Liu Yan

Career

In 1079, he passed the jinshi examination and was appointed registrar of Haimen County in Tongzhou. He later served as magistrate of Linying, professor of Hongzhou, and military registrar of Xinghua. In 1095, he became magistrate of Emei in Jiazhou; his offices also included Xuandelang and Fengyilang. The date of his success in the Hongci examination is disputed: one account gives 1095 and another 1096; the examination record places him in the second tier, after which he became a doctoral official at the Imperial Academy.

During the Yuanfu era, he submitted 《南郊大禮賦》 and was appointed a Corrector in the Palace Library. After Huizong's accession, he was first appointed Chengyilang and served as an examining official in the Ministry of Rites; he was then given Chaofenglang, appointed Secretary Drafter, and assigned as a collator in the Institute for Veritable Records. He died in the first year of Chongning (1102), aged fifty-five.

Literary activity and networks

His prose was highly esteemed by Zhou Bida. Zhou Bida wrote the preface to 《龍雲先生文集》; Liu Yan also wrote prefaces for books by Zhang Wanwan and Ye Qianfu, a sacrificial text for Wang Anshi, a tomb-table text for Xiao Ruwei, a Buddhist temple record for Shi Lingguan, and farewell pieces (farewell poems or prefaces) for Sheng Zhongsun and Ye Qianfu. Hu Dengchen followed Liu Yan.

He also wrote letters to Zhang Shangying, Zhang Dun, Xiong Ben, Xu Jiang, and Huang Shang. He wrote to Li Qingchen, Liu Ding, Lü Huiqing, Peng Ruli, Cai Jing, Zeng Bu, and Wang Shao. He also wrote to Wang Ding, Zhu Fu, Lin Ji, Zou Ji, Zeng Gong, Ye Tao, Huang Lü, Lu Dian, Cai Bian, and Chen Cisheng.

Works

The transmitted collection appears under the titles 《龍雲集》 and 《龍雲先生文集》, in thirty-two scrolls; Longyun was the name of the locality where he lived. In the collation of his poetry, the Ming Hongzhi eighteenth-year edition carved by Liu Zhang served as the base text; it was compared with the Qing Qianlong thirteenth-year edition, the Wenyuange 《四庫全書》 reproduction, old manuscript copies from the 八千卷樓 and 嘉業堂 collections, and the Republican 涵芬樓 printing of 《宋詩鈔補》, with Hu Sijing's notes in 《豫章叢書》 also consulted. One additional couplet from outside the collection was appended at the end.