Tao Zongyi

Life

His father was Tao Yu (陶煜, 1286–1358); among his younger brothers were Tao Zongfu (陶宗傅, d. 1385) and Tao Zongru (陶宗儒). In his early years he travelled and studied in eastern and western Zhejiang, learning composition under Zhang Zhu, Li Xiaoguang and Du Ben, and studied seal script with his maternal uncle Zhao Yong. He became a provincial examination graduate (鄉貢舉人) but failed the higher examination, sitting in the third month of 1348 (the eighth year of the Zhizheng era) without success.

In the eighth month of 1348 he fled the fighting in eastern and western Zhejiang, and later lodged at Nancun in Songjiang, from which he took his art name. During the Zhizheng era he was recommended for the posts of messenger (行人) and school officer (校官) but declined; when Zhang Shicheng established himself at Suzhou, his officers proposed to press Tao into service as a military adviser, and he again declined. He associated with Wang Feng, Wang Mian, Ni Zan, Sun Zuo, Shao Hengzhen, Xia Wenyan, Sun Daoming and Xia Yizhen; Dong Ji wrote ten poems matching his verses (南村雜興次韻陶九成), and Bei Qiong wrote a piece on his return to Yunjian (題秋江送別圖送陶九成歸雲間). Song Lian wrote a preface for his Shushi huiyao and an essay on his leaving office to return to Huating (送陶九成辭官歸華亭序); Yang Weizhen wrote a preface for the Shuofu; and Sun Zuo wrote a preface for the Chuogenglu and a short life of Tao.

After the Ming was established he was engaged as an instructor and supported himself by teaching in Songjiang. In 1371 (Hongwu 4), when the prefects and magistrates were ordered to recommend men of talent, he was excused on grounds of illness; in 1373 (Hongwu 6) he was recommended and went to the capital, but pleaded illness and was sent home. In 1396 (Hongwu 29) he led his students to Nanjing for the Ministry of Rites examination and was given paper money before returning. In his later years he shut himself away to write, tending a garden plot and, on fine days, drinking alone and singing verses of his own; he died early in the Yongle reign, aged over eighty. Later opinion on his conduct was divided: some said he never took office under the Ming, while others, citing his poem on the accession of the imperial grandson — "the old servant dances for joy beneath Nancun, smiling at his sons and grandsons with frost upon his temples" — and his leading of students to the Ministry of Rites examination, argued that he had acknowledged Ming rule. Mao Jin printed his poems among the "Ten Yuan Poets" and still classed him as a Yuan figure, whereas the Siku Quanshu, holding that he had served the Ming, reclassified him as a Ming author.

Works

Tao was assiduous in taking notes and left no branch of learning unexplored; he was a prolific author. He compiled the Shuofu (說郛) in 100 juan, largely excerpts from earlier fiction and notebooks, though the editions that survive are much reduced; the Nancun Chuogenglu (南村輟耕錄) in 30 juan, recording institutions and miscellaneous observations; and, among others, the Shushi huiyao (書史會要) in 9 juan, the Sishu beiyi (四書備遺) in 2 juan, the Guofeng zunjing, the Nancun shiji (南村詩集) in 4 juan and the Canglang zhaoge (滄浪棹歌) in 1 juan, as well as the Jingzi fayu, Guke congchao, Qinjian tushi and Youguai lu.

It is said that in his last years, resting under a tree between spells of work in his garden, he would write down whatever he had gained on a leaf and drop it into a broken jar, burying the jar at the tree's roots when it was full; in time the leaves were arranged into several juan — the Chuogenglu. The editors of the Siku Quanshu judged his poetry vigorous and strong, a continuation of the tradition of Yu, Yang, Fan and Jie rather than the enervated tones of the late Yuan, and a towering presence in the early Ming.