Sungong tanpu 孫公談圃

Sungong tanpu 孫公談圃 „Master Sun’s garden dialogues“ is a collection of stories compiled during the Song period by Liu Yanshi 延世錄 according to narrations by Sun Sheng 孫升, courtesy name Junfu 君孚, from Gaoyou 高郵 (in today’s Jiangsu province). 官中書舍人，以集賢殿修撰留守南京，后遷天章閣待制。紹圣初，被貶污州. During that time, Liu Yanshi’s father was district magistrate of Changding 長汀, and he had the occasion to learn from Sun Sheng. The book of 3 Juan contains 111 stories about political affairs at court during the Xining and Yuanyou reign periods, many of which relate to the author’s personal experiences. For example, he notes that Wang Anshi was competent while serving in the Hanlin Academy, but after becoming Counsellor-in-Chief, the realm faced many troubles. He also mentions Su Shi’s examination essay for a Hanlin post, in which Su assessed the strengths and weaknesses of Emperor Wen and Emperor Xuan of the Han dynasty, and compared them with those of Emperor Renzong and Emperor Shenzong of the Song. Liu Yanshi believed that although Sun Sheng was considered part of the Yuanyou faction, his judgments were entirely impartial and based on public reason. His integrity was remarkable, and therefore Liu recorded this work for transmission. The text is included in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書, Baichuan xuehai 百川學海, Xu baichuan xuehai 續百川學海, Baihai 稗海, Shuofu 說郛, Bixi xiaoshuo daguan 筆記小說大觀, Xuejin taoyuan 學津討原, Gujin shuobu congshu 古今說部叢書, Shuoku 說庫 and Lidai xiaoshi 歷代小史.