Shen Sixiao

Life

His great-grandfather was Shen Bi (沈璧), his grandfather Shen Kui (沈鍨) and his father Shen Yinghua (沈英華); his mother was of the Chen family. He married a woman of the Tao (陶) family. Among his younger brothers were Shen Siming, Shen Siqi, Shen Sicheng, Shen Sixian, Shen Sidao, Shen Sike, Shen Sijin, Shen Sichen, Shen Sitong, Shen Siqing and Shen Sishu, and one of his granddaughters married Peng Changyi (彭長宜).

He was a licentiate in his youth and passed the Zhejiang provincial examination in 1567. The following year he passed the metropolitan examination, ranking sixty-fourth in the third class of the jinshi degree.

His first appointment was magistrate of Panyu County in Guangdong, where he was known for his integrity. Gao Gong, then in power, wished to take him as a subordinate, but Shen refused. While at Panyu he blocked the policy of Yin Zhengmao, governor-general of Guangdong and Guangxi, of trading with foreigners, arguing that it would invite piracy.

Early in the Wanli era he was promoted for outstanding merit and entered the Ministry of Justice as a bureau director. On the twentieth day of the tenth month of 1577 he joined Ai Mu in memorializing against Zhang Juzheng's retention in office during mourning; both were given eighty strokes and exiled to the Shendian guard in Guangdong. On the road into exile he walked thousands of li through wild mountains and deep woods, depending for food on the local tribes. When he reached the place of exile the grand coordinator Liu ordered him brought in as a prisoner, and Shen went to him with a sword; at Enping the magistrate Mao Fengcai, a man of Chu like Liu, saw his defiant intent, received him kindly instead, and sent a letter to stop Liu. Cai Wenfan's poem "Walking with a Sword" was written on this episode.

After Zhang Juzheng's death Shen was allowed to return home, and in 1582 was appointed assistant director of the Seal Office, rising through the posts of assistant director of the Court of Imperial Entertainments and assistant director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Attacked by the censor Gong Zhongqing, he was made prefect of Shuntian; after further impeachment he was transferred in 1586 to the Nanjing Court of the Imperial Stud, and finally retired on grounds of illness. When the censor Fang Huan attacked Hai Rui out of personal spite and three jinshi who defended him were all dismissed, Shen memorialized in their defence and received a stern reproof; he sighed, "Affairs being what they are, if I do not go I shall bring it on myself," and shook off his robes and went home.

Some time later Lu Guangzu, minister of personnel, recalled him as director of the Nanjing Court of Imperial Entertainments (1591); he then advanced to right assistant censor-in-chief and grand coordinator of Shaanxi. When the Ningxia mutiny broke out Shen put on armour, went out to the distant frontier and forwarded supplies to relieve the troops; he fell out with Wei Xuezeng, was squeezed out by the supreme commander, and was impeached by the supervising secretary Hou Qingyuan. The court transferred him to Henan, which he declined. He was then summoned as chief minister of the Court of Judicial Review and had the eunuch Hao Jin put to death; he was afterwards promoted to vice minister of Works and to right censor-in-chief concurrently vice minister of War. He memorialized to reduce the tribute of goat's wool from Shaanxi and to stop a request for armour, saving money without measure. In 1595, when the question of granting Japan a title and trade arose and some proposed making Toyotomi Hideyoshi king of Japan, Shen memorialized strongly for war and rebuked the advocates of peace; failing to prevail, he asked to retire.

His friend Ding Cilü was demoted by Sun Piyang, minister of personnel, and Shen was drawn into factional strife, quarrelling with Sun and others; Jiang Shixin too suspected that he had been schemed against by Shen, and Shen resigned and returned home. He lived in frugal retirement and built the Xiuye Manor to pass his old age. He died in 1611, and in the early Tianqi period was posthumously made junior guardian of the heir apparent. Shen was long renowned throughout the empire for his uprightness, yet his pride and love of winning brought him much criticism.

Works

His works include the Jinlu (晉錄), Qinlu (秦錄) and Xishantang cao (溪山堂草), as well as the collections Xingxu jiaoju (行戌郊居), Xizheng (西征), Luchen mangao (陸沉漫稿), Xishantang (溪山堂) and Wumeitang (吾美堂); the titles are also recorded as Xingcheng (行成), Jiaoju (郊居), Xizheng (西征) and Lushen (陸沈). His verse was judged quiet and spare in tone and polished in sound and diction, and especially accomplished in the regulated forms; it was said that even without the fame of office he would have stood alone in the world of letters, and that in letters and conduct alike he was a complete man.

Associations

He studied under Ma Yingmeng. Tu Long wrote a preface for one of his books; Feng Mengzhen, Guo Zhengyu, Zhi Dalun, Ai Mu, Huang Chengxuan, Zhao Yongxian, Zhao Nanxing, Chen Yidian and Zou Diguang wrote letters to him; Feng Shike, Zou Yuanbiao, Feng Qi, Wang Jiaping, Shen Shixing, Ding Bin and Yang Yuting exchanged replies with him, while Mao Wei, Zou Diguang and Chen Yidian presented him with poems and prose. After his death Mao Wei and Chen Yidian composed sacrificial texts for him, and Ye Xianggao wrote his spirit-path stele inscription.