Tomb of Zheng Mian

Tomb of Zheng Mian

(Photograph by: Jinshan Village, Zhenqiao Town)

The tomb of Zheng Mian is located beside Yueshan Village in Yajiewu, 65 kilometers north of the city proper, in Taqian Town. The tomb faces west and opens to the east, standing prominently and expansively, with stone carvings such as stone oxen, stone horses, and stone fish flanking either side.

Zheng Mian, styled Qiduan and also known as YuanYin, was a native of Yueshan in Leping. He was born on the ninth day of the first lunar month in the year Wuxu during the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, and ranked first in the local imperial examinations in the year Dingmao of the Zhengtong era. In the year Xinyou of the Jingtai era, he became a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations and was appointed as a Wenyulin Lang (a junior official title), later serving as an imperial censor of the Henan Circuit. During the Tian Shun era, he impeached the treacherous official Shi Heng for his malfeasance, speaking bluntly to the emperor. As a result, the emperor demoted him to be the magistrate of Hengshan County. Later, when Shi Heng’s treachery was exposed, the emperor realized that Zheng Mian’s accusations had been truthful, and appointed him as the prefect of Hengzhou. He passed away from illness in the twelfth year of the Chenghua era (year Dinghai) while in office and was buried in his hometown at Yuanshan Summit, in his family estate on the mountaintop, sharing the tomb with his wife, Lady Dai. This is the present site in Yajiewu.

This tomb was robbed in the 1960s. Currently, only one epitaph has been unearthed, which is stored at the Yueshan Sub-farm; the burial objects could not be recovered. The epitaph records: “Born on the ninth day of the first lunar month in the year Wuxu of the Yongle era, studied the Book of Songs, passed the local imperial examinations in the year Dingmao of the Zhengtong era, and ranked among the successful candidates in the imperial examinations of the year Xinyou of the Jingtai era, listed on the Hedian list. Appointed as Wenyulin Lang and imperial censor of the Henan Circuit. During the Tian Shun era, he impeached the treacherous official Shi Heng, spoke candidly to the emperor, but was reassigned as magistrate of Hengshan County due to the emperor’s displeasure. Later, when Shi Heng’s misdeeds were revealed, the emperor acknowledged the truth in Zheng Mian’s accusations, appointed him as prefect of Hengzhou, and he died in office in the twelfth year of the Chenghua era (year Dinghai). He was buried in Xiangjiayuan, alongside his wife, Lady Dai, who was posthumously honored as Ruren, sharing the same tomb. His concubine, Lady Zhou, was buried nearby.”

Both Zheng Mian’s birth date and details about his tomb are extensively recorded in the Yueshan Genealogy. In the 33rd year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, descendants of Zheng Mian renovated his tomb and erected a stone tablet recording the restoration, which is now preserved at the Yueshan Sub-farm.