NOTE ON NAMES AND TRANSLATIONS

Throughout the text, I have referred to late Ming figures by their given names (ming). However, in his letters Li Zhi frequently refers to his contemporaries by alternative appellations, such as style names and sobriquets (zi and hao). In most cases, these alternative names are recorded in the titles of Li’s letters. However, where they are not evident in the titles, I have supplied this information in the notes. Readers seeking additional information should consult the extremely detailed footnotes to Zhang Jianye’s Li Zhi quanji zhu (LZQJZ).

All translations are mine unless otherwise noted.