[1]Name, dates, names and originCheng Wende, courtesy name Shunfu, art names Songxi, Yizhai and Zhi'an, was a Ming dynasty official and Neo-Confucian scholar of the Yangming school, born in 1497 and died in 1559, a native of Yongkang (present-day Yongkang, Zhejiang).
CBDBCheng Wende (131629)Records the name Cheng Wende, birth in 1497, death in 1559, Ming dynasty affiliation, classification as a Yangming-school Neo-Confucian and thinker, office as Hanlin compiler, the courtesy name Shunfu, the art name Songxi and the native place Yongkang.
Souyun程文德 (50923)Records his name, the years 1497 and 1559, his Ming dynasty affiliation, the courtesy name Shunfu and art name Songxi, his Yongkang origin (present-day Yongkang, Zhejiang), and the successive art names Yizhai, Zhi'an and Songxi.
WikidataCheng Wende (Q15901359)Gives the name Cheng Wende, the dates 1497 and 1559, and the names Shunfu, Zhi'an, Songxi and Yizhai.
[2]FamilyCheng Wende's family belonged to Yongkang; his great-grandfather was Cheng Yongyan, his grandfather Cheng Shigang, and his father Cheng Kui (1469–1537), who became a jinshi in the twelfth year of Hongzhi and rose to vice commissioner of the Sichuan provincial surveillance commission; his mother was of the Zhao family, and he married Pan Cui, daughter-in-law of Pan Xizeng.
CBDBCheng Wende (131629)Lists his great-grandfather Cheng Yongyan, grandfather Cheng Shigang, father Cheng Kui (1469–1537), mother of the Zhao family, elder brother Cheng Wensi, younger brothers Cheng Wemo and Cheng Wenxun, wife Pan Cui, and father-in-law Pan Xizeng (1476–1532).
Souyun程文德 (50923)Records that his father Cheng Kui passed the jinshi examination in the twelfth year of Hongzhi, was long denied promotion for offending Liu Jin, and after Liu Jin's execution rose to vice commissioner of the Sichuan provincial surveillance commission.
[3]Early teachersCheng Wende studied first under Hu Lian and Lin Wenjun, then under Zhu Fang and Li Cang, entered the county school as a licentiate, and later studied under Zhang Mao, Wang Shouren and Zhan Ruoshui.
CBDBCheng Wende (131629)Records that he was a student of Zhang Mao, that he studied under Wang Shouren and Zhan Ruoshui (with a note that he studied at Zhan's gate for seventeen years), and that he was registered as a shengyuan (county-school licentiate).
Souyun程文德 (50923)Records that he first studied under Hu Lian and Lin Wenjun, at fourteen under Zhu Fang and Li Cang, entered the county school as a xiucai at fifteen, went to Lanxi at eighteen to study under Zhang Mao, and later studied under Wang Shouren at Yuyao.
[4]Provincial examinationIn 1519 Cheng Wende passed the Zhejiang provincial examination, where accounts differ as to whether he ranked eighth or tenth.
Souyun程文德 (50923)Records that in the fourteenth year of Zhengde (1519) Cheng Wende passed the Zhejiang provincial examination in eighth place.
CBDBCheng Wende (131629)The examinations entry records him as a provincial graduate (xianggong juren) with the rank given as tenth.
[5]Jinshi degreeIn 1529 Cheng Wende placed fourth in the metropolitan examination and second in the palace examination, was appointed a Hanlin compiler, and his father received the honorary rank of zhongxian dafu.
Souyun程文德 (50923)Records that in the eighth year of Jiajing (1529) he placed fourth in the metropolitan examination and second in the palace examination (bangyan), was appointed Hanlin compiler, and that his father Cheng Kui received the honorary rank of zhongxian dafu; another account gives the year as Jiajing jichou with a second-place jinshi result.
CBDBCheng Wende (131629)The examinations entry gives his jinshi rank as second in the first class, and records his office as Hanlin compiler.
[6]Yang Ming case and first demotionIn 1532 the jinshi Yang Ming impeached high officials; Cheng Wende was implicated and imprisoned, demoted to dianshi of Xinyi county, and lectured at the Lingbiao and Gaoming academies.
Souyun程文德 (50923)Records that in the eleventh year of Jiajing (1532) the jinshi Yang Ming impeached the minister of personnel Wang Hong, the Marquis of Wuding Guo Xun and the officials Chen Daoying and Jin Yunren; that Cheng Wende was implicated, imprisoned and demoted to dianshi of Xinyi county; that he was retained at the Lingbiao Academy in Wuzhou by the supreme commander of Liangguang, Tao Xie; and that he lectured at the Gaoming Academy the next year.
[7]Middle careerFrom 1535 Cheng Wende served as magistrate of Anfu, then in the Ministry of War at Nanjing, as deputy education commissioner of Guangdong, chancellor of the Nanjing Imperial College, vice minister of Rites, and left vice minister of Personnel, guarding the Xuanwu Gate when Altan Khan raided the capital.
Souyun程文德 (50923)Records that after Wang Hong's dismissal in the fourteenth year of Jiajing (1535) he became magistrate of Anfu, founded the Fugu Academy, left office for mourning, was appointed to the Nanjing Ministry of War as vice director, became director in the twentieth year of Jiajing (1541), and advanced through the Guangdong deputy education commissionership, the Nanjing Imperial College chancellorship and the vice ministry of Rites; when Altan Khan raided the capital he guarded the Xuanwu Gate and saved tens of thousands of refugees, and was then transferred to left vice minister of Personnel.
CBDBCheng Wende (131629)Records his office as secretary (zhushi) in the Ministry of War.
[8]Late careerIn 1553–1554 Cheng Wende was chief examiner of the metropolitan examination, Hanlin academician and head of the Household Administration of the Heir Apparent, obtained famine relief, offended the emperor by his qingci prayers and Lantern Festival Lyrics, refused a bribe demanded by Yan Shifan, was transferred to right vice minister of Works at Nanjing, and was finally dismissed to commoner status.
Souyun程文德 (50923)Records that in the thirty-second year of Jiajing (1553) he was chief examiner of the metropolitan examination, concurrently Hanlin academician, in charge of the Household Administration of the Heir Apparent and instructor of the shujishi; that the next year he obtained relief for famine in Beizhili, Nanzhili, Henan and Shandong; that his qingci prayers and Lantern Festival Lyrics gave offence; that he refused Yan Shifan's demand for a bribe and was transferred to right vice minister of Works at Nanjing after Yan Song's accusation; and that he was dismissed to commoner status for urging the emperor to enjoy peace. One account gives the Nanjing post as left vice minister of Works, the others as right.
CBDBCheng Wende (131629)Records his office as vice minister of Works under the Nanjing Ministry of Works.
[9]Posthumous honours and tombAfter Cheng Wende's death the censor Wang Haowen asked that he be shown consideration; he was granted the office of minister of Rites and the posthumous name Wengong, at his death or in the early Wanli era according to different accounts, and his tomb is a protected cultural relic site of Yongkang City.
Souyun程文德 (50923)One account gives him the posthumous name Wengong at death; another the grant of minister of Rites and the posthumous name Wengong; a third records that after his death the censor Wang Haowen requested consideration, that in the early Wanli era he was granted the office of minister of Rites and the name Wengong, and that his tomb is a protected cultural relic site of Yongkang City.
[10]School and associatesCheng Wende belonged to the Yaojiang (Yangming) school, was classed as a Neo-Confucian philosopher, took students, exchanged letters with Luo Hongxian, Wang Ji, Nie Bao, Tang Shunzhi and Ouyang De, and was commemorated after death by Luo Hongxian, Jiang Bao and Huang Fengxiang.
Souyun程文德 (50923)Records that he was a member of the Yaojiang school.
CBDBCheng Wende (131629)Records that he took pupils and lectured and is classed as a Yangming-school Neo-Confucian and thinker; that he exchanged letters with Wang Ji, Tang Shunzhi, Luo Hongxian, Nie Bao and Ouyang De; and that Luo Hongxian wrote his epitaph and sacrificial address, Jiang Bao a portrait encomium and colophon, and Huang Fengxiang a preface to his manuscript collection.
[11]WritingsCheng Wende wrote the Songxi ji and left the Cheng Wengong yigao (also given as Cheng Wengong yigao with a variant character), which preserves his letters, and composed conduct records and a biography.
CBDBCheng Wende (131629)Records his authorship of the Songxi ji and the Cheng Wen'gong yigao; his letters to Wang Ji and Zhang Cong and replies to Nie Bao, Pan En and Shi Jian, all preserved in the Cheng Wen'gong yigao; and his conduct records for Pan Xizeng and Tu Qiao and biography of Sun Chi.
Souyun程文德 (50923)Records his works the Songxi ji and the Cheng Wengong yigao.
CBDB
Souyun程文德 (50923)Records his name, the years 1497 and 1559, his Ming dynasty affiliation, the courtesy name Shunfu and art name Songxi, his Yongkang origin (present-day Yongkang, Zhejiang), and the successive art names Yizhai, Zhi'an and Songxi.
WikidataCheng Wende (Q15901359)Gives the name Cheng Wende, the dates 1497 and 1559, and the names Shunfu, Zhi'an, Songxi and Yizhai.