Lianlizhuan 廉吏傳

Lianlizhuan 廉吏傳 "Biographies of honest officials" is a biographical collection written by the Song-period 宋 (960-1279) master Fei Shu 費樞 (early 12th cent.), courtesy name Boshu 伯樞, from Chengdu 成都, Sichuan. His highest office was prefect (zhizhou 知州) of Guizhou 歸州 (today in Hubei). Apart from this collection, Fei wrote a biji 筆記 "brush-notes" style essay called Diaoji litan 釣磯立談 (not the famous Diaoji litan by Shi Wen 史溫).

The 2-juan long Lianlizhuan assembles the biographies of 114 persons living between the Spring and Autumn 春秋 (770-5th cent. BCE) and the Tang period 唐 (618-907). The text of each person is brief and concise and includes an assessment on the integrity in office. The preface dates from 1125. The book catalogue Zhizhai shulu jieti 書錄解題 lists the book with a length of 10 juan.

The first preserved print dates from 1615. The book is included in the imperial series Siku quanshu 四庫全書.

Another book with this title was compiled by Huang Ruheng 黃汝亨 (1558-1626), courtesy name Zhenfu 貞父, style Boxuan Jushi 泊玄居士 or Yulin Jushi 寓林居士, during the Ming period 明 (1368-1644). His apogee of career was assistant administration commissioner (buzhengshi canyi 布政司參議) of Jiangxi.

Huang was of the opinion that the book of Fei Shu was very selective and did not include important personalities. Huang collected further material and wrote additional biographies of 33 persons living in the time covered by Fei's book, and 64 persons from the Song and Yuan periods. Huang classified each person according to three moral ranks.

Huang's book is enriched by an appendix called Liandu 廉蠹 where he demonstrates how ten officials like Zhang Tang 張湯 or Zhi Du 郅都 from the Han period 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE) succumbed to the temptation of intrigues, bribery and slandering. Unfortunately the author did not make clear which parts of the book stemmed from Fei's original and which parts were added.

The oldest print of Huang's book, dating from 1615, has a length of 14 juan (Wu 1987 says, 12). It is preserved in the Beijing Library as well and is part of the series Xuxiu siku quanshu 續修四庫全書.