A Poem to Wu Jinren

Shen Cheng was born in Changzhou (today’s Suzhou, Jiangsu province), also known by his courtesy name Mengyuan and his literary names Jian’an and Xi’an, the latter of which he used in his later years. He was recruited by the government in the Hongwu period, but later he claimed illness and retired to a life of reclusion, studying poetry, classics and rites. He was accomplished in poetry and prose writing and was also an able connoisseur.