The Textual Research Of Yan Yan-zhi And His Writings

During the Liu-Song Dynasty, Yan Yan-zhi who racked with Xie Ling-yun was famous for flowery language and ornament in the literary world. They were called "Yan and Xie".In the period of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the Liu-Song Dynasty, significance was attached to the family of power and influence. Langya Yan family was celebrated for an old-line and brilliant history of the family. In the Western Zhou Dynasty, Bo-qin's offshoot was awarded in Yan of Lu, So they took Yan as their family name. Yan hui was the first generation of Yan family. After Spring and Autumn Period, Yan family lived in Lu and Qi, later in the Cao-Wei Dynasty moved to Xiao-di-li of LinYi in Langya. They regarded Langya as their Pedigree. From then on, Yan family moved to other places several times, but their descendants still took Langya as their Pedigree. In last years of Eastern Jin, Yan Yan-zhi's great-grandfather leaded Yan family to the south, changing their dwelling house in Yan street of Chang-gan-li in Jian Kang, where Yan Yan-zhi was bom in, around outside Zhong-hua-men in south of Nan Jing now.In the period of Eastern Jin Dynasty, two persons had the same name with Yan Yan-zhi. The two persons we previously mentioned all were appointed military position and were different from Yan Yan-zhi of Liu-Song Dynasty, who is excellent in literary talent and is good at writing.When he was young, Yan Yan-zhi went extreme easily and stated his view frankly. It caused others' disgust, therefore people called him "Yan Hu". As Nanshi ( 《南史》 )was finished, in order to avoid the Tang Dynasty taboo, so changed "Yan Hu" to "Yan Biao". This descriptive epithet was not corrected form then till now. Except Jiankangshilu (《建康实录》) , all books called "Yan Hu" as "Yan Biao".About his twenty-two years old, Yan Yan-zhi begun to be an official and obtained the rank of Can-jun that served for Liu Liu. In the end of the first year of Jin-ping, many senior ministers including Xu Xian-zhi recommended Yan Yan-zhi as satrap of Shi-an, and about in the Autumn or Winter of the first year of Yuan-jia arrived at his post. Yan Yan-zhi assumed office as satrap of Shi-an at most one year, then left for home for privacy at lastest in the end of the second year of Yuan-jia. While in the third year of Yuan-jia, Yan Yan-zhi was called up to secure official position by Liu Yi-long. In early stage of Yuan-jia, Liu Yi-kang decided internal and extemal affairs by himself and had the ambition to usurp the emperor's power. Yan Yan-zhi who is honest and frank was dissatisfied with what Liu did, and then berhymed to emperor in the eleventh year of Yuan-jia. It offended Liu Yi-kang, Yan Yan-zhi assumed office again in the seventeenth year, as consultation Can-jun for Wang Jun. In the twentiethTai-chang. In autumn of the twenty-ninth year, Yan Yan-zhi requested to retire, but not be permitted. In the next year, retired.After serving for emperor around, Yan Yan-zhi died at home in his seventy-three. Under imperial power subrogated frequently and the queasy and inclement political environments, the reason for Yan's satisfied come-off not only was his character, but also was his family status and position. He was bom of inferior family. Though distained the dignitary, He didn't aim at emperor and imperial power. All position he assumed were associable with fete, comity, cultural education and civil service, were not concerned with the decision-making of government affairs. What he did didn't threaten the imperial power, therefore saved his life from damage and all his life long.Yan Yan-zhi's writing is more and its content is wide and diversiform. Besides creating a literary and composition, His writings relate to study of Confucian Classics, study of elementary school, sundry writings, Buddhism, notes and commentaries and collective works of various authors. While the most of his writings are dispersed and lost only a fraction of writings we can see today. Some are remnants; some only keep the name of book and passage.For Yan Yan-zhi's writings are dispersed and lost severely, so peopl...