Cheng Xin

TimelineCBDB

1. 1445 吏科掌科事給事中 正統
2. 1450 冊封華陽王副使 景泰
3. 1450 冊封華陽王妃副使 景泰
4. 1450 吏科掌科事左給事中 景泰
5. 1452 布政使司右參政 景泰
6. 1457 太僕寺少卿 天順
7. 1458 巡撫左僉都御史 天順
8. 1458 都察院左僉都御史 天順
9. 1460 太僕寺少卿 天順
10. 1461 刑部右侍郎 天順
11. 1465 兵部右侍郎 成化
12. 1465 兵部左侍郎 成化
13. 1467 兵部尚書 成化
14. 1468 大理寺卿 成化
15. 1470 兵部尚書 成化
16. 1470 參贊機務 成化
17. 1470 大理寺卿 成化
18. 1457 參知政事 景泰

Office recordsCBDB

FamilyCBDB

AliasesCBDB

• 一 行第
• 彥實 字
• 晴洲釣者 室名、別號
• 襄毅 諡號

StatusCBDB

• [為官者：文]

AssociationsCBDB

ExaminationsCBDB

WorksCBDB

Citations

1. [1] Name and dates Cheng Xin was a Ming dynasty official, born in 1417 and dying in 1479.
   • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records the name Cheng Xin, a man of the Ming, born in 1417 and dying in 1479, classed among civil officials.
   • Souyun程信 (50291)Records Cheng Xin as a man of Xiuning in Huizhou prefecture under the Ming, with dates 1417 to 1479.
   • WikidataCheng Xin (Q15908184)Gives his name as Cheng Xin, his birth as 1417, his death as 1479, and describes him as a politician.
2. [2] Names Cheng Xin's courtesy name was Yanshi, his art name was Qingzhou diaozhe, and his posthumous name was Xiangyi.
   • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records his courtesy name as Yanshi, his studio name as Qingzhou diaozhe, and his posthumous name as Xiangyi.
   • Souyun程信 (50291)Records his courtesy name Yanshi and his posthumous name Xiangyi.
   • WikidataCheng Xin (Q15908184)Records the names Yanshi, Xiangyi and Qingzhou diaozhe.
3. [3] Native place His native place is given as either Hejian or Xiuning, one account making him a man of Hejian with ancestral roots in Xiuning and another a native of Xiuning.
   • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Both Hejian and Xiuning are recorded: Hejian as a basic place of registration and as a place of migration, Xiuning as a basic place of registration, an alternative basic place, and a place of household registration.
   • Souyun程信 (50291)One account calls him a man of Xiuning in Huizhou prefecture; another calls him a man of Hejian in Zhili whose ancestral home was Xiuning county.
4. [4] Examinations and first office Cheng Xin began as a prefectural school student, passed the provincial examination, became a jinshi in 1442 ranked ninety-first in the third class, and was appointed supervising secretary in the Office of Scrutiny for Personnel.
   • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records him as a prefectural school student and a provincial graduate, a jinshi of the third class ranked ninety-first, and a supervising secretary of the Office of Scrutiny for Personnel.
   • Souyun程信 (50291)Records his jinshi degree in the seventh year of Zhengtong and his appointment as supervising secretary in the Office of Scrutiny for Personnel.
5. [5] Defence of the capital Early in the Jingtai reign, during the defence of the capital, Cheng Xin earned merit in guarding the city and was charged with commanding the troops on the western wall.
   • Souyun程信 (50291)Records that early in the reign of the Jingtai emperor Cheng Xin earned merit in guarding the capital, and that during the defence of the capital he was charged with commanding the troops on the western wall.
6. [6] Sun Tang episode The commander Sun Tang, defeated by Esen, wished to enter the city, but Cheng Xin refused him and supported him with arrows and cannon from the wall, so that Sun Tang drove Esen back.
   • Souyun程信 (50291)Records that Sun Tang, defeated in battle against Esen, wished to enter the city; Cheng Xin refused and instead directed arrows and cannon from the wall, whereupon Sun Tang fought the harder and drove Esen back.
7. [7] Relief and investiture mission In 1450 Cheng Xin asked for relief for the starving people of the capital region, was promoted to left supervising secretary, and served as deputy envoy for the investiture of the Prince of Huayang and his consort.
   • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records his appointment in 1450 as left supervising secretary of the Office of Scrutiny for Personnel and his service that year as deputy envoy for the investiture of the Prince of Huayang and of the prince's consort.
   • Souyun程信 (50291)Records that in 1450 he petitioned for famine relief for the starving people of the capital region and was promoted to left supervising secretary.
8. [8] Shandong and Sichuan In the Jingtai period Cheng Xin became right administration commissioner of Shandong, supervised supplies in Liaodong, quarrelled with the grand coordinator Kou Shen, left office for mourning, and was then appointed administration commissioner of Sichuan, where he broke the Heihu stockades with the vice minister Luo Qi.
   • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records his successive posts as right administration commissioner of the Shandong provincial administration commission, right and left administration commissioner, and administration commissioner of the Sichuan provincial administration commission, the Shandong post being dated to the third to sixth years of Jingtai.
   • Souyun程信 (50291)Dates his appointment as right administration commissioner of Shandong to the year after his promotion in 1450, which differs from the office record placing it in the third year of Jingtai; also records his supervision of supplies in Liaodong, his quarrel with the grand coordinator Kou Shen, his departure for mourning, his later appointment in Sichuan, and his breaking of the Heihu stockades with the vice minister Luo Qi.
9. [9] Court of the Imperial Stud In 1457 Cheng Xin was transferred to be vice minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud, an office one account gives as chief minister of that court.
   • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records his appointment in 1457 as vice minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud.
   • Souyun程信 (50291)Records that in 1457 he was promoted to chief minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud, an office name that differs from the recorded post of vice minister (少卿).
10. [10] Horse requisitioning and the three camps Cheng Xin again took charge of the requisitioning of horses; the restoration heroes Shi Heng, Sun Tang and Cao Qin shielded their subordinates and asked that his office be transferred to the Ministry of War, but he reasoned with them and Emperor Yingzong kept him at the Court of the Imperial Stud.
    • Souyun程信 (50291)Records that he took charge again of the requisitioning of horses, that the three camp generals Shi Heng, Sun Tang and Cao Qin, all heroes of the restoration, shielded their subordinates and asked to have Cheng Xin transferred to the Ministry of War, and that Emperor Yingzong nevertheless kept him in charge of the Court of the Imperial Stud.
11. [11] Grand coordinator of Liaodong In 1458 Cheng Xin became left assistant censor-in-chief and grand coordinator of Liaodong.
    • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records his posts as left assistant censor-in-chief in the Censorate and as grand coordinator, with Liaodong as his jurisdiction, in 1458 to 1460.
    • Souyun程信 (50291)Records that in the year following 1457 he was made left assistant censor-in-chief and grand coordinator of Liaodong.
12. [12] Hu Ding case and demotion Cheng Xin arrested Hu Ding after his impeachment of Xia Lin, was censured by Men Da, impeached by Kou Shen, imprisoned, and demoted to vice minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud at Nanjing.
    • Souyun程信 (50291)Records that when Hu Ding impeached the regional commander Xia Lin, Cheng Xin had Hu Ding imprisoned; that Men Da held he had exceeded his authority in memorialising, and that Kou Shen, then in charge of the Censorate, impeached him, so that he was imprisoned and demoted to vice minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud at Nanjing.
    • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records his service as vice minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud at Nanjing.
13. [13] Vice minister of Justice In 1461 Cheng Xin was summoned to be right vice minister of Justice but returned home to mourn his mother.
    • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records his tenure as right vice minister of Justice from 1461 to 1464.
    • Souyun程信 (50291)Records that in 1461 he was summoned to be right vice minister of Justice and went home for mourning for his mother.
14. [14] Left vice minister of War In 1465 Cheng Xin was appointed left vice minister of War.
    • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records his appointment in 1465 as right vice minister of War and then as left vice minister of War.
    • Souyun程信 (50291)Records that in 1465 he was appointed left vice minister of War.
15. [15] Sichuan campaign In 1467, during the revolt of the Shanduzhang people of Sichuan, the court appointed Li Jin and the eunuch Liu Heng and advanced Cheng Xin to minister of War; his dispositions succeeded and he became concurrently chief minister of the Court of Judicial Review, sharing the Ministry of War with Bai Gui.
    • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records that he was advanced to minister of War in 1467 and concurrently held the post of chief minister of the Court of Judicial Review from 1468.
    • Souyun程信 (50291)Records that he put down the revolt of the Shanduzhang people of Sichuan, that the court made Li Jin, Bo of Xiangcheng, commander-in-chief and the eunuch Liu Heng overseer, and advanced Cheng Xin to minister of War, whose dispositions were successful; he then concurrently became chief minister of the Court of Judicial Review, sharing the direction of the Ministry of War with Bai Gui.
16. [16] Petitions to resign Censors impeached him repeatedly and he four times petitioned to resign, without success.
    • Souyun程信 (50291)Records that, as censors impeached him one after another, Cheng Xin four times petitioned to resign but was not permitted to do so.
17. [17] Nanjing and retirement In 1470 Cheng Xin was transferred to be minister of War at Nanjing and to assist in military affairs, and in 1471 he retired.
    • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records his transfer in 1470 to be minister of War at Nanjing, his appointment to assist in military affairs, and the end of these posts in 1471.
    • Souyun程信 (50291)Records that in 1470 he was transferred to be minister of War at Nanjing and to assist in military affairs, and that he retired the following year.
18. [18] Death year dispute His year of death is disputed, given as 1479 in one account and 1472 in another.
    • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records his year of death as 1479.
    • Souyun程信 (50291)One account gives his dates as 1417 to 1479, another states that he died in 1472; the two versions are recorded side by side.
    • WikidataCheng Xin (Q15908184)Records his year of death as 1479.
19. [19] Posthumous honours After his death Cheng Xin was granted the title Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent and the posthumous name Xiangyi.
    • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records his title of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, held in the Chenghua era, and his posthumous name Xiangyi.
    • Souyun程信 (50291)Records that after his death he was granted the title Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent and the posthumous name Xiangyi.
    • WikidataCheng Xin (Q15908184)Records his posthumous name as Xiangyi.
20. [20] Writings Cheng Xin wrote the Rongxuan gao, the Qingzhou ji and the Qingchuan diaozhe ji, as well as the memorials Zhongxing guben shi ce and Xiude shu.
    • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Lists his works as the Rongxuan gao, Qingzhou ji and Qingchuan diaozhe ji, together with the Zhongxing guben shi ce and Xiude shu.
21. [21] Ancestry and marriage Cheng Xin's great-great-grandfather was Cheng She, his great-grandfather Cheng Jifu, his grandfather Cheng Dushou, his father Cheng Sheng and his mother née Zhang, and he married a woman of the Lin family.
    • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records his great-great-grandfather Cheng She, great-grandfather Cheng Jifu (also written Cheng Jifu 吉甫), grandfather Cheng Dushou (also written Cheng Sheshou 社壽), father Cheng Sheng, mother née Zhang, and wife née Lin.
22. [22] Descendants Cheng Xin's younger brother was Cheng Ming, his son Cheng Minzheng, his nephew Cheng Mincong, and his grandsons Cheng Qi and Cheng Kai.
    • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records his younger brother Cheng Ming (1429–1488), his son Cheng Minzheng (1445–1499), his nephew Cheng Mincong, and his grandsons Cheng Qi and Cheng Kai.
23. [23] Recommendation and memorial writings Li Xian once recommended Cheng Xin and Yang Shouchen wrote him parting words; after his death Liu Xu composed his tomb inscription, He Qiaoxin a sacrificial address, Li Dongyang and Ni Yue dirges, Cheng Minzheng his conduct record and stele inscription, and Peng Hua a shrine record.
    • CBDBCheng Xin (29599)Records that Li Xian recommended Cheng Xin, that Yang Shouchen wrote him parting words, and that after his death his tomb inscription was composed by Liu Xu, a sacrificial address by He Qiaoxin, dirges by Li Dongyang and Ni Yue, a stele inscription and conduct record by Cheng Minzheng, and a shrine record by Peng Hua.