Zeng Gong, zigu, was born in 1019 in Nanfeng, Jiangxi. Zeng Gong called himself "Confucian in his family lineage", his grandfather was a Shang Shu Hubu Langzhong, and his father was Dr. Taichang. The history books say that he was good at reading, "born alert, read hundreds of words, and blurted out." In the twelfth year, he tried to compose "Six Treatises", which was written with help, and his words were very great."
It is said that Zeng Gong is so good at reading that it should not be difficult to obtain a meritorious name, but Zeng Gong took the imperial examination for the first time at the age of 18 to the age of 39, which took 21 years, which was the longest time among the people who took the examination for the jinshi in the "Tang and Song Dynasties".
In particular, after he failed to participate in the second scientific expedition, there was a gap of 15 years before he took part in the third scientific expedition. To know that the Song Dynasty could take the exam every three years, why did Zeng Gong wait for 15 years, and what was he doing for such a long time?
Zeng Gong's father was named Zeng Yizhan, who had 3 wives and had 15 children, and Zeng Gong ranked second in the family.
Zeng Yizhan liked to read and was very famous in the local area, but his career was not smooth, the highest official position achieved the county order, and in his later years, he was sued because he offended people, and after he was dismissed, he lived at home.
Since then, Zeng Gong's father has been idle at home for twelve years, and his health is not very good. At this time, Zeng Gong had a grandmother, ninety years old. There is also an older brother, four younger brothers, and nine younger sisters.
"My grandmother is getting older and older, and there are many younger siblings, and she has no money to eat and clothe, so I am afraid that I will not be able to learn from her, and I want to do other things." (Zeng Gong's "Book of Shang Ouyang Sheren")
Zeng Gong's brother is named Zeng Ye, 10 years older than Zeng Gong, and he is full of poetry and books, but he can't take care of his family.
So although Zeng Gong was very good at reading when he was a child, the history books say that he "read hundreds of words and blurted out." "But we must not bear the burden of family life too early. It can only be said that the capable people work more.
In 1037, the 18-year-old Zeng Gong took the imperial examination for the first time, but the result was not listed, and he returned to his hometown of Nanfeng, Jiangxi.
His younger brother later recalled the situation at the Zeng family at that time:
"There is no land to eat, no house to live in, few public fashions, the emperor is square, and the camp is nourished by porridge." (Zeng Zhao's "Dead Brother's Deeds")
In the first year of the Reign of Emperor Renzong of Song (1041 AD), the 23-year-old Zeng Gong came to Beijing again to prepare for the second imperial examination. At the same time, his brother Zeng Ye, who is 10 years older than him, also went to Beijing to take the exam together.
Since the exams will be held until next spring, there is still some time to go. The two zeng gong brothers first entered the Capital Guozijian GuangwenGuan to study.
During this time, Zeng Gong visited Ouyang Xiu, the leader of the literary circles at that time, and was deeply appreciated by Ouyang Xiu.
The first time Ouyang Xiu met Zeng Gong, his evaluation of him was very high:
"Wu Qi was born, and he was born too much. At first, it was a single uproar, a hundred birds and a wrench. "Ouyang Xiu's "Send Yang Pei Xiucai"
"A hundred thousand people have passed through our door, and it is a joy to be born alone." Zeng Gong's "Second Book of Shang Ouyang Bachelor"
The following year, Zeng Gong and his brother Zeng Ye took the imperial examination, and as a result, both brothers fell out of the list.
The neighbors in the township heard that some people made oil poems to ridicule the brothers:
"Once every three years, the scene was opened, and the two show talents of the Zeng family were killed, like two swallows between the eaves, and one pair flew to a pair." (Ding Chuanjing's Compilation of Anecdotes of the Song Dynasty)
In the Song Dynasty, there were several changes in the imperial examination, sometimes one subject was opened every three years, sometimes one subject was opened every other year, and sometimes one subject was opened every year. Zeng Gong participated in this three-year opening.
The meaning of this oil poem is that every three years to open a section, the two talents of the Zeng family will be killed once, just like the swallows under the eaves of the door, flying out together and flying back together.
Zeng Gong was very disappointed, and Ouyang Xiu wrote an article to encourage him:
"There is a si, Gora Faye?" (Ouyang Xiu's "Sending Zeng Gongxiu Talent Sequence")
Ouyang Xiu questioned the examination system: Are our examination standards necessarily scientific?
"However, Zengsheng is not a common progress, does not have a crime, confesses it, thinks widely of his learning, and insists on keeping it." (Ouyang Xiu's "Sending Zeng Gongxiu Talent Sequence")
Zeng Gong did not complain, saying that he would go back to improve his knowledge and take the exam again.
Zeng Gong replied to Ouyang Xiu:
"Remembering Gong Wuxiang, seeing that it is abandoned in Yousi, looking around at all of them, it is quite insightful." (Zeng Gong's "Shang Ouyang Bachelor's Second Book")
Zeng Gong felt that his learning was not hot after the examination.
Six or seven years after this exam, Zeng Gong has been in his hometown, running for his family's livelihood, and as a result, his body cannot bear it, and he has a lung disease, which is a serious disease in ancient times, but he met a doctor surnamed Liu and cured Zeng Gong.
Later, Zeng Gong's father Zeng Yizhan gave Emperor Renzong a talk about his governing strategy, and quite unexpectedly, the emperor admired it and asked him to go to Beijing to talk about it in detail.
Zeng Yizhan took Zeng Gong with him and went to the capital together.
The two men walked to Nanjing (present-day Shangqiu, Henan), and Zeng Yizhan suddenly fell ill and died.
There was a retired prime minister named Du Yan, a friend of Ouyang Xiu, who Zeng Gong once wrote to him to ask for advice.
Du Yan, who had come down from the position of prime minister, was in Nanjing, and Zeng Gong had correspondence with Du Yan when he participated in the scientific expedition. Du Yan gave Zeng Gong a lot of help and paid for the burial of his father.
Zeng Gong wrote a thank-you letter to Du Yan:
"With a lonely body, holding an unexpected disease, a corner of the road, no relatives who have climbed, and when they see the old, they think that they are trusted." And there is no way to go, the top, can be touching and advantageous, the bottom can be moved. (Zeng Gong's "Letter of Xie DuXiang")
No one helped me at the time, thanks to your help.
Zeng Gong escorted his father's coffin back to his hometown of Nanfeng.
Four years later, Zeng Gong recalled:
"Rugged escort brigade, Burmese toss hometown." Still inconclusive, survival is extraordinary. (Zeng Gong," "Reading")
Back in his hometown, the local Zhizhou funded and bought him a field, and with the field, he could make a living and not be trapped by life, because he saw that he had good moral character and was a talent.
Zeng Gong is busy with his livelihood:
"The years are old, and the family affairs are already alone. The business of eating crowds, walking in all directions. (Zeng Gong," "Reading")
For the livelihood of more than a dozen members of the Zeng family, Zeng Gong had to work in various places to maintain the family, so that Zeng Gong did not get married until he was 32 years old, and after marriage, due to the lack of medical treatment and medicine, his two daughters died one after another.
Zeng Gong still studied hard and wrote the "School House", telling himself that he had ambitions in his heart and waited for the opportunity.
In the second year of Emperor Renzong of Song (1057 AD), the 39-year-old Zeng Gong finally passed the jinshi examination.
This year, Zeng Gong, one of his brothers, a cousin, two brothers-in-law, and six of them passed the entrance examination.
Nine years later, another of his younger brothers, a brother-in-law, and a nephew also passed the entrance examination.
Within ten years, nine people in their family had passed the entrance examination.
After passing the examination, he served as a judicial officer in Taiping Prefecture (present-day Dangtu, Anhui), summoned and edited books in the History Museum, relocated the library to survey, and set up a school of meritocracy, and was appointed as a record reviewer.
During this period, Zeng Gong did a lot of collation work on the books of previous dynasties, such as the "New Order Catalogue Order", "The Catalogue Of The Female Biography", "The Warring States Policy Catalogue Order", etc., which made great contributions to the preservation of ancient cultural heritage.
After that, Zeng Gong left the pavilion and served as a local official in Yuezhou, Qizhou, Xiangzhou, Hongzhou, Fuzhou and other places for more than ten years.
In 1071, Zeng Gong was transferred to Qi Prefecture (qi prefecture) (present-day Jinan, Shandong).
There are many thieves in Qizhou, and rich and powerful people run rampant in the townships.
"If those who are victims of others do not go, then we will not be at peace." (Zeng Zhao's "Dead Brother's Deeds")
Governed by Zeng Gong:
"The people are not closed, and the road is not left behind." (Zeng Zhao's "Dead Brother's Deeds")
With outstanding local political achievements, Zeng Gong was recalled to the capital by Emperor Shenzong of Song. In the fourth year of Yuan Feng (1081 AD), the imperial court considered that "Zeng Gong's historiography was known as a scholar, and it was appropriate to canonize the history of the Five Dynasties", and appointed him as a historian. In the following year, he was promoted to Zhongshu Sheren.
Zeng Gong and Wang Anshi
When Zeng Gong first took the imperial examination, he befriended Wang Anshi, who said that Zeng Gong would be like Ban Gu and Yang Xiong.
Zeng Gong recommended Wang Anshi to the imperial court:
"Gong's friend Wang Anshi, whose literature is very ancient, is called his text, although he has been given the name of the department, but those who live in the present day know Anshi, and there are still few." "Shangcai Bachelor's Book"
1. Prose
The general characteristics of Zeng Gong's prose are: rules, elegance, and solemnity.
Zeng Gong's articles focus on practicality, conciseness and directness, and are better than reasoning.
"Slow and not annoying, simple and not obscure, outstanding as a family." (History of the Song Dynasty, vol. 319)
"Ink Pond"
In the east of the city of Linchuan, there is a hidden but high land, to the creek, known as the new city. Above the new city, there are ponds but squares are long, and the ink pond of Wang Xizhi is known as The Ink Pond of Xun Bozi's "Linchuan Chronicle" Yunye. Xi Zhi tasted Zhang Zhi's study of the pond, and the pool water was black, this is his old trace, do you believe in evil?
The book of Xizhi is good in the evening, then it can be done, and the cover is also self-sufficient with energy, not Tianchengye. Then those who have not been able to reach in the world, how can they learn better than other evils? Then how can we learn less, and if we want to deepen the morality of the evil?
This article was written when Zeng Gong was 30 years old, when he was in his hometown of Linchuan, although he had not yet found an official position, but the article was already very famous, at the request of Wang Shengzhi, a local state professor in Linchuan, Zeng Gong wrote this "Mochi Record".
Ink pond, according to legend, is a generation of "book saint" Wang Xizhi practice calligraphy place, the article starts from the description of the ink pool relics, linked to the story of Wang Xizhi's hard practice of calligraphy, focusing on Wang Xizhi's becoming a great calligrapher, not only relying on talent, but the result of his hard work.
2. Poetry
Zeng Gong has more than 400 poems, most of which are relatively fresh and simple.
Seongnam
Rain crossed the hengtang and filled the embankment, and the mountains were chaotic and high up and down the road. The peach and plum blossoms are exhausted, but the green grass is colorful.
Zeng Gong is good at writing the Seven Perfections, and this poem is written as a scene after the spring rain. After a night of heavy rain, the peach plums on the side of the road have been destroyed and fallen, but the grass on the field is still standing. Through the contrast between peach plum and grass, it expresses that there is often tenacious vitality in the simple and ordinary.