Pan Xizeng

Life

His recorded ancestry includes Pan Yanheng, identified as a great-great-grandfather or fourth-generation ancestor, Pan Wenhua as great-grandfather, Pan Hong as grandfather, and Pan Zhang (1435–1489) as father; his mother was Jiang. His elder brothers were Pan Xishi, Pan Rong, and Pan Xiyan, and his younger brother was Pan Zhi.

His wife was Ye; his concubines were Zhang and Ge. His sons were Pan Hui (born 1495), Pan Shao, and Pan Shou; his daughter was Pan Cui, and his son-in-law was Cheng Wende (1497–1559). His grandsons were Pan Chenghu, Pan Chengyi, Pan Chengyin, and Pan Chengxiang.

Examinations and official career

In 1501, he placed eighteenth in the Zhejiang provincial examination of the xinyou (辛酉) course; his examination standings are also given as thirty-third as a xianggong and eighteenth as a shengyuan. In 1502, he passed the renxu (壬戌) examination in succession, ranking ninety-second in the third class of the jinshi.

After earning the jinshi degree, he was selected as a shujishi in the Hanlin Academy, observed mourning, and, after completing the mourning period, was appointed 兵科給事中 in the eighteenth year of Hongzhi. Following celestial anomalies, he submitted an eight-point memorial and rebuked palace attendants.

In the second year of Zhengde he was promoted to 吏科右給事中 and sent to audit military provisions in Huguang and Guizhou. Because he refused to bribe Liu Jin, Liu Jin used a forged imperial edict to have him beaten thirty times at court in the third year of Zhengde and removed from office as a commoner.

After Liu Jin was executed, Pan Xizeng was recalled as 刑科右給事中. He became 禮科左給事中 in the seventh year of Zhengde, 工科都給事中 in the ninth year, and Nanjing 太僕寺少卿 in the eleventh year. In 1512, he served as Zhan Ruoshui’s deputy on a mission to Annam connected with the investiture of its king.

After the accession of the Shizong emperor, he was promoted in the sixteenth year to Nanjing 太僕寺卿. In the second year of Jiajing (1523), he became Nanjing 太常寺卿, transferred in October to the northern 太常寺 post, and supervised the Bureau of Interpreters. During the Great Rites Controversy, he argued his position on principle.

In the fourth year of Jiajing, as 都察院右副都御史, he governed Nangan and supervised military affairs in Nangan, Tingzhang, and adjoining areas, suppressing the rebels in Huizhou.

He was promoted to 工部右侍郎 in the sixth year of Jiajing. In the seventh year he concurrently held the posts of 都察院左僉都御史 and General Director of River Conservancy, replacing Sheng Yingqi in managing the Yellow River and building more than 140 li of long embankments; in the ninth year he reached the salary grade of the second rank.

In the tenth year of Jiajing he became 兵部右侍郎 in the second month and 兵部左侍郎 in the eighth month. He died in the fifth month of the eleventh year, aged fifty-seven, and was posthumously made Minister of War. His place of death was Shuntian Prefecture, and he was buried in Wuyi. His titles include Tongyi Dafu, while the epitaph’s title formula gives Zhengyi Dafu and Zizhi Yin.

Associations and writing

Pan Xizeng was a friend of Chen Gang. He wrote farewell messages—farewell poems and prefaces—for Chen Gang and Xu Zan, and was recommended by Zhang Zhen and Fu Jiong.

He also wrote a postscript for Lin Tingxuan’s books and paintings and a preface to Wang Quan’s genealogy. His epitaph was written by Cui Xian and Zhan Ruoshui, Tian Rucheng wrote a sacrificial text for him, and Pan Xizeng composed epitaphs for Pan Jue and Pan Wei.

Works

His works include 《竹澗集》, 《竹澗奏議》, 《竹澗先生文集》 in eight juan with an appendix, and 《南封錄》; 《南封錄》 is identified as a work he authored.