Han Wen

Life and career

His credentials included the statuses of shengyuan and xianggong juren. In the second year of the Chenghua era (1466), he passed the bingxu examination as a jinshi. He ranked 194th in the third class. He was appointed Gongke jishizhong and later became Gongke you jishizhong.

In 1479, he became right canyi of the Huguang Provincial Administration (湖廣布政司右參議); in 1486 he became left canyi there, serving through 1489. From 1489 to 1490, he was left canzheng of Shandong (山東左參政); from 1490 to 1493, he was left buzhengshi of Yunnan (雲南左布政使). From 1493 to 1495, he served as Right Vice Censor of the Censorate (都察院右副都御史), overseeing Huguang before being transferred to Henan.

From 1495 to 1499, he was Right Vice Minister of Revenue (戶部右侍郎); in 1499 he became Right Vice Minister of Personnel (吏部右侍郎), and in 1500 Left Vice Minister of Personnel (吏部左侍郎), serving to 1503. In 1503 he became Minister of War in Nanjing and concurrently participated in military affairs; in 1504 he became Minister of Revenue, serving to 1506. As Minister of Revenue, he managed state finances, kept the larger interests in view, sought to conserve public funds, eliminated redundant posts, and restrained powerful favorites. He was outspoken when occasion required, and was flogged after impeaching Censor Wang Yue.

Family

His great-grandfather was Han Chang, his grandfather Han Yuan, his father Han Su, and his mother Lady Ji. He had an elder brother, Han Tong, and four younger brothers—Han Jing, Han Fu, Han Tai, and Han Lu; his wife was Lady Zhang, and his grandson was Han Tingyan.

Political activity

After the accession of the Zhengde Emperor, the eunuchs Ma Yongcheng and Liu Jin and their associates took power. Han Wen joined fellow officials in memorializing against them. Liu Jin and his associates deeply resented him, used an opportunity to accuse him, and had him demoted and forced into retirement; they later convicted him on another matter, imposed a fine of 1,000 shi of rice, and left his household ruined.

In 1508, the third year of the Zhengde era, Han Wen submitted a memorial calling for the execution of eight eunuchs: Ma Yongcheng, Gu Dayong, Zhang Yong, Luo Xiang, Wei Bin, Qiu Ju, Liu Jin, and Gao Feng. The memorial cited such activities as ball games and horse riding, falconry and dog chasing, and theatrical performances, and warned that leaving the men unpunished would endanger the state. Grand Secretaries Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, and Xie Qian supported him; in June he was arrested, imprisoned by the Jinyiwei, fined rice, and sent home.

After Liu Jin was executed, Han Wen was restored to office and again retired. After the accession of the Jiajing Emperor, an envoy was sent to console and reward him. His late titles appear in two forms, Taizi taibao (太子太保) and Taizi shaobao (太子少保); the latter is dated from 1522 to 1526. He died in 1526 at the age of 86 and was posthumously granted the title Taifu and the name Zhongding.

Works and literary connections

His works include 《忠定公集》 in four juan and a collection titled 《質菴存藁》, whose title also appears as 《質菴存槀》. He corresponded with Lin Jun, Zhang Peng, Wang Ao, and Xie Duo, and received poems and prose from Lin Jun, Li Mengyang, Wang Yuanzheng, Wang Chongwen, and Liu Long.