Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period/Fu I-chien
FU I-chien 傅以漸 (T. 于磬, H. 星巖), 1609–1665, was a native of Liao'ch'êng, Shantung. He took his chin-shih with highest honors in 1646, and so was the first scholar to receive the degree of chuang-yüan 狀元 or optimus in the Ch'ing dynasty. Made a first class compiler in the Hung wên-yüan 弘文院, he was promoted through successive offices to the post of a Grand Secretary in 1654. In 1657 he and Ts'ao Pên-jung 曹本榮 (ca. 1621—ca. 1664) were ordered to compile a comprehensive commentary to the Classic of Changes—a task which they completed in the next year under the title 易經通注 I-ching t'ung-chu, in 9 chüan. Shortly thereafter he asked leave, on grounds of illness, to return to his home. He was allowed to retire in 1661.
Fu I-chien was stout and bearded. He had an adopted son, whose great-grandson, Fu Shêng-hsün 傅繩勛 (T. 接武, 和軒, H. 秋坪, 古村, chin-shih of 1814), served as governor of Kiangsi (1848–49), and of Kiangsu (1849–51).
[1/224/4b; 2/5/39a; I-ching t'ung-chu (4 chüan edition) in 湖北叢書 Hupeh ts'ung-shu; Liao-ch'êng hsien-chih (1910) 8/44b; ibid, 耆獻文徵, 中19a, 下10a.]
Fang Chao-ying