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Fan Zhongyan had noble moral qualities, was loyal to the emperor and patriotic, was honest and incorruptible, and was good at local governance.

It can be said that his character, official ethics, reputation, and political reputation are all first-class.

His famous saying, "Worry about the world before you worry about yourself, and be happy about the world after you are happy about yourself", demonstrates value rationality and will be remembered forever.

The reason why Fan Zhongyan was able to write such a famous piece of work as "Yueyang Tower Inscription" is inseparable from his hard work in study.

When he was studying, he said something, and his dream later came true.

Later, he entered the official career, but lost his official position because of a single sentence. It is really a pity.

It can be said that these two sentences are the two most important sentences that have influenced his life.

"Fan Zhongyan's ancestor was Fan Lubing, the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, and his family originally lived in Bingzhou."

"During the reign of Emperor Yizong of the Tang Dynasty, Fan Zhongyan's great-grandfather Fan Sui was an official in the south. He could not return home due to the war in the Central Plains, so he settled in Wu County, Suzhou."

"During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Fan Zhongyan's great-grandfather and father successively served as officials in the southern Wuyue Kingdom."

"In the second year of Emperor Taizong of Song's reign, Fan Zhongyan was born in the residence of the secretary of the Xuzhou Jiedushi. His mother was Fan Yong's wife, Xie."

"Fan Yong was an honest official, and his family had no savings. After his sudden death, his family was left poor and helpless."

"In order to make a living, Xie remarried Zhu Wenhan, who was working in Wu County, and Fan Zhongyan therefore changed his surname to his."

"Zhu Wenhan had been transferred many times, and Fan Zhongyan also followed his stepfather to many positions when he was young."

"When Fan Zhongyan advised his two half brothers not to be extravagant, they insulted him by saying his family background. He then realized his family background and became deeply saddened."

"I left my mother and traveled to Nanjing Yingtianfu to study under the great scholar Qi Tongwen."

"While studying in Yingtian Prefecture, Fan Zhongyan studied hard day and night."

"He lived a simple life, eating only pickles and millet porridge."

“Sometimes when I feel sleepy after studying late at night, I wash my face with cold water to wake myself up.”

"Fan Zhongyan had lofty ambitions. When he was studying hard, he often encouraged himself by saying, 'I worry about the world before I worry about myself, and I enjoy myself after the world enjoys itself.'"

"Fan Zhongyan took the imperial examination under the name Zhu Shuo and ranked 97th in the Jinshi B category."

"He was appointed as the assistant general of Guangde Army, in charge of local lawsuits and prison affairs, and he holds the ninth rank."

"After becoming an official, Fan Zhongyan immediately brought his mother home to take care of her."

"After Fan Zhongyan was appointed as the military officer of Guangde Army, he quickly demonstrated his political talent."

"He handled cases with integrity, fairness and integrity, and was even willing to confront his superiors to avoid wrongful convictions."

"Fan Zhongyan was promoted to the post of Jiqing Army Jiedu Tuiguan due to his outstanding performance. He was still in charge of the affairs of the courts and held the 8th rank."

"Fan Zhongyan was upright and honest during his service in Jiqing Army, and he would handle all cases, big or small, impartially and attentively."

"In the fifth year of Emperor Zhenzong's Tianxi reign, Fan Zhongyan was transferred to Xixi Salt Warehouse in Taizhou, where he was responsible for supervising the storage, transportation and sales of official salt in the Huai River and Lianghuai regions."

"Xixi was an important sea salt production area in the Song Dynasty. It borders the Yellow Sea and is subject to severe tidal disasters."

"When Fan Zhongyan first took office, he wrote to Zhang Lun, the governor of Taizhou, explaining the pros and cons of building seawalls and suggesting that seawalls be built along the coast and that seawalls be rebuilt."

"In the second year of Emperor Renzong's Tiansheng reign, Fan Zhongyan recruited more than 40,000 soldiers and laborers to build a sea dam."

"In the fourth year of Tiansheng, Fan Zhongyan's mother, Xie, died. Fan Zhongyan resigned from his post to mourn and entrusted the seawall project to Zhang Lun."

"The seawall was eventually completed under the supervision of Zhang Lun. Local people were grateful for Fan Zhongyan's contribution and called it Fangong Dike."

"In the fifth year of Tiansheng, Fan Zhongyan, who was mourning for his mother, lived in Ningling County, Yingtian Prefecture."

"Yan Shu, then the prefect of Yingtian Prefecture in Nanjing, heard of Fan Zhongyan's talent and invited him to take charge of the educational work of Yingtian Academy."

"When Fan Zhongyan was in charge of the teaching affairs of Yingtian Academy, he taught diligently and set an example. Whenever he talked about national affairs, he would speak passionately and without hesitation."

"Under the influence of Fan Zhongyan, starting from Yingtian Academy, a trend of strict self-discipline became popular among the literati, and Fan Zhongyan's reputation was further enhanced."

"In the sixth year of Tiansheng, Fan Zhongyan wrote the "Book to the Government Officials" and submitted it to the court."

Xin Qiji: There are so many famous people in the Song Dynasty, but the most recognized first minister is none other than Fan Zhongyan.

In ancient times, men would have a coming-of-age ceremony at the age of 20.

However, Fan Zhongyan's coming-of-age ceremony at the age of 20 was even more special.

He lived to be 20 years old, someone told him.

Your name is not Zhu Shuo, your name is Fan Zhongyan, and you were brought to our Zhu family when your mother remarried.

In this vast universe, a 20-year-old man has nothing.

Your blood relatives disown you, and the Zhu family that raised you no longer tolerates you.

The only one left by your side is your poor mother who lost her husband when you were two and remarried with you.

There is no way to trace where I came from, and I feel lost where I am going.

What would you do if you were facing such a huge change in life at the age of 20?
The 20-year-old Fan Zhongyan showed us his answer sheet.

He was grateful for Zhu's father's kindness in raising him, but he didn't want to live off others anymore.

He resolutely bid farewell to his mother and father Zhu and went to study at Yingtian Academy in Shangqiu, Henan, vowing to open up a new world for himself.

As the top academy in the Northern Song Dynasty, Yingtian Academy not only has a rich collection of books, but also has famous teachers to guide students in their studies.

The school did not charge students any tuition fees, which was a good opportunity for Fan Zhongyan, who was in a difficult situation, to survive.

At Yingtian Academy, Fan Zhongyan studied hard day and night, using up every available time, sleeping very little and eating very little.

When I was tired, I poured cold water on my face. When I was hungry, I ate porridge.

He did not take off his clothes to sleep for five years. His diligence in studying is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Seeing that Fan Zhongyan was so frugal, his classmates brought a table of fish and meat delicacies and invited him to taste them. However, Fan Zhongyan did not eat a single bite of the delicious food.

His classmates questioned him angrily, and Fan Zhongyan replied that he was used to eating thin porridge, and if he ate these delicious dishes, he would not be able to adapt to the hard days.

This is Fan Zhongyan, who lived in poverty but had great ambitions.

He is content with a simple life, studies hard, and can stick to his original intention and not change his ambition in the face of the temptation of pleasure.

As a teenager, Fan Zhongyan not only rejected the temptation of pleasure, but also gave up the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the emperor's face.

When Emperor Zhenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty toured Yingtian Prefecture, the streets were deserted.

The local people and students of the academy all went to the streets to watch the emperor's parade, but Fan Zhongyan remained unmoved and continued to study hard in the academy.

When his classmates asked Fan Zhongyan why he didn't go to see the emperor's tour, Fan Zhongyan replied that it would not be too late to see the emperor in the future.

This is Fan Zhongyan, who never changes his mind no matter how great the temptation is.

While the world is intoxicated with the vanity of the world, he still walks alone on the single-plank bridge of his own choice with his original youthful intention.

Fortunately, hard work pays off. After years of hard study, I finally succeeded at the age of 26.

Fan Zhongyan succeeded in the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, which started his official career as Fan Wenchenggong.

"The content of the "Letter to the Government" is over 10,000 words, mainly on the reform of domestic affairs. It advocates reforming the administration of officials, cutting redundant personnel, and appeasing generals."

"The then prime minister Wang Zeng was very impressed by this, and he and Yan Shu recommended Fan Zhongyan to Emperor Renzong of Song."

"In December of the same year, Emperor Renzong of Song summoned Fan Zhongyan to the capital and put him in charge of proofreading and collating the royal books and classics."

"Fan Zhongyan was a man who dared to speak out and make remonstrances. In the seventh year of Tiansheng, Emperor Renzong of Song led all the officials to celebrate the empress dowager's birthday in Huiqing Hall."

"Fan Zhongyan believed that this move undermined the emperor's authority and was against etiquette and law, so he wrote a memorial to advise against it, but received no response."

"In the eighth year of Tiansheng, Fan Zhongyan again petitioned Empress Dowager Liu E to return power to Emperor Renzong, but his response fell on deaf ears again."

"Yan Shu was deeply shocked by Fan Zhongyan's behavior and criticized him for being too rash."

"But Fan Zhongyan remained unmoved and wrote back to firmly explain his position."

"In the eighth year of Tiansheng, Fan Zhongyan asked to leave Beijing to serve as an official in the local area. He was appointed as the Tongpan of Hezhong Prefecture. The following year, he was transferred to be the Tongpan of Chenzhou."

"Even when he was serving as an official in another place, Fan Zhongyan was always concerned about the affairs of the court. He made many memorials to the emperor, opposing the court's large-scale construction projects and advocating the rectification of the administration of officials."

"After Empress Dowager Liu E passed away, Emperor Renzong took over the government and summoned Fan Zhongyan to the capital to be in charge of admonishing people."

"After Liu E's death, most officials in the court followed the political trend and criticized Liu E's mistakes when she was in power."

"However, Fan Zhongyan believed that Liu E had contributed to the care of Emperor Renzong and suggested that the court should support her virtues. Emperor Renzong therefore ordered court officials not to discuss Liu E's faults again."

"After Liu E's death, Song Renzong wanted to make his adoptive mother, Concubine Yang, the empress dowager and let her participate in military and national affairs."

"But Fan Zhongyan advised that frequently appointing empress dowagers would make the world doubt that the emperor could not rule the country himself, so although Song Renzong continued to keep Concubine Yang's title of empress dowager, he removed her appointment as empress dowager."

"Serious drought and locust plagues broke out in Jianghuai and the Central Plains. Song Renzong responded negatively, and Fan Zhongyan once again made direct appeals."

"Song Renzong then realized the problem and sent Fan Zhongyan to be in charge of disaster relief work."

"Fan Zhongyan not only opened the government warehouse to provide relief to the people, but also brought back the wild grass that the victims used to fill their stomachs to the court as a warning to the princes and nobles to stop their extravagant lifestyle."

"Song Renzong had always had a bad relationship with Empress Guo. During a dispute between the concubines, Empress Guo accidentally injured Song Renzong."

"The then Prime Minister Lü Yijian had a political feud with Empress Guo, so he took the opportunity to work with the eunuchs and others to persuade the angry Emperor Renzong of Song to depose the empress."

"When the news came out, the ministers generally expressed opposition to it, and Fan Zhongyan also made suggestions to the emperor."

"But because Lü Yijian had previously ordered the unit in charge of memorials not to submit Fan Zhongyan's memorial, Fan Zhongyan's memorial was unsuccessful."

"Fan Zhongyan and more than ten other censors knelt outside the palace and begged Emperor Renzong to summon them. Emperor Renzong refused to meet him and sent Lü Yijian to explain why he had deposed the empress. However, Fan Zhongyan refuted him in court and left him speechless."

"The next day, Fan Zhongyan was ready to argue with Lü Yijian again in front of all the officials after the morning court session, but he was demoted to the position of governor of Muzhou by an imperial edict. The other ministers who participated in the remonstrance were also demoted or punished. None of them were spared."

"In the first year of the Jingyou reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, Fan Zhongyan, who had been exiled, was transferred to be the governor of Suzhou."

"When he took office, there was a flood. Fan Zhongyan immediately organized the people to dredge the canals and build water conservancy projects, diverting the overflowing water of Taihu Lake into the sea, thus successfully solving the flood problem."

Li Qingzhao: There are two sentences that influenced Fan Zhongyan's life, one about promotion and the other about demotion.

After all the hard work, he finally passed the imperial examination and won the first place, which is unparalleled in the world.

Fan Zhongyan thought that after passing the imperial examination, he would be promoted, get rich and reach the peak of his life, but the suffering did not leave him.

Because the young Fan Zhongyan was not recognized by the Fan family, he could not return to his real name when he took the imperial examination, and could only pass the examination under the name Zhu Shuo.

When Fan Zhongyan was in high school, he wanted to trace his ancestral roots and get his surname back but was still rejected.

It was a dark age in the officialdom of the Northern Song Dynasty. Without the support of senior officials, the talented Fan Zhongyan was appointed as a minor official of no rank in charge of prison litigation in Guangde County, Anhui Province.

Faced with the abandonment of his family and the injustice in the officialdom, Fan Zhongyan was not defeated.

Instead, he straightened himself up, worked hard, and took on the responsibility of his stepfather Zhu's family, bringing his mother, who had lived a miserable life for half her life, to live with him and take care of her.

He also sent all his younger brothers to study in the academy. At that time, Fan Zhongyan's stepfather Zhu Wenhan had passed away.

Although Fan Zhongyan had just entered the official career, he handled cases fairly and uprightly, even when he had disputes with his superiors because of his low official position and low influence.

They were able to stick to their original aspirations, creating a clear and honest scene in criminal proceedings in Guangde County.

When Fan Zhongyan first arrived in Guangde County, he found that the local culture and education were backward.

So he used his own money to hire famous scholars, set up a school for teaching, and promote reading.

This led to the gradual flourishing of the literary culture in Guangde County, from having no Jinshi to having many Jinshi.

Later, Fan Zhongyan was transferred to Dongtai County, Jiangsu Province to serve as the salt warehouse supervisor, responsible for supervising the storage, transportation, taxation, and monopoly of Huai salt.

Originally he was just a low-ranking official who only needed to do his job well, but Fan Zhongyan was worried about the world.

Shortly after taking office, Fan Zhongyan discovered that the seawall was in disrepair.

Every time a high tide came, salt fields, farmlands and houses were submerged by sea water, and people were displaced and even suffered countless casualties.

Therefore, Fan Zhongyan wrote many letters requesting the construction of seawalls, and resolutely took on this important task that would benefit the country and the people.

Building a seawall would face the risk of being swallowed by the tide at any time, but Fan Zhongyan went towards danger instead.

He personally surveyed the coast and led the workers to work, and eventually the seawall was successfully rebuilt.

After enduring rain, snow, hail, scorching heat and cold winters, and even numerous life-threatening tides, the seawall was finally completed.

Farmers and salt workers along the seawall finally resumed production, and people who had fled to avoid the disaster were able to return home and live a peaceful life.

In order to thank Fan Zhongyan for helping them restore their homes and peaceful lives, local people called the seawall Fangong Dike.

Some victims even changed their surnames to Fan and set up a shrine for Fan Zhongyan.

As a son, Fan Zhongyan took care of his mother, nurtured his younger brother, and served as a minister.

Although Fan Zhongyan held a low-ranking official position, he was still concerned about the people's well-being. He protected their homes, promoted learning, and cultivated talents.

This is Fan Zhongyan. The world kisses me with pain, but I repay it with songs.

"He also opened up the Nanyuan area where he lived in Suzhou as a county school and widely spread culture and education."

"Fan Zhongyan was transferred back to the capital again, and was first appointed as the Tongpan of the Imperial Academy, and later promoted to the Yuwenlang of the Ministry of Personnel."

"During his tenure as acting governor of Kaifeng, Fan Zhongyan vigorously rectified the bureaucracy and eliminated bad policies in the capital city of Kaifeng."

"He was a master at solving cases, which gave the entire capital a new atmosphere and made it well-governed." "Fan Zhongyan was dissatisfied with Prime Minister Lu Yijian's arbitrary and domineering behavior, his cultivation of cliques, and his support for his own power, so he clashed with him again."

"He wrote four memorials sharply criticizing Lü Yijian's rules for employing people."

"He also advised Song Renzong to formulate a system for the appointment and dismissal of officials and personally take charge of the promotion and appointment of officials."

"Lü Yijian refused to admit his mistakes and attacked Fan Zhongyan for speaking out of his position, and also claimed that Fan Zhongyan had colluded with cliques."

"The dispute between the two sides escalated, and Fan Zhongyan presented Song Renzong with a painting of officials and criticized and refuted Lu Yijian's words and deeds."

"Because his words were too radical, he once again angered Emperor Renzong of Song, so he was dismissed and sent to Raozhou as the governor."

"This court dispute during the Jingyou period had a great impact, even though Fan Zhongyan did not organize a clique."

"But because of his high morals and outstanding talent, he has many friends in the court."

"So when the order to depose Fan Zhongyan was issued, many officials submitted petitions to ask for his protection, and some even requested to be demoted along with Fan Zhongyan."

"Because Lü Yijian was very powerful at that time, the ministers who spoke for Fan Zhongyan were demoted one after another, so that when Fan Zhongyan left the capital this time, no one dared to see him off."

"Lü Yijian and fellow prime minister Wang Zeng were dismissed from their posts because of a conflict, so many court officials collectively submitted petitions to defend Fan Zhongyan, which led to rumors of factions in the court."

"In the end, Song Renzong issued an edict to ban cliques, and Fan Zhongyan continued to stay abroad."

"While in Raozhou, Fan Zhongyan's wife, Li, died of illness, and Fan Zhongyan himself was also seriously ill for a time."

"Since he became an official, Fan Zhongyan has been demoted many times for speaking out against the emperor."

"In the first year of Emperor Renzong of Song's Baoyuan reign, Li Yuanhao, the leader of the Dangxiang tribe in the northwest, officially proclaimed himself emperor and named his country Daxia."

"They sent envoys to deliver a letter, asking the Northern Song Dynasty to recognize the status of Western Xia, but Song Renzong refused, and the relationship between the two sides broke down completely."

"Li Yuanhao led his army to invade the border of the Northern Song Dynasty, defeated the Song army in the Battle of Sanchuankou, and surrounded Yanzhou, an important town in the northwest of the Northern Song Dynasty, shocking the government and the public."

"Due to the tense situation on the border, Song Renzong recalled Fan Zhongyan and appointed him as the military commander of Yongxing Army."

"After Fan Zhongyan took office, he immediately reorganized and reformed the army in Yanzhou, abolished the old system that was not conducive to combat, and reorganized the army."

"Strategically, Fan Zhongyan adopted a strategy of taking defense as offense and advancing step by step, and attached importance to the control and construction of border villages."

"Fan Zhongyan sent General Ren Fu to capture the White Leopard City of the Western Xia, cut off the retreat of the Western Xia army, and forced the invading Western Xia army to withdraw."

"He also adopted the advice of the famous general Zhong Shiheng and built Qingjian City on the Song-Xia border 200 miles northeast of Yanzhou, and mobilized young and strong men to manage the fields."

"During the period when Fan Zhongyan was managing the northwest, he attached great importance to training generals, and gradually trained a group of talented generals such as Di Qing, who later made great contributions to the Northern Song Dynasty."

"Fan Zhongyan has always advocated using defense as an attack and taking a step-by-step approach, and opposed military adventures that took the initiative."

Lu You: Fan Zhongyan is a man of noble character and rare talent, but why didn't Emperor Renzong of Song promote him to be prime minister?

Fan Zhongyan had been a weak scholar for most of his life. He had never been to the border and had never participated in a war. However, he was suddenly ordered to lead troops to resist the invasion of foreign tribes who were ruthless and bloodthirsty.

Does the fear of death and the fear of war occupy your heart?

Fan Zhongyan, who was over 50 years old and was demoted, faced such a difficult task that was unprecedented and unparalleled.

However, as a scholar, he gave a satisfactory answer to the world, his descendants and the Northern Song Dynasty.

The leader of the Dangxiang tribe, Li Yuanhao, announced his independence from the Song Dynasty and established the Western Xia Kingdom.

From then on, there were constant wars on the northwestern border of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Although the Song army actively resisted, it was still no match for the powerful Western Xia army and was defeated one after another.

At this time of crisis for the imperial court, Fan Zhongyan's admirers and political enemies all recommended that Fan Zhongyan lead the troops to resist the Western Xia.

There were people throughout the Song Dynasty who placed high hopes on Fan Zhongyan, while there were also villains who hoped that he would fail and die on the battlefield.

After receiving the imperial order, Fan Zhongyan did not hesitate for a moment and resolutely led his troops to the border to resist the Western Xia.

The border was desolate, life was bitter and cold, and the Western Xia were brutal.

The Song army suffered defeat after defeat, and the entire army was in a depressed state.

Fan Zhongyan, who had just arrived at the border, also suffered a defeat.

Fan Zhongyan was heartbroken by the sacrifice of his soldiers, grieved by the failure of the war, and missed his homeland far away.

So in the bleak and desolate autumn when he could not reunite with his family, Fan Zhongyan wrote the famous "Fisherman's Pride: Autumn Thoughts".

The scenery is different from autumn to autumn, and Hengyang geese go unnoticed.

Sounds are heard from all sides, thousands of miles away, long smoke sets, the sun sets, and the lonely city closes.

A cup of turbid wine is thousands of miles away, but Yan Ranwei has nothing to do.

The Qiang pipes are covered with frost, people can't sleep, and the general's hair is white and his husband is in tears.

Fan Zhongyan, who suffered a defeat the first time he led his troops, did not become depressed, nor did he be so afraid of death that he ignored the danger of the country.

Instead, he became more courageous and courageous, learned lessons, and carried out a series of reforms to the border troops.

He first consolidated the border defenses, built cities and several military fortresses.

A solid line of defense was formed on the border to curb the invasion of the Western Xia army.

At the same time, we recruit disaster victims, refugees and ethnic minority victims to return home to recuperate.

He also adopted a policy of recruiting the Qiang people in the border areas and signed treaties with them, which enabled the Qiang people to break away from Western Xia and serve the Song Dynasty.

Internally, Fan Zhongyan actively reformed the army and promoted generals such as Di Qing who were brave and skilled in military tactics. Di Qing later became the most famous general in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Under Fan Zhongyan's multiple reforms, the Northern Song army reversed its decline and the military and civilians became united.

Eventually, Western Xia was defeated and forced to submit to the Song Dynasty.

The Western Xia army, which suffered a series of defeats at the hands of Fan Zhongyan, had to sigh at his outstanding military talent.

This is Fan Zhongyan, facing the crisis of his country and family.

He is brave enough to take responsibility, and becomes more courageous as he faces more setbacks. He does what he knows is impossible, even if there are thousands of people against him.

As a civil servant, he was able to lead troops to fight on the battlefield, and as a scholar, he was able to repel foreign invasions and defend his country.

"Song Renzong issued an edict to send troops to attack Xia, but Fan Zhongyan believed that the time was not right and refused to obey."

"Fan Zhongyan requested to strengthen border defenses, build fortresses, and convert twelve existing fortresses into cities, which was adopted by Emperor Renzong of Song."

"Li Yuanhao marched into Weizhou, and Han Qi ordered Ren Fu to lead his troops to attack, but they fell into Li Yuanhao's feigned defeat."

"We encountered an ambush by the Xixia army in Haoshuichuan, and the entire army was annihilated, with more than 10,000 soldiers lost, and 16 generals including Ren Fu were killed in the battle."

"Due to the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Haoshuichuan, Song Renzong demoted Fan Zhongyan, but he still held the responsibilities of the Deputy Envoy of Shaanxi's Economic and Pacification Office."

"Fan Zhongyan rewarded the Qiang tribes in the name of the court and signed a treaty with strict rewards and punishments, which thwarted Li Yuanhao's plan to recruit the Qiang people as guides."

"At the same time, Fan Zhongyan continued his strategic thinking and built Dashun City in the northwest of Qingzhou to block the invasion path of the Western Xia army."

"During his time in the northwest, Fan Zhongyan clearly distinguished between rewards and punishments, used appropriate strategies, enforced discipline, and cared for his soldiers."

"Huairou border tribes have built a solid border defense line, leaving Xixia no chance to take advantage."

"Because Li Yuanhao requested peace talks, the situation on the northwestern border of the Northern Song Dynasty began to ease, and Song Renzong recalled Fan Zhongyan to the capital again and appointed him as the Deputy Privy Envoy."

"After Fan Zhongyan was appointed as the Vice Prime Minister, Emperor Renzong of Song summoned Fan Zhongyan and others many times to ask about their views on reform."

"Fan Zhongyan then wrote "Answering the Imperial Edict and Suggesting Ten Issues" and submitted it to Emperor Renzong of Song."

"These ten reform guidelines involve the bureaucratic system, military system, tax system, political atmosphere and other aspects."

"Song Renzong, after careful consideration, adopted all the proposals except the restoration of the Fubing system."

"In order to further promote the reform policy, Fan Zhongyan once again submitted a memorial to promote military reform."

"At the same time, he petitioned to expand the power of the prime minister, giving himself the power to manage military affairs and taxes, and appointing assistant ministers to be in charge of military affairs and official promotions."

"Due to the unanimous opposition of veteran minister Zhang Dexiang and others, Song Renzong finally gave only Fan Zhongyan the power of justice."

"Because Fan Zhongyan's new policy reforms touched upon the collective interests of the Northern Song bureaucracy, such as abolishing the right to favor relatives and friends and strengthening the scrutiny of bureaucrats."

"The new policy was met with collective opposition from the bureaucracy, and Fan Zhongyan began to consider resigning."

"Fan Zhongyan was unable to perform his duties in the harsh border environment due to illness, so he submitted a petition requesting to be transferred to the post of governor of Dengzhou and relieved of his duties as pacification envoy of the four routes, which was approved by Song Renzong."

"With Fan Zhongyan's demotion, the Qingli New Deal, which lasted for more than a year, was declared a failure and its policies were basically terminated."

"When Fan Zhongyan took office in Dengzhou, he was concerned about the lack of learning in the area, so he specially planned to build Baihuazhou and Huazhou Academy in an effort to revive culture and education."

"At the request of his good friend Teng Zijing, the governor of Baling County, Fan Zhongyan wrote a prose for the reconstruction of Yueyang Tower, namely "Yueyang Tower Record".

"Fan Zhongyan was transferred to Hangzhou as the prefect. His sons and disciples wanted to buy land in Hangzhou for him to enjoy his old age, but Fan Zhongyan refused."

"In October of the same year, Fan Zhongyan used his own money to purchase 1,000 acres of land and used it to establish the Fan Family Charity House to help the poor among his clan."

"Fan Zhongyan died of illness in Xuzhou on his way to Yingzhou to take up his post at the age of 62."

"Song Renzong had already paid attention to Fan Zhongyan when he was ill, and often sent people to deliver medicine and comfort him."

"After Fan Zhongyan passed away, Song Renzong was deeply saddened and sent envoys to comfort Fan Zhongyan's family. He personally wrote an inscription on Fan Zhongyan's tomb and posthumously awarded Fan Zhongyan the title of Minister of War and the posthumous title of Wenzheng."

"Because Fan Zhongyan was posthumously named Wenzheng, he was granted the title of Duke, and was also known as Fan Wenzheng Gong."

Wen Tianxiang: Fate gave Fan Zhongyan a bad hand, but he used it to play out the winning numbers many times.

The great victory on the border battlefield finally made Fan Zhongyan highly valued by Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty.

With the emperor's approval and the recommendation of all officials.

Fan Zhongyan was promoted to the position of councilor and governor, and was appointed deputy prime minister, and his political ambitions finally had the opportunity to be realized.

The grand Qingli New Deal thus kicked off, and Fan Zhongyan proposed ten new policies to Emperor Renzong.

These new policies benefited the people and the Northern Song Dynasty, but they were aimed at court officials.

As a result, all these vested interests opposed the new policy and even slandered Fan Zhongyan for forming a clique for personal gain.

Ultimately, it was the New Policies of Qingli that changed the decline of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Surrounded by vested interests in the Northern Song officialdom, the campaign ended in failure and Fan Zhongyan was exiled from the capital.

In the sixth year of the Qingli period, when Fan Zhongyan was serving in Dengzhou, Henan, he received a letter from his close friend and political ally Teng Zijing.

During the period when Teng Zijing was exiled to Yueyang, after rebuilding the Yueyang Tower, he wanted to ask his good friend Fan Zhongyan to write an fu to be engraved on the Yueyang Tower, and attach a painting of "Dongting Lake in Late Autumn".

Although Fan Zhongyan never visited Yueyang Tower in person, he wrote the famous article "Yueyang Tower Inscription" based on "Dongting Lake Late Autumn".

Among them, the famous quotes that have been passed down to this day have inspired generation after generation of pioneers who have served the country and the people.

Not pleased, not to have compassion.

If one is in a high position in government, one will worry about the people; if one is far away in the world, one will worry about the king.

If we advance, we are worried; if we retreat, we are worried. Then when can we be happy?
He must say: Worry about the world before you worry about yourself, and be happy after the world is happy.

In fact, this passage is the best interpretation of Fan Zhongyan's life.

When he was in the midst of hardship, he did not become frustrated and depressed; when his grand ambitions were realized, he did not show off.

When he was in high office and held an important position in the imperial court, he never forgot to worry about the people.

When he was exiled away from the court, he did not forget to worry about the court.

All his joys, sorrows, worries and happiness were not affected by his personal gains and losses, but were all dependent on the rise and fall of the world.

Throughout Fan Zhongyan's life, he was born in a poor family but became a nobleman, and a mere scholar had the ability to command 100,000 soldiers.

As an orphan from a poor family, he was abandoned by his clan.

However, he was not defeated by the hardships. Instead, he studied hard and eventually passed the imperial examination.

As a low-ranking official, my influence does not count.

However, he did not become depressed and idle. Instead, he handled cases with integrity and founded a college.

He even rebuilt the seawall to save the people from disaster.

He is a scholar with gray hair.

However, he was not afraid of death, but shouldered the heavy responsibility.

He was able to lead the Song army to expel foreign invasions and protect his country.

As the prime minister of the dynasty, he was demoted after his reform failed.

However, he did not blame others or become depressed.

Instead, he composed a masterpiece that will last forever, which is about not being happy with things or sad with oneself, worrying about the people when in a high position and worrying about the king when far away in the world.

Fan Zhongyan's life was full of blooming the most splendid flowers in the most difficult circumstances.

Fan Zhongyan spent his entire life building paths through mountains and bridges over rivers to find a way out of desperate situations.

Fan Zhongyan's whole life was spent creating infinite possibilities in absolutely impossible and desperate situations. (End of this chapter)