Liu Gong

Life

His grandfather was Liu Ge (劉韐), his father Liu Ziyu (劉子羽), and his paternal uncle Liu Zihui (劉子翬); his adoptive mother was Lady Zhuo (卓氏). He had a first son, Liu Xueya (劉學雅), and a second son, Liu Xueqiu (劉學裘); his clan kinsman was Liu Ruyu (劉如愚), and his son-in-law was Zhao Chongxian (趙崇憲).

He passed the jinshi examination in the twelfth year of the Shaoxing reign (1142), in the yi category, and was assigned to supervise the Nanyue Temple at Tanzhou. In the twenty-first year of Shaoxing he became an instructor in the schools of the princes; in the twenty-fourth year he served as acting collator in the Palace Library and as Palace Secretariat Drafter. Qin Hui sought a posthumous title for his father and summoned the ritual officials to discuss it, but Liu did not attend; he was dismissed for offending Qin Hui. He was recalled after Qin Hui's death, became a Secretary in the Palace Library in the twenty-ninth year of Shaoxing, and later rose to Palace Secretariat Drafter.

Under Emperor Xiaozong, Liu was appointed compiler at Jiying Hall in the first year of Longxing (1163) and also served as prefect of Quanzhou; in the second year he became prefect of Quzhou. In the first year of Qiandao (1165) he became prefect of Tanzhou and pacification commissioner for Jinghu South, and during this tenure suppressed the Chenzhou uprising led by Li Jin. In the third year of Qiandao he was appointed Hanlin Academician, drafter of edicts, and reader in attendance, and was promoted to Associate Administrator of the Privy Council. In the fourth year he concurrently became Vice Grand Councillor and went out as prefect of Longxing, with the pacification commission for Jiangnan West, also given as Jiangxi. In the fifth year he became prefect of Jingnan and pacification commissioner for Jinghu North; the appointment is also given as Jiangling. In the eighth year he again became prefect of Tanzhou, where he suppressed a tea merchants' uprising. In the second year of Chunxi (1175) he became prefect of Jiankang, pacification commissioner for Jiangnan East, and acting palace commandant; the place of appointment is also given as Shengzhou.

During his tenure as pacification commissioner for Jiangnan West, he memorialized for the remission of several hundred thousand in summer tax money and autumn grain, and established a market for grain stabilization. Near death he still submitted a remonstrance against the exercise of power by palace intimates and wrote farewell letters to Zhang Shi and Zhu Xi, regretting that he had been unable to avenge the country's humiliation. He died in the seventh month of the fifth year of Chunxi at age fifty-seven.

Scholarship and works

In the sphere of learning, he was a fellow student and fellow member of the same school as Zhu Xi, and discussed learning with Zhang Shi. Zhu Xi wrote Liu's epitaph, spirit-way stele, and biography; Zhang Shi wrote an inscription for his studio and an academy inscription. Zhu Xi, Lu You, and Zhang Shi also composed sacrificial texts for him, and Zhu Xi recommended him in a memorial.

He wrote *Jiangdong jiuhuang lu* (《江東救荒錄》), in five juan; two of his poems are represented in the surviving record.