Long Ying

Life

His father was 龍德孚 and his mother was a member of the Tang clan; his great-grandfather was 龍珣 and his grandfather 龍翔霄. His brothers were 龍章, 龍言, 龍卞, 龍亮, 龍襄, and 龍立; his younger brother was 龍寧, and his wife was a member of the Tang clan.

In the fourth year of the Wanli reign (1576), he placed 68th in the Huguang provincial examination; in the eighth year (1580), he passed the 庚辰 jinshi examination, ranking 22nd in the third class. His tribute-candidate rank is also given as 90, while his shengyuan rank is given as 68.

One account says that he began as a 推官 in Huizhou, was praised as a “神君” for deciding difficult cases, formed the Baiyu Society with 汪道昆, 屠緯真, 李本寧, 俞羨長 and other prominent figures, and was promoted to 禮部祠祭司主事. His subsequent offices include Xining 同知 and Ministry of Revenue 戶部郎中; other entries place him as a Salt Administration Circuit Judge at Yancheng (鹽城運判), a Gansu military-defense official (甘肅兵備道), and a regimental training vice commissioner (團練副使).

In the 34th year of the Wanli reign, eighth month, he was promoted to a Shaanxi surveillance commissioner (陝西按察司僉事) and assigned to defend Ganzhou; in the 35th year he returned home on mourning leave for his mother. In the 38th year, seventh month, he was reappointed as a Shaanxi agricultural-affairs commissioner (陝西屯田僉事), promoted to deputy commissioner, and transferred as a provincial administration commissioner to Gansu and then as right provincial administration commissioner to Shanxi; in the 45th year, ninth month, he became left provincial administration commissioner, and in the first year of the Tianqi reign (1621), sixth month, he was promoted to Nanjing Taichang si qing (南京太常寺卿).

Another account says that he began as a 推官 in Xindu, was promoted to 國子博士 after repeatedly memorializing on current affairs, and in 1592 submitted the memorial 《涑選宮女疏》; he was then banished to serve on the frontier and soon resigned to return to Changde. In his later years he turned to Chan Buddhist practice and established a retreat at Deshan. He was also close to Yuan Hongdao in his later years.

Literary work

He wrote extensively in poetry and fu; his brother 龍襄 selected the works, and because the opening piece was 《九芝賦》, the collection was titled 《九芝集選》. His works also include 《九芝集》. His dramatic works include 《金門記》 and 《藍橋記》, and he also wrote 《曲錄》; 《二酉園文集》 is listed as a fourteen-volume work.