Separate Records of Longchuan
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Summary
In my years at Longchuan I wrote the Longchuan Brief Records, setting down one or two things from my own life; as for what I heard from others, I had no leisure for it. But now, nearing fifty and risen from obscurity, I have met only a few surviving elders of the court—men like Ouyang Xiu of Yongshu and Zhang Andao, both towering figures of their age, and Su Zirong and Liu Gongfu, of broad learning and strong memory, who might also be named among the great. I was fortunate to move among them and hear what they told, things the younger generation has not heard. Gongfu once stood watch with me beneath the Zizheng Pavilion and sighed deeply: "If one or two of us die, the words and deeds of former times will be buried and unrecorded. If you can set them down, they may still be passed on." At the time I was beset with many affairs and loath to write. Now, banished here for six years, sitting quietly all day, I wish to recall what I once heard, but in this hot wilderness there are no scholars or officials to ask, and being old and failing, I retain one thing and forget ten. Thinking back on Gongfu's words, I am moved to grief, and so I record what I heard as the Longchuan Supplementary Records, forty-seven items in four volumes. The twenty-second day of the first month of autumn, the second year of Yuanfu.
Editor's review
The Longchuan Supplementary Records is a notebook kept by Su Zhe in his later years during his exile at Longchuan, recalling a lifetime of things seen and heard: four volumes and forty-seven items, modest in length but dense in information. It recounts the words and deeds of figures of the day such as Ouyang Xiu, Zhang Fangping, Su Song, and Liu Ban, and preserves rare fragments of court and provincial anecdote from the mid- to late Northern Song, which can be cross-checked against the official histories and collected writings. Su Zhe's preface explains how the book came to be written, prompted by a sigh from Liu Ban beneath the Zizheng Pavilion; the tone is plain yet tinged with the weariness of age, and the reader can feel the old minister's fear, in his last years, that "the words and deeds of former times" will be lost. This new edition makes this less familiar Song notebook accessible to general readers. It suits readers interested in the lives of Northern Song scholar-officials and in notebook sources, whether for focused study or for broadening their source reading; those expecting a continuous historical narrative or a light collection of stories should adjust their expectations.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers of Song notebooks and unofficial histories
- Readers studying the figures and politics of the mid- to late Northern Song
- Those who like short, itemized reading that can be picked up and put down
- Readers who have read Su Zhe's prose and poetry and want to add his later reminiscences
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking a continuous historical narrative or a full biography
- Those unfamiliar with the classical notebook style and unwilling to consult annotations
- Readers who want only entertaining anecdotes and reject source criticism
Reading tips
- Read the preface first to understand how the book came to be, then go through the forty-seven items in order.
- Look up names and offices in reference works as you go; this builds a picture of Northern Song personal networks.
- Read alongside the relevant biographies in the History of Song and note where the notebook and the official history differ.
- Three to five items at a time is enough; there is no need to finish in one sitting.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 自序
- 卷上
- 卷下
FAQ
Can I read the Longchuan Supplementary Records without any grounding in classical Chinese?
The original is a classical Chinese notebook; its items are short and its narrative plain, but it involves a great many Northern Song personal names, official titles, and allusions. Readers with no classical Chinese at all will find it hard going; an annotated edition and reference works are advisable. If you only want the gist, start with the preface and the shorter items.
How does this book relate to the official histories?
The Longchuan Supplementary Records is a notebook of things seen and heard, set down by Su Zhe in his later years; it is a private record, not a systematic history. Its accounts of people's words and deeds and its court and provincial anecdotes can be cross-checked against the History of Song and Song collected writings, but it also carries a personal perspective and lapses of memory, so it should be read against the official histories rather than relied on alone as historical fact.
Why is it called "Supplementary" Records?
Su Zhe had already written the Longchuan Brief Records, setting down one or two things from his own experience; the Longchuan Supplementary Records is devoted to things heard from others that the earlier book had not covered, hence "supplementary," meaning another part of the record. Read together, the two books show the whole of Su Zhe's later reminiscences.
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About the author
Su Zhe
Author · China · 1039–1112
Su Zhe (1039–1112), courtesy names Ziyou and Tongshu, later styled Yingbin Yilao, was a native of Meishan in Meizhou (present-day Meishan, Sichuan). A writer, poet, and statesman of the Northern Song dynasty, he is counted among the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song. Together with his father Su Xun and elder brother Su Shi, he is known as one of the "Three Su," and he exerted considerable influence in both the literary and political spheres of the Song. He served as Censor-in-Chief, Vice Minister of the Right of the Department of State Affairs, and Vice Minister of the Chancellery, held the office of chancellor for seven years, and was later repeatedly demoted; he retired to Xuchang and devoted himself to writing. His works span classics, historical reading, and Eastern philosophy, and include the Luancheng ji, Longchuan lüezhi, Longchuan biezhi, and Tang lun, as well as the San Su wenxuan associated with his father and brother. His prose is steady and plain, excels in argument and narrative, and carries both literary and historical value.
