ChinaKnowledge.de -
An Encyclopaedia on Chinese History and Literature
Wu-Yue beishi 吳越備史 "Complete history of the Wu-Yue dynasty" is a history of the empire of Wu-Yue 吳越 (907-978), one of the Ten States 十國 (902-979) ruling over southern China after the downfall of the Tang dynasty 唐 (618-907). The 4-juan book was allegedly written by Fan Tong 范垌 and Lin Yu 林禹, but more probably by Qian Yan 錢儼 (937-1003), younger brother of Qian Shu 錢俶 (r. 948-978), the last ruler of Wu-Yue.
It dates from the Later Jin period 後晉 (936-946). There was, in the original, a chronological table (Nianhao shixi tu 年號世系圖) at the beginning of the book, and a table of the princes (Zhuwang zidi fengjue yi biao 諸王子弟官爵封謚表), as well as maps to the 13 prefectures (Shisan zhou tu 十三州圖), with geographical treatises (Shisan zhou kao 十三州考). Only the latter are preserved. There are two prefaces to the book one from 1059 by Qian Zhongfu 錢中孚, and one from 1132 by Qian Xiuhuan 錢休渙.
The oldest surviving print dates from the Jiajing reign-period 嘉靖 (1522-1566). There are a lot of supplements to the book, for example, the Buyi 補遺 by Ma Jinchen 馬盡臣. The Song-period 宋 (960-1279) bibliographer Chen Zhensun 陳振孫 (1179-1262) says in his book Zhizhai shulu jieti 直齋書錄解題 that the Wu-Yue beishi had actually three juan more that were already missing at that time.
It is included in the series Xuejin taoyuan 學津討源, Wulin zhanggu congbian 武林掌故叢編, Sibu congkan 四部叢刊 and the Siku quanshu 四庫全書.