Zhao Zhenji (his birth year is variously given as 1508 or 1514; he died in 1576) was a Ming official and thinker. His courtesy name was Mengjing (孟靜), his style name Dazhou (大洲), with 大周 also recorded; his native place is given as Tongziba, Neijiang County, Chengdu Prefecture, Sichuan, or simply Neijiang.
Family and examinations
He was a tenth-generation descendant of Zhao Xiong, the Southern Song right chancellor. As a child he was considered bright and could read the classics at six; he was also registered as a shengyuan (庠生).
His father was Zhao Ji (趙勣), his grandfather Zhao Wenjie (趙文傑), his great-grandfather Zhao Bozhou (趙伯州), and his mother was a member of the Yu family. His elder brothers were Zhao Qianji (趙謙吉), Zhao Zhanji (趙占吉), Zhao Shengji (趙升吉), and Zhao Fuji (趙孚吉), while his younger brothers were Zhao Mengji (趙蒙吉), Zhao Fuji (趙復吉), and Zhao Yiji (趙頤吉). His wife was a member of the Chen family; his sons were Zhao Jingzhu (趙景柱) and Zhao Dingzhu (趙鼎柱), and his grandson was Zhao Zuyin (趙祖廕).
In 1528 he placed fourth in the Sichuan provincial examination and became a juren; in 1535 he ranked nineteenth in the metropolitan examination and received the second degree in the second class. His jinshi year is also given as 1533.
Official career
After obtaining the jinshi degree, he was selected as a shujishi and appointed a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, later becoming Vice Director of the Directorate of Education. When Altan Khan approached Beijing, Zhao argued against making a treaty beneath the city walls and urged that the commanders be instructed and the army made to fight; his view accorded with the emperor's, and he was ordered to proclaim the imperial instructions to the troops.
In 1550 he served as Right Zhongyun of the Right Spring Palace and supervised the Directorate of Education, then rose to Left Yude and concurrently Investigating Censor of the Henan Circuit. Yan Song had him attacked, and he was flogged at court, demoted to county clerk of Libo in Guizhou, and later transferred to Huizhou as an assistant prefect; after again offending Yan Song, he was dismissed.
His other appointments included deputy commissioner, co-examiner of the metropolitan examination, editorial commissioner, daily lecturer at the Classics Mat, deputy chief editor of the Veritable Records, and instructor of the shujishi. After his transfer to Huizhou, he held a succession of posts in Nanjing from 1553 to 1559, including secretary of the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Office, langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel, junior and senior officials of the Court of State Ceremonial, right vice commissioner and right vice director of the Court of Transmission, and Vice Minister of Works. In 1561 he first entered the central government as Vice Minister of Revenue, but was again dismissed after offending Yan Song.
At the beginning of the Longqing era he was recalled as Left Vice Minister of Personnel and concurrently a Hanlin Academician, with responsibility for the Directorate of the Heir Apparent. When the emperor visited the school he temporarily took charge as libationer, was sent out as Minister of Rites in Nanjing, and was later recalled as Hanlin Academician to assist in administering the Directorate of the Heir Apparent; he was soon made Grand Secretary of the Wenyuange and entered the Grand Secretariat as Minister of Rites concurrently. During the Longqing era he was also made Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent; his career record additionally includes Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent.
Learning, teaching, and associations
Zhao was widely learned and especially versed in the learning of Wang Shouren; his prose was described as vigorous and brisk. He disagreed with Gao Gong and consequently retired; after returning home, he lectured on Guihu Street and was grouped with Yang Shen, Ren Han, and Xiong Nansha as the “Four Great Men of Shu.”
His associations included letters exchanged with Gao Gong, Lu Bing, Tang Shunzhi, and Zhang Yue, and he wrote an epitaph for Wang Gen. Jiang Bao and Chen Wenzhu each wrote a preface to one of his books.
Works
His works include the Wensu Collection; titles also appear as the twenty-three-volume Wensu Collection, the twenty-three-volume Collected Works of Zhao, Duke Wensu, and the Collected Poems and Prose of Zhao, Duke Wensu.
Death and posthumous honors
He died in the fourth year of the Wanli era (1576); the day is variously given as the fifteenth day of the third month and 23 April 1576, and one account gives his age as sixty-nine. He was posthumously granted Junior Guardian and received the posthumous name Wensu.
References
- CBDB Zhao Zhenji (68216)
- 搜韵 趙貞吉 (51025)
- Wikidata Zhao Zhenji (Q15908250)
- 法鼓佛教人名规范数据库 趙貞吉 (A009612)