Wang Chong’s ancestral home is Yuancheng, Wei County (now a famous name in Hebei Province), and he is the descendant of the Wang family in Yuancheng. The Wang family in Yuancheng was extremely prosperous during the Western Han Dynasty. Since the founding ancestor Wang He, the Wang family had a queen, a prime minister, princes, generals and officials at all levels. For a time, the Wang family in Yuancheng was in full power. The sky is full of glory. By the time of Wang Mang, the Han Dynasty was abolished and a new dynasty was established. The Wang family in Yuancheng reached its peak and became the first family in the world. However, with the disappearance of Wang Mang's regime, its status plummeted.
Wang Chong’s ancestors became prominent during the period when the Wang family’s power in Yuancheng expanded rapidly. "I have served in the army for several generations with meritorious service", he was brave and good at fighting, and was later granted the title of Yangting in Kuaiji (the specific location and jurisdiction cannot be determined now, one said Huzhou, another said Yiwu, but it is definitely located in Jiangsu and Zhejiang), so Wang Chong's ancestor He moved from the land of Yanzhao to Xiushui Jiangnan.
With the support of the fief, the title of nobility, and the shadow of someone in the court, the Wang family who moved to the south of the Yangtze River quickly became a major local family. Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. The wealthy habits that had been cultivated for a long time changed the fate of the family. Wang Chong's ancestors lost their titles and fiefs and became an ordinary family engaged in farming and mulberry farming. The family also began to decline.
The land of Yanzhao has always been popular in chivalry and fighting spirit. The Wang family who moved from Hebei to the south still retains this tough style. Their military success made them even more unscrupulous. They are domineering and domineering on weekdays. People and fellow villagers dare not speak out when they are angry. Even after his family was ruined, he didn't know how to restrain himself. He still ran rampant in the countryside. In years of famine, he also engaged in murder and smuggling. As a result, his enemies became more and more numerous, and the family was in panic all day long. By the time Wang Chong's grandfather Wang Xun was born, there was great chaos in the country at the end of the Western Han Dynasty. The government no longer interfered with the people's use of force to resolve private grievances. In order to avoid being captured by his enemies, he abandoned his nearly lost ancestral property and moved his family from Yangting, Kuaiji to Qiantang County in Kuaiji (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang), making a living by doing business. Wang Chong had two fathers: Wang Meng, the eldest son, and Wang Song, the second son. Wang Song was Wang Chong's father. The Wang brothers who moved to Qiantang County fell back into the old habits of their ancestors. They were even more aggressive and courageous than their predecessors. They bullied others and acted rogue. Later, they had a grudge against a local powerful man named Ding. After several battles, they suffered a lot, so the family fled in a hurry and settled in Shangyuzhang Town.
In order to tell the origin of his family, Wang Chong incidentally recorded these disgraceful acts of his ancestors in "Lunheng·Zi Ji". The original intention was to highlight his poor background, "the ancestors have no Shuyi foundation." ”, success depends on oneself, and at the same time it confirms his life creed of “being false” and telling the truth, but it has been misunderstood by many people. The historian Liu Zhiji thought this was out of line and denounced Wang Chong as "the sinner of three thousand people". How could he bring shame on his family? There are also many criticisms from later generations, "It is difficult to call him filial because he has always slandered his grandfather." It means that everyone else can remember it, but you, Wang Chong, can’t remember it! But Wang Chong just did this! In that era when one could gain fame and even become an official by performing filial piety, Wang Chong went against the grain and did not follow the taboos of his ancestors. This is evident in his uniqueness.
Shortly after the Wang family moved to Shangyu, Wang Song welcomed the birth of his eldest son, Wang Chong. At this time, the Wang family was already very poor, "poor without an acre of shelter" and "lowly humble enough to fight for a stone". When Wang Chong was about ten years old, his father died and he became an orphan. The fall of the pillar of the family made Wang Chong's family even more dilapidated. Wang Chong had a career in Confucianism and Taoism throughout his life, but his official career was not prosperous. He only served as a county official for a few terms, and there were many ups and downs. Judging from his deeds, he had neither tragic and generous deeds nor earth-shattering achievements. Therefore, whether it is a long autobiography written by himself or an official biography written by Fan Ye, his deeds are very few and really unattractive.
Wang Chong claimed to be from an "isolated and small clan", but various signs indicate that the Wang family's ancestors were relatively prosperous. "Lunheng·Zi Ji Pian" (quoted from this book below, only note the title of the chapter) says: Wang Chong was a native of Shangyu in Kuaiji, with the courtesy name Zhongren. He was originally from Yuancheng, Wei County. His surname was Sun Yi. He had served in the army for several generations and was granted the title of Yangting in Kuaiji. At the age of one, the country was wiped out in a hurry, because of the loss of the family. Taking farming as a profession. The ancestors of the emperor were brave and capable, but their deaths were not forgiving (forgiving) to others. The year is unlucky, there are injuries and deaths along the way, and there are many grievances. If there was a disturbance in the society, he might be captured by his enemies. My grandfather brought the whole family to bear during the flood season, so he settled in Kuaiji and left money in Tang County to work with merchants.
Yancheng, an old county, is in the northeast of Daming County, Hebei Province. Chong said that his first surname was "Sun Yi", which is quite difficult to understand. The commentator suspects that there is a mistake, it is very serious. According to the context, the last word "一" should be removed from the word "surname Wang". The Wang family means that their ancestors had "one surname Sun and one surname Wang". Two surnames from the same ancestor must be the differentiation of one surname. It is quite suspected that Wang Chong's ancestors were from the Wangsun clan, a certain Gong clan in the pre-Qin Dynasty, and were later divided into two surnames: one surnamed Wang and the other surnamed Sun. From this point of view, Wang Chong's bloodline was once very noble.
In the Han Dynasty, Wang Chong's ancestor was awarded the title of Yangting in Kuaiji for his merit. Tinghou was one of the military meritorious officials of the Han Dynasty. Under the Han system, those who served in the army and made meritorious deeds could live in counties, townships, and pavilions according to the size of their military achievements. There is one pavilion in ten li, one township in ten pavilions, and counties above the township. The size of the pavilion is approximately equivalent to a fort or village in later generations. His rank is not high, but he can enjoy his taxes. He is a small and medium-sized landowner. Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. One year, Wang Chong's family lost their title and status in an unexpected incident. Without a title to inherit and a family to return to, Wang Chong's ancestors had no choice but to settle down nearby. The men farmed and the women weaved, taking up mulberry farming as their occupation, and became the surnames of Kuaiji County.
The ancestors of Wang Chong, who lost his title, were all brave and courageous. As a result, they had many grudges and everyone was resentful. In the event of a natural disaster, Wang Chong's ancestors would engage in road robbery, killing and stealing goods, which attracted widespread criticism.
In the hands of Wang Chong's grandfather Wang Xun, the world was in turmoil and chaos in the late Western Han Dynasty. Wang Xun was worried about being kidnapped by his enemies during the chaos, so he packed up his belongings and "carried them with the whole family", either on his shoulders or in a car, and left Yangting. He moved to Kuaiji (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang) and finally stayed in Qiantang County, where he made a living by reselling and doing business. It can be seen from this that Wang Chong's family background started from the grandson of a king in the pre-Qin Dynasty, to a prince in the Western Han Dynasty, and then to a farmer, sangha, and merchant.
There were two of Wang Chong’s fathers: Wang Meng and Wang Song. Wang Song is Wang Chong's father. Wang Chong's ancestors had a habit of being brave and self-willed, and Wang Meng and Wang Song were even more so. Finally, he forged a deep hatred with the local powerful Ding Bo family, and could no longer stay in Qiantang, so he moved his family to Shangyu. .
This is really a run-down family. By the time Wang Chong was born, he was already "poor and without an acre of shelter", "low-ranking and without the rank of fighting stone", and "the ancestors had no virtue of Shuyi". ". It is indeed a home of "an isolated family" ("Zi Ji"). In this family, what awaited Wang Chong's arrival was not only that he had no property, reputation or status, but also that he had to bear the heavy burden of an ancestor who had no virtue and an ancestor who had no deeds. As a result, after Wang Chong became famous, some people used this to ridicule him. Wang Chong recorded these family conditions in detail in "Lunheng·Ziji", which is relatively true. Liu Zhiji disagreed with this and believed: "Wang Chongzhi's "Zi Ji" states that his father and ancestors were unworthy and despised by the state." "He must be punished for teaching in name, and he is actually a sinner of three thousand people!" ("Ziji") "Shi Tong·Preface") is really not a comprehensive theory. Although the Wang family is not a big family in the local area, it has not reached the point where the blame cannot be revealed. Tian Changwu's "Wang Chong's Biography" said, "His family is a family that has been repeatedly excluded and is about to fall into the ranks of the poor working people." This estimate is realistic. of. Although the ancestors of the Wang family acted rogue and aggressive in society, they still loved Wang Chong very much and paid great attention to his training. The legend in the "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" reads: "As a young orphan, he is called filial piety in the countryside." It seems that he either lost his father's love or lacked maternal kindness since he was a child. This is not realistic. Wang Chong's "Autobiography" said: Young Master Chong "has the ambition of a giant (a man), but his father has never answered him, his mother has never wronged him, and Yanli has never given in (condemn him)." It can be seen that both parents are present, and they are very loving, and they have never betrayed him. When Wang Chong was young, he didn't like boring games such as betting and teasing. Other children like to hide birds and catch cicadas, and play with money and climb trees. Wang Chong never participates, showing a withdrawn and dignified temperament. This attracted Wang Song's attention. He taught him to read and write when he was six years old, and sent him to primary school at the age of eight. There were more than a hundred children in the library middle school who were corporally punished by their teachers for their mistakes and poor calligraphy skills. Only Wang Chong, whose calligraphy was improving day by day and who made no mistakes, was not punished. After learning to write, Wang Chong said goodbye to the library and began to study Confucian classics and practice Confucian ethics.
"Zi Ji" says: After the handwriting was completed, he resigned from the master, studied the Analects of Confucius and Shangshu, and wrote a thousand words a day. After the Ming Dynasty, he thanked his teacher for his speciality, and his writing skills were amazing.
It can be seen that the formal education Wang Chong received was still Confucian ethics, and the systematic teaching materials he used were still the Confucian classics "The Analects" and "Shangshu", which were no different from ordinary people. After rural studies were completed, Wang Chong traveled thousands of miles to study in Luoyang, the capital. In Luoyang, Wang Chong entered Imperial College, visited famous Confucian scholars, read hundreds of schools of thought, and observed great rituals. This greatly opened his horizons, greatly increased his knowledge, and initially formed his broad and realistic academic style. The capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty was Luoyang, which was the political, economic and cultural center of the country. The founding emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu Xiu (i.e. Emperor Guangwu), was originally a scholar in Nanyang. After he conquered the world, he paid special attention to elegance, especially Confucianism. According to history, he "visited the scholars before getting off the bus", collected classics, and recruited relics. "Therefore, all the scholars from all over the world wanted tomb books and gathered in the capital." In order to appease this group of well-educated people, Emperor Guangwu specially Establish the Imperial College, set up Ph.D.s, and use them to teach students and cultivate talents. Taixue was not only the highest academic institution in the country at that time, but also had a rich collection of classics and celebrities. It was also the most authoritative center for academic activities in the country. Therefore, counties and counties all over the world selected outstanding young people to study in Taixue. Wang Chong was also recommended to study in Taixue because of his excellent performance.
The time when Wang Chong came to Taixue was about the 20th year of Jianwu (AD 44). Xie Cheng's "Book of the Later Han" records: "In the 13th year of Ban Gu's reign, Wang Chong saw him, stroked his back and called Ban Biao. Said: 'He must remember the events of the Han Dynasty. '" Xie Cheng's book has been lost, and this article can be found in Fan Ye's "Book of the Later Han·Ban Gu Biography" annotated by Li Xian. Ban Gu was born in the eighth year of Jianwu, 5 years younger than Wang Chong. Ban Gu was 13 years old. When Wang Chong arrived in the capital, he was already 18, which was the 20th year of Guangwu of Han Dynasty. The prime of life is a great time to learn knowledge and gain insights. However, at that time, Taixue was influenced by Jinwen Jingxue, and the study of chapters and sentences was popular. The transmission of scriptures pays attention to the inheritance of family traditions. Gentlemen will write down the teachings left by their ancestors. Each chapter has its purpose and each sentence has its explanation, which is called "Zhang Ju". The disciples recited it over and over again, but it was like chewing wax; they abided by the teacher's instructions and did not dare to take a step beyond the limits. In addition, Emperor Guangwu was obsessed with prophecies written in Weishu, and all matters, big and small, were determined by prophecies. Theological superstition filled the academic world. Taixue education is not only rigid in method, but also fictitious in content. Fortunately, Wang Chong's senior scholars She Lin, Zheng Zhong, Huan Tan, Ban Biao and others were all in the capital at this time. They were all ancient classics scholars and were erudite and known as great Confucians. Among several scholars, Wang Chong admired Huan Tan and Ban Biao the most and was most deeply influenced by them.
In terms of thinking methods, Wang Chong also benefited from Huan Tan. Huan Tan (23 BC - 50 AD), courtesy name Junshan, was born in Pei Guoxiang (now Suixi County, Anhui). He was a famous scholar during the Han Dynasty who was "erudite and knowledgeable, and studied the Five Classics". Author of "New Theory".
The characteristic of his scholarship is also "exegesis and exegesis, not just chapters and sentences", which is the same style of study as Ban's father and son. In terms of thinking methods, he was quite realistic and liked ancient Chinese classics. He often "discussed doubts" with Liu Xin and Yang Xiong, and was especially opposed to the popular theology of Chenwei at that time. He once risked beheading to criticize the theology of Chenwei in front of Emperor Guangwu. He deeply hated the vulgar views of vulgar Confucianism, and often ridiculed them, "because they are often seen as objectionable." Wang Chong especially admired Huan Tan's truth-seeking academic spirit. He praised it many times in "Lun Heng" and said: "(Huan Tan) also wrote "New Theory", discussing worldly affairs, distinguishing whether it is true or not, false words, hypocrisy "There are many writers in the world who cannot distinguish between right and wrong, but they are not sure about wrong. Huan Junshan's theory can be said to be true, and Junshan Han's theory can be said to be true." "("Dingxian")
Wang Chong originally admired Dong Zhongshu, Sima Qian, Yang Xiong and others in the Han Dynasty, but among several scholars, Wang Chong admired Huan Tan the most, saying "( "Dong) Zhongshu's writings are accessible, but Junshan's theory is difficult to follow" ("Book of Cases") "The disciples of Zichang (Sima Qian) and Ziyun (Yang Xiong) are the disciples of Junshan's theory." ("Zhao Qi") ) believes that although Shu Zhong's writings are wonderful, they can still be learned; Huan Tan's words are lofty and unmatched. Even compared with Tai Shigong and Yang Xiong who are good at exposition, Huan Tan is second to none. He said that Huan Tan is the best in the Han Dynasty. The academic community determines right and wrong, just like a fair law enforcer. In the past, before Chen Ping, the prime minister of the Han Dynasty, he "distributed everything as one" in the Yan Dynasty, which was a symbol of Huan Tan's ability to be the prime minister. It is a pity that he was demoted to death because he did not destroy the prophecy. Wang Chong called this unlucky man who had never been a prime minister "Prime Minister" to match Confucius's "King Su"; Comparing Huan Tan's "New Treatise" with Confucius' "Spring and Autumn Annals": "Confucius is not a king, Su Wang's legacy lies in the "Spring and Autumn Annals"; however, Huan Junshan is not Xiang, and Su Prime Minister's legacy lies in the "New Treatise"." (" "Ding Xian") also said, "To question worldly affairs and discuss difficult worldly questions, no one can go higher than Huan Junshan." ("Book of Cases") No one can evaluate worldly affairs and discuss worldly problems as much as Huan Tan. , Wang Chong also deeply disapproved of theological superstition and the falsehood of common sayings. He later wrote a book "Lunheng", whose main purpose was also to "explain secular doubts and distinguish the principles of right and wrong" ("Duo Zuo"), which is consistent with Huan Tan's "Xin Heng" The themes of "Theory" appeared all the time.
In addition to Ban Gu, the young scholars in the capital at that time also included Jia Kui, Fu Yi, Yang Zhong, etc., all of whom were officials in Lantai, and Wang Chong was also related to them. Lantai was the Royal Library and the National History Museum of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The public provided paper and ink for reading and writing there. The conditions were excellent and the treatment was generous. It was a noble and affordable academic institution. Therefore, people at that time called Lantai a "deng". Penglai, the world is proud of.
Jia Kui, courtesy name Jing Bo, was a native of Pingling, Fufeng, and a scholar of ancient classics in the Eastern Han Dynasty. His father, Jia Huichang, studied Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals from Liu Xin. Kui Shaocheng Ting He is familiar with "Zuo Zhuan" and the Five Classics. The original biography of "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" also says that he "was a child, always in college, and had no knowledge of human affairs". He was a lucky man who had both family education and imperial education. He has extensive knowledge of the Five Classics, both modern and ancient, and is particularly specialized in Zuozhuan, Guoyu, and Zhouli. In particular, he contributed greatly to the prosperity of Zuozhuan. " and "Gu Liang Zhuan" are also very proficient. He was also the first great Confucian in the Han Dynasty who wrote extensively about the classics. History books say that "Kui wrote more than a million words of exegesis and discussion of classics. Scholars followed him and later generations were called Tongru." Emperor Ming At that time, he became a Langguan and studied in Lantai together with Ban Gu.
Fu Yi, courtesy name Wuzhong, was born in Maoling, Fufeng. He was less erudite and studied chapters and sentences in Pingling. Prime Minister Gao Zongxian said that he was a descendant, and said: "My ancestors have taught me, and I will receive my imperial edict. Train me in good work, and teach me erudition." So he took righteousness and literary talents as his mission, and he became a great success. During the reign of Emperor Zhang, he taught the modern history of Lantai and worked with Banjia.
Yang Zhong, courtesy name Zishan, was a native of Chengdu, Shu County. At the age of 13, he became a county official and was sent by the prefect to the capital to study the Spring and Autumn Annals. Later, he followed the county planner to the capital and saw that the three prefectures failed to write the "Ailao Biography". Yang Zhong came from Sichuan and was familiar with the situation of the ethnic groups in the southwest, so he wrote a biography. Today, "Ailao Biography" is included in "Book of the Later Han·Biographies of Nanman and Southwest Yi". "The Legend" is an adaptation of Yang Chuan. Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty was so impressed by his talent that he conquered Lantai and paid homage to the school's scholar.
Ban (Gu), Jia (Kui), Fu (Yi), and Yang (Zhong) were all classmates in their youth. They were in their prime, living in Lantai, where they were rewarded with poems and essays, which was a great sight. ! In the seventeenth year of Emperor Ming's reign, birds of five colors gathered in large numbers. Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty ordered all the Confucian scholars to present "Ode to the Divine Birds". Hundreds of officials responded one after another, but only the four of them and Hou Xi's gifts were appreciated by Emperor Ming. Wang Chong recorded the incident and said: "In Yongping, there were many divine birds, and Xiao Ming issued an edict called "Ode to the Divine Birds." The poems written by all the officials were comparable to those of tiles and stones, except for Ban Gu, Jia Kui, Fu Yi, Yang Zhong, and Hou Xi. Praising gold and jade, Emperor Ming looked at it." ("Xia Wen")
Wang Chong was so envious when he saw it in person! He repeatedly praised: "In the history of Lantai, Ban Gu, Jia Kui, Fu Yi, and Yang Zhong are all famous and beautiful." ("Bie Tong") In his later years, he lived in a poor alley, and he still hoped that the court would one day conscript him as a king. Lantai, "walking on the traces of Ban and Jia", one is to repay the unfulfilled wishes in his life, and the other is to "discuss the reality of merit and virtue" ("Song of Xu") to repay the Lord's kindness. In addition to studying under famous teachers and making famous friends in Luoyang, Wang Chong also read extensively in Guangsha and read many books. "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" says that Wang Chong lived in Luoyang. "He was poor and had no books. He often visited the shops in Luoyang and read the books sold. He could recite and recite the words of hundreds of schools of thought at every sight."
"In addition to being familiar with the classics and history, Wang Chong also studied hundreds of schools of thought and understood the studies of various schools of thought. Confucian scholars who simply studied the classics often adhered to the scriptures, believing that the scriptures were created by saints and contained the truth. They only adhere to the theory of one master, hold on to the weak, and exclude dissidents. Therefore, they are short-sighted and have vulgar views. Wang Chong believes that the Confucian scholars are different from each other. The Confucian classics are equally important, and sometimes the Confucian classics are even more reliable than the classics. He said: The Five Classics were "burned and banned by the Qin Dynasty, and the disciples who lived in hiding took the scriptures and hid them deep". During the rise of the Han Dynasty, "the scriptures were missing and unknown, and the chapters were missing." "Abandoned and scattered but not possessed", Chao Cuo's disciples learned the scriptures in Fu Sheng, and later famous Confucian teachers "each analyzed the words with their own private thoughts", and the master and the disciples passed it on to each other, forming the so-called family method and teacher's method. The scriptures themselves It is difficult to distinguish between right and wrong, let alone the right and wrong of what the Confucians explained. On the contrary, "Although Qin was ignorant, it did not spread to the disciples." From this point of view, there are chapters in the scriptures, but the disciples have no missing texts. It is self-explanatory to decide which one is better.
Wang Chong believed: "The texts of all the scholars' rulers are all there, and they can be read to make correct explanations." "Wang Chong said: The writings of scriptures by saints also have documentary evidence, and "all the six classics have evidence." From this point of view, "Books (in history) are also the foundation, and classics are also the end. Without losing the facts, we can gain the quality of the Tao." It can be seen that the books of various scholars are still the basis for the creation of the classics, and how can they be used to determine the canonical scriptures. Therefore, he said: "The one who knows the leakage in the house is under the sky, and the one who knows the government Those who lose it are in the grass, and those who know the sutra wrongly are in the disciples. "Just like standing under the eaves and knowing the leakage of the house, standing in the grass and seeing the political gains and losses, it is easy to see the errors in the classics by reading the books of hundreds of schools of thought. But the Confucian scholars in chapters and sentences only know how to abide by the teacher's words and imitate parrots." "Teacher-teacher-to-teacher-to-teacher-teacher-to-teacher-to-teacher-to-teacher-to-teacher-to-teacher-to-teacher-to-teacher-to-teacher-to-teacher-to-teacher-to-teacher-to-teacher-to-teacher-to-teacher-to-teacher-teacher. From a person who wants to be broad-minded and knowledgeable, it is even more necessary to be knowledgeable in hundreds of schools of thought outside of the classics. He vividly said: "Those who wade in shallow water will see shrimps, and those who wade in deep water will see fish and turtles, especially fish and turtles." Those who look deeply will observe the dragon. "The degree and depth of the experience involved are different, and what they see, hear and gain are naturally different. He said that the same is true for learning: "It is still the same if you enter the Tao from the shallow to the deep. The shallow one will see biographical humor, while the deep one will enter the holy room to observe the secretary. Therefore, as a person's path is profound, his vision is vast. " He also said metaphorically: People want to enter big cities when they travel, because "there are many wonders." And "the words of hundreds of schools of thought, ancient and modern, are strange, and they are not just cities and big cities. He also said: "The big rivers are connected with each other (both sides), and the small rivers are connected with each other (belonging to each other). They flow eastward and return to the sea, so the sea is big." "What if "the sea does not lead to hundreds of rivers, how can it be called huge"? The same is true for people's learning, "people contain the words of hundreds of schools, just like the sea contains the flow of hundreds of rivers." "("Bie Tongpian") His profound knowledge will naturally form. Wang Chong pays equal attention to the classics and is knowledgeable about many people, which is one of the reasons why he has achieved his erudition.
Wang Chonghuan Paying attention to training his ability to apply knowledge and write books and articles, he divided the Confucian scholars at that time into four categories, namely: Confucian scholars, general Confucian scholars, literati, and great Confucian scholars. He said: "Those who can speak one classic are Confucian scholars, and they are knowledgeable about ancient and modern times. Those who pick up the letters and write them down to reporters are called literati, and those who can thoughtfully compose articles and connect chapters are called great Confucians. ” He also believes: “Confucian scholars are better than ordinary people, knowledgeable people are better than Confucian students, literati are better than knowledgeable people, and great Confucians are better than literati. "("Chaoqi") Confucian scholars rely on Confucianism to study the scriptures of the saints and learn the ways of the saints. They are far better than the unlearned and unskilled common people. However, the Confucian scholars can only stick to one scripture and have no knowledge of world affairs and have no knowledge of the past and the present. "The Master of Trustworthiness" Although there are many words to explain the Dharma, it will never be learned" ("Effectiveness"), so it is not as good as a knowledgeable person who knows the past and the present; it is indeed valuable for a knowledgeable person to understand the past and the present. Wang Chong once said: "Knowing the past but not knowing the present is called Lu Shen ; Knowing the present but not knowing the past is called blindness. "("Xie Duan") But understanding the past and the present is just a symbol of knowledge. As long as you are "studious and diligent, and knowledgeable and knowledgeable", you can do it. It is unknown how capable you are. If "a knowledgeable person has a broad view, If you cannot take pictures and discuss them, this is the owner of the hidden book." Just like the book collector who has books but cannot read them, he believes: "Everyone who values ??knowledge values ????the ability to use it." If he learns but cannot use it, "even though there are thousands of books The above is what parrots can say. ”
A literati who can draft chapters is a person who is “broad and versatile”, so he is more valuable than a knowledgeable person. However, a literati can only write a single article and cannot “connect chapters” to write a special book. , so he is not as good as Hongru, who can write long articles and have a unique style of writing. He believes that Hongru is the most precious. If literati are superhuman and extraordinary intellectuals, then Hongru is "super and extraordinary" and "strange and strange." If a special person is compared with a Confucian scholar, he or she is like a beautifully decorated car or a worn-out carriage or a brocade or an old robe. If he or she is compared with a common person, he or she is like the top or bottom of Mount Tai or the neck or the soles of his feet. , there is a world of difference! They are the most extraordinary people, "the golden jade of the world" ("Super Strange"). Gu Yong and Tang Lin in the Han Dynasty were able to write letters and comment on matters according to the scriptures, and they were "literati"; while Dong Zhongshu, Sima Qian, Yang Xiong, Liu Xiang, Liu Xin, Huan Tan and others were able to write great treatises and books, which were regarded as "great Confucians". Wang Chong regarded them as being in the same discipline as the saints and regarded them as rare treasures: "Liu Zizheng and his son in modern times." , Yang Ziyun, Huanjun Mountain, they are like the civil and military Dukes of Zhou who came out at the same time... For example, pearls and jade are rare, so they are rare. "("Chaoqi") Wang Chong values ????Hongru so much, so naturally his efforts are to become a world-renowned Hongru. He studied under Ban Biao, did not abide by rules, and read hundreds of schools of thought... all leading to the world. Effective measures for the road to becoming a Confucian scholar.
There is no clear record of how long Wang Chong spent studying in the capital. Yuan Shansong's "Book of the Later Han" says that Wang Chong caught up with the grand ceremony of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty coming to Piyong: Chong was young and clever.
He studied at Taixue, watched the Emperor come to Piyong, and wrote "The Great Confucianism". Yuan Shansong's book has been lost, but this material can be found in Li Xian's "Notes on the Book of the Later Han Dynasty". The annotation is "Six Confucianisms". According to Wang Chong's thought of admiring Hong Confucianism, the "Six Confucianisms" should be the mistake of the great Confucians. Piyong was one of the Taixue in the Zhou Dynasty, and it was used as a place to respect Confucianism and perform ceremonies in the Han Dynasty. According to the "Book of the Later Han: Biographies of Scholars", Piyong of the Eastern Han Dynasty was built in the first year of Emperor Guangwu's reign (56 years). Emperor Guangwu passed away before he could visit it in person. "It was not until the Ming Emperor came to the throne that he personally performed the ceremony." "Ming Emperor Chronicles" says that in October of the first year of the Shui Dynasty (58 years), he was "fortunately appointed to Yong". Then, at least in the first year of Yongping, Wang Chong was still in the capital, and at that time he was still in the capital. He is 32 years old and has been studying in Luoyang for 14 years. When Emperor Ming came to the throne, he restored many long-abandoned Confucian etiquette to express his advocacy of etiquette. In the first month of this year, the emperor put on a nine-inch-high sky-reaching crown and a dress embroidered with the sun, moon and stars. He first offered sacrifices to Emperor Guangwu in the Mingtang, then climbed to the mourning platform, looked at the clouds, played the music to welcome the spring, observed the changes in phenology, and formulated The book "Shi Ling" was awarded to the princes and kings, reenacting the "ritual of announcing the new moon" in time-telling that Confucius long lamented.
In the winter of this year, Emperor Ming came to Biyong in person to hold a ceremony to respect the elderly and support the virtuous. It was presumed in advance that the old and learned Li Gong was the "Three Elders", and Huan Rong, who had awarded Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty "Shangshu", was the "Five Geng". On this day, the emperor arrived at Piyong first, held a ceremony, and then sent someone to install the car. Pu Lun (the wheel was wrapped with cattails to prevent it from bumping) brought the three and five men, and the emperor personally went to the door screen to greet them. Welcome to the tower with the courtesy of guest and host (not king and minister). The emperor issued an edict to "respect the three elders and serve the five brothers." The three nobles and nine ministers were in their respective places. The emperor rolled up his dragon robe, cut himself with a knife, offered the meat to the three elders (not gave it to him), and even drank wine for him personally. At the fifth watch, the three elders waited on him in this way. Then the shooting ceremony was held. After the shooting ceremony, Emperor Ming returned to the lecture hall and sat upright, holding the scriptures and speaking to himself. The Confucians held the scriptures and asked questions in front of them. Those who are not high enough can only surround Piyongbi River and watch from the other side. On this day, the Confucian scholar who was usually scolded as a poor and rotten scholar felt proud and proud. Wang Chong was undoubtedly very excited when he saw this grand ceremony of respecting the elderly and respecting Confucianism, which was only recorded in ritual books and recited orally by Confucian scholars in the past, so he happily wrote "The Great Confucianism" to praise it. Even hundreds of years later, Fan Ye wrote "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" when he wrote about this grand occasion: "(Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty) sat in the Mingtang to pay homage to the crowd, climbed to the spiritual platform to look at the clouds, On top of Piyong, he respected the three elders and the five more... Jiji! Yangyang! He was prosperous in Yongping. Later he went to the capital and studied under the Imperial Academy, where he studied under Fufeng Banbiao. He likes to read extensively but does not follow rules and sentences. He came from a poor family and had no books. He often visited Luoyang shops and read the books on sale. Later, he returned to his hometown and lived as a professor.
Translation
Wang Chong’s father died when he was a boy. People in his hometown said that he was very filial to his mother. Later, he arrived in the capital and studied business skills at Taixue, where he became a disciple of Fufeng Banbiao. Wang Chong has a wide range of hobbies and reads without being limited to certain paragraphs and sentences. His family was poor and had no books, so he often visited bookstores on the streets of Luoyang and read the books they sold. He could memorize them after reading them once, so he had a broad understanding of many schools of thought. Later, he returned to his hometown and retired to teach at home. Like all scholars, after Wang Chong completed his studies, he also held the dream of becoming a king, Yao and Shun, and followed the path of "learning well and becoming an official". However, Wang Chong's situation in the officialdom was not much better than that of his teachers. The "Zi Ji Pian" recounts his official history and says: In the county, he was ranked as a Gongcao; in the Duwei Mansion, he was also a Gongcao; as a prefect, he was To act for the meritorious officials of the five senses; to work in the state. Wang Chong had only served as a local official. Local institutions in the Eastern Han Dynasty implemented a three-level system of prefecture, prefecture, and county. Wang Chong served as an official at three levels, but he was still in the position of "掾". Peng was a subordinate official in various political institutions in the Han Dynasty. In the county, he served as an official and was in charge of personnel affairs and merit examination in the county. In the county, he served successively as a meritorious service officer in the Duwei Mansion, the military governor, and as a five-guan officer and meritorious service officer in the Taishou Mansion, the chief executive. In the state, he was also appointed as a subordinate official by the state governor. He has never escaped the fate of being a subordinate in his life.
The places where Wang Chong served as an official can be found in Yangzhou, Danyang, Jiujiang, Lujiang and other places. "Ziji" says: "Chong moved to his home in the third year of Yuanhe (86 years) Danyang, Jiujiang, and Lujiang in Yangzhou were later appointed to govern the country. He was appointed to the post of governor in the second year of Zhanghe (88 years). This is recorded in the "Beitang Shuchao" volume. 73 and Volume 602 of "Taiping Yulan" are quoted as "In the second year of Zhanghe, he moved home and took refuge in Danyang, Yangzhou." It is wrong. "The second year of Zhanghe" should be the second year of Yuanhe, and the second year of Zhanghe is the year of the Chongzhixu household. , not the past year. Pi refers to conquest, being conscripted into an official position, not taking refuge. "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" also contains: "The governor Dong Qin was appointed as the governor. When he was transferred to the government, he was exempted from returning home." Yangzhou is one of the thirteen ministries (states) established by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was an administrative agency above the county level. Danyang, Jiujiang, and Lujiang were all county names, and they were under the jurisdiction of the Yangzhou Department at that time. Before Yuanhe became valuable for three years, it was unclear what Wang Chong was doing. According to the first year of the founding of Liu Rulin's "Han and Jin Dynasty Academic Chronicle", according to Wang Chong's "Duozuo Chapter", "In the early Meng year of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zhongzhou was very poor, Yingchuan and Runan, the refugees were scattered in all directions, the Holy Lord was worried, and the number of edicts arrived, "On Heng, a person who wrote a memorial to the county governor, should ban luxury in order to prepare for poverty. He said that he could not use it, so he withdrew the inscription and wrote it in his own account, which was called "Bei Lung". He then suspected that "the person who filled the official position was not in Kuaiji but in Zhongzhou." "The county is evil?" But without any circumstantial evidence, it is difficult to reach a conclusion.
There are many reasons for Wang Chong's wandering around prefectures and counties and being stagnant. Later, Wang Chong made a comprehensive analysis and discussion of the poor official path based on his own personal experience. "Fengyu Pian" summarizes the pros and cons of becoming an official as encounters and misfortunes: there are always good people in conduct, but there are no common encounters in officials. Whether a person is worthy or not is a matter of talent; whether he meets someone or not is a matter of time. Being talented and pure does not guarantee that you will be noble; being able to be humble and acting dirty does not guarantee that you will be humble. Perhaps someone with high talent and pure conduct will fall into the lower reaches if they are not met; someone with poor abilities and dirty skills will advance above others if they are met. Everyone in the world has his own way of acquiring scholars, and scholars have their own ways to advance. Advance by meeting, retreat by not encountering. Being respected and prominent does not necessarily mean he is a virtuous person, so he will be met; being humble and humble, he may not be stupid, so he will not be met.
The ancients often said, "Thousand-mile horses often exist, but bole does not always exist." Talents often exist, but opportunities for officialdom do not often occur. If you are born at the right time and meet your master, even if you have little talent and poor virtue, you will be able to advance; on the other hand, if you are born at the wrong time and meet someone who is not a human being, even if you are talented and have better virtues than the barbarians, you will remain in the wilderness and sink to the bottom. Liao. This is especially true in the absence of a sound competition mechanism. However, when Wang Chong was born as Emperor Guangwu, Emperor Ming, Emperor Zhang, and Emperor He, it was during the rise of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The system of conquest and promotion was relatively normal. It seems that there is no problem of being born at the wrong time, but it does not rule out the problem. What he encounters is inhuman. "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" said that he "served as a meritorious official in the county, and he went away after several suggestions and arguments." Wang Chong also wrote a letter to the county governor in the early years of the Ji Jian Dynasty when the harvest in Zhongzhou was poor, advocating strict frugality to prepare for poverty, but "the words were not put into practice"; the people were addicted to alcohol at that time, and he thought that alcohol consumed the grain, and drunkenness caused trouble. To express his worries, he wrote to the county governor: He advocated "forbidding alcohol", but it was not taken seriously. The scholar's special skill is to give advice and suggestions. Since his words are not effective, it can be seen that what he met is indeed not a close friend.
Wang Chong also put forward the theory of "harm" in "The Harm Chapter": Anyone who enters an official position and fails to advance, his conduct is damaged and incomplete, his sins are accumulated but not eliminated, and his reputation is unclear, is not qualified. Next, the behavior is not inconsistent, and the knowledge (wisdom) is not faint, and the strategy is not tasteful. It is also a case of continuous external disasters and repeated harm.
His official career was stagnant, his actions were falsely accused, his guilt was not exonerated, and his reputation was in disgrace... all of this was not necessarily his own fault, but could have been caused by external factors. Wang Chong summarized these damages from external objects as "three tiredness and three harms". What are the three fatigues and three harms? Chong said: There are three troubles in the countryside and three harms in the court. The three tirednesses of the countryside refer to the troubles that officials encountered before: friends turned against each other and hurt each other, which is the first tiredness; mediocrity is jealous and hurts the talented people, which is the second vote; there is discord in friendships and turns to attack, which is the third tiredness. The three evils of the dynasty point out the frame-ups suffered after the good ones: the entrants slandered each other for the limited position, fabricated and exaggerated the facts in front of the superiors, and the superiors were not aware and believed what they said, which was the first harm; colleagues had different hobbies and had different practices. , "The clean officials become more and more white, and they speak trickling words." Their reputations become whiter and whiter, and their opinions become more and more brilliant. The dirty officials feel ashamed of themselves and hold grudges in their hearts. They secretly collect the faults of the clean officials and frame them with heavy punishments, which is the second harm; I am lucky to have a subordinate, but the character of the subordinate is not high. If someone promotes a person who is evil, he will definitely be dissatisfied with the "upright people" who are unwilling to obey, and slander him in front of the superior, which is the three evils. The three burdens and three harms mentioned by Wang Chong are vivid and specific, just like his own personal experience.