In addition, there are similar views in Xiang Shu with Wang He's Hui Fu Quan Shu. Morality before resignation is Ceng Gong's consistent position. Perhaps it is under the control of this kind of thought that our articles are unremarkable compared with those of North Korea, Liu, Europe, America and the Soviet Union. North Korea and Europe, although they also talked about the previous literary road, after all, they still attach importance to literary talents. Ceng Gong is not very particular about literary talents.
Of course, although Ceng Gong doesn't talk about literary talent, his articles are naturally simple and unique. This is the characteristic of Ceng Gong's article. This feature is reflected in several different aspects. First of all, the article about things is more detailed and euphemistic, similar to Ouyang Xiu. Secondly, although Ceng Gong's articles are simple and few, they are sometimes swaying and opening and closing vertically and horizontally, just like Han Yu. The preface is particularly distinctive. For example, the preface to Ang Lee's Second Life says at the beginning: Su Shi "left the book from Shu to the capital, saying that Shu scholars are called Ansheng, with hundreds of thousands of words, and Ansheng also brought thousands of words to care for his humiliation". Then he said that after reading their articles, he felt that "Ershenggu can be said to be the best person, and Sue can be said to be a good person." Say more, and then tell Li Sheng, and ask Ceng Gong to give a message, so as to "confuse the people in the room". So Ceng Gong made the following big comment: Yu Wen smiled at himself. What is more pedantic than giving? Knowing the past but not the world, knowing the ambition but not knowing, knowing the customs but not knowing the same, are trapped in the present without knowing it. Who is more pedantic than giving? The pedantic feature of this kind of life is that the literature is not vulgar, and the little pedantry is the ear of those who laugh at it; If it is too pedantic, it will make students praise me and offend me, so why not stop Xiao Yu? But if you gave life, what would you say? If pedantry is a good thing, if so, it will suffer; To call it bad is to conform to the world, to go against the ancient times, to be the same as the common customs, and to deviate from the Tao. You are born in no hurry to solve the confusion of people in the room, so you must be able to choose and take it. So I wrote a book to give me a second life and show Su Jun why. Although such pen and ink are not as vertical and horizontal as Han Yu's gift sequence, they are posturing; However, it is also tortuous and full of waves. And the language is natural, without artificial traces, just like Ouyang Xiu. In addition, Ceng Gong's articles are good at narration, which is characterized by coherence and expression. For example, in "Zhao Gong Yuezhou Disaster Relief", it is written that Zhao Gong in Yuezhou "the former people were not hungry and asked the county for books": How many townships were affected? How many people can support themselves? How many people became officials? How many ditches can be built to prevent people from using them? Treasury geometry? How many rich people can raise millet? How many books are there by monks and Taoists? Do the book well, but be careful. Also, Ceng Gong is a writer. Generally speaking, he is good at narrating, but he seldom writes about scenery, such as "Awakening the Heart Pavilion" and "You Shan", and he hardly writes about scenery. However, some articles are also very descriptive, such as "The Road to the Mountain Pavilion", which is an example: when people are in Fujian, they land between two mountains, and the mountains belong to each other without interruption, and the accumulated posts are flat. Small county, big state, but also surrounded by mountains. Its path is either reversed, such as near the edge, or like a cliff, or the side path is hooked out of an unexpected stream. The soil is full of stones and steep hairs. You can choose and take a step. Although the wearer is local, he can enter, but he is not local. Flowing in the stream, the water is from high to low, and the stones are staggered, like a forest, like a gentleman riding a wild horse, thousands of miles up and down, without seeing the beginning and end. Water flows between its gaps, either contracting in balance or spraying sideways in the opposite direction. If it is a worm, if it is a sculpture, it will rotate like a wheel and be as excited as a vector. Those who go with the flow, those who throw convenience, those who lose pride, and those who break the leak. Although he is from Sichuan, he is not a student of water, and he dare not take the boat as his responsibility. Its land and water risks are so. This passage is about the mountains and rivers where Shanting is located. It can be described as exquisite. Compared with Liu Zongyuan's landscape records, each has its own characteristics. From this point of view, although Ceng Gong's essays lack descriptions of scenery, they are not impossible, but inaction. Even if I do, I can make a wonderful situation.
In addition, Ceng Gong has some academic and artistic articles, such as Preface to the Catalogue of Warring States Policies, Notes on Yihuang County Studies, Notes on Mo Chi, etc. Which is more bookish, ancient and modern?
Ceng Gong's article in the History of Song Dynasty: "It is difficult for Ceng Gong to stand between Ouyang Xiu and Wang Anshi, rich but not greasy, simple but not unlucky, and stand out from the crowd." This comment is more in line with the reality of Ceng Gong's article. Xu Jian 'ao summarizes the main features.
Ceng Gong was not famous for his poems before and after his death. But he wrote many poems in his life. And some poems also express thoughts and feelings that words can't see. In the article, Ceng Gong did not mention the shortcomings of the past as Ouyang Xiu did, but he did mention these shortcomings in his poems. For example, the poem "Hu Shi" says: the south millet scales are sent to the north, and the north soldiers are prepared for Hu. When Hu Shi came under the beam, there were no people who bent bows. Depending on the phase, the grand strategy is combined with difficulties. Still begging for poor bones, fighting for food and clothing in the north is gone. The scenery of the Central Plains is eclipsed, and Hu Qi is fat and evil. Kyushu has everything in the world, so why not use the northern corner of Fan Hu?
Such words have never appeared in Ceng Gong's political papers. "Anyone who struggles for food and clothing is defeated by the North" and "Hu riding on the sun is fat and evil" are vivid summaries of the policy of Gouan in the Northern Song Dynasty. Deprive the people of food and clothing and fatten the invading army. This is a very sad thing, and Ceng Gong, a Confucian, cannot but express it here.
Ceng Gong also has a poem "Chasing Rent", in which there is a line: "The sun is burning in Wan Li" and "The grain is withered". If you are hungry, you will be bound to death. "or" every boss is abusive. " This means that people are starving because of drought, and the government has no sympathy. Ceng Gong is here to defend the people. Finally, he said, "Try to leave Wangyi Village, and the haze will shake the ruins." In the face of people's suffering, Ceng Gong is powerless.
Ceng Gong worked as a local official all his life and devoted himself to it. He doesn't seem to complain. I have written several times, all of which focus on serving relatives. But in poetry, sometimes there is a little dissatisfaction. For example, "Dong Xuan Silver is Sitting" says: I worked as an official in the quality department for two years, and I peeped at the castle peak one day. Lubo looked down at his book and seemed to see the shame of an old friend. Thanks to two or three friends, Jim can make wine in an instant. Fishy and salty, wild fruit acid. Who can delete it? Talking about the drama, the breeze gives birth to the dust handle, and the sunset releases the lute. Noble aspirations are gratifying, and self-mockery will not climb up. Sitting in high spirits makes people feel stingy, and the sick body feels that the fairy is still there. Jane Shu Huang Huang rushed to the ground and managed the dusty room in the library. Fame and fortune can't be combined, and the sun and the moon are like reincarnation. Drinking is better than getting tired of it.
Another example is the poem "Human feelings", which covers the mountains face to face. Who can say the heart is white! Tianluge is not a real bachelor, but Yulin House is a false vassal. Poetry and books are lonely, and farmers and fishermen are reluctant to recall the past. In the morning and evening, I will go to the river and the seaside, and I will laugh on the boat.
In these poems, Ceng Gong reveals more true feelings. Ceng Gong is not a poet, but his "whole person" is more reflected in his poems. Generally speaking, Ceng Gong's political performance in his life was not outstanding. The History of Song Dynasty is a legend that Lv Gongzhu tried to tell Gong that politics is not as good as politics, and politics is not as good as literature.