Chen Changji (陳昌積) was a Ming-dynasty official and writer. His courtesy name was Zifa, also written Zixu; his studio name was Lianghu, and his birth-order designation was Si (“Fourth”). He was from Taihe County, Ji’an Prefecture, Jiangxi, and belonged to a military household.
Life
He held the status of shengyuan; accounts differ on his provincial-examination standing: in the first year of the Jiajing reign (1522), he placed first in the Jiangxi provincial examination for the renwu year and was named its jieyuan; another entry gives the successful provincial candidate’s rank as 295. In the seventeenth year of the Jiajing reign (1538), he passed the wuxu jinshi examination. He was placed twenty-fifth in the second class.
His career included the offices of Ministry of Rites Secretary (禮部主事), Assistant Director of the Court of Imperial Accoutrements (尚寶司丞), and Five Classics Erudite (五經博士), all held in the capital. The culmination of his career is given in two forms: 尚寶少卿 concurrently with a Hanlin Academician (翰林院學士), or 尚寶司丞兼翰林院五經博士.
Family
His father was 陳主德 and his mother 羅氏; his great-grandfather was 陳正大 and his grandfather 陳必訓. He had four recorded elder brothers—陳德鳴, 陳德文, 陳昌默, and 陳昌鈞—and a younger brother, 陳昌福, who also passed the jinshi examination, ranking 146th in the third class. He first married 羅氏 and later 朱氏.
Learning and works
He studied under Wang Yingdian and was accomplished in poetry and prose. His works include 《兩湖集》, also titled 《陳兩湖集》. He also wrote 《松風軒藏稿》.
Literary activity
His literary activity included prefaces for books by 呂柟 and 曾汴, epitaphs for 項廷吉 and 羅珵, and biographies of 何其高, 郭詡, and 傅汝舟. He also wrote funeral texts for 羅洪先, 歐陽德, 楊載鳴, and 羅欽德; his other writings included farewell poems or prefaces, colophons to books and paintings, architectural inscriptions and names, prefaces to poetry and prose, and inscriptions on tablets and vessels. He also received a reply from 呂柟.
References
- CBDB Chen Changji (135086)
- 搜韵 陳昌積 (54624)
- Wikidata Chen Changji (Q45458342)