Hu Wenmu zazhu 胡文穆雜著

Hu Wenmu zazhu 胡文穆雜著 is a "brush-notes"-style book (biji 筆記) written during the early Ming period 明 (1368-1644) by Hu Guang 胡廣 (1370-1418), courtesy name Guangda 光大, temporal name Jing 靖, style Huang'an 晃庵, from Jishui 吉水, Jiangxi. His highest offices were Grand Academician of the Hall of Literary Profundity (Wenyuan ge da xueshi 文淵閣大學士) and Grand Academician of the Left Secretariat of the Heir Apparent (zuo chunfang da xueshi 左春坊大學士). Hu Guang was admired by Zhu Di 朱棣 (Emperor Chengzu, r. 1402-1424) for his calligraphic skills. His posthumous title is Wenmu 文穆公. Hu's collected writings are called Huang'an ji 晃庵集, Hucong ji 扈從集, Hu Wenmu zazhu 胡文穆雜著 and Hu Wenmu ji 胡文穆集.

The book of 1 juan length consists of Hu Guang's casual notes and writings. His views are generally fair and impartial. For example, in his commentary on the Zizhi tongjian 資治通鑒 regarding the events in Weizhou 維州 involving the Xitan 悉怛 emissary, Hu Guang argues that Sima Guang 司馬光 (1019–1086) was not unaware that Li was not the real culprit 李是牛非, but deliberately emphasized peace with neighboring states and wished to avoid provocation, thus intentionally presented it as such. He further cites Sima Guang's Lü Gongzhu jian 呂公著簡 as evidence to support this view, showing a deep understanding of the political climate of the time.

Hu also believed that the magistrate of Baling 灞陵 was simply doing his duty by prohibiting travel at night, and that Li Guang's 李廣 resentment was based on personal bias. He saw Zichan's 子產 (d. 522 BCE) discussion of the "yellow bear" (huangxiong 黃熊) as the beginning of credulous superstition. He regarded Shentu Jia 申屠嘉 (d. 155 BCE) as a man of great integrity, and thought Ban Gu's 班固 (32-92 CE) assessment — that Shentu's learning was inferior to that of Chen Ping 陳平 (d. 178 BCE) — was incorrect. These views reflect Hu Guang's impartial judgment.

Additionally, Hu Guang argued that the divinations performed during marriage arrangements — accepting betrothal gifts and so on — were only for choosing an auspicious date, not for determining good or bad fortune. He questioned the Cheng Brothers' doubts on this point as unconvincing. He also believed that Li Bai 李白 (701-762) had indeed written poems for Du Fu 杜甫 (712-770), and criticized the research in the Rongzhai suibi 容齋隨筆 as inaccurate. Regarding the conquest of Yuzhang 豫章, Hu stated it was actually Guan Ying 灌嬰 (d. 176 BCE) who achieved it, aligning with what is recorded in Li Bai's poetry, and pointed out that Hu Ruosi 胡若思 was mistaken in attributing it to Chen Ying 陳嬰 (d. 183 BCE). All these arguments are backed by solid evidence and demonstrate rigorous scholarship.

The text is included in the imperial series Siku quanshu 四庫全書.