Fang Xiaoru

Fang Xiaoru

Fang Xiaoru (1357-july 25, 1402) was named Xunzhi (Xizhi), Xunzhi (Xigu), Xunzhi (Xunzhi). Because his hometown belonged to Goucheng, he was called "Mr. Goucheng". When he was a professor in Hanzhong Prefecture, King Xian of Shu gave him the name of "Zhengxue", also known as "Mr. Zhengxue", a native of Ninghai County, Taizhou Prefecture, Zhejiang Province. Ministers, scholars, writers, Essayists and thinkers of Ming Dynasty.

Fang Xiaoru was clever, studious, alert and agile when he was young. When he grew up, he was respected by his peers as a great Confucian Song Lian. In 1398, when Emperor Huidi ascended to the throne after the death of emperor Hongwu, he called Fang Xiaoru to Beijing and entrusted him with important tasks. He successively appointed him as an official lecturer and a scholar of the Imperial Academy. Zhu Di, the king of Yan, vowed to fight "Jingnan" and sent his troops south to the capital. Emperor Hui also sent troops to the northern expedition. At that time, the imperial edicts against King Yan were written by Fang Xiaoru. In May of the fourth year of Jianwen (1402), when the king of Yan came to Beijing, most of the civil and military officials turned their sails and surrendered to the king of Yan. Fang Xiaoru refused to surrender and was arrested.

Later, because Zhu Di refused to draft an imperial edict to ascend the throne for Zhu Di, the king of Yan, who launched the "Jingnan campaign", Zhu Di destroyed ten ethnic groups, a total of 873 people. Fang Xiaoru endured his grief and never gave in. He was killed by Shi lingchi at the age of 46 outside the gate of Jubao in Nanjing. Emperor Hongguang of the Southern Ming Dynasty was named Wenzheng.

(picture source: Qing Dynasty < / I > < I > GU Jianlong < / I > < I > painting the portrait of Fang Xiaoru < / I > < I >) < / I > < I >)

Life of the characters

Early experience

Fang Xiaoru, a native of Ninghai, Taizhou Prefecture, was named Xizhi and Xigu. Fang Keqin, his father, was a law-abiding official in the Hongwu Period. He had his own biography in the history of Ming Dynasty. Fang Xiaoru was very alert and agile when he was a child. His eyes were bright. He read more than an inch every day. Villagers call him "little Han Yu". He studied with Song Lian as an adult, and Song Lian's famous scholars were not as good as him. Even Hu Han and Su Boheng, the predecessors, think they are inferior. On the contrary, Fang Xiaoru despised the knowledge of literary writing, and often took it as his duty to declare the way of benevolence and justice to govern the world and achieve the peace of the times. He was sick in bed and his family was cut off from food. The servant reported the situation to him, and he said with a smile: "the ancients ate only nine times in 30 days, and poverty bothered not only my family!" Fang Keqin, his father, was executed because he was convicted of "empty seal". He supported the coffin to return to his hometown for burial. His grief moved the people on the way.

Stepping into official career

In 1382, he was summoned by Zhu Yuanzhang on the recommendation of Wu Chen and Jieshu. When Zhu Yuanzhang appreciated his solemn manner, he said to the crown prince Zhu Biao, "this is a man of dignified conduct. You should use him until you get old." Then he was sent home by courtesy. Later, he was accused by his enemies and arrested in Beijing. When Zhu Yuanzhang saw his name on the file, he released him.

In the 25th year of Hongwu (1392), he was called to the court because of other people's recommendation. Zhu Yuanzhang said, "now is not the time to appoint Fang Xiaoru." He was given the post of professor in Hanzhong and taught to the students every day without any tiredness. Zhu Chun, king of Shu Xian, heard about Fang Xiaoru's reputation and hired him to be his son's teacher. Every time he met, he told his son about morality. King Xian of Shu respected him with special courtesy and named the cottage where he studied as "Zhengxue".

When Zhu Yunwen ascended to the throne, he was called to serve as an official of the Imperial Academy. The next year, he was promoted to be a poet and a lecturer. The emperor asked him about the important political affairs of the country. Zhu Yunwen likes to read books. Whenever he encounters difficulties, he is summoned to explain them to him. When Zhu Yunwen faced the court and decided whether the ministers' face-to-face discussion could be carried out, he sometimes ordered Fang Xiaoru to answer the documents before the screen. At that time, Fang Xiaoru was the president of Taizu Shilu and Lei Yao. When the official system was changed, Fang Xiaoru's official position was changed to doctor of literature. Zhu Di, the king of Yan, sent troops to the south. The imperial court agreed to launch a crusade. The imperial edicts and proclamations were written by Fang Xiaoru.

Assist Jianwen

In the third year of Jianwen (1401), the Yan army raided Daming mansion. When Zhu Di heard that Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng had already fled, he wrote to Zhu Yunwen asking Sheng Yong, Wu Jie and Ping'an to stop their military operations. Fang Xiaoru suggested: "Yan army has been stationed in Daming Prefecture for a long time. It's hot and rainy, so they should not be tired. He immediately ordered the generals of Liaodong to enter Shanhaiguan and attack Yongping mansion. The generals of Zhending mansion crossed Lugou Bridge and directly attacked Beiping. King Yan would surely return to the army for rescue. After we follow King Yan with a large number of troops, we can achieve the result of capturing him. Now that his instruments have just arrived, we should give a reply for the time being. If the instruments go back and forth for more than one month, his soldiers will be slack. It will not be very difficult for us to agree on a joint attack posture and then eliminate the Yan army. " Zhu Yunwen agreed. He ordered Fang Xiaoru to draft an imperial edict, and sent Xue Yan, the young minister of Dali temple, to ride a horse to answer the king of Yan. He completely pardoned the king of Yan's crimes and let him return to his territory. Then he wrote down the Edict and handed it to Xue Yan in thousands of words. He took it to the Yan army and distributed it to all the soldiers in secret. When Xue Yan came to the Yan army, he hid the Edict and did not dare to show it to the soldiers. The king of Yan did not honor the edict.

In May of the third year of Jianwen (1401), Wu Jie, Ping'an and Sheng Yong sent troops to disrupt the transportation line of grain and rates of the Yan army. Zhu Di sent his commander Wu Sheng to write to Zhu Yunwen to appeal his previous request. Zhu Yunwen wanted to agree. Fang Xiaoru said, "if the army stops fighting at this time, it will be difficult to concentrate again. May the emperor not be confused by the king of Yan." Zhu Yunwen killed Wu shenglai and refused Zhu Di's request. Before long, Yan soldiers looted Peixian county and burned the grain boats. At this time, the troops fighting against Hebei were tired and ineffective, and the way to transport grain and pay in Dezhou was cut off, which made Fang Xiaoru deeply worried. Because Zhu gaochi, Zhu Di's son, is kind-hearted, his younger brother, Zhu gaoxu, is cunning and treacherous. He is also favored by Zhu Di. He once wanted to seize the position of his son. Fang Xiaoru planned to alienate them and cause internal chaos. So he reported this proposal to Zhu Yunwen and sent a thousand families of the royal guards, Zhang an, to Peiping to give Yan Shizi a letter with the emperor's seal. The prince received the letter without unsealing, and sent it with Zhang an to the army of the king of Yan. Fang Xiaoru's estrangement strategy could not be carried out.

In May of the fourth year of Jianwen (1402), the Yan army arrived in Jiangbei, and Zhu Yunwen issued an imperial edict to collect troops from all over the country. "It's too urgent," Fang said. Send someone to make a promise to the king of Yan by cutting the land. After a few days' delay, the conscripted troops in the southeast will gradually gather. The northern army is not good at riding boats and bowing. It's hard to know whether it will win or lose. " Zhu Yunwen sent Princess Qingcheng, the cousin of the king of Yan, to the army of the king of Yan to state the conditions of secession and peace negotiation, but the king of Yan did not listen. Zhu Yunwen ordered the generals to mobilize the water forces on the river, while Chen Zhen led the warships to surrender to Zhu Di, and Yan's army crossed the Yangtze River on the day of Yimao in June. Zhu Yunwen was worried and afraid. Some people advised him to go to other places to seek revival. Fang Xiaoru insisted on guarding the city of Nanjing for reinforcements. Even if it didn't succeed, he should die for the country. On the second Chou day, the gate of Jinchuan was opened, Yan's army entered the city, and Zhu Yunwen set himself on fire. On this day, Fang Xiaoru was also arrested in prison.

Be killed

At the beginning, when Zhu Di led his army to set out from Peiping, Yao Guangxiao entrusted Fang Xiaoru to Zhu Di, saying, "on the day of the capture of Nanjing City, he will not surrender, hoping not to kill him. If you kill Fang Xiaoru, the seeds of reading will be extinct. " Zhu Di nodded.

At this point, Zhu Di wanted Fang Xiaoru to draft an imperial edict to ascend the throne. Fang Xiaoru was summoned to the imperial court, and the voice of mourning rang all over the hall. Zhu Di went down to bed to comfort him and said, "don't worry about yourself, sir. My plan is just to follow the way that Duke Zhou assisted Cheng Wang." Fang Xiaoru asked, "where is king Cheng of Zhou?" Zhu Di replied, "he burned himself to death." Fang Xiaoru asked again, "why don't you make him king's son?" Zhu Di said: "the country depends on the adult monarch." Fang Xiaoru said, "why don't you become Wang's younger brother?" Zhu Di replied, "it's our Zhu family's business." Turning around, he motioned to the waiter to grant Fang Xiaoru a pen and paper, and said, "it's up to you, sir, to draft the imperial edict." Fang Xiaoru threw his pen to the ground and cried and scolded: "if you die, you will die. I will never draft an imperial edict." In anger, Zhu Di ordered Fang Xiaoru's car to be split in the market. On June 25th, the fourth year of Jianwen (July 25th, 1402), Fang Xiaoru generously went to die and said, "heaven has brought down war and trouble. Who knows the reason? The treacherous officials have fulfilled their wishes and sought for state power and played tricks. Zhongzheng's ministers are angry and sad, and their blood and tears are flowing. What else can they ask for when they die for the king? It's probably not my complaint. " He was 46 years old. Liao Yong, the grandson of Deqing Marquis Liao Yongzhong, and his younger brother Liao Ming collected his remains and buried them in the mountain outside the Jubao gate.

Fang Xiaoru had a brother, Fang Xiaowen. He devoted himself to learning and had a good manner. He died before Fang Xiaoru. Fang Xiaoyou, his younger brother, went to the execution ground with Fang Xiaoru and wrote a poem to die. His wife, Zheng Shi, and two sons, Zhong Xian and Zhong Yu, hanged themselves in advance, and their two daughters drowned in the Qinhuai River.

Since then, Fang Xiaoru's works have also been listed as forbidden books. During the Yongle period, all book collectors were condemned to death. However, some people risked their lives to hide it, such as Hou Cheng Ji, which made Fang Xiaoru's articles handed down to the world.

Things behind me

After Zhu gaochi, the emperor of Mingren, ascended the throne, he ordered the Ministry of Rites: "all the officials of Jianwen Dynasty have been executed. Their families became official slaves, and they were released to the people and their fields were returned. Only one of his relatives was left in the garrison, and the rest were released to return home. "

In March of the 13th year of Wanli (1558), he was released

Chinese PinYin : Fang Xiao Ru