| dc.description.abstract | Ming Shenzong Zhu Yijun ascended the throne at his childhood. Despite the ever-going disputes, during the ten years when Zhang Juzheng assisted in governing the country, it was an undisputable fact that the Ming dynasty kept progressing day by day. In the tenth year of the Wanli Period (1583AD), Zhang Juzheng died of illness, meanwhile Ming Shenzong arrogated all powers to himself. Since then it came to the gradual decline age of the Ming dynasty, and to the later stage of the Wanli Period, the situation was beyond salvation.
By means of historical research, this paper, by extensively collecting, screening, comparing and analyzing the historical data, concludes historical information related to Yu Shenxing. It explores the life and all masterpieces of Yu Shenxing through the collection of historical data which includes the official history, memorials to the throne, collected works, notes, local chronicles, biographies, and so on, centered with primary historical data for the Ming Dynasty and supplemented with secondary information in modern times.
Yu Shenxing had rich political thoughts. However, he didn’t get luster political performance since he had resigned for three times. In the fifth year of the Wanli Period (1577AD), on the political event of Zhang Juzheng’s “Duoqing”, because of holding different opinions with Zhang Juzheng, Yu Shenxing resigned and returned hometown on the pretext of bad health. It was not until the tenth year of the Wanli Period (1582AD) when Zhang passed away that he resumed his post. In the eighteenth year of the Wanli Period(1591AD), Yu Shenxing served as the Minister of Rites. Because of Ming Shenzong’s neglect of administrative duties and the rivalry over the throne between the heirs, Yu Shenxing found his strength fell short of his will. Thus, he was forced to resign again in the nineteenth year of the Wanli Period (1592AD). In the thirty-third year of the Wanli Period (1605AD), Yu Shenxing returned to the court and took charge of the Household Administration of the Heir Apparent, but later on, he left office once again on the excuse of incompetence.
During his retirement, Yu Shenxing created literary and historical masterpieces. In literature, his literary ideas and thoughts are reflected in his “Gucheng Cottage Poetry”. These poems are mainly about expressing his personal frustration in politics, displaying the social reality and placing his emotions onto the nature, which serve as useful materials for the study of the history and the society of the Ming dynasty. In historic aspect, his historical perspective and achievements are reflected in his works like “On Reading History” and “Gushan Notes” which mainly narrate anecdotes of the past in alluding to the present, express his frustration in politics, satirize the political corruption of the Ming Dynasty and put forward his suggestions on the management of state affairs. All these have made outstanding contributions to the history of the modern and future ages.
| en_US |