Section 1 Life and Politics
Ceng Gong (10 19- 1083) was born in Nanfeng (now Jiangxi) of Jianchang Army. After living in Linchuan (now Fuzhou West, Jiangxi). Claiming to be a "Confucian of family background" (1), his great-grandfather Li Guanshui Yuan Wailang, his grandfather Shangshu Hubu Langzhong, and his father Taichang. The History of Song Dynasty called Ceng Gong "alert" when he was young, and "read hundreds of words and blurt them out". At the age of twelve, I was able to write and speak amazing languages. However, according to his claim, when he was young, he studied from his husband, "so that he could play with his family and boys." When he was sixteen or seventeen, he learned about his hobbies and studied hard. At the age of 20, "Ouyang Xiu saw his literary curiosity" (5) About this time, he wrote to Ouyang Xiu, "presenting two essays on current politics and strategy". In the letter, while praising Ouyang Xiu's moral articles, he expressed his personal loyalty: "Gong Zicheng is a child, famous for his deacon's name, and he is long. He can recite the deacon's articles by heart, see their roots, put aside good and evil, fool modern people, and be profound and gentle, which is consistent with the book of Meng's official department." ..... and smell the deacon's behavior, regardless of the customs, outstanding as a teaching assistant. ..... believe in what you can say and what you can do, whether it is virtue or words. "Han stepped back, stick to the way of saints, and stick to the door of deacons." Ceng Gong was still a teenager at that time, but it was not easy to have such a view. Although what he said is incomplete, it is generally in line with reality. He also said: "Gong is unpretentious and comes from a Confucian family. I don't want to work for him. Since childhood, I have worked hard in writing, and my inner income is extraordinary. ..... Only a few people are close to the layman, and the door of the public or the noble is unknown, and there is no car to judge it. Holding the Tao without saying anything, my heart is often resentful and I can't wait to send it. " Now, if you dare to enter the deacon's door because you are good to the deacon, Gong knows that the hall of sages can also be divided into 1000 cases. This passage is to express oneself as a person. It's really unusual to have such a mind that you don't agree with the secular, hold the Tao and be self-controlled. Ouyang Xiu attaches great importance to such figures. Therefore, after Ceng Gong wrote the letter, Ouyang Xiu had received his letter. According to Ceng Gong's "Bachelor Ouyang Er Shu", after seeing him, Ouyang Xiu once said to him: "There are hundreds of people passing by our door, and they are happy to live alone." Moreover, when Ceng Gong bid farewell to Ouyang Xiu, Ouyang Xiu also wrote "Preface to Send a Scholar to Ceng Gong", in which he wrote: "Wen Guang was born in Nanfeng, went to imperial academy, joined the company with other students, and the company gathered talents and managed the scale, so it almost became a method to test the losers and abandon them. ..... But Zeng Sheng didn't advance together, and he was innocent, so he told me, thought about his studies extensively, and stuck to it. At first, he was afraid of his writing and strengthened his ambition ... Zeng Sheng came to the capital with hundreds of thousands of words. The people in the capital didn't ask Zeng Sheng, and Zeng Sheng didn't do it. Dare to survive, but care about life shame, is that the people in the capital do not ask for it themselves, but lose their points and get the rest. " Speaking of his work, he can see it in the text, so that those who know that they are alive can hang it in the department, and those who congratulate Yu Can can get it. "This preface was written in the second year of Li Qing (1042). At this time, although Ceng Gong saw that he had given up the company, he was appreciated by Ouyang Xiu.
During this period, Ceng Gong also met Wang Anshi and recommended him to Ouyang Xiu. In "Re-writing with Mr. Ouyang Sheren", he said: "Gong Qinggai talks about Wang Anshi's prose, saying that Wang Anshi is a friend of Gong, and his prose is very ancient. Although it has obtained a scientific name, few people know Anshi today. He is sincere and self-respecting and doesn't want to know others, but such people are rare in ancient and modern times. Today's urgency, although no ordinary people, is harmless. " If you take care of yourself like an angel, you must not lose it. "This is a review of the words in the previous letter, which shows that Ceng Gong once attached great importance to Wang Anshi. In this letter, he not only recommended Wang Anshi, but also mentioned Wang Hui and Wang Xiang and recommended them to Ouyang Xiu.
Later, he said in "The First Book with the King": "Gong went to Jinling, crossed the river from Xuanhua to Chu, and lived for 20 days ... Ou Gong learned the first step, loved to sigh, loved to write, and was very diligent. This is shown by Wang Hui and Wang, and also by books: this man's words are amazing, and there is nothing in the world. ..... males are eager to see the first step. Can you make a plan? " From this point of view, during this period, Ceng Gong and Ouyang Xiu had close contacts.
Ouyang Xiujiangong, Ceng Gong was a scholar in the second year of Jiayou (1057). Before that, he not only met Ouyang Xiu and made friends with Wang Anshi, but also wrote letters to Du Yan, Fan Zhongyan and other important figures of his time, contributing articles, discussing current politics and stating his attitude towards life. However, these letters written by Ceng Gong are different from ordinary "paying respects". They are not asking for recommendations. For example, in Duchamp's "xianggong book", he said: "Today, I passed by your door, and you came home. It is not the day when those who make fame and fortune will leave, so I dare to tell you why. I made up a series of essays, thinking that I would pay homage." If you give me a look, I will get what I want. "This letter was probably written in the fifth year of the Qing Dynasty (1045) after Du Yan and Fan Zhongyan were dismissed. Ceng Gong's writing at this time just shows his personal political attitude. He is politically consistent with Du Yan and Fan Zhongyan and never follows the trend.
Ceng Gong was transferred to Taipingfu (now Dangtu, Anhui Province) to join the army. He was also called to edit and collate books in the history museum, move the museum to collate them, and gather together to collate them, making a collation record.
During this period, Ceng Gong did a lot of sorting work on books of past dynasties. There are many discussions about the gathering and dispersion of books and their academic origins in the past dynasties, and there are also some descriptions, such as the preface to the new preface, the preface to the biography of women, the preface to the catalogue of the Warring States Policy, and Liang Shu, Chen Shu and the book of Nanqi, all of which have "descriptions".
Although Ceng Gong admired Ouyang Xiu, his academic views were different from those of Ouyang Xiu. For example, in Xue Ji in Yunzhou, he said, "When the cycle is repeated, the trace of the former king disappears. By the Han Dynasty, the Six Arts started from the Qin Fire, and a hundred scholars contended. Moral people are noble, leaving the world behind, and political people are humble, not ancient. The art of a famous military strategist is based on violence and deception, but those who know the classics are good and argue for the study of exegetics is based on their private opinions (there is a word "speculation" under the book), so Wang Zhidao is unknown first, and scholars are addicted to what they have learned. " It's just that Yang Xiong's family may be the first to know about Wang Zhidao. "He praised Yang Xiong so much, which is similar to Han Yu, but completely opposite to Ouyang Xiu.
In addition, Ceng Gong also has a book "A Comment on Wang Shenfu", which defended Yang Xiong's submission to Wang Mang and his work "The Play of Qin Meixin", and quoted Wang Anshi's point of view that "the official position of a hero is suitable for Confucius" and "the person who voted for the cabinet is also mistaken" and so on. Ceng Gong's concept of Yang Xiong involves both political and academic aspects. Yang Xiong's political attitude and academic achievements had an impact on Ceng Gong.
Ceng Gong left the pavilion and worked as a local official for more than ten years. At the beginning, he was sentenced to Yuezhou (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province), then to qi zhou (now Jinan, Shandong Province), and then to Xiangzhou, Hongzhou and Fuzhou. History claims that Ceng Gong has made achievements in these states, mainly in "famine relief" and "anti-piracy", while the latter is not a real political achievement.
When moving to Hongzhou, a poem "Moving to Jiangxi to Send Pan Jietui" said: "Recalling Jiangxi's separation, I am bent five times. In the past 18 years, the north and the south have confronted each other and pitched like a candle. " At this point, he seems to be tired of migration. Since then, he has repeatedly said that he is unwilling to go to a distant place to raise his relatives.
Before going to Fuzhou, Ceng Gong had a book, The Story of Fuzhou from Longtuge. After arriving in Fuzhou, there was a Fuzhou Ruling, which read: "It has been ten years since I moved from five counties, but I never dared to say a word to ask for a post in the state and return to the court." The gong is in his own place because he has been listening for a long time. Today, with his petty heart, those who dare to spread it to the next deacon sincerely regard Gong as sixty years, his mother as eight in eighty years, and my mother eats in the capital, while Gong Shoumin says, loyal brother says, two days, far away, all of which make it impossible for those who have an official in these two counties to live together as far away officials. ..... On this basis, he demanded that "either temporarily return to the throne, or add a leisure Cao, or introduce a county to make it harmonious, so as to raise people's hearts and comfort their mother". "In addition to this book, there is also" Fuzhou begging for a reprieve in Beijing or a county near Beijing ",which is also a relative who asked the court to take care of him. Probably because of his repeated applications, the court once ordered "calling Taichang Temple to judge"; However, when he left his job and went on the road, he changed his mind and went to Mingzhou. To this end, he also wrote a "post of moving to Beijing to meet the stone in Mingzhou", hoping that the court would allow him to "meet the mother of the stone in the capital temporarily". But I couldn't do it, so I moved to Bozhou and continued to apply. He said in "Moving to Bozhou and Begging to Return to Beijing to Meet Waiters": "I was ordered to Fuzhou yesterday, and I have been far away, so I can't meet waiters. Is my mother is ill now, see the capital, the friendship of the son of man, love day and night, hard to stop. It is urgent to distinguish between the two. ..... Only begging to move to the county where Cai Chen is located, Xu Chen temporarily went to Beijing to meet his mother. ..... Today I was lucky that Chao Grace moved to Bozhou according to my request. Besides, Bozhou is not far from Beijing, and he wants to ask Xu Chen to go to Beijing to meet his mother temporarily. "In the third year of Yuanfeng (1080), Ceng Gong got the story of Cangzhou again. There is a saying in" Cangzhou Begging for the DPRK ":"I left work for twelve years, and I was ordered by your majesty to be a civil servant on the same day ... and I have never been able to look straight at the light for a moment, and I can't slap myself. I am willing to be a virtuous person. "Today, he will come to the capital. He expects your kindness, and Xu Chen will appear in front of him. So Zongshen summoned Ceng Gong. After being summoned, he asked for a petition on the right, saying that he was "afraid to be on the right" when summoned, but he "retired and meditated" and still hoped to "go to the temple to play" in order to "hide his heart" and "keep the sun in his heart". Since then, Ceng Gong has been staying in the capital "Third Hospital of Activity Class".
In the fourth year of Yuanfeng (108 1), an imperial edict said: "Ceng Gong's historiography is regarded as a scholar, and it is appropriate to study the history of the Five Dynasties." So he "thought that the history museum was compiled, the management was hooked, and the Taichang Temple was awarded a ceremony." The history books say that "in the modern history of the country, the people must choose the scribes, the ministers must supervise the general affairs, and there are no people who paid for the five dynasties ceremonies alone", so Ceng Gong declined politely and said, "This is a great event that I dare not do." And there is a "Shen Zhongshu begging for details", which shows humility.
In the fifth year of Yuanfeng (1082), in April, he paid homage to Mr. Scheeren in Zhongshu. At this time, Ceng Gong also wrote "The Book in the Speech", stating that he "has lost his teeth and brain" and hoped to choose another talent. There is also a book, A Letter to Mr. Scheeren, a self-generated form of Liu Ban, which shows his resignation. But in September this year, Ceng Gong was killed by his mother, so he was fired.
In the sixth year of Yuanfeng (1083), Ceng Gong died in jiangning house (now Nanjing, Jiangsu) at the age of 65. His works include Yuan Feng's manuscripts, etc.
Throughout Ceng Gong's life, he has been a county magistrate for more than ten years, but he doesn't have much time to be an official in the capital. Judging from some of his political essays, such as On the Book of Tang Dynasty, Biography of Wei Zhenggong, Xi Ning Zhuan Shu, Calling a Judge from Fuzhou to Zhazi in Taichang Temple, and Moving Cangzhou to Guoque to Zhazi in Temple, there is no outstanding political viewpoint. Its main point of view is to summarize the three generations of systems and praise the rule of chastity in the late Zhou Dynasty and the early Tang Dynasty, but there are not many suggestions on politics in the Song Dynasty, which is different from Fan and European princes. He praised the present situation of the Song Dynasty in his book "Moving Cangzhou to Inner Court". He said:
Gaiyuan Mo Yi was born in three generations, and recently Mo was born in Han and Tang Dynasties. However, in four or three years, or one or two years, the changes in the world are invincible. If the Six Saints of the Five Dynasties and more than 20 years, they are already familiar with most cities. As for the vicissitudes of life, my heart is not afraid of discoloration, and my eyes and ears are helpless. Therefore, the minister said: the people are born by themselves, and there is no prosperity in the Great Song Dynasty.
Say it again:
Today, your majesty is based on his ancestors and only wants peace, but the public security in the world is not as good as that of three generations, so from Song Xing, the heyday is today.
Obviously, Ceng Gong was not only dissatisfied with the politics at that time, but also admired it. Of course, he never put forward any reform suggestions.
Prior to this, in the second year of Xining (1069), Wang Anshi participated in politics and promoted the new law. At that time, Ceng Gong was out of Yuezhou and moved to six counties for twelve years. No specific comments were made on the new law in Xining. Only in the poem "After a brief introduction, I have just returned to my life", I said: "Heart-to-heart means no suspicion, supplemented by advice, and criticism is straightforward, but there are many things to say." The knower still exists, who can say? "From this perspective, there may have been differences of opinion between the two people in the past. In addition, his "The Second Book with Fu Jie" also said: "Compared with insulting books, it means that there are minor cases from time to time, but the crime of libel has been lost. The first step is not surprising. " He also said, "when you are angry, you really have to call it, so you say, no wonder you are so angry." Although, is this caused by him? Just think about it, don't judge it. "From this point of view, there are political differences between them.
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. This may have some basis.
Section 2 Literary Achievements
Ceng Gong was one of the eight masters in Tang and Song Dynasties. His position in the minds of contemporary and later China ancient writers is not low. Although his achievements are not as good as those of North Korea, Liu, Europe and the Soviet Union, he has considerable influence.
Ceng Gong's literary ideas are similar to those of Ouyang Xiu. There was pottery first, then there was literature, but more attention was paid to pottery than Ouyang Xiu. When answering Li's question, he said:
Insult this book and what you have written ... The first step is to claim compassion for the sick and vulgar. If you believe this, it is the first step to give it to those who love it and are afraid of it. At the end of the day, it is said that he was angry, and it was a poem, so he called himself shallow and nameless, not as sharp as he thought. It is the desire to give quality. The first step of the husband's book begins with words and wants to achieve the Tao; And the quality, words also. If things are not shallow, they will forget their depth, and if they are urgent, they will be anti-Xu. The greatness of the husband's Tao lies not in him, but in him, to win the hearts of all people, fill his body and expand to the world. This is not a pity. The reason why he resigned so much is that he had to resign. Mencius said, "Is it argumentative? I have to. " This is Mencius.
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 thought that compared with the articles of North Korea, Liu, Europe and the Soviet Union, our articles are simple and few. 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 what Ceng Gong said is:
Smile when you smell it. 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 Disaster Relief in Yuezhou", it is written that "the former people were not hungry, but asked the county for books" in Zhao Gong, Yuezhou:
How many towns and villages have been 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.
This article describes Zhao Gong's consideration of disaster relief, which is really methodical. Write it down again, and analyze it separately, and the clues are clear. Disaster prevention and relief, this is complicated and there are many clues, but what Ceng Gong wrote is so concise!
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 "Tao Shan Ting Ji" is an example:
Its road is in Fujian, and it is between the two mountains when it is out of the land. The mountains are each other's, without interruption, and they are flat when they are tired. 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:
South millet scales are sent to the north, and the north is full of soldiers. 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" cloud:
After working as an official in the quality department for two years, I stole a glance at Qingshan 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 was able to make wine together 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":
Human feelings cover mountains face to face, who can say that the heart is old! 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.
(1): Yuan Feng Draft (Volume 15), the first book of master Ouyang.
(2) The History of Song Dynasty (Volume 3 19) and Biography of Ceng Gong.
(3) yuan draft (volume 5 1) epitaph.
(4) Yuan Feng Class Draft 17 Society Collection.
⑤ History of Song Dynasty Volume 3 19 Biography of Ceng Gong.