Zeng Ji

Life

His father was Zeng Zhun; his brothers included Zeng Mao, Zeng Kai, and Zeng Bi, and he was specifically identified as Zeng Kai’s younger brother. His sons were Zeng Feng and Zeng Dai, and a daughter married Lü Daqi, whose sons included Lü Zujian and Lü Zuqian. Other descendants included grandsons recorded as Zeng Tang and Zeng Fei, two grandsons recorded only by the surname Zeng, Zeng Song, described as a grandnephew or collateral grandson, and the great-grandson Zeng Jian; his grandsons-in-law included Zhan Huizhi, Zhang Zhen, Xing Shicai, Li Mengchuan, and Ye Ziqiang. His wife’s grandfather was Qian Xie.

He first made a name for himself at the Imperial University. Under Huizong, he received the rank of Jiangshi Lang through the compassionate appointment associated with his brother Zeng Bi. His examination result is described in two ways—as “superior in the Ministry of Envoys examination” and as “middle among the superior candidates in the Ministry of Personnel examination”—after which he was granted Upper Hall status. He became Director of the Imperial Academy while also serving as tutor at the residence of Empress Qinci, then moved to a doctorate at the Biyong and became a proofreader in the Secretariat; he later served as Assistant Prefect of Yingtian.

In the first year of Jingkang (1126), he was appointed to supervise the Huainan Eastern Route tea-and-salt administration. In the third year of Jianyan (1129), he was transferred to the Jinghu North tea-and-salt administration, then served as Transport Judge for Guangxi, also described as the Guangnan West Route, and as Deputy Transport Commissioner for Jinghu South; he later held judicial-intendant posts in Jiangxi and western Zhejiang. In the eighth year of Shaoxing (1138), Zeng Kai and Qin Hui argued over the peace policy; the dispute angered Qin Hui, and both brothers were dismissed. Within a month Zeng Ji was restored as a deputy transport commissioner, received permission to supervise the Daoist temple at Taizhou, lived at Chashan Temple in Shangrao for seven years, and adopted the sobriquet Chashan Jushi.

After Qin Hui’s death, Zeng Ji was recalled as judicial commissioner for Eastern Zhejiang and became prefect of Taizhou the following year. In the twenty-seventh year of Shaoxing, he was summoned for an audience, appointed to Zhimi ge and then Junior Supervisor of the Secretariat, and promoted to acting Vice Minister of Rites. When Jin forces moved south at the end of Shaoxing, he memorialized against seeking peace and urged resistance to sending envoys and tribute. He later requested leave because of age and was placed in charge of Hongzhou’s Yulong Abbey; his retirement rank is variously given as Tongfeng Dafu and Left Tongyi Dafu, the latter being dated to the second year of Longxing (1164). He died at Pingjiang in the second year of Qiandao (1166), in May, at an age given as either eighty-two or eighty-three, and received the posthumous name Wenqing.

Scholarship and associations

His prose was described as pure, orthodox, elegant, and vigorous, and he was especially accomplished in poetry. He studied under Wang Pin, while Lu You and Li Shangsou studied under him. He associated with Hu Anguo, discussed the classics and public affairs with Liu Anshi, and exchanged poems with Lu You. Lu You wrote his epitaph; Zeng Ji wrote prefaces for works by Du Jie and Lü Benzhong, supplied postscripts for works associated with Han Yuanji, Zhu Xi, Lou Yue, Lu You, Lü Zuqian, and Zhou Bida, wrote ritual essays for Han Yuanji and Lü Zuqian, and exchanged poems with Zhao Yanling.

Works

His writings included the twenty-juan Jing Shuo, a thirty-juan collected works, the five-juan Yi shi xiang, the two-juan Lunyu yi, and several juan of miscellaneous essays. The thirty-juan collection was lost; Qing Siku editors reconstructed the surviving eight-juan Chashan Ji from the Yongle Dadian, while a thirty-juan title Chashan Ji also appears in the bibliographical data. A separate volume of poems outside the collection was compiled as well.