[1]Name, dates, names and native placeLiu Xu was a Ming dynasty official and poet, also known as a calligrapher, born in 1426 and dead in 1490, with the courtesy name Shuwen and the style name Guzhi, a native of Shouguang in Shandong; his poems are recorded in the Mingshi jishi and the Yuxuan mingshi xingming jueli.
CBDBLiu Xu (67521)Gives his name as Liu Xu (劉珝), a man of the Ming dynasty born in 1426 and dead in 1490, with the courtesy name Shuwen and the style name Guzhi, a native of Shouguang, and lists him as a calligrapher.
Souyun劉珝 (43033)Gives his name, dates and native place, his courtesy name Shuwen and his style name Guzhi, and lists him in the Yuxuan mingshi xingming jueli and the Mingshi jishi.
WikidataLiu Xu (Q10900170)Gives his Chinese label Liu Xu (劉珝), the dates 1426 and 1490, his courtesy name Shuwen (叔溫) and his style name Guzhi (古直).
[2]AncestryThe examination record gives his great-grandfather Liu Rang, his grandfather Liu Liangzuo, his father Liu Bing and his mother, a woman of the Li family.
CBDBLiu Xu (67521)The examination record gives his great-grandfather Liu Rang, his grandfather Liu Liangzuo, his father Liu Bing and his mother, a woman of the Li family.
WikidataLiu Xu (Q10900170)Also links a father and a mother, but only as item numbers, without names.
[3]Brothers and wifeRecords his elder brothers Liu Huan and Liu Xun, his younger brothers Liu Ting, Liu Wan and Liu Yue, his wife, a woman of the Zhang family, and his birth order as the third son.
CBDBLiu Xu (67521)Records his elder brothers Liu Huan and Liu Xun, his younger brothers Liu Ting, Liu Wan and Liu Yue, his wife, a woman of the Zhang family, and his birth order as the third son.
WikidataLiu Xu (Q10900170)Also links a wife, but only as an item number, without a name.
[4]Examination careerRecords him as a jinshi of the thirteenth year of Zhengtong (1448), thirty-third in the second class, with the additional statuses of provincial graduate, prefectural school student and National Academy student.
CBDBLiu Xu (67521)Records him as a jinshi, thirty-third in the second class, and lists the further statuses of provincial graduate, prefectural school student and National Academy student.
Souyun劉珝 (43033)All the biographical accounts make him a jinshi of the thirteenth year of Zhengtong, given in two of them as the wuchen year; the thirteenth year of Zhengtong is 1448.
[5]Hanlin bachelor, compiler and senior compilerRecords his selection as a Hanlin bachelor, his appointment as a compiler of the Hanlin Academy and his later promotion to senior compiler.
CBDBLiu Xu (67521)Records his selection as a Hanlin bachelor, his appointment as compiler of the Hanlin Academy and his promotion to senior compiler.
Souyun劉珝 (43033)Records his selection as a Hanlin bachelor, his appointment as a compiler and his service in the Eastern Palace.
[6]Eastern Palace lecturer and Chenghua-era officesRecords his service in the Tianshun era as a Right Assistant Director of the Right Spring Chancellery and lecturer to the heir apparent, and his offices after the Chenghua Emperor's accession: vice-minister and chief minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and reader of the Hanlin Academy.
CBDBLiu Xu (67521)Records his office of Right Assistant Director of the Right Spring Chancellery in the Tianshun era and his subsequent offices as vice-minister and chief minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and reader of the Hanlin Academy.
Souyun劉珝 (43033)Records that he served as Right Assistant Director, rose repeatedly to be chief minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and lectured the heir apparent.
[7]Advancement of 1474 and entry into the Grand SecretariatRecords his advancement in 1474 to Left Vice-Minister of Personnel and appointment as imperial lecturer, and his appointment the following year as concurrent Hanlin academician and his entry into the Wenyuan Pavilion to take part in the business of the Grand Secretariat.
CBDBLiu Xu (67521)Records his advancement to Left Vice-Minister of Personnel in the tenth year of Chenghua and his Hanlin academicianship in the eleventh year.
Souyun劉珝 (43033)Records that he became Left Vice-Minister of Personnel and imperial lecturer in the tenth year of Chenghua and the next year was made concurrently a Hanlin academician and entered the Grand Secretariat; the tenth year of Chenghua is 1474.
[8]The name Mr. Liu of the EastRecords that his lecturing was praised by the Hanlin academician Liu Dingzhi as the best of the imperial lecturers, that the emperor esteemed him, and that he was known by the nickname Mr. Liu of the East.
CBDBLiu Xu (67521)Records his alternative name Dongliu xiansheng (Mr. Liu of the East).
Souyun劉珝 (43033)Records that his lecturing was called the best of the lecturers by Liu Dingzhi and that the emperor accordingly addressed him as Dongliu xiansheng.
WikidataLiu Xu (Q10900170)Records Dongliu xiansheng among his alternative names.
[9]Grand secretariat offices and the Wenhua daxunRecords his appointment as Minister of Personnel and Minister of Revenue, the grant of the title Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, his concurrent grand secretaryship of the Wenyuan Pavilion, and his promotion to Guardian of the Heir Apparent and Grand Secretary of the Jinshen Hall on the completion of the Wenhua daxun.
CBDBLiu Xu (67521)Records his offices as Minister of Personnel and Minister of Revenue, the title Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, his concurrent grand secretaryship of the Wenyuan Pavilion and his promotion to Grand Secretary of the Jinshen Hall, and lists the Wenhua daxun.
Souyun劉珝 (43033)Records that he became Minister of Personnel, received the titles Junior Guardian and then Guardian of the Heir Apparent and the grand secretaryships of the Wenyuan Pavilion and the Jinshen Hall, and that the completion of the Wenhua daxun brought him the title Guardian of the Heir Apparent.
[10]Examination and lecturing dutiesRecords his repeated service as a reader of palace examination papers and his service as examiner at the metropolitan examination, lecturer at the classics colloquium and compiler of official works.
CBDBLiu Xu (67521)Records his repeated service as a reader of palace examination papers and his offices as metropolitan examiner, lecturer at the classics colloquium and compiler of official works.
[11]Personal integrity in officeRecords his personal integrity, his rescue of the bureau vice-director Lin Jun after Lin's impeachment of the eunuch Liang Fang and the monk Jixiao, and his secret memorial of remonstrance when the Daoist Li Zixing disturbed the government.
Souyun劉珝 (43033)Records that he was upright by nature, that he secured the release of the bureau vice-director Lin Jun after Lin impeached the eunuch Liang Fang and the monk Jixiao, and that he sent up a secret memorial when the Daoist Li Zixing disturbed the government.
[12]The three paper-paste grand secretariesRecords the three members of the Grand Secretariat, the collective name of the three paper-paste grand secretaries, and Liu Xu's quarrel with Wan An, whom he denounced as a shameless betrayer of the state.
Souyun劉珝 (43033)Records that he was one of the three paper-paste grand secretaries together with Wan An and Liu Ji, that he was on bad terms with Wan An and once rebuked him as a shameless betrayer of the state.
[13]Abolition of the Western Depot and retirementRecords that in 1482 Wan An memorialised for the abolition of the Western Depot, that Liu Xu refused to sign jointly with him, that Wan An and Liu Ji then conspired to accuse him of communicating with Wang Zhi, and that his tenure as Minister of Revenue and Grand Secretary of the Jinshen Hall ended in 1485.
Souyun劉珝 (43033)Records that in the eighteenth year of Chenghua (1482) Wan An memorialised for the abolition of the Western Depot, that Liu Xu would not sign with him, and that he was finally forced from power by the conspiracy of Wan An and Liu Ji.
CBDBLiu Xu (67521)Records that his tenures as Minister of Revenue and Grand Secretary of the Jinshen Hall both ended in the twenty-first year of Chenghua (1485), alongside the accounts of his loss of power.
[14]Contemporaries' judgementRecords the judgement of contemporaries that he was somewhat better than Wan An and Liu Ji but given to attacking others, and the entry of Peng Hua and Yin Zhi into the Grand Secretariat after his withdrawal.
Souyun劉珝 (43033)Records that contemporaries thought him somewhat better than the other two but regarded him as a man of violent temper for his constant censure, and that after his hurried withdrawal Peng Hua and Yin Zhi entered the Grand Secretariat while power remained with the faction of Wan An and Liu Ji.
[15]MourningRecords his three years of mourning at his mother's grave, his care of his father after his return, and his second period of mourning at his father's grave.
Souyun劉珝 (43033)Records that he lived three years in a hut at his mother's grave, served his father with filial devotion, and lived at the grave again after his father's death.
[16]Death, posthumous honours and shrineRecords his death in 1490, the posthumous grant of the title Grand Guardian and the posthumous name Wenhe, and the shrine tablet Zhaoxian granted in the early Jiajing period.
Souyun劉珝 (43033)Records his death in the third year of Hongzhi (1490), the posthumous grant of the title Grand Guardian and the posthumous name Wenhe, and the grant of the shrine tablet Zhaoxian in the early Jiajing period.
CBDBLiu Xu (67521)Records his posthumous name Wenhe and lists the office of Grand Guardian (Taibao), which begins in the third year of Hongzhi.
[17]Calligraphy, epitaphs and stelesRecords that he was a calligrapher and that he wrote epitaphs for Cheng Xin, Ni Qian, Han Yong, Zhou Xuan, Cui Gong and Ma Ang, and spirit-way steles for Li Gang, Lin Cong, Zhang Gang and Dong Fang.
CBDBLiu Xu (67521)Records that he was a calligrapher and that he composed epitaphs for Cheng Xin, Ni Qian, Han Yong, Zhou Xuan, Cui Gong and Ma Ang.
[18]AssociatesRecords that He Qiaoxin addressed a letter to him, that Xu Pu praised his conduct in office, and that Cui Xian wrote a record for his shrine.
CBDBLiu Xu (67521)Records that He Qiaoxin addressed a letter to him, that Xu Pu praised his conduct in office, and that Cui Xian wrote a record for his shrine.
[19]WritingsRecords his collected works under the titles Guzhi xiansheng ji (in sixteen juan), Guzhi ji and Liu Guzhi ji, together with the official works Huanyu tongzhi, Wenhua daxun, Veritable Records of the Yingzong Emperor and Continuation of the Zizhi tongjian gangmu.
CBDBLiu Xu (67521)Lists his Guzhi xiansheng ji in sixteen juan and the works Huanyu tongzhi, Wenhua daxun, Veritable Records of the Yingzong Emperor and Xu zizhi tongjian gangmu associated with his name.
Souyun劉珝 (43033)Gives his collection as Liu Guzhi ji, as Guzhi ji and as Guzhi xiansheng ji in sixteen juan respectively.
[20]Poetry anthologiesRecords his name in the Yuxuan mingshi xingming jueli and in the Mingshi jishi, section 18 of the yi series.
Souyun劉珝 (43033)Lists his name in the Yuxuan mingshi xingming jueli and in the Mingshi jishi, section 18 of the yi series.
CBDB
