釋鑑稽古略續集 3.66

3.66

Junior Protector Yu: a native of Qiantang, Zhejiang. His physiognomy was extraordinary. When he was seven years old, the monk Lan Guchun saw him and marvelled at him, saying, 'This boy will in the future be a chancellor who saves his times.' In the xinchou year of the Yongle era, he passed the jinshi examination and was appointed Censor. He possessed exceptional talent and appearance, with a voice resonant as a great bell. In confronting affairs, he was daring and did not shrink from the powerful and noble. He once accompanied the imperial campaign against [the rebel Zhu] Gaoxu; when the culprit was captured, the emperor ordered Qian to enumerate his treacherous crimes. Qian's words were stern and righteous, uttered effortlessly off the cuff, and greatly matched the imperial intent. From then on, he was recognized and favored. By this time, Henan and Shanxi provinces each reported disasters and damages; the court discussed having a high minister manage them, and the emperor personally inscribed Qian's name, exceptionally promoting him. He was then thirty-three years old.