Ming · Chief Grand Secretary

Shen Shixing 申時行

Attested AD 1578 - AD 1592

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Shen Shixing was a Chief Grand Secretary.

PeriodMing
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12 passages

History of Ming, Chapter 219Volume 219 Biographies 107: Zhang Siwei, Ma Ziqiang, Xu Guo, Zhao Zhigao, Zhang Wei, Zhu Geng · 12 passages
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於是居正黨大懼．王篆、曾省吾輩，厚結申時行以為助．而馮保欲因兩宮徽號封己為伯，惡四維持之．篆、省吾知之，厚賄保，數短四維； Juzheng's faction was now deeply alarmed. Wang Zhuan, Zeng Shengwu, and others cultivated Shen Shixing as an ally. Feng Bao, hoping to use the posthumous titles of the two palaces to secure an earldom for himself, resented Siwei's opposition. Zhuan and Shengwu learned of this, bribed Bao heavily, and repeatedly slandered Siwei;
而使所善御史曹一夔劾吏部尚書王國光媚四維，拔其中表弟王謙為吏部主事．時行遂擬旨罷國光，並謫謙．四維以帝慰留，復起視事．命甫下，御史張問達復劾四維．四維窘，求保心腹徐爵、張大受賄保，保意稍解．時行乃謫問達於外，以安四維．四維以時行與謀也，卒銜之．已而中官張誠譖保，保眷大衰，四維乃授意門生李植輩發保奸狀．保及篆、省吾皆逐，朝事一大變． They set up Censor Cao Yikui to impeach Minister of Personnel Wang Guoguang for fawning on Siwei and promoting Wang Qian, Guoguang's cousin by marriage, to a principal clerk in the Ministry. Shixing drafted an edict removing Guoguang and demoting Qian. The emperor had reassured Siwei and kept him in office, so he resumed his duties; but the order had barely gone out when Censor Zhang Wenda attacked Siwei again. Cornered, Siwei turned to Bao's confidants Xu Jue and Zhang Dashou and bribed Bao, who softened somewhat. Shixing then sent Wenda away to an outside post to calm Siwei. Siwei believed Shixing had been in on the scheme and never forgave him. Before long the eunuch Zhang Cheng slandered Bao; Bao's influence collapsed, and Siwei prompted his disciples Li Zhi and others to expose Bao's crimes. Bao, Zhuan, and Shengwu were all driven out, and court affairs shifted dramatically.
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.
十一年四月以禮部尚書兼東閣大學士入參機務．國與首輔申時行善．以丁此呂事與言者相攻，語侵吳中行、趙用賢，由是物議沸然．已而御史陳性學復摭前事劾國，時行右國，請薄罰性學．國再疏求去，力攻言者．帝命鴻臚宣諭，始起視事．南京給事中伍可受復劾國，帝為謫可受官．國復三疏乞休，語憤激，帝不允．性學旋出為廣東僉事．先是，帝考卜壽宮，加國太子太保，改文淵閣，以雲南功進太子太傅．國以父母未葬，乞歸襄事．帝不允，命其子代．御史馬象乾以劾中官張鯨獲罪，國懇救．帝為霽威受之． In the fourth month of the eleventh year he entered the secretariat as Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion. Guo was on good terms with Chief Grand Secretary Shen Shixing. In the Ding Cilü affair he clashed with the censorate, and his language touched Wu Zhongxing and Zhao Yongxian; public opinion boiled over. Censor Chen Xingxue then dredged up old charges against Guo; Shixing sided with Guo and asked that Xingxue be lightly punished. Guo again asked to leave and fiercely attacked the censorate. The emperor sent the Director of Ceremonies to reassure him, and only then did Guo resume office. Nanjing Supervising Secretary Wu Keshou attacked Guo again; the emperor demoted Keshou. Guo submitted three more memorials asking to retire in agitated language; the emperor refused. Xingxue was soon sent to Guangdong as Assistant Surveillance Commissioner. Earlier, when the emperor divined his tomb site, Guo was made Grand Guardian of the Crown Prince and moved to the Wenyuange; for Yunnan service he rose to Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince. Guo asked to go home to bury his parents; the emperor refused and sent his son in his place. Censor Ma Xiangqian was punished for impeaching the eunuch Zhang Jing; Guo pleaded earnestly for him, and the emperor relented.
明年秋，火落赤犯臨洮、鞏昌，西陲震動，帝召對輔臣暖閣．時行言款貢足恃，國謂渝盟犯順，桀驁已極，宜一大創之，不可復羈縻．帝心然國言，而時行為政不能奪．無何，給事中任讓論國庸鄙．國疏辨，帝奪讓俸．國、時行初無嫌．而時行適為國門生萬國欽所論，讓則時行門生也，故為其師報復云．福建守臣報日本結琉球入寇，國因言：「今四裔交犯，而中外小臣爭務攻擊，致大臣紛紛求去，誰復為國家任事者？ The next autumn Huoluochi invaded Lintao and Gongchang; the western frontier shook, and the emperor summoned the assisting ministers to the warm pavilion. Shixing said tribute and peace could be relied on; Guo argued they had broken the alliance and rebelled, were utterly arrogant, and ought to be struck hard—not indulged again. The emperor inwardly agreed with Guo, but Shixing held power and could not be overborne. Before long Supervising Secretary Ren Rang called Guo shallow and base; Guo defended himself, and the emperor stripped Rang of salary. At first Guo and Shixing had no quarrel, but Shixing had just been attacked by Guo's disciple Wan Guoqin, and Rang was Shixing's disciple—so it was said he avenged his teacher. A Fujian official reported that Japan had joined Ryukyu in raiding; Guo said: 'Now the four quarters are all in violation, yet petty officials inside and outside the court compete in attack and denunciation, driving grand ministers to resign one after another—who will still serve the state?
廷臣爭請冊立，得旨二十年春舉行．十九年秋，工部郎張有德以儀注請，帝怒奪俸．時行適在告，國與王家屏慮事中變，欲因而就之，引前旨力請．帝果不悅，責大臣不當與小臣比．國不自安，遂求去．疏五上，乃賜敕馳傳歸．踰一日，時行亦罷，[一]而冊立竟停．人謂時行以論劾去，國以爭執去，為二相優劣焉． Court officials repeatedly pleaded for investiture of the heir and received an edict fixing it for the spring of the twentieth year. In the autumn of the nineteenth year Bureau Director Zhang Youde of the Ministry of Works requested the ritual protocol; the emperor, enraged, stripped him of salary. Shixing happened to be on leave; Guo and Wang Jiaping feared a change of course and tried to seize the moment, citing the earlier edict to press hard. The emperor was displeased and rebuked the grand ministers for acting like petty officials. Guo felt uneasy and asked to leave; after five memorials he was sent home by fast courier with an edict. One day later Shixing was also dismissed, [1] and investiture was halted after all. People said Shixing left under impeachment while Guo left over dispute—a judgment on which of the two chancellors was the better man.
十九年秋，申時行謝政，薦志臯及張位自代．遂進禮部尚書兼東閣大學士，入參機務．明年春，王家屏罷，王錫爵召未至，志臯暫居首輔．會寧夏變起，兵事多所咨決．主事岳元聲疏論錫爵，中言當事者變亂傾危，為主事諸壽賢、給事中許弘綱所駁．志臯再辨，帝皆不問． In the autumn of the nineteenth year Shen Shixing resigned and recommended Zhigao and Zhang Wei as successors. Zhigao was promoted to Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion. The next spring Wang Jiaping was dismissed; Wang Xijue had been summoned but had not arrived, and Zhigao temporarily served as chief grand secretary. When the Ningxia revolt broke out, many military matters were referred to him. Director Yue Yuansheng memorialized against Xijue, saying those in charge were stirring turmoil and endangering the state; Director Zhu Shouxian and Supervising Secretary Xu Honggang rebutted him. Zhigao defended himself again; the emperor made no inquiry in either case.
張居正柄國，權震主．申時行繼之，勢猶盛．王錫爵性剛負氣，人亦畏之．志臯為首輔，年七十餘，耄矣，柔而懦，為朝士所輕，詬誶四起．其始為首輔也，值西華門災，御史趙文炳論之．無何，南京御史柳佐、給事中章守誠言，吏部郎顧憲成等空司而逐志臯，實激帝怒．已而給事中張濤、楊洵，御史冀體、況上進，南京評事龍起雷相繼披詆．而巡按御史吳崇禮劾其子兩淮運副鳳威，鳳威坐停俸．未幾，工部郎中岳元聲極言志臯宜放，給事中劉道亨詆尤力．志臯憤，言：「同一閣臣也，往日勢重而權有所歸，則相率附之以媒進．今日勢輕而權有所分，則相率擊之以博名．」因求退益切．帝慰諭之． When Zhang Juzheng held power his authority overshadowed the throne; Shen Shixing succeeded him with influence still strong; Wang Xijue was proud and formidable. Zhigao as chief grand secretary was over seventy, aged, gentle and timid, looked down on by court officials, and abuse erupted on every side. When he first became chief secretary, fire struck the Gate of Western Splendor and Censor Zhao Wenbing criticized him. Nanjing Censor Liu Zuo and Supervising Secretary Zhang Shoucheng said Personnel Director Gu Xiancheng and others had emptied the bureau and, in driving out Zhigao, had truly stirred the emperor's anger. Supervising Secretaries Zhang Tao and Yang Xun, Censors Ji Ti and Kuang Shangjin, and Nanjing Reviewer Long Qilei then launched fierce attacks in succession. Touring censor Wu Chongli impeached his son Fengwei, salt transport vice commissioner of the Two Huai, who was suspended from salary. Bureau Director Yue Yuansheng said Zhigao should be dismissed; Supervising Secretary Liu Daohang denounced him with especial force. Zhigao, angered, said: 'They are all Grand Secretaries alike. When power was heavy and authority had a center, they flocked to attach themselves for advancement. Now power is light and authority divided, and they flock to attack for renown.' He asked to withdraw all the more urgently; the emperor comforted him.
後以救吳中行、趙用賢忤居正意．時已遷侍講，抑授南京司業．未行，復以京察，謫徐州同知．居正卒之明年，用給事中馮景隆、御史孫維城薦，[二]擢南京尚寶丞．俄召為左中允，管司業事，進祭酒．疏陳六事，多議行．以禮部右侍郎，教習庶吉士，引疾歸．詔起故官，協理詹事府，辭不赴．久之，以申時行薦，拜吏部左侍郎兼東閣大學士，與趙志臯並命． Later, for pleading for Wu Zhongxing and Zhao Yongxian he offended Juzheng. Though already promoted to lecturer, he was demoted to vice director of studies in Nanjing. Before he left he was demoted again in the capital review to assistant prefect of Xuzhou. The year after Juzheng died, on recommendation of Supervising Secretary Feng Jinglong and Censor Sun Weicheng, [2] he was promoted to assistant director in the Nanjing Court of Imperial Seals. Soon he was recalled as left middle submitter, managed the duties of vice director of studies, and rose to chancellor. He memorialized on six matters, many of which were adopted. As Right Vice Minister of Rites and instructor of Hanlin bachelors he pleaded illness and went home. An edict recalled him to assist in the Household of the Heir Apparent; he declined. Long afterward, on Shen Shixing's recommendation, he was appointed Left Vice Minister of Personnel and Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, together with Zhao Zhigao.