[1]Name, origin and datesYu Zijun was a Ming dynasty official from Qingshen in Meizhou, Sichuan, courtesy name Shiying, also known by the byname Yugongqu; he passed the metropolitan examination in 1451, rose to minister of War, and was granted the title Grand Guardian and the posthumous name Sumin.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB records his name as Yu Zijun, born 1429 and died 1489, a man of the Ming, with native registration at Qingshen, courtesy name Shiying, alternate name Yugongqu and posthumous name Sumin; it also records his jinshi degree and his offices as minister of War and Grand Guardian.
Souyun余子俊 (42170)The record names him as a man of Qingshen, Sichuan, of the Ming, courtesy name Shiying, with dates 1429 to 1489; its biographical notice states that he rose to minister of War and received the posthumous name Sumin.
WikidataYu Zijun (Q10886529)Wikidata gives his names as Yu Zijun (余子俊), his dates as 1429 and 1489, and his aliases as Shiying, Sumin and Yugongqu.
[2]Examination and early careerYu Zijun took the jinshi degree in 1451, placed twenty-eighth in the second class, and served first in the Ministry of Revenue and then as prefect of Xi'an.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB records his examination rank as twenty-eighth in the second class and his earlier status as a government student and provincial graduate; it gives his posts as secretary in the Jiangxi bureau and vice-director in the Fujian bureau of the Ministry of Revenue, and as prefect of Xi'an from 1460 to 1466.
Souyun余子俊 (42170)The biographical notice records that he passed the jinshi examination in 1451, was appointed a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, rose to vice-director and was known for his integrity and competence during ten years there, and later served as prefect of Xi'an, where he relieved a famine with 100,000 shi of grain.
[3]Shaanxi and Yansui appointmentsYu Zijun was appointed right counsellor in Shaanxi in 1466, rose to right and then left administration commissioner, was transferred to Zhejiang, and in 1471 became right vice censor-in-chief and governor of Yansui.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB records him as right counsellor in the Shaanxi provincial administration in 1466, right administration commissioner in 1467, left administration commissioner in Zhejiang in 1470, and right vice censor-in-chief and governor of Yansui in 1471.
Souyun余子俊 (42170)The biographical notice records that he was recommended by Lin Cong in the early Chenghua years as right counsellor in Shaanxi and within a year promoted to right administration commissioner, becoming left administration commissioner and being transferred to Zhejiang in 1470, and that in 1471, on the recommendation of the minister of War Bai Gui, he was made right vice censor-in-chief and governor of Yansui.
[4]The Yansui wall debateA plan by the former governor Wang Rui for forts and walls had lapsed; Yu sought its resumption while the minister Bai Gui asked that the labour be postponed.
Souyun余子俊 (42170)The biographical notice records that the then governor Wang Rui had proposed building forts and walls as a long-term measure but was dismissed before the work began, that Yu Zijun memorialized for its resumption, and that the minister Bai Gui asked for the labour to be postponed because the people of Shaanxi were exhausted.
[5]Transfer to Yulin and the frontier wallOn taking up the Yansui command, Yu Zijun moved his headquarters from Wubao to Yulin and built more than 1,700 li of frontier wall.
Souyun余子俊 (42170)The biographical notice records that on reaching his post he moved the headquarters from Wubao to Yulin and built more than 1,700 li of frontier wall.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB links his governorship with Yansui and with the Yulin garrison.
[6]Mongol incursions and the OrdosYu Zijun drove back Mongol incursions together with Zhu Yong and Xu Ning, while raiders repeatedly entered the Ordos and Ming expeditions achieved little.
Souyun余子俊 (42170)The biographical notice records that when Mongol raids broke out Yu Zijun drove them back together with Zhu Yong and Xu Ning, and that raiders invaded the Ordos region where repeated Ming expeditions were unsuccessful.
[7]Promotion to censor-in-chiefYu Zijun was promoted to left vice censor-in-chief and, for the raid at Hongyanchi, to right censor-in-chief.
Souyun余子俊 (42170)The biographical notice records that he was promoted to left vice censor-in-chief and, the following year, to right censor-in-chief for the exploit of destroying the camp at Hongyanchi.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB records his tenure as left vice censor-in-chief and as right censor-in-chief.
[8]Request for retirementIn 1474 Yu Zijun asked leave to care for his aged mother but was retained in office.
Souyun余子俊 (42170)The biographical notice records that in 1474 he asked to retire because his mother was old, but was retained rather than permitted to leave.
[9]Governorship of Shaanxi and waterworksTransferred to Shaanxi, Yu Zijun opened the canal known as Yugongqu and led water through the hills at Jingyang, works said to benefit the region for generations.
Souyun余子俊 (42170)The biographical notice records that he was transferred to Shaanxi and opened a canal at Xi'an running past the old Han city wall to the Wei River, known to the people as Yugongqu, and that at Jingyang he cut through hills to irrigate more than a thousand qing of farmland, all his works benefiting the region for generations.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB records him as governor in the Shaanxi provincial administration from 1475 to 1477; another account places his transfer to Shaanxi in 1476.
[10]Minister of War and examination readerRecalled in 1477 as minister of War, Yu Zijun fixed the rewards for military merit, restrained the governor of Guizhou, and served as a reader of the palace examination papers in 1478.
Souyun余子俊 (42170)The biographical notice records that he was recalled as minister of War in 1477, fixed the scale of rewards for military merit, and restrained the governor of Guizhou from wantonly opening hostilities.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB records him as minister of War from 1477 to 1481 and as a reader of the palace examination papers in 1478.
[11]The Chen Yue case and mourningYu Zijun argued that Chen Yue had killed tribute envoys; the emperor pardoned Chen for Wang Zhi's sake, Chen slandered Yu repeatedly, and on his mother's death Yu retired for mourning.
Souyun余子俊 (42170)The biographical notice records that he argued the case against Chen Yue for killing tribute envoys, that the emperor pardoned Chen out of regard for Wang Zhi, that Chen then repeatedly slandered Yu Zijun, and that on his mother's death he retired for mourning.
[12]Minister of Revenue and court titleAfter mourning, Yu Zijun was appointed minister of Revenue in 1483 and given a title as guardian of the heir apparent, recorded in some accounts as junior guardian and in others as guardian.
Souyun余子俊 (42170)The biographical notice records that at the end of his mourning he was appointed minister of Revenue and granted the title of guardian of the heir apparent.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB records him as minister of Revenue from 1483 to 1485 and holder of the title junior guardian of the heir apparent from 1478 to 1484.
[13]Supervision of Datong and XuanfuIn 1484 Yu Zijun was made left vice censor-in-chief and charged with military affairs at Datong and Xuanfu, where he built frontier walls for the two garrisons.
Souyun余子俊 (42170)The biographical notice records that in 1484 he was additionally made left vice censor-in-chief and charged with the supervision of military affairs at Datong and Xuanfu, and that after his return to office he supervised Xuanfu and Datong and built frontier walls for the two garrisons.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB records him as left vice censor-in-chief and as supreme commander for Xuanfu and Datong from 1484 to 1485.
[14]Impeachment and retirementImpeached for wasting military supplies, Yu Zijun lost his title and retired; one account attributes his dismissal instead to the eunuch Wei Jing's false impeachment.
Souyun余子俊 (42170)The biographical notice records that he was impeached by the vice-minister of Works Du Qian and others for wasting military supplies, lost the title of junior guardian and retired; one of the notices attributes his removal instead to a false impeachment by the eunuch Wei Jing.
[15]Return as minister of WarRecalled in 1485 as minister of War, Yu Zijun also held the offices of left censor-in-chief and governor of Datong, and in 1487 was again appointed minister of War.
Souyun余子俊 (42170)The biographical notice records that he was recalled the next year as minister of War and again granted the title of guardian of the heir apparent, and that he was reappointed minister of War late in the Chenghua reign.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB records him from 1485 to 1486 as minister of War, left censor-in-chief and governor of Datong with the title junior guardian of the heir apparent, and from 1487 to 1489 again as minister of War with the same title.
[16]Death and honoursIn 1488 Yu Zijun submitted a memorial on ten matters and died soon after; some accounts give 1489 as the year of his death, and he received the title Grand Guardian and the posthumous name Sumin.
Souyun余子俊 (42170)The biographical notice records that in 1488 he submitted a memorial on ten matters and died soon afterwards, receiving the posthumous grant of Grand Guardian and the posthumous name Sumin; the other notice places his death in 1489, whence the variant date.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB records his death in 1489, the title Grand Guardian held in that year, and the posthumous name Sumin.
WikidataYu Zijun (Q10886529)Wikidata gives 1489 as the year of his death and Sumin as his posthumous name.
[17]WritingsA collection of Yu Zijun's memorials in six juan is recorded.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB lists his memorials, the Zouyi, in six juan.
[18]Family (1)Yu Zijun's family came from Qingshen; recorded are his great-grandfather, grandfather, father, mother, father's principal wife, younger brother and wife.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB records his native place as Qingshen and names his great-grandfather Yu Decheng, grandfather Yu Yongtai, father Yu Xiang, mother née Zhang, his father's principal wife née Zhu, his younger brother Yu Ziwei and his wife née Wei.
[19]Family (2)Yu Zijun had a son, Yu Zhi, and grandsons Yu Zhengfa, Yu Chengzu and Yu Jizu.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB records his son Yu Zhi and his grandsons Yu Zhengfa, Yu Chengzu and Yu Jizu.
[20]Biographies and commemorationsLi Dongyang and Qiu Jun wrote Yu Zijun's biography, Chu Quan a sacrificial address and Liu Chun a shrine inscription.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB records Li Dongyang and Qiu Jun as authors of his biography, Chu Quan as author of a sacrificial address and Liu Chun as author of a shrine inscription.
[21]Garrison school and associatesAs governor, Yu Zijun established the Yulin garrison school and invited Ji Wen to teach there; Zhou Jilin was held in esteem by Yu Zijun and Ma Wensheng.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB records that as governor he memorialized to establish a garrison school and invited Ji Wen to teach there with due ceremony, and that Zhou Jilin, a secretary and bureau director in the Ministry of War, was held in esteem by the ministers Yu Zijun and Ma Wensheng.
[22]ReputationYu Zijun was reckoned both a filial son and an upright official.
CBDBYu Zijun (67608)CBDB lists him both as a filial son and as an upright official.
CBDB
