Zheng Shuzu (鄭述祖)

Overview

Zheng Shuzu was an official and Musician.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Gongwen	恭文	Gongwen
Epithet	Little Duke Zheng	小鄭公

Life and dates

Death

At in the province 於州
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passage 154

Age

9
AD 500 to AD 516 父為光州時 · Reckoning Suit
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passage 138

Attested activity

AD 550 to AD 559 天保初
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 29, passage 134
AD 543 to AD 549 尚書鄭述祖
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 47, passage 61
AD 545 to AD 549 武定末
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 13, passage 40

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Descendant of Zheng Xi (鄭羲)
grandfather 祖 · paternal line · 2 generations
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passage 130
Parent of Daughter of Zheng Shuzu
daughter 女
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passage 155
Parent of Daughter of Zheng Shuzu (鄭述祖女)
daughter 女
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 13, passage 40
Child of Zheng Daozhao (鄭道昭)
father 父 · paternal line
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passage 131
Parent of Zheng Yuande (鄭元德)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passage 160

Key source chapters

Career and standing

junior tutor of the crown prince 太子少師
AD 550 to AD 559 天保初 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passage 134
equal in three departments 儀同三司
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passage 134
inspector of Yan province 兗州刺史
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passage 134
staff officer in the ministry of works 司空行參軍
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passage 133
Pardoned thief
Pardon
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passage 142

Places and affiliations

At Kaifeng in Xingyang 滎陽開封
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passage 129

Learning and skills

Skill zither 鼓琴 · Level accomplished
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passage 145

Works and attributed material

Dragon Chant, Ten Pieces 龍吟十弄
Relation Composer
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passage 145
Speech · Speaker · Mode self-report
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passages 152-153

Assessments and attributes

Assessment compared to Bo Yi's transforming influence · Mode named-person-speech Speaker Mu Zirong (穆子容)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passages 135-136
Assessment integrity to leave to descendants · Mode self-report
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 29, passage 153

References in the histories

Search passages

History

14 passages

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 29Volume 29 Biographies 21: Li Hun; Zi Zhan; Hun Dihui; Zuzi Gongxu; Li Yu; Di Jin; Zu Dixiao; Zheng Shuzu; Zi Yuande · 13 passages

Open chapter

李渾子湛渾弟繪族子公緒李璵弟瑾族弟曉鄭述祖子元德 Li Hun; his son Zhan; Hun's brother Hui; clansman Gongxu; Li Yu; brother Jin; clansman Xiao; Zheng Shuzu; son Yuande

鄭述祖，字恭文，滎陽開封人。 Zheng Shuzu, styled Gongwen, was a man of Kaifeng in Xingyang.

述祖少聰敏，好屬文，有風檢，為先達所稱譽。 Shuzu in youth was clever and quick, loved to write, bore himself with restraint, and won praise from elders.

今於鄭兗州見之矣。」 Today I have seen it in Inspector Zheng of Yan province."

初，述祖父為光州，於城南小山起齋亭，刻石為記。 Earlier, when Shuzu's father held Guang province, he built a chapel on a hill south of the city and carved a stone inscription.

述祖時年九歲。 Shuzu was then nine years old.

述祖對之嗚咽，悲動群僚。 Shuzu faced it and sobbed aloud; his grief moved the whole staff.

執之以歸首，述祖特原之。 He seized the man and handed him over; Shuzu especially pardoned him.

人歌之曰：「大鄭公，小鄭公，相去五十載，風教猶尚同。」 The people sang: "Great Duke Zheng, little Duke Zheng — fifty years apart, yet their teaching and customs are still one."

述祖能鼓琴，自造《龍吟十弄》，云嘗夢人彈琴，寤而寫得。 Shuzu could play the zither and himself composed the "Dragon Chant, Ten Pieces," saying he once dreamed a man playing the zither and on waking wrote it down.

未貴時，在鄉單馬出行，忽有騎者數百，見述祖皆下馬，曰「公在此」，行列而拜。 Before he rose to honor, riding alone in the countryside, suddenly several hundred horsemen appeared; seeing Shuzu they all dismounted and said, "The lord is here," then lined up and bowed.