ChinaKnowledge.de -
An Encyclopaedia on Chinese History and Literature

Wubian 武編

Jan 29, 2011 © Ulrich Theobald

Wubian 武編 "Book of warfare" is a military treatise written during the late Ming period 明 (1368-1644) by Tang Shunzhi 唐順之 (1507-1560), courtesy name Yingde 應德 or Yixiu 義修, posthoumous title Xiangwengong 襄文公, from Wujin 武進 (today's Changzhou 常州, Jiangsu).

Tang once participated, as supreme commander of the province of Zhejiang, in Hu Zongxian's 胡宗憲 (1512-1565) campaigns against the Wokou pirates 倭寇. For his military achievements he was appointed Right Assistant Censor-in-chief (you jian duyushi 右僉都御史). Tang wrote books on a vast range of topics, from astronomy, music, geography and mathematics to prognostication and military affairs, as well as commentaries to historical periods (like Zuozhi shimo 左氏始末), and the literary theory Wenbian 文編. Among his military writings are Guangyou zhangonglu 廣右戰功錄 and Shizuan zuobian 史纂左編. His collected writings are called Jingchuan Xiansheng wenji 荊川先生文集.

The Wubian is 10-juan long (in the Siku quanshu 四庫全書 version), in older editions 12 juan, and is divided into two parts (Qianji 前集, Houji 後集) with more than 180 short chapters. It covers many aspects of warfare, from the appointment of generals, battle arrays and fighing techniques to the description of firearms and their use, and logistics.

The chapters follow the arrangement of the Song-period 宋 (960-1279) military encyclopaedia Wujing zongyao 武經總要, and the text quotes many sources from history, like the famous strategist books Sunzi 孫子, Simafa 司馬法 and Li Wengong wendui 李衛公問對, as well as memorials submitted to the throne.

In the second part, the author used examples from history to demonstrate how to achieve success in military campaigns, like Emperor Gaozu's 漢高祖 (r. 206-195 BCE) defeat of the rebel Qing Bu 黥布 at the beginning of the Han period 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE), Liu Yao's 劉曜 (r. 318-329) conquest of Luoyang during the Sixteen States period 十六國 (300~430), Jing Hou's 侯景 (503-552) rebellion during the Liang period 梁 (502-557), or Cao Liyong's 曹利用 (d. 1029) rebellion during the Northern Song period 北宋 (960-1126).

There is a print by the Manshan Studio 曼山館 from 1618, of which several copies are preserved. The Beijing Library 北京圖書館 owns a moveable-character print from the Qing period 清 (1644-1911). There are also several manuscript versions circulating.

Sources:
Li Chunsheng 李春生, ed. (1987). Zhongguo gongfu cidian 中國功夫辭典 (Zhengzhou: Zhongzhou guji chubanshe), 114.
Li Xueqin 李學勤, Lü Wenyu 呂文鬰, eds. (1996). Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典 (Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe), Vol. 2, p. 1624.
Liu Qing 劉慶 (1996). "Wubian 武編", in Feng Kezheng 馮克正, Fu Qingsheng 傅慶升, eds. Zhuzi baijia da cidian 諸子百家大辭典 (Shenyang: Liaoning renmin chubanshe), 417.
Huang Yi 黃毅 (2009). "Tang Shunzhi yu Mingdai kangwo douzheng 唐順之與明代抗倭鬬爭", Shenzhen Daxue xuebao (Renwen shehui kexue ban) 深圳大學學報(人文社會科學版), 2009 (11).
Li Defeng 李德鋒 (2011). "Tang Shunzi zhi junshi sixiang tanxi 唐順之軍事思想探析", Ningxia Shifan Xueyuan xuebao 寧夏師範學院學報, 2011 (8).
Liu Xiaodong 劉曉東 (2009). "Jiajing wohuan yu wan-Ming shiren de Riben renzhi: Yi Tang Shunzhi ji qi Riben dao ge wei zhongxin 嘉靖“倭患”與晚明士人的日本認知——以唐順之及其《日本刀歌》為中心", Shehui kexue zhanxian 社會科學戰綫, 2009 (7).
Xu Yong 徐勇 (1993). "Wubian yongbing fangfa zhi chuangjian 《武編》用兵方法之創見", Yantai Daxue xuebao (Zhexue shehui kexue ban) 煙臺大學學報(哲學社會學学版), 1993 (12).
Sima Zhou 司马周, Mao Yucheng 毛譽澄 (2019). "Zan tuo he yi shi gupi, congjun yi fu you xin shi: Tang Shunzhi de junshi wenxue chuangzuo ji dongyin fenxi 暫脱荷衣事鼓鼙 從軍亦復有新詩——唐順之的軍事文學創作及動因分析", Dongwu xueshu 東吳學術, 2019 (7).
Zhang Huiqiong 張慧瓊 (2013). "Mingdai kangwo rujiang Tang Shunzhi ji qi haifang shi chuangzuo 明代抗倭儒將軍唐順之及其海防詩創作", Changzhou Gongxueyuan xuebao (Sheke ban) 常州工學院學報(社科版), 2013 (8).