As a young man, Fan Zhongyan became county magistrate of Xinghua and oversaw the construction of the coastal sea wall. When his mother died, he took leave to mourn, then accepted an invitation to head the school at the Yingtian Prefectural Academy. Recommended by Yan Shu, Fan Zhongyan entered the capital and became a Collator at the Pavilion of the Secrets. He risked his life to urge the Empress Dowager to return power to Emperor Zhao Zhen, and was banished from the capital.
After the Empress Dowager’s death, Fan Zhongyan was summoned back to the capital. He opposed the deposition of the empress and spoke out impartially, angering the powerful minister Lü Yijian. Banished once again, he successively served as prefect in Mu, Su, Rao, Run, and Yue.
When Yuan Hao launched a major invasion and the Song army suffered a crushing defeat at Sanchuankou, Fan Zhongyan was appointed deputy commander in Shaanxi on the strong recommendation of Han Qi.
Through careful planning and by promoting distinguished generals such as Zhang Kang and Di Qing, he worked with Han Qi to gradually stabilize the border.
The emperor appointed Fan Zhongyan vice grand councilor. Together with Han Qi, Fu Bi, and others, he led the Qingli Reforms and advanced a new Song-Liao alliance and peace negotiations between Song and Xia. But after being framed and pushed aside by officials such as Xia Song and Wang Gongchen, Fan Zhongyan asked to resign as vice grand councilor. Guided by the conviction that “one should be the first to worry about the troubles of the world and the last to enjoy its pleasures,” he continued his career in local government...
This innovative historical novel follows Fan Zhongyan’s life from his appointment as county magistrate of Xinghua in 1024 to the failure of the Qingli Reforms in 1045. It chronicles his turbulent political career, with its three rises and falls, and portrays the celebrated Northern Song figures Yan Shu, Han Qi, Fu Bi, Ouyang Xiu, and Teng Zongliang. It also explores the unpredictable struggles within the Song court and the shifting diplomatic and military contest between Song, Liao, and Western Xia, bringing to life the wisdom and breadth of spirit of Fan Zhongyan, a man whose idealism was matched by practical reason and an even temper.
The novel weaves in authentic memorials, letters, poems, and other writings, allowing readers to follow the story while quickly grasping the historical sources and details behind it!
There are so many characters, including real historical figures such as Han Qi, Fu Bi, and Teng Zijing, as well as fictional characters such as Taoist priest Zhou Debao and knight Yuan Guo Jing. It can be said that it follows both history and literary imagination.
Fan Zhongyan's life was full of thorns at the beginning. The poverty of losing his father at a young age and being dependent on others did not weaken his will. Instead, the years of hard study became the background of his life. It was this thirst for knowledge and persistence in ideals in difficult situations that made him stand out in the imperial examination, and allowed him to maintain his enthusiasm for life and persistence in his beliefs no matter what circumstances he found himself in in the future. This spirit of "being poor but getting stronger and not falling into the clouds" laid the foundation for his perseverance in life.
This large volume feels like the content is really rich, plus the original information can really quickly understand the ins and outs of the historical materials. After reading it, I understood the situation in which "the clouds and mountains are green, the rivers are long, the wind of the gentleman, the mountains are high and the rivers are long", and why he wrote his frontier poems and "Yueyang Tower", which is a lot of knowledge.
"Be worried about the world first, and be happy after the world's happiness." I have learned Fan Zhongyan's Yueyang Tower from the text, and I know that Mr. Fan is worried about the world. But after reading this book, I realized that the life behind the famous sentence is so wonderful and dazzling! This book is worth recommending!
I have always felt that Fan Zhongyan, like Xin Qiji, was a rare person with all-round talents in both civil and military affairs in Chinese history. Whether he was an official in politics or leading an army in war, he was even very accomplished in literature. This book "Fan Zhongyan" contains some scene descriptions, which make people see a Fan Zhongyan who is indeed worth remembering.
The Qingli New Deal section was heart-wrenching to watch. Pioneers are always lonely. The more I read, the more I feel that Renzong was hesitant and indecisive, including the border defense of Song and Xia and the peace negotiations between Song and Liao. However, it must be said that his kindness saved the lives of so many loyal ministers, and at most he was demoted, unlike the Ming Dynasty where he was unable to move the imperial staff.
The story becomes more and more exciting as Fan Zhongyan's life experiences are written, especially the famous scenes on the border, which make one's blood boil. From Sanchuankou, Jinmingzhai, Luziping to the hugely influential battle of Haoshuichuan, it is tragic, tragic and soul-stirring.
The homing pigeons in Haoshuichuan became a trap for the Song army to underestimate the enemy and rush in. However, seeing Ren Fu and everyone fighting on the battlefield with blood and fighting to the death, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him, so if he made a mistake on the battlefield, he would be hated for eternity.
It is recommended to watch it with "Qing Ping Le", the characters in the book will immediately come to life.
I have read several biographies of Fan Zhongyan, but it is rare to find one as thick as this novel. Excluding the original memorials, poems, etc., The story is okay, but the original documents can be seen to have been carefully selected, so there is no need to go through anthologies and anthologies.