Tang Hezheng

Life

He was the son of Tang Shunzhi (唐順之; 1507–1560); his great-grandfather was Tang Gui (唐貴), and his mother was Lady Zhuang (莊氏). His younger brothers were Tang Xizheng (唐錫徵), Tang Kuizheng (唐魁徵), and Tang Fuzheng (唐復徵); his wife was Lady Wan (萬氏), and his son was 唐傚純 (1558–1589).

In 1567, the first year of the Longqing era, he placed second in the Dingmao Yingtian provincial examination and became a juren; in 1571, the fifth year of Longqing, he ranked 103rd in the Xinwei metropolitan examination and received the jinshi degree in the second class, 73rd place. He served as zhushi, yuanwailang, and langzhong in the Ministry of Rites’ Office of Host and Guest (禮部主客司主事、員外郎、郎中). He disagreed with Zhang Juzheng and was dismissed on grounds of being “impetuous” (浮躁).

After Zhang’s death, he became langzhong of the Ministry of Works’ Construction Office (工部營繕司郎中). His dated promotions were to 尚寶司丞 in the thirteenth year of Wanli (1585), second month; 尚寶司少卿 in the fifteenth year (1587), third month; 光祿寺少卿 in the seventeenth year (1589), second month; and 太常寺少卿 in the tenth month of that year; in the nineteenth year (1591), third month, he was transferred to Nanjing. He was reappointed as Nanjing 太常寺少卿 in 1606 and eventually held the rank of Nanjing 太常寺卿. As Nanjing taichang qing, he impeached eunuch officials for beating a subordinate officer; the throne ordered severe punishment, and he became increasingly disliked. In the ninth month of 1608, he returned home on grounds of illness.

He died in 1619, in the forty-seventh year of Wanli, at the age of eighty-two.

Scholarship and connections

Known for broad learning, Tang Hezheng was associated with Neo-Confucian learning, thought, astronomy and astrology, yin-yang studies, geography, and numerological arts; he was also noted for connoisseurship. He engaged in scholarly teaching at Donglin Academy with Gong Daoli and Gu Xiancheng, fellow natives of the same commandery. His correspondence included Luo Hongxian, Zou Yuanbiao, Tang Xianzu, Mao Kun, Zeng Tongheng, Fang Yang, Wang Zudi, and Wu Zhongxing; he also corresponded with Jiang Bao, Mo Ruzhong, Xue Yingqi, Geng Dingxiang, and Jiang Mengyu. Qian Qianyi wrote a funerary text for him.

Works and posthumous reception

He wrote *Zhouyi xiangyi* (周易象義), four juan, and *Taoxi liji* (桃溪禮記), one juan. *Xianshibian* (憲世編), six juan, is also listed among works associated with him; the authorship of *Fushibian* (輔世編), six juan, and *Changzhou fuzhi* (常州府志), twenty juan, is unspecified. A biography of him appears in juan 26 of the *Mingru xue'an*.