王辟之

Wang Pizhi was a literatus of the Song dynasty. Publicly available information about his life is limited: his birth and death years, native place, and official career are all unknown. Four works are extant under his name, chiefly Mianshui Yantan Lu (Record of leisurely talks by the Mianshui), including an edition combined with Xitang Ji Qijiu Xuwen, as well as several other editions of the same book. In terms of subject matter, Mianshui Yantan Lu belongs to the biji, or miscellaneous notes, genre, recording anecdotes from court and countryside, the words and deeds of various figures, and miscellaneous matters of institutions and customs. It has value both as historical material and as pleasant reading, and its language is concise and plain, carrying the casual tone common to Song-dynasty biji. Works of this kind have traditionally been classed among classic works and Eastern philosophy, and often circulate as readers for understanding everyday knowledge of ancient society and the observations of scholars. Because verifiable sources are scarce, the details of his life cannot be described with certainty, and readers should rely on the works themselves as the main basis for knowing this author.