Journey through the Western Regions Records of Western Barbarian Countries Treatise on Xianbin

Author: (Ming) Chen Cheng, annotated by Zhou Liankuan, compiled in Xianbinlu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Chen Cheng was from Jishui, Jiangxi. Born into a family of scholars, his father Chen Tong traveled extensively in his youth, "roaming the rivers and lakes, reaching the southern mountains and seas, and traveling as far north as Yan and Zhao for several years." After years of business, he accumulated wealth. He had six sons, all of whom were taught by teachers. Chen Cheng was the second son. The family, which had been engaged in scholarship for generations but was not distinguished in status, and his father's "extensive travels of thousands of miles, admiring the wonders of mountains and rivers, the grandeur of cities, and the prosperity of people," had a significant impact on Chen Cheng's later life path. In the 24th year of Hongwu (1401), Chen Cheng passed the shengcai examination; in the 26th year, he became a juren; in the 27th year, he passed the imperial examination and was appointed as a xingren (rank 8) in the Xingren Si. The Xingren Si was responsible for "carrying ceremonial tablets and serving as envoys. It was in charge of promulgating edicts, enfeoffing imperial relatives, persuading various foreign states, recruiting talented individuals, as well as bestowing rewards, offering condolences, providing relief, military affairs, and sacrifices." During his initial three years of service, Chen Cheng was sent on missions to seek talent in Beijing, to exempt taxes in Shandong, and to persuade the Annamite court. He successfully fulfilled these missions without failing. In the early years of the 30th year of Hongwu, he went to Annam and persuaded King Tr?n Nh?t Kh?n to cease his aggression against the Siming Prefecture. This was Chen Cheng's second time serving abroad, where he began to demonstrate his talent as a diplomat. Chen Cheng engaged in repeated debates with the Annamite king over the boundary documents, which he later submitted to the Ming Chengzu along with works such as Record of the Journey to the Western Regions. His four debates fully demonstrated Chen Cheng's erudition and diplomatic skills. Especially when the Annamite king could not debate him and sent people to offer two ingots of gold, two ingots of silver, and two pieces of sandalwood, aloeswood, and incense, Chen Cheng remained firm in his righteousness and refused the gifts, showcasing the qualities of a good diplomat. Upon returning to the capital, he was commended by the Ming Taizu and promoted to the position of Jiantao in the Hanlin Academy (rank 7). In the 34th year of Hongwu (the 3rd year of Jianwen, 1402), he was sent to recruit ethnic groups in Tatalin, northern Yunnan, and upon his return, was promoted to the position of Deputy Director of the Guangdong Provincial Administration. In the 10th year of Yongle (1412), he was promoted to the position of Assistant Censor in the Personnel Inspection Department of the Ministry of Personnel. In ten years, he had not been on any missions, and it seemed that Chen Cheng had distanced himself from diplomacy. However, in the 11th year of Yongle, when the envoy Baituxintai, who had been sent to the Timurid court three years earlier, returned to the capital with a large number of envoys and tribute from Harar and Samarkand, the ambitious Ming Chengzu was greatly pleased and decided to send imperial eunuchs Li Da and others to escort the Timurid envoys back, selecting capable court officials who were both literary and martial to accompany them. Chen Cheng, who had previously served as a xingren and had been on missions to Annam, Sali Wuer, and the Tartars, was recommended as the ideal candidate. Hu Guang, the Hanlin Academician and Vice Grand Secretary, recorded this event, saying: "In the autumn of the 11th year of Yongle, the emperor sent imperial envoys to express his greetings and selected capable court officials to accompany them. The officials recommended Chen Cheng, the Assistant Censor in the Personnel Inspection Department, as the most suitable person. Chen Cheng had passed the imperial examination as a famous scholar in the Hongwu era and had traveled extensively. He had been on missions to Sali Wuer, establishing five military posts in Anning, Quxian, and Aduan; he had also been sent to Tatalin to lead the ethnic groups; and most recently, he had been sent to Annam to reclaim the territory, using letters to repeatedly persuade the king, gaining great reputation. Therefore, for this mission, who else but Chen Cheng?" Chen Cheng happily accepted the assignment and told his colleagues: "A scholar born in a bright era, entrusted with duty in the court, should, if possible, contribute even a small effort, though it may involve enduring cold and heat, facing difficulties and dangers, one should wholeheartedly serve with diligence and avoid nothing." Chen Cheng's spirit of unwavering perseverance and willingness to dedicate himself to the nation is reflected in his poems. For example, in On Horseback:
"An old horse in the imperial stable,
How can it compare to its youth?
Duty to the nation grows stronger,
But strength in the whip grows weaker.
White clouds far from my homeland,
The Milky Way lingers in my journey.
My hip bones must have wasted away,
But home is still within reach."
This poem shows his determination to ride to the Timurid court to fulfill his mission. In his Ballad of Passing Through the River, he wrote:
"Looking up at the dim handle of the Dipper,
I have already left home for autumn and spring.
Across ten thousand miles to my homeland,
My heart aches for my king and family.
The kindness of my king and family is too great to repay,
A man of courage should work hard and diligently.
Su Wu served in the frontier for nineteen years,
His glorious name will last for ages."
In the vast desert, where "the flat sands stretch to broken dunes, with no grass or trees in sight. Dark rocks glisten in the distance, as if a vast plain has been scorched by fire. The cold sun glows like fire, the iron of the army shines, and the north wind ripples the ground like dragon scales," Chen Cheng maintains an indomitable spirit of a true man, enough to inspire admiration. And his "heart aches for my king and family" reflects the humanistic compassion of a distinguished diplomat, showcasing both his unyielding will and tender heart.