Zhang Huiyan (1761–1802) was a Qing-dynasty classical scholar, ci poet, classical-prose writer, and calligrapher. His courtesy name was Gaowen (皋文), also written with the variants 皋聞 and 臯文; he used Mingke (茗柯) as a sobriquet and was originally named Yiming (一鳴). Other names associated with him include Shoujingtang (受經堂) and Ruoge (若舸); he was a native of Wujin, Jiangsu.
Life
His examination record includes the statuses of county-school attached student, stipend student, provincial tribute candidate, and successful candidate in the examination for a teaching post. In 1799, the fourth year of the Jiaqing reign, he passed the jinshi examination, ranking thirteenth in the second class; he served as a shujishi (庶吉士) and was appointed bianxiu (編修).
His father was Zhang Chanbin (張蟾賓), and his mother was Lady Jiang (姜氏). His younger brother was Zhang Qi (張琦; 1764–1833), his son was Zhang Chengsun (張成孫), his clan nephew was Zhang Yaosun (張曜孫; 1808–1863), and his maternal nephew was Dong Shixi (董士錫; 1782–1831). Among his friends were Li Zhaoluo (李兆洛), Wu Dexuan (吳德旋), Yun Jing (惲敬), Ding Jie (丁傑), Wang Zhuo (王灼), Zhuang Yukui (莊宇逵), Zhuang Shuzu (莊述祖), Lu Jilü (陸繼輅), and Hu Bingqian (胡秉虔); his students included Dong Shixi (董士錫), Zhou Kai (周凱), Jiang Chengzhi (江承之), Tang Qiaming (湯洽名), and Jin Shiyu (金式玉).
Scholarship and literary work
His intellectual career moved from pianwen (parallel prose) and ci to classical prose and the study of the Classics. He first excelled in pianwen, whose diction was exceptionally fine, and in ci, becoming a founder of the Changzhou ci school. He later studied Han Yu and Ouyang Xiu in classical prose, and, together with Yun Jing (惲敬), helped establish the Yanghu school; he then devoted himself to classical learning, especially the Yijing and Liji, and was particularly accomplished in Yu’s study of the Yijing. In ritual learning he followed Zheng Xuan, became a leading classical scholar, and was called a master of New Text Confucianism.
In ci poetics, he elevated the status of the form, defined its ideal as 深美閎約 (“profoundly beautiful, expansive, and restrained”), advanced the principle of 意內言外 (“meaning within, words without”), emphasized 比興 and 寄託, and sought to correct the excesses of the late Zhejiang tradition. He was also skilled in seal script.
Works
His classical works include Zhouyi Yushi yi (《周易虞氏義》), Yushi xiaoxi (《虞氏消息》), and Yushi yihou (《虞氏易候》). His literary works include Mingke wenbian (《茗柯文編》) and Mingke ci (《茗柯詞》), and he compiled Cixuan (《詞選》) and Qishijia fuchao (《七十家賦鈔》). Other classical works include 《儀禮圖》, 《周易荀氏九家義》, 《墨子經說解》, 《易緯略義》, 《虞氏易事》, 《虞氏易禮》, 《虞氏易言》, and 《讀儀禮記》; he also compiled 《易義別錄》.
References
- CBDB Zhang Huiyan (34226)
- 搜韵 張惠言 (60124)
- Wikidata Huiyan Zhang (Q11067115)