Suichang zalu 遂昌雜錄

Suichang zalu 遂昌雜錄 is a collection of stories written during the Yuan period 元 (1279-1368) by Zheng Yuanyou 鄭元祐 (b. 1292), courtesy name Mingde 明徳, from Suichang. His collected writings were called Qiaowu ji 僑吳集.

The Suichang zalu was initially a separate text, but it was later incorporated into the Qiaowu ji. The book is frequently quoted in Tao Yuanyi's 陶元儀 (1322-1403) Chuogenglu 輟耕錄. Jiao Hong's 焦竑 (1540-1620) bibliography Guoshi jingji zhi 國史經籍志 and Qi Chenghan's 祁承㸁 (1563-1628) Zhanshengtang cangshu mu 澹生堂藏書目 refer to the text as Suichang Shanqiao zalu 遂昌山樵雜錄, while other book catalogues, such as Huang Yuji's 黃虞稷 (1626-1692) Qianqingtang shumu 千頃堂書目, call it Suichang Shanren zalu 遂昌山人雜錄. Varying from edition to edition, Zheng's text is arranged in either 1 or 2 juan.

It records numerous anecdotes from the final years of the Song dynasty 宋 (960-1279) as well as stories about notable scholars and officials of the Yuan era. Having experienced turbulent times, the author occasionally shares his concerns about the world's fate. The most influential account is Song taixuesheng Dongjia Lin Jingyi 宋太學生東嘉林景曦. This story was widely cited by later generations. The desecration of the Southern Song 南宋 (1127-1279) imperial tombs was, for the large population of former Song subjects, like an earthquake — a profound insult in which cultural dignity was completely destroyed. Conversely, the act of reinterring the emperors was viewed by the loyalist literati of the fallen Song as the most remarkable display of moral integrity and righteous spirit. Thus, at the time, this event was regarded as a sensational occurrence, extensively recorded and praised by contemporaries. Works such as Guixin zazhi 癸辛雜識 and later the Chuogenglu both recount it, though with some variations in figures and details.

From a cultural perspective, Zheng's accounts reflect a critique of the Yuan dynasty and the ruling elite, as well as his idealisation of those who sought to preserve the integrity of Confucian values amid foreign rule. After the Yuan dynasty reunited China, the Jiangnan 江南 region became the main source of the empire's fiscal revenues. However, the heavy taxation imposed on Jiangnan led many wealthy households to ruin, especially in Suzhou 蘇州 and Songjiang 松江. This social reality is sometimes reflected in Zheng Yuanyou's writings, which therefore hold some value as historical evidence. Furthermore, Zheng documented several remarkable figures and curious events that appear to hold little profound significance.

The text is found in the series Baihai 稗海, Guji shuohai 古今說海, Xu baichuan xuehai 續百川學海, Lidai xiaoshi 歷代小史, Xuehai leibian 學海類編, Siku quanshu 四庫全書, Dushuzhai congshu 讀書齋叢書 and Shuofu 說郛.