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contact of Huang Huai who hailed from Qiantang 錢塘 city year were considered his ‘students’. Huang Huai not only
(modern Hangzhou 杭州) in Zhejiang. After his retirement shared a native place of origin with Xie Huan, the two were
in 1427, Huang Huai passed through Hangzhou on his way by this point good friends of many years’ standing.
home, where the painter Dai Jin 戴進 (1388–1462) paid him It still remains slightly unclear as to why history has
a visit. Shortly after, in 1428, Jiang Ji sent a letter from diluted the localist and political nature of the Jiangxi scholar
31
Beijing that discussed Dai Jin’s entry to the court and talked officials’ association that is so manifestly present in the
of Dai’s Beijing studio, called ‘Snowy Bamboo Studio’ Elegant Gathering in the Apricot Garden. This remains a question
32
(Zhuxue shufang 竹雪書房). For this studio Dai asked Huang for future research.
Huai to write an inscription, known as the Record of the Snowy
Bamboo Studio (Zhuxue shufang ji 竹雪書房記). Whether Dai Jin Notes
worked at the imperial court is the subject of debate, but if he 1 The dates for Xie Huan are discussed in Yin Jinan 2007.
did, we can surmise that it was connected to Huang Huai. In 2 On the multiple versions of the painting, see Hearn 1999.
addition, Yang Shiqi and Yang Rong both wrote poems for 3 Clunas 1996, 64–6.
4 Clunas 1996, 64–6. A copy of Eryuan ji, c. 1560, is in the Chinese
Dai Jin’s studio. Xie Huan inscribed a poem on Dai Jin’s Rare Book Collection of the Library of Congress, Washington,
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painting Pine and Rock Pavilion (Songshi xuan tu 松石軒圖). And D.C., accessible online at World Digital Library (https://www.wdl.
on the occasion of Dai Jin’s departure from Beijing, the org/en/item/296/).
Jiangxi official Wang Zhi also wrote him a departing 5 See Li Ruoqing 2010, n. 31, citing Ni Yue 倪岳, Qingxi mangao 清溪
漫稿 (Writings from the Clear River), juan 16.
poem. When in 1428 Jiang Ji wrote to the retired Huang 6 Zhang Ning’s journey to Joseon Korea is recorded in Fengshi lu 奉
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Huai about Dai Jin, he was by that time a lecturer at the 使錄 (Record of Serving as an Envoy).
Hanlin Academy. Jiang, together with Hu Guang, Yang 7 On Ni Qian and Zhang Ning’s relationship with Xie Huan, see
Rong, Jin Youzi and Yang Pu, had all passed their jinshi Yin Jinan 2007.
exams in the same year of 1400. In 1430, after only 26 days of 8 On this event and scroll, see Yang Lili 2004a.
9 On this event and scroll, see Pan Shenliang 1988.
acting as Vice Minister of the Board of Rites, Jiang Ji 10 On this event and scroll, see Yang Lili 2004b. On Wu Kuan
suddenly passed away. It is possible that he was the direct previously viewing the Elegant Gathering in the Apricot Garden, see Li
advocate for Dai Jin’s entry to the court, relying at this point Ruoqing 2010, n. 31.
on Huang Huai’s powerful backing. Or perhaps it was 11 This is recorded by Xu Lun in Eryuan ji.
12 See Lu Jiugao 1963.
Huang Huai who first introduced Dai Jin to Jiang Ji, who in 13 Wu Sung-feng 2008.
his turn introduced Dai to his ‘classmates’ and 14 Li Ruoqing 2010, 64–5.
contemporaries Yang Rong, Yang Pu and Jin Youzi. 15 Wu Sung-feng 2009.
Whatever the possible scenarios, it appears that Huang Huai 16 Yang Shiqi c. 1445, 5.21b–23b.
played a role in Dai Jin’s meeting with Xie Huan, bringing 17 Also discussed in Clunas 2014, 183–9, citing Dardess 1986.
18 Examples of these paintings can be found in the National Palace
these two important early Ming painters together. Museum, Taipei.
Although Huang Huai was not himself present at the 1437 19 Yang Shiqi c. 1445, 5.21b–23b.
gathering at the Apricot Garden in Beijing, his presence and 20 Taige ti as a style of calligraphy was associated with calligraphers
like Shen Du 沈度 (1357–1434), who was not from Jiangxi.
influence resonated throughout that event. Despite being a 21 For the biography of Huang Huai, see DMB, 665–6.
Zhejiang official, his relationship with the Jiangxi official 22 See Zhang Ruyuan 2007; also referred to by Yin Jinan 2007.
cohort was always close, and it is this fact which helped 23 Yang Shiqi c. 1445, 7.12b–14a. ‘Song shaobao Huanggong gui
ensure a special position for his protégé, the painter Xie Yongjia shixu’ 送少保黃公歸永嘉詩序 (Preface to the Poem on Sending
Off Master Huang to Yongjia).
Huan, at the Apricot Garden gathering. As for the other 24 Wang Zhi c. 1465, 10.33a–34b.
attendees – Wang Ying, Wang Zhi, Li Shimian and Zhou 25 See Yang Shiqi c. 1445, 1a–2b.
Shu – they shared a common background as officials and 26 Huang Yongling 2006, juan 7.
1404 jinshi graduates. Despite the fact that Yang Shiqi had 27 Huang Yongling 2006, juan 10.
served as Minister Examiner during the jinshi exams of that 28 Huang Yongling 2006, juan 8.
year, the Chief Examiners in 1404 were the Jiangxi official 29 Zhu Mouyin 1631, 4.15a.
30 Yang Shiqi c. 1445, 1.14a–15b.
Xie Jin and the Zhejiang official Huang Huai. Although Xie 31 On the life of Dai Jin, see Rogers 1993. This meeting is mentioned
Jin had already passed away in 1415, Huang Huai was still on 137–8.
alive during the time of the Apricot Garden gathering in 32 Rogers 1993, 139.
1437. He was a living ‘mentor’ to those who took the jinshi 33 Yang Weihua 2004, notes 19, 21.
34 Yang Weihua 2004, 82.
exams in 1404, and all of those officials who passed in that

Politics or Entertainment? Examining Jiangxi Scholar Officials and Zhejiang Painters through the Lens of the Elegant Gathering in the Apricot Garden | 105