The Study On Wang Zaijin’s Hai-Fang-Zuan-Yao

Wang Zaijin(1568-1613),as a Scholar in the twentieth year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty,worked as a vice officer in Bingbei in Fujian Province,minister of war and etc.In his first tenure of office,he took the initiative to plan for coastal defense and fight against Japanese pirates,and when in his second tenure,he defended the enemy of the Later Jin Dynasty in the east area of the Liao River.He was a refined scholar with writing numerous famous book,such as Hai Fang Zuan Yao,Learning Notebook in Long Sha,The Document of Wars in Liao During Three Dynasties and etc.The book,Hai Fang Zuan Yao,based on his personal experience and his colleague’s with relevant information had use for reference in coastal defense not only in his dynasty but also in later years.This research project covers four parts.Firstly,Wang’s life and scholarship will be investigated.His deeds are as follows.When he worked as a vice officer in Bingbei in Fujian Province,he defended Japanese pirates many times,and won in Dong Zhan.In the aspect of Hu Guang politics,he rectified the local style of study,so that students to Cheng Zhu Neo-Confucianism as the standard of writing.As a minister of war,he presided the war in the east of Liao,however,due to the detrimental advice about that war,he was transferred back to the court.His learning thoughts were influenced by his years of politics and war experience.Wang opposed empty talk and advocated the practical application of the world.His studies,Hai Fang Zuan Yao,Learning Notebook in Long Sha,The Document of Wars in Liao During Three Dynasties,combined with his officer life influenced by the thought——the unity of knowing and doing.Secondly,writing and circulation of Hai Fang Zuan Yao will be researched.This book published in Later Ming Dynasty with loose coastal defence.Based on his personal war experience,combining with tough situation and previous books,he wrote Hai Fang Zuan Yao with consulting clauses with Japanese pirates.From Wanli to later Ming Dynasty,the historical data in this book were cited many times by scholars,particularly in the later Qing Dynasty with numerous foreign invasions.It is showed that later scholars believed that the book still had certain reference significance for the coastal defense at that time.Thirdly,Compiling style and arrangement of historical materials of Hai Fang Zuan Yao willed be studied.While inheriting the representative style of Coastal Defense and Military books of Ming Dynasty,it also has its own creation,such as setting three levels of categories,adjusting the order of categories,adding new ones,etc.,so that the category level is clearer and more practical for reference.It cited a large number of historical materials,including strategy,weapons,combat readiness and other aspects,through careful arrangement of historical materials,he provided practical military advice for the coastal defense of the Ming dynasty,reflecting his practical military strategies.Finally,Hai Fang Zuan Yao has essential value in reserving books without author’s name.On the other hand,it indeed existed several mistakes in the process of compiling.This book maintained the contents of three war books:Zhou Shi Zhan Yan,Plans of East Sea and Prepared Actions Against Japanese Pirates in Ding Hai.It included experiences and advice about ship occupation inspection,training methods and military exercises,which did good to learn about coastal defense of Ming Dynasty for later researchers.Meanwhile,in the process of revising this book,some mistakes of names and words due to careless copying were found,and they were corrected by writer.