Zhōu Zǐzhī 周紫芝 (b. 1082, fl. 1142–1165)
Zì Shǎoyǐn 少隱; hào Zhúpō jūshì 竹坡居士 (“Bamboo-Slope Layman”). Native of Xuānchéng 宣城 (modern Ānhuī). Birth year 1082, established by the internal note in his collection KR4d0217: “in rénxū (1142) I first obtained office; my age was 61.” (The catalog meta’s “b. 1182” is an obvious error and is corrected here.) Death year unfixed but post-1165.
Jìnshì in the Shàoxīng era (1142, late). Held office to Shūmìyuàn biānxiūguān (Editing Functionary of the Privy Council Library) and out as prefect of Xīngguójūn. CBDB id 14228 (no dates).
His poetic genealogy is Yuányòu: he took poetic instruction directly from Zhāng Lěi 張耒 (Wénqián 文潛, one of the Sūmén liù jūnzǐ) and Lǐ Zhīyí 李之儀 (Duānshū 端叔, of the late Sū Shì circle), making him among the latest direct heirs of the SūHuáng circle. His Zhúpō shīhuà 竹坡詩話 is one of the principal Southern-Sòng poetic-criticism texts.
His career is morally compromised by direct collaboration with the chief minister Qín Huì 秦檜. The collection KR4d0217 preserves seven cycles of birthday encomia for Qín, two for Qín’s son Qín Xī, and a DàSòng zhōngxìng sòng attributing the Restoration to Qín — the Sìkù editors describe these as “old yet without shame.” The encomia survive in the WYG recension because the Sìkù editors held to the principle of preserving the historical record.
Surviving in Kanripo:
- KR4d0217 Tàicāng tímǐ jí (70 juǎn, WYG; 43 juǎn poetry + 27 juǎn prose).