Fan Zhongyan was born on August 2 (September 5) in the second year of Duangong, Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty (989), in Gaolaozhuang, Changshan, Zhending (now Gaoping Village, Quyangqiao Town, Zhengding County, Hebei Province). On the 100th day, I went to Wuxi with my family. His father, Fan Yong, went to Xuzhou in the early years of Duan Gong (988) to serve as the Secretary of Military Affairs of Ning Army (Secretary to the Military Governor of Xuzhou). Fan Zhongyan died of illness in 990. Xie was poor and helpless, so she remarried to Zhu Wenhan in Henan Village, Changshan County, Zizhou City, Shandong Province (now Fan Gong Village, Changshan Town, Zouping County) with her two-year-old Fan Zhongyan in her arms. Fan Zhongyan also changed his surname to Zhu Shuo (tong "Yue") and grew up in Zhu's family. Fan Zhongyan has been studying very hard since he was a child. The Zhu family is a wealthy family in Changshan, but for inspiration, he often goes to the nearby Liquan Temple in Changbai Mountain to stay and study, morning and evening. Then he read the satire and recited it, which left a deep impression on the monk: At that time, his life was extremely difficult. He only cooked a bowl of thick porridge every day. Mix with vinegar sauce, finish eating and continue reading. Later generations had the reputation of Duan Yu painting porridge, but he didn't mind this kind of poor life, and spent all his energy to find his own fun in books. After nearly three years of this, the books in Changshan Township could no longer meet his needs. An accidental incident exposed the secret of Fan Zhongyan's family background. He discovered that he was originally the son of the Fan family in Suzhou. Over the years, he had been relying on the care of his stepfather. This incident deeply stimulated and shocked Fan Zhongyan. Feeling guilty and angry, he decided to leave the Zhu family and establish his own family. After he established a successful career in the future, he would take his mother back to raise him. So he hurriedly packed a few simple clothes, put on his piano and sword, and despite the obstruction of the Zhu family and his mother, he shed tears and resolutely bid farewell to his mother, left Changshan, and went to study on foot.
Studying
In the fourth year of Zhenzong’s Dazhong Xiangfu reign (1011), 23-year-old Fan Zhongyan came to Suiyang Yingtianfu Academy (the former site is in Suiyang, Shangqiu City, Henan Province today) district). Yingtianfu Academy is one of the four famous academies in the Song Dynasty. It has 150 school buildings and a collection of thousands of volumes. In 1043, Song Renzong decreed that Yingtianfu Academy be changed into Nanjing Imperial College, which became the highest academic institution in the country during the Northern Song Dynasty, alongside the Imperial College in Kaifeng, Tokyo, and the Imperial College in Luoyang, Xijing. What's more important is that there are many teachers and students with great ambitions and talents gathered here. To study in such a college, you can have famous teachers to consult with, many classmates to learn from each other, and a large number of books to read. Moreover, the college is free to study, which is what Fan Zhongyan, who is financially strapped, can only dream of. Yingtianfu later changed its name to Nanjing, and Yingtianfu Academy was also called Nandu Academy. Fan Zhongyan Fan Zhongyan cherishes the new learning environment and studies day and night. One of Fan Zhongyan's classmates and the son of Nanjing Liushou (the highest official in Nanjing) saw that Fan Zhongyan was eating porridge all year round, so he gave him some delicious food. He didn't even taste it and allowed the food to get moldy. It wasn't until people began to blame him that he bowed his head and thanked him and said: "I have settled for a life of porridge and gravy. I am worried that once I enjoy a delicious meal, I will not be able to swallow porridge and pickles in the future." Fan Zhongyan's difficult life is a bit like Confucius's wise disciples Yan Hui: A bowl of rice and a ladle of water, in a back alley, while others complained endlessly, Yan Hui did not change his joy. Fan Zhongyan studied hard for years, also from spring to summer, through autumn and winter; he danced with a sword in the early morning, returned home and slept in his clothes in the middle of the night. Others look at flowers and the moon, but he only seeks pleasure in the Six Classics. Occasionally, he also recited poems to express his feelings; "The white clouds rogue emperor's hometown is far away, who is playing the cave Xiao in the Han Garden? The wind bird has not responded to the disaster, but the poor talent can still sing the wren. I still feel happy when I think about Yan Zi, and I hate the piano when it meets the bell. It will be sold soon. But if Si Wentian is not dead, why should the pine trees blame the mountain seedlings?" (This poem was written by Fan Zhongyan to Yan Shu.) A few years later, Fan Zhongyan wrote about Confucian classics such as "The Book of Songs", "Shangshu", and "The Book of Changes". ", "Book of Rites", "Spring and Autumn Annals" and other books can be said to be the general theme: reciting poems and compositions, and generously taking the world as one's own responsibility. In the seventh year of Dazhong Xiangfu (AD 1014), Song Zhenzong, who was superstitious about Taoism, led hundreds of officials to Bozhou (today's Bozhou City, Anhui Province) to worship the Taiqing Palace. A huge number of carriages and horses passed through Nanjing (today's Shangqiu City, Henan Province, the same below). The whole city was in a sensation. People rushed to see the emperor. Only one student stayed behind closed doors and was still immersed in studying. A good classmate came to persuade him: "Go and see, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, don't miss it!" But the student just said casually: "It's not too late to see you in the future," and didn't even look up. and continued reading his book. Sure enough, he won the Jinshi the next year, and this student was Fan Zhongyan, the future great reform thinker of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Take the exam
In the autumn of the seventh year (1014) and the spring of the eighth year (1015) of Dazhong Xiangfu, he passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi. When attending the imperial examination in Chongzheng Hall, he saw Emperor Zhenzong, who was nearly fifty years old, for the first time. Later, he was honored to attend the banquet given by the emperor. In February, Bianjing (now Kaifeng City) was filled with spring flowers. Scholars rode on horses and paraded through the streets amidst the sound of drums: "Changbai and Hanru were famous for more than two years." He chanted such verses, thinking that he was already twenty-seven years old. Compared with Teng Zongliang and others next to him, he looked much older. Soon, he was appointed as the manager of the Guangde Army (Guangde Army is located in today's Guangde County, Anhui Province. The manager is an official in charge of litigation prisons and hearing cases, from the ninth grade). Then, he was transferred to the Jieditui official of the Jiqing Army (the jurisdiction of the Jiqing Army is in the area of ??Bozhou, Anhui today, and the Jieditui official is an official in the bureau, from the eighth rank). He took his mother to support him and officially restored his surname to Fan, changing his name to Zhongyan and his courtesy name Xiwen. This began a nearly forty-year political career.
Entered an official position
In the fifth year of Tianxi's reign (1021), Fan Zhongyan was transferred to Xixi Town, Hailing, Taizhou (near today's Dongtai County, Jiangsu Province) to serve as the supervisor of the salt warehouse—— Responsible for supervising the storage, transportation and marketing of Huaiyan salt. Xixi Town is close to the coast of the Yellow Sea. Although peonies can occasionally be seen in the town, its remote scene is different from that in the mainland. At first hearing the roar of the wind and waves and the cry of wild cranes, Fan Zhongyan couldn't help but feel a little melancholy. Since the warehouse official was on idle duty, he temporarily laughed at himself by being lazy and enjoying the banquet: "I have never supported my chair, but I dare to talk about the long journey of ambition! Mengsou should be equal to black and white, why should I blame the Jianghu, drunkenness, and evil?" How can the people of Xi believe that they are so lazy and lazy?" However, he soon discovered that there were many things to do here. The local seawall, which has been in disrepair for many years, has collapsed. Not only have the saltworks and pavilions lost their barrier, but the vast farmland and residential buildings have also been repeatedly threatened by sea waves. When encountering sea tides, water even flooded the city walls of Taizhou, displacing thousands of victims. The government's salt production and rents all suffered losses. For this reason, he wrote to Zhang Lun of Jianghuai Water Transport, expounding the pros and cons of the sea dike, and suggested that a strong sea dike be rebuilt along the coasts of Tongzhou, Taizhou, Chuzhou, and Haizhou (today's Lianyungang to the north bank of the Yangtze Estuary). Zhang Lun enthusiastically agreed with this huge project and informed the imperial court that he would transfer Fan Zhongyan to be the magistrate of Xinghua County (today's Xinghua City, Jiangsu Province), with overall responsibility for the management of the weir. In the autumn of the second year of Tiansheng (1024), Fan Zhongyan, the magistrate of Xinghua County, led tens of thousands of people from four states to the seaside. However, not long after the weir control project started, there was a storm with snow, and then there was a sea tide, which swallowed up more than a hundred migrant workers. Some officials believed that this was God's will and that the embankment could not be completed. They advocated canceling the original proposal and suspending work completely. When the matter was reported to the capital, the courtiers were hesitant. Fan Zhongyan, on the other hand, was not afraid of danger and insisted on guarding the weir. The strong wind rolled up the waves and rushed to his legs. The soldiers and civilians fled in panic, and the officials were panicked. However, Fan Zhongyan did not move. He deliberately looked at his friend Teng Zongliang of the same age beside him. Zongliang was calmly commenting on a standing embankment. Everyone found that the two of them were calm and calm. Thanks to the efforts and perseverance of Fan Zhongyan and others, the work of defending the sea and regulating the weirs was fully resumed. Soon, the long embankment stretching for hundreds of miles stood at the head of Huangtan Beach. The production of salt fields and farmland has been guaranteed since then. Countless families who were displaced by disasters in previous years have returned to their homes with the help of the elderly and the young. People were grateful for Fan Zhongyan, the magistrate of Xinghua County, and called the Haiyan "Fangong Dike". Many disaster victims in Xinghua County took his surname Fan. To this day, there are still ruins of Fan Gong Temple in Xinghua, which are remembered by the elders. "There are guests who are crazy and honest, and young people love fame." This is a poem written by Fan Zhongyan when he was thirty-six years old. He didn't get married until he was about thirty-four or five years old. This year he had a son and was transferred back to the capital to become the Prime Minister of Dali Temple. From then on, he entered the ranks of Beijing officials.
In mourning
In the fourth year of Renzong Tiansheng's reign (1026), Xie died of illness. Fan Zhongyan mourned in tears and returned to Nanjing to live. At that time, Yan Shu, an official left in Nanjing, had heard that Zhong Yan was proficient in Confucian classics, especially the Book of Changes. He invited Zhong Yan to assist Qi in presiding over the academic affairs of Yingtianfu School. Zhong Yan accepted the order with enthusiasm and recommended Fu Bi, another young friend from Xinghua County Government (Fan Zhongyan Memorial Hall), to Yan Shu. In order to facilitate work, Fan Zhongyan moved to the school. He formulated a work and rest schedule and taught students to study on time. At night, he often went deep into the dormitory to check and punish those who were sleeping around. Whenever he writes essays on life questions, he must write an essay first to grasp the difficulty of the questions and the key points of writing, so that students can quickly improve their writing skills. The academic style of Yingtianfu Academy soon took on a new look. People from all over the world come to study and study with Fan Zhongyan. Fan Zhongyan warmly received these scholars who came from afar and tirelessly taught them books. Sometimes, he used his meager salary to entertain them, causing his family to be in dire straits. Once, Sun Xiucai, who was traveling to study and beg, came to pay homage to Duke Fan. Fan Zhongyan immediately gave him a thousand pence. A year later, Sun Xiucai came to visit Mr. Fan again. While giving him money, Fan Zhongyan asked him why he was rushing to ask for money instead of sitting down and studying quietly. Sun Xiucai said sadly, "I have an old mother at home and it is difficult to support me. If I have a fixed income of one hundred yuan a day, it will be enough." Fan Zhongyan said to him: "Listen to your tone, you don't look like a beggar. Let me help you in this school." Find a job that will allow you to earn 3,000 yuan a month to support the elderly. Can you study with peace of mind?" Sun Xiucai was overjoyed and accepted his orders, and from then on he studied "Spring and Autumn" with Fan Zhongyan. The next year, Fan Zhongyan left Nanjing, and Sun Xiucai also resigned from his post. Ten years later, it was said that a highly respected scholar gathered students in Mount Tai and taught "Spring and Autumn". His surname was Sun Mingfu. Even the famous Mr. Shi Jie from Shandong Province also studied under him. This scholar was the Sun Xiucai back then. Fan Zhongyan said with emotion: "Poverty is really a terrible disaster. If Sun Fu had been begging until he was old, wouldn't this outstanding talent have been lost?" In addition to Sun Fu, Fan Zhongyan also contacted and helped many famous scholars. Such as Hu Ai, Li Gou, Zhang Zai, Shi Jie, etc. Either invite them to take charge of academic affairs in their own administrative circles, or recommend them to serve as academic officials in the imperial court, or guide them on the path of academic study. From Hailing to Gaoyou, from Suzhou to Pizhou (today's Binxian County, Shaanxi Province), wherever Fan Zhongyan went, he always first set up schools and hired teachers and cared about education. Later, when he became prime minister, he ordered all prefectures and counties to run schools. Many people who have been taught and influenced by him often achieve success in their own way.
Edit this paragraph's typical lyrics
Su Muzhe (Northern Song Dynasty) Fan Zhongyan The sky is blue, the leaves are yellow, the autumn colors are rolling, and the waves are cold and green. The mountains reflect the setting sun, the sky meets the water, and the fragrant grass is ruthless, even outside the setting sun. The soul of the darkened country is thinking about the journey. Unless every night, good dreams leave people to sleep. I rested and leaned alone high in the Mingyue Tower. The wine filled my heart with sadness, turning into tears of lovesickness. Translation: The sky is filled with white clouds and yellow leaves are everywhere. The autumn scenery is reflected in the blue waves on the river, and the water waves are covered with cold smoke and green. The distant mountains are bathed in the sunset sky and connected to the river. The grass on the shore seems to be ruthless, and it is outside the setting sun. The sad soul of a foreign country, chasing the sorrow of living in a foreign land, can only let people fall asleep every night if it is a sweet dream. Don't rely on yourself when the bright moon shines on the tall buildings. I picked up a glass of wine to wash away my sorrow, but it turned into tears of lovesickness. Su Muzhe ① Comments ① This tune was originally introduced to Tang Jiaofang from the Western Regions. "Su Muzhe" was the transliteration of Gaochang Mandarin at that time. Song Dynasty poets used this tune to create new songs. Also known as "Clouds and Mist Length" and "Yunsong Ling on the Sideburns". Double tone, sixty-two characters, five sentences in the upper part and four oblique rhymes in the lower part. ②Dark: Describes a melancholy mood. The soul of a dark hometown: using the words "sad and ecstatic" in Jiang Yan's "Farewell". ③Chasing: following, which can be extended to entanglement. 路思 (sì): The thought of traveling. Brief analysis: This poem expresses the nostalgia of homesickness and travel sorrow. The first part uses color to exaggerate the autumn scenery, while the second part directly expresses the thoughts of hometown. It uses a hard-hearted person to express the sad and ecstatic words, which is especially profound. The two sentences "blue clouds in the sky and yellow leaves on the ground", one high and one low, one bent and one raised, show the vast autumn scenery of the sky and the ends of the earth. They were copied from the "Farewell at the Long Pavilion" in Wang Shifu's "The Romance of the West Chamber" in the Yuan Dynasty. The two sentences "Autumn Colors in Waves" are written on the rich autumn colors and the long autumn waves between the high sky and the thick earth: the autumn colors and autumn waves are connected to the horizon, and nestling against the autumn waves is the green and slightly chilly autumn smoke. Here, blue clouds, yellow leaves, green waves, and green smoke form a colorful picture. The sentence "Mountains reflect the setting sun" brings the green mountains into the picture and integrates the sky, earth, mountains and water into one, reflecting each other. At the same time, the "setting sun" also points out that the scene is an autumn scene when the curtain is thin. The two sentences "The grass is ruthless" change from the real scene in the eyes to the virtual scene in the mind, and the emotion of separation is hidden in it. Complaining that "Fragrant Grass" is ruthless just shows that the author is passionate and affectionate. The two sentences in the second part of the film, "The Soul of a Dark Country," directly express the author's lingering and entangled feelings of nostalgia and thoughts of traveling. The two sentences "Every night unless" mean that only in beautiful dreams can homesickness be temporarily eliminated. "Unless" means that nothing else is possible. But traveling alone in the end of the world, "good dreams" are rare, and there is no way to eliminate the homesickness for the time being. The sentence "Mingyue Tower is High" follows the above: He was disturbed by homesickness at night and could not have good dreams, so he wanted to climb the tower and look into the distance to relieve his sorrow; but the bright moon made him feel more lonely and bewildered, so he said "Stop being alone" "Lean" sigh. In the second sentence, the writer tried to relieve the pain in his heart by drinking alcohol, but this effort to relieve his sorrow also failed: "The wine enters the sad heart and turns into tears of lovesickness." The whole poem is low-pitched and tactful, without losing the majestic, majestic and upright spirit. It is a work overflowing with true feelings and vigorous writing.