He was the leader of the early Northern Song Dynasty and one of the pioneers in the development of Song poetry. For decades, it has been in the center of the political and literary circles, and is known as the "prime minister". In addition to political affairs, he was very fond of traveling and singing, holding poetry and wine meetings, and leading the poetry and literature creation in the circle of upper-class literati and doctors. And with his elegant and graceful, gentle and beautiful style of words, he led a group of Taige poets with Zaifu Chongchen as the leader and the middle and upper-class literati and bureaucrats as the backbone - posterity called it the "Jiangxi School of Words".
Yan Shu (991–1055), courtesy name Tongshu (同叔), courtesy name Yuanxian (谥元献), and his son Yan Jidao (晏幾道) were known as "Eryan", a native of Linchuan, Fuzhou. A famous writer and politician of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Yan Shu was smart and studious from an early age, and he could create at the age of 5, and was known as a "prodigy". When he was 13 years old, Jiang Nan heard about this incident and recommended him to the imperial court as a child prodigy. The following year, Yan Shu and thousands of candidates from all over the world entered the temple at the same time to take the exam, and were rewarded by the Zhenzong and given the same jinshi origin. Immediately after, the examination of poetry, endowment, and theory was conducted, but Yan Shu said, "I have done these questions before, please test me with other questions." His sincerity and talent were even more appreciated by Zhenzong, who gave his secretary the right thing to do and stay in the secret cabinet to study. He studied diligently, made friends with great importance, and gained great importance, and then summoned Zhongshu to serve as a lilyro of Taichang Temple.
At the age of 17, Yan Shu was appointed as the governor of Guanglu Temple, his father died, he returned to Linchuan (present-day Fuzhou, Jiangxi) to serve as a mourner, and before the mourning period was over, he was recalled to serve in the post, following the emperor to the Taiqing official sacrifice. The Emperor ordered him to compile the Sermon and made him a court of the Same Judge Taichang. Soon after, his mother died, and he asked to wait until the end of his service. The Emperor did not allow it. He was also transferred to the Taichang Temple, promoted to Zuo Zhengyan and Zhishiguan, and served as a member of the army in the Shengwang Mansion's office, and was in charge of writing notes. In the middle of the year, he was promoted to the position of a household member of the foreign lang, became a prince and a prince, and soon became a zhizhi and a judge. At the age of 30, he became a Hanlin bachelor and was promoted to Zuo Shuzi. Every time the emperor asked Yan Shu about something, he wrote the content of the question on a small piece of paper in small square letters to him. After Yan Shu had written down his proposal, he presented it to the emperor along with the small piece of paper, and the emperor admired his caution and rigor.
In the first year of Qianxing (1022), Emperor Renzong, who was only 12 years old, succeeded to the throne, and Empress Liu listened to the government. The prime minister Ding Zhi and the privy councillor Cao Yu wanted to monopolize power, and the officials in the DPRK and China talked about it one after another, and they were helpless. Yan Shu's proposal to "bow the curtain and listen to the government" was supported by the ministers. To this end, he was also a scholar of the Imperial Household, a scholar of the Ministry of Etiquette, and later served as a minister of ceremonies, a minister of ceremonies, and a deputy envoy of the Privy Council. He was impeached by Yushi for opposing Zhang Qi's promotion to the position of Privy Counsellor, violating Empress Liu's wishes, and in anger at the Yuqing Palace, he was impeached by Yushi for smashing the front teeth of his attendants.
At the age of 41, Yan Shu was promoted to the post of Governor (Deputy Prime Minister) and Shang Shu Zuo Cheng (左丞). In the following year, because he obstructed the empress dowager from "serving the crown to the Temple of the Gurudwara", he belittled Bozhou and Chenzhou. Five years later, he was summoned to the post of Shangshu of the Punishment Department and Yushi Zhongcheng (御史中丞), and was reinstated as the Third Division's envoy. At that time, Li Yuanhao declared himself emperor, established the Western Xia state, and sent troops to the Shaanxi region, while the Song generals were repeatedly defeated and retreated. Yan Shu comprehensively analyzed the military situation at that time, found the reasons for the defeat, and effectively strengthened the armament in view of the existing problems. As a result, the Song army quickly quelled the invasion of Western Xia.
At the age of 51, Yan Shuguan paid homage to the prime minister and made Jiaping Zhangshi an envoy. In the following year, Shangshu Tongping Zhangshi of the Taiwei Punishment Department of the Imperial Inspection School, Ping Zhangshi of the Jinzhong Shumenxia, Jixian Dian Scholar, and Privy Counsellor. At the age of 53, for writing Li Chenfei's epitaph and other things, he was impeached by Sun Fu and Cai Xiang, and demoted to the ministry of work Shangshu Zhiying Prefecture, and later known as the Ministry of Rites and the Punishment Department Shangshu Zhi Chen Prefecture and Xu Prefecture. At the age of 60, he was made an envoy to the Yongxing Army (present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi) by Hubu Shangshu and Guanwendian University. Later, he was transferred to Henan Province, and his official title was transferred to the Military Department. When he was 63 years old, Yan Shu asked to return to the capital for medical treatment due to illness, and when he was well, he would go out of Beijing to take up a post, and Emperor Renzong deliberately left him behind, let him preach the interpretation of the scriptures for himself, let him come to him once in five days, and treat him according to the specifications of the prime minister. After a year, Yan Shu's condition worsened, and Renzong wanted to go to see him. When Yan Shu found out, he immediately sent a letter to Emperor Renzong, saying, "I am old and seriously ill, and I cannot do anything, and I am not worth worrying about your majesty." He died shortly afterwards on the 28th day of the first month of the second year of zhihe (27 February 1055) at the age of 64. Although Emperor Renzong personally went to mourn, he still regretted that he could not come to see him when he was sick, and he did not go to the court for two days. He was given the title of "Yuan Xian" (元献) by Yan Shu Sikong (one of the Three Dukes) and Shi Zhong (the governor of Menxia Province), and wrote the four characters "Monument of Old Learning" on the first seal of the inscription.
Although Yan Shu has been in an important position for many years, he is approachable. Fan Zhongyan, Kong Daofu, Wang Anshi, etc. all came from his disciples; Han Qi, Fu Bi, Ouyang Xiu, etc. were all cultivated and recommended by him, and they were all reused. Han Qi was re-elected as the prime minister of the three dynasties of Renzong, Yingzong, and Shenzong; Fu Bi was Yan Shu's son-in-law, but Shu Juxian did not shy away from relatives, and when Yan Shu was the prime minister, Fu Bi was made the privy councillor, and the later official worshiped the prime minister.