Xu Xianzhong

Life

He passed the provincial examination in the fourth year of the Jiajing era (yiyou, 1525), repeatedly failed the metropolitan examination, and later became magistrate of Fenghua. His career also included the titles of professor and magistrate.

As magistrate of Fenghua, he practiced fiscal economy and tax equalization, reduced corvée burdens, worked on flood prevention, and increased the school lands used for gruel expenses; after leaving office, he lived in Wuxing.

His disciples privately bestowed on him the posthumous title Zhenxian Xiansheng.

Literary work and associations

He was skilled in poetry and calligraphy. He was also accomplished in prose. Alongside He Liangjun, Dong Yiyang, and Zhang Zhixiang, he was known for literary ability and moral integrity; the four were called the “Four Worthies” at the time.

The 《長谷集》 contains correspondence addressed to Feng En, Huangfu Fang, Yuan Zhi, He Liangjun, Zhang Zhixiang, and Xu Jie, as well as replies to Wu Shilai, Feng Weine, Wang Liangshu, and Cai Runan.

He wrote prefaces for works by Tian Yiheng, Zhu Bao, and Shen Kai, while Wang Shizhen wrote his epitaph. His writings also included epitaphs, biographies, sacrificial texts, elegies, gift poems and prose, and prefaces to others’ poetry and prose.

Works

He wrote several hundred juan of books, including 《百家唐詩》, 《六朝聲偶集》, 《樂府原》, and 《吳興掌故》. His other works included 《長谷集》 in fifteen juan, 《水品全秩》 in two juan, and 《三江水利考》.