From an Unusual Specimen to orthodox: the Historical Record of Chen Xian-zhang in the Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty
There are contradictions in the records of Chen Xian-zhang in the Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty. When compiling the records, the official historians regarded the Cheng brothers and Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism as Orthodoxy and dismissed Chen Xian-zhang and his study of the mind as alternative, thus his biography was mostly negative. When records of the reigns of Xiao-zong and other Ming emperors were being compiled, Baisha's learning was gradually restored to an orthodox position, as the official historians who believed in Baisha's study of the mind dominated the historical discourse of the time and the relevant records were mainly positive in the Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty. This is a reflection of the ups and downs of ChenXian-zhang and his learning in the official records. Although the biography of Cheng Xianzhang in the official records of the Xianzong emperor is mostly negative and not credible, it shows another aspect of history and its narrative value is noteworthy. The investigation of this case also reflects the predicament in the transformation from"alterna-tive"to orthodoxy in the process of pursuing the "correct value"of that time.
Veritable Records of the Ming DynastyChen Xian-zhangAlternativeOrthodoxyHistorical writing