Shuzhai laoxue congtan 庶齋老學叢談

Shuzhai laoxue congtan 庶齋老學叢談 "Miscellaneous talks from the Humble Studio on studies of old [texts]" is a "brush-notes"-style book (biji 筆記) written during the Yuan period 元 (1276-1368) by Sheng Ruzi 盛如梓(fl. 1300), style Shuzhai 庶齋, from Quzhou 衢州 (in today's Zhejiang province) or Yangzhou 揚州 (present-day Jiangsu). No details on his life are transmitted apart from that he was administrative assistant (panguan 判官) of Chongmingzhou 崇明州 and gentleman for service (congshilang 從仕郎).

The book of 3 juan length is composed of notes Sheng made during this studies of ancient texts from all genres. It primarily examines and analyzes the Classics, history, and offers critiques on poetry and prose, with occasional references to historical events from both the court and the common people. The first fascicle begins with an account of matters of history, followed by discussions of the Classics and history. The middle and final volumes mostly focus on literary criticism and poetry, while also including anecdotes from the Song dynasty 宋 (960-1279). There are numerous references and rebuttals regarding historiography, astronomy, geography, famous objects, literary styles, and the maxims of Confucian masters, all of which are supported by evidence and often well-founded. For example, the book refutes claims in Yu Wenbao's 俞文豹 (c. 1240) Chuijianlu 吹劍錄, stating that the famous poem Guangling san 廣陵散 did not originate with Wang Ling 王凌 (172-251) or Guanqiu Jian 毌丘儉 (226-255); it also uses the tomb of Gumie 姑蔑 to challenge the interpretation of Wei Zhao's 韋昭 (201-273) annotation to the Guoyu 國語 as incorrect. Each section is usually cited with the sources of the claims, showing a clear basis for the arguments.

However, there are also points in the book worth reconsidering. For instance, it includes poems by Lu You 陸游 (1125-1210), "General Yao" 姚將軍, and Zhao Zongyin 趙宗印, but it does not mention Yao's personal name, leading later generations to be unclear. In fact, Lu You's Weinan ji 渭南集 does include a biography of Yao Pingzhong 姚平仲, which the author overlooked. Another example is the citation from the Zuozhuan 左傳 regarding Duke Jing of Jin 晉景公 (r. 600-581) dying after falling while using the restroom. The book asks whether it is necessary to record such details to emphasize the moral lesson, but it neglects that both the Zhanguoce 戰國策 and Shiji 史記 mention this event, showing that ancient people were more straightforward and did not find it strange. Therefore, this critique of the Zuozhuan seems misplaced. The book also includes several sections where it seems to somewhat defend Jia Sidao 賈似道 (1213-1275), calling him a "hero", and offering commentary that appears biased and unfair. The reasons for this are unclear and require further verification.

Although there are minor flaws, the book remains a work of scholarly research and critique, firmly grounded in evidence, and is an excellent resource for those interested in studying literature and history.

The text is included in the series Zhibuzuzhai congshu 知不足齋叢書, Siku quanshu 四庫全書, Congshu jicheng chubian 叢書集成初編 and Biji xiaoshuo daguan 筆記小說大觀.