Ming · Official

Gao Gong 高拱

Attested AD 1567 - AD 1572

Passages
4
Chapters
1
Histories
1

Overview

Gao Gong was an official.

PeriodMing
IdentityHistorical

Life and dates

Attested activity

Events and relationships

References in the histories

History of Ming, Chapter 219Volume 219 Biographies 107: Zhang Siwei, Ma Ziqiang, Xu Guo, Zhao Zhigao, Zhang Wei, Zhu Geng · 4 passages
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張四維，字子維，蒲州人．嘉靖三十二年進士．改庶吉士，授編修．隆慶初，進右中允，直經筵，尋遷左諭德．四維倜儻有才智，明習時事．楊博、王崇古久歷邊陲，善談兵．四維，博同里而崇古姊子也，以故亦習知邊務．高拱深器之． Zhang Siwei, styled Ziwei, came from Puzhou. He passed the jinshi examination in the thirty-second year of the Jiajing reign, entered the Hanlin Academy as a bachelor, and was appointed compiler. At the start of the Longqing reign he rose to Right Middle Submitter and served at the Classics Lectern, then soon became Left Mentor. Siwei was bold and able, with a keen grasp of affairs of the day. Yang Bo and Wang Chonggu had long experience on the frontier and were adept at military discussion; Siwei was Bo's townsman and Chonggu's nephew by marriage, and so he too grew familiar with border affairs. Gao Gong held him in high regard.
拱掌吏部，超擢翰林學士．甫兩月，拜吏部右侍郎．俺答封貢議起，朝右持不決．四維為交關於拱，款事遂成．拱益才四維，四維亦干進不已，朝士頗有疾之者．御史郜永春視鹽河東，言鹽法之壞由勢要橫行，大商專利，指四維、崇古為勢要，四維父、崇古弟為大商．四維奏辨，因乞去．拱力護之，溫詔慰留焉． When Gao Gong headed the Ministry of Personnel, he promoted Siwei straight to Hanlin Academician; within two months Siwei was made Right Vice Minister of Personnel. Debate over Altan's enfeoffment and tribute left the court divided, but Siwei acted as Gao's go-between and the peace settlement went through. Gao prized him all the more, while Siwei never stopped pressing for advancement, and many at court came to dislike him. Censor Gao Yongchun, inspecting the salt administration in Hedong, blamed the ruin of the salt laws on powerful men acting lawlessly and great merchants monopolizing profit; he named Siwei and Chonggu as the powerful men and Siwei's father and Chonggu's brother as the great merchants. Siwei memorialized in his defense and asked to leave office. Gao defended him vigorously, and a reassuring edict kept him in post.
初，趙貞吉去位，拱欲援四維入閣，而殷士儋夤緣得之，諸人遂相搆．及御史趙應龍劾士儋，士儋未去，言路復有劾四維者．四維已進左侍郎，不得已引去，無何士儋亦去．東宮出閤，召四維充侍班官．給事中曹大埜言四維賄拱得召，四維馳疏辨，求罷．帝不許，趣入朝．未至而穆宗崩，拱罷政，張居正當國，復移疾歸． When Zhao Zhenji left office, Gao Gong wanted to bring Siwei into the Grand Secretariat, but Yin Shidan won the post through patronage, and the two factions turned on each other. After Censor Zhao Yinglong impeached Shidan—who had not yet left office—the censorate also moved against Siwei. Siwei, already promoted to Left Vice Minister, had no choice but to withdraw; Shidan soon followed. When the crown prince left seclusion, Siwei was summoned as a court attendant. Supervising Secretary Cao Dayan charged that Siwei had bribed Gao for the appointment; Siwei sent an urgent memorial in reply and asked to be dismissed. The emperor refused and ordered him to come to court. Before he arrived, Emperor Muzong died, Gao Gong fell from power, Zhang Juzheng took over the government, and Siwei again pleaded illness and went home.
六年三月，居正將歸葬父．念閣臣在鄉里者，高拱與己有深隙，殷士儋多奧援，或乘間以出，惟徐階老易與，擬薦之自代．已遣使報階，既念階前輩，己還，當位其下，乃請增置閣臣．帝即令居正推擇，遂以人望薦自強及所厚申時行．詔加自強太子太保兼文淵閣大學士，與時行並參機務．自強初以救吳中行、趙用賢忤居正，自分不敢望，及制下，人更以是多居正．時呂調陽、張四維先在閣．調陽衰，數寢疾不出，小事四維代擬旨，大事則馳報居正於江陵，聽其裁決．自強雖持正，亦不能有為，守位而已． In the third month of the sixth year Zhang Juzheng was about to go home to bury his father. He thought of Grand Secretaries still in their home districts: Gao Gong bore him a deep grudge, Yin Shidan had many powerful backers and might seize an opening, and only the aged Xu Jie seemed manageable—he planned to recommend Jie as his stand-in. He had already sent a messenger to Jie, but then reflected that Jie was his senior and that on returning he would have to serve beneath him, so he asked instead to add Grand Secretaries. The emperor ordered Juzheng to choose men; he recommended Ziqiang and his own protégé Shen Shixing on grounds of public esteem. An edict made Ziqiang Grand Guardian of the Crown Prince and Grand Secretary of the Wenyuange, to join Shixing in state deliberations. Ziqiang had offended Juzheng by pleading for Wu Zhongxing and Zhao Yongxian and had not dared hope for appointment; when the order came, people praised Juzheng all the more for magnanimity. Lü Diaoyang and Zhang Siwei were already in the secretariat. Diaoyang was failing, often ill and absent; Siwei drafted minor edicts in his place, while major matters were rushed to Juzheng at Jiangling for decision. Though upright, Ziqiang could accomplish nothing and merely held his seat.