Tei Fuku
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Tei Fuku (程 復; 1330 – ?), also known as Cheng Fu, was a Chinese scholar-official who served the kingdoms of Chūzan and the First Shō dynasty in what is today Okinawa.
Background
Tei Fuku was born in Raozhou Prefecture (modern-day Shangrao), Jiangxi, with ancestral roots in Luoyang, Henan.[1] According to his family genealogy, he was a descendant of the Song dynasty neo-Confucian philosopher Cheng Hao.[1]
Arrival in Ryukyu
The precise circumstances of Tei Fuku's arrival in Ryukyu are unclear. It has been suggested that he may have come to Okinawa in 1372 alongside the Ming envoy Yang Zai, who had been sent to establish tribute relations with Satto, ruler of the Urasoe region.[2] During Satto's reign, Tei Fuku and fellow Chinese immigrant Yō Kiin (葉 希尹) held the rank of Aji and served as Tsūji (通事, interpreters) for tribute missions to China.[2] In 1392, both men were granted official rank and ceremonial dress by the Ming court, and in 1394 they were jointly awarded the title of Qianhu (千戶).[2]
Service under the First Shō dynasty
Following the establishment of the First Shō dynasty, Tei Fuku was appointed Left Chōshi (左長史, Left Head Envoy) under Shō Shishō. He served alongside Ō Mō (王茂), who held the position of prime minister (Kokushō (国相)) and Right Chōshi concurrently. According to the Genealogy of Chūzan, after Ō Mō had served for an extended period and petitioned the Ming court to be allowed to return to his hometown, Tei Fuku assisted him by taking on responsibilities of the office of prime minister alongside his role as Left Head Envoy.[3][4]
Retirement
In 1411 (the ninth year of the Yongle era), aged 81, Tei Fuku petitioned the Yongle Emperor for permission to retire and return to China. King Shō Hashi submitted a memorial on his behalf, praising his four decades of loyal service.[4] The emperor approved the request, granting Tei Fuku the honorary title of Kokushō (国相) upon his retirement.[4] He subsequently returned to his hometown of Raozhou. His position as Left Chōshi passed to Ō Mō, while Ō Mō's role as Kokushō was formally transferred at the same time.[4]
Legacy
Tei Fuku's descendants continued to serve as interpreters and diplomatic officials (Tsūji (通事) and Kakuchō (夥長)) in Ryukyu for several generations. When his line eventually died out, a man named Cheng Bingxian was ordered to adopt the Cheng surname and continue the lineage.[1] The Confucian scholar Tei Junsoku (Cheng Shunze) was Cheng Bingxian's grandson.[1]