| A total of 272 historical figures are amounted in the People Special of Taiping Huanyu Ji.from the Tang Dynasty.From the diachronic perspective,there are 100 historical figures in the Early Tang Dynasty,accounting for 37%;31 historical figures from between the Early Tang Dynasty and Glorious age of Tang Dynasty,occupying 11%;27 historical figures in the Glorious age of Tang Dynasty reaching 10%;14% of 39 historical figures from between the Middle and Late Tang Dynasty recorded;42 historical figures from the Middle Tang Dynasty,taking up 15%;17 historical figures from between the Middle and Late Tang Dynasty,making up 15%;the percentage of 16 historical figures in the late Tang Dynasty for 6%.It can be seen that Yue Shi recorded the most historical figures in the Early Tang Dynasty and the least in the Late Tang Dynasty.From the perspective of synchronic distribution,there are 48 historical figures recorded in the Henan Dao in Tang Dynasty,accounting for 18%;in Guanxi Dao,46 historical figures in Tang Dynasty,making up 17%;12% of 32 Tang Dynasty historical figures in Hedong Dao calculated;Hebei Dao having 68 historical figures during Tang Dynasty,occupying 25%;Jiannan Dao in the period including 5 historical figures with a ratio of 2%;46 historical figures in Jiangnan Dao from the period,amounting 17%;5historical figures in the Huainan Dao of the Tang Dynasty,taking up 2%;in Shannan Dao,12 historical figures in the Tang Dynasty,accounting for 4%;8 historical figures of the Tang Dynasty listed in Longyou Dao,making up 3%;1% of historical figures of Lingnan Dao with the number of 2 in the Tang Dynasty.It can be concluded that the Hebei Dao recorded the most by Yue Shi,and Lingnan Dao was the least.In general,the number of historical figures of the north in the Tang Dynasty recorded by Yue Shi far exceeds that of historical figures in the south.In view of the origin of historical figures in the Tang Dynasty recorded in the People Special of Taiping Huanyu Ji,Old Tang Books registers most.First and foremost,it has to be noted that 199 historical figures of the Tang Dynasty in Taiping Huan Yu Ji are traced back to Legend of Old Tang Books".Secondly,the source material of Literary Sketches in the Tang Dynastyis one of the major historical sources of Taiping Huan Yu Ji in which historical figures of the Tang Dynasty are recorded.There are as many as 17 kinds of Literary Sketches in the Tang Dynasty and Five Dynasties cited in the historical figures of the Tang Dynasty in Taiping Huanyu Ji,including Chao Ye Qian Zai by Zhang Zhuo,Sui and Tang Jia Hua by Liu Su,Feng Shi Wen Jian ji by Feng Yan,Lizhao’s Tang Guo Shi Bu,New Anecdotes of the Tang Dynasty from Liu Su,Zhang Gu’s You Xian Gu Chui,Meng Qi’s Original Story of Poetry,"Positive Poetry",Yun Xi You Yi from Fan Shu,Gao Yanxiu’s History of Missing Contents,Niu Su’s Record of Tales,Li Kang’s Du Yi Zhi,Yuanjiao’s Ballads to Bounties,Pei Tingyu’s Dongguan Zouji,Huang Pu’s Minzhong Mingshi Zhuan,Zhang Zhu’s Hanlin Shengshi,T’ang Chih-yen by Wang Dingbao in the end of the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties,and Sun Guangxian’s Bei Meng Suo Yan in the Five Dynasties.In addition,Shunzong Shilu,Tang Hui Yao,Zhen Guan Zheng Yao,Han Changli Wenji,Fan Chuan Wenji,Lixiashu Wenji,Piling Jiand Quandeyu wenjialso provide Yue Shi for reference to the historical figures of the Tang Dynasty.The historical figures of People Special of Taiping Huanyu ji in the Tang Dynasty can be roughly classified into the following : Chinese Prime Minister,General,Jinshi,Good Official,the Loyal,the filial and friendly,Confucian scholars,the Literate.Yue Shi’s records of Chinese prime ministers are slightly different of whom some only registers their names,some only have their names and birthplaces,some briefly demonstrate experiences as prime minister term of service,of whom their deeds are in records in great detail,including a civil administration feat,military ruling merit,adviser courage,participation in the Jinyang Warrior and the Shenlong Coup,passing the imperial examination,being learned,filial deeds,and father and son being prime minister.Yue Shi records the generals who neutralized Separatist Forces during the early Tang Dynasty,such as Yuchi Gong,Ren Gui,and Li Jing,the generals who made significant contributions to the expansion of the territory during the early Tang Dynasty,such as Li Jing,Li Ji,Hou Junji,Liu Rengui and Pei Xingjian,generals who participated in the supression of the An-shi Rebellion during the prosperous Tang Dynasty,generals who corrected the Tang Dynasty,such as Guo Ziyi,Li Guangbi,and Ma Lin and generals who were involved in quelling the feudal rebellion during the Middle Tang Dynasty,such as Cui Ning,Gao Chongwen,Li Jinglue,Zhang Wanfu.In terms of the birthplace of Jin Shi who pass the imperial examination recorded by Yue Shi of whom those from Fujian were paid particular attention.Ye Jing was the first Jin Shi in Jianzhou,Ouyang Zhan was the first Jin Shi in Quanzhou,and Zhou Kuangwu was the first Jin Shi in Zhangzhou,which is related to the fact that Yue Shi was originally from the Southern Tang Dynasty and familiar with southern figures.The good officials are recorded by Yue Shi whether they had forgiveness in the ruling such as Xu Yougong or because of their significant governance,such as Han Sifu or due to the integrity in their tenure of office,such as Wang Zhixin;or with their diligence,such as Liu Yuxi,or with good reputation such as Dai Shulun;or thanks to beneficial policies,such as Wei Yingwu.The loyal who are recorded in Yue Shi highlights reveal heroic deeds of the local officials who fighted in the national calamity,vowed to defend the city,and never surrender even if the city was invaded after the An-shi Rebellion.Yue Shi also recorded the wars and conflicts between the court and the feudal town in the late Tang Dynasty in which officials who vowed to uphold their loyalty and defend the interests of the court.The deeds of the Filial and Friendly in Yue Shi are roughly grouped into three types.The first are people who were filial to parents;the second are people who love brothers and sisters.In addition,there is family filial piety where brothers respected to each other and several generations lived under one roof.Yue Shi’s records of Confucian scholars partly refer to People Special of of Old Tang Books,Confucian Biography,but there are also the innovations of Yue Shi.He paid attention to Yan Shigu,Kong Yingda,Chu Wuliang and other Confucian masters.All the Confucian scholars that Yue Shi concerns were included in the New Tang Books,Confucian Biography,except for Li Shan.Among the literary scholars recorded in the Yue Shi,26 of total are selected from Old Tang Shu,Wen Yuan Zhuan,accounting for 59%.In addition,the deeds of 18 the new members of literary scholars in Yue Shi have an important influence on the later book New Tang Books,Literary Biography.Yue Shi added "characters" and custom information in "Taiping Huanyu Ji".It not only expanded the content of traditional Geography book,but also realized that compared with geographical factors in the evolution of administrative divisions,characters and customs had a greater influence on the rise and fall of history. |
