The Genius Of Number One Scholar And The Harbinger Of Cabinet-style——Study On Wu Bozong’s Rongjin Ji

Wu Bozong was born in a scholar family and was very bright and intelligent in his teenager years. In the fourth year of Hongwu Reign, he became the number one scholar of Ming Dynasty; subsequently he undertook official position in the Imperial Academy and served as an envoy to Annan. His works were embodied in Rongjin Ji, whose main part were wrote to pass the exams, to cope with the emperor’s orders and to achieve social purposes. They maintain some important information of the Imperial Examination and reflect characteristics of Cabinet-style Literature, which can be treated as the genius of the number one scholar and the harbinger of Cabinet-style. This article is based on Rongjin Ji, combining with the Imperial Examination System and Cabinet-style, study its content, artistic features and causes, and evaluate his literary status. We can also discover the general conditions of Jiangxi Literary, Cabinet-style Literature and Scholar Literature in Ming Dynasty.Influenced by the respecting the Confucian and returning to the ancient ideological trend in the early Ming Dynasty, Wu Bozong’s poems and essays are characterized by description and discussion, Concise and fluent language and graceful and elegant style, which are closely related to the prosperity of social, the ideological autocracy, the baptism of Imperial Examination and the experience of being academician. In addition its literary value, the works show some traditional culture, such as culture of loyalty and filial piety, culture of giving advice to friends at parting and officialdom culture, which help us understanding the psychology, character and values of ancient people. The editors of Si Ku Quan Shu put Wu Bozong as the sponsor of Cabinet-style. This article agrees with this view, and discusses combining with his special status.