Yuan Fu

Life

Yuan Fu was the second son of Yuan Xie. He received instruction in his family tradition when young and later studied under Yang Jian.

In the seventh year of the Jiading era (1214), he ranked first in the jinshi examination, initially serving in the Jiankang Military Command's judicial office, then becoming Corrector in the Palace Library and successively serving as Collator and Assistant Editorial Director.

As Palace Library Corrector, he urged stricter selection of regional commanders and the promotion of tuntian agriculture; after becoming Collator, he argued that the troubles on the frontier arose from within rather than beyond the borders.

His appointments included assistant prefect of Huzhou, prefect of Huizhou and Quzhou, commissioner for regular grain administration and judicial surveillance in the Jiangnan East Circuit, Director of Palace Construction, and prefect of Jianning concurrently with Transport Commissioner of Fujian Circuit. In local and circuit posts, he sought to promote beneficial measures and eliminate abuses, relieve famine, and support education and Confucian learning.

During the Shaoding era, he was recalled to the Directorate of Palace Construction. In the sixth year of Shaoding (1233), he concurrently served as a compiler of the National History and a reviewer of the Veritable Records, and was sent out that year as commissioner for regular grain administration and judicial surveillance in the Jiangnan East Circuit. In the first year of Duanping (1234), after Emperor Lizong began personal rule, he became prefect of Jianning concurrently with Transport Commissioner of Fujian Circuit; recalled as Junior Supervisor of the Palace Library, he rose to Director of the Imperial Diary and Secretariat Drafter.

In the first year of Jiaxi (1237), he became Secretariat Drafter and provisional Vice Minister of Personnel, later serving as Vice Minister of War concurrently with Palace Remonstrator, and eventually reaching provisional Minister of War while temporarily also holding the Ministry of Personnel.

At court he was forthright, did not avoid powerful figures, and repeatedly presented direct and carefully argued proposals on major affairs; he was impeached by Xu Qingsou and removed from office, with the episode said to have caused some diminution in public esteem. He was friends with Tang Han, Wu Weiyin, and Zhang Bochang, whom he praised for pure learning, upright conduct, abundant intellectual force, and clear understanding.

His father was Yuan Xie (1144–1224), and his elder brother was Yuan Su. His wife was Zhao Xiyi (1177–1235), his father-in-law was Zhao Shiyuan, and he had two sons, Yuan Cong and Yuan Xi; Cao Fengji was his brother-in-law by marriage.

Writings

His works include 《孝說》, 《孝經說》, 《孟子解》, 《蒙齋中庸講義》, 《後省封駁》, 《信安志》, 《江東荒政錄》, 《防拓錄》, 《樂事錄》, and 《蒙齋集》.

His original collected works were long lost. Qing editors reconstructed 《蒙齋集》 from the 《永樂大典》 as a 20-volume collection, including two volumes of poetry; newly collected poems outside the collection were appended at the end.