叶隆礼

Very little is known about Ye Longli's life: his birthplace, birth and death dates, and official career are all difficult to verify, so his scholarly profile can only be understood through the works he left behind. The library holds three of his works, namely Qidan Guozhi (A History of the Khitan State), Liao Zhi, and Qidan Guozhi (unannotated edition), all of which fall under historical writing. Qidan Guozhi is one of the earlier extant texts to give a systematic account of the Khitan and the Liao dynasty, covering Liao politics, institutions, society, and relations with neighboring regimes, and it remains an important reference for later research on Liao history. Liao Zhi is more concise and helps readers quickly grasp the outline of Liao history. Overall, Ye Longli's writing is mainly historiographical compilation, clearly organized and focused in its source material, and written in the narrative style of traditional histories. Because records about him are scarce, a deeper assessment of the man and his books still awaits further material.