生平

陳金出身于官宦之家。成化八年，陳金登進士，授婺源知縣，擢南京監察御史。弘治初年，出按察浙江，借災異之機彈劾文武大僚十九人，其中侍郎丁永中、南京大理卿吳道宏、南寧伯毛文等多罷去。之後升任山西按察司副使，歷任雲南左布政使，討伐平竹子箐苗族民變。弘治十三年，拜為右副都御史，巡撫雲南等地。奉詔發緬甸、幹崖、隴川、南甸諸部兵，平定孟養酋思祿與孟密酋思揲等叛變，隨後攻破貴州米魯等叛變，晉升為南京戶部右侍郎。

正德元年，給事中周璽等彈劾陳金不稱職，明武宗不予追問。陳金以母老乞求歸鄉，不予批准。之後以右副都御史，總督兩廣軍務。當時內臣韋霦等建議，請求輸兩廣各司所貯銀於京師。陳金上疏稱不可，詔留二十餘萬。當時，馬平、洛容僮族民變猖狂，陳金率領總兵官毛銳發兵十三萬征討，俘虜斬獲七千餘人，晉升為左都御史。陳金認為苗民喜愛魚鹽，可以用其為計約束。於是命百姓與苗民互市，改峽名為永通。然而，苗民性貪而黠，最初表面接受約束，但不久仍然殺掠不止。潯州人紛紛稱陳金失計。

正德三年，升任南京戶部尚書。次年冬，召為左都御史，但因母喪歸養。正德六年，江西盜亂爆發。武宗命陳金擔任故官，總制軍務。南畿、浙江、福建、廣東、湖廣文武將吏均歸其節制，許其便宜從事，都指揮以下不聽命者均可施刑斬殺。當時，撫州有東鄉賊王鈺五、徐仰三、傅傑一、揭端三等；南昌則有姚源賊汪澄二、王浩八、殷勇十、洪瑞七等；瑞州則華林賊羅光權、陳福一等；而贛州大帽山賊何積欽等又起。官軍累年無法攻克，陳金認為其屬郡兵不足用，奏請調用廣西狼兵。次年二月，連續攻克東鄉、姚源、華林、大帽山等，半年之內，剿賊幾盡。隨後請在東鄉立縣，並成立萬年縣，招降百姓。隨後加太子少保，蔭子錦衣世百戶。

陳金屢次攻破賊寨，但所用士兵均貪殘嗜殺，其，剽掠甚至超過叛軍。百姓民謠稱「土賊猶可，土兵殺我。」陳金雖然知百姓之患，但卻仰賴土兵，於是不禁止。他又不能持廉，軍資頗私入。所以雖然功勞很多，百姓仍然深怨他。後因攻打姚源賊時，作戰失策，被給事中黎奭及兩京言官彈劾，於是被召回，改以俞諫繼任，陳金遂請終喪去。

正德十年，再次起用擔任兩廣總督。當時府江賊王公珣叛亂，陳金集諸道兵偕總兵官郭勛等分六路討伐平定。後加少保、太子太保。正德十二年，許可佛朗機人進入廣州，不久命令驅逐該批人物。正德十四年，掌都察院事。明世宗即位後，請老歸鄉。

家族

祖父陳坦，夔州知府。父陳琳，官至廣西僉事。

Life

Chen Jin was born in 1446 in Wuchang (modern day Wuhan, Hubei) to a family of officials; his grandfather was Prefect of Kuizhou (in modern day Chongqing), while his father Chen Lin served as Deputy Commissioner of Guangxi. He entered official service through the imperial examinations in 1472.

In 1507, he was appointed to his first term as Viceroy of Liangguang, where he managed to suppress a local Zhuang rebellion. He then attempted to open trade with the Zhuang as a means of controlling them, but the rebels continued to raid and kill. In 1508, he was promoted to Minister of Revenue in Nanjing, and in 1511 he was appointed to northern Jiangxi to lead a campaign against local bandits. He won military victories and took bandit forts, using locally recruited troops. His own troops pillaged the locals so much that a local poem went:

In 1515, he was again appointed to be Viceroy of Liangguang and successfully suppressed a pirate rebellion.