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Shen Defu

Type Figure Region China Time 1578–1642 Also known as courtesy name Jingqian、style name Huchen、Taizi

Shen Defu (1578–1642), courtesy name Jingqian, style name Huchen, of Xiushui, Zhejiang, was a Ming literary figure and note-writer who compiled the W…

Timeline

  1. 1601–1605Beijing Imperial Academy · BeijingShen Defu was born in the capital and followed his father and grandfather on official postings to Beijing, studying at the Imperial Academy during this period, reading widely in the classics and becoming well versed in court regulations and anecdotes. From childhood he heard tales of old court affairs and associated with nobles and relatives in the city, accumulating firsthand observations and historical material for his later writing of the Wanli Yehuo Bian.
  2. 1606–1607Beijing · BeijingBetween the 34th and 35th years of the Wanli reign, Shen Defu, following the style of Ouyang Xiu's Gui Tian Lu, compiled years of notes on court affairs, regulations, customs, and literary anecdotes into a twenty-juan first draft of the Wanli Yehuo Bian. The title means 'gains from the wilds,' and its content covers the Grand Secretariat, the Six Ministries, the examination halls, and poetry and drama, preserving a large amount of Ming social material not recorded in the official histories.
  3. 1608–1610Beijing · BeijingAfter completing the first draft, Shen Defu continued to reside in the capital, gathering further anecdotes, adding entries, and writing miscellaneous works such as Gu Qu Za Yan. During this period he had not yet passed the provincial examination, focusing mainly on private writings; his notes later became an important base text for Qian Fang's collation and publication of the Wanli Yehuo Bian in the Qing dynasty.

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