Yixing Hao

Life

Considered slow to learn in childhood, he entered the county school at nineteen. Zhao Luquan, the Shandong educational commissioner, praised him as one of the “Four Outstanding Men of Qixia.” In 1786, the fifty-first year of the Qianlong reign, he entered the Guozijian; in 1799, the fourth year of the Jiaqing reign, he earned the jinshi degree and was appointed to the Ministry of Revenue. His examination career included the xianggong juren and jinshi designations; the jinshi placement is recorded both generically and as third class, rank 110.

He remained in the langshu for twenty-one years. Though he held a poorly paid office, he devoted himself to scholarship. Reserved and taciturn, he spent his stipend on books and worked with texts and brush until past the fourth watch; his study was called Wanxiaozhai.

His father was Hao Peiyuan, and his cousin was Zhao Fengya. His wife, Wang Zhaoyuan (courtesy name Wanquan, from Fushan in Shandong), also studied the classics and histories; the couple were praised in the phrase “the Wang father and son of Gaoyou (Wang Niansun and Wang Yinzhi), and the Hao husband and wife of Qixia”; they had a son, Hao Wenhu, and a daughter, Hao Wenze.

His friends included Sun Xingyan, Chen Shouqi, Zang Yong, Deng Xianhe, Wang Yinzhi, and Mou Ting; he was also a friend of Song Xiangfeng, Zhang Shu, Chen Huan, Ma Ruichen, and Hu Peihui.

Scholarship and works

Hao was particularly accomplished in the study of names and things, exegesis, and evidential research; his scholarly range also extended to agriculture and biology.

His most prominent work was “Erya yishu”, and his other works include “Shanhai jing jianshu”, “Zhushu jinian jiaozheng”, and “Jin-Song shugu”. His collected writings appear under the titles “Shaishutang ji” and “Shaishutang wenji”, while his poetry includes “Shaishutang shichao” and “Shaishutang shiyu”. Other writings include “Chunqiu bi”, “Shaishutang biji”, “Shaishutang bilu”, “Yanzi chunqiu”, “Ji haicuo”, “Yi shuo”, “Shu shuo”, “Shi shuo”, “Shi wen”, “Liji jian”, “Chunqiu bi”, “Erya Guo zhu yishu”, “Zheng su wen”, and “Xunzi buzhu”, among others.