Tianxiangge suibi 天香閣隨筆

Tianxiangge suibi 天香閣隨筆 is a "brush-notes-style" (biji 筆記) collection of stories written during the late Ming period 明 (1368-1644) by Li Jie 李介 from Jiangyin 江陰, Jiangsu. Ding Wenjiang 丁文江 (1887-1936) recounts the following story about the author's identity: Li was believed to be an illegitimate son of Xu Xiake 徐霞客 (1587-1641; see Xu Xiake youji 徐霞客遊記). His mother, Madam Zhou 周氏, was not accepted by Xu's principal wife. While pregnant, she left the Xu household and later married a man surnamed Li, giving birth to Li Jie. For this reason, Li Jie was also called Ji 寄, meaning "The Fostered One". Moreover, since he lived during the transitional period from the Ming to the Qing dynasty 清 (1644-1911), he styled himself Jieli 介立, meaning "One who stands between [two eras]".

From its content, the book of 2 juan appears to have been written after the fall of the Ming dynasty. The author was a reclusive scholar with strong feelings towards the Ming. The work records numerous anecdotes and historical events from the Ming–Qing transition period. It also includes copies of texts such as Wan Yuanji's 萬元吉 (1603-1646) "Preface to the Record of Military Strategies" (Choujulu xu 籌軍錄序) and "Memorial on the unbearable deterioration of frontier affairs" (Qiangshi bu kan zai huai shu 疆事不堪再壞疏), which give the book considerable historical value.

The anecdotes concerning Hong Chengchou 洪承疇 (1593-1665), Shi Kefa 史可法 (1602-1645), and other figures reveal a clear moral and political stance. The account of Chen Yuanyuan 陳圓圓 (1624-1681), the beloved concubine of Wu Sangui 吳三桂 (1612-1678), also differs in certain respects from versions found in popular novels, making it a valuable source for comparison.

The original draft was longer than two juan, but the transmitted prints removed materials related to immortals, Buddhism, and Daoism, resulting in a version of two fascicles.

The text is included in the series Yueyatang congshu 粵雅堂叢書.