Zēng Jǐ 曾幾 (1084–1166), zì Jífǔ 吉甫, hào Cháshān jūshì 茶山居士, native of Gànxiàn 贛縣 (Jiāngxī), later moved to Hénán. Through his elder brother Zēng Bì 曾弼’s xù (compassion-grace), conferred Jiāngshìláng 將仕郎. Tested in Lìbù with high distinction; granted Shàngshè chūshēn; appointed Xiàoshūláng 校書郎. Under Gāozōng cumulatively-officed to Jiāngxī / Zhèxī tíxíng (Judicial Commissioner). For opposing Qín Guì 秦檜, dismissed; resided as guest at Shàngráo 上饒 at the Cháshān 茶山 monastery, hence the hào. After Qín’s death (1155), recalled as Bìshū shǎojiān 秘書少監 and Quán Lǐbù shìláng. Retired with Tíjǔ Yùlóngguān honour. Posthumous canonisation Wénqīng 文清.
The Sìkù editors of KR4d0192 place Zēng’s poetry in the Jiāngxī school, taking Dù Fǔ and Huáng Tíngjiān as zōng (canonical patriarchs); Wèi Qìngzhī’s Shīrén yùxiè says Zēng’s learning came-out from Hán Jū 韓駒 韓駒 (also a Jiāngxī-school figure). Most consequentially, Zēng was the principal teacher of Lù Yóu 陸游 — Zhào Gēngfū’s poem on the Cháshān jí says: “Duōduō bī rén méndìzǐ; Jiànnán yǐ jiàn yīdēng chuán” (the master-pressing pupils — Jiànnán [Lù Yóu] is already-seen as one-lamp’s-transmission). Zēng → Lù = the principal late-Southern-Sòng poetic transmission line.
Lù Yóu’s colophon to Zēng’s memorial-drafts: at Shàoxīng wèi (= 1163), Zēng was at the Yǔjì jīngshè (Huìjī); Lù Yóu visited 3 days running; each visit Zēng spoke of yōuguó (worry-of-state); Zēng was over 70, with a hundred-strong family-clan, but never yōu (worried) for himself — only for the state. The Sìkù editors take Zēng’s yī fàn bù wàng jūn (not-forgetting his lord even at one meal) as Dù-Fǔ-comparable.
CBDB id 1692 confirms 1084–1166.
His collection survives as Cháshān jí 茶山集 KR4d0192 in 8 juǎn (Sìkù Yǒnglè dàdiǎn reconstruction; original 30 juǎn per Lù Yóu’s mùzhì; 15 juǎn per Shūlù jiětí and Sòng shǐ Yìwénzhì). Lost works include Yì shì xiàng 易釋象 in 5 juǎn. The recovered 558 poems are about 60% of the 910-poem total recorded by Liú Kèzhuāng’s Hòucūn shīhuà.