Ceng Gong made great achievements in prose, was an active participant in the reform of poetry and prose in the Northern Song Dynasty, and was an important backbone of the new ancient prose movement in the Song Dynasty. Influenced by Han Yu and Ouyang Xiu, he advocated the combination of literature and Taoism and took Ming Dow as his style. His prose is good at reasoning, mellow and simple, gentle and elegant, rigorous in composition, not too particular about literary talent, simple and natural.
The Biography of Ceng Gong in the History of Song Dynasty commented that his article was "difficult to stand between Ouyang Xiu and Wang Anshi, rich but not annoying, simple but not gloomy, and outstanding." Wang Anshi said: "There is nothing in Ceng Zi's articles, and there is a bucket of Jianghan stars." Su Shi thinks: "Ceng Zi is unique and eccentric." His argumentative essay analyzed trivial comments and clarified objections.
Narrative prose is soothing and peaceful, informative and affectionate. Ceng Gong's On the Tang Dynasty can be compared with Ouyang Xiu's On cronies. Mo Chi Collection and Zhao Gong Yuezhou Disaster Relief Collection are recorded, discussed and lyrical in one furnace. Letters to Ouyang Sheren and Ruling in Upper Fuzhou have always been regarded as model essays, and Preface to the Warring States Policy Catalogue is well founded, impressive and highly respected by people.
His younger brother, Zeng Zhao, said that Ceng Gong's article "was handed down to the world as soon as it fell off the paper. After a few months, the whole world was surrounded, and the bachelor's degree and doctor's degree were recited in hand, lest it be inferior." Prose writers in Tang and Song Dynasties in Ming Dynasty and Tongcheng School in Qing Dynasty took his articles as the standard. Ceng Gong has also made great achievements in historiography, and the ancient books such as Warring States Policy have been successfully circulated thanks to his collation.
Major achievements
Ceng Gong was an important backbone of the new ancient prose movement in Song Dynasty, and advocated the combination of literature and Taoism in the theory of ancient prose. The style of writing originated from the Six Classics, which is also the strength of Sima Qian and Han Yu. It is plain, simple, gentle and elegant, which was taught by people and younger generations at that time.
Wang Anshi said: "Ceng Zi's article is nothing. Water is a bucket of Jianghan stars." Su Shi thinks: "Ceng Zi is unique and eccentric." Zhu also praised him for "reading Zeng's book, sighing without covering the waste book." He Shi Zhi knows nothing about the public. " His poems have been translated into English and distributed abroad.