Zheng Xuan, whose courtesy name was Kangcheng, was a native of Gaomi County in Beihai Commandery. His eighth-generation ancestor, Zheng Chong, had served as the Minister of State during the Han dynasty. Zheng Xuan was fond of learning from a young age. As an adult, he stood over eight Chi tall, with handsome eyebrows and a beard, possessing a majestic and striking appearance.
He studied the Classic of Filial Piety and the Analects, and achieved comprehensive mastery of the Book of Changes (I Ching) in the Jing lineage, the Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, the San Zheng calendar system, the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art, the Rites of Zhou, the Book of Rites, and the Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals. Grand General He Jin summoned Zheng Xuan, and local officials pressured him to comply; thus, he had no choice but to present himself in the capital. He Jin prepared the highly respectful etiquette of a ceremonial desk and walking stick to receive him. However, Zheng Xuan merely wore a commoner’s headwrap when meeting He Jin, stayed for a single night, and then fled.
Subsequently, the central ministries summoned him more than ten times, but he never accepted any of these appointments.
Note
A towering erudite of late Eastern Han, Zheng Xuan mastered classics, math and calendars. Pressured to visit General He Jin, he met him in plain commoner’s attire, left overnight, and turned down over ten official summonses all his life.
The most eminent and influential Confucian scholar of the late Eastern Han dynasty. He is legendary for his monumental achievement of synthesizing the Old Text and New Text schools of Confucian classics. His encyclopedic knowledge, spanning from orthodox classics to mathematics and astronomy, made him the ultimate intellectual authority of his era.
Liu Bei and Zheng Xuan shared a close relationship that went beyond that of an ordinary teacher‑student or friend. Zheng Xuan was not only one of the early mentors who shaped Liu Bei’s political and military thinking, but also an important supporter of his career. Zheng Xuan once recommended Sun Qian to Liu Bei. Sun Qian later became a key advisor to Liu Bei and was highly trusted. When Liu Bei was attacked by Cao Cao and found himself in a critical situation, he asked Zheng Xuan to write a letter to Yuan Shao for help. After reading the letter, Yuan Shao indeed sent troops, which relieved the siege on Liu Bei.
Encyclopedic Mastery:
The text lists a staggering array of disciplines. In the Han dynasty, scholars usually specialized in one specific lineage of a classic. Zheng Xuan’s ability to master diverse fields – including the esoteric Gongyang commentary, orthodox Zuo commentary, ancient mathematics (Jiuzhang Suanshu), and complex calendar systems (San Zheng) – demonstrates a supreme, unifying intellect that transcended academic factionalism.
He Jin:
A powerful Grand General and half-brother to the Empress Dowager during the late Eastern Han. His attempt to recruit Zheng Xuan reflects the immense political capital and prestige that top scholars commanded at the time.
The Ceremonial Desk and Walking Stick:
In ancient Chinese etiquette, providing a guest with a small table to lean on and a walking stick was the highest honor, traditionally reserved for venerable elders or supreme dignitaries. He Jin’s use of this highlights his desperate desire to secure Zheng Xuan’s political backing.
Wearing the Commoner’s Headwrap:
The Fu Jin was a simple cloth headwrap worn by ordinary citizens or recluses, in stark contrast to the formal court hats worn by officials. By wearing it to meet the most powerful man in the capital, Zheng Xuan made a silent but deafening declaration of his independence, signaling that he refused to be bound by the hierarchical etiquette of the court.
Fleeing After One Night:
This act perfectly encapsulates the hermit’s ethos. Zheng Xuan fulfilled the bare minimum obligation to the local officials who pressured him, but immediately rejected the ultimate political temptation of the capital, prioritizing his scholarly purity over supreme worldly power.
郑玄字康成，北海高密人也。八世祖崇，汉尚书。玄少好学，长八尺馀，须眉美秀，姿容甚伟。习《孝经》、《论语》，兼通京氏、公羊《春秋》、三正历、《九章算术》、《周官》、《礼记》、《左氏春秋》。大将军何进辟玄，州郡迫协，不得已而诣。进设机杖之礼以待玄，玄以幅巾见进，一宿而逃去。公府前后十馀辟，并不就。
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