In Plain Sight: A New Approach to Reading Muzhiming, Using Shangguan Wan’er 上官婉兒 (664–710) as a Case Study

Abstract

In this article we focus on the constructedness of Shangguan Wan’er’s 上官婉兒 representation in her muzhiming, moving beyond what information is communicated within a muzhiming 墓志銘 to explore how it is communicated, to whom, and why. We begin by providing an overview of Shangguan’s muzhiming and its content. We then analyze “irregularities” in her muzhiming: the unusual length of its genealogy section, discrepancies in its diction, and strange lacunae and ambiguities. Finally, we place Shangguan’s muzhiming alongside Zhang Yue’s 張說 (667–730) “Stele Elegy for Lady Shangguan” and “Preface to the Collected Works of Lady Shangguan.” Focusing on differences in how these texts framed, described, and evaluated Shangguan Wan’er’s life, we explore traces preserved in the muzhiming of negotiations surrounding the construction of her memory. We conclude with a summation of our approach’s contributions to understanding Shangguan Wan’er, broader discourse about women power-brokers in Chinese history, and practices of representation and memory in medieval China.