Xu Youzhen was a scholar, minister and calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty in China.
Xu Youzhen (1407-1472), whose first name was Jue, whose courtesy name was Yuanyu, and whose nickname was Tian Quanweng, was from Wuxian County. In the eighth year of Xuande's reign (1433), Jinshi scholars were selected, and they were awarded the title of editor and editor. In the twelfth year of Zhengtong (1447), he became a lecturer. During the "Tumu Incident", the Wara army first approached Beijing, and Zhenzhu moved south to reprimand Yu Qian and others. Jingtaichu changed his name to Youzhen. Later, in order to welcome the restoration of Yingzong, he was granted the title of Wugongbo and the bachelor of Huagaidian. He was given imperial edicts, and his official position reached the highest level, and his power was overwhelming for a while. Later, he was framed by Shi Heng and Cao Jixiang, and was dismissed and sentenced.
After defeat, he returned to the fields and wandered around the mountains and rivers. He died more than ten years ago. Zhang Tingyu's "History of the Ming Dynasty" of the Ming Dynasty commented that Youzhen was "a short and sharp person, full of wisdom, and he likes fame. He is proficient in all books on astronomy, geography, military art, water conservancy, and Yin and Yang magic." His reputation was so important that he had a certain influence on the calligraphy of Wen Zhengming and Zhu Yunming.
Xu Youzhen’s main achievements:
1. Political achievements: Xu Youzhen was a Jinshi in Guichou Division in the eighth year of Xuande (1433), and was elected as a commoner with the first place. Jishi, entered the Hanlin Academy. In the last years of Jingtai, he participated in planning the coup to seize the throne, which led to the successful restoration of Ming Yingzong. As a result, he became the chief minister of the cabinet and was awarded the title of Wugong Bo.
2. Water conservancy achievements: After several years of hard work, Xu Youzhen finally calmed down the danger of the Shawan river bursting. His three strategies for river control adopted the method of dredging, blocking and dredging simultaneously. Specifically, he diverted the Yellow River into the river, blocked the breach of Shawan and dredged the silt accumulated inside the canal. Among them, diverting the Yellow River into the river is the most important part of the river control plan. It not only solves the problem of the Yellow River bursting, but also solves the problem of poor water transportation in the canal that hinders shipping.
Reference for the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia-Ming History