Zhao Fang, a famous minister of the Southern Song Dynasty. Originally a Confucian scholar, he ended up guarding the border for ten years as a general and commander. The Jin army repeatedly invaded the Southern Song border, but he was the only one to guard the western part of the capital, the Jin soldiers failed in their attacks and did not dare to commit further crimes.
It is said that Zhao Fang’s appearance is quite odd. Two eyes, one high and one low, one eye can see the sky, one eye can view the earth. People were in awe of his appearance and did not dare to look up when they saw him.
A Confucian scholar who never forgot his benefactor
In the eighth year of Emperor Xiaozong’s reign (1181), Zhao Fang passed the last level of the imperial examination and obtained a scholarship. After that, he visited the great lyricist Xin Qiji. The two of them talked freely for three days about the way to use the army and the strategy of governing the country. Xin Qiji happily said to his wife, “I have recently met a young man of outstanding talent, but it is a pity that I have no gift for him.”
The lady took out ten ends of silk and gave them to him, so he gave them to Zhao Fang for the expenses of the long trip. At the same time, he also handed him a few letters. Zhao Fang took a look at them, and they were all letters of recommendation to the governors of various places.
In the year of Xin Qiji’s death, when Zhao Fang went to serve in Jinghu, Xin Qiji’s son happened to be attached to his official office. Zhao Fang treated Xin Zi very strictly. Sometimes Xin Zi could not stand it and returned home to cry to his mother.
At the end of his three-year term, Xin Zi said goodbye to Zhao Fang. Zhao Fang invited him to stay for one more day, held a banquet for him, and invited Xin Zi and his mother to come with him.
Zhao Fang said to Xin’s mother and Xin Zi, “For three years, it is not that I have been too mean to your son. I had previously received a great favor from Lord Xin, so I was worried that your son might be proud of this and neglect his official duties. Now I have taken care of him, and he can apply for a new official position with these seven letters of recommendation to the governors of various ministries.” Only then did it dawn on Xinzi.
The gods’ rituals were used to relieve the disaster, and the customs were removed to promote learning.
Zhao Fang was in charge of Suizhou when Song and Jin were negotiating peace. In that year, there was a drought and a locust disaster. Zhao Fang personally presided over the rituals and worshipped the gods of heaven and earth and the four directions. The drought was relieved by heavy rain that night, and the locusts were all drowned. The cereal harvest that year was very good.
Zhao Fang was the professor of Daning Supervisor and found that there were many bad customs in the area. Zhao Fang personally selected well-qualified students and instructed them personally. Under his tutelage, the local people’s style changed and the learning style rose, and some students began to be successful in the examinations.
Traditionally, rent collection and penalties were a tricky matter for the county magistrate. Zhao Fang knew a lot about rent collection and punishment. When he was governing Qingyang County, he talked with his superior Shi Yiyuan about the way of governance, saying, “If you don’t disturb the people by collecting rent, you will appease them in collecting rent; if you don’t make mistakes in punishment, then you will be educated in punishment.”
Guarding the border, it was difficult for the Jin army to invade
After Song and Jin reached the “Jiading peace agreement”, the border guards gradually relaxed military preparations, only Zhao Fang pay attention to military matters, recruiting soldiers to select generals, supervising the training of soldiers, in order to prepare for emergencies.
After the rise of the Mongolian army, Jin Xuanzong Wan Yan Xun was forced by the Mongolian military might, defeated one after another. Zhao Fang thought of the current situation, the Jin dynasty will definitely move south. He ordered people to build forts in the east and west of Jingmen dangerous areas, increasing the number of troops to defend the stronghold, just in case.
As Zhao Fang expected, the Jin Dynasty could not defeat the Mongolian army and decided to invade south. The Jin general “Wan Yan Saibu” led an army of 100,000 and invaded the Southern Song border. Zhao Fang deployed his generals and defeated the Jin army many times.
Zhao Fang was a Confucian scholar and knew how to use the military. He guarded the border for ten years, always using war as defense, so that the government and the people’s army were united as one. The Southern Song Dynasty was repeatedly invaded by Jin soldiers, and the area around the western part of the capital, where Zhao Fang was guarding, was like a solid barrier, keeping the Jin soldiers out of the western part of the capital. With Zhao Fang on guard, the Jin soldiers did not dare to invade and called him “Grandpa Zhao”.
Facts
History of the Song Dynasty, Volume 403
Compilation of Anecdotes of Song People, Volume 18
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