Wei Chu (1232–1292) was a Yuan-dynasty official and man of letters. His courtesy name was Taichu, and his literary name was Qingya; he was a native of Hongzhou Shunsheng, while Fangshan is also given as his ancestral place. His posthumous name was Zhongsu.
Life and official career
His grandfather was 魏璠, his father was 魏思廉 (1190–1249), and his son was 魏必復. In early adulthood he studied with 王利用, with whom he was equally renowned, and served 世祖 at his princely residence. In the first year of Zhongtong (1260), he was recruited and appointed a clerk in the Secretariat, concurrently serving as a secretary; he soon resigned and returned, living in seclusion as a teacher.
He was later appointed a compiler in the National History Institute and an Investigating Censor, submitting numerous proposals; he was repeatedly promoted to Attendant Censor and sent out as Censor-in-chief of the Jiangnan Branch. His offices included a Secretariat clerk, secretary, professor, compiler in the National History Institute, Investigating Censor, Attendant Censor, Southern Censorate Investigating Censor, and circuit inspector. He also served as clerk of the Censorate Court in Zhiyuan 5 (1268), as an associate commissioner of the 肅政廉訪司 in 陝西 and 四川, as a vice commissioner in 陝西 and 河東, as a Supervising Censor, as a Censor of the Censorate, as an inspection commissioner in 江西道宣慰司, and as Censor-in-chief of the Southern Branch.
Scholarship and writings
Wei Chu was an avid reader, especially learned in the Spring and Autumn Annals; his prose was concise and well ordered. His collected works include 《青崖集》. His works include epitaphs, spirit-way inscriptions, tomb texts, biographies, portrait eulogies, colophons on calligraphy and painting, essays on names and courtesy names, farewell poems and prefaces, mourning poems and lyrics, presented poems and prose, architectural inscriptions and notes, naming pieces, and an account of a Daoist temple. He wrote epitaphs for 王忙古歹 and 趙友, a tomb text for 元好問, an essay on 尚野’s name, and a colophon for 宋規’s calligraphy and painting; he also composed farewell poems and prefaces for 程鉅夫, 劉郁, and 李珏.
In 1291, 王磐 recommended him; in the same year he wrote a supplementary preface to 楊弘道’s 《素庵先生事言》, while 蘇天爵 and 許有壬 wrote, respectively, 《御史中丞魏忠肅公文集序》 and 《青崖魏忠肅公文集序》.
References
- CBDB Wei Chu (28839)
- 搜韵 魏初 (40978)
- Wikidata Wei Chu (Q45414842)