Yuan Zhi

Life

Yuan Zhi was born on the 26th day of the 10th month of the 15th year of the Hongzhi reign (1502). His family had formerly lived in Wuxian and later moved to Changzhou, so his place of registration is sometimes given as Changzhou. His father was Yuan Mi (袁鼏); he was a younger brother of Yuan Bao (袁褒), and one account instead makes him a younger brother of Yuan Jiong (袁褧). In 1525 he took first place in the Yingtian provincial examination, and in 1526 he received the jinshi degree.

He was chosen for the Hanlin Academy as a bachelor (shujishi) and appointed a secretary (zhushi) in the Ministry of Justice, where the minister Hu Shining held him in high regard; Zhang Cong disliked him and said he was unfit to remain near the throne. In 1528 he presided over the Henan provincial examination, was soon sent to Huaiyang to review prisoners, and on his return was transferred to the Ministry of War as a secretary of its Bureau of Military Appointments (Wuxuan si), where he took charge of the pasted yellow records. He was imprisoned after a fire at the ministry and exiled to the Huzhou thousand-household garrison, which another account gives as the Huzhou guard.

Pardoned and recalled, he served as a secretary in the Ministry of War at Nanjing and rose to vice director of the Bureau of Military Appointments (Zhifang si), reaching the post of assistant education commissioner of Guangxi, which is given elsewhere as assistant surveillance commissioner of Guangxi. He retired to his home and died on the 13th day of the 6th month of the 26th year of the Jiajing reign (1547), aged forty-six. After his death Wen Zhengming composed his epitaph, Zhang Fengyi a mourning address, Wu Weiyue his biography, and his son Yuan Zunni his conduct record (xingzhuang).

Correspondence and writings for others

Yuan Zhi wrote letters to Li Mengyang, Gao Shusi, Zhao Shichun, Wang Chong and Zhan Ruoshui; Wang Shenzhong and Xu Xianzhong wrote to him, and he answered a letter from Tu Yingjun. He wrote a preface for a book by Chen Hongmo. He also composed biographies of Sheng Yingqi, Wang Hongru, Lian Zining, Li Mengyang, Fu Youde, Zhuo Jing, Yang Jizong, Liao Zhuang, Guo Deng, Wang Hong, Qin Hong, Huang Gong, Hu Shining and Zeng Qi.

He wrote sacrificial addresses for Hu Shining, Wang Chong, Yi Boxiong and Xu Jin; an epitaph for Yi Boxiong; a temple inscription for Qin Jin; a tomb tablet for Wang Ji; and conduct records for Wu Yufu and Tu Yingjun. He composed farewell poems and prefaces for Yuan Gun, Ma Ruji, Xu Lun, Chen Cha, Wu Zhang and Lin Youfu.

He presented poems and prose to Gu Lin, Li Yuanyang and Dong Yiyang, and received poems and prose from Wang Chong. He also submitted a memorial discussing Xie Jin.

Works

His writings include the Huang Ming Xian Shi, the Wu Zhong Xian Xian Zhuan, the Shi Wei and the Xu Tai Ji, also written Xu Tai Gao. His collected works circulated in twenty juan under the titles Yuan Yongzhi Ji and Hengfan Zhongke Xu Tai Xiansheng Ji. The Shi Wei survives in two juan with one juan of appendix.