Hu Ying

Family and education

His great-grandfather was Hu Yong (胡庸), his grandfather Hu Zhen (胡禎), his father Hu Zongren (胡宗人), and his mother was Lady Li (李氏); his elder brother was Hu Han (胡瀚), and his younger brothers included Hu Zhen (胡真), Hu An (胡安), Hu Ding (胡定), and Hu Zhong (胡忠). He also had younger brothers Hu Kecheng (胡克誠) and Hu Kening (胡克寧), a wife of the Fan family (范氏), sons Hu Gugan (胡谷干), Hu Gutong (胡谷同), Hu Changning (胡長寧), and Hu Long (胡豅), and a relative by marriage, Pan Liang (潘諒). The genealogy also names Hu Zhongli (胡中立), Hu Xian (胡咸), Hu Chi (胡持), Hu Su (胡宿), and Hu Fan (胡藩) among his direct ancestors, and Hu Shixian (胡時顯) as an eleventh-generation descendant.

Early records place him among the shengyuan (庠生) and xianggong candidates (鄉貢舉人); he was a jinshi in Jianwen 2 (1400).

Career and government service

In Jianwen 2, he was appointed a geishizhong in the Military Affairs Section (兵科給事中); on the fourth day of the tenth month of Jianwen 4 (1402), he became Bingke you geishizhong (兵科右給事中), and in Yongle 1 (1403) was transferred to Huke du geishizhong (戶科都給事中). In Yongle 5 (1407), he was sent out under the pretext of searching for immortals—also described as travelling as a physician—to visit the prefectures, commanderies, and villages throughout the realm in search of the Jianwen Emperor; accounts differ on the length and return date of the mission, one saying that it lasted seventeen years and another that he returned in Yongle 14 (1416), after which he was promoted to Left Vice Minister of Rites.

In Yongle 16 (1418), the Chengzu Emperor sent him to inspect Jiangsu and Zhejiang after the report that “people say the Eastern Palace has many moral failings.” Hu found the charge unfounded and secretly memorialized seven matters showing that the Crown Prince was sincere, respectful, enlightened, and cautious; the emperor’s suspicion then abated. In Yongle 21 (1423), Hu seems to have learned Jianwen’s whereabouts. He went to see Chengzu at night and reported everything he had heard; the emperor’s doubts over the claim that Jianwen had gone to sea were then dispelled.

After the Hongxi Emperor’s accession, he was summoned as Vice Minister of Rites at the itinerant court and also held the posts of Taizi binke (太子賓客) and director of the Imperial Academy (國子祭酒). In Xuande 1 (1426), fourth month, he was promoted to Minister of Rites, remaining in that office until the first year of Tianshun (1457). During Renzong’s reign he submitted ten proposals, which were accepted favorably; he also memorialized for the removal of more than a thousand fan monks, from the Fawang downward, and served ten times as chief examiner.

His appointment as Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince is dated either the fourteenth year of Zhengtong (1449) or the beginning of Jingtai; in the Jingtai period he became Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince and was additionally made Grand Preceptor. After Yingzong’s restoration, he retired on account of age. He died in 1463, was said to have been eighty-nine, and was posthumously granted Grand Guardian (太保) and the posthumous name Zhong’an. He was described as showing neither anger nor pleasure, and was praised for his self-command; he served across six reigns over more than fifty years.

Scholarship and works

Hu Ying studied medicine deeply and is associated with *Zhixuan ji* (《芝軒集》). Other titles associated with him include *Lüshen guijian* (《律身規鑑》), *Dan'an ji* (《澹菴集》, five juan), and *Weisheng yijian fang* (《衛生易簡方》).

Associations and posthumous commemoration

Hu recommended Liu Qiu (劉球) and He Wenyuan (何文淵), and joined Jian Yi (蹇義) and others in recommending Kuang Zhong (況鍾) for the office of magistrate of Suzhou. He served as a colleague of Xia Yuanji (夏元吉), Yang Shiqi (楊士奇), Jian Yi, and Yang Ning (楊寧). After his death, Li Dongyang (李東陽) wrote a preface, Yao Kui (姚夔) composed his tomb inscription, and Li Xian (李賢) wrote his spirit-way stele inscription.