Yuan Yueyou

Life

In the first year of the Longxing era under Emperor Xiaozong (1163), he passed the jinshi examination and was appointed to serve as zhubu of Liyang.

During the Chunxi era he successively served as supervisor of the Xingbu and Gongbu archive offices, Guozi zheng, a secretary in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, an editor in the Privy Council, and Mishucheng; in the fourth year of Chunxi he was Mishucheng, and he later governed Chizhou and Quzhou.

In the first year of the Shaoxi era (1190), he was transferred from the office of judicial surveillance in western Zhejiang to the office supervising regularization and salt administration there; in the second year he governed Pingjiang Prefecture, and in the third year Lin'an Prefecture.

In the first year of the Qingyuan era (1195), he was promoted to Vice Minister of Revenue and acting Minister of Revenue; his appointment as Sichuan military commissioner concurrently governing Chengdu is dated either to the second year of Qingyuan (1196) or to the third (1197).

He was subsequently recalled as Minister of Personnel and reader-in-waiting, then sent out as governor of Shaoxing and pacification commissioner of eastern Zhejiang. In the second year of the Jiatai era (1202) he became Associate Director of the Privy Council; the date of this appointment is also given as the third year (1203), when he was promoted to Vice Chief Councillor.

The final stage of his career is described in two ways: one account says that he soon retired with the title of Grand Academician, while another says that, after being dismissed, he governed Zhenjiang, retired with the title of Grand Academician of the Palace of Preserving Cultural Virtue, and served as a shrine official. He died in the fourth year of Jiatai (1204), aged sixty-five.

Family and associations

His father was Yuan Yanru, and his brother was Yuan Zhiyou (1129–1213). His wife was Hui Daosu (1143–1173); his eldest son was Yuan Shenru, his clan relative Yuan Shu (1131–1205), and his wife's kin also included Hui Junmin.

Yuan Yueyou was a friend of Yang Wanli and exchanged letters with him; he also exchanged poems with Huang Renjie.

Scholarship and literary activity

His learning was broad, his memorials often addressed current abuses, and his poetry and prose were fresh in style.

While serving in Sichuan, he ordered his subordinates to compile poetry and prose from the region into the fifty-juan Chengdu wenlei, which survives.

In addition to his own writings, he wrote postfaces to works by Han Qi, Sima Guang, Chen Yuan, Mi Fu, Su Shi, and Huang Tingjian.

He also wrote postfaces to works by Fan Chengda, Deng Xunwu, and Yu Jing, as well as postfaces to calligraphic and pictorial works by Mi Fu and Fan Chengda.

His other literary work included a zi-shuo and ming-shu for Chen Gao, sacrificial texts for You Mao, a sacrificial text and an ai-ci for Wei Liaoweng, a sacrificial text and a biography for Ye Miaohui, and a record of a Buddhist temple for Shi Suikan.

He also composed inscriptions, records, or names for buildings associated with Wang Xilü, Hui Buzhi, and Fan Chengda.

Works and posthumous compilation

His works included Zeshan yijie and Dongtang ji. The Dongtang ji was later lost, and Qing Siku editors reconstructed it from the Yongle dadian in twenty juan.

The reconstructed collection contains seven juan of poetry; twelve poems omitted by the editors were appended at the end.