[1]Name, origin and datesZhou Yan was an official of the Ming dynasty, with the courtesy name Nanqiao, the art name Yanshan (also written Yanshan 儼山), a native of Jishui county, Ji'an prefecture, Jiangxi; he lived from 1499 to 1561 and received the posthumous name Jiansu.
CBDBZhou Yan (68302)CBDB records his name as Zhou Yan, his courtesy name as Nanqiao, his art name as Yanshan, his posthumous name as Jiansu, his dynasty as Ming, his birth and death years as 1499 and 1561, and Jishui as both his place of origin and his registered residence.
Souyun周延 (44098)The person record gives Zhou Yan as a man of the Ming, born in 1499 and died in 1561, a native of Jishui county in Ji'an prefecture, Jiangxi; his courtesy name was Nanqiao, his art name Yanshan, with another account giving the variant Yanshan 儼山, and his posthumous name was Jiansu.
WikidataZhou Yan (Q30941772)Wikidata gives his name as Zhou Yan, his courtesy name as Nanqiao, his art name as Yanshan and his posthumous name as Jiansu, with 1499 and 1561 as his years of birth and death.
[2]ExaminationsZhou Yan placed fortieth in the Jiangxi provincial examination of 1522 and in 1523 passed the metropolitan examination in ninety-eighth place and was ranked 155th in the third class of the palace examination.
Souyun周延 (44098)The biographical account records that he was fortieth in the Jiangxi provincial examination of 1522 and in the following year passed the metropolitan examination in ninety-eighth place and was placed in the third class (155th) among the jinshi.
CBDBZhou Yan (68302)CBDB records his examination status as jinshi.
[3]Magistracies and Bureau of WarHe was first magistrate of Qianjiang and then of Xinhui, where he was noted for good administration and entered in the shrines of local worthies of both counties; in 1528 he was promoted to supervising secretary of the Bureau of War.
CBDBZhou Yan (68302)CBDB records that he served as magistrate of Qianjiang and of Xinhui, and that he took up the post of supervising secretary of the Bureau of War in 1528 (the seventh year of Jiajing).
Souyun周延 (44098)The biographical accounts record his magistracies at Qianjiang and Xinhui, his good administration and enshrinement among the local worthies of both places, and his promotion to supervising secretary of the Bureau of War in 1528.
[4]Demotion and provincial postsHe memorialised against the forfeiture of Wang Shouren's title of Count of Xinjian, was demoted to assistant prefect of Taicang, left office for mourning, and after the mourning period was appointed at Suzhou, serving in the Nanjing Ministry of Personnel and in the Guangdong provincial administration.
Souyun周延 (44098)The biographical account records that he memorialised against the forfeiture of the title of Count of Xinjian from Wang Shouren, was thereupon demoted to assistant prefect of Taicang, left office for mourning, and after the mourning period was appointed at Suzhou, going on to serve as a bureau director in the Nanjing Ministry of Personnel and as a counsellor in the Guangdong provincial administration.
CBDBZhou Yan (68302)CBDB records his posts as assistant prefect of Taicang, director of the merit evaluation bureau in the Ministry of Personnel at Nanjing, and vice commissioner of the Guangdong surveillance commission and right and left counsellor in the same province.
[5]Fujian, Guangdong and YingtianIn 1545 he became surveillance commissioner of Fujian and in 1547 left provincial administration commissioner of Guangdong; in the same year he was made grand coordinator of Yingtian as right vice censor-in-chief, suppressed Lin Cheng's rebellion, and was promoted to right vice minister of War with command of military affairs in Guangdong and Guangxi.
Souyun周延 (44098)The biographical account records his transfer to the Fujian surveillance commission in 1545, to the left provincial administration commission of Guangdong in 1547, and in the same year his appointment as grand coordinator of Yingtian with the title of right vice censor-in-chief, the suppression of Lin Cheng's rebellion, and his promotion to right vice minister of War with command of military affairs in Guangdong and Guangxi.
CBDBZhou Yan (68302)CBDB dates his Fujian surveillance commissionership to 1545, his Guangdong left provincial administration commissionership to 1547, his right vice censor-in-chief post with the Yingtian grand coordinatorship also to 1547, and his right vice ministership of War to the years around 1550.
[6]Nanjing offices and CensorateHe was recalled in 1551 as left vice minister of Justice and then served as right censor-in-chief at Nanjing; in 1552 he became minister of Personnel at Nanjing, one account giving minister of Rites there, and was afterwards transferred to the Ministry of War with a share in military affairs. In 1555 he was recalled as left censor-in-chief, assessed officials impartially, and was known with Zheng Xiao and Ma Sen as one of the 'Three Impartial Ones'; in 1558 he received the title junior guardian of the heir apparent.
Souyun周延 (44098)One biographical account records his recall as left vice minister of Justice in 1551, his service as right censor-in-chief at Nanjing, his appointment as minister of Rites at Nanjing the following year together with a transfer to the Ministry of War, his recall as left censor-in-chief in 1555, his impartial assessment of officials, and his repute with Zheng Xiao and Ma Sen as the 'Three Impartial Ones'; the other account instead makes him minister of Personnel at Nanjing before his move to the Censorate.
CBDBZhou Yan (68302)CBDB records his left vice ministership of Justice in 1551, his right censor-in-chiefship at Nanjing, his appointment as minister of Personnel at Nanjing in 1552, his transfer to the Ministry of War with a share in military affairs in 1553, his left censor-in-chief post from 1555 at the capital, and the title of junior guardian of the heir apparent in 1558.
[7]Recommendation of frontier talentOn the proposal of the supervising secretary Xu Pu the Jiajing Emperor ordered court and provincial officials to recommend talent for the frontier; Guo Zonggao, Cao Bangfu, Wu Yue, Zou Shouyi and Luo Hongxian were among those named, and after the censor Luo Tingwei objected, Zhou Yan and Wu Peng submitted that the men were worthy of confidence, whereupon the emperor rebuked them and the recommendation was abandoned.
Souyun周延 (44098)The biographical account records the order of the Jiajing Emperor, on the proposal of the supervising secretary Xu Pu, that court officials and provincial governors recommend talent for the frontier; the names of the former vice minister Guo Zonggao, the censors-in-chief Cao Bangfu and Wu Yue, the libationer Zou Shouyi and the compiler Luo Hongxian among those recommended; the objection of the censor Luo Tingwei; the representation of Zhou Yan with the minister Wu Peng and others; and the emperor's displeasure and the abandonment of the recommendation.
[8]Death and honoursZhou Yan died in office in 1561, was posthumously granted the title grand guardian of the heir apparent and the posthumous name Jiansu, and has a biography in the Mingshi.
Souyun周延 (44098)The biographical account records his death in office in 1561, the posthumous grant of the title grand guardian of the heir apparent, the posthumous name Jiansu, and his biography in the Mingshi.
CBDBZhou Yan (68302)CBDB likewise records the posthumous title grand guardian of the heir apparent.
[9]WritingsHe wrote the Jiansu gong yigao and the conduct record of Zhang Jiong, right vice censor-in-chief of the Censorate.
CBDBZhou Yan (68302)CBDB lists his writings as the Jiansu gong yigao and a conduct record (xingzhuang) composed for Zhang Jiong.
Souyun周延 (44098)The biographical account also notes his authorship of the Jiansu gong yigao.
[10]Posthumous and social writingsAfter his death Luo Hongxian composed his epitaph, and Xu Xumo, Luo Hongxian and Guo Rulin wrote sacrificial addresses for him; in his lifetime he received letters from Ouyang De, Xu Jie, Wang Shenzhong and Wang Cai, parting words from Ouyang De, and poems and prose from Wang Weizhen and Cai Kelian.
CBDBZhou Yan (68302)CBDB records that his epitaph was composed by Luo Hongxian; that Xu Xumo, Luo Hongxian and Guo Rulin wrote sacrificial addresses for him; that he received parting words from Ouyang De; that Wang Shenzhong, Luo Hongxian, Xu Jie, Ouyang De and Wang Cai addressed letters to him; and that Wang Weizhen and Cai Kelian presented him with poems and prose.
CBDB
