Liangxi manzhi 梁溪漫志

Liangxi manzhi 梁谿漫志 (also written 梁溪漫志) "Casual Notes of Liangxi" is a "brush-notes"-style book (biji 筆記) written during the Southern Song period 南宋 (1127-1279) by Fei Gun 費袞, courtesy name Buzhi 補之, from Wuxi 無錫 (in today's Jiangsu province). Fei obtained the jinshi degree in 1205. This is everything what is known about Fei's life.

This book is divided into ten juan, with each fascicle consisting of individual entries. The first two juan and the first entry of the third fascicle discuss the court's historical records. From then on (chapter on the Yuanyou Faction 元祐黨), it focuses more on miscellaneous matters. The last part of the juan 3 and the entire fourth juan detail the events concerning Su Shi 蘇軾 (1037-1101). Starting from the fifth juan, the book delves into the examination of historical records and the classification of poetry and prose. The final part contains many discussions on supernatural phenomena and various unrelated matters, not strictly historical events.

Overall, the book's arguments are well-founded, and many old records and classical writings are preserved through it. For example, it corrects errors in Ouyang Xiu's 歐陽修 (1007-1072) Guitianlu 歸田錄 by pointing out that the non-examination appointment of Zhou Han 周翰 as an edict drafter (zhi zhigao 知制誥) happened under the Liang dynasty 梁 (502-557), and not under Yang Yi 楊憶 (974-1020). It also corrects a mistake in Ye Mengde's 葉夢得 (1077-1148) Bishu luhua 避暑錄話 regarding the similarity of fate between Xue Ying 薛映, Liang Ding 梁鼎 (955-1006), and Yang Yi, being different from the case of Zhou Han. Furthermore, it corrects the error in Wang Gong's 王鞏 (1048-c. 1117) Jiashen zaji 甲申雜記 about the timing of Su Shi's lèse-majesté trial (Wutai shi an 烏臺詩案), which took place in 1079, only ten years after the Xining reforms (Xining bianfa 熙寧變法), and not two or three decades later. The book also rectifies errors in texts such as Zhu Shengfei's 朱勝非 (1082-1144) restoration of his decree, which was issued by Qi Chongli 綦崇禮 (1083-1142), and not by Chen Yuyi 陳與義 (1090-1138), and points out discrepancies regarding the political affiliation of Xie Xiandao 謝顯道 in the years 1102 and 1105 in Xie Ji's 謝伋 (c. d. 1165) Siliu tanzhu 四六談麈. It is said that Ouyang Xiu wrote a stele inscription for Cheng Wenjian 程文簡, concealing his involvement in the incident of the "Seven Temples of the Wu Clan" (Wushi qimiao tushi 武氏七廟圖事). Fei corrects the false claims recorded in Shao Bo's 邵博 (d. 1158) Shaoshi wenjian houlu 邵氏聞見后錄.

There are minor flaws in the text. For example, the record of He Ning 和凝 (898-955) and Fan Zhi 范質 (911-964) passing down clothing and bowls is mistakenly listed as the thirteenth entry, when it should be the fifth. Also, the name of Emperor Guangwu 漢光武帝 (r. 25-57 CE) of the Later Han dynasty 後漢 (25-220 CE) is rendered as as Huan 煓 in commentary on the History of the Later Han Dynasty, Houhanshu zhu 後漢書注, but is mistakenly referred to as the Houhanshu proper. Though these are small errors, they do not affect the overall context of the book. There are many valuable insights to be gleaned from this work, and it was indeed given considerable attention by readers at the time.

Later, when compiling the official histories during the reigns of Song's Emperor Gaozong 宋高宗, Emperor Xiaozong孝宗, and Emperor Guangzong光宗, this book was consulted as a reference. The fact that it was included in the historical records despite being written by an unranked scholar at the time further attests to its value.

The text is included in the series Jigutang congke 稽古堂叢刻, Zhibuzuzhai congshu 知不足齋叢書, Xuehai leibian 學海類編, Siku quanshu 四庫全書, Changzhou xianzhe yishu 常州先哲遺書 and Songren xiaoshuo 宋人小說. Excerpts are found in the Shuofu 說郛, Wuchao xiaoshuo 五朝小說, Wuchao xiaoshuo daguan 五朝小說大觀 and Jiuxiaoshuo 舊小說. In 1985, the Shanghai Guji Chubanshe 上海古籍出版社 a modern edition annotated by Jin Yuan 金圓, and Fu Yuling's 傅毓鈴 annotated edition was published in 1986 by the Shanxi Renmin Chubanshe.