Journal paper

Issue No.	No. 73
Title	Xu Sanli’s Life, Family, and the Political Significance of the Shengxiao Guangyi
Author	Lu, Miaw-fen
Page	111-154
Abstract	This paper explores two key topics. First, it examines the life and　familial background of Xu Sanli, tracing the history and intellectual heritage of his family. This section draws primarily from the Xushi xiande jilue (A Brief Record of the Ancestors of the Xu Family), a relatively unexplored text. Second, the paper analyzes the Shengxiao Guangyi (Extending the Meaning of Emperors’ Filial Duty), written by Xu Sanli in 1682. The work was intended as an educational manual for princes, focusing on the concept of imperial filial duty. It argues that the foremost filial duty of an emperor is owed to Heaven, the divine father, and advocates for the unification of Confucian and political orthodoxy under the emperor’s leadership. This idea resonated with the ideals of the Kangxi Emperor and many officials within his administration. Finally, the paper discusses the role of eulogies to the emperor as a political rhetorical device, illustrating how this strategy allowed officials, including Xu Sanli, to engage in the political sphere.
Keyword	Sanli, Shengxiao Guangyi, filial piety, Political orthodoxy and Confucian orthodoxy
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