On the Biographies of Shi Family of Siming in Southern Song Dynasty and the Related Controversies

Shi family of Siming,highly regarded by the historians all through the ages,is known as an aristocratic family of prime ministers.Four members,i.e.,Shi Hao,Shi Miyuan,Shi Songzhi and Shi Migong were included in the biography of Song History,which were most influential,yet controversies also arose.On the one hand,historians argued about the selection of biography subjects and how to make classification.Quan Zuwang believed that more members should be written,while Qian Daxin,Zhao Yi and Li Ciming criticized that Shi Miyuan and Shi Songzhi weren't categorized into treacherous court officials in Song History.On the other hand,many mistakes such as shortage of materials,fabricated facts and inappropriate wording were pointed out.Moreover,some controversies also existed in Baoqing Siming History and Yanyou Siming History.It should be noted that all of the controversies were related to the writing principles of keeping truth and judgment.