Xu Heng (許衡) | 24 Histories

Overview

Xu Heng was a scholar and Teacher.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	Wenzheng	文正
Alternate name	Xu	許氏

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 1273 十年
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 115, passage 117
AD 1273 至元十年
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 174, passage 145
AD 1270 至元七年
Directly stated · History of Yuan 174, passage 15
AD 1271 至元八年
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 174, passage 144
c. AD 1260 to AD 1276 世祖初年
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 191, passage 58
AD 1264 to AD 1294 世祖朝
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 179, passage 2

Show 5 more source-backed claims

AD 1261 中統年間
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 206, passage 74
AD 1251 年十三，見許衡於蘇門
Directly stated · History of Yuan 174, passage 7
AD 1308 至大元年
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 171, passages 87-88
AD 1260 to AD 1281 許衡之學傳燧
Strongly inferred · History of Yuan 174, passage 37
AD 1271 to AD 1290 許衡教學影響
Strongly inferred · History of Yuan 174, passages 163-164

Key source chapters

Career and standing

grand academician of the Hall of Gathered Worthies 集賢大學士
AD 1271 至元八年 · Appointed
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 174, passage 144
director of the Imperial Academy 國子祭酒
AD 1271 至元八年 · Held concurrently
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 174, passage 144
Director of the Imperial Academy 國子祭酒
AD 1270 至元七年 · Held
Directly stated · History of Yuan 174, passage 15
Director of Education 祭酒
Held
Directly stated · History of Yuan 171, passage 88
Left Assistant Minister 左丞
Held
Directly stated · History of Yuan 191, passage 58
left assistant minister of the Central Secretariat 中書左丞
AD 1271 至元八年 · Left office
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 174, passage 144

Places and affiliations

AD 1270 至元七年
Polity Id yuan · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Yuan 174, passage 15
Polity Id yuan · Relation Lived under
Strongly inferred · History of Yuan 174, passage 37
Polity Id yuan · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Yuan 174, passage 144

Works and attributed material

summaries of Liao and Jin rulers' conduct 遼、金帝王行事要略
Relation Author · Co Author Person Id Wang Xun (王恂)
Directly stated · History of Yuan 115, passage 117
memorialized that twelve disciples serve as hall chiefs and companion readers
Memorial · Author
Directly stated · History of Yuan 174, passage 144
Speech · Speaker · With Yao Sui (姚燧) · Direct quotation · Mode quotation Speaker Xu Heng (許衡)
Directly stated · History of Yuan 174, passages 11-14

Events and relationships

Recalled former pupils
AD 1270 至元七年 · Political · Memorialist
Directly stated · History of Yuan 174, passage 15
Requested leave and returned to his home district
AD 1273 至元十年 · Career · Retiree
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 174, passage 145
Relation Teacher of · Person Yao Sui (姚燧)
Directly stated · History of Yuan 174, passages 8, 11, 15, 37
Relation Teacher of · Person Zhang Jiefu (張介福)
Directly stated · History of Ming 298, passage 12
Relation Teacher of · Person He Sheng (賀勝)
Directly stated · History of Yuan 179, passage 2

Assessments and attributes

Assessment admired his literary style · Person Yao Sui (姚燧) · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of Yuan 174, passage 11
Assessment held Xu Ji in high esteem · With Xu Ji (許楫) · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of Yuan 191, passage 58
Assessment teaching method followed by Ye Luyoushang; formerly revered as model teacher · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of Yuan 174, passages 163-164

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · History of Yuan 115, passage 117; History of Yuan 174, passages 7, 142

References in the histories

Search passages

History

19 passages

History of Ming, Chapter 298Volume 298 Biographies 186: Recluses · 1 passage

Open chapter

少受學於許衡。 As a youth he studied under Xu Heng.

History of Yuan, Chapter 115Volume 115 Biographies 2: Ruizong, Yuzong, Xianzong, Shunzong · 1 passage

Open chapter

每與諸王近臣習射之暇，輒講論經典，若《資治通鑒》、《貞觀政要》，王恂、許衡所述遼、金帝王行事要略，下至《武經》等書，從容片言之間，茍有允愜，未嘗不為之灑然改容。 In intervals from archery practice with the princes and close ministers, he would discuss the classics, from Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance and Essentials of Government in the Zhenguan Reign to Wang Xun and Xu Heng's summaries of Liao and Jin rulers and even Military Classics. An apt remark would always make him brighten visibly.

History of Yuan, Chapter 171Volume 171 Biographies 58: Liu Yin, Wu Cheng · 2 passages

Open chapter

先是，許文正公衡為祭酒，始以《朱子小學》等書授弟子，久之，漸失其舊。 Earlier, when Xu Heng served as Director of Education, he had first used Zhu Xi's Elementary Learning and related books to instruct his disciples; over time this practice gradually lapsed.

議者遂以澄為陸氏之學，非許氏尊信朱子本意，然亦莫知朱、陸之為何如也。 Critics thereupon labeled Wu Cheng a follower of Lu Xiangshan's school, not in keeping with Xu Heng's original intent of revering Zhu Xi—yet they also did not truly understand what Zhu and Lu represented.

History of Yuan, Chapter 174Volume 174 Biographies 61: Yao Sui, Guo Guan, Jia Guzhiqi, Liu Geng, Ye Luyoushang, Hao Tianting, Zhang Kongsun · 10 passages

Open chapter

年十三，見許衡於蘇門。 At thirteen he met Xu Heng at Sumen.

稍就正於衡，衡亦賞其辭，且戒之曰：「弓矢為物，以待盜也； He gradually submitted his work to Xu Heng for correction; Heng admired his prose but warned him: "Bows and arrows exist to meet robbers;

至元七年，衡以國子祭酒教貴冑，奏召舊弟子十二人，燧自太原驛致館下。 In the seventh year of Zhiyuan (1270), when Xu Heng served as director of the Imperial Academy and instructed the sons of the nobility, he memorialized to recall twelve former pupils; Sui traveled by relay from Taiyuan to join them at the academy.

燧之學，有得於許衡，由窮理致知，反躬實踐，為世名儒。 Sui's learning owed much to Xu Heng: he pursued principle to knowledge and tested it in his own conduct, and was accounted one of the age's leading Confucian scholars.

有尚資識絕人，篤志於學，受業許衡之門，號稱高第弟子。 Youshang's gifts were extraordinary; he devoted himself to learning under Xu Heng and was accounted one of his foremost pupils.

至元八年，衡罷中書左丞，除集賢大學士，兼國子祭酒，以教國人之子弟，乃奏以門人十二人為齋長以伴讀，有尚其一也。 In the eighth year of Zhiyuan (1271) Xu Heng left the post of left assistant minister and became grand academician of the Hall of Gathered Worthies and director of the Imperial Academy to instruct the sons of the nobility. He memorialized that twelve disciples serve as hall chiefs and companion readers; Youshang was among them.

十年，衡告免還鄉里，朝廷乃以有尚等為助教，嗣領其學事。 In the tenth year Xu Heng retired to his home district, and the court appointed Youshang and others assistant instructors to carry on his teaching.

自有尚既去，而國學事頗廢，廷議以謂非有尚無足以繼衡者，除國子司業。 After his departure academy affairs declined, and the court concluded that only Youshang could succeed Xu Heng; he was appointed vice director of the Imperial Academy.

大抵其教法一遵衡之舊，而勤謹有加焉。 His method followed Xu Heng's precedent, with even greater diligence.

身為學者師表者數十年，海內宗之，猶如昔之宗衡也。 For decades he was the model teacher of scholars throughout the realm, revered as Xu Heng had once been.

History of Yuan, Chapter 179Volume 179 Biographies 66: He Sheng, Yang Duoerzhi, Xiao Baizhu · 1 passage