赐进士及第资善大夫礼部尚书前詹事府少詹事兼翰林院□□学士同修国史经筵讲官盱江张
昇撰文
赐进士出身资善大夫都察院右都御史余姚□林书丹
赐进士出身正议大夫资治尹大理寺卿四明杨守轮篆额
新昌何淑人石氏,乃宋御史中丞公弼之裔,今刑部左侍郎公世光之配也。世光与淑人同邑, 淑人厥考茂忠公择所归,以归侍郎公。公举成化己丑 (1469 年)进士,寻出令宜兴。时公廨 岁久颓圯,荒凉殊甚。淑人与公偕,每日必四更起,躬具膳羞。一日,忽见白晰者卧房脊, 婢惊仆。淑人曰: “□□何足怪?”形遂泯。又夜,见物状如驴者,自厨出,淑人曰: “犬 也何来?”又夜,五碗复于堂,婢骇愕,淑人曰: “非汝□,早起而故为是耶。”竟亦无患。 噫!见怪不怪,非智者不能也,淑人其智矣乎。癸巳(1473 年),公被征入为监察御史,淑人 从之入京邸,行橐萧然,几无以给日需,淑人安之。三载,膺敕封为孺人,公迭出巡南北, 淑人独居京,勤苦益励。辛丑(1481 年),公守河南,淑人与俱,迎舅姑就养,昕夕服勤,深 得其欢心。甲辰(1484 年),郡大饥,官俸亦不继,淑人膳舅姑必精致,己及婢仆啖粝粥、杂 以粃糠。寻奉舅姑归。丁未(1487 年),公升山东布政使司左参政。弘治己酉(1489 年),分守 辽东,淑人归侍舅姑。庚戌(1490 年),公转四川布政使司布政使,淑人仍在乡,不欲离舅姑 左右。癸丑(1493 年),公升都察院右副都御史,奉玺书巡抚南直隶。未几,遭外艰,淑人助 以举丧,朝夕哭奠如礼。丁巳(1497 年),公服阕,复奉玺书巡抚山东,淑人仍在乡侍姑。戊 午(1498 年),膺封淑人,天语褒奖之甚渥。己未(1499 年),公入补刑部左侍郎,壬戌(1502
年),淑人始至京,无何而卒,时九月三日也。有司以闻,朝廷特遣官谕祭,盖殊恩也。距 其生正统壬戌(1442 年)二月十四日,寿六十有一。子男二:长宇,国子生;次容,侧室潘出 也。女四:长适邑人吕经贤,次王谊,次俞嘉言,次幼在室。孙男五:绍、继、炯、绪、绅。 孙女一:绶,俱幼。宇扶柩南还,将以是年十二月庚申日,葬于荣山先陇之右。乃哀经□□ □□□□造余,泣请铭。余因得淑人懿行之详,其容以默。呜呼!淑人大义,孝敬慈顺,行 历有愆,语笑最鲜,虽与同辈久居,未尝有戏狎语。上而舅姑安其孝,中而夫君□其助,下 而子姓婢仆仰其恩。勤俭终其身,虽贵显不易也,诚可谓贤也已。当铭。
铭曰:
以阴隆礼,以禔身俭,以裕□勤。以洁人至,性在孝协,内外规弼,成夫子荣,□要□校,
德□□□,丕喷门祚,厥作有因,越山之曲,天姥之根,圜辉于此,□□□□。
注:志石高 60.5 厘米,宽 60.5 厘米,厚 13 厘米,“明故诰封淑人石氏墓”志盖规格同,皆
石英砂岩。1966 年,新昌县今羽林街道拔茅村西荣山麓出土。新昌博物馆藏。
Epitaph of Lady Shi, Esteemed Consort (1442-1502)
Composed by Zhang Sheng (Grand Master for Goodness, Minister of Rites)
Calligraphy by □ Lin (Grand Master for Goodness, Right Censor-in-Chief)
Seal Script by Yang Shoulun (Grand Master for Righteousness, Minister of Justice)
Descendant of Song-dynasty Censor Shi Gongbi, Lady Shi married He Shiguang – future Vice Minister of Justice. When he became Magistrate of Yixing (1469), she cooked predawn meals in the crumbling yamen, calmly dismissing supernatural occurrences: a white phantom on the roof ("No matter!"); a donkey-shaped kitchen apparition ("Just a dog"); overturned bowls ("Your morning mishap").
Following Shiguang to Beijing as Censor (1473), she endured poverty without complaint. Honored as Matron (孺人) in 1476, she managed their household alone during his inspections. In Henan (1481-87), she served in-laws meticulously – during the 1484 famine, feeding them fine meals while she ate chaff gruel. Later, she chose to remain in the village tending elders rather than accompany his promotions in Shandong and Sichuan.
Named Esteemed Consort (淑人) in 1498 by imperial praise, she died days after reuniting with her husband in Beijing (September 3, 1502). The court dispatched special condolences – a rare honor.
Legacy:
Sons: He Yu (Imperial Academy student), He Rong (by concubine)
Grandsons: Shao, Ji, Jiong, Xu, Shen
Buried beside ancestral graves at Rong Mountain on December 27, 1502.
"Through ritual gentleness and frugal discipline, she illuminated familial bonds. Her quiet strength supported her husband's rise; her compassionate rigor nurtured three generations. Even in nobility, she remained the predawn cook – a beacon of Ming womanhood."
Stele: 60.5×60.5×13 cm, quartz sandstone. Excavated at Bamao Village (1966). Housed in Xinchang Museum.