_Silihua_ (四六話) is a two-volume work written by Wang Zhi during the Song Dynasty. Wang Zhi is also known for his other work, the _Shier Xiaoming Lu Buyi_ (侍兒小名錄補遺). The content of _Silihua_ primarily focuses on the critique and evaluation of official letters and memorials written during the Song Dynasty. These documents, known as "biaoqi" (表啟), were a significant form of written communication and were often composed in a parallel and ornate style.

Wang Zhi's work reflects the evolution of this literary form. During the Six Dynasties and Tang Dynasty, the style of writing, though characterized by parallel couplets, was valued for its holistic and complete structure. However, by the late Tang and Five Dynasties periods, the style became increasingly refined and intricate. An example of this is the "Huo Zhaozong Gengming Biao" (贺昭宗更名表) written by Luo Yin on behalf of Qian Liu, which includes the phrase "右则虞舜之全文，左则姬昌之半字" (On the right, the complete text of Yu Shun; on the left, the half-character of Ji Chang). This phrase was considered a brilliant and well-crafted example of the era.

The Song Dynasty continued this trend, with writers striving for even greater precision and refinement. Wang Zhi's critiques often focus on the minutiae of these texts, evaluating the effectiveness of individual couplets and words. This focus on detail was further refined by subsequent writers such as Zhou Bida, who added even more intricacy to the form. Throughout the Song Dynasty, the standard for excellence in these documents was the meticulous and precise use of allusions and references, often leading to overly complex and fragmented compositions, which, according to Wang Zhi, contributed to the decline in the quality of the literature.

Despite this, Wang Zhi's detailed analyses and critiques have value, much like the detailed diagrams used by poets to analyze individual lines of poetry. These analyses provide insight into the nuances and intricacies of the literary style of the time.

In the latter part of the first volume of _Silihua_, Wang Zhi includes a document written by his father, Wang Su, in which Wang Su defends himself against accusations and requests to be reassigned to a different administrative post. This document was mistakenly included in the collected works of Su Shi. Wang Zhi, based on his father's handwriting, confirms that the document is indeed by Wang Su. Despite this, the document remains in Su Shi's collected works due to a lack of correction. This inclusion in _Silihua_ serves as a valuable resource for scholars and researchers interested in textual accuracy and the works of both Wang Su and Su Shi.

References

• 《四庫全書總目提要·卷195 集部·詩文評類一》

四六話

《四六話》為宋朝王銍所撰，共二卷。王銍另有著作《侍兒小名錄補遺》。該書主要評論宋朝人的表啟文章。六朝及唐朝時期，文章雖用駢偶之體，但風格渾成。到了唐末和五代時期，文章逐漸趨向工巧，如羅隱為錢鏐代撰的《賀昭宗更名表》中，有「右則虞舜之全文，左則姬昌之半字」之句，當時被視為警策。宋朝沿襲此風，更加競相追求精切，因此王銍在《四六話》中評論文章時，也主要比較一聯一字之間的優劣。周必大等人繼承了這種風格，使之更加細密，以致整個宋朝時期，文章的評判標準主要是以引經據典的切合程度來衡量。文章組織繁碎，文格日漸低微，這些都是受王銍等人評論的影響。然而，從當時的文風來看，《四六話》的評論也有深入微處，類似詩家的句圖，不可完全廢棄。《四六話》上卷末尾載有其父王素為滕甫辯謗乞郡的札子，誤刻在蘇軾的集子中。王銍根據其父手跡，認為該札子應屬王素所作，此說應屬可信。現今蘇軾集子中仍載有此文，可能是校勘時未加釐正。這一點也可作為考訂的參考。