Zhao Ruteng

Life

Zhao was a seventh-generation descendant of Emperor Taizong and lived in Fuzhou; Gutian is also given as his native place. His father was Zhao Shanchuo (趙善綽); his only son was Zhao Chongtang (趙崇堂), and he had a grandson, 趙必曅.

Zhao passed the jinshi examination in 1226, during the second year of Emperor Lizong’s Baoqing era. His early appointments included jiage posts in the Ministries of Rites and War and Director of the Imperial Fields. After being selected for a library appointment, he became Corrector in the Palace Library and later Collation Officer of the Jade Genealogy Office; he subsequently served as Palace Library Collator and as Secretary in the Palace Library concurrently with Collator of the Historiographical Institute, and went out as prefect of Wenzhou with the honorary title Zhihuan Zhangge (直煥章閣).

His other provincial and honorary appointments included Judicial Commissioner for Jiangdong, prefect of Wuzhou, and administrator of Xinzhou, Jianzhou, Jianning, and Rui'an; he also served as military vice-prefect of Jian'an, household-office clerk of Shaowu, Chaosan lang, Qingche duwei, Qiduwei, and titular posts in the Baowen and Huanzhang pavilions.

After being summoned to court, he became Palace Recorder, Acting Secretariat Drafter, Recorder, Vice Minister of Personnel concurrently Lecturer, and Acting Minister of Works concurrently Acting Secretariat Drafter; he was later removed over an incident. Soon afterward he was recalled as Minister of Rites concurrently Palace Remonstrator, appointed Hanlin Academician concurrently Drafter of Imperial Edicts and Reader-in-waiting; he later governed Shaoxing and concurrently served as Pacification Commissioner for eastern Zhejiang, governed Quanzhou, and concurrently held the post of Hanlin Academician-in-chief. His final office was Grand Academician of the Duanming Palace concurrently Hanlin Academician-in-chief.

While in office, he submitted memorials condemning sycophantic and profit-seeking officials; his language was notably forthright.

Learning and associations

Zhao privately followed the learning of Zhu Xi. He held Li Zongmian and Zhang Yu in high regard, calling Li a “公清之相.”

His recommendation relationships included Du Quwei, Wang Yuzhi, and Wang Yi; together with He Ji, he praised Wang Mai and recommended him to the court, but Wang Mai died before he could arrive.

He wrote prefaces for works by Cai Mo, Xu Yuanjie, and Wei Anshi, and epitaphs for Zhu Miaozhen, Chen Jun, and Zheng Fengchen.

He also wrote postscripts for works by Cai Gongzhan and others, a discussion of Xu Zhifang’s name and style name, a sacrificial text for You Si, a spirit-way inscription for Xu Yinglong, and a portrait inscription for Cai Mo.

Works

His works include Yongzhai ji (庸齋集). The writings were not originally entered in bibliographic registers; Qing court scholars reconstructed a six-volume collection from the Yongle dadian. The surviving poems use the Wenyuange Siku quanshu edition as their base text, with newly collected poems from outside the collection appended.