoxū jí 少墟集
The Collection from Lesser-Ruins by 馮從吾 (撰)
About the work
The literary collection of Féng Cóngwú 馮從吾 (1556–1627) of Chángān 長安 (Xī’ān), the principal Guānzhōng 關中 Lǐxué thinker of the late Míng and a leading Dōnglín 東林 affiliate; his Yuánrú kǎolüè 元儒考略 (KR2g0041) is catalogued separately. The first printing stopped at Wànlì rénzǐ 萬曆壬子 = 1612; the present 20-juǎn edition is the recutting prepared by his second son Féng Jiānián 馮嘉年, who added the post-1613 (Wànlì guǐchǒu 癸丑) writings down through Tiānqǐ xīnyǒu 天啟辛酉 = 1621. Juǎn 1–12 are yǔlù (lecture-records); juǎn 13–18 are prose and poetry; juǎn 19–20 are clan and house records (zúpǔ jiāchéng); juǎn 21–22 (in some recensions appended) are the Guānxué biān 關學編 (the survey of Guānzhōng Confucianism). The Sìkù editors single out two memorials defending the Shǒushàn shūyuàn 首善書院 lectures (against the impeachments of Zhū Tóngméng 朱童蒙 and against Guō Yuánhòu 郭元厚 / Guō Xīngzhì 郭興治, who had impeached Zōu Yuánbiāo 鄒元標 cf. KR4e0229) for severe critical remark — see Tíyào below.
Tiyao
Féng Shǎoxū jí in 22 juǎn — by Féng Cóngwú of the Míng. Cóngwú’s Yuánrú kǎolüè is already separately catalogued. His prose-collection’s first cutting stopped at Wànlì rénzǐ (1612); this version is the recutting prepared by his second son Jiānián, who incorporated the works composed from guǐchǒu (1613) afterwards down to Tiānqǐ xīnyǒu (1621), with category-prefaces. From juǎn 1 through 12 all are lecture-records; from 13 through 18 all are poetry and prose; from 19 through 20 are clan-genealogies and house-records; juǎn 21 through 22 are the Guānxué biān. Thus his life-work is gathered in this collection. Among them, the lecture-on-learning pieces are devoted to mínglǐ (clarifying principle); the event-discussion pieces are devoted to dáyì (expressing-meaning) — he no longer takes word-flourish as craft. Yet his yǒuwù zhī yán (substance-bearing language) is dǔshí qiēmíng (substantial-and-clear); although the wording occasionally falls into the lǐsú (rustic-and-common), it cannot be reproached as yǎnlòu (vulgar-and-deficient).
Only his memorial in dispute with Zhū Tóngméng 朱童蒙 on the Shǒushàn shūyuàn lectures — which claims that the Sòng’s lack of vigor was not on account of the jiǎngxué (lecture-on-learning), and which cites the precedent of xiānchén Shǒurén (former-official Wáng Shǒurén) lecturing-on-learning amid the bīngshì kōngzǒng (military-affairs press-and-bustle) and at last accomplishing the great merit — and again, when Guō Yuánhòu, Guō Xīngzhì etc. impeached Zōu Yuánbiāo, Cóngwú again submitted a memorial in vigorous dispute, claiming that jīngshī jiǎngxué (lecture-on-learning in the capital) was anciently established — these views are rather gùzhí (stubbornly-held). Now, shìdàifū (gentlemen-officials) who from the jiǎkē (top examination grade) on become officials, with regard to the great meanings of the sages and worthies do not fear ignorance — only how they are shíjiàn (practically-realized); it is not a matter of jù ér jiǎng (gathering-and-lecturing). In the most flourishing antiquity-rule there were Gāo, Kuí, Jì, Xiè; even in the small-prosperity world there were Fáng, Dù, Wáng, Wèi, Hán, Fàn, Fù, Ōuyáng — but did they ever summon the various offices and zhíshì (in-charge-officials) to huánzuò ér tán xīnxìng (sit-encircled and discuss heart-and-nature)? Wúgù ér shě qí zhísī (without-cause and abandoning one’s officially-charged duty), hūpéng yǐnlèi (calling-friends and drawing-comrades): among them, those who are jūnzǐ (gentlemen) provide men with means-of-attack; those who are xiǎorén (small-men) borrow it as means-of-promotion. The rise of party-disaster — surely the worthies have opened the gate and bowed-in the thieves.
As for the Sòng’s lack-of-vigor by reason of the lecture-on-learning prohibition, this is especially qiānhé (forced-conjunction). Examine: the Sòng party-ban began in Níngzōng Qìngyuán 2 (1196) eighth month, was relaxed in Jiātài 2 (1202) second month — the interval was no more than 6 or 7 years. As for the Bǎoqìng and afterwards, Zhōu [Dūnyí], Chéng [brothers], Zhāng [Zǎi], Shào [Yōng] all received sub-shrine to the Kǒng temple-court; the Zǐyáng [Zhū Xī] and Dōnglái [Lǚ Zǔqiān] traditions all received commendation-conferment; Lǐzōng’s posthumous title “Lǐ” was actually because-of-this. The dàoxué dàshèng (Way-Learning grandly-flourishing) was for 40-50 years, then the Sòng perished. The historical biographies are extant — can be checked. How then can the Déyòu disaster (i.e. 1276 fall of Línān) be blamed on the Qìngyuán prohibition?
Cóngwú first as yùshǐ refused-and-rejected the yānrén (eunuchs), impeached Hú Rǔníng 胡汝寧 to dismissal, prohibited dàjì bāojū (great-evaluation bribery-baggage), and again submitted a memorial remonstrating with Shénzōng for non-attendance to government — nearly encountering critical disaster. Later in the deliberation of the three cases (Tǐngjī, Hóngwán, Yígōng) he also held to upright not-bending, zhuórán bùkuì wéi míngchén (eminently-not-shamed as a famed-official). Only these two memorials — though their intent was good, did not calculate their liúbì (downstream-defects) — therefore are appended-criticized for their defect, to make the coming-later not-confused. Compiled and presented in the second month of Qiánlóng 47 (1782). Compilers as usual.
Abstract
Féng Cóngwú is the central Guānzhōng Lǐxué figure of the late Míng, regarded by the Dōnglín circle as the primary western counterpart to the Wúxī school led by Gù Xiànchéng (cf. KR4e0223) and Gāo Pānlóng (cf. KR4e0225). The collection’s first cutting in 1612 corresponds to Féng’s guītián (return-to-fields) years between his expulsion from the imperial court over the Hóngwán (Red Pill) and Tǐngjī (Beating-with-the-Mace) cases and his recall to the Tiānqǐ court in 1621; his second son Féng Jiānián recut the collection after his death (1627), adding the Tiānqǐ materials.
The Sìkù editors’ lengthy criticism (on the two memorials defending the Shǒushàn shūyuàn lectures, with its analogies to Sòng Qìngyuán party-ban) is the most interesting feature of the tíyào: the editors deploy historical specificity (dates of Qìngyuán ban: 1196 to 1202; canonization of Northern Sòng Dàoxué masters at the Kǒng temple in Bǎoqìng) to dispute Féng’s analogy that the late Sòng dynasty perished from prohibiting jiǎngxué. The criticism is consistent with the Sìkù editors’ general antipathy toward late-Míng Dōnglín faction-formation. CBDB 34744 confirms Féng’s lifedates 1556–1627.
Date bracket: 1612 (first cutting) — 1627 (Féng’s death; the recutting was completed in the early Chóngzhēn years using material through 1621). The notBefore reflects the earliest material’s pre-1612 composition for the first cutting; the notAfter is set to Féng’s death.
Translations and research
- Míng shǐ j. 243 — Féng Cóng-wú main biography.
- L. Carrington Goodrich and Chaoying Fang, eds., Dictionary of Ming Biography 1368–1644. New York: Columbia UP, 1976: entry on Féng Cóng-wú.
- Heinrich Busch, “The Tung-lin Academy and Its Political and Philosophical Significance,” Monumenta Serica 14 (1949–55): 1–163.
- John W. Dardess, Blood and History in China: The Donglin Faction and Its Repression, 1620–1627. Honolulu: UHP, 2002.
- Wilkinson, Chinese History: A New Manual, §28 (Míng bié-jí).
Other points of interest
The Shǒushàn shūyuàn 首善書院 was the late-Wàn-lì Beijing academy co-founded by Féng Cóngwú and Zōu Yuánbiāo (cf. KR4e0229) for jīngshī jiǎngxué (capital lecturing-on-learning); it was the most politically visible Dōnglín outpost in the capital. The Zhū Tóngméng impeachment of the academy and the Guō Yuánhòu / Guō Xīngzhì impeachment of Zōu Yuánbiāo are the late-Wàn-lì / Tiānqǐ opening moves of the eunuch-faction (later Wèi Zhōngxián) campaign against the Dōnglín circle that culminated in 1626.