Idle Notes from Luanyang: Family, Friends, Scholars and Officials in the Yuewei caotang biji by Ji Yun (1724–1805)
Clea Walford
Contents
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I. Biography of Ji Yun (1724–1805)
1 Upbringing, 1724−1740
2 Family and Examinations, 1740−1754
3 Career, 1754−1769
4 Banishment, 1769−1771
5 From Rehabilitation to Chief Editor of the Siku quanshu, 1771−1787
6 Corrections and the Yuewei caotang biji, 1787−1798
7 Genre and Prefaces
8 The Last Years, 1799−1805
Scholars and Officials Mentioned
1 Marvellous Occurrences and Unusual Items
2 Rarities
3 Literature and Scientific Topics
3.1 Literature, Philosophy, and Religion
3.2 Scientific Topics
4 Summary
1 The Elite
1.1. Officials
1.2 Scholars
1.3 Economically Wealthy
1.4 Biographical Stories and Ji Yun's Household Members
2 Summary
1 Fate 命
2 Fortune-telling 看命
3 Summary
1 Representation of Heaven in the Yuewei caotang biji
2 Interference with Humans
1 The God of the Earth 土地 and the City God 城隍
2 Representation of Gods in the Collection
3 Relationship with Humans
1 Representation of the Underworld in the Compilation
2 Jurisdiction
2.1 Moral Estimation of Humans
2.2 Reward and Punishment
1 Appeasement of the Dual Souls hun 魂 and po 魄
2 Ghosts in the zhiguai-Literature
3 Representation of Ghosts in the Yuewei caotang biji
3.1 Different Types
3.2 Gender
3.3 Attributes of Ghosts
3.4 Social Classes and their Experiences with Ghosts
3.5 Inferiority of Ghosts
3.5.1 Qi 氣 and the Influence of yin 陰 and yang 陽
3.5.2 Deliberate Breach of Etiquette by the Protagonists
4 Summary
Particular Creatures and Phenomena
1 Humans with Supernatural Powers
2 Miscellaneous Species
3 Phenomena and Objects
4 Summary
Demonic Creatures and Apparitions
1 Demons in the Compilation 魅, 魔, 妖
2 Social Classes and their Demonic Experiences
3 Summary
1 The Fox in the Yuewei caotang biji
1.1 Moral Evaluation
1.2 Specific Behaviour
2 Relationship of Humans and Foxes
2.1 Desire
2.2 Cohabitation and Friendship
3 Summary
TABLES
Table 1 Ji Yun's Teachers, Mentors, Examiners, and Tongnian
Table 2 Employees of the Siku quanshu
Explanatory Notes
The Romanisation of Chinese terms and names is according to the Pinyin system, with the exception of words that are generally more familiar in the Wade-Giles system.
Emperors are identified by their better known reign titles and not by their personal names.
The narrators, protagonists, and commentators will be identified as they are named in the Yuewei caotang biji, which is often an alternative name.
Abbreviations
Citations from the Yuewei caotang biji and references to the stories are indicated by abbreviations for the five different books, followed by Arabic numerals for the biji, according to the YWCT, Beijing 1994 and Shanghai, 1980.
Primary Sources
閱微草堂筆記 The Project Gutenberg EBook of Yue Wei Cao Tang Bi Ji, by Xiao Lan Ji, release date: December 11, 2007 [EBook #23817], www.gutenberg.org; produced by Wan Jei Chen
YWCT Yuewei caotang biji zhuyi 《阅微草堂笔记》注译
YWCT (1980) Yuewei caotang biji 阅微草堂笔记 (1980)
GW Guwang tingzhi 姑妄聽之 (四卷; 1–215 則)
HX Huaixi zazhi 槐西雜志 (四卷; 1–286 則)
LY Luanyang xiaoxialu 灤陽消夏錄 (六卷; 1–297 則)
LX Luanyang xulu 灤陽續錄 (六卷; 1–144 則)
RS Ru shi wo wen 如是我聞 (四卷; 1–254 則)
Secondary Sources
ECCP Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period
HJAS Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies
JCJS Jingcheng Ji shi jiapu 景城紀氏家譜
JXLNP Ji Xiaolan nianpu 纪晓岚年谱
JXLJZ Ji Xiaolan jiazu renwu-Ji Xiaolan gao zu shi qian zhu-Ji Xiaolan wenhua jinshi cuibian 纪晓岚家族人物-纪晓岚高祖诗浅注-纪晓岚文化金石萃编
MQJS Ming Qing jinshi timing beilu suoyin 明清进士题名碑禄索引
QDQB Qingdai qibai mingren zhuan 清代 七百名人传
QDZG Qingdai zhiguan nianbiao 清代职官年表
QRBJ Qingren bieji zongmu 清人别集总目
QRSM Qingren shiming biecheng zi hao suoyin 清人室名别称字号索引
QSLZ Qingshi liezhuan 清史列傳