Sanyuan biji 三垣筆記

Sanyuan biji 三垣筆記 "Notes from the Three Enclosures" is a historical book written during the Ming period by Li Qing 李清 (1602-1683), 字心水，号映碧 based on his personal observations and experiences while serving in various official positions, including the three posts (jishizhong 給事中) in the Ministry of Justice 刑部, Personnel 吏部, and Works 工部, during the reigns of the Chongzhen Emperor and the Hongguang Emperor. This is the origin of its title, San Yuan Bijì (“Notes from the Three Enclosures”). 《南北史合抄》《折狱新语》、《澹宁斋集》、《南渡录》

The book documents court precedents, historical anecdotes, and the words and actions of significant ministers at the end of the Ming era. It also offers insights into the governance style and personal character of the two emperors.

Li Qing depended on what he personally saw and heard to “truly record the good and the bad, the capable and the unworthy of the past ten years”. The first three juan of the main text contain events that Li Qing personally witnessed, while the appendix FuShi 附識 consists of hearsay reported by other persons, whose accuracy the author approaches with caution. This careful distinction contrasts with some other unofficial “notes” (biji 筆記), which record events indiscriminately without regard for truth. Li Qing’s method reflects a relatively cautious and critical attitude. Among the bureaucrats and literati of his time, Li Qing was regarded as one of the impartial figures, unaffected by the factional biases prevalent in late Ming politics. His accounts are therefore considered relatively objective and straightforward.

However, the text contains terms such as Jianzhou 建州, Jianlu 建虜, Northern Dynasties 北朝, Khan 可汗, tributary peoples 屬夷, foreign types 異類, and minor chieftains 小酋, which became taboo during the Qing dynasty. When the imperial series Siku quanshu was compiled under the Qianlong Emperor, the book was listed in the catalogue of prohibited works (毀禁書目). No printed editions were produced during the Qing period, and only a few manuscript copies circulated. The number of volumes and the level of detail in San Yuan Bijì vary across different editions. The first complete six-volume edition appeared in 1912, printed in movable type by the Guxue Huikan (古學彙刊), published by the Guoxue Cuibao Press (國學粹報社). In 1923, another edition circulated in the Jiayetang congshu (嘉業堂叢書). Both editions were based on manuscripts preserved by descendants of Li Qing. In 1980, Zhonghua Book Company (中華書局) produced a punctuated, movable-type edition of San Yuan Bijì, using the Jiayetang edition as the base text. This edition was carefully collated against the Guxue Huikan edition and other extant manuscripts. A further modern edition is included in the series Yuan-Ming shiliao biji congkan (元明史料筆記叢刊). 三卷，附識三卷。明李清(詳見《南北史合注》)撰