Lin Ding (林鼎) (

courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

Huanwen (煥文); 891''

Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese title ''Shiguo Chunqiu'' (), is a history of the Ten Kingdoms that existed in southern China after the fall of the Tang dynasty and before the reunification of China ...

''
vol. 86
-February 25, 944

Academia Sinica Academia Sinica (AS, ; zh, t=中央研究院) is the national academy of the Taiwan, Republic of China. It is headquartered in Nangang District, Taipei, Nangang, Taipei. Founded in Nanjing, the academy supports research activities in mathemat ...

br>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter
) was an official of the

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period

Wuyue Wuyue (; ) was a Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic state of China and one of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period#Ten Kingdoms, Ten Kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of History of China, Chinese history. It wa ...

state, serving as the chancellor of the state during the reign of its second king

Qian Yuanguan Qian Yuanguan () (30 November 887 – 17 September 941''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 282.), born Qian Chuanguan (錢傳瓘), also known by his temple name as the King Shizong of Wuyue (吳越世宗), courtesy name Mingbao (明寶), was the second king o ...

(né Qian Chuanguan) and probably during the reign of its third king

Qian Hongzuo Qian Hongzuo (; 14 August 928 – 22 June 947), courtesy name Yuanyou (), also known by his temple name as the King Chengzong of Wuyue (), was the third king of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of China. Background ...

Background

Lin Ding was born in 891, during the reign of

Emperor Zhaozong of Tang Emperor Zhaozong of Tang (March 31, 867 – September 22, 904), né Li Jie, name later changed to Li Min and again to Li Ye, was the penultimate emperor of China's Tang dynasty. He reigned from 888 to 904 (although he was briefly deposed by the ...

. The family of his father Lin Wuyin (林無隱) was from Houguan (侯官, in modern

Fuzhou Fuzhou is the capital of Fujian, China. The city lies between the Min River (Fujian), Min River estuary to the south and the city of Ningde to the north. Together, Fuzhou and Ningde make up the Eastern Min, Mindong linguistic and cultural regi ...

Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...

), but Lin Wuyin, who was known to be a poet, left his home territory and was residing in Ming Prefecture (明州, in modern

Ningbo Ningbo is a sub-provincial city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises six urban districts, two satellite county-level cities, and two rural counties, including several islands in Hangzhou Bay and the Eas ...

Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...

). Then-prefect of Ming, Huang Sheng (黃晟), was respectful to the intelligentsia, and Lin Wuyin became dependent on him for support. Lin Ding was thus born at Ming.''

''
vol. 86
When Lin Ding grew older, he went to pay homage to then-ruler of the region,

Qian Liu Qian Liu (10 March 852Academia Sinica Chinese-Western Calendar Converter

(whose domain had become the state of

). Qian Liu made Lin an officer at his headquarters, and soon thereafter assigned Lin to serve on staff of his son

Qian Chuanguan Qian Yuanguan () (30 November 887 – 17 September 941''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 282.), born Qian Chuanguan (錢傳瓘), also known by his temple name as the King Shizong of Wuyue (吳越世宗), courtesy name Mingbao (明寶), was the second king o ...

. Qian Chuanguan became impressed with Lin's abilities, and often recommended him for greater responsibilities, but Qian Liu did not react. One day, when Qian Chuanguan again went to see his father to recommend Lin, Qian Liu responded, "Lin Ding has an unusual bone structure. He would have the proper disposition to be a chancellor. But I have no intention to give him great honors. I want you to be the one doing that, so that he would be faithful to you."

Service under Qian Yuanguan

In 932, Qian Liu died. Qian Chuanguan (who then changed his name to Qian Yuanguan) assumed control of the state, and for some time only claimed the title of military governor (''

Jiedushi The ''jiedushi'' (, Old Turkic: Tarduş) or jiedu, was a regional military governor in China; the title was established in the Tang dynasty and abolished in the Yuan dynasty. The post of ''jiedushi'' has been translated as "military commissi ...

'') of Zhenhai (鎮海, headquartered at Wuyue's capital Hang Prefecture (杭州), in modern

Hangzhou Hangzhou, , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly romanized as Hangchow is a sub-provincial city in East China and the capital of Zhejiang province. With a population of 13 million, the municipality comprises ten districts, two counti ...

) and Zhendong (鎮東, headquartered in modern

Shaoxing Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River estuary, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou, Zhejiang, Taizhou to the south ...

) Circuits, as vassal to

Later Tang Tang, known in historiography as the Later Tang, was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China and the second of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Chinese history. The first three of the Later Tang's four ...

.''

Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...

'', vol. 277. He made Lin Ding his secretary and assistant in his role as military governor of Zhenhai. It was said that while serving under Qian Yuanguan, Lin was honest and upright in character, and showed excellent memory. He was capable in calligraphy, in the style of

Ouyang Xun Ouyang Xun ( zh, c=歐陽詢, w=Ou-yang Hsün, p=Ōuyáng Xún; 557–641), courtesy name Xinben ( zh, c=信本, w=Hsin-pên, p=Xìn běn), was a Chinese calligrapher, politician, and writer of the early Tang dynasty. He was born in Changsha, Huna ...

and

Yu Shinan Yu Shinan (558 – 11 July 638), courtesy name Boshi, posthumously known as Duke Wenyi of Yongxing, was a Chinese calligrapher and politician who lived in the early Tang dynasty and rose to prominence during the reign of Emperor Taizong. His u ...

. He was studious in his middle age and was involved not only in reading but also collecting books. He also took the time to copy the books over, and to fill in the missing parts. In 937, after Qian Yuanguan assumed the title of King of Wuyue, he made Lin to be his cultural officer.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 281. Lin was later made chancellor. As chancellor, Lin was said to be attentive to pointing out the problems in Qian Yuanguan's administration without avoiding difficult discussions. In 940, when Qian Yuanguan became intent to intervene in the civil war of Wuyue's southern neighbor Min (between Min's king

Wang Yanxi Wang Yanxi () (died April 8, 944), known as Wang Xi () during his reign, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Jingzong of Min (), was an emperor of Min during China's Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. He became Min's ruler after a ...

and Wang Yanxi's younger brother

Wang Yanzheng Wang Yanzheng () (died 951?), also known by his era name as the Tiande Emperor (), posthumous name Prince Gongyi of Fu (), was the founder and only emperor of Yin, who later became the last monarch of Min, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kin ...

), Lin tried to dissuade him, but was unable to stop him from sending a detachment commanded by the generals

Yang Renquan Yang Renquan () (died 940s) was a general and politician of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms state Wuyue, eventually reaching the position of chancellor. His daughter was the second wife of Wuyue's third king Qian Hongzuo. Background ...

and Xue Wanzhong (薛萬忠) to intervene on Wang Yanzheng's behalf. The mission turned in failure when the Wang brothers ended up rejoining forces against the Wuyue army.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 282. The people respected Lin for foreseeing the lack of accomplishment of the mission.

Service under Qian Hongzuo

Qian Yuanguan died in 941 and was succeeded by his son

. Lin Ding remained chancellor. He died in 944 and was given the

posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary Personal name, name given mainly to revered dead people in East Asian cultural sphere, East Asian culture. It is predominantly used in Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand. ...

''Zhenxian'' (貞獻, "honest and wise"). He left a 20-volume work.

Notes and references

* ''

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vol. 86
* ''

'', vols.

281 __NOTOC__ Year 281 ( CCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probus and Tiberianus (or, less frequently, year 1034 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination ...

282 Year 282 ( CCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probus and Victorinus (or, less frequently, year 1035 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 282 for th ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Lin, Ding 891 births 944 deaths Politicians from Fuzhou Wuyue chancellors Wuyue calligraphers Artists from Fuzhou Later Tang government officials Later Jin (Five Dynasties) government officials Writers from Fuzhou