History
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Wang Ceng (978–1038AD) was a renowned prime minister and poet of the Northern Song dynasty. As prime minister, Wang Ceng never made a public show of either promoting or dismissing officials, to the extent that people were unaware of which individuals had been appointed or dismissed at his behest. The statesman Fan Zhongyan once said…
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In the history book “Zuo Zhuan”, under “Duke Xiang, Year 25” , there is the phrase “崔杼弑其君” (Cui Zhu murdered his sovereign), referring to an event in the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period, in which a minister murdered his ruler. To faithfully document this event, three official historians paid with their…
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During the Spring and Autumn period, a severe famine struck the State of Qi. A wealthy man named Qian Ao placed some food by the roadside to give to the starving people. One day, a famished man came shuffling along, covering his face with his sleeve and dragging his feet. Seeing this, Qian Ao held…
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The words 高山流水 (High Mountains and Flowing Water) and 知音 (Kindred Spirit) derive from this anecdote. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Yu Boya, a high-ranking official of the State of Jin, was on a diplomatic mission to the State of Chu when, whilst travelling by boat, he passed the mouth of the Han River…
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Fan Li was a minister of the State of Yue during the Spring and Autumn period. He helped King Goujian of Yue defeat the State of Wu (described in the idiom story “Sleeping on Brushwood and Tasting Gall”). Later, he retired from politics and went into business, changed his name to Tao Zhu Gong and…
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There was a prime minister during the Song Dynasty named Lü Mengzheng. He came from a very humble background but eventually rose to the position. On his first day attending court, civil and military officials stood in two lines as Lü Mengzheng led the way toward the emperor. Someone in the line pointed at him…