References

• 《四庫全書總目提要·卷186 集部·總集類一》

Source: The 'Dong Shu Lianzhu Ji' (《竇氏聯珠集》，"Siu Shi Lian Zhu Ji") is a five-volume anthology compiled by 褚藏言, compiling the poetry of five brothers from the Tang dynasty: 竇常, 竇牟, 竇群, 竇庠, and 竇鞏. Each brother's works are organized into a separate volume, with an individual 'Xiaoxu' (《小序》, "Short Preface") detailing their biographies and literary contributions. The brothers, all descendants of the poet 竇叔向, were prominent figures in Tang politics and scholarship: 竇常 served as 國子祭酒; 竇牟 held the title of 國子司業; 竇群, a native of Xijiang, was linked to the 'Rongguan' frontier administration; 竇庠 became 婺州刺史; and 竇鞏, known by the courtesy name 'Youfeng', occupied a post at the 秘書少監. All five were sons of 竇叔向; while 竇群 and 竇庠 entered officialdom through 'jiance' (荐辟) appointments, the others passed the 'jinshi' (進士科) imperial examination. The anthology is notable for its detailed prefaces and historical context. While earlier collections of 竇叔向's works totaled one volume and those of 竇常 reached 18 volumes, as recorded in the 'Tang Shu Yiwenzhi' (《唐書藝文志》), these are now lost. The five-volume version of the 'Lianzhu Ji' is cited in the 'Tang Zhi', but by Song dynasty times, surviving copies were rare. 劉克莊, in his 'Houcun Shihua' (《後村詩話》), lamented its scarcity, noting that he had not seen a copy. The extant version was published by 毛晉 of the 'Jigu Ge' (汲古閣) in the 天福三年 period, though this date corresponds to the reign of 高祖, not the Tang dynasty. The text also includes a 'ba' (跋) by Zhang Zhao, dated the same year, and another by He Xian, along with a signature from He Shangao, both associated with the 宋太祖 reign period of 乾德二年. He Xian was the son of He Ning, and He Shangao his younger brother. The 'ba' notes that the manuscript was copied from a copy held by Zhang Zhao, who bore the title "Zhizheng Dafu." Later additions to the anthology include a 淳熙戊戌 commentary by Wang Song, which highlights the rarity of the text before its publication in local government offices. The final 'ba' by 毛晉 references works like Hong Mai's 'Rongzhai Sui Bi' (《容齋隨筆》) and Ji Yougong's 'Tang Shi Jishi' (《唐詩紀事》), adding nine poems by 竇叔向 and six by 竇鞏; these were not originally included in the anthology. The 'Xiaoxu' by 褚藏言 notes that complete collections of 竇牟, etc., had not been compiled, with surviving works scattered. A later section, purporting to contain transcribed excerpts from the 'Tang Shu Liezhuan', is absent in this version and may have been lost by accident. The anthology also incorporates poems by contemporaries such as Yang Ping, Han Yu, 韋執中, Li Yi, Wu Yuanheng, Wei Guanzhi, Liu Bong, 韋渠牟, Yuan Zhen, Bai Juyi, Pei Du, and Linghu Chu. This practice follows the precedent of including works by contemporaries in anthologies like Xie Tiao's collection, which included pieces by Wang Rong. Some poems—such as those by 竇庠 and a single poem each by 竇常—are appended to the volume of 竇牟, as ancient literary exchanges were reciprocal, requiring comparison across volumes for full understanding. This organizational method reflects deliberate editorial care in preserving collaborative intent and mutual recognition among authors. ==References== * 《四庫全書總目提要·卷186 集部·總集類一》 {{AI-summary}}