Xie Jin (mandarin)

Xie Jinyin (December 6, 1369 - February 22, 1415), courtesy name Da Shen (大绅), or Jin Shen (缙绅), titled with Chunyu (春雨), Xi Yi (喜易), a native of Jishui County, Ji'an City, Jiangxi Province (present-day Jishui County, Ji'an City, Jiangxi Province), and ancestry of Daizhou County, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province (present-day Dai County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province), literary scholar Nei Ge Shou Fu (Chief Minister of the Cabinet, 内阁首辅）, during the early Ming Dynasty.

In the twenty-first year of Hongwu (1388), Xie Jin became “Jin Shi” (Palace Graduate, 进士). In the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu (1391), Xie Jin was removed from office and returned to his hometown to further his studies. During the Jianwen period, he was banished to Hezhou. At the beginning of the Yongle period, he and Huang Huai, Yang Shiqi, Hu Guang, Jin Youzi, Yang Rong, Hu Yan became director of WenYuan Ge (Wenyuan Chamber, 文渊阁), and Xie Jin was ordered to be the president of the "Taizu Shilu" ("Veritable Records of Taizu"), compilation and repair of the "Yongle Da Dian" (“Yongle Encyclopedia”, 《永乐大典》). In the fifth year of Yongle (1407), because of getting involved in Crown-related issues, Xie Jin was demoted to right Counselor of the “Guangxi Bu Zheng Shi You Can Yi” (Chief Secretary of Guangxi, 广西布政司右参议) In, In later In change In to In the In Jiaozhi In, became the Governor of Huazhou. In the ninth year of the Yongle period (1411), he was arrested and imprisoned for "failing to observe the rites of a subject. ”

On the thirteenth day of the first month of the thirteenth year of the Yongle era (February 22, 1415), Xie Jin was drunk with wine by Ji Gang and buried in the snow to death at the age of forty-seven. In September of the first year of the Hongguang era of the Southern Ming Dynasty (1645), Xie Jin was awarded the title of Minister of Rites (Libu Shilang), and given the posthumous title of "Wen Yi" (文毅).

Early life
On November 7, second year of Hongwu (December 6, 1369), Xie Jin was born in Jianhu, Jishui County, Ji 'an City, Jiangxi Province (now Wenfeng Town, Jishui County, Ji 'an City, Jiangxi Province).

On November 7, third year of Hongwu (November 25, 1370), Mrs.Gao, Xie’s mother, named him Jin after the Trial Week.

In the fourth year of Hongwu (1371), Xie Jin's parents began to teach him how to read. At this time, Xie Jin already had a photographic memory and could recite by mouth.

In the sixth year of Hongwu (1373), his parents taught Xie Jin to read, and Xie Jin was able to write poems.

In the eighth year of Hongwu (1375), Xie Jin learned to write articles from Ouyang Heng. In the same year, Xie Jin came up with the idea of genealogies and began to pay attention to the study of clans.

In the tenth year of Hongwu (1377), Xie Jin followed his father to Huanzhou to study, and became a classmate and brother with Hu Guang. This Summer, when Hu Ziqi died, Xie jin went to his memorial ceremony with his father.

In the eleventh year of Hongwu (1378), Xie Jin already had the ability to keep a diary of thousands of words, and the township official Huang Jiuqu called Xie Jin a prodigy.

In the twelfth year of Hongwu (1379), Xie Jin had been able to explain the principles of the Four Books and the five classics, he then went to learned from Su Boheng.

In the fourteenth year of Hongwu (1381), Xie Jin had already studied almost all the Confucian classics.

In the sixteenth year of Hongwu (1383), Xie Jin already had the ability to read different lines of the essay at the same time.

In the autumn of the 17th year of Hongwu (1384), Xie Jin wanted to take part in the imperial examinations, and his father ordered him to stay out three years later on the grounds of fixing genealogy. So he and his brother Jielun went for the interpretation of clan genealogy chart, lineage song and source song and they repaired Xie's Kejia record, title record.

In the nineteenth year of Hongwu (1386), Xie Jin was appreciated by Rutaisu, a local official, then he  ordered the county magistrate to grant Xie Jin a granary diet.

Start an official career
Xie Jin took the imperial exam, he ranked top and got Jinshi in 21st year of Hongwu (1388AD) emperor. He was appointed Zhongshu Shujishi, the emperor liked him and he often served the emperor closely. Xie jin wrote tens of thousands of words to the emperor claiming that “I heard that if laws and regulations are changed many times, people will become suspicious, and if there are too many penalties, people will not care. It has been nearly twenty years since the founding of the nation. There are not many methods that remain unchanged over time, and there are no people who have never made mistakes….” the emperor praised him for being talented, he then wrote the Ten Memorials in Peace to the emperor, and the emperor accepted it. At that time, Xie Jin was working in the Ministry of Defense, and his words were often rude. Shen Xu, Head of the Ministry of Defense, reported this matter, but the Taizu Ming Dynasty said: "Xie Jin is just doing his own thing in idleness." A few months later, Zhu Yuanzhang issued an edict, changing Xie Jin to be the supervisory censor. He also wrote scripts for Xia Changwen to impeach Yuan Tai, a censor, and Yuan Tai hated Xie Jin deeply. Xie Jin’s father Xie Kai entered the palace and met the emperor and the emperor said that ‘He is a late bloomer. If you bring your son back and let him learn more, it will not be too late for him to be of great use in the next ten years.”

Return Home
Then Xie Jin went back home. On the third day of the first lunar month of the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu (January 27, 1392), in order to pay homage to the ancestor Puzhou Gong, there was discussion within the family about replacing the old door talisman. Xie Jin thought it was not feasible, so he wrote a poem and presented it to the clan uncles. In the twenty-sixth year of Hongwu (1393), Xie Jin gave lectures in Youlongtan, Yongfeng. In February of the twenty-seventh year of Hongwu (1394), Xie Jin gave lectures in Lushan with his disciples Liu Zongping, Zhao Zhe, Xie Chaofu, Xie Rong, Jiang Yin and others. In April of the 28th year of Hongwu's reign (1395), his father Xie Yuankui died in office. Xie Jin and his brother Xie Gang went to Nan'an to express their condolences on their father's orders. In the same year, Xie Jin and his disciple Zhou Xunru traveled throughout Jiangxi, lived in the county school, and met Zhou Fengxiang. On July 12, the 29th year of Hongwu (August 15, 1396), Xie Jin wrote "The Biography of the Lord of Taiyuan" for the ninth ancestor Jie Yuan. On the 15th day of the first lunar month in the 30th year of Hongwu (February 12, 1397), Xie Jin wrote a poem to record the lineage of the Jie family, and wrote the "Preface to the Reconstruction of the Jie Family Genealogy". In February and March, Xie Jinlian looked at the examination records of the Hall and saw that most of the people on the list were from the south and only one-tenth from the north. The prediction that Liu Sanwu would have a disaster would come true. In October, Xie Jin married a concubine whose family name is Chen.

Returning to the Court
Eight years later, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty died. Xie Jin entered Nanjing, and was immediately impeached by officials, saying that he had violated the imperial edict, his mother had not been buried, and his father was ninety years old, so he should not abandon his family and leave. So Xie Jin was demoted to be Hezhou Guard.

During Jianwen and Yongle’s Reign
"On July 18th of the 4th year of Jianwen period (August 16, 1402), Xie Jin was promoted to the position of “Reader” (“Shi Du”, 侍读) in the Hanlin Academy (Hanlin Yuan). On August 15 (September 12), Xie Jin was ordered to review the memorials submitted by subjects during the Jianwen period. Any memorials that offended Emperor Yongle were destroyed, while those concerning military and civilian affairs were retained. On September 12 (October 8), Xie Jin entered the Cabinet and served as the Chief Minister (Nei Ge Shou Fu, 内阁首辅), participating in state affairs. On September 13 (October 9), Emperor Yongle bestowed upon Xie Jin a robe made of gold-woven silk (Jinzhi Luoyi, 金织罗衣). On October 4 (October 30), Emperor Yongle ordered the revision of "Taizu Shilu" ("Veritable Records of Taizu", 《太祖实录》), with Xie Jin as the chief official in charge. On November 10 (December 4), Jie Jin was promoted to the position of 'Shi Du Xue Shi' (Reader and Academician) in the Hanlin Academy. On November 17 (December 11), Emperor Yongle appointed Lady Xu as the Empress, and Xie Jin was ordered to draft the imperial edict. "

"In March of the first year of Yongle (1403), discussions were held about appointing a Crown Prince. On June 15th (July 4th), the "Taizu Shilu  (Veritable Records of Taizu", 《太祖实录》), was completed, and Xie Jin, among others, presented the “Jin Shi Lu Biao” (“Memorial on the Completed Record', 《进实录表》) and received rewards. On July 1st (July 19th), Xie Jin was ordered to compile a comprehensive encyclopedic work, which would become the “Yongle Dadian  (Yongle Encyclopedia , 《永乐大典》). On December 1st (January 13, 1404), the “Gu Jin Lie Nv Zhuan  (“Biographies of Women of Antiquity and Present”, 《古今烈女传》) compiled under the supervision of Xie Jin was completed.

On December 10 (January 22, 1404), Emperor Chengzu ordered the Ministry of Personnel (Li Bu Shi Lang, 吏部侍郎) to bestow titles on the wives and descendants of the meritorious subjects of the Jingnan Campaign (Jin Nan Zhi Yi, 靖难之役), following specific rules: if the legitimate mother (Di Mu, 嫡母) was alive, the birth mother could not be ennobled; only after the death of the legitimate mother could the birth mother be ennobled; if the stepmother was alive, neither the birth mother nor any concubines could be ennobled; after the death of the stepmother, if the birth mother was alive, she could be ennobled; if the stepmother was alive and the legitimate mother had died, the stepmother would be ennobled and the legitimate mother posthumously honored. In the case of Yuan Rong, Marquis of Guangping (Guangping Hou, 广平侯), both his legitimate mother, Lady Sun, and birth mother, Lady Liu, had passed away, leaving only his stepmother, Lady Luo, alive, which did not fit any of the three stipulated scenarios. Emperor Yongle asked the Ministry of Rites (Li Bu, 礼部) and the Hanlin Academy (Hailin Yuan, 翰林院) to discuss this. Xie Jin suggested, 'If both the birth mother and stepmother are alive, it is difficult to confer titles simultaneously according to ritual. Now, since Yuan Rong has only his stepmother alive, she should be ennobled, and both his birth mother and legitimate mother should be posthumously honored.' Emperor Chengzu agreed with Xie Jin's opinion. On December 19 (January 31, 1404), Emperor Yongle discussed with Xie Jin the matter of Taizu's literary collection and issued an edict to request rare books from various feudal lords. "

"On January 26th of the second year of Yongle (March 7, 1404), Xie Jin and Huang Huai were appointed as examiners for the imperial examinations. On April 2nd (May 10th), Xie Jin was promoted to the position of Academician of the Hanlin Academy (Hanlin Yuan Xue Shi, 翰林院学士) and concurrently served as the Grand Academician of the Right Spring Pavilion (You Chun Fang Da Xue Shi, 右春坊大学士). On April 14th (May 22nd), the “Wen Hua Bao Jian” (“Collection of Appreciative Literatures”, 《文华宝鉴》) was completed, and Xie Jin was ordered to explain it to the Crown Prince.

On April 4 (May 12), Emperor Yongle appointed Zhu Gaochi as the Crown Prince, and Xie Jin wrote an article to express congratulations. On April 16 (May 24), Emperor Yongle instructed Xie Jin and others to speak frankly and hide nothing. On July 23 (August 28), a man from Poyang named Zhu Jiyou presented a book to Emperor Yongle, which vehemently criticized the theories about the Lian Luo Guan Min (The Four Schools of Song Dynasty Neo-Confucianism, 濂洛关闽). Xie Jin requested severe punishment for this person, and Emperor Yongle, considering Zhu Jiyou's words to be misleading and deceptive, ordered all his books to be burned.

On August 20 (September 24), Xie Jin presented his lecture notes on “Da Xue. Zheng Xin Zhang” (“The Great Learning - Chapter on Rectifying the Mind”, 《大学.正心章》 ) and Emperor Yongle commented on them. On September 22 (October 25), Emperor Yongle admonished Xie Jin and others at the You Shun Gate  (now Xi He Gate), bestowing upon them the “Wu Pin Gong Fu” (“official robes of the fifth rank”, 五品公服), and Xie Jin's wife was ordered to meet the Empress. On November 19 (December 21), Xie Jin and others presented the “Wen Xian Da Cheng” ("The Great Achievement in Literature", 《文献大成》)  but Emperor Yongle was not satisfied and ordered Xie Jin and others to revise it. On December 27 (January 27, 1405), Emperor Yongle bestowed “Shi Lang Jin Zhi Wen Qi Yi” (Robes of Gold-woven Silk, 侍郎金织文绮衣) to the “Liu Bu Shang Shu” (Six Chief Ministers, 六部尚书”, and Xie Jin, along with Yang Shiqi, Huang Huai, and others, received the same honor as the Six Chief Ministers. "

"On January 15th of the third year of Yongle (February 14, 1405), Emperor Yongle ordered Xie Jin and others to select talented and intelligent individuals from the newly successful candidates of the imperial examinations to study in the Wen Yuan Ge (Wen Yuan Pavillion, 文渊阁). On February 16th (March 16th), during the “Ji She Ji” (“Sacrificial Rites to the State and Nation”, “祭社稷”), Xie Jin and Jian Yi suggested that since the Lord of Zhao was staying in Beijing, one should establish altars for the Nation and States, as well as for the mountains and rivers, for offering sacrifices separately. On September 26 (October 18), Xie Jin was ordered, along with Hu Guang and Jin Youzi, to go to Yangshan to admire the stones. "

"On March 1st of the fourth year of Yongle (March 20, 1406), Emperor Yongle visited the Han Lin Yuan (Imperial Academy, 翰林院) to offer sacrifices to Confucius. Xie Jin and others accompanied him. Emperor Yongle ordered Xie Jin and others to separately offer sacrifices to the “Shi Zhe” (Ten Philosophers, 十哲) in two halls and bestowed upon Xie Jin and others “Er Pin Jin Zhi Luo Yi” (Robes of Gold-woven Silk of the second rank, 二品品金织罗衣). In the same month, Xie Jin served as an examiner for the imperial examinations. On June 18 (July 3), Xie Jin wrote “Ping Shu” (“Evaluation of Books”, 《评书》), discussing the methods of scholarly writing. On the intercalary seventh month, second day (August 15), Emperor Yongle ordered  Cheng Guo Gong (Duke Cheng of the State, 成国公), Zhu Neng, to campaign against Annam (Vietnam). However, Xie Jin spoke out against this, leading Emperor Yongle to start distancing himself from Xie Jin. Among the officials who were bestowed Er Pin Sha Luo Yi, (Second-Rank Silk Robes, 二品纱罗衣) Xie Jin was not included. "

The emperor's favor gradually dwindled
When Xie Jin ascended to the throne as a young man, he was extremely intelligent, took on important tasks and moved forward, being open and aboveboard on the outside. He recommended scholars and would always praise them unceasingly as long as they had merit in a certain area. But he is good at criticizing people and has no scruples. Many court officials are jealous of his favor. Later, because he was jealous of the Han king Zhu Gaoxu on the issue of deciding on the prince, he was finally defeated. Originally, the crown prince had not yet been decided, but Qiu Fu, the Duke of Qi, said that the king of Han had meritorious service and should be made crown prince. The emperor asked Xie Jin privately, and Xie Jin said: "The emperor's eldest son is benevolent and filial, and the world is at home." The emperor did not respond. Xie Jin kowtowed again and said, "Good saint grandson." The saint's grandson pointed to Xuanzong. The emperor nodded, and the prince was settled. Zhu Gaoxu hated Xie Jin deeply. At this time, a large number of troops were sent to attack Annan to relieve Jin's admonishment. The emperor refused to listen, and finally made peace with Annan and set up counties to manage it. After the crown prince was established, he often failed to satisfy the emperor. As a result, Zhu Gaoxu became more favored, and his etiquette level surpassed that of the legitimate son. Xie Jin remonstrated again and said: "Doing this will cause disputes, so it's not allowed." The emperor was furious and said that he was alienating his brothers and sisters, and Xie Jin's favor gradually declined.

Marriage agreement for children
Xie Jin initially attended the emperor's banquet with Hu Guang. The emperor said: "You two were born in the same place, were classmates, and served as officials in the same court. Xie Jin has a son, and Hu Guang can marry his daughter." Hu Guang kowtowed and said, "My wife has just been pregnant, no. I don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl.” The emperor smiled and replied, “It must be a daughter.” Soon after, a daughter was born, and they agreed to get married. After Xie Jin's accident, Xie Jin's son Xie Zhenliang was exiled to Liaodong, and Hu Guang thought about breaking off the engagement. Hu Guang's daughter Duan Er swore: "My engagement was presided over by the emperor, and my father agreed in person. Even if I die, I can't have any second thoughts." Therefore, after Xie Zhenliang was pardoned and returned home, Hu Guang's daughter finally married and got to know Xie Zhenliang.

Literacy: Yongle Encyclopedia
Xie Jin contributed to the compilation of the Yongle Encyclopedia. Yongle Encyclopedia is a monumental work comprising 22,937 manuscript rolls, or chapters (including the index), in 11,095 volumes. The content is meticulously detailed in Confucian canon, history, philosophy, and the arts and sciences.

Xie Jin's proposal of write an encyclopedia didn’t receive immediate recognition. It wasn't until the first year of Yongle (1403) that Emperor Yongle issued an edict to commence the compilation. Initially leading a team of over 100 individuals, Xie Jin dedicated a year to completing the first phase, aptly named Literature Dacheng (《文献大成》). Emperor Yongle further appointed Yao Guangxiao and Liu Jichi as supervisors, mobilizing over 2,100 Confucian scholars and intellectuals to contribute to the project. The extensive efforts culminated in the completion of the Yongle Encyclopedia in the winter of the sixth year of Yongle (1408), marking a significant achievement in Chinese literary history.

Britannica recognizes the Yongle Encyclopedia as the world's largest known encyclopedia to date.It has a wealth of knowledge spanning Chinese history, geography, literature, art, philosophy, religion, and various encyclopedic documents predating the 14th century. The Yongle Encyclopedia showcases the rich accomplishments of ancient Han culture. The Yongle Encyclopedia has been dispersed, and then re-recorded and published. Now it has spread to many countries and regions, including Taiwan, Japan, the United States, Germany, etc. This affirms the efforts of all Ming scholars led by Xiejin.

Calligraphy
Xiejin excels in the cursive script and regular script. He Qiaoyuan, a biographer in the Ming Dynasty, comments on Xiejin’s calligraphy, saying that “Xie Jin learns calligraphy from Wei Su and Zhou Boqi. In his calligraphy, arrogance and modesty complement each other, which makes the artistic conception (of calligraphy) naturally increase."

Xie Jin’s calligraphy typically shows the extreme sides of the calligraphers at that time. On the one hand, he writes a regular script that is neat and clean, and on the other hand, he writes a cursive script that is wild and abstract. Compared with the two calligraphies, cursive calligraphy is, of course, more reflective of the author's temperament, so it is not surprising that there are wild cursive works that have been passed down from generation to generation. Cursive works focus on form for visual stimulation.

Although Xiejin's influence on the history of calligraphy has always been evaluated based on cursive calligraphy, Xiejin’s influence is essentially still shrouded in the style of court calligraphy. During the Yongle reign, the calligraphy of official court calligraphers was the small regular script of the TaiGe (台阁体, a kind of official calligraphy in the Ming Dynasty.). It’s the script necessary for imperial edicts and court books. This font is used in major events such as the Yongle Encyclopedia and imperial examinations, so TaiGe is regarded as the official mainstream writing font at that time. However, from an artistic point of view, although we think that it is in line with the palace layout and hanging, XieJin’s cursive promotes the development of cursive calligraphy, which had a certain impact on the style of calligraphy in the middle and late Ming Dynasty.

Family
First ancestor: Xie Yu, styled Deyuan, was born in Yanmen (today's Daixian County, Shanxi Province). He was a scholar in the seventh year of Tang Tianbao (748) and an official in Jizhou.he moved his family from the Yanmen of Dai Zhou to Luling Jishui.

Great great grandfather: Xie Mengdou,styled Zhaozi and  Zhuangshan, was born in Jianhu, Jishui (now Wenfeng Town, Jishui County, Jiangxi Province), an official of the Southern Song Dynasty.He had written to the emperor to complain the situation, which offended the powerful minister Jia Sidao(贾似道, The famous traitor in the Southern Song Dynasty), then he  was banished from the family. Then he never went back to being the official at home to urge children and grandchildren to learn.

Great grandfather:Xie Yingchen. In 1263, Xie Yingchen was styled chen sou and chen feng, was born in Jishui Jianhu (Wenfeng Town, Jishui County, Jiangxi Province),Yuan dynasty officials.

Grandfather: Xie Ziyuan.His courtesy name is Zhenwo, and the title is Zhuwu. He was a Jinshi(进士, the highest and final degree in the imperial examination in Imperial China）in the fifth year of Zhizheng of the Yuan Dynasty (1345). He was the judge of Anfuzhou (安福州, a place name). He once served as the secretary of Taishi Academy and was ordered to compile the Song Dynasty. He ended up as the Yin (尹, the official who took control of a certain place in ancient China) of Dongguan County.

Father: Xie Kai.His courtesy name was Kaixian, and his title was Junjian. In the late Yuan Dynasty, he participated in political affairs and became a great Confucian of his generation. Scholars called him Mr. Junjian.

Brother: Xie Guan .His courtesy name was Dajing and the name Cangjiang, he was the eldest brother of Xie Jin and was a Jinshi in the 21st year of Hongwu (1388). He was awarded the title of censor of Fujian Taoism and was later appointed as Imperial College Supervisor.

Brother: Xie Gang.His courtesy name was Daji, second brother of  Xie Jin.

Son: Xie Zhenliang. He was awarded Zhong Shu She Ren (中书舍人, The name of an ancient Chinese official, a senior secretary who assisted the emperor) during the Hongxi period.

Historical Evaluation
Xie Jin was a renowned scholar and official in the early Ming Dynasty whose life began as a prodigy; he entered public service at a young age and showed great promise in his youth, only to face a sudden and abrupt downfall in his middle age. Xie Jin's exceptional knowledge and capabilities allowed him to stand out early in the eyes of the Ming Dynasty rulers. However, his inherently arrogant nature set the stage for his later tragic end. During the Hongwu era, Xie Jin's arrogance and pride led to numerous enemies, ultimately resulting in his demotion by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, who sent him home for further study.

With the ascension of a new emperor in the early Jianwen period, Xie Jin's extraordinary talents again caught the emperor's attention. Despite the Jingnan Campaign's upheaval and the Yongle Emperor's rise, Xie Jin's outstanding scholarship secured his position in the court. The turbulence of his early years laid the foundation for his remarkable achievements during the Yongle era.

Under Emperor Yongle's rule, he made significant contributions in various fields. Academically, Xie Jin was appointed as an Academician of the Hanlin Academy and the Grand Academician of the Right Spring Pavilion, serving as the chief editor of the "Yongle Encyclopedia" — the world's largest encyclopedia. He also oversaw the compilation of other essential documents such as "The Real Record of Taizu" and "Biographies of Women of Antiquity and Present." Xie Jin was also selected as the chief examiner for the imperial examinations, recruiting talents for Emperor Yongle, and served as a tutor to the Crown Prince, explaining texts and literature. As a literary figure, Xie Jin was an accomplished calligrapher, writer, poet, and educator, creating numerous works of calligraphy and poetry. Politically, he was appointed as the Chief Minister of the Cabinet in the early Yongle years, becoming one of the central figures of power in the Ming Dynasty. However, perhaps due to his overconfidence, Xie Jin's arrogant nature led to strained relations with other court officials and occasional offenses against the emperor, culminating in his untimely death at age 46 under a cloud of injustice.

Xie Jin's political and literary achievements are undeniable. His leadership in compiling the "Yongle Encyclopedia" alone secures his historical place. As a central figure in the early Ming Dynasty, particularly during the prosperous Hongwu and Yongle eras, his contributions to the early development of the Ming Dynasty are significant. However, his character flaws led to his unjust demise, diminishing his historical stature. Nevertheless, further research into Xie Jin's accomplishments reveals that his historical importance in the early Ming Dynasty has yet to be underestimated.