Wu Yuan

Life

Born to Wu Rousheng and elder brother of Wu Qian, he was sent with his brother by their father to study under Zou Bin. In the seventh year of the Jiading era (1214), he passed the presented-scholar examination and was initially appointed Registrar of Jiande County. Shi Miyuan sought to appoint him as Commandant of Kaihua; Wu declined.

He served in a succession of county and prefectural posts, entering as Assistant Director of the Directorate of Imperial Works, then serving as Editorial Compiler of the Privy Council concurrently with a Gentleman of the Ministry of Justice, and later as Assistant Director of the Palace Library (Shaoding 3, 1230). From Jiangzhou, he successively served as overall superintendent of mining and minting across Jiang, Huai, Jing, Zhe, Fujian, and Guangdong (also given as Guangnan). He was also prefect of Zhenjiang and concurrently oversaw Huai-dong. While serving as overall superintendent, he suppressed popular uprisings in Quzhou and Yanzhou; after confiscations of private assets said to amount to millions, he was impeached and dismissed.

Afterward he became prefect of Longxing and served as Jiangxi Pacification Commissioner concurrently with a post as Vice Transport Commissioner; he relieved disaster victims and was later removed from his shrine-retainer post. In one chronology, he became prefect of Taiping in Jiaxi 2 (1238) and concurrently Transport Commissioner for Jiangdong; another office chronology dates his Taiping tenure to 1240–1241.

Later he was reinstated as Jiangxi Pacification Commissioner concurrently with the prefecture of Jiangzhou, then became Deputy Military Commissioner for the Yangtze, concurrently prefect of Pingjiang, Inspector of Judicial Affairs for western Zhejiang, and again prefect of Taiping. He was promoted to Military Commissioner for the Yangtze (also recorded as Military Commissioner for the Yangtze River Fleet), Pacification Commissioner of Jiangdong, and prefect of Jiankang; transferred to Fuzhou as Fujian Pacification Commissioner; and later requested a shrine-retainer post. His career also included service as prefect of Ningguo.

He was recalled as Grand Commissioner for Jinghu, prefect of Jiangling, and Concurrent Coordinator for the Kui Route. In Baoyou 5 (1257), he was appointed canzhi zhengshi after rendering service in aid of Sichuan and Shu, and died soon afterward at age sixty-eight.

Administration

Wherever he served, he promoted schools and supported students; yet his administration was severe, and a “Centipede” rhyme circulated about him.

Teachers and associations

While serving as a military commissioner, he used letters and gifts to recruit Wang Deng as Registrar of Xingshan; Wang later rendered notable service and was subsequently recruited by Zhao Kui and Ma Guangzu. In 1257, Cao Yanyue recommended Wu Yuan. Wu Yuan also wrote a preface for a book by Wei Liaoweng. Gao Side composed elegiac poems and ci for him.

Works

He wrote 《易解》 and 《退庵文集》. 《退庵文集》 is lost, but one fascicle of 《退庵遺集》 survives. Other recorded titles include 《退庵先生遺集》, 《退菴文集》, 《奏議（吳淵）》, and 《易解（吳淵）》; poems outside the collection were appended at the end.