Yuan Xie

Life

His great-grandfather was Yuan Zhuo (袁灼), his father was Yuan Wen (袁文), his paternal relative was Yuan Fang (袁方), his younger brother was Yuan You (袁槱), and his distant cousin was Yuan Tao (袁濤); his wife was Bian (邊氏), whose father was Bian Youyi (邊友益). His children included Yuan Qiao (袁喬), Yuan Fu (袁甫), Yuan Su (袁肅), and Yuan Shang (袁商); his relations also included the son-in-law Lin Chong (林崈), the nephew Wu Qi (吳祈), and the grandson Yuan Heng (袁衡).

In the eighth year of Chunxi under Emperor Xiaozong (1181), he passed the jinshi examination and was appointed Jiangyin Commandant. During a great famine in western Zhejiang, he went to provide relief with good results.

After Ningzong's accession, he was summoned as an official of the Imperial Academy (太學正); when the Qingyuan proscription began, he left office after speaking on affairs. Later he joined the staff of the Zhejiang Eastern regional commander and was transferred to an assistant post in Fujian's Ever-Normal Granary administration.

In the first year of Jiading (1208), he was summoned as Registrar of the Imperial Clan and compiler in the Privy Council. In the second year, he became prefect of Jiangzhou, was transferred to the Jiangxi Ever-Normal Granary administration, acted as prefect of Longxing, and was then summoned as a Directorate official.

His subsequent offices included Kaogong langzhong, Sifeng langguan, Assistant Director and Director of the Directorate of Education, Assistant and Director of the Palace Library, Vice Minister of Rites concurrently serving as lecturer, and Bao Wenge daizhi; he was also advanced as a zhi xueshi.

In the twelfth year of Jiading (1219), he was impeached and dismissed after disputing the peace negotiations with Prime Minister Shi Miyuan; more than 300 students of the Imperial Academy escorted him at his departure. The following year he became superintendent of Hongqing Palace and was later appointed prefect of Wenzhou; whether he actually took up that appointment is disputed, although he was advanced as a zhi xueshi.

He died in the seventeenth year of Jiading (1224), at the age of eighty-one. He was posthumously awarded the titles Longtuge xueshi and Kaifu Yitong Sansi.

Scholarship and associations

Yuan Xie studied under Lu Jiuyuan and wrote a preface to the Xiangshan xiansheng wenji and a memorial text for him. He also taught at a village school; his students included Yuan Shao (袁韶), Wang Minzhong (汪敏中), Shu Yan (舒衍), Hu Ge (胡革), Zhang Huan (章煥), Zhu Zhen (朱震), Hu Qian (胡謙), Xu Yuan (徐愿), and Lu Kang (路康).

Hu Qian studied under Yuan Xie and transmitted Lu Jiuyuan's learning. Yuan Xie's friends included Wu Jianzi (吳鑑之), Jiang Ruhui (蔣如晦), and Yang Zijia (楊子嘉).

Works

His son Yuan Fu compiled his posthumous writings. They included *Xiezhai jia shu chao* (12 juan, extant), *Xiezhai Mao Shi jingyan jiangyi* (4 juan, extant), and *Xiezhai ji* (26 juan) with a 13-juan sequel; the latter two collections were lost.

Qing editors reconstructed *Xiezhai ji* in 24 juan from the *Yongle dadian*. The works also appear under such title forms as *Xiezhai jia dian shu chao*, *Xiezhai Mao Shi*, and *Jingyan jiangyi (Yuan Xie)*.