Zhang Nai

Life

In the 31st year of the Wanli reign (1603), he placed third in the gui-mao provincial examination and was a jingkui for the Shangshu; the following year, he passed the jiachen examination as a jinshi and was listed fourteenth in the third class.

After entering the Hanlin Academy as a shujishi, he was appointed a jiantao in 1610; the following year he taught in the inner-palace Sili Jian study hall, in 1612 he was placed in charge of the 起居注, and in 1618 he became Guozi siye at the Directorate of Education. In 1619 he became Right Instructor of the Right Spring Quarter (右春坊右諭德), concurrently a Hanlin Academy Reader (翰林院侍講); in 1621 he was made Left Instructor (左諭德) and soon promoted to Right Vice Director of the Right Spring Quarter (右春坊右庶子). In 1622 he was appointed a lecturer for the Classics Mat (經筵講官), managed official commissions for civil officials, co-examined the military metropolitan examination with the Left Junior Secretary Lai Zongdao, and was promoted to supervisor of the Bureau of Classical Studies, Junior Director of the Directorate of the Heir Apparent (詹事府少詹事), and Hanlin Academy Reader (翰林院侍讀學士).

He submitted a ten-point memorial under the headings 保身, 養性, 勤學, 敬天, 法視, 親賢, 納諫, 信令, 恤民, and 存體; his language censured favored intimates and brought him into Wei Zhongxian’s disfavor. In the third year of the Tianqi reign (1623), he was transferred in the second month to Vice Minister of Rites in Nanjing; when the Veritable Records were completed, he was additionally made Taizi binke and granted second-grade robes and emoluments, and in the fifth month he took leave. In the fifth year (1625), he was selected by joint recommendation as a deputy chief compiler of the Veritable Records; Wei Zhongxian accused him of feigning illness, and he was dismissed and struck from the registers.

Early in the Chongzhen reign he was recalled to his former office, assisted in administering the Directorate of the Heir Apparent, and was transferred to Vice Minister of Personnel; he died before taking up the post. He was posthumously granted the title Minister of Rites and the posthumous name Wenjie.

Works

His works include 《吳淞甲乙倭變志》 in two juan, 《饁堂考故》 in one juan, and 《寶日堂初集》 in thirty-two juan; the collection is also found under the title 《寶日堂集》.

Literary connections

He was connected with Ying Chaoqing through a relationship of admiration and esteem, and wrote prefaces for works by 祁承㸁, 顧憲成, 熊廷弼, 魏良弼, 徐階, 沈懋孝, and 祝鑾. He wrote epitaphs for 李時榮, 林之盛, and 馬鳴鑾, and biographies of 袁應泰, 李長春, and 潘晟.

He also wrote sacrificial texts for 陸樹聲, 熊廷弼, 徐階, 楊道賓, 王錫爵, and 朱賡. He sent letters to 張延登, 孫承宗, 王象恆, 周宗建, and 姜逢元, received letters from 高攀龍, 祁承㸁, and 魏大中, and replied to letters from 顧憲成, 周宗建, and 董應擧. He presented poems and prose to 劉楚先, prefaced the poetry and prose of 李攀龍, wrote a shrine inscription for 林景暘, and supplied a title inscription for a book by 劉士驥.