Xu Zhongxing (徐中行; 1517–1578), also romanised as Xu Zhonghang, was a Ming dynasty writer and official. His courtesy name was Ziyu (子與, also written 子輿); his art names were Longwan (龍灣) and Tianmu Shanren (天目山人). He was a native of Changxing in Zhejiang and one of the "Later Seven Masters" (後七子).
Life
He was born on 5 September 1517 and died on 11 November 1578. His great-grandfather was Xu Henglu (徐亨祿), his grandfather Xu Li (徐禮), his father Xu Jian (徐柬) and his mother née Xu (許氏); he had two elder brothers, Xu Zhongfu (徐中孚) and Xu Zhonghe (徐中和), and his wife was née Yang (楊氏). He was the third son in the family.
He passed the Zhejiang provincial examination in 1540, the nineteenth year of the Jiajing era. In 1550, the twenty-ninth year of Jiajing, he received the jinshi degree, ranking fifty-second in the second class, and was first appointed a secretary (主事) in the Guangdong bureau of the Ministry of Justice; he rose to vice director (員外郎) and director (郎中) of the Guizhou bureau, and was then made prefect of Tingzhou in Fujian, where he joined Xu Fuza (徐甫宰) in resisting an incursion by the Guangdong bandit Xiao Wu (蕭五).
He then went home for his father's mourning, and after the mourning period was appointed to Runing prefecture. Afterwards he was demoted to a judgeship (判官) in the Changlu salt administration, and three months later he became assistant prefect (同知) of Ruizhou in Jiangxi; he returned home again on his mother's death.
He was promoted to assistant surveillance commissioner (僉事) of Shandong but did not take up the post; in 1568, the second year of Longqing, his mourning ended and he was appointed assistant surveillance commissioner of Huguang in charge of the Wuchang circuit, where he captured the lake bandit Ke Caifeng (柯彩鳳) and seized his stores, saving tens of thousands from famine.
In the eighth month of 1570 he was promoted to left counsellor (左參議) of Yunnan, in the eleventh month of 1572 to defence vice commissioner (兵備副使) of Funing in Fujian, in the sixth month of 1574 to right administrative vice commissioner (右參政) of the province, in the tenth month of 1575 to surveillance commissioner (按察使), and in the first month of 1577 to right administration commissioner (右布政使) of Jiangxi; in the eighth month of 1578 he was advanced to left administration commissioner (左布政使) and died in office. He was fond of guests, and his death was widely mourned.
Literary career
He was handsome and a heavy drinker, and with Li Panlong and Wang Shizhen he was reckoned one of the "Later Seven Masters". Wang Shizhen wrote a preface to his collection, a sacrificial address and a tomb tablet for him, and Wang Shimao wrote his biography and a sacrificial address. Wang Daokun prefaced his poems and praised his conduct in office; Li Panlong gave him a farewell piece and composed a school record for him; and Zong Chen presented him with poems and prose. He himself wrote inscriptions and biographical pieces for contemporaries, among them epitaphs for Shi Jun and Xiong Fu, a spirit-path stele (神道碑) for Wang Zongyuan, a life account (行狀) and a sacrificial address for Gu Yingxiang, and a tomb tablet for Wei Xiao.
Works
His works include the Qingluo guan ji (青蘿館集), also called the Qingluo ji (青蘿集); the Tianmu xiansheng ji (天目先生集) in 21 juan; and the Tianmu shanren ji (天目山人集) together with the Tianmu shantang ji (天目山堂集) in 20 juan.
References
- CBDB Xu Zhonghang (129886)
- 搜韵 徐中行 (46062)
- Wikidata Xu Zhongxing (Q8045165)