1Imagine: When you travel to the Ming Dynasty and are about to be sentenced to death by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, how can you save yourself in one sentence? No need to say anything, just shout: "Your Majesty, my surname is Fan, Fan Zhongyan is my ancestor." Zhu Yuanzhang will be exe

1

Imagine:

When you travel to Ming Dynasty , you will be sentenced to death by the emperor Zhu Yuanzhang , how do you save yourself in one sentence?

No need to say anything, just shout:

"Your Majesty, my surname is Fan, Fan Zhongyan is my ancestor."

Zhu Yuanzhang will forgive you for your death penalty.

This is not a joke in later generations, but a real historical event.

It is said that Fan Wencong, the twelfth generation grandson of Fan Zhongyan, served in the Ming Dynasty. He was upright and dared to give advice. Once, he even scolded Zhu Yuanzhang in person. Zhu Yuanzhang was furious and wanted to execute Fan Wencong.

After announcing the execution of Fan Wencong, Zhu Yuanzhang interrogated Fan Wencong and asked him, "Fan Wencong, where are you from?"

Fan Wencong was not afraid of the majesty of the emperor, nor was he afraid of going to die. Instead, he replied in a humble and arrogant manner: "The criminal Suzhou people."

"Are you from Suzhou? What is your relationship with Fan Zhongyan's family in Suzhou?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked again.

"Mr. Fan Wenzheng is the ancestor of me, and I am his twelfth generation grandson." Fan Wen never knew why the emperor asked this and answered honestly.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly picked up his pen and wrote down "Worry about the world before worrying, and then enjoying the world after joy." fourteen big words, then helped Fan Wencong up and handed these fourteen words to Fan Wencong.

and said to Fan Wencong: "Since you are the descendants of Fan Zhongyan, for the sake of your ancestors, I will spare you from death, and I will give you and your descendants the permission to avoid death five times."

Fan Wencong would never have imagined that as a twelfth generation grandson, he would be exempted from death after hundreds of years of dynasty change.

Not to mention the hundreds of years of dynasty change, even in the world a thousand years away, Fan Zhongyan was also admired and admired by the world.

Later generations see Fan Zhongyan's writing and writing writing, and martial arts can make peace and stability in the world. He can be said to be a dragon and phoenix among people.

But in fact, his life was full of suffering and hardships, but he had hills and valleys in his heart and was as firm as a stone to bloom in suffering.

Planted fruits from hardships, and made a generation of Fan Wenzhenggong successful.

2

In ancient times, men performed crown tribute for twenty years, which was a ceremony for adulthood.

, and Fan Zhongyan’s 20-year-old adult ceremony is still special.

lived to be 20 years old, and someone told him: you don’t call him Zhu Shuo (yuè), your name is Fan Zhongyan, you were my mother remarried and brought to our Zhu family.

In the vast world, a 20-year-old man with no body, his blood relatives and clans do not recognize you, and the Zhu family, who has raised you with kindness, no longer tolerate you, and there is only a miserable mother who lost her husband and you will be remarried by you at the age of two.

There is nothing to chase after, and there is no way to go.

If you are 20 years old, you are facing such a huge change in your life, what would you do?

0-year-old Fan Zhongyan showed us his answer sheet.

He was grateful to Zhu's father for raising him, but he was unwilling to be parasitized by others. He resolutely said goodbye to his mother and Zhu's father to study at Yingtian Academy in Shangqiu, Henan, and vowed to open up a new world for his mother and himself.

Yingtian Academy

Yingtian Academy is the first of the Northern Song Dynasty academies. It not only has a rich collection of books, but also has famous teachers to guide students' homework, but also does not charge students' tuition fees. This is a good opportunity for Fan Zhongyan, who is in a dilemma.

In Yingtian Academy, Fan Zhongyan studied hard day and night, used all the time he could use, slept very short and ate very little.

When you are tired, water your face with cold water. When you are hungry, you eat pillows. After five years of untied clothes, you can get a pillow. You can study hard and be extremely capable.

Classmates and friends saw that Fan Zhongyan was so thrifty, so they brought a table of fish and meat food to invite Fan Zhongyan to taste, but Fan Zhongyan did not take a bite to the delicious food.

classmate questioned him angrily, and Fan Zhongyan replied:

"Thank you for your goodness, but I am used to eating porridge. If I eat these delicious dishes, I will not be able to adapt to the hard life. You should take it back."

This is Fan Zhongyan, who is in a poor state but has great ambitions, is willing to live in poverty, study hard, and can stick to his original aspirations in the face of the temptation of pleasure and not change his ambitions.

When he was a teenager, Fan Zhongyan not only rejected the temptation of pleasure, but also gave up the opportunity to see the emperor's face.

Emperor Zhenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty paraded to Yingtian Prefecture. There were thousands of people everywhere. The local people and the students of the academy all went to the street to watch the emperor parade. Only Fan Zhongyan was unmoved and still studied hard in the academy.

Classmate asked Fan Zhongyan why he didn't watch the emperor parade. Fan Zhongyan replied, "It's not too late to see the emperor again in the future."

This is Fan Zhongyan. He still does not change his ambition in the face of great temptation. When the world is obsessed with the world of flowers, he still walks alone on the single-plank bridge he chooses with his original intention of youth.

Fortunately, people and heaven have lived up to their hard work. After studying hard for many years, at the age of 26, Fan Zhongyan succeeded in the first grade of the rank of the rank of Jinshi and became the first place in , and started his career that belonged to him, Fan Wenzheng.

He also fulfilled his oath of "It's not too late to see the emperor again in the future."

3

The bitterness is over and the success of the world is unparalleled.

We thought Fan Zhongyan from the imperial examination school must have been promoted and made a fortune to the peak of his life from then on.

But suffering did not stay away from him.

Because the young man Fan Zhongyan was not recognized by Fan, he still could not return to his real name when taking the imperial examination. He could only use Zhu to say that a high school imperial examination was.

Fan Zhongyan from high school wanted to regain his ancestors, but he was still rejected.

It was the dark era of the Northern Song Dynasty officialdom. Because there was no support from high-ranking officials, Fan Zhongyan, who was full of talent, was awarded the title of a rankless minor official in charge of prison lawsuits in Guangde County, Anhui Province.

Faced with the abandonment of the family and the injustice in the officialdom, Fan Zhongyan was not defeated.

Instead, he was upright and worked hard, and took on the responsibility of his stepfather Zhu family. He brought his mother, who had been miserable for half his life, to take care of him, and sent all his younger brothers to the academy to study. At that time, Fan Zhongyan's stepfather Zhu Wenhan had passed away.

Although Fan Zhongyan first entered the official career, he handled the case fairly and uprightly. Even when he had a dispute with his boss because of his official Weibo account, he was able to stick to his original aspirations, forming a clear and clear scene of the lawsuits in Guangde County Criminal Prison.

Fan Zhongyan first arrived in Guangde County and found that the cultural education here was backward. So he paid out of his own pocket to hire famous scholars, opened a college to teach, and promoted reading, which made Guangde County's literary style gradually flourish, and there was no Jinshi to many Jinshi.

Later, Fan Zhongyan was transferred to the position of the salt warehouse supervisor in Dongtai County, Jiangsu Province, responsible for supervising the storage, transportation, taxation, monopoly and other work of Huaiyan . He was originally a small official of low-level rank, and he just needed to do his part-time work, but Fan Zhongyan was worried about the whole world.

Shortly after taking office, Fan Zhongyan discovered that the seawall was in disrepair. Every time the tide came, the salt farms, farmlands, and houses were flooded by sea water, and the people were displaced and even killed or injured countless people.

So Fan Zhongyan wrote letters many times to request the construction of the sea wall, and resolutely took on this important task that benefited the country and the people.

The seawall construction will face the risk of being swallowed by the tide at any time, but Fan Zhongyan went to the danger instead. He personally surveyed the coast and led the migrant workers to work. In the end, the seawall was rebuilt successfully.

After rain, snow, hail, scorching heat, cold and winter, and even the tide of life that swallowed people's lives many times, the seawall was finally built, and the farmers and salt people by the seawall finally resumed production. The people who had gone out to avoid disasters could also return to their homes and return to a peaceful life.

In order to thank Fan Zhongyan for helping him restore his home and peaceful life, local people all called the seawall " Fan Gongdi ", and some disaster victims even changed their surname to Fan and set up the temple of immortality for Fan Zhongyan.

As a son, Fan Zhongyan took care of his mother and cared for his younger brother. As a minister, Fan Zhongyan did not change his ambitions in the world, and defended his homeland for the people, opened up a place to learn and cultivate talents.

This is Fan Zhongyan, the world kisses me with pain, but I respond with songs.

4

Imagine:

You have been a weak scholar for most of your life. You have never been to the border and have never participated in a war. But you were suddenly ordered to lead your troops to resist the invasion of foreign tribes who eat raw meat and drink blood. What would you do?

Will the fear of death and the fear of war occupy your heart?

Fan Zhongyan, who was over 50 years old, faces such a difficult task that has never happened before.

But he gave a satisfactory answer to the world, descendants, and north as a literati.

In 1038 AD, the leader of the Dangxiang clan, Li Yuanhao, announced his separation from the Song Dynasty and established the Western Xia Kingdom. Since then, wars have continued to occur on the northwest border of the Northern Song Dynasty. Although the Song army actively resisted, it still could not resist the strong troops and horses of the Western Xia, and retreated step by step.

At this time of crisis in the court, Fan Zhongyan's admirers and his political enemies all recommended that Fan Zhongyan lead his troops to resist the Western Xia.

There are those who have high expectations for Fan Zhongyan in the entire Song Dynasty, and there are those who hope that he will die in the battlefield due to the villain.

When receiving the imperial decree, Fan Zhongyan did not hesitate at all and resolutely led his troops to the border to resist Xixia.

The border is desolate, life is bitter and cold, the Western Xia is cruel, the Song army is defeated step by step, and the entire Song army is in a state of depression.

Fan Zhongyan, who had just arrived at the border, was also defeated.

Fan Zhongyan was heartbroken by the sacrifice of the soldiers, saddened the failure of the war, and missed the distant hometown. So in the bleak autumn when it was unable to reunite with his family, Fan Zhongyan wrote the famous " Fisherman's Pride·Autumn Thoughts ".

The scenery is different when autumn comes, Hengyang Geese are gone without notice.

slants are heard from the corners,

Thousands of mountains, Long smoke sets sunsets and lonely city is closed .

A cup of turbid wine, and the house is thousands of miles away. Yanran has no choice but to return.

Qiantuo is covered with frost,

people are not asleep, and the general's white hair fights for tears.

Fan Zhongyan, who was defeated when he first led his troops, was not depressed, nor did he ignore the dangers of the country, who were afraid of life and death.

Instead, he became more and more courageous, learned his lessons and carried out a series of reforms to the border army.

He first stabilized the border defense, built cities and multiple military fortresses, and formed a solid line of defense on the border to curb the invasion of the Xixia army.

At the same time, they recruit victims, refugees and ethnic minority victims to return to their homes to recuperate, and adopted a solicitation policy for the border Qiang people and signed a treaty with them to separate the Qiang people from the Western Xia and serve the Song Dynasty.

Fang Zhongyan actively reformed the army and actively promoted generals such as Di Qing , Guo Kui , Zhang Kang , etc., who were brave and good at fighting and good at military strategy. Di Qing later became the first general in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Under Fan Zhongyan's multiple reforms, the Northern Song army changed its decline, the military and civilians worked together, and finally defeated Xixia, making Xixia surrender to the Great Song .

Even the Xixia army that was defeated in Fan Zhongyan had to sigh at Fan Zhongyan's outstanding military talent. They sighed: "Xiao Fan I have tens of thousands of soldiers in my belly."

This is Fan Zhongyan. In the face of family and country dangers, he was brave enough to take responsibility, and he became more and more courageous. He knew that he could not do it, and even if he could do it, I would go there.

As a civil servant, he can lead troops to fight on the battlefield, and with the power of a scholar, he can repel foreign invasions and defend his country.

5

The great victory on the border battlefield made Fan Zhongyan finally reused the Northern Song Dynasty Renzong emperor.

With the approval of the emperor and recommended by all officials, Fan Zhongyan was promoted to political magistrate and appointed as deputy prime minister. His political ambitions finally had the opportunity to be implemented.

The vigorous Qingli New Policy has kicked off here.

Fan Zhongyan proposed ten new policies to Emperor Renzong:

"Open promotion and demotion, suppress luck, improve tribute and selection, select superiors, equal public land, strengthen agriculture and sericulture, cultivate military preparations, reduce labor service, promote favoritism, and emphasize orders."

The contents of these new policies benefit the people and the Northern Song Dynasty, but they are aimed at the officials in the court, so all these vested interests oppose the new policies and even slander Fan Zhongyan for forming a party for personal gain.

In the end, the Qingli New Policy, which could change the decline of the Northern Song Dynasty, ended in failure under the siege of vested interests in the Northern Song Dynasty officialdom, and Fan Zhongyan was also exiled from the capital.

Qingli For the sixth year, when Fan Zhongyan was the mayor of Dengzhou, Henan, he received a letter from his soulmate and political alliance Teng Zijing.

Teng Zijing was exiled to Yueyang . After rebuilding Yueyang Tower , he wanted to ask his friend Fan Zhongyan to write a fu engraved in Yueyang Tower, and attached a picture of "Dongting Late Autumn Picture".

Although Fan Zhongyan did not visit Yueyang Tower in person, he wrote the famous work " Yueyang Tower Notes " based on "Dongting Late Autumn Picture".

The famous quotes that have been passed down to this day have inspired generations of pioneers for their country and people.

That is:

Do not be happy with things, do not be sad with yourself, live in the high temple, worry about the people, and stay in the far away of the rivers and lakes, worry about the king.

is worrying about progress and worrying about retreating. But when will you be happy?

It must say: worry about the world first, and worry about the world first.

In fact, this passage is the best interpretation of Fan Zhongyan’s life.

In the midst of suffering, he was not frustrated and depressed, and when he was able to display his ambitions, he did not show off his proudly.

When he was in the temple and was valued by the court, he did not forget to worry about the people. When he was exiled and far away from the court, he did not forget to worry about the court.

All his joys, sorrows and happiness are not transferred by personal gains and losses, but are all based on the rise and fall of the world.

Fan Zhongyan's life, born in a poor family, became a noble son, and a scholar was a scholar who had 100,000 soldiers.

As an orphan in poor families, he was abandoned by his clan. However, he was unable to be defeated by hardships. Instead, he studied hard and finally passed the imperial examination.

As a rankless official, he was not very careful in his words, but he was depressed by his incompetence. Instead, he handled cases with integrity and set up colleges, and even rebuilt the seawall to save the people from water and fire.

As a scholar, he has gray hair, but he is not afraid of death. Instead, he shoulders heavy responsibilities and can lead the Song army to expel foreign invasions and protect his family and country.

As the prime minister of the dynasty, he failed in the reform and was exiled. However, he did not blame the world and was in a depressed state. Instead, he spread the eternal masterpiece of "not being happy with things or being sad with oneself, being at a high place in the temple, worrying about the people, and being far away in the rivers and lakes."

Fan Zhongyan's life was the most gorgeous flowers blooming in the most difficult situation.

Fan Zhongyan's life was all about building roads across mountains and building bridges through water.

Fan Zhongyan's life was created in an absolutely impossible desperate situation.

If you feel that life is difficult now, then read Fan Zhongyan.

Source: WeChat public account: Franklin Reading Club

Author: Qingxing

Editor: Hang Yifan

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