Zhu Sheng (1299–1370) was a scholar, classicist, and thinker who lived between the late Yuan and early Ming. His courtesy name was Yunsheng (允升), also recorded as Kongsheng (孔升). Zili (自立) is another recorded courtesy name. He was known as Fenglin Xiansheng (楓林先生), and Meihua Chuyue Lou (梅花初月樓) was his studio name. He was a native of Xiuning in Huizhou Prefecture, although Fengcheng and Shexian are also given as places of native affiliation.
Life
In the fifth year of the Zhizheng era (1345), he received a local recommendation and became educational director (學正) of Chizhou; the beginning of this appointment is otherwise placed in the eighth year of Zhizheng (1348). During the disturbances, he abandoned office and withdrew to Shimen, where scholars called him Master Fenglin. After Zhu Yuanzhang took Huizhou, Zhu Sheng was summoned to the capital and questioned about current affairs. He proposed three policies—“build high walls, store grain widely, and delay proclaiming kingship”—and his answers met approval, winning Zhu Yuanzhang’s esteem.
In the first year of the Wu era (1367), he was appointed shijiang xueshi (侍講學士), zhizhigao (知制誥), and joint compiler of the national history (同修國史); he was soon advanced to xueshi (學士). He later held the posts of shidu xueshi (侍讀學士) and Hanlin xueshi (翰林學士), and in the early Hongwu era he retired home.
Teachers, associates, and family
Zhu Sheng studied with Huang Ze and Chen Li and revered Jiang Minqiu as an earlier teacher; he was friends with Wang Youxun and Wu Mai, while Jin Jujing followed him in study. Fan Zhun, Wang Xi, and Huang Yuantai are associated with him in teacher-pupil relationships. His son Zhu Tong (1336–1385) carried on the family’s literary tradition.
Scholarship and writings
Zhu Sheng annotated all Five Classics, with especially detailed attention to the Changes. His Fenglin ji (《楓林集》) appears in both twelve- and ten-juan forms. Other works include 《儀禮旁注》, 《周易旁注》 in ten juan, 《周易旁注前圖》 in two juan, 《周禮旁注》, 《四書旁注》, 《孝經旁注》, 《小學旁注》, 《尚書旁注》 in six juan, 《禮記旁注》, 《詩旁注》 in eight juan, 《經書旁注》, 《書傳補正輯注》 in one juan, 《書傳補輯》, 《小四書》 in five juan, 《圜丘樂章》, 《方丘樂章》, 《女史》, 《齋戒文》, and 《風林類選小詩》 in one juan.
He also compiled a selection of short poems, beginning with the Han and Wei and ending with the late Tang, divided into thirty-eight forms; its arrangement was criticized as overly fragmented. The Fenglin ji contains relatively few poems and follows the lingering style of the Jirang tradition. Couplets such as “酒盡一尊山意晚，舟行六月水風涼” and “松葉亂雲孤嶂瞑，杏花疏雨晚窗寒” were nevertheless singled out as clear and pleasing to recite.
Literary activity
Zhu Sheng wrote prefaces for Zhao Fang’s manuscript, Zhu Mo, and Fang Shengqing; a biography for Ye Baoweng; and a preface to an elegy for Ye Zongmao. He also wrote sacrificial texts for Zhao Fang, Zheng Yu, Jiang Minqiu, Zhu Tong, and Huang Shu, as well as a zi-shuo and letters in reply to Cheng Cun.
References
- CBDB Zhu Sheng (30791)
- 搜韵 朱升 (41281)
- Wikidata Zhu Sheng (Q11093660)