Chen Tingjing Chen Tingjing (1639-1712), courtesy name Zidian, nicknamed Shuoyan, later nicknamed Wuting, Zezhou in the Qing Dynasty (now Huangcheng Village, Beiliu Town, Yangcheng County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province) people. In the fifteenth year of Shunzhi (1658), the title of Jinshi was changed to Shujishi. At first, his name was Jing. Because there was a person with the same name in the same subject, the imperial court added the word "ting" to him and changed it to Tingjing. Chen Tingjing successively served as the advisor to the Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the bachelor of Wenyuan Pavilion, and the chief editor of the "Kangxi Dictionary". At the end of the last century, Chen Guangmei, a descendant of Chen Tingjing and a hermit in Sichuan, died of illness in Leshan, Sichuan. His grandson Chen Entian lived up to the legacy of his ancestors and made extraordinary achievements in the field of Chinese studies. He is currently a contemporary interdisciplinary Chinese scholar and a famous calligrapher. He is the author of "Fu of Greater China" , "Zhongnanhai Ji", "Qing Ziwen", "Preface to Le Ting", "New Chongqing Fu" and other literary works. He currently serves as the chairman of the first committee of Australia's ISTS (International Qisan Society). The Chen Tingjing family has once again received great attention at home and abroad. Attention.
Chen Tingjing was eager to learn throughout his life, and was very good at poetry, literature, and music. He competed with Wang Wan, the essayist of the early Qing Dynasty, in style, and harmonized with the famous poet Wang Shizhen in poetry. "Both of them can understand the depth of it, but their appearance is not fake." He wrote a poem "The State of Jin": "The State of Jin is strong in the world, but the troops of Qin are limited in its territory. Thousands of military chariots ride together, and the blood of all directions is the same. The Purple Sea connects the sky and the Yellow River divides the land. The tigers and wolves are not allowed to roam freely, and the fathers are willing to join the army. "Recalling the prosperity of the Jin State and the dangers of its mountains and rivers, it praised the patriotic spirit of the people of Jin who shared the same hatred of the enemy and defended their homeland.
Because Chen Tingjing was very talented, when he was a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, Zeng, La Salle, a bachelor of the Academy, and Zhang Ying, a lecturer of the Imperial Academy, were praised by Emperor Kangxi, who praised them for "lecturing every day and enlightening my heart. It's very beneficial." Kangxi specially gave him, La Salle and Zhang Ying fifty mink skins each, and two pieces of silk and satin each.
In January of the 23rd year of Kangxi (1648), Chen Tingjing was transferred to the right minister of the Ministry of Personnel, responsible for managing the money law of the Ministry of Household Affairs. In response to existing problems, Chen Tingjing wrote in August: "Coins minted since ancient times have been sometimes light and sometimes heavy, and they have to be recast in a short time. Now, the most inconvenient thing for the people is mainly the price. In the past, one Two taels of silver can be exchanged for one thousand copper coins, but now they are only exchanged for nine hundred. The reason for this situation is that private traders melt copper coins into copper and profit from it. It is said that destroying coins is the most serious crime. This is everyone's fault. I know. However, it cannot be banned for a long time, because private traders can make huge profits from it, because one tael of silver can buy seven pounds of copper. If one tael of silver is converted into copper coins, one thousand copper coins will be obtained. These unscrupulous merchants used this as a shortcut to make profits. In the tenth year of Shunzhi, each copper coin weighed one cent, two cents and five cents. It was originally increased to four cents per coin to prevent private coining, but what happened? Therefore, the best way is not to increase the weight of the coin, but to change it to light. The trend of private casting will inevitably end." At the same time, he also pointed out: "Due to excessive taxation in copper-producing areas in recent years, there are very few copper mines. Taxes should be reduced to allow more people to mine. As copper increases, the value of copper coins will naturally become more stable.” It was quickly adopted and implemented.
In September of the same year, Chen Tingjing was promoted to censor of Zuodu. At that time, many officials in the Qing court were corrupt and took bribes, and corruption was very serious. Chen Tingjing hated it deeply. In the first month of the 24th year, he wrote to the court: "Corruption and integrity are the keys to being a qualified official. However, luxury and frugality are the root causes of corruption. To make officials honest, we must first Let them develop the quality of frugality. In ancient times, everything from clothes, carriages and horses to clothing and utensils, as well as weddings and funerals, had to be done in such a way that they could not be made cheap or expensive. People who are thrifty are ridiculed, and rich people are extravagant without any objection, which makes everyone compete for luxury and become a trend. As a result, corruption and profit-seeking and violations of the law have become more and more serious." He pointedly pointed out. : "Love and lust are in people's hearts, just like water that has lost its embankment and doesn't know where to stop."
Emperor Kangxi received Chen Tingjing's letter and expressed his agreement, pointing out that in the future, "it is necessary to return to simplicity and purity. We should follow the legal system, be pragmatic, and advocate frugality in writing."
At that time, due to heavy taxes on farmers and constant floods, droughts and famines, people's lives were very difficult.
Chen Tingjing promptly reported to the court the true situation after the disaster in some areas, and proposed some ways to exempt money and grain taxes. To a certain extent, this has played a role in reducing the burden on the people.
In order to maintain the rule of the Qing court, Chen Tingjing once again wrote: "The duty of the governor-general is to inspect and guide the officials. Only in this way can the people settle down for a long time. It does not mean that the officials can only observe the directors. It's enough to do your duty. Confucius said: If you fail to teach, it's not the people's fault. If you want to prevent the people from violating the regulations, it is better to follow the teachings first, and you must first check the governor and governor. You may say: 'The problem lies with the officials. If the officials are honest and capable, and do not waste tax revenue, the directors will not take bribes, nor will they harass the people, and the people will not suffer from violating the criminal law. . 'If an official does not have such ability, it can be said that he is guilty of the crime. Of course, it is not entirely the official's fault. If the boss is honest, the official will naturally not dare to take bribes and break the law. He wants to be honest, but it is not easy to achieve. Whenever officials are extravagant, take bribes, and plunder the people, he is busy observing people's words and flattering his superiors every day, so how can he have time to teach the people? What the officials do, they will say: "Can such a person still teach me?" If the officials do not obey the discipline, they will do so. It is the governor who caused them to do so. It is the governors and governors who must be qualified. Only if they are upright and upright can they manage the officials well. The officials do not have to think about how to flatter and curry favor with their superiors, but can only focus on doing things for the people. You can rest and recuperate." He also suggested that the governor should be given an order to investigate whether there is any illegal behavior in recommending prefectural and county magistrates. Strict punishment for violators will serve as a warning to others. The inspection of the governor-general depends on whether he is honest and honest and sets an example for other officials.
Chen Tingjing's proposal was adopted by the imperial court, and based on what he proposed, a number of provisions were stipulated and issued for implementation.
After some time, Wang Jiwen, the governor of Yunnan, used the name of military pay to treasury money and embezzled privately. Chen Tingjing was impeached by Shangshu because of his dereliction of duty and his disloyalty.
In the twenty-fifth year of Kangxi (1686), he served as Minister of the Ministry of Industry. Xu Qianxue, a fellow scholar, wrote the "Jiangu Collection". Kangxi believed that this collection was valuable for reference and decided to stay and read it through. During his tenure as minister of the Ministry of Industry, he also compiled the Hadith, Political Code, Strategy, Unification Chronicles, Ming History, etc. of the three dynasties. Chen Tingjing also served as the chief executive.
In the twenty-sixth year of Kangxi (1687), the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Personnel were transferred. The next year, his relatives were impeached for corruption, which affected him and dealt a big blow to him. After that, he asked to be relieved of his duties and return to his hometown on the pretext that his father was eighty-one years old and he wanted to stay together. The Qing government agreed to Chen Tingjing's request and removed him from his post in the court, but continued to serve as the chief official of the revision of books.
In the 29th year of Kangxi (1690), the Qing court appointed Chen Tingjing as the censor of Zuodu, until he became the bachelor of Wenyuan Pavilion and the minister of the Ministry of official affairs.
In the 49th year of Kangxi (1710), the emperor issued an edict and ordered Zhang Yushu and Chen Tingjing to lead the compilation of a large dictionary. The next year, Zhang Yushu died of illness, and Chen Tingjing became the sole president. This large dictionary has an editorial team of more than thirty people, including Chen Tingjing's son Chen Zhuanglu. The father and son left their names in a book, and it became a good story for a while. This dictionary is based on the predecessors' Zihui and Zhengzitong, and it contains more than 47,000 characters. It is the dictionary with the richest collection of characters in ancient Chinese history. Later it was named "Kangxi Dictionary". Although Chen Tingjing had already passed away when the dictionary came out, his efforts and contributions to compiling this dictionary are admired by future generations.
Chen Tingjing wrote many works in his life, including "Wuting Wenbian", "Zunwen Pavilion Collection", "Heshang Collection", "Du Lv Poems", "Lao Laozhang's Travel Notes", and "Three Rites" , "Shuoyan Poetry Collection" and so on. His poetic style was "elegant and mellow", which was highly praised by Emperor Kangxi.
In March of the 51st year of Kangxi (1712), Chen Tingjing was critically ill, and Emperor Kangxi sent an imperial physician to examine him. He died of illness in April at the age of seventy-three. Kangxi led his ministers and bodyguards to pay homage to him, and ordered Manchu and Han ministers from various ministries to pay homage to him. Emperor Kangxi wrote an elegy in his own handwriting, and the funeral ceremony was very grand. His posthumous title is Wenzhen.
Hometown
Huangcheng Village, Beiliu Town, Yangcheng County, is built on the mountains and rivers. It has majestic city walls, numerous battlements, official residences and residential buildings, which are row upon row. A unique group of ancient buildings. The Imperial City Xiangfu tourist attraction was built based on this group of ancient buildings.
The Imperial City Prime Minister’s Mansion is divided into inner and outer city buildings. The inner city was built by Chen Tingjing's uncle Chen Chang in the Renwu year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty (1642), and the outer city was built by Chen Tingjing in the 42nd year of Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1703). A stone plaque in the middle of the city gate is inscribed with the words "Zhongdaozhuang". Character. The village has always belonged to Guoyuli during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. During the Republic of China and after liberation until 1960, the village belonged to Guoyu Township or Guoyu Management Area. It became an independent brigade in 1961 and an administrative village in 1984. In the place name census in the 1980s, it was called Huangcheng Village, but the village's seal broke the restricted area and was engraved as "Huangcheng" Village.
In October 1998, the "Academic Seminar on Chen Tingjing, the Famous Prime Minister of the Qing Dynasty and the Ancient Architecture of the Imperial City" was held in Yangcheng, kicking off the creation of the "Imperial City Prime Minister's Mansion" tourism brand. In 2001, the TV series "Kangxi Dynasty" was broadcast, which made this tourist attraction famous in China. In March of the same year, it won the title of "Top Ten Civilized Scenic Areas in Shanxi Province". In October, it passed the ISO9002 international quality system certification. In March 2002, it passed the review of 38 major items and 196 minor items by the National Tourism Administration and won the title of national 4A-level scenic spot.
Chen Tingjing and the Kangxi Dictionary
The "Kangxi Dictionary" is the first Chinese calligraphy book named after "dictionary" and the first officially revised dictionary in Chinese history. The total book is 42 The volume contains 47,035 words, which is more than 13,000 words more than the "Cihui" of the Ming Dynasty. It was the largest calligraphy book in China at that time.
The "Kangxi Dictionary" is a grand work. It has a huge role in promoting the research and development of ancient Chinese characters. It has been widely circulated among the people and has a great influence. This dictionary is rich in material and has profound and broad cultural connotations. It functions as a dictionary and can be called large and comprehensive. It can find lost characters in all calligraphy books before Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, and has become a classic work handed down from generation to generation.
The "Kangxi Dictionary" is a major contribution of Emperor Kangxi to Chinese culture. However, it was Chen Tingjing and Zhang Yushu who actually presided over the compilation of the "Kangxi Dictionary", because Zhang Yushu was the one who ordered the compilation of the "Kangxi Dictionary" under Kangxi's orders. He died the next year, and the responsibility of editor-in-chief of "Kangxi Dictionary" actually remained on Chen Tingjing.
Chen Tingjing, his two sons and one grandson were all Jinshi and entered the Imperial Academy. It can be said that father and son were in the same dynasty and brothers were officials. It is said that the Kangxi Dictionary was actually compiled successfully by Chen Tingjing with the assistance of his son Chen Zhuanglu.