Shen Yixiu

Life

Her father was 沈珫, a vice commissioner in Shandong; his name is given as 玩 in another form. She was married to Ye Shaoyuan (葉紹袁; 1589–1648), a langzhong of the Ministry of Works.

Her younger brothers were Shen Zizheng (沈自徵; 1591–1641) and Shen Zibing (沈自炳; 1602–1645), and her sisters were Shen Zhiyao (沈智瑤) and Shen Jingzhuan (沈靜專). Her nieces included Shen Xianying (沈憲英; 1621–1683) and Shen Huahuan (沈華鬟; born 1622), while her female cousins included Shen Qianjun (沈倩君) and Shen Yuan (沈媛).

She had three daughters—Ye Wanwan (葉紈紈; 1610–1633), Ye Xiaowan (葉小紈; 1613–1657), and Ye Xiaoluan (葉小鸞; 1616–1632)—all accomplished in poetry. Mother and daughters composed poems on flowers and plants together. She died from grief after the death of a daughter.

She also had a son, whose name appears as 葉世傛 in one form and 爕 in another; 爕 passed the jinshi examination in the Gengxu year of the Kangxi reign (1670). Ye Shaoyuan compiled the works of his wife and daughters as 《午夢堂十集》.

She wrote a preface for a work by Zhou Huizhen. Prefaces to her books are attributed to Shen Yixiu herself, Ye Shaoyuan, Shen Zizheng, Shen Zibing, Cao Xuequan, Shen Darong, and Ye Xiaoluan.

Literary works

She excelled in poetry and ci, and her collection was titled 《鸝吹集》. She also had 《伊人思》, an extensive compilation of women's poetry and prose.

Other titles associated with her are 《鸝吹詞》, in one juan, 《梅花詩》, and 《繡垂館遺稿》; 《小檀欒室彙刻閨秀詞》 is described as comprising ten series, one hundred works, and one hundred juan.