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Chen Gui and Other Works Attributed to Empress Wu Zetian

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Chen Gui and Other Works Attributed to Empress Wu Zetian chen gui denis twitchett Chen gui and Other Works Attributed to Empress Wu Zetian ome quarter-century ago, studies by Antonino Forte and Richard S Guisso greatly advanced our understanding of the ways in which the empress Wu Zetian ࣳঞ֚ made deliberate and sophisticated use of Buddhist materials both before and after declaring herself ruler of a new Zhou ࡌʳdynasty in 690, in particular the text of Dayun jing Օႆᆖ in establishing her claim to be a legitimate sovereign.1 However, little attention has ever been given to the numerous political writings that had earlier been compiled in her name. These show that for some years before the demise of her husband emperor Gaozong in 683, she had been at considerable pains to establish her credentials as a potential ruler in more conventional terms, and had commissioned the writing of a large series of political writings designed to provide the ideologi- cal basis for both a new style of “Confucian” imperial rule and a new type of minister. All save two of these works were long ago lost in China, where none of her writings seems to have survived the Song, and most may not have survived the Tang. We are fortunate enough to possess that titled ๵ complete with its commentary, and also a fragmentary۝ Chen gui copy of the work on music commissioned in her name, Yue shu yaolu ᑗ ஼૞ᙕ,2 only thanks to their preservation in Japan. They had been ac- quired by an embassy to China, almost certainly that of 702–704, led టԳ (see the concluding section of thisضby Awata no ason Mahito ொ article) to the court of empress Wu, who was at that time sovereign of 1 See Antonino Forte, Political Propaganda and Ideology in China at the End of the Seventh Century (Naples: Istituto Universitario Orientale,1976); R. W. L. Guisso, Wu Tse-t’ien and the Politics of Legitimation in T’ang China (Bellingham, Wash.: Program in East Asian Studies, Western Washington U., 1978). 2 Juan 5 to 7 alone of Yue shu yaolu are preserved, and are included together with Chen –ហ஼, compiled by Hayashi Shussai ࣥ૪ស (ࣥᘝ; 1768ژ܊ gui, in collection 1 of Isson s±sho 1841) and first printed in 1799. This was taken to China early in the 19th c., reissued in an edition printed from wooden moveable type by a Mr. Huang of Hushang (Shanghai) ዴՂ႓ -in 1882, and finally published in a photog. rept. of the original Japanese print by the Com ּ mercial Press in Shanghai in 1924. 33 denis twitchett her new Zhou dynasty. He probably also carried others of these works back to Japan. WORKS ATTRIBUTED TO EMPRESS WU The titles of works compiled in her name, listed subsequently, ap- pear in the following six early sources: JTS/Shilu The earliest list; appended to the Basic Annals of her reign in Jiu Tang shu ៱ା஼,3 which probably derives from the hurriedly compiled ኔٿVeritable Record of her reign titled Zetian Huanghou shilu ঞ֚઄ ᙕ, completed early in 706, shortly after her death.4 JTS/Gujin A second early source is the bibliographical monograph of Jiu Tang վ஼ᙕ, a summaryײ shu,5 which is an abstract of the titles in Gujin shulu imperial library catalogue compiled in 721 by Wu Chiung ܦ❦.6 JTS/Liu liezhuan A third list is found in the short biography of Liu Yizhi Ꮵ⨳հ in Jiu Tang shu 187, a chapter which almost certainly comes from the T’ang National History completed in 759–760.7 This list is confirmed by the biography of Yuan Wanqing ցᆄຸ in Xin Tang shu ᄅା஼ 201.8 X TS, XTS/? A fourth source is the bibliographical monograph of Xin Tang shu,9 which in part repeats titles in the Jiu Tang shu monograph (and in such cases is noted below as X T S ), and otherwise supplements those titles with items taken from a variety of unknown sources, below noted as X T S/? Genzai sho Several of these works, in addition to Chen gui, were taken to Ja- ءֲ pan and are listed in the catalogue Nihonkoku genzai sho mokuroku 3 Liu Xu Ꮵᷦ et al., comps., Jiu Tang shu (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1975; hereafter JTS) 6, p. 133. Compiled under the direction of Wu Sansi ࣳԿ৸, revised in 716 as Zetian shilu ঞ֚ኔ 4 ᙕ by Liu Zhiji Ꮵव༓ and Wu Jing ܦᤁ. See Denis Twitchett, The Writing of Official History under the T’ang (Cambridge: Cambridge U.P., 1992), pp. 132–35, 243. 5 See JTS 46–47. Individual page references are cited below. 6 Twitchett, Writing of Official History, pp. 231–32. 7 Ibid., pp. 178–87. -See Ouyang Xiu ᑛၺଥ, Song Qi ݚह et al., comps., Xin Tang shu ᄅା஼ (Beijing: Zhong 8 hua shuju, 1975, hereafter XTS ) 201, p. 5744. 9 XTS 201, p. 5744. 34 chen gui ஼ؾᙕ of Fujiwara no Sukeyo ᢏ଺۸׈, compiled at the end ofڇഏ෼ the ninth century.10 Dent± Others are mentioned in the later catalogue, T±iki dent± mokuroku .(၌ (1014–1095ة ±ࣟ഑ႚᗉؾᙕ (1094) by the monk Eich The following 30 works include 22 attributed to Wu Zetian under one form or another of her high dynastic titles; 1 attributed to her under a name that is pre-empress in status; 6 retrospective compilations, one of which is clearly posthumous; and 1 compilation of the empress’s sacred writings by one of her courtiers after her removal. Immediately follow- ing each item, the bibliographic sources attesting the work (namely, one or more of the above “six early sources”) are given in parentheses. For convenience, in my discussions, references to standard sources use the abbreviations as listed at the end of this article. Court Writings Composed for Empress Wu and Attributed to Her 1. ZISHU YAOLU ࿫ᑐ૞ᙕʳʳ( JTS/Gujin, X T S ) JTS ;ٿIn 10 chapters. Compiled by Da (Tai)sheng Tianhou Օ ( ֜) ᆣ֚ 47, p. 2026. X T S 59, p. 1512, is identical, but gives the empress’s title 11.ٿas simply Wu hou ࣳ 2. ZICHEN LIYAO ࿫୳៖૞ ( JTS/Gujin, X T S ) In 10 chapters by Dasheng Tianhou. Listed by JTS 46, p. 1975, un- der “Rituals” (Li ៖) together with the major ritual codes of the Sui period and Da Tang xin li Օାᄅ៖, compiled under Tang Taizong in 637. X T S 58, p. 1491, is identical, but gives the empress’s title as Wu hou, and lists it under the category of works on “Ritual Ceremonial” (Yizhu Ꮪࣹ). On Fujiwara no Sukeyo ᢏ଺۸׈ (d. 897) and his catalogue, which is also known as 10 -஼ؾᙕ, or Sukeyo mokuڇ஼ؾᙕ, Genzaisho mokuroku ෼ڇཛ෼ء Honch± genzaisho mokuroku ”,roku ۸׈ؾᙕ, see Wang Zhenping, “Manuscript Copies of Chinese Books in Ancient Japan The Gest Library Journal 4.1 (1991), pp. 35–67, esp. 47 ff. There are various modern critical ஼ؾᢞڇ෼ءֲ ±editions: Kariya Ekisai ੭ߣ൵សʳ(1775–1835), Nihon genzai shomoku s±chˆk ࣹᒚ (in Nihon koten zenshˆ (Tokyo: Nihon koten zenshˆ kank±kai, 1928); Kohase Keikichi :஼ؾᙕᇞᎅᒚ (Tokyoڇഏ෼ءֲ ±Nihonkoku genzai sho mokuroku kaisetsu k ,ٳ՛९ߣ༡ ,ॽ, Nihonkoku genzaisho mokurokuخ୾ـ ±Komiya shoten, 1956; rpt. 1976); Yajima Genry ஼ؾᙕႃဳ圲ઔߒ (Tokyo: Kyˆko shoin, 1984). My referencesڇഏ෼ءֲ ˆshˆsh± to kenky are to Kohase (1956). .ٿEmpress Wu’s original posthumous title was Dasheng Zetian huanghou Օᆣঞ֚઄ 11 as ,ٿ֚ After Ruizong succeeded to the throne, August 6, 710, this was changed to Tianhou ,on November 13 ٿin her lifetime, and was then again changed to Dasheng Tianhou Օᆣ֚ ᆣ০ July 27, 712, and then to Shenghouٿ֚ It was further changed to Tianhou shengdi .710 September 10. After the death of Ruizong, 12th lunar mo., 716, her title Tianhou was ٿᆣ again restored. On July 2, 749, this was changed to Zetian shunsheng huanghou ঞ֚ႉᆣ઄ 35 denis twitchett ,ᐇᄅᎂ ( JTS/Shilu, JTS/Gujin, JTS/Liu liezhuanۍ BAILIAO XINJIE .3 X T S, Genzai sho) In 4 chapters by Tianhou; JTS 4, p. 2026. X T S 59, p. 1512, gives an identical title but names the author as Wu hou, and gives its length as 5 chapters. The title is confirmed by Liu Yizhi’s biography, JTS 87, p. 2846; also by Yuan Wanqing’s biography, X T S 201, p. 5744, and by the list at end of the empress Wu’s Basic Annals, JTS 6, p. 133. None of these gives the number of chapters. Tang hui yao ାᄎ૞ʳrecords its completion and promulgation,12 together with Zhaoren benye (see be- low), to the prefectural court delegates, chaoji shi ཛႃࠌ on May 4, 686. Taken to Japan, see Nihonkoku genzai sho mokuroku, p. 13, where .ٿit is listed as in 4 chapters, by Zetian Taihou ঞ֚֜ -૩ ( JTS/Shilu, JTS/Gujin, JTS/Liu liezhuan, X T S, Gen۝ CHEN GUI .4 zai sho) ,JTS 47, p. 2026. X T S 59, p. 1512 ;ٿ ֚ In 2 chapters by Tianhou The title is mentioned in Liu Yizhi’s .ٿ gives the author as Wu hou ࣳ biography, JTS 87, p. 2846; Yuan Wanqing’s biography X T S 201, p. 5744, and the list at the end of empress Wu’s Basic Annals, JTS 6, p. 133. Taken to Japan, and listed in the Nihonkoku genzai sho mokuroku, .ٿp. 13, which gives the author as Huanghou ઄ 5. QINGGONG JIYAO ॹ୰ધ૞ ( JTS/Shilu, JTS/Gujin, JTS/Liu liezhuan) In 30 chapters, by Tianhou; JTS 47, p. 2026. Xin Tang shu 59, p. 1512 is identical, but gives the author as Wu hou. Listed as in 30 chapters in the empress’s Basic Annals, JTS 6, p.
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