Old Annotations to the Tales of the World

Yang ShenJun 2024

4.0

Word count: 966 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Liu Xiaobiao's commentary on Shishuo Xinyu cited many rare and obscure texts, which Liu Xuxi later abridged and altered—a great pity. I once saw the complete edition of Xiaobiao's commentary; here I excerpt a few passages to broaden unusual perspectives (fifteen items in total).

Editor's review

Shishuo Jiuzhu is a collection of fifteen old annotations excerpted by the Ming scholar Yang Shen from Liu Xiaobiao's annotated edition of Shishuo Xinyu. Liu's commentary cited many rare and obscure texts; after Liu Xuxi's abridgment and alteration, the original appearance was gradually lost, and the complete edition Yang Shen saw is now hard to find. Though brief, these fifteen excerpts preserve valuable textual clues and the character of the annotations. Their value lies not in systematic completeness but in "preserving what would otherwise be lost": readers can glimpse the richness of Liu's cited sources and sense Ming-Qing scholars' appreciation of earlier texts and their awareness of compilation and preservation. This book is suitable as supplementary material for studying Shishuo Xinyu; read alongside the main text, it deepens understanding of Wei-Jin figures, allusions, and commentarial traditions. Read slowly, checking the sources of citations item by item to appreciate the care and limitations of compilation work; do not expect systematic annotation or vernacular interpretation.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who have read Shishuo Xinyu and wish to understand the evolution of Liu Xiaobiao's annotated edition
Readers interested in ancient Chinese textual preservation and bibliography
University students of Wei-Jin and Northern-Southern Dynasties literature needing clues to old cited sources
Slow readers who enjoy short note-form texts and are willing to trace sources item by item

Not a good fit for

Beginners new to Shishuo Xinyu who need vernacular annotation and systematic guidance
Researchers expecting the complete Liu Xiaobiao annotated edition or lengthy scholarly discussion
General readers preferring complete plots and strong storytelling

Reading tips

Read the relevant Shishuo Xinyu entries first, then compare with the old annotations here to see how commentary and text respond to each other.
Record the titles cited in each annotation and use reference works to check their survival, training awareness of textual preservation.
Read alongside Yang Shen's other works to understand common approaches of Ming scholars to earlier texts.
Read only three to five items at a time and take notes, avoiding the tendency to flip quickly through a short text without retaining impressions.

版权信息
世说旧注

FAQ

Is this book the complete Liu Xiaobiao annotated edition?

No. According to the source, the complete Liu Xiaobiao edition Yang Shen saw is no longer extant; this book is only his excerpt of fifteen old annotations, made to "broaden unusual perspectives." It is a compilation of excerpts, not a complete annotated edition.

Can one read this book without having read Shishuo Xinyu?

Not advisable. This book consists of excerpts from old annotations; without the Shishuo Xinyu main text, context is easily lost. It is best to first become familiar with the basic content and人物 relationships of Shishuo Xinyu, then read this as supplementary material alongside it.

What is the story behind Liu Xuxi's abridgment of the Shishuo commentary?

According to the source, Liu Xiaobiao's commentary on Shishuo cited many rare and obscure texts; after Liu Xuxi's abridgment and alteration, the original appearance was affected. Yang Shen regretted this and therefore excerpted some old annotations in hopes of preserving clues to unusual material. For details of the abridgment, consult relevant textual studies.

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About the author

Yang Shen Author · Chinese · 1488–1559

Yang Shen (1488–1559), courtesy name Yongxiu and styled Shengan, was a native of Xindu, Sichuan, and a Ming dynasty literary scholar and historian. He came first in the imperial examination of 1506 and served as a Hanlin compiler and imperial lecturer. In 1524, during the Great Ritual Controversy, he was flogged at court and exiled to Yongchang Guard in Yunnan, where he spent more than thirty years and died. The lyric "Immortals by the River: The Rolling Yangtze Flows East" is traditionally attributed to him. The History of Ming calls him foremost in breadth of memory and abundance of writings, which numbered over four hundred and were later collected as the Shengan Ji. Thirteen of his works are included here, among them Cipin, Twenty-One Histories Ballads, Shengan Shihua, Mochi Suolu and Shishuo Jiu Zhu, spanning词 criticism, ballads, poetry talks, notes on calligraphy and painting, and annotation of old texts—broad in subject and both scholarly and appreciative in value.