Wind, which is more than high (Bi Yuan's Biography)

Author: Qian Guilian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: Yu Qian, a native of Ming Qiantang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang), styled Tingyi, and styled Jie'an. He was a graduate of the Yongle era and was appointed as a censor at the beginning of the Xuan De era. He once accompanied the Xuanzong Emperor in suppressing the rebellion of Prince Huozhao Zhu Gaoxiu. He was sent to inspect Jiangxi, where his reputation spread far and wide. In the fifth year (1430), he was appointed as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and appointed as the Governor of Henan and Shanxi. In the eleventh year of the Zhengtong era (1446), he was imprisoned and sentenced to death due to the persecution of Wang Zhen and others. Later, he was reinstated after the officials and people of the two provinces, as well as the prince, pleaded for his return. In the fourteenth year, during the Battle of Tumu, the Ming Emperor Yingzong was captured by the Oirat. He strongly opposed the proposal to retreat south and insisted on holding firm, advancing to become the Minister of War. After the establishment of the Daizong Emperor, he rectified military preparations, deployed key positions, personally supervised the battle, led 220,000 troops, and formed a battle line outside the nine gates of Beijing, defeating the Oirat army. He was promoted to the position of Shao Bao and appointed as the Chief Military Commissioner. Yesian, carrying Yingzong, demanded peace. He considered the state's interests above the emperor's, refusing. Yesian, finding no opportunity to exploit, was forced to release Yingzong. After Yingzong returned, he still believed that peace negotiations were unreliable, selected elite imperial guards to form ten battalions for training, and sent troops to garrison outside the pass, ensuring peace on the border. At that time, there were many troubles in the court and the country, yet he alone managed the mobilization, perfectly aligning with the situation, with clear orders that reached far and wide, causing everyone to heave a sigh of relief. He was concerned about the state and forgot himself, never speaking of his own merits, living frugally, and living in a home that only sheltered from wind and rain, but he was inherently resolute and upright, which made him widely envied. In the first year of the Tianshun era (1457), Yingzong was restored to the throne, and Shi Heng and others falsely accused him of plotting to establish the son of Prince Xiang, leading to his execution. In the early years of the Chenghua era, he was reinstated and given a state funeral. In the second year of the Hongzhi era (1489), he was posthumously honored as Su Ming Mi. In the Wanli era, his posthumous title was changed to Zhong Su. He left behind the "Collected Works of Yu Zhong Su."