Ju Cheng

Life

His father was Cheng Tianmin (1055–1086), his mother was Lady Deng; his paternal grandfather was Cheng Di, his maternal grandfather Deng Runfu, and his paternal uncle Cheng Tianzhi (1064–1108). Jiang Ruming was his father-in-law, and Zhao Boyang his son-in-law.

In the fourth year of Shaosheng (1097), he entered office through the privilege of his maternal grandfather, Deng Runfu, as registrar of Wujiang County in Suzhou. He also supervised the Taihu salt works in Shuzhou—called the Taihu tea works in another version—and was dismissed after memorializing on affairs of state. In the first year of Zhenghe, he became magistrate of Linhuai County in Sizhou; after completing his term, he lived in Wu. Ye Mengde is named as the recommender who brought him to the post of Assistant Gentleman in the Bureau of Historiography, while another account attributes the recommendation to a court official; he soon became manager of Daiyue Abbey and later rose to Assistant Supervisor of the Directorate of Works.

In 1120, he presented an ode and was granted shangshe status; the wording also appears as receiving the upper shangshe rank or passing the shangshe course. In the third year of Xuanhe, he was appointed Assistant Director in the Ministry of Rites—also styled a Director in the Ministry of Rites—and returned home because of illness.

In the third year of Jianyan (1129), he served as Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and prefect of Xiuzhou. When Jin forces occupied Lin'an, he abandoned the city and withdrew to Huating. In the first year of Shaoxing (1131), he became Director of the Palace Library, presented the five-volume Lintai gushi, and was promoted to Drafter in the Central Secretariat and Lecturer-in-Attendance.

In the second year of Shaoxing, remonstrance officials impeached him over the abandonment of Xiuzhou; he was dismissed and appointed superintendent of Jiangzhou Taiping Abbey. He was later appointed Expectant at Huiyou Pavilion. During Qin Hui's ascendancy, he was recommended to take charge of historical compilation; the appointments in this episode are variously given as Editor of Jiying Hall and Expectant at Huiyou Pavilion, or as Superintendent of Wanshou Abbey and Editor of the Veritable Records, but he declined them all. In the fourteenth year of Shaoxing (1144), he died at the age of sixty-seven.

Literary work and writings

He was skilled in composing edicts and wrote poetry and prose in an elegant style. His works include the forty-volume Beishan xiaoji (extant), the one-volume Han Wen Gong li guan ji (extant), the five-volume Lintai gushi (extant), Ban Zuo huimeng in three volumes, and Youzuo yuangui. Laozi lun is also attributed to him.

He wrote prefaces for works by Lin Fu, He Zhu, and Zhang You, and studied under Jiang Wei.