Foreword
Huaiyang has a long history, splendid culture, rich treasures, outstanding people, from ancient times to the present has been a place for literati and ink writers, poetry giants, officials and businessmen, competing to appear. He left more than 660 poems and songs singing about Huaiyang, inherited and accumulated the rich cultural resources of Huaiyang, and wrote the glorious historical chapter of "Great Beauty Huaiyang" at the earliest. Today, the editor recommends to you an "Epitaph" written by Wu Yi, the secretary of the Ming Dynasty Ministry of Rites, for Xu Mengyang, the general of Huaiyang Huaiyuan, hoping that everyone will have a deeper understanding of the history of Huaiyang.
Epitaph of Ming Huaiyuan General Xu Mengyang
Text: Wu Yi (Ming Dynasty)
01. Original text
Jiajing Gui has been Ji Dong Gengchen day, Huaiyuan general Chen Zhouwei commanded Tongzhi Xu Gong to finally get home, Zhu Gu Bu to the first month of the next year, buried in Pingxin Township Sanli Xu Zuqi. He gave birth to Xu Mengjin from his younger brother, and he begged for his deeds. To teach Chen for seven years, the public gift is also thick, and the knowledge of the public is also deep, and he can't bear to remember it. Ming said:
Gongzu Liuhe, the real neighbor of the emperor's hometown. At the beginning of the emperor's uprising, it was said that Fu followed. Immediately see the appointment, cross the river eastward. Accumulate military exploits, and do not deserve to be a hundred. Thousands of people are in charge, and thousands of households are recommended. Baihu Yuan County, Marquis Taicang. The big star died suddenly, and the emperor was very hurt! Send an envoy to sacrifice, and the royal system mourns
Chapter. Zi Mian's shadow attack, but it is tuned to Chen. Said Sheng said Ying, the successor of the previous honor. Passed to the Hong, the real prince of the first king. The black stone and white fox are rampant. The battle is for life, and the division runs to the thief. Triumphant arguments are incomparable. By the same as the Zhi, the public will to declare. The top and bottom are praised, and it is said that they win people.
Hong is dead, and his eldest son is dead. Qi Yingde, the second son of Gongshi. Jiaming Mengyang, Tianjian Zier. The shade order is in the male, and the tiger charm is to be used. Enter the guard seal, but the public is leaning. Recruit seedlings and catch thieves, but the public is the envoy. Bian Ning, guard Wei Xi. Conquer Yunba, and stop the theft. Folded the head and got ugly, Huai Xu Yi'an. Hong Gong Yu Gong, Lai Gong and Wide. The silver medal of coin mining is frequent. General Huaiyuan, pet Xi Chenhan. Mother and wife, lady, crown of pearls. A momentary reward, Wei Tenghuan, a public man, Wu Luo Huan Huan (mighty appearance).
Jin Zongyuanrong, originally called a public official. Those who are taboo are blocked, and the public discussion is fixed. The public is tranquil, slightly unkempt. Jiajing was six years old, and he was Dinghai. Winter to Chen, justice Kangtai. It is said to be handy, especially respectful. In the summer of next year, I will think about the lettuce. Even sparse and stubborn self-regeneration. It is allowed to be on public leave, and the truth is not in the ascendant. Zhi love spring stone, brave to get rid of the martingale. The flowers and trees in the west of the city are drunk and fragrant.
Prosperous public people, heart practice. Wen can give poems, Wujing Frontier. Govern the family with frugality, and the courtesy descends. There is a promising, there is no slackness, no waste. Thirty years of officialdom, always as usual. Pi inherits the martyrs of the past, and the light of the future. The ancestor Honggong, sheltered and the fourth. 妣 (6ǐ, called the dead mother) is a respectful person, and she is honored with the imperial system. Ji Kao (called the dead father) Huaiyuan, Chongxun Fangshi. As for the public, it is only one and two, and the descendants of the public are both there?
There are three sons, Zhong Ding Mound heir, who once traveled to school and read and knew righteousness. Before the succession, the virtuous voice was very high (very prestigious). He said that the people of Zi will be good at home. Hold the guard talisman, go up and down. Jingqi Ye Ye (bright, glorious appearance), Rongwu (army) dignified (military appearance is outstanding). Zhong said Zhong Nai (nài, Dading), Confucian Prefecture 庠. Fang comes to the cause, and the formula is immeasurable. Ji Zhong Mo (zī) clan, lost millet frontier. Favor the dismissal (idle official position), soar with his brother. A glorious favor, well-known. All daughters and grandchildren, chastity and excellence. The family is connected, and the famous eunuch learns. All the clans of this world are scorched with arrogance. It may rise from the beginning and end with the end. Gongjia Qingze, the longer the more outline (kùo, expand). The Sect of Rock, the Trust of Rest. The solid ancestors are deep, and they are also deserved. Yang gives yin and receives it, and heaven sees people as doing.
Bingshen Jichun, Gongsheng Yingrui. He was fifty-eight years old. Finish right, and the pitch is worthy of it. The Plains of Saigo, the atmosphere is extracted. Buried in the jade, the earth spirit guards (care forbidden guards). To the south of the tunnel, Zhenshi (solid stone) stands tall (towering). According to the inscription, it is not a rafter. Yong (merit) Le (carving) in stone, showing 100 billion.
02. Carelessness
On the winter Gengchen day of Jiajing's year, General Huaiyuan and Chen Zhouwei's commander Xu Gong died at home due to illness. After divination, his orphans decided to bury him next to the ancestral grave about three miles away in Pingxin Township on the first day of the first month of the second year. His cousin, Xu Mengjin, who recounted the life of Duke Xu, came to ask me to write an epitaph for him. I have been teaching in Chenzhou for seven years, and Xu Gong has a deep courtesy to me, and I also know Xu Gong very well, so I can't bear not to write, but I can't help but write. The epitaph reads as follows:
Xu Gong's ancestors were Liuhe people, who actually lived in the emperor's close neighbors. When the emperor first revolted, Duke Xu's ancestors followed him and were soon entrusted with important tasks. He crossed the Yangtze River with the army to the east, and made many military exploits, and was extremely brave and invincible. Later, the ancestor was promoted to the general in charge of a thousand people, and was recommended as a general by Wanhu. He once served as a hundred households in Yuan County, and was later named the Marquis of Taicang. However, suddenly, the great general passed away like a great star, and the emperor deeply regretted and grieved. He sent messengers to pay his respects and wrote articles of condolence himself.
Xu Mian, the son of his ancestors, inherited his father's shadow and was transferred to Chenzhou. The descendants Xu Sheng and Xu Ying have inherited the exploits of their ancestors. Passed down to Xu Hong's generation, he is Xu Gong's father. At that time, Blackstone and White Fox were in turmoil, and the momentum was rampant. So the emperor ordered Xu Hong to go on an expedition, and as soon as the army arrived, the thieves scattered and fled. After the triumph, Xu Hong's meritorious deeds were rewarded, and Xu Hong's merits were unmatched. As a result, he was promoted from a servant to a fellow intellectual, fulfilling his ambition. Both up and down praised him, saying that he was a real talent.
After Xu Hong's death, his eldest son also died. Xu Gong is actually Xu Hong's second son, and he is talented and outstanding. He has a beautiful name, called Meng Yang, the word Tianjian. He inherited the position of Yin Xun (i.e., an official position or privilege gained because of the merits of his ancestors) and was given the Tiger Talisman (an ancient token of military power). He was given the power to run the army, and people relied on his abilities and decisions. He went on a crusade against the rebels in Miao and captured the thieves, and the people entrusted him with these heavy tasks. When he managed the frontier, the frontier was stable; When he took charge of the guard, the guard rejoiced.
During the conquest of Yunyang and Bazhou, he made the two places stable and the thieves stopped. He defeated the enemy and achieved victory, which brought peace to the Huai River and Xuzhou regions. Xu Hong and his relatives relied on Xu Gong for leniency. The emperor rewarded him with coins and silver medals on several occasions. He was also awarded the honor of General Huaiyuan and received a personal inscription from the emperor. His mother and wife were made ladies, wearing a crown of flowers and beads. For a time, all the people of Quanwei rejoiced at his reward, and everyone praised him as a man of great military prowess.
Later, he was promoted to the position of the commander-in-chief and began to hold key positions. Despite the jealousy of those who thwarted him, fair evaluations and public opinion remained steadfast in his support. Xu Gong has always maintained a calm and calm state of mind about this, without the slightest mustard. In the sixth year of Jiajing, that is, in the year of Dinghai, I arrived in Chendi in the winter of that year, which coincided with the good time when Xu Chengcheng was in a healthy and safe life and a healthy life. He thought I was a friend I could make friends with, so he respected and loved me very much. However, in the summer of the following year, he suddenly began to miss the water chestnut of his hometown, which was a deep attachment to his hometown.
For this homesickness, he continued to write to the imperial court, resolutely asking for someone to replace him so that he could enjoy his old age in peace. The imperial court eventually granted his request and allowed him to retire. But in reality, his talent and energy have not diminished, and they are still thriving. What he longed for in his heart was the clear springs and rocks in the mountains, the tranquility and beauty of nature, so he bravely got rid of the shackles and shackles of officialdom. In the west of Chendi City, there is a place where flowers and trees flourish, and he often indulges in the fragrance of it and enjoys a quiet time in harmony with nature.
Xu Gong is a man with integrity and dignified behavior. He has outstanding literary talents and can recite poems; The military strategy is extraordinary, and he is able to stabilize the frontier and defend the country. He governed his family based on diligence and thrift, and treated scholars with respect and courtesy, and accepted them with an open mind. He has both deeds and principles, and never slacks off or wastes time. In the past 30 years, he has been consistent and has maintained noble character and integrity. He has inherited the glorious traditions of his ancestors and created an even more brilliant future for future generations. The ancestors of Xu Gong established a great deed, and this favor sheltered four whole generations. Duke Xu's mother was honored as a Gongren and was honored to receive a reward from the imperial court. His father was named General Huaiyuan, and he was also a highly decorated figure, and the high honor had just begun. This excellent family tradition has been perfectly inherited here by Xu Gong, his talent and ability are far beyond ordinary people, and I believe that the achievements and contributions of Xu Gong's descendants will never end.
Xu Gong had three sons, the eldest son, Xu Zhongding, who was educated in school, read reasonably, and knew morality. Although he has not yet officially inherited the family business, his reputation has been widely spread and his prestige is very high. Everyone said that he was a good man who could glorify the lintel. He held an important position as a guard, holding a military talisman in his hand, which could not only obey the will of the imperial court, but also reassure the people and make the country peaceful. The army under his command fluttered with flags and dazzling brilliance, and the military appearance was even more handsome and outstanding, majestic and solemn. The second son's name was Zhong Nai, and he studied Confucian classics at a school in the state. His future achievements are truly immeasurable. The third son, Zhong Mo, was appreciated by the imperial court for transporting grain to the country's borders, and was granted an idle official position, soaring through the ranks with his brothers. This family is really glorious, famous far and wide, and they are full of praise.
The daughters and granddaughters of the family are also chaste, virtuous, and otherworldly women. The husbands they marryed, as well as the relatives they made, were all famous families, or official families, or scholarly families. In today's world, the arrogance of many families may have been hot, but they often rise and fall quickly. However, the blessings of the Xu Gong family are like flowing water, flowing wider and wider, accumulating deeper and deeper. Their family is as solid as a rock, and the members of the family share the joys and sorrows and glory. This is not only because of the profound merits of their ancestors, but also because their descendants have accumulated a wide range of public virtues and virtues. They do good deeds in the yang world and are blessed in the underworld, which is not only the favor of heaven, but also the result of their own efforts.
In the late spring of the Bingshen year, the birth of Xu Gong came with auspicious signs. From that time until the present year, you have spent fifty-eight springs and autumns. You lived your life with integrity and selflessness, and you passed away peacefully, looking back without any guilt or regret. The wilderness of Xixiang is the place where the essence of heaven and earth gathers, and if you choose to rest here, you will definitely be protected and guarded by the earth spirits. On the south side of the cemetery, there stands a solid stone, which stands firmly and unfalling. I have written this epitaph based on the deeds of your life, but I am ashamed of my poor writing. Nevertheless, I have decided to engrave this credit on this stone as a way to remember your life and let it be passed on to future generations.
03. Author
Wu Yi (1502 ~ 1568), the word Sicheng, the name Shushan, scholars respectfully call him "Mr. Shushan", is a native of Jinxi, Jiangxi (now Shukou Village, Langju Town). He passed the imperial examination during the Jiajing period and became a jinshi, initially appointed as the magistrate of Le'an County, and later transferred to the busier Xuancheng County, where he held the position of imperial historian. In the sixteenth year of Jiajing (1537), in the imperial examination of Yingtianfu, the examiner's comments omitted to write names, and at the same time, the candidates' strategies often criticized the politics of the time, which angered the emperor and led to the arrest of the examiner. Wu Yi interceded for these candidates, hoping that the emperor would forgive them, but he was imprisoned and imprisoned instead. Later, he was released and sent to supervise the salt administration in the Lianghuai region.
When Yan Song was in power, Wu Yi was very disgusted with his behavior, so he resigned and went home on the grounds of illness, and this retirement lasted for nearly 20 years. It was not until Yan Song lost power that Wu Yi was reinstated, held his original official position, and was promoted many times, and finally achieved the high position of Nanjing Dali Temple. Together with Wu Yue, Hu Song, and Mao Kai, he was known as the "Four Gentlemen of the Southern Capital" and enjoyed a high reputation among the scholars at that time.
In the first year of Longqing (1567), Wu Yi was transferred to the Ministry of Criminal Affairs. The following year, he died. In order to commemorate him, the people of his hometown built an ancestral hall and enshrined him with Lu Jiuyuan, Wu Cheng, Wu Youbi, and Chen Jiuchuan, the four sages, and this ancestral hall was called the "Five Sages Temple". Sun Piyang, the secretary of the ministry, praised Wu Yi as a "famous minister of science", so the imperial court posthumously awarded him the title of "Wenzhuang".
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