Writers › Writer / Poet

Zeng Gong

Northern Song prose writer from Nanfeng who collated books in the imperial library, governed a string of prefectures and ended his career drafting edicts in the secretariat

Also known as Zi Zigu · Nanfeng Xiansheng · Wen Ding

Zeng Gong, courtesy name Zigu, of Nanfeng in Jianchang, was known for his prose before he was twenty, and Ouyang Xiu took him up after reading his essays. After passing the metropolitan examination in 1057 he collated books in the Historiography Institute and the imperial libraries. In the provinces he abolished an irregular levy in Yuezhou, broke a local strongman and set up mutual-watch groups against bandits in Qizhou, and went on to govern Xiang, Hong, Fu, Ming, Bo and Cang. Emperor Shenzong later kept him at court to merge two official dynastic histories, a task left unfinished; under the new bureaucratic system he became a drafting official in the Secretariat, and he died in 1083 aged sixty-five. He had introduced the young Wang Anshi to Ouyang Xiu, yet told Shenzong that Wang was bold in action but slow to admit mistakes. His works were collected as Yuanfeng leigao, and Mao Kun's Ming anthology of eight Tang and Song prose masters counted him among the eight.

Life and times

  1. 1019 CEBornSong
  2. 1083 CEDied

Works

  1. Literature · Prose27
    1. Record of the Ink PoolSongZeng Gong's record of Wang Xizhi's ink pool at Linchuan, on skill and virtue won by effort
    2. Letter to Secretariat Drafter OuyangSongZeng Gong thanks Drafter Ouyang for his grandfather's epitaph and says what makes one true
    3. Preface Presented to the Two Scholars Li and AnSongZeng Gong's parting words to two Shu scholars mocked as impractical: keep to the Way
    4. On the Tang DynastySongZeng Gong weighs Tang Taizong: the best ruler in a thousand years, still short of the old kings
    5. Preface to the Table of Contents of the Stratagems of the Warring StatesSongRestoring the Warring States stratagems, Zeng Gong argues laws may change but the Way is one
    6. +22 more
      1. Preface to the Table of Contents of New NarrativesSongEditing Liu Xiang's New Narratives, Zeng Gong mourns the old Way lost among rival schools
      2. Preface to the Table of Contents of the Biographies of Exemplary WomenSongZeng Gong edits the Biographies of Exemplary Women: good rule begins with one's own conduct
      3. Preface to the Table of Contents of Xu Gan's Balanced DiscoursesSongZeng Gong finds the court copy of Xu Gan's Balanced Discourses incomplete and honours Xu
      4. Preface to the Collected Memorials of Fan GuanzhiSongZeng Gong prefaces the censor Fan Shidao's memorials and praises Renzong's open-minded rule
      5. Postface to the Collected Works of My Late GrandfatherSongZeng Gong on his grandfather, a bold critic of ministers whom the court never fully used
      6. Preface to the Academicians' Farewell Poems for Qian Chunlao Going to Govern WuzhouSongZeng Gong on the academicians' farewell poems for Qian Chunlao and the custom behind them
      7. Written after the Biography of Wei Zheng, Duke of ZhengSongReading Wei Zheng's life, Zeng Gong argues remonstrance belongs in the record, not the fire
      8. Memorial Presented at Court When Passing the Capital on Transfer to CangzhouSongPassing the capital, Zeng Gong praises the Song emperors and urges the throne to stay watchful
      9. Letter of Thanks to Chancellor DuSongHis mourning over, Zeng Gong thanks Chancellor Du for helping bring his father's coffin home
      10. Preface Seeing Off Zhou of the State Farms BureauSongZeng Gong consoles a retiring official: the old honours for elders are gone, but freedom stays
      11. Preface Seeing Off Jiang RenSongZeng Gong weighs posts far from home against posts near it, as Jiang Ren goes to Fengcheng
      12. Preface Seeing Off Fu Xianglao to Be Magistrate of Rui'anSongZeng Gong sends a poor, principled scholar to govern Rui'an, fearing his old ways will not fit
      13. Record of the County School of YihuangSongZeng Gong hails a county school built after the state schools lapsed, and how antiquity taught
      14. Record of the Prefectural School of JunzhouSongZeng Gong marks a new school by weighing the scholars of Han against those of his day
      15. Record of the Shrine Hall of Xu RuziSongZeng Gong builds a shrine to the Han recluse Xu Zhi and asks when a good man should serve
      16. Record of the Long Canal of Yicheng County in XiangzhouSongZeng Gong records an ancient war canal restored to water fields, and why it could be restored
      17. Record of Lord Zhao's Famine Relief at YuezhouSongZeng Gong sets down how Zhao Bian fed the hungry and nursed the sick of Yue in drought
      18. Record of the Terrace That Rivals Mount XianSongZeng Gong records a terrace on Fuzhou's wall, its river and hills, and a peaceful people
      19. Record of the Rebuilt Drum and Horn Tower of Guangde CommanderySongZeng Gong records the gate tower that two successive governors raised for Guangde Commandery
      20. Record of the Study HutSongZeng Gong looks back on years of travel and family cares and settles to study in a hut
      21. Record of the Two Halls at QizhouSongZeng Gong names two guest halls at Qizhou after Mount Li and the source of the Luo
      22. Preface to the Map of Mirror Lake in YuezhouSongZeng Gong maps the dying Mirror Lake of Yue and blames unenforced laws for its loss
  2. Literature · Sayings1
    1. Won by Effort, Not Given by Heaven: Zeng Gong's Ink PondSongFamous line from Zeng Gong's Record of the Ink Pond: Wang Xizhi's skill was earned