Chen Yiqin

Life

Accounts of his ancestry differ. One tradition traces him to Chen Yaozuo: his great-grandfather Chen Ji was a doctoral student, while a more remote ancestor, Chen Yanliang, was the first of the family to move to Nanchong, with Chen Xing appearing several generations later. A separate line of family information names Chen Heng as great-grandfather, Chen Xin as grandfather, Chen Dace as father, and Wang as mother. His elder brothers were Chen Hongde, Chen Zongde, and Chen Yizhong; his younger brother was Chen Yilian, also given as Chen Yixun. His wife was Wang and his son was Chen Yuming.

In 1541, the twentieth year of the Jiajing era, he passed the jinshi examination. His third-class placing is given as 104th in one account and 108th in another; he was selected as a shujishi and appointed a Hanlin Academy jian tao. His qualifications also included shengyuan (xiangsheng) and xianggong juren.

His early appointments included a fu shi (副使) in 1543 and a zuanxiu guan (纂修官) in 1545. From 1552 to 1560 he served as a lecturer to Prince Yu; the title appears as shijiang (侍講) or jiangdu (講讀), the service lasted nine years, and he advanced to xima (洗馬), while also opposing Yan Song. During this period he served as xiuzhuan (修撰) from 1556 to 1558 and as Hanlin Academy shijiang xueshi (翰林院侍講學士) from 1558 to 1560. After Prince Yu's accession, he submitted the Ten Matters on Cautious Beginnings.

Promoted to Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary in the Wenyuan Pavilion, he entered the council of state, later moved to the Wuying Hall, and criticized the court's complacency in handling current affairs. In the cabinet he spoke frankly and submitted the memorial *Four Matters for Vigorously Improving Governance* (《勵精修政》).

Between 1564 and 1567 he held the offices of director of the Imperial College (國子祭酒), Hanlin Academy shidu xueshi (翰林院侍讀學士), grand minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices (太常寺卿), right and left vice minister of rites (禮部右侍郎、禮部左侍郎), instructor of shujishi (教習庶吉士), administrator of the Office of the Chief Administrator of the Heir Apparent (掌詹事府事), and left vice minister of personnel (吏部左侍郎). In 1567 he additionally became chief compiler of the Veritable Records of Emperor Shizong (世宗實錄總裁) and Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall (武英殿大學士). From 1567 to 1570 he held the posts of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent (太子少保), Junior Preceptor (少傅), and Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent (太子太傅); in 1570 he became Grand Preceptor of the Heir Apparent (太子太師) and Minister of Personnel, and the former office continued through 1586. His appointments also include Grand Protector (太保) in 1586, after which he retired.

During factional struggles among the successive assistant chief ministers Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng, he could neither mediate among them nor feel secure with any of them, and sought release from office on grounds of illness. An assessment described him as exhausted by anxiety and prematurely white-haired; Lu Guangzu praised him for touching taboos and saying what others did not dare to say. He disagreed with Zhang Juzheng, resigned and returned to Nanchong, where he donated silver toward rebuilding Guang'en Bridge, now called West Bridge.

Literary and documentary connections

Li Tingji and Xu Guo wrote his tomb inscriptions, while he wrote the tomb inscription of Teng Xiang; Lu Shusheng, Li Weizhen, and Chen Wenzhu wrote sacrificial texts for him, and Lu Shusheng and Wang Xijue wrote his tomb memorials.

Xu Guo and Zhu Geng gave him farewell messages; Zhang Juzheng and Zhang Jiayin sent congratulatory messages, and Zhang Juzheng also sent a reply.

Wang Jiaping, Zhang Jiayin, Wang Cai, Jiang Bao, and Xu Fuzhao sent him letters; Lu Shusheng, Xu Guo, and Yu Yin presented poems and prose, and Guo Zizhang wrote a preface to his poetry and prose.

Works and posthumous honor

His work included *Qingju shanfang gao* (《青居山房稿》). He died in 1586 and was posthumously given the name Wenduan (文端).