Siming (思明) | 24 Histories

Overview

Siming was an official and Statesman.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	Zhenmin	貞敏	Zhenmin

Life and dates

Death

AD 1337 重紀至元三年
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 228

Age

78
AD 1337 重紀至元三年 · Reckoning Sui
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 228

Attested activity

AD 1329 二年
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 227
AD 1320 帝崩，英宗宅憂
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 177, passages 50-56
AD 1328 文宗天曆元年
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passages 221-226
AD 1337 重紀至元三年
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passages 57-59, 228

Career and standing

Left Chancellor of the Jiang-Zhe Branch Secretariat 江浙行中書省左丞
AD 1328 文宗天曆元年 · Appointed
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 221
Left Chancellor 左丞
AD 1320 帝崩，英宗宅憂 · Held
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 53
Left Chancellor of the Central Secretariat 中書左丞
AD 1337 重紀至元三年 · Posthumously retained
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 59
Left Chancellor of the Central Secretariat 中書左丞
AD 1329 二年 · Summoned
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 227
Meritorious Subject Who Promotes Loyalty, Assists Governance, and Upholds Righteousness 推忠翊治守義功臣
AD 1337 重紀至元三年 · Posthumously granted
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 59
Senior Guardian General 上護軍
AD 1337 重紀至元三年 · Posthumously retained
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 59

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Duke of Qinghe 清河郡公
AD 1337 重紀至元三年 · Posthumously retained
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 59
Entered
Dismissed to home
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 56
falsely accused of failing to supply grain rations for Mongol children, four hundred of whom starved 誣以不支蒙古子女口糧，餓死四百人
Framed · Negated false · Mode allegation
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 56

Places and affiliations

Polity Id yuan · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passages 50, 221
AD 1329 二年
At Ciren Hall 慈仁殿 · Relation Attended audience
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 227
AD 1328 文宗天曆元年
At Jiang-Zhe 江浙 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 221
Organization Three Unrivaled 三絕 · Relation Member of
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 58

Learning and skills

Skill law 律 · Level especially-renowned
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 58

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Temuder (帖木迭兒) · Direct quotation · Extent Unit Ids s0050, s0051, s0052
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passages 50-52
Speech · Speaker · With Temuder (帖木迭兒) · Direct quotation · Extent Unit Ids s0054
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 54
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · Extent Unit Ids s0224, s0225
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passages 224-225

Events and relationships

Admonished
Political · Remonstrator · With Temuder (帖木迭兒)
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passages 50-53
Defended censors duty to speak
Political · Advocate
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 54
Expounded employment of the worthy and enriching the state
AD 1329 二年 · Court audience · Speaker · At Ciren Hall 慈仁殿
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 227
Feared purge when factions formed
Political · Potential victim
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 56
Released next year salt revenues for Shaanxi relief
AD 1328 文宗天曆元年 · Famine relief · Decision maker · At Shaanxi 陝西
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passages 222-226
Repeatedly requested resignation and was refused
Political · Petitioner
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 56

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Resigned citing old age
AD 1329 二年 · Personnel · Subject
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 227
Shut his door for six years
Retirement · Subject
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 56
Three Unrivaled 三絕
Relation Peer of · Person Xie Zhonghe (謝仲和)
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 58
Three Unrivaled 三絕
Relation Peer of · Person Cao Dingxin (曹鼎新)
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 58

Assessments and attributes

AD 1328 文宗天曆元年
Assessment the court commended his famine-relief decision · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 226
cited old age when declining office
Age related
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 227
Item more than thirty-seven thousand volumes of books 書三萬七千餘卷 · Relation Collected
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 57

Source notes

Value historical
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 50
never managed estates or hoarded wealth in his lifetime
Field property · Negated true
Directly stated · History of Yuan 177, passage 57

References in the histories

History of Yuan, Chapter 177Volume 177 Biographies 64: Zhang Siming, Wu Yuangui, Zhang Sheng, Zang Mengjie, Chen Hao · 7 passages

Open chapter

思明諫曰：「山陵甫畢，新君未立，丞相恣行殺戮，國人皆謂陰有不臣之心。 Siming admonished him: "The imperial tomb rites have only just ended and the new sovereign is not yet enthroned. For the Chancellor to kill at will makes everyone in the realm suspect disloyal ambitions.

眾皆危之，帖木迭兒大悟曰：「非左丞言，幾誤吾事。」 Everyone feared for Siming's safety, but Temür Odjir was deeply shaken and said, "Without the Left Chancellor's warning I would nearly have ruined everything."

帝造壽安山寺，監察御史觀音保、瑣咬兒哈的迷失、成珪、李謙亨強諫，帝震怒，殺觀音保、瑣咬兒哈的迷失，以成珪、李謙亨屬吏，思明白丞相曰：「言事，御史職也，祖宗已來，未嘗殺諫臣。」 When the Emperor undertook construction of Shou'an Temple, the investigating censors Guanyinbao, Suo'er Ha'dimishi, Cheng Gui, and Li Qianheng remonstrated forcefully. The Emperor was enraged and put Guanyinbao and Suo'er Ha'dimishi to death, handing Cheng Gui and Li Qianheng over to the courts. Siming told the Chancellor plainly, "It is a censor's duty to speak out on public affairs. Since the founding of the dynasty, no remonstrating minister has ever been executed."

及拜住為左丞相，與帖木迭兒各樹朋黨，賊害忠良，思明懼禍及，累表辭，不獲，後竟誣以不支蒙古子女口糧，餓死四百人，遂廢於家，杜門六年。 When Bayiju became Left Chancellor, he and Temür Odjir each built factions and destroyed loyal ministers. Fearing he would be caught up in the purge, Siming repeatedly asked to resign but was refused. He was eventually framed on the charge that four hundred Mongol children had starved because he failed to supply their rations. Dismissed to his home, he lived behind closed doors for six years.

思明曰：「陝西饑民，猶鮒在涸轍，往復踰月，是索之枯魚之肆也。 Siming said, "Shaanxi's famine victims are like fish dying in a dried rut; a round trip would take over a month—that would be like looking for them in a shop that sells dried fish.

思明平生不治產，不畜財，收書三萬七千餘卷； Siming never managed property or hoarded wealth in his lifetime; he amassed a library of more than thirty-seven thousand volumes;

贈推忠翊治守義功臣，依前中書左丞、上護軍、清河郡公，諡貞敏。 After his death he was posthumously honored as a meritorious subject who promoted loyalty, assisted governance, and upheld righteousness, with his former titles of Left Chancellor, Senior Guardian General, and Duke of Qinghe restored, and was given the posthumous name Zhenmin, "Upright and Keen."