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 宋 (960-1279) 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). The was a drafter in the Palace Secretariat (zhongshu sheren 中書舍人), then a senior compiler in the Hall of Scholarly Worthies (Jixian Dian xiuzhuan 集賢殿修撰) in the Southern Capital (Nanjing 南京), and then edict attendant in the Hall of Heavenly Manifestations (Tianzhang Ge daizhi 天章閣待制). In 1095, he was exiled to the remote prefecture of Wuzhou 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 between the Xining 熙寧 (1068-1077) and the Yuanyou 元祐 (1086-1093) reign-periods, many of which relate to the author's personal experiences. For example, he notes that Wang Anshi 王安石 (1021-1086) was competent while serving in the Hanlin Academy 翰林院, but after becoming Counsellor-in-Chief, the realm faced many troubles. He also mentions Su Shi's 蘇軾 (Su Dongpo 蘇東坡, 1037-1101) examination essay for a Hanlin post, in which Su assessed the strengths and weaknesses of Emperor Wen 漢文帝 (r. 180-157 BCE) and Emperor Xuan 漢宣帝 (r. 74-49 BCE) of the Han dynasty 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE), and compared them with those of Emperor Renzong 宋仁宗 (r. 1022-1063) and Emperor Shenzong 宋神宗 (r. 1067-1085) of the Song. Liu Yanshi believed that although Sun Sheng was considered part of the Yuanyou Faction (Yuanyou Dang 元祐黨), 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, Biji 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.