Qian Weishan

Life and career

In the first year of the Zhizheng era (1341, the xinsi year), he sat for an examination on the theme “Rhapsody on the Luosha River” (《羅剎江賦》); the examination is variously called a shengshi or a xiangshi, and he is said to have received a recommendation in the Zhizheng xinsi year. Three thousand examinees were confined in the hall. Qian alone cited Mei Cheng’s “Qifa” to establish that the Qiantang River was the Qu River; the examiners praised his answer, and he became known.

After receiving the recommendation, he rose to deputy superintendent of the Confucian school of the Jiangzhe Branch Secretariat. When Zhang Shicheng occupied Wu, he left office, withdrew to Tongchuan in Wujiang, and later moved to Huating.

Qian was a friend of Shao Hengzhen and exchanged poems with Yang Lianfu. Prefaces associated with his poetry collection include works by Chen Zhongzhong, Chen Lü, and Xia Pu.

He died early in the Hongwu era and was buried at Gan Mountain with Yang Weizhen and Lu Juren; the burial place became known as the Tomb of the Three Worthies.

Poetry and works

Qian was versed in the Mao school of poetic learning, had a strong memory, and was broadly talented. His poetry was praised as poised and fresh, carrying on the style of the Tang poets.

He wrote *Jiangyue Songfeng ji* in twelve juan. Jiao Dan-yuan’s *Jingji zhi* does not list the collection; the *Liechao shiji* preserves nine poems by Sifu, taken only from Lai Liang’s *Daya ji*. A manuscript poetry collection once held by Lu Zichui later passed to Cao Juanpu; Jin Yitao copied it and brought it together with the copy held by Xu of Fuli, which was said to match Lu’s original. This shows that much of *Jiangyue Songfeng ji* remains lost.