Fang Zongcheng

Fang Zongcheng

Fang Zongcheng (1818-1888), a scholar of Qing Dynasty, was one of the famous scholars of Tongcheng school. Cunzhi is a native of Tongcheng, Anhui Province. He was a magistrate of Zaoqiang County. He was a scholar of Cheng and Zhu. He built Zhengyi lecture hall and Jingyi Academy. He collected all kinds of students' lectures, including complete works of Botang and zhixuelu. This portrait of Fang Zongcheng was painted by the people of Qing Dynasty.

Life of the characters

Fang Zongcheng was born in a Confucian family. His father, Fang Song, moved from Lu Chen to Maohe in the western suburb of the county, where he lived in bamboo fences, thatched cottages and coarse food. Zong Cheng had little ambition. He read aloud from Jia Taifu and famous articles of Tang and Song dynasties. After learning from Xu Yufeng and following Fang Dongshu, the elder brother of the teacher family, he read the words of Confucianism in the song and Yuan Dynasties. During the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, he stayed away from Lushan Mountain and did not give up lectures. The book "waiting for life record" studies the time, personnel and the source of chaos. It holds that the way for literati to cultivate their moral character, deal with affairs and be in charge of politics lies in the principle of guiding principles, clarifying learning, selecting talents and being effective in the world. When Huoshan Wu Zhuru was appointed as the governor of Shandong Province, he got the "waiting for life record" from his friend Fang Lusheng, and wrote the main contents to the scholars of the University. The book was mainly about Confucian classics. Fang Zongcheng is famous for this. Zeng Guofan and Hu Wenzhong, who admired their names, were all employed with courtesy, but they were not accepted. In the first year of tongzhi (1862), Yan Shusen, the governor of Henan Province, responded to the imperial edict to explain the general plan of governing the country. Fang Zongcheng entered the curtain of Yan and played many of his hands. Later Zeng Guofan was the governor of Zhili and recommended Fang Zongcheng as the magistrate of Zaoqiang County. Li Hongzhang succeeded the governor and had close contacts with Fang Zongcheng.

Fang Zongcheng knew Zaoqiang County for ten years. He established rural schools, promoted academies, reorganized sacrificial rites, engraved the posthumous works of local sages, compiled local chronicles, set up granaries, and stored grain for famine. In case of disasters, timely investigation of the disaster, and the disaster situation in neighboring counties, truthfully report, do not avoid suspicion. He repeatedly asked Li Hongzhang to play a role in exempting the country from money and grain debts. Although it is a government and a county, all his thoughts and statements are grand plans, which are related to the overall situation. Li Hongzhang adopted them and implemented them. At that time, the governor of Shenzhou had made great achievements in traveling, learning, reducing taxes and levies. At that time, people praised you and Fang as "Shenzhou nomadic Zaoqiang Fang Ling" to show their respect.

Fang Zongcheng is a man of great stature. In 1880, he resigned from his official post and went to seclusion. He traveled with Peng Yulin in Hengyang to Shizhong and kuanglu, and stood on the Bank of the Yangtze River to talk about the past and the present. Passers by all admire its style. In 1887, Guiheng, the Minister of Anhui Academy, praised Fang Zongcheng for his knowledge and sentiment, and granted him the title of five grade minister. Fang Zongcheng inherited Tongcheng School of literature, and wrote 33 volumes of Zhujing Shuo Du, 92 volumes of Botang Ji, Huoming Lu, Zhixue Lu, reading notes, handouts, and Botang Shiyou Ji. He also wrote and edited dozens of books.

Anecdotes of characters

Fang Zongcheng is an important writer in the later period of Tongcheng school. Zeng Guofan politely appointed him as the shogunate, and he declined. Later, Zeng Guofan came to Anqing and asked him to revise the record of loyalty and righteousness of the two rivers, but he agreed. The success of the book was greatly appreciated by Zeng Guofan. Before long, Zeng Guofan moved to Zhili and recommended Fang Zongcheng as magistrate of Zaoqiang County.

Fang Zongcheng was magistrate of Zaoqiang County for ten years, and his political voice was quite good. Later governor Li Hongzhang also praised him. When he left office and went home, the subordinate officials and the common people saw each other off. He had nothing but the four top pick-up books.

When he got home, his son Shouyi sorted out his books for him. He was shocked to find that there were many gold and silver flakes in his father's manuscripts. Fang Zongcheng was ashamed. His son asked again and again, but he couldn't say a word for a long time. He saw his son looking at the gold and silver flakes in tears, had to tell the story. He didn't want to take it, but it was very kind of him. Besides supporting his family and family, his salary was used to help some poor local students. He had no money to print dozens of volumes, such as "waiting for fate" and "Zhi Xue Lu". He said to his son, "I have been an official for my father for ten years, and I have never embezzled any money. I want to use the silver as a gift for printing books. " Shou Yi listened and said, "my father is poor. As an official, wealth lies on one side. The use of gift gold and silver to print one's own moral articles not only eclipses the articles, but also pollutes the smell of copper. Can the son still read his father's articles in the future? Please think twice! "

After hearing his son's words, Fang Zongcheng woke up and asked his son what to do with the gold and silver? Shouyi said decisively, "my father is determined to start school and cultivate talents. Why not send him back to Zaoqiang to help run the school!" Fang Zongcheng looked at his son and said happily, "there are successors in Fang's family. It's hopeful to protect the family style of Qingmen!" my teacher, Mr. Wu Mengfu, told me that Ma Qichang's biography of the old is not included. This is a supplement, which not only does no harm to Fang Zongcheng, but also benefits the present life think.

Chinese PinYin : Fang Zong Cheng