MUZIChinese Matrix
Scholars › Educator
Song Neo-Confucian from Jiangle in Fujian, a leading disciple of Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, whose line of teaching passed through Luo Congyan and Li Tong to Zhu Xi
In a courtyard in autumn, an old gold-leaved ginkgo tree shades several low desks with open books, each beside a straw mat and cushion, while three children carrying book satchels enter at the gate; a lake and blue hills lie beyond the wall.
Also known as Zi Zhongli · Hao Guishan · Guishan Xiansheng · Wen Jing
Yang Shi, courtesy name Zhongli, came from Jiangle in Nanjianzhou and was known to students as Master Guishan. He passed the metropolitan examination in 1076 and in 1081 became a pupil of Cheng Hao at Yingchang; as he left for the south, Cheng remarked that his Way was going south. After Cheng Hao's death Yang and You Zuo called on Cheng Yi in Luoyang and stood waiting while the master sat with eyes closed; when he roused himself the snow outside the gate was a foot deep. Yang served as magistrate of Liuyang, Yuhang and Xiaoshan, and as chancellor of the imperial academy in 1126 blamed Wang Anshi's teachings for the empire's troubles and asked that Wang lose his title and his place in the Confucian temple. Under the Southern Song he became vice minister of works and died in 1135 at eighty-three. The History of Song traces the learning of Zhu Xi and Zhang Shi back to him, through Luo Congyan and Li Tong.
Dates 1053 CE–1135 CE
The Song History says Yang Shi took the jinshi in 1076, served as prefectural instructor at Jingzhou, later added the post of chancellor of the Imperial University and became vice minister of Works when Gaozong took the throne; scholars came to him from far away and called him Master Guishan. Luo Congyan walked to study with him when he was magistrate at Xiaoshan.
The Song History says that after taking the jinshi Yang Shi declined to take up a posting, visited Cheng Hao at Yingchang as a pupil, and Cheng Hao watched him leave and said that his way was going south; after Cheng Hao's death he visited Cheng Yi at Luoyang. After the crossing of the Yangzi, scholars in the southeast held him to be the true heir of the Cheng school.