The second master of the Du household and Madam Rong's late husband. He was scholarly and talented but frail in health. He held a post at the Imperial Academy. He claimed to care only for books and avoided women. On his wedding night, he dueled in poetry and prose with Madam Rong, and they fell in love. He designed the bookshelves and ladder in the Library Pavilion with care for his wife's needs. He catalogued the entire library collection before his death.
