There is an anecdote about the origin of Wang Zeng's name. His father likes reading and cherishes written books, so whenever he sees worn-out written books, he will tidy up his collection, even if it is a few words. One night before Wang Zeng was born, he dreamed that Confucius said to him, "You are so respectful to my book that I will be reincarnated as your son Zeng Shen."
Zeng Shen, one of the most famous disciples of Confucius and one of the representatives of Confucianism, was called "Ceng Zi". He is most famous for his self-cultivation method of "saving my body three times a day" and the story of killing his godson. In 978, after Wang Zeng was born, his father took the name "Zeng", which implied his previous life.
Modesty? Even winning three yuan does not show merit.
When Wang Zeng was 8 years old, his parents died and he was raised by his uncle Wang Zongyuan. He is clever and diligent. He used to learn from his fellow countryman Zhang zhen and made great progress in his studies. He is famous for his poems. At a young age, he ranked first in the solution test and the provincial test. In the fifth year of Xianping (1002), 24-year-old Wang Zeng was awarded the top prize by the emperor in the court examination, which can be said to be "three consecutive championships". After the Biography of the Golden Temple, Wang was made the Governor's House.
When Yang Yi, a famous writer at that time, saw Wang Zeng's Fu, she also praised: "This is the talent who assisted the emperor." However, Wang Zeng wrote in his good news letter to his uncle: "Today I am the first in front of the temple. This is a virtue accumulated in the past. Adults don't have to be happy. "
When champion Wang Zengzhong returned to his hometown, the government sent someone to play musical instruments to meet him outside the city. When Wang Zeng heard this, he quietly changed his clothes, rode a donkey into the city from other gates and went directly to visit the government. The official was surprised because he didn't come to report this person. Wang Zeng replied: "I am very lucky and won the first prize." How dare I disturb adults and fellow villagers to pick me up? " You did this to aggravate my fault, so I went to see you directly without telling the welcome crowd. "The official said admiringly," You are a real champion! "
This shows that Wang Zeng is very modest and human.
Kind gentleman? The whole human flesh and blood.
Shi Zai, during the reign of Emperor Xianping, Wang went to Kyoto to take the Jinshi examination (that is, the rural examination) held by the Ministry of Rites. In a hotel where he stayed on the way, he heard the sad cries of his mother and daughter nearby. Then he asked the shopkeeper and learned that they owed 40 thousand official debts, and they were unable to repay them at the moment, so they had to sell their daughter to a businessman. Mother and daughter are about to leave, their future is uncertain, and they are crying.
Wang Zeng was sympathetic and said to his mother, "Your daughter can sell it to me. After I change careers, I may go everywhere, and your mother and daughter will have the opportunity to meet. " He immediately took out the money and asked her to return it to the businessman, and promised to marry him three days later.
After three days, the mother and daughter didn't see the king come to propose marriage, so they went to the hotel to inquire. The shopkeeper told them that Wang Zeng had left. Only then did the mother and daughter know that they had met a kind-hearted gentleman.
Loyalty and righteousness assisted two generations of emperors? Be hailed as a wise man
After serving as the chief inspector, Wang Zeng was promoted to judge in Jeju, but was soon recalled to Beijing. Kou Zhun, then prime minister, appreciated his talent and appointed him as the judge of the Secretary Province, the History Museum and the Third Department.
In the first year of Jingdezhen (1004), after Song and Liao signed Yuan Meng, Zhenzong sent a special envoy to Liao, whose credentials called Liao the Northern Dynasty and Song called itself the Southern Dynasty. Wang Zeng wrote that "it is enough to call the name of the Khitan", but there is no way to change it, because the emissary has already set out.
After this incident, Wang Zeng was transferred to the right Yan Zheng. Knowing the imperial edict and compiling it in the history museum, he could directly advise the emperor. At that time, all kinds of auspicious things came from all over the country, and Zhenzong asked Wang Zeng's opinion. Wang once said: "This is caused by the peace of the country. I hope your majesty will not be conceited, or if there is a disaster in the future, everyone will inevitably talk about it. "
But Zhenzong didn't take Wang Zeng's words to heart. On the contrary, because he accepted life, he built the Jade Qing Zhao Ying Palace. Fate, the symbol of ancient emperors' fate, was believed by the ancients to be a blessing from heaven, which gave him evidence of governing the country. Many ministers were afraid to protest against the move of Zhenzong, but Wang Zeng was Chen's five evils, hoping to stop the construction of Qing Yu Palace.
True Sect didn't punish Wang Zeng, although there was no coachable. Instead, he was appointed as a doctor, in charge of Dali Temple according to the old practice, and told him: "Prison is an important system of the country, and now you will be wronged in this position." Zhenzong also gave him three hundred and two thousand pieces of silver, so the king once asked the emperor to allow him to recruit aides and make them into law.
Wang Zeng's loyalty also won the respect of Zhenzong. After he was promoted to a bachelor's degree in Hanlin, Zhenzong summoned Wang Zeng in Cheng Ming Hall in the evening and had a long talk with him. When the minister of true sects saw Wang Zeng, he said, "I am anxious to see you, so I don't have time to change my royal clothes to see Ai Qing. Please don't think that I am not good to you. "
Later, Wang Zeng took charge of the trial court. From the early Song Dynasty to Zongshen period, the criminal court was responsible for examining the cases decided by Dali Temple, and then reported them to Zhongshu Province for the emperor's decision, which was higher than Dali Temple and the Ministry of Punishment. According to the previous regulations, anyone who violates the book-making (referring to the emperor's orders), whether intentionally or negligently, will be sentenced to two years of hard labor. Wang Zeng demanded that such punishment could only be imposed if the emperor personally wrote a letter.
After a period of time, someone made books in violation of regulations, and Wang Zeng punished them as faults. Zhenzong asked inexplicably, "According to Qing, there won't be anyone who violates the book order." The king once said: "the world is big, and everyone knows the imperial edict." If, as your majesty said, there will be no more people who make mistakes. " Zhenzong immediately understood Wang Zeng's intention and followed his advice.
In September of the first year of Tianxi (10 17), Wang was removed from the post of assistant minister of Shangshu and was sentenced to the secretariat of the capital because of being excluded and framed by Prime Minister Wang Qinruo. He left Beijing the following year to work in Yingtianfu (now Shangqiu South, Henan Province). Later, he was transferred to Tianxiong Military Town (now northwest of Daming, Hebei Province). In August of Tianxi four years (1020), he was reinstated as the assistant minister of the official department and the prince was the guest.
1022, Zhenzong was seriously ill, the prince (later) was young, and the court affairs were decided by Queen Liu. In order to appease both inside and outside the imperial court, Wang Zeng quietly suggested to his consorts that he should be kind to the prince and stabilize him, thus reassuring Queen Liu. Queen Liu listened to this suggestion.
After the death of Zhenzong, Wang was ordered to enter the temple to draft a will, which read: "The queen assists the crown prince and has the right (as an agent) to spy on military affairs." Ding Wei, the prime minister of the Song Dynasty, asked him to remove the word "right", but Wang Zeng strongly disagreed. He thinks that it is unfortunate for the country that the emperor is young and the queen mother is in the DPRK. Using "power" shows that the queen mother is only acting as an agent of state affairs, and arbitrary increase or decrease will lead to turmoil in the court. At his insistence, the word "right" has never been removed.
After Injong acceded to the throne, Wang Zeng moved to the Ministry of Rites. At that time, officials discussed the etiquette of Queen Liu's coming to North Korea. Wang once suggested adopting the old practice of the Eastern Han Dynasty, that is, the Empress Dowager sat on the right hand side of the emperor and raised the curtain, but the Song Dynasty only asked the emperor to meet the minister on the first and fifteenth days of each month. Usually, the empress dowager cixi summoned the assistant minister to decide the major issues, and the minor issues were handed over to the emperor and empress dowager cixi Lei Yungong, a powerful eunuch. There is no doubt that Ding Wei wants to monopolize the power of the Song Dynasty imperial court.
Wang Zeng objected to this, thinking that power belonged to eunuchs, which would be the beginning of disaster, but Ding Wei didn't listen. Soon, Lei Yungong was executed for "moving the tomb" and Ding Wei was found guilty in the Song Dynasty. From then on, the two palaces hung curtains, and the auxiliary ministers played the proceedings according to Wang Zeng's suggestion. Shortly after the death of Zhenzong, Ding Wei was found guilty and there was chaos inside and outside the court. Wang Yidu became an important minister inside and outside the imperial court. According to historical records, he was "seriously dominant and relied on by the imperial court", so he was worshipped as an assistant minister of Zhongshu, a general of Zhongshu (that is, an official position at the level of prime minister), a university student in Jixian Hall, and an effective official.
Wang Zeng is rigorous and prudent. Every time he goes to the court to see Renzong and state the gains and losses of things, he is meticulous and to the point. He also selected people with moral character to be appointed. The imperial court promoted many people on his recommendation, but no one knew that he recommended them. Minister Fan Zhongyan said to him: "It is the duty of the Prime Minister to openly appoint sages and celebrities. You are highly respected, but you lack this. " Wang once replied: "As a ruling minister, he kept all the rewards and awards for himself. Who does the resentment belong to? " Fan Zhongyan was amazed, and people called him Xian Xiang. He also particularly dislikes people who are blessed by luck. He suggested that Renzong curb profiteers and praise those who do things in a down-to-earth manner.
Later, due to disagreement with Liu's political views, Wang was exiled to Qingzhou, and later served as our garrison ambassador. Under his rule, the Khitan messengers came and went, all restrained their actions and dared not make any noise. The people praised his achievements, painted his portrait and set up a shrine to commemorate him.
1033, Empress Liu collapsed and Renzong was in charge. Worship the king and sentence him to Henan Province (now Luoyang, Henan Province). The following year, Wang Ren became an envoy and minister of the Tang Dynasty. 1035 Worship the right servant, serve as assistant minister, be a scholar in Jixian Hall, and be released by lord protector.
Wang Zengduan is honest and steady, with picturesque eyes. When I was in the imperial court, I was polite and taciturn, and others were afraid to ask for help in personal matters.
Predicting death? Renzong Qin Zhuan Jingxian Monument
/kloc-in the winter of 0/038, a big star fell in Wang Zeng's residence, and his attendants told him this in horror. Wang once said, "We will know the result in a month." A month later, Wang died of illness at the age of 6 1. Injong withdrew from the imperial court for two days, and posthumous title "Zheng Wen".
Later, when Emperor You was in power, Renzong personally inscribed his monument as "the monument to respect the sages" and later changed his hometown to "the hometown of respect the sages". It was from Wang Zeng that the minister got the inscription written by the emperor. After Injong's death, the one he chose will be named the ancestral hall, with Wang Zeng ranking first.
Fu Bi, another saint in the Northern Song Dynasty after Wang Zeng, commented: "The public nature is extraordinary, learning is supplemented, and what you do will be extremely sincere. Where you are an official, the rate will be very kind, and you will lose nothing in your life. You will be sincere and solemn ... in a big position, you will not plant private favors, but will diligently promote people. If you don't know for life, or you will be grateful, you will definitely refuse, but you will not report to your relatives, but to those who are interested.
References:
Song Shi? Sixty-ninth biography "
Historical induction series
Outside the record of blowing swords.
Wan Yan Ji on the tablet of famous officials
Reading opens up wisdom and shares accumulated merits!