Wu Weiye

Life

His grandfather was Wu Yi, his father Wu Shuicang, and his mother Zhu Shuren. He studied under Zhang Pu, became a disciple of the Fushe leader, and took an active part in the Fushe. He maintained friendships with Dong Qichang, Wang Shimin, and Zhang Lian, associated with Chen Weisun, Wu Zhaoqian, and Yan Shengsun, became related by marriage to Chen Zhilin, and had a relationship with the courtesan Bian Yujing.

In 1630 he passed the Yingtian provincial examination; the following year he placed first in the metropolitan examination of the Xinwei cohort and second in the palace examination, and was appointed a Hanlin compiler. During the examination he was accused of colluding with Zhou Yuru in fraudulent dealings, but after the Chongzhen emperor reviewed the papers he was still ranked second in the first class and was allowed to return home with an imperial escort.

Under the Ming he held posts including compiler, lecturer to the Eastern Palace, editorial reviser, provincial-examination examiner, Nanjing Director of Studies, Zhongyun, Shuzi, and Left Shuzi. In 1638 the Chongzhen emperor inspected the school, questioned him on the meaning of the *Book of Documents*, and rewarded him with tea and fruit. During the Hongguang reign he was summoned as Junior Chamberlain of the Imperial Secretariat; because Ma Shiying and Ruan Dacheng controlled the court, he requested leave and returned home.

When Qing forces moved south, he fled with his family, moving among members of his clan and relatives before withdrawing from public life. After the Qing conquest he initially shut himself away while continuing to lead a literary society. The year of his entry into service is variously given as 1652 and 1654: one account attributes the recommendation to Ma Guozhu, governor-general of the two river regions, while another attributes it to Chen Mingxia and Chen Zhilin and says that local officials compelled him to proceed to the capital; he was appointed a Secretariat Academy expositor and promoted to Director of the Imperial College.

He returned south to live at home in 1657, and the tax-audit case nearly ruined his family. Service under the Qing became for him the regret of having “wasted his whole life”; he ordered that he be buried in monastic dress, and the wording of his tomb inscription is variously given as “the tomb of the poet Wu Meicun” and “the tomb of Wu, the lyric poet.” After passing the examination he married his first wife, Cheng; his household also included the concubine Zhou Qiong, his sister Wu Xiao, and his son Wu Lin.

Literary work and arts

Learned and widely read, Wu Weiye was particularly accomplished in ornate poetry and composed song-line poems valued for their historical detail. His early writing was brilliant and elegant, but his experience of dynastic upheaval brought it toward a more anguished and desolate tone. He excelled in seven-character song lines, initially studied the “Changqing style,” and later developed a new manner known as the “Meicun style”; his five- and seven-character regulated verse was also praised as equal to Tang poetry in sonority and prosody.

Together with Qian Qianyi and Gong Dingzi, he was known as one of the “Three Great Masters of the Jiangzuo.” His poetry repeatedly expresses remembrance of the former state and invests his works with a sense of dynastic rise and fall. He also worked in classical prose, drama, and ci poetry; his long pieces were expansive and his short lyrics flowing and controlled.

His writings include *梅村家藏稿*—fifty-eight juan, with supplements, a genealogy, and a chronological biography—*梅村集*, *梅村詩文集*, *綏寇紀略*, *太倉十子詩選*, and *綏靖紀聞*. His dramatic works include the chuanqi *秣陵春* and the zaju *臨春閣* and *通天臺*; his ci collection is known as *梅村詞*, also appearing under the title *梅村詩餘*.

He was also recognized as a painter, and his painting manner followed Dong Yuan and Huang Gongwang.