Yingchuan yuxiao 潁川語小

Yingchuan yuxiao 潁川語小 "Humble [pieces] of talk from Yinchuan" is a "brush-notes"-style book (biji 筆記) written during the Southern Song period 南宋 (1127-1279) by Chen Fang 陳昉 (fl. 1224), courtesy name Shufang 叔方, style Jiezhai 節齋, from Wenzhou 溫州 (in today's Zhejiang province). He inherited the post of his father and was Minister of Personnel (libu shangshu 吏部尚書) and academician (xueshi 學士) of the Hall of Upright Clarity (Duanming Dian 端明殿). Chen's posthumous title is Chen Qinghuigong 陳清惠公.

The book of 2 juan length discusses issues in old writings and unofficial stories from the imperial courts. It imitates, to a certain extent, Hong Mai's 洪邁 (1123-1202) eminent book Rongzhai suibi 容齋隨筆, but with regard to literary critique, it resembles Chen Kui's 陳騤 (1128-1203) Wenze 文則. The themes discussed are manifold, for instance, the question of how the deity Nü Wa 女媧 repaired heaven, the differentiation between family names (xing 姓) and clan names (shi 氏). The book preserved material of customs and habits, for instance, the question of robe colours and the material of girdles of the higher class in contrast to commoners during the Tang period 唐 (618-907). Chen also corrects errors in old writings, such as the wrong use of laiwei 獺尾 instead of the correct zhaiwei {金宅}尾, and explains misunderstandings, e.g., concerning the designation lüduan 履端 for the intercalary month (see calendar) or a type of wine cup called poluo 叵羅.

Early prints of the book are lost, but it was (in fragments?) quoted in the Ming-period 明 (1368-1644) encyclopaedia Yongle dadian 永樂大典. The reconstructed text can be found in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書, Shoushange congshu 守山閣叢書 and Congshu jicheng chubian 叢書集成初編.