Chao Gongwu: A Biography of Chen Zhensun

Author: Hao Runhua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Chao Zongqu, styled Shiliang, was born in the second year of the Yongxi era of Emperor Taizong (985 AD). He became a Secretary of the Imperial Academy through his father's influence and repeatedly submitted poems of praise. During the Great Mid-Auspicious Symbol era of Emperor Zhenzong, he was summoned to the Court of Scholars and granted the imperial examination degree. In the eighth year of the Great Mid-Auspicious Symbol era (1015 AD), he was appointed as a Librarian and Imperial Collection Compiler. He was promoted three times to become a Vice Director of the Imperial Academy. When Emperor Renzong ascended the throne, he was transferred to the position of Palace Chamberlain and Co-Accompanist of the Imperial Diaries. In the second year of the Tiansheng era of Emperor Renzong (1024 AD), he became a Compiler of the Jixian Academy and was responsible for editing medical texts such as the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, Suwen, Nanjing, and Nestor's Classification of Illnesses. He was successively promoted to the position of Vice Director of the Worship Department of the Ministry of Rites and became a Chief Draftsman of Imperial Edicts in the ninth year of the Tiansheng era (1031 AD). In the third year of the Jingyou era (1036 AD), he joined the Hanlin Academy as a Scholar and later served as a Co-Scholar of the Longtu Pavilion and Acting Chief of Kaifeng Prefecture. In the first year of the Kangding era (1040 AD), he became a Vice Chancellor. He passed away in the second year of the Qingli era (1042 AD) at the age of fifty-eight and was posthumously granted the title of Minister of Works and the posthumous name Wenzhuang. His biography is recorded in Volume 3 of the History of Song. He authored ten volumes of Wenlin Qixiu, forty volumes of Chao Zongqu's Collected Works, and ten volumes of External Edicts. He had two sons: Zhongyan and Zhongwei.
Chao Zhongyan, styled Zichang, was the eldest son of Chao Zongqu. During the Mingdao era, he passed the Ministry of Rites examination but was delayed due to mourning for his father. In the first year of the Jingyou era of Emperor Renzong (1034 AD), his grandfather Chao Jun specially petitioned the emperor, who granted him an imperial examination exemption. Later, he was summoned to the Western Court for examination and granted the same imperial examination degree as his father. In the early Qingli era, Chao Zhongyan was admitted to the imperial court. During a banquet at the Taqing Pavilion, Emperor Renzong and the imperial family enjoyed lanterns at the Cuifang Pavilion, while the state of Fuzhou presented the Golden Mountain spectacle. Chao Zhongyan composed poems to celebrate these events and was praised by Emperor Renzong three times. Later, he was summoned to the Imperial Academy for examination and appointed as a Palace Chamberlain, Compiler of the Secretariat, and Doctor of the Grand Court. He later served as the governor of Huai Prefecture and was transferred to the position of Circuit Intendant of Criminal Affairs in Jinzhou. He was successively promoted to the rank of Vice Director of the Worship Department and served as a Light Cavalry Commander. He ultimately became a Vice Director of the Worship Department. He passed away and was buried in Xincheng, Zhengzhou. Chao Zhongyan was a person of integrity and diligence, never ceasing his studies for a single day. He was highly praised by the Chancellor Zhang Dexiang and Yan Shu. His works include twenty volumes of Collected Poems, one volume of Miscellaneous Notes from Bianyang, thirty volumes of Post-Series of Events, fifty volumes of Collected Poems of the Jin and Wei Dynasties, Miscellaneous Notes from Shiyong, Collected Poems of Hebei, three volumes of Historical Arguments, twenty volumes of Comprehensive Interpretation of the Records of the Grand Historian, and Annotations and Additions to Bai Juyi's Six-Clipped Notes. He had six sons: Danyan, Danfang, Danbing (three of whom died in infancy).
His second son, Chao Danfang, has an unknown biography. He had two sons: Zaizhi and Chongzhi. Chongzhi is the father of Chao Gongwu.
Chao Chongzhi, styled Shuanye, styled Yongdao, was known as the "Juci Scholar" and was a famous writer and poet of late Northern Song. He was renowned for his poetry and was recognized by the famous poet Chen Shidao. He was friends with Lu Benzhong, who listed him as one of the twenty-five in the Map of the Jiangxi Poetry School and praised his poetry as "solely devoted to learning Du Fu's style." Yu Ruli once wrote the preface Preface to Chao Juci Scholar's Collected Poems, highly praising Chao Chongzhi's poetry: "Shuanye, having peacefully devoted himself to the vastness of forests and streams, expressed things as they arose, with a style that was profound, elegant, and bright. He never wrote of anger, danger, or intense sorrow. From this, I see that Shuanye, in the midst of the changing fortunes of light and darkness, gain and loss, never felt unease but only joy."