Chen Shouqi

Life and career

In 1799, the fourth year of the Jiaqing reign, he passed the jinshi examination, ranking 69th in the second class; he was made a shujishi (庶吉士) and appointed a bianxiu (編修). He served as a Guangdong provincial-examination examiner in 1804; entered the capital in 1805 as a reviewer at the Wenyuan Pavilion and instructor of shujishi; served as a Henan examiner in 1807, with a Henan deputy-examiner appointment in the twelfth year of the Jiaqing reign; and in the fourteenth year (1809) served as a metropolitan-examination co-examiner and was listed as a censor-designate.

After his parents died, he withdrew from official service and lectured for many years at Aofeng and Qingyuan academies. At the invitation of Ruan Yuan, then governor of Zhejiang, he lectured at Fuwen Academy, also taught at Gujing Jingshe, and worked on the Sea Dike Gazetteer (《海塘志》). He joined Chen Ruolin in promoting the compilation of the Fujian Gazetteer (《福建通志》) and served as chief compiler; he died when the work was nearly complete.

Family and intellectual network

His father was 陳鶴書 (1746–1810), and his sons included 陳朝樞 and 陳鴻棅. He studied under 阮元, 朱珪, and 孟超然; his pupils included 張岳崧, 孫經世, and 王捷南, while his friends included 許宗彥, 郝懿行, 何治運, and 謝震. 阮元 is credited with writing a tomb inscription for him dated 1830.

Scholarship and writings

He adhered to Han learning, placed particular trust in Xu and Zheng, and specialized in the scholarship of the Han Confucians. His poetry and prose were richly ornate, and his parallel prose was especially esteemed.

His authored works included 《說文經字考》 (one volume); 《魯詩遺說考》 in twenty- and six-volume forms, the latter with an appended preface; 《齊詩遺說考》 in twelve- and four-volume forms, the latter with an appended preface; 《韓詩遺說考》 in seventeen- and five-volume forms, the latter with an appended preface, appendices, and supplements; and 《禮記鄭讀考》 (six volumes), 《五經異義疏證》 (three volumes), 《左海經辨》 (two volumes), and 《左海文集》 (two volumes). His collected writings also included 《左海全集》.

He edited 《尚書大傳》 (three volumes) and 《尚書大傳定本》 (five volumes, with one additional volume of prefatory material and one of textual corrections), compiled 《洪範五行傳》 (three volumes), and edited Huang Daozhou's 《黃忠端集》, a title also found as 《黃忠端公全集》. The poetry collection is variously titled 《絳尉堂詩集》 and 《絳趺草堂詩集》. His poetry includes eight poems under 〈海外紀事詩〉 and six under 〈平定臺灣恭紀〉, both written for the Lin Shuwen campaign.