'Guan Zhen' (官箴) is a single-volume work authored by Emperor Xuangong of the Ming Dynasty. The book comprises 35 chapters, ranging from the Dudufu (都督府) to the Ruxue (儒學). Each chapter is tailored to a specific government office or institution, aiming to serve as a guide for officials to reflect on their duties and responsibilities.

The work begins with an imperial edict issued in Xuande 7 (1432), which emphasizes the importance of ancient admonitions. Emperor Xuangong intended for each office, both within and outside the capital, to have a chapter dedicated to it. These chapters were to be displayed in the halls of the respective offices, allowing officials to view them regularly and thereby promote mutual vigilance between rulers and subjects.

'Guan Zhen' was not only a literary work but also a practical tool for governance. It was distributed and implemented during the reign of Emperor Xuangong, serving as a manual for officials to adhere to ethical and administrative standards. The work was later republished in Jiajing 35 (1556) by Lun Yixun, the Jijiu (祭酒) of the Nanjing Guozijian (南京国子监).

In addition to the 35 chapters, the book includes supplementary content, such as Emperor Xuangong's 'Guanhan Hall Record' (《广寒殿记》), 'Yu Zhan Flower Assignment' (《玉簪花赋》), 27 poems, and 2 lyrics. However, the inclusion of these additional works, which are not directly related to the main content, has been criticized for disrupting the coherence and structure of the book. This mixture of diverse materials is considered inappropriate for a well-organized compilation.

References

• 《四庫全書總目提要·卷80 史部·職官類存目》

• 官箴

《官箴》是一卷由明宣宗朱瞻基御製的著作。該書成於宣德七年（1432年），全書共三十五篇，內容涵蓋從都督府到儒學等各個職官的職責與箴言。明宣宗在書前的諭旨中提到，取古人箴儆之意，旨在讓中外諸司各自著一篇箴言，張貼於廳事之上，以便朝夕觀覽，以期達到君臣相互警示的目的。此書在當時曾頒發於各衙門。

嘉靖年間（1522-1566年），南京國子監祭酒倫以訓重新刊刻並廣為發行。《官箴》後附有明宣宗御製的《廣寒殿記》一篇、《玉簪花賦》一篇，以及詩二十七首、詞曲二首。這些附錄的內容顯然是後人所添加，與主體內容混雜不一，有違編錄的體例。

《官箴》通過對各職官的職責和行為規範的詳細描述，旨在提醒官員們恪守職守，清正廉潔，是明代官員行為規範的重要文獻之一。