Rethink the Relation between Wenzi and Yantielun

Abstract

In Ho Che Wah’s research, he asserts that there are 13 overlapped texts between received Wenzi and Yantielun. He deduces that the compilation of received Wenzi has already been completed before the year (81 BCE) when the Yantie Conference was held. However, Ho’s account casts some doubts and cannot firmly prove the Yantie Conference participants quoted the texts of received Wenzi. This paper argues that most of the overlapped text can be comprehended from the perspective of “public material”. Hence, Ho’s account is untenable and there is still a possibility that the compilation of received Wenzi was completed after 81 BCE.