What the Master Would Not Discuss (Zibuyu), alternatively known as Xin Qixie, is a collection of
supernatural stories compiled by Qing Dynasty scholar and writer Yuan Mei.[1] The original collection consist of over 700 stories.
The work has also been translated as What the Master Does not Speak of[2] and other such titles, as well as Censored by Confucius in one English-language translated work of selected tales.[3]
Title
The title of the work Zi bu yu refers to the passage of the Analects of Confucius[4] that states, "The topics the Master did not speak of were prodigies, force, disorder and gods".[5] His reference to the master was criticised as a 'heretical' use of Confucian texts.[6]
Yuan later changed the title to Xin Qixie (新齐谐; 新齊諧, "New Wonder Tales of Qi/from Qi") when he discovered there was a Yuan dynasty text with the title What the Master Would Not Discuss. However, Yuan's collection is still commonly known by its original title.[7][8]
The original anthology appeared in 24 volumes,[a] and a sequel anthology followed in 10 volumes[9][8] under the title Xu xin Qi xie (续新齐谐; 續新齊諧, "A Sequel to New Wonder Tales of Qi").[8] The 34 total volumes combined boasts a content exceeding 1,000 short stories and accounts.[8]
Release
Zi Buyi first appeared in print in 1788.[10] In contrast to the prevailing Confucian orthodoxy of the imperial court, the 747 short stories depicted a rich tapestry of daily life, including themes of ghosts, sex, betrayal, revenge, transvestism, homosexuality, and corruption.[6] However, Yuan defended the collection, as the whims of an ageing man enjoying his last days as much as possible,[11] though the content of his stories relates to many of his personal grievances with the Confucian establishment.[12]
The work was so popular that the government censored it in 1836 during attempts to suppress anti-establishment sentiment.[6]
Stories
The stories were collected over a lengthy period of time.[10] The sources included oral accounts from friends and relatives, official gazettes, or other collections.[13]
In popular culture
One of the supernatural creatures mentioned in this collection called the Hua Po (花魄), literally "Floral Spirit", is a recurring demon in the popular Japanese video game series Megami Tensei.[citation needed]
Yuan, Mei (Spring 1992). "New Wonder Tales of Qi: excerpts". Renditions: A Chinese-English Translation Magazine (37: Special section on Post-Misty Poetry). Translated by Lo, Yuet Keung: 77–85.
