Xia Yan

Xia Yan

Xia Yan (July 14, 1482 to November 1, 1548) was born in Guixi County, Guangxin Prefecture, Jiangxi Province (now Guixi City, Jiangxi Province). In the middle of Ming Dynasty, he was a politician and litterateur. He was the son of Xia Ding.

Zhengde 12 years (1517), Jinshi and, teach pedestrian Secretary pedestrian. He is famous for his integrity and courage. After emperor Shizong of Ming Dynasty succeeded to the throne, he was ordered to eliminate the redundant members, check the imperial family Zhuangtian, move to Shao Zhan Shi and concurrently serve as the Hanlin bachelor. He promoted the event of "Da Li Yi" and won great favor. He moved to Wu Ying Dian as a bachelor, Minister of rites, Prince and Taifu, and then became a Shaoshi, a doctor of Guanglu and Shangzhu. Jiajing eighteen years (1539), became the first cabinet. It has made great achievements in perfecting the cabinet, restraining eunuchs, rectifying the administration of officials and consolidating the frontier defense. The heart is upright, bold and strong, and gradually lose favor.

In the 27th year of Jiajing (1548), he supported the recovery of Hetao area. He was falsely accused by Yan Song and sentenced to death at the age of 67. Mu Zong succeeded to the throne in the Ming Dynasty and was able to rehabilitate Zhao Xue and pursue his posthumous title of "Wen Min". He is famous for his poems and music, and has been handed down as the author of Guizhou collection and Nangong manuscript.

(< I > the picture in the overview is from Xia's genealogy < / I >)

Life of the characters

Early experience

Xia Yan was born on June 29, the 18th year of Chenghua (July 14, 1482). He is alert and has outstanding literary talent. Because Xia Yanjia was a military official, there was an old rule in Ming Dynasty that he had to be a minister of the Ministry of war to get rid of his military official. Xia Yan has carried the hope of the whole family since he was a child. Xia Ding once taught him: "you should study hard, and in the future you will be the best minister. You can leave my army." Under the supervision of his elders, Xia Yan worked hard since childhood.

In the 11th year of Hongzhi (1498), Xia Ding was granted the title of Tui Guan in Yanzhou Prefecture of Zhejiang Province, and Xia Yan also went with his father. He occasionally learned local dialects, and Xia Ding severely reprimanded him: "many former Jingyan officials were too hard to understand their dialects and could not participate in the debate smartly. You must correct your pronunciation in time, so that you can be an official in the future. " Xia Yan obeyed his father.

In the 13th year of Hongzhi (1500), Xia Yan returned to Guixi, Jiangxi Province to prepare for the local examination. In 1501, Xia Yan took the local examination for the first time, but unfortunately he failed. Then he continued to study hard at home.

In March of the first year of Zhengde (1506), Xia Ding died in Linqing.

In the autumn of 1510, Xia Yanzhi took the sixth place in Jiangxi provincial examination. In the ninth year of Zhengde (1514), Xia Yan went to Beijing to take part in the examination and failed. Then he went to Nanjing Guozijian to study.

New to officialdom

Zhengde 12 years (1517), Xia Yan examination Jinshi, was appointed as a pedestrian. In 1518, he was ordered to investigate Huguang, Yungui and other places, and returned to Beijing the next year.

In October 1520, Xia Yan was promoted to the post of military officer, and his duty was to speak frankly. In the early years of Jiajing (1522), Shangshu asked to get rid of the bad government of Zhengde Dynasty. Under the instruction of emperor Shizong of the Ming Dynasty, there were too many flag soldiers among the chage officials, and 3200 people were eliminated. Nine opinions were stated in the letter, and the government and the opposition were eliminated. In the same year, he was ordered to check Zhuangtian, return all the plundered property to the people, and put forward measures to limit the expansion of Huangzhuang. In April of the second year of Jiajing (1522), he was promoted to the post of military officer. When Xia Yan was an admonitor, he impeached Wang Qiong and Wang Xian, the ministers, for bribing their servants, and Zhao Ling, the eunuch, and Zhang Yanling, the Marquis of Jianchang, for perverting the law. He rescued Guo Jiugao, the magistrate of Yongping who was arrested. Emperor Shizong of the Ming Dynasty once asked his biological mother to be filial to the younger brother of the empress's maid. Xia Yan argued that it was not right. Most of the words in these memorials are straightforward and have been recited by the world.

In May 1524, Xia Yan returned to his hometown because of his mother Kuang's death. In October, the request for exemption from military status was granted.

In May of 1528, Xia Yan ended Ding you's worries and continued to supplement the right-hand affairs of the military department. Later, he was promoted to the left-hand affairs of the ritual department and the right-hand affairs of the military department. In October, he was ordered to go to Qingyang mountain to investigate and eliminate the crimes of treason. Jiajing eight years (1529) in February, but also to restore the court. In December of the same year, he was transferred to the Department of official affairs.

rapidly go up in the world

In February of 1530, Emperor Shizong wanted to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth separately. Xia Yan was instructed by Emperor Shizong of the Ming Dynasty, regardless of the opposition of the officials, he wrote a copy. Ming Shizong jailed Huo Tao, who was the most opposed. He praised Xia Yan and ordered him to supervise the construction of the temple of heaven and the temple of earth. Xia Yan was favored by Emperor Shizong of Ming Dynasty.

In April, there was a famine in Yansui, and Xia Yan recommended Li Rugui as governor. Afterwards, Xia Yan was nominated to take over as the censor of Jindu. The censor Xiong Jue said that Xia Yan recommended Li Rugui just for his promotion. Shizong rebuked Xiong Jue, but Xia Yan refused the appointment.

At that time, Zhang Cong was an extremely important official, only Xia Yan refused to be inferior to him. Zhang Cong envies Xia Yan's favor, and Xia Yan also hates Zhang Cong's promotion of Peng Ze instead of himself. They have a quarrel since then. In July 1530, Xia Yan wrote to impeach Zhang Cong and Fang Xianfu. Shing came to mediate. However, the contradictions between Xia Yan and Zhang Cong, Fang Xianfu and Huo Tao still exist.

In October, Shizong promoted Xia Yan to be a scholar, responsible for compiling the rites of suburban sacrifice and explaining the classics and history in front of the emperor. At the same time, he also served as an official. In addition, Xia Yan also helped Shizong to reformulate the sacrificial rites of his ancestors.

In March of the 10th year of Jiajing (1531), Xia Yan was promoted to Shao Zhan Shi and Hanlin bachelor. He was in charge of the affairs of the academy and still explained the classics and history to Shizong. She has a pretty face, a beautiful beard, a loud voice and no dialect. Shizong wanted to reuse him every time he gave a lecture. So Zhang Cong hated Xia Yan even more. In early July, Si Zhengxue Kan, the pedestrian secretary, wrote a letter saying that "the emperor's clan has no children, so we should establish the children of the clan as the crown prince in case of unexpected events.". Shizong was furious and ordered the law department to investigate the behind the scenes leader. Zhang Cong took the opportunity to unite Peng Ze and Wang Wei to frame Xia Yan as the mastermind. As Xue Kan and Xia Yan both denied the claim, Shizong ordered the court to hear it. After the truth came out, Shizong dismissed Zhang Cong and released Xia Yan.

In the late July of the tenth year of Jiajing (1531), the four suburb altars were completed, and Xia Yan was promoted to the Minister of rites, who was still in charge of the affairs of the Imperial Academy. In September, he replaced Li as Minister of rites. Xia Yan was one of the six ministers in less than one year, which was unprecedented.

Take over the cabinet

Xia Yan not only got the Holy Family by virtue of his intelligence, but also got the support of the courtiers by virtue of his courtesy to the virtuous corporal. He united them to fight against Zhang Cong. In December of 1531, Yu Xili and Shi Jin interceded for the guilty ministers in Dali. Shizong was furious and wanted to punish them. Xia Yan pleads for them. Although he didn't move Shizong, he won praise for himself. When Xia Yan was a minister of rites, he helped Shizong formulate rites and music, but cabinet ministers Li Shi and Zhai Luan hardly participated. In addition, Xia Yan was able to write memorials or Qing CI in response to imperial edicts quickly, and he often sang in harmony with Shizong's poems, and was good at catering to Shizong's views on political affairs, so he was very popular. Shizong gave him a silver seal as a proof of sealing the letter, praised him for his "broad knowledge and abundant talent", and gave him a rich reward.

At that time, Zhang Cong and Fang Xianfu became the cabinet's chief assistants one after another, and they were afraid of Xia Yan. Soon, they became officials. Huo Tao is still fighting with Xia Yan. In July 1536, Ying Tianfu Yin and Liu Shuxiang were framed and put into prison. Liu Shuxiang and Xia Yan's relatives because of their discord, suspected that Xia Yan is framed him, he wrote a complaint against Xia Yan. Xia Yan suspected that Huo Tao was behind the scenes. So Xia Yan and Huo Tao accused each other, and Huo Tao was finally demoted. Xia Yan was more arrogant and asked to demote Zhang Yuanxiao and Li Sui, who were not at peace with him. When Prince Zhu Zaiyan was born, Shizong gave Xia Yan a generous reward and successively conferred him the title of crown prince Taibao, Shaofu and crown prince Taifu. In December, Xia Yan was also a Bachelor of wuyingdian, and joined the cabinet to participate in the maintenance.

In April, Jiajing visited the imperial mausoleum with the world emperor in April 1538. On his way back, the fire broke out in his kitchen, and the fire spread to the tents of Hou Guo Xun and Li Shi of Wuding. Xia Yan didn't take the blame alone, so he was blamed by Shizong. At that time, Xia Yan was in charge of the imperial power, and Li Shi, the first assistant, and Gu Dingchen, the cabinet minister, did not dare to fight with him. In the winter of the same year, Li Shi died, and Xia Yan replaced him as the first assistant of the cabinet.

In the first month of the 18th year of Jiajing (1539), Xia Yan was granted the title of Shaoshi, Guanglu doctor and Shangzhu state for offering sacrifices to the emperor. Since the Ming Dynasty, there has never been a minister who worships Shangzhu state. This name was invented by Xia Yan.

Three by three

Guo Xun was trusted by Emperor Shizong and competed with Yan Song and Xia Yan for favor. In March of 1539, Xia Yan and Yan Song followed Shizong to Chengtian. After Shizong paid a visit to Xianling, Yan Song insisted on asking all the officials to express their congratulations, while Xia Yan proposed to do so after returning to Beijing. Shizong agreed with Yan Song and gradually disliked Xia Yan.

In May 1539, Emperor Shizong visited Dayu mountain. Xia Yan was late when he went to accompany him. Shizong is very angry. He rebukes Xia Yan for being disrespectful, criticizes him for not using the imperial silver seal when he plays the secret notes on the computer, and pursues the written instructions previously given to Xia Yan. Xia Yan wrote a confession in fear, pleading not to pursue the silver seal and the oracle. His words were very sad. Emperor Shizong's anger still lingered. Suspecting that he had destroyed the imperial edict, he ordered the Ministry of rites to urge him to denounce him and deprive him of the rank of Shao Shi Shi, so that he could become an official as Shaobao, Shangshu and Da Shi. So Xia Yan handed in more than 400 copies of the oracle and the silver seal. A few days later, Shizong's anger subsided and Xia Yan was allowed to return to office. Xia Yanshang

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