Yin Zhi

Life and career

At the jiaxu examination of 1454, he passed as a jinshi and ranked ninety-eighth in the second class; his examination profile also lists him as a provincial recommended candidate and a shengyuan.

His great-grandfather was 尹天傳, his grandfather 尹子源, his father 尹奐重, and his mother Xiao (蕭氏); his father's name is also given as 尹璨. His elder brothers were 尹恂, 尹恪, 尹忻, 尹愷, and 尹恈, and his younger brothers were 尹慎 and 尹性. His wife was 曹氏, and his son was 尹逵.

After the examination, he was selected as a shujishi and appointed a compiler in the Hanlin Academy; he held the bianxiu post in 1456–1460 and again in 1463–1467. At the beginning of the Chenghua era he served as a lecturer in the Classics Mat, took part in compiling the Veritable Records of Yingzong, and, after its completion, advanced to reader and then Reader Academician; he also served as Lecturer Academician and compiler.

In 1470 he memorialized the court to compile the Da Ming Huidian and continued the Song–Yuan Outline. In 1475 he became Vice Minister of Rites, but left office for mourning after his father's death. After completing the mourning period, he was recalled as Vice Minister of Personnel in Nanjing and transferred to Vice Minister of Rites in Nanjing; he spent eight years in the southern ministries and was frustrated by his lack of advancement.

Court politics

In the spring of 1486 he was summoned to assist in the Ministry of War. He offered his views on the abandonment of the throne by the king of Champa and on the report by the Guizhou military and circuit officials, who were said to have falsely claimed a Miao rebellion for personal credit. He was then appointed Left Vice Minister of Revenue concurrently with Academician of the Hanlin Academy, entered the cabinet, and was soon promoted to Minister of War.

He was additionally made Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent; the office title is also given as Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent. Yin Zhi was intelligent and broadly learned, well versed in court institutions but eager for advancement; he was proud and censorious, failed to discipline himself, and fell out with the Minister of Personnel, 尹旻.

He initially sought the office of Vice Minister of Rites, but 尹旻 recommended someone else, and Yin Zhi secured the appointment through an imperial instruction. The next day he met 尹旻 at court and raised his tablet in thanks; 尹旻 replied, “公所謂簡在帝心者,” after which their resentment deepened.

Wan An and Peng Hua tried to have him recalled to the cabinet but were blocked by 劉旻. When appointments to the left and right vice-ministerships of War were considered in the twenty-second year of Chenghua, the Ministry of Personnel put forward eight men including He Cong and the edict chose He Cong; Yin Zhi was nevertheless recalled through an imperial instruction after the efforts of Wan An, Peng Hua, and Li Zisheng. He then worked with Li Zisheng to bring 尹旻 and his sons to punishment, and engineered the dismissal of Min Gui, the military governor of Jiangxi, provoking widespread public opposition.

Later years

After the Hongzhi Emperor came to the throne, the censorial officials Song Cong and Xu Bin reported that Yin Zhi had advanced from his first vice-ministerial appointment to the cabinet through solicitation and attachment, obtaining imperial instructions at every stage. The emperor disapproved of his character and ordered him to retire. In the ninth year of Hongzhi, Yin Zhi presented a congratulatory memorial for the emperor's longevity and, because the heir was of age to leave the palace school, submitted the Chenghua Zhen, invoking the precedent of Huang Huai, a former Grand Guardian; he hoped for a personal summons, but the emperor refused it.

He died in the Zhengde era in 1511 and was posthumously named Wenhe.

Writings and literary work

His writings include the twenty-five-chapter Chengjiang ji. In 1470 he memorialized the court to compile the Da Ming Huidian and continued the Song–Yuan Outline, and in his later years he wrote the Chenghua Zhen.

His literary work included epitaphs for 費宏, 趙勝, 魯能, 謝一夔, and 商輅; biographies of 彭時 and 韓雍; and sacrificial texts for 羅欽順 and 費宏. He also wrote a spirit-way stele for 章綸, a biographical account of 吳儼, and a preface to the poetry and prose of 劉春. 王恕 received parting words from him, and Yin Zhi also sent a reply to 張元禎.