Liu Tianhe

Career

His examination record includes xianggong juren and jinshi; the jinshi result was second class, thirty-third place.

In 1508 he became Secretary of the Office of Host and Guest in the Nanjing Ministry of Rites; from 1510 to 1514 he served as an Investigating Censor. From 1512 to 1514 he served as a circuit inspector for the Shaanxi Provincial Administration, and in 1513 he was an examiner for the provincial examination.

From 1514 to 1517 he served as assistant magistrate of Jintan County, and in 1517 as assistant prefect of Suzhou. He served as prefect of Huzhou through 1521, then became an educational commissioner for the Shanxi Provincial Administration in 1521 and transferred to the Shaanxi Provincial Administration in 1526.

In 1527 he served as junior vice commissioner of the Court of Imperial Stud in Nanjing, junior vice commissioner of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and a right assistant censor of the Censorate. From 1531 to 1532 he served as a right vice censor. From 1535 to 1536 he was Vice Minister of Works. Beginning in 1536 he also held the posts of Left Vice Minister of War, right assistant vice censor of the Censorate, right censor-in-chief, and left censor-in-chief.

From 1540 to 1541 he was Minister of Revenue in Nanjing; from 1541 to 1543 he was Minister of War and commander supervising the metropolitan regiments, and he also held the title Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent. Other titles included censor-in-chief, minister, governor-general, and junior guardian.

Writings

Works associated with Liu Tianhe include Dufu zouyi (Liu Tianhe), Zhongzhi (five juan), Liu Zhuangxiang gong zoushu, Wenshui ji (問水集), Anxia lu, Dufu zoushu, Wenshui ji (聞水集), and Guanshan zouyi. Tai'an yigao names him as its author; the roles attached to the other titles are unspecified.

Family and associations

His grandfather was Liu Zhongke. His son Liu Can was born in 1504, was a jinshi of the eleventh year of the Jiajing era, and placed fourth in the third class; his descendants included his grandson Liu Shoumeng, a granddaughter identified as Liu shi (wife of Qiu Tan), and the granddaughter-in-law Mao Yulong.

Wang Weizhen and Zhang Bi wrote prefaces for his books; Wang Shizhen wrote his epitaph, Geng Dingxiang authored his biography, and Xu Zonglu wrote a sacrificial text. At parting, Hu Zanzong and Jin Xueyan gave him farewell writings, while Fang Hao and Wang Jiusi sent congratulations. He received reply letters from Lü Nan and Wang Tingxiang and poetry and prose from Lü Nan; Kang Hai praised his administrative achievements.