The four most ugly men in ancient China - Yan Ying, Zuo Si, Bao Zheng, Liu Yong, Yan Ying and Yan Ying were from Yiwei (now Gaomi, Shandong) in Laidi. Their birth date is unknown and they died in the 48th year of Duke Jinggong of Qi (AD 550 BC). His posthumous title is Ping and his courtesy name is Zhong, so he is also called Jing Ping Zhong or Yan Ping. Because of his great influence, just like Confucius was revered as Confucius, he was also revered as Yanzi.
Yan Zi was a famous thinker, politician and diplomat during the Spring and Autumn Period. At first, according to the tradition of "Shiqing Shilu" system, he succeeded his father Yan Ruo (Yan Huanzi) as the official of Qi State, and later served as the prime minister of the state, assisting Ling Gong, Zhuang Gong and Jinggong in three dynasties.
The period when Yan Zi lived was the late Spring and Autumn Period. This is an era of great changes and turbulence in ancient Chinese society. All aspects of society are undergoing profound changes. The long-term war for hegemony during the Spring and Autumn Period caused heavy losses to people's lives and property. At that time, there was widespread war weariness and a series of "troop killing" activities in the Central Plains. At the same time, a large number of new military nobles were created in various princes. With the improvement of their political and economic status and the destruction of patriarchal blood relations, they urgently demanded the power to rule and launched a power struggle against the declining old public nobles. In line with the social characteristics of this period, Yanzi opposed wars of aggression and aggression externally, and advocated the implementation of benevolent and moral governance that respected the virtuous and loved the people internally. Yanzi's political activities are divided into two different periods. The two periods exactly reflect the above two aspects. The early activities were mainly during the periods of Ling Gong and Zhuang Gong, which mainly opposed Qi's participation in foreign aggression and war, and advocated the practice of fighting martial arts and cultivating literature. In the later period, that is, during the Jinggong period, he mainly opposed excessive taxation, advocated lenient administration and light punishment, and was thrifty and caring for the people.
Yan Zi spent his life mainly on the political stage of Qi State. He was loyal to the emperor but not conservative, resourceful and flexible but not stubborn and rigid, obeyed etiquette and respected the virtuous, but was frugal and loved the people. Sima Qian wrote "Historical Records" and listed him with Guan Zhong, another famous prime minister of Qi State, in his biography ("Historical Records: Biography of Guan Yan"), and made such different evaluations of the two people: "Yanzi is thrifty, Yiwu ( Guan Zhong was extravagant; Qi Huan used hegemony, and Jing Gong used rule. "
There are many wise people in Chinese history, but Yan Ying is a very unique figure. This is not only because of his position (Cao Cao and Zhuge Liang were also prime ministers in the Three Kingdoms era), but also because his "school of wisdom" is different: it is different from Cao Cao's cunning and vicious, and different from Zhuge Liang's seriousness, but full of humor. and aura. The more important thing is: Yan Ying is an ugly short man, but he became the prime minister. Not only did he become the prime minister, but he was also able to influence three generations of monarchs and subjects in various ingenious ways, making Qi's influence not to be underestimated among the countries of the Spring and Autumn Period.
According to Sima Qian's records, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the book "Yan Zi Chun Qiu" was circulated.
Zuo Si Zuo Si, the most outstanding poet during the Western Jin Dynasty, was born in Linzi, Taichong. Born into a humble family, his father worked as a low-level official and his mother died of illness very early. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty, his sister Zuo Fen was adopted as a concubine because of her outstanding literary talent, and the family moved to Luoyang, the capital. He has not been able to socialize since he was a child, he is diligent in reading and is good at yin and yang. The poems and prose are gorgeous, among which "Sandu Fu" and "Ode to the Epic" are the most famous. The former is the culmination of the author's ten years of effort. During this period, he thought very hard and concentrated on his knowledge. He kept pens and papers in the courtyard, on the fence, and even in the toilet to record ideas at any time, and finally succeeded. Once it came out, it immediately caused a sensation and became famous throughout the world. People competed to copy it, causing "Luoyang paper to be expensive". Lu Ji, a famous poet at the time, was also impressed. "Sandu Fu" is not only a pearl in the history of literature, but also has important value in history, because it records the economic recovery during the Three Kingdoms period and makes up for the deficiencies in historical records. "Ode to Epic" is his masterpiece. His poor family background caused him to suffer repeated setbacks in his official career. He only became secretary-general and was unsuccessful throughout his life. Therefore, his poems often reveal a melancholy and upright spirit and a satirical sense of unreasonable political situations. His ambition, talent, and vigor in writing, his clear style, abundant emotions, and vivid images, coupled with the content of resentment and indignation, formed a "Zuo Si style" that was popular in the poetry world at that time. The author of "The Source of Ancient Poetry" praised: "Taichong's chest is high and broad, and his writing power has regained its majesty. He has cultivated the Han and Wei Dynasties and autonomous poetry. Therefore, he is a generation of writers, which is not comparable to that of Pan (Yue) and Lu (Ji) generations." "His sister Zuo Fen is also a female poet. After she was selected as a concubine, she lived in the palace for a long time. Although her material life was very rich, her spiritual life was very empty. Therefore, she mainly wrote poems to describe the desolate life in the palace and the infinite sadness of her youth being ruined. "Poetry of Miscellaneous Feelings" is one of his representative works.
Her poems are novel in conception and full of emotion. They are excellent works of ancient Chinese poetry.
Bao Zheng Bao Zheng (999-1062) Zi Xiren, a native of Hefei, Luzhou (Hefei, Anhui), was a Jinshi in the fifth year of Tiansheng in the Northern Song Dynasty (1027).
After becoming a Jinshi, because his parents were old, he could not bear to go far away to serve as an official. It was not until his parents died one after another and the filial piety was completed that he became an official under the persuasion of relatives and friends. This period lasted for ten years, so He is known in the countryside as a filial piety.
In the fourth year of Song Jingyou's reign (1037), he was appointed magistrate of Tianchang (Anhui Tianchang) County and had considerable political achievements. After his term of office expired, he was transferred to Zhiduanzhou (Zhaoqing, Guangdong). When he returned to Beijing, he was appointed as the Supervisory Censor Li Xing. He was also changed to the Supervisory Censor and was given the title of "Advocate". He could impeach officials who acted improperly or acted illegally. In order to punish corrupt officials, in the 28th month of the fourth year of the Qing Dynasty (1044), he wrote to Renzong "Begging for Officials Who Don't Use Pickpockets", believing that incorruptibility is an example for people, while spoils are "thieves of the people." Bao Zheng wrote seven times to impeach Wang Kui, the transshipment envoy of Jiangxi, and exposed that he was "like a snake and a scorpion" and harmed the people. He also severely criticized the official appointment system of the Song Dynasty. From the second year to the third year of Huangyou (1050), Bao Zheng impeached his relative Zhang Yaozuo three times and tried to clear up the huge fraud case of demon Leng Qing impersonating the prince, which shocked the government and the public.
While Bao Zheng was the judge of the Household Department of the Third Division and the deputy envoy of the Third Division, he successively served as the transportation envoy to Jingdong, Shaanxi, Hebei and other places. Everywhere he went, he worked to reduce the burden on the people, reform bad government, and Taking the development of production as its own responsibility, he put forward the economic thought of "broadening the people and benefiting the country". On many occasions, for the sake of national affairs, he said things that the emperor did not like to hear, criticized powerful ministers, and requested that the favor bestowed by the emperor on his trusted bureaucrats be removed and that everything should be handled through normal channels of the competent authorities. He wrote out the three memorials written by Wei Zheng of the Tang Dynasty to Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty and presented them to Song Renzong as a motto to always be vigilant and put national affairs first. He asked Renzong to accept advice with an open mind, to distinguish between right and wrong, not to be "preconceived" and to listen to partial beliefs, but to cherish talents, remove harshness, impose strict punishments and bans, prohibit evil speech and heresy, and not build large-scale construction projects at will.
In December of the first year of Jiayou (1056), the imperial court appointed Bao Zhengquan as the magistrate of Kaifeng Mansion. He officially took office in March of the following year and left office in June of the third year, which lasted only more than a year. . But in this short period of time, Kaifeng Mansion, which was known to be difficult to govern, was managed in an orderly manner. Dare to punish the illegal behavior of the powerful, resolutely curb the arrogance of Kaifeng officials, and be able to promptly punish those who make false accusations.
Because Bao Zheng enforced the law strictly in Kaifeng Mansion, was selfless, and dared to confront the tough, the eunuchs of the noble family had to restrain themselves, and they felt scared when they heard Bao Zheng's name. Children, women and children all know the name of Bao Zheng and affectionately call him "Bao Tezai". There is a saying widely circulated in Kaifeng Mansion: "If the joints are not connected, there is Yama and Bao Lao." Yama is used as a metaphor for Bao Zheng's selflessness.
In the sixth year of Song Jiayou's reign (1061), he was promoted to deputy privy envoy. He died of illness in May of the following year. "All the officials and people in the capital were sentimental, and the sighs could be heard in the streets and alleys." Gift from the imperial court. According to the official letter, fifteen volumes of "Zouyi" have been handed down to the world.
Liu Yong Liu Yong, whose courtesy name is Chongru, is also known as Shi'an, Qingyuan, Riguanfeng Taoist, etc. A native of Zhucheng, Shandong. He was born in a scholarly family and grew up in a family of prominent officials. His grandfather Liu Qi was a Jinshi in the 24th year of Kangxi's reign, and served as the chief envoy of Sichuan. His father, Liu Tongxun, was a Jinshi in the second year of Yongzheng's reign, and his official rank reached Dongge University. Liu Yong became a Jinshi in the 16th year of Qianlong's reign (32 years old), and he was promoted to Tirenge University and became the crown prince's Taibao. In the 16th year of Qianlong's reign, he became a Jinshi and became a bachelor in Dongge University. He was also the crown prince and Taibao. He was given the posthumous title Wenqing and was also known as Liu Wenqing. Liu Yong was a politician during the Qianjia period of the Qing Dynasty, as well as a famous calligrapher and poet.