"Wanli Yehuobian" is an important notebook-style history book written by Shen Defu (also known as Jingqian) in the Ming Dynasty. It has a total of thirty volumes and four sequels. It was written between the 34th and 35th volumes of Wanli, and was supplemented in the 47th year of Wanli. The content is comprehensive and detailed. It is one of the important classics for studying the social style and historical events of the Ming Dynasty.
Shen Defu inherited his family education at a young age and was born in Beijing. He has read a lot of anecdotes about the government and the public, and is familiar with the inside stories of officialdom and folk. He recorded the court anecdotes, customs, official regulations, prison stories, ethnic exchanges, craftsmanship, Taoist legends, opera folk proverbs, etc. He had heard and witnessed one by one. He divided them into categories, covering forty-eight categories, including palace anecdotes, country legends, secrets of the rivers and lakes, and the secret lives of the sect and vassal prime ministers.
The book clearly describes the judicial shady stories of Ye Yingcong, an official of the Ministry of Justice during the Jiajing period, who forced confessions and abused torture, and engineered the "Fake King of Chu Case", which is more in-depth and sharp than official history books. It also records details of folk life such as festival customs, capture and weaving, and torch festival customs, providing a rich perspective for modern research.
The language of the book is simple but the writing is powerful. It has the casual humor of unofficial historians and the insightful perspective of officials. It can not only describe the intrigues in the high seats of the court, but also restore the fireworks atmosphere of old streets and teahouses in the city. Most of what is recorded is the "dark side" shrouded in silent historical materials to make up for omissions in official history. Although it was written by one person, it is named "What I got from the wild" and truly reproduces the Ming Dynasty scene of a generation and all kinds of living beings.
All in all, "Wanli Yehuobian" is not only a compilation of Shen Defu's personal memories, but also a panoramic map of the politics, customs, and society of the Ming Dynasty. It is of high value and appeal to later generations of historiography and literary research.
