Xióng Kè 熊克
Southern Sòng historian and minor official. Zì Zǐfù 子復. Native of Jiànyáng 建陽 (modern Fújiàn). Jìnshì of Shàoxīng 27 / 1157. Lifedates conventionally given as 1132–1204 (CBDB id 11818 has no dates filled in).
Career: held a series of provincial magistracies; under Xiàozōng rose to Qǐjū láng 起居郎 in the Hànlín xuéshìyuàn 學士院 secretariat; later served as prefect of Tāizhōu 台州. His biography is in Sòng shǐ 445 (Wényuàn zhuàn).
Two principal historical works:
- Zhōngxīng xiǎo jì 中興小紀 (KR2b0018) in 40 juǎn (the WYG transmits the Yǒnglè dàdiǎn recovery in nominally 10 juǎn) — annalistic chronicle of the Southern Sòng restoration from the Jiànyán abdication (dīngwèi / 1127) to the end of the Shàoxīng era (rénwǔ / 1162). Written in his private capacity (xiǎo jì — “small notes” — as opposed to the official court rì jì and shí lù) but invaluable as a source closer in time to the events than Lǐ Xīnchuán’s later Jiànyán yǐlái xìnián yào lù. Yuè Kē’s Téng shǐ and Chén Zhènsūn both criticised the work for terseness and occasional contradiction; the Sìkù editors note these limits but defend its early-witness value.
- Jiǔcháo tōng lüè 九朝通略 in 168 juǎn — a synoptic chronicle of the Northern Sòng nine reigns (Tàizǔ to Zhézōng); now lost except for 11 fragmentary juan recovered from the Yǒnglè dàdiǎn.
Member of the late-Southern-Sòng informal historical-research circle around Lǐ Xīnchuán 李心傳; the latter explicitly draws on Xióng Kè in compiling the Jiànyán yǐlái xìnián yào lù (KR2b0024).