Zebei yutan 責備餘談

Zebei yutan 責備餘談 "Supplementary remarks on criticism" is a book on historical critique written during the Ming period 明 (1368-1644) by Fang Peng 方鵬, courtesy name Shiju 時舉. He obtained the jinshi degree during the Zhengde reign-period 正德 (1506-1521) and was Chamberlain for Ceremonials (taichang qing 太常卿) in the southern capital Nanjing 南京. He also wrote the books Xuguan ganlu 續觀感錄, Kunshan renwu zhi 昆山人物志 and Jiaoting cungao 矯亭存稿.

The 2-juan-long Zebei yutan gathers various actions and deeds of the ancients that have been praised by later generations, and examines them to expose their flaws, thereby creating this work. In his preface, Fang Peng states that even sages and wise men may have faults: in what they wrote or how they acted, they sometimes departed from human feelings or strayed from the Mean. Yet such sayings and deeds are often recorded in the classics, and scholars delight in discussing them and mistakenly emulate them. Therefore, he aimed to point them out directly and critique them thoroughly. Fang Ming 方明 acknowledged that this book follows the spirit of the Chunqiu 春秋 "Spring and Autumn Annals" in its reproach and censure, but noted that Fang Peng’s arguments are often harsh and exacting, and at times deviate from reason.

For instance, the commentary Guliangzhuan 穀梁傳 on the Spring and Autumn Annals states that Duke Yin of Lu 魯隱公 (r. 722-712) had "lightly regarded a state of a thousand chariots", but that "in following the Way, his words are not without justification" (dao dao ze wei qi yan yun 蹈道則未其言允). Nevertheless, Fang Peng believed that Duke Yin was indeed wrong to treat such a great state lightly. Similarly, Fang Peng denounced Chen Shidao 陳師道 (1053-1101) for borrowing a robe from Zhao Tingzhi 趙挺之 (1040-1107), arguing that he ought not to have done so—yet this, it could be said, shows an unwillingness to appreciate another's virtue.

The book is included in the series Biji xiaoshuo daguan 筆記小說大觀.