ABSTRACT
Shen Yue, born in present-day Zhejiang Province was a literary figure in the southern kingdom during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, when China was under divided rule. In the south, there were the kingdoms of the Liu Song, the Southern Qi and the Liang in quick succession. The political and literary career of Shen Yue spanned the three successive governments. He served all three governments, and was especially trusted for his political acumen as an elder statesman in the Liang kingdom. He was also an accomplished writer, and penned many significant political and public documents. He compiled the histories of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Liu Song Dynasty and the Southern Qi Dynasty. These significant works form part of the canon of the 'Twenty-four Histories'. Conversant with Buddhist sutras, Shen was also a poet, essayist and literary scholar of renown, and was said to be the first to classify the phonetic tones of Chinese characters.
