Gu Yuncheng

Gu Yuncheng

Gu Yuncheng (1554-1607), the younger brother of Gu Xiancheng, was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. In the late Ming Dynasty, he was one of the "eight gentlemen of Donglin". He has been a professor in Nanjing and the head of the etiquette department. He has written eight volumes of xiaobianzhai, including three volumes of shidinglu.

In the 14th year of Wanli (1586), Jinshi was placed in the last place because of his fierce words. At that time, Gu Yuncheng did not have an official position. Seeing that some officials slandered Hai Rui, he was indignant and resisted. As a result, he was taken away from the title and sent back to his home for reflection. In the 16th year of Wanli (1588), Gu Yuncheng was recommended by the censor of Nanjing to become a professor of nankangfu. Since then, he has successively served as professor of Baoding Prefecture, doctor of Guozijian, head of the Ministry of rites, etc. In the 21st year of Wanli (1593), the emperor issued an imperial edict that "three kings should be granted together". Gu Yuncheng, Zhang Nabi and Yue Yuansheng jointly and directly advised that it was absolutely impossible. Later, he impeached Zhang Wei, a cabinet minister, and was demoted to Guangzhou magistrate for disobedience. Gu Yuncheng didn't take orders to go to his post, but asked to leave and return home.

In 1594, Gu Xiancheng was also dismissed and returned home. Gu Yuncheng and his elder brother rebuilt the Donglin Academy and gave lectures carefully, gathering people of insight to form the influential "Donglin Party". In 1607, Gu Yuncheng died in xiaobianzhai at the age of 54. In the year of the Apocalypse of the Ming Dynasty, Gu Yuncheng was pursued by the imperial court as Guanglu Shaoqing.

(overview photo source: Gu Yunxiang, painted by Ming Dynasty < / I > < I > Donglin Academy < / I > < I > collection) < / I >

Life of the characters

Youth experience

Gu Yuncheng was born in Jingli (now Zhangjing), Wuxi, on October 29, 1554, the 33rd year of Jiajing in Ming Dynasty. His family was poor and his temperament was upright and strong. His father, Gu Xue, was once the head of a pavilion in the village. He had been engaged in the business of small workshops such as bean curd, grain and rice. He was bold and unrestrained and had a lot of knowledge. Therefore, he paid attention to the education of Gu brothers. Gu Yuncheng has been intelligent since he was a child. At the age of 14, he studied under Zhang Shaoxian. In the first year of Wanli (1573), he was able to supplement all the students in the county. At that time, Shi guanmin, the governor of Changzhou, founded Longcheng Academy. Gu Xiancheng and Gu Yuncheng were selected to receive a good education in Longcheng Academy.

Return of Zhongdi

In the 14th year of Wanli (1586), Gu Yuncheng went to the palace for an examination. His countermeasures were right to the current affairs, and he directly commented on the emperor's favor of his concubine and the establishment of his crown prince. Because of Gu Yuncheng's impassioned words, he Xinquan, the paper reader, was shocked and wanted to give up. Fortunately, Wang xijue, a Bachelor of Arts, decided to enroll, but only at the end of the list. Gu Yuncheng had not been granted an official post after he became a Jinshi in the Imperial College. At this time, he met Fang huanshangshu, the censor of Nanjing, who slandered Hai Rui. Gu Yuncheng was so indignant that he joined Peng Zungu and Zhu Shouxian to impeach Fang Huan. He was jealous of the sage and slandered the upright minister. At that time, Fang Huan falsely accused Hai Rui. Most of the officials in the imperial court hated Fang Huan, but the imperial court deliberately defended Fang Huan and only criticized him symbolically. When Gu Yuncheng wrote a letter, the court said Fang Huan had been punished. Gu Yuncheng and others went beyond their ranks and ordered them to take the three men's crowns and return home for reflection. He also ordered Jiuqing to restrain Jinshi, who were in charge of affairs, and not to talk about current affairs in the future. At that time, Shen Sixiao, the imperial servant of Nanjing, sparsely interceded for Gu Yuncheng and others, and was also punished.

Rise again and demote again

Soon after, Nanjing imperial censor Chen Bangke asked to hire Gu Yuncheng and others, but was not allowed. In the 16th year of Wanli (1588), Gu Yuncheng was recommended by the censor of Nanjing, and became a professor of Nankang. Since then, he has successively served as professor of Baoding Prefecture, doctor of Guozijian, head of the Ministry of rites, etc. In the 21st year of Wanli (1593), the emperor issued an edict that "three kings were granted the same title". Gu Yuncheng, together with Zhang Nabi and Yue Yuansheng, advised that it was absolutely impossible, and said: "since the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, there has never been a case in which his eldest son was granted the title of King (rather than the crown prince). How can Wang xijue decide this matter, and how can the emperor create it (against the instructions of his ancestors)" Before that, Zhu Weijing, Wang Rujian, Tu Jie, Wang Xuezeng and other officials had been demoted. More and more officials had written to remonstrate them. The emperor knew that he could not punish them all, but only ordered them to comply with the orders. Soon after, Sun Chen, the Minister of the Ministry of official, was punished for mentioning the matter again. Gu Yuncheng also presided over justice, and Shangshu accused the cabinet minister Zhang Wei, which also involved Wang xijue. Zhang Nabi followed suit. After seeing this, the emperor was enraged and demoted Gu Yuncheng to Guangzhou magistrate and Zhang Nabi to Dengzhou magistrate. Gu Yuncheng didn't take orders to go to his post, but asked to leave and return home, and never came back.

Give lectures with my brother

In 1594, Gu Xiancheng was also dismissed and returned home. The two brothers decided to give lectures and publicize their political ideas. During the ten years from 1594 to 1603, Gu Yuncheng and Gu Xiancheng gave lectures in their hometown. Scholars in the south of the Yangtze River are attracted by the wind, and the guest houses in Jingli are full of listeners. At that time, Zhang Jing became an important activity center of academic thought dissemination in Wuxi area. In the 32nd year of Wanli (1604), the Gu brothers decided to restore the Donglin Academy in Wuxi City, which was funded and supported by many local people, even Changzhou Prefecture and Wuxi County Magistrate. In October of the same year, Gu Yuncheng, Gu Xiancheng, Gao Panlong, an Xifan, Liu Yuanzhen, Qian yiben, Xue PuJiao, ye maocai (eight gentlemen of Donglin) and others launched the Donglin conference and formulated the Donglin convention, which stipulated that the conference should be held once or twice a year and the small meeting should be held once a month. after the restoration of Donglin Academy, Gu Yuncheng and Gu Xiancheng went out early and came back late to give lectures. Due to the gathering of scholars in the south of the Yangtze River in the Academy, the Gu brothers not only spoke with others to discuss and answer questions, but also arranged meals and dormitories for the students. At that time, there was no other habitat for Gu family except Donglin Academy in Wuxi City. For the convenience of lecturing, free from hard work. In the year after the restoration of the Academy, Gu Yuncheng invested in the purchase of a homestead after Donglin Academy to build "xiaobianzhai" as his residence and lecture place in the city.

After death

Gu Yuncheng died in xiaobianzhai on June 21, the 35th year of Wanli (1607) at the age of 54. There are eight volumes of Xiao Bian Zhai Mo Cun (with three volumes of Shi Ding Lu). In the middle of the year of the apocalypse in the Ming Dynasty, Gu Yuncheng and Zhang Nabi were pursued by the imperial court as Guanglu Shaoqing.

Main achievements

Gu Yuncheng is a famous Neo Confucianist and thinker in the late Ming Dynasty. He and his elder brother Gu Xiancheng rebuilt the Donglin Academy, known as one of the "eight gentlemen of Donglin". Huang Zongxi, a thinker at the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty, listed Gu Xiancheng, Gao Panlong, Qian yiben, sun Shenxing, Gu Yuncheng, Shi Menglin, Liu Yongcheng, Xue PuJiao, ye maocai, Xu Shiqing, Geng Ju, Liu Yuanzhen, Huang zunsu, Wu Guisen, Wu zhongluan, Hua Yuncheng and Chen Longzheng as the main representatives of Donglin school Things. Gu Yuncheng was at the top of the list, ranking fifth. Gu Yuncheng is one of the key figures in the generation, formation and gradual improvement of Donglin school. All his life, he pursued and persevered in the study of Confucian Neo Confucianism. His purpose was to summon the society with the banner of lecturing, inspire and guide the people with practical and useful academic thoughts, get rid of the accumulated abuses of the government and the public, revitalize the administration of officials, and save the country. Gu Yuncheng and others advocated the patriotic practical learning thought, which was an important force that had a great impact on the social change and development in the late Ming Dynasty, and is still respected by later generations.

Character evaluation

History of the Ming Dynasty: "Gengjie, Li Mingjie." Zhu Wenjie: "Gu Yuncheng was quiet, neat, simple and unadorned. Love to ponder, reading is not the game. Usually the speech is not many, the silence is nearly dull. But when it comes to right and wrong, he has a clear attitude, makes a clean break, and never gives in to ambiguity. He is an official and gives lectures. He is upright and never favors others for personal gain. "

Family members

Father: Gu Xue elder brother: Gu Xingcheng, Gu Xiancheng

Commemoration of later generations

Xiaobianzhai

In 1605, Gu Yuncheng built "xiaobianzhai" at the intersection of sujianong and RUOYE Lane behind Donglin Academy as a place for his lectures. Xiaobianzhai is located in the south of the north, only one lane away from Donglin Academy in the south. The front and back of the building are divided into four parts, connected by a long corridor, followed by a flower bed, close to Gonghe river. In the 1990s, it was demolished due to land requisition and rebuilt in the original site in early 2000. Xiaobianzhai is a famous lecture site and an important historic site in Wuxi City. There are records in the historical sites in volume 20 of Changzhou Fu Zhi written by Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty, as well as the county annals of Wuxi in the past dynasties. When xiaobianzhai was completed, Tang Xianzu, a famous dramatist of the Ming Dynasty, was invited to write a record of xiaobianzhai. In the 11th year of Wanli, Tang Xianzu and Gu Yuncheng of Jiangxi Province went to Beijing to participate in the examination. Tang became a Jinshi, but Gu was abandoned. However, they still had the friendship of "the same year", so Tang Xianzu was invited to write Zhaiji.

Memorial Hall

There is a Gu Xiancheng Memorial Hall in Yuanji lane, Zhangjing Town, Wuxi, which is the birthplace of Gu Xiancheng and Gu Yuncheng. The duanju hall in the memorial hall is five rooms wide and decorated with Feixian carvings between the beams. There are two compartments in the front, and a pair of bluestone lions in front of the front door. The back of the hall used to be a garden surrounded by corridors. The pavilions, waterside pavilions and rockery trees in the garden are very secluded. During the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, Gu Gaozhong, a descendant of the Gu family, became the number one scholar, so he built a number one scholar hall behind the garden.

Chinese PinYin : Gu Yun Cheng