英文摘要 |
Yan Junyan's 顏俊彥 Mengshui zhai cundu 盟水齋存牘 is one of the most widely circulated and discussed judicial casebooks from the late Ming. By consulting newly available materials as well as by revisiting internal evidence from his casebook, this paper corrects some widely accepted misunderstandings about Yan Junyan's life. For instance, Yan's judicial career in Guangdong lasted from 1628 to 1633, and did not cease in 1630 with dismissal from office as suggested by almost all modern scholars. The second installment of the Mengshui zhai cundu comprises his cases from 1631 to 1633, the second term of Yan's service as prefectural judge of Guangzhou. On top of that, all the undated and questionable prefaces of the Mengshui zhai cundu are dated and verified. It is especially worth noting that the foreword by Li Yue 李樂 was originally addressed to a work by Yan Junyan's father, but was borrowed for the second impression of the Mengshui zhai cundu, probably printed in late 1644 or 1645, to aid the circulation of his son's casebook. The example of the Mengshui zhai cundu reflects the fact that frontline officials in the late Ming considered publishing and circulating their own enlightenedjudicial judgments in targeted circles or regions to be one of the keys to securing advancement in their careers. |