Hu Yan

Life

His examination background is described in several ways: one account says that in the twentieth year of Hongwu (1387) he entered office as a juren (舉人) and became instructor at Huating; other accounts place him in the second class of the metropolitan examination at the end of Hongwu or call him a juren of the Hongwu dingmao year. His entry routes also include recommendation, a xianggong juren (鄉貢舉人), and a second-list result (副榜). Afterward he was transferred to Changyuan, sought a more convenient posting and was moved to Yuqian, and at the beginning of Jianwen became magistrate of Tongcheng.

The date of his appointment as a Hanlin jian tao (翰林檢討) is given as either the fourth year of Jianwen or the beginning of Yongle; one account also says that Xie Jin (解縉) recommended him. He then served in the Wenyuan Pavilion, held posts as shidu (侍讀) and left Chunfang yude (左春坊左諭德), became director of the Imperial Academy (國子祭酒), and concurrently served as Hanlin lecturer (翰林侍講) while supervising the academy. He was appointed chief editor of the Taizu Veritable Records (also titled Chongxiu Taizu Shilu, 重脩太祖實錄), the Yongle Encyclopedia (永樂大典), and the Atlas of the Realm (天下圖誌), and also held a compiler’s post.

At the beginning of Hongxi (1425), illness led him to request retirement; he was advanced to Taizi binke (太子賓客) while retaining the directorship, and then retired. At the beginning of Xuande he was summoned as vice minister of rites (禮部侍郎), but declined and returned home. His father was 胡重器; his son was 胡暕, and his grandsons were 胡順, 胡訥, and 胡詵.

Scholarship and the arts

His studies ranged across astronomy, geography, calendrical science, medicine, and divination, and he was skilled in calligraphy and painting. In painting he used ink and a blunt brush to depict sheep and deer, and also worked in bamboo, rocks, lan, and hui (蘭蕙). His poetry was close to the Xijiang school: its diction was elevated and its allusions deep, while its atmosphere differed somewhat from the calm elegance associated with the Three Yangs.

During the Taizong reign he joined seven members of the Grand Secretariat in literary exchanges at the court academy and composed poems such as Direct Pavilion Matters (直閣即事).

Associations and writings

During Yongle, Li Xu (李敘) entered the Imperial College through recommendation and was especially esteemed by Hu Yan; Hu Yan praised Luo Chi (羅篪) for his yima talent (倚馬才). Yang Pu (楊溥) and Hu Yan are linked by a teacher–student relationship, and 查朂已 was Hu Yan’s student.

He wrote an epitaph for Zeng Ruyao (曾如瑤), a portrait encomium for Cheng Jufu (程鉅夫), and the Nan cun caotang ji (《南村草堂記》) for Tao Zongyi (陶宗儀).

Works

His works include the thirty-volume 《頤菴集》 (also 《頤庵集》), 《頤菴文選》 (also 《頤庵文選》), and the one-volume 《胡氏雜說》. The end of 《頤菴集》 appended several notes on poetry, discussing poems by Yu Bo-sheng (虞伯生), including 《寫韻軒》 and 《滕王閣》.