Qiandinglu 前定錄

Qiandinglu 前定錄 "Previous settlements" is a collection of stories compiled during the Tang period 唐 (618-907) by Zhong Lu 鍾輅, who lived during the Dahe reign-period 大和 (827-835) of Emperor Wenzong 唐文宗 (r. 826-840) and was an editor (jiaoshulang 校書郎) in the Institute for the Veneration of Literature (Chongwenguan 崇文館). A book called Gandinglu 感定錄 is also attributed to him, yet the respective entry might be a clerical error for "Qiandinglu".

The bibliography Zhizhai shulu jieti 直齋書錄解題 says that there was a supplement to the Qiandinglu, including 24 additional stories to the 23 in the main text.

The stories of the Qiandinglu are of a various quality and of very different content, so that the Qiandinglu was never considered as a valuable text. It is, nevertheless, included in the imperial series Siku quanshu 四庫全書, as well as in the Baichuan xuehai 百川學海, Tang-Song congshu 唐宋叢書, Shuofu 說郛, Wuchao xiaoshuo 五朝小說, Tangren shuohui 唐人說薈, and Xuejin taoyuan 學津討原.

There is another book with the same title, written during the Ming period 明 (1368-1644) by Cai Shanji 蔡善繼 (fl. 1615). His Qiandinglu is in large parts a collection of stories copied from the Song-period 宋 (960-1279) encyclopaedia Taiping guangji 太平廣記.

The bibliographical chapter of the dynastic history Songshi 宋史 lists Feng Jian's 馮鑒 (10th cent.) Guang qiandinglu 廣前定錄, with a length of 7 juan. It is lost.

Another continuation of Zhong Lu's book called Xu qiandinglu 續前定錄 or Guang qiandinglu 廣前定錄. It is listed in the catalogue Chongwen zongmu 崇文總目 and included in the series Baichuan xuehai and Shuofu. It includes 24 stories, the most significant part of which is quoted from other books, such as the Yinhualu 因話錄, Longchenglu 龍城錄, Songchuang zalu 松窗雜錄, Duyizhi 獨異志 or Xuanshizhi 宣室志. It is quite unlikely that the writer Zhong Lu was the compiler of this collection.

The book Gujin qiandinglu 古今前定錄, with a length of 2 juan, is a collection perhaps written by a person called Yin Guojun 尹國均, who lived during the Song period. The book is mentioned in the bibliographies Junzhai dushu zhi 郡齋讀書志 and the respective chapter of the Wenxian tongkao 文獻通考. The stories in the book have only sightly to do with the concept of pre-determined fate, or karma (qianding 前定). They highlight instead, in pairs of contrasting characters, the strengths and weaknesses of historical persons.

Finally, a supplement called Qiandinglu buyi 前定錄補遺 or Qiandinglu bu 前定錄補, written by Zhu Zuo 朱佐 (born 1484) is included in the series Bailing xueshan 百陵學山本 and Wuchao xiaoshuo 五朝小說.