Fu Bi
Fu Bi (Chinese: 富弼; Wade–Giles: Fu Pi; 1004-1083),[1] courtesy name Yanguo (彥國), was a native of Henan Prefecture (modern-day eastern Luoyang, Henan). He was a statesman and literary figure of the Northern Song dynasty. He had a long official career serving various high-ranking roles during the reigns of three emperors and held the position of grand chancellor under both Emperor Renzong and Emperor Shenzong.
Fu was a key figure, alongside Fan Zhongyan, in the Qingli Reforms, a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening the administration of the Song dynasty.[2] He was also the son-in-law of Yan Shu, a renowned statesman and ci poet. By the Southern Song dynasty, Emperor Lizong recognized Fu Bi as one of the 24 accomplished statesmen (昭勋阁二十四功臣), placing him in the company of notable ministers such as Han Qi and Sima Guang.
Career
[edit]Under Emperor Renzong and Yingzong
[edit]In the second year of the Qingli era under Emperor Renzong (1042), Fu Bi was sent as an envoy to the Khitan Liao dynasty. Following Emperor Renzong's instructions, he successfully convinced Liao to drop the demand for territorial concessions by agreeing to an increase in the annual tribute.[3] The following year, he was appointed Vice Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs (枢密副使, shumi fushi). Alongside Fan Zhongyan and others, he was a major proponent of the Qingli Reforms. He co-authored the ten-point memorial in 1043 with Fan, the agenda of reform proposals.[4]
The reforms were unable to withstand backlash from established career bureaucrats or secure the full trust and support of Emperor Renzong. Allegations of factionalism and potential plotting against the emperor particularly targeting Fu Bi, plagued the reformer group.[5]
In the fifth year of the Qingli era (1045), Fu Bi was sidelined upon the failure of Qingli Reforms and demoted to regional posts as the administrator of Yunzhou and Qingzhou (modern-day Yidu, Shandong).[6] At that time, Hebei was struck by severe flooding, leading to widespread displacement of refugees. The number of refugees reached six to seven hundred thousand. After taking office, Fu Bi collected food from local officials and residents and supplemented with government stock. The sick and the elderly were provided for. Refugees were also allowed to freely harvest from mountains, forests, and ponds to sustain themselves. Those who died were buried in mass graves called "communal tombs". Through this disaster relief initiative, Fu Bi saved more than 500,000 lives and recruited over 10,000 refugees into the military.[7]
In the second year of the Zhihe era (1055), he served as chancellor alongside Wen Yanbo.[8]
In 1061, Fu resigned due to the death of his mother. In 1063, when Emperor Yingzong ascended the throne, Fu Bi was recalled to serve as the Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs. However, he requested to down again citing his foot ailment and was subsequently granted the noble title "Duke of Zheng." [6][9]
Role in border affairs
[edit]Fu Bi served as an envoy to the Liao dynasty on multiple occasions and was highly attentive to the situation with the Western Xia. He recognized that the Liao was "truly powerful" and that the Western Xia was "growing stronger by the day." Unlike the tribal peoples of antiquity, these groups had become formidable rivals to the Central Plains civilization. In Fu Bi's view, the strength of the Liao and Western Xia lay in their occupation of agrarian regions and their effective use of Han Chinese talents and resources. As he observed:[10]
"They have seized Han Chinese land, adopted Han titles, emulated Han administrative structures, employed Han talent, studied Han literature, used Han vehicles and attire, and implemented Han laws. In these ways, both of these adversaries have become comparable to the Han China, while their armies and commanders outperform us. What we possesses, they have completely acquired, and in areas where they excel, we falls short."
Leveraging his profound understanding of the relationships among the Song, Liao, and Western Xia, Fu Bi helped the Song Dynasty pry apart the Liao-Xia alliance, contributing to the eventual stabilization of the three-way power balance among the Song, Liao, and Western Xia.
Under Emperor Shenzong
[edit]In the first year of the Xining era (1068), Fu Bi was summoned to the court by Emperor Shenzong. Emperor Shenzong Zhao Xu asked him how to handle border affairs. Fu Bi replied, "Your Majesty has not been on the throne for long and should focus on spreading virtue and benevolence. I hope that for twenty years, no one will speak of war." Upon hearing this, Emperor Shenzong remained silent.[11][12]
In the second year of the Xining era (1069), when Wang Anshi was appointed as a minister to carry out the New Policies, Fu Bi was reinstated as grand chancellor. However, he opposed Wang Anshi's reforms and requested to resign again.[13] He was then appointed as the governor of Bozhou (modern-day Bo County, Anhui). Fu Bi refused to implement the New Policies, particularly the green sprouts law, stating, "The new law is something I am not acquainted with."[14] He later retired to Luoyang, continuing to petition for the abolition of the New Policies.[15]
In the sixth year of the Yuanfeng era (1083), Fu Bi passed away. Before his death, he submitted a memorial to Emperor Shenzong outlining the essentials of good governance and pointing out the flaws in the current political situation. His son, Fu Shaoting, later presented this memorial to the emperor. The memorial included a suggestion to return the encroached land in the Hehuang region to the Tibetan factions in order to promote peace and reduce military tensions.
After his death, Fu Bi was posthumously honored with the title "Wenzhong" (文忠).
References
[edit]- ^ McGrath 1946, p. 1036.
- ^ McGrath 1946, p. 316.
- ^ McGrath 1946, p. 310.
- ^ McGrath 1946, pp. 317–318.
- ^ McGrath 1946, pp. 321–322.
- ^ a b McGrath 1946, p. 339.
- ^ 《宋史》卷313《富弼传》：河朔大水，民流就食。弼劝所部民出粟，益以官廪，得公私庐舍十余万区，散处其人，以便薪水。官吏自前资、待缺、寄居者，皆赋以禄，使即民所聚，选老弱病瘠者廪之，仍书其劳，约他日为奏请受赏。率五日，辄遣人持酒肉饭糗慰藉，出于至诚，人人为尽力。山林陂泽之利可资以生者，听流民擅取。死者为大冢葬之，目曰"丛冢"。明年，麦大熟，民各以远近受粮归，凡活五十余万人，募为兵者万计。帝闻之，遣使褒劳，拜礼部侍郎。弼曰："此守臣职也。"辞不受。前此，救灾者皆聚民城郭中，为粥食之，蒸为疾疫，及相蹈藉，或待哺数日不得粥而仆，名为救之，而实杀之。自弼立法简便周尽，天下传以为式。
- ^ 龚贤明.北宋名相富弼仕履官衔系年考释[J].文史,2012(03):331-361.
- ^ 《续资治通鉴长编》卷205：（治平二年）枢密使、户部尚书、同平章事富弼累上章以疾求罢，至二十馀。上固欲留之，不可，（七月）癸亥，罢为镇海节度使、同平章事、判河阳。案宋史称判扬州、进封郑国公、亦即此时。
- ^ 《續資治通鑒長編》卷一百五十：自契丹侵取燕、薊以北，拓跋自得靈、夏以西，其間所生豪英，皆為其用。得中國土地，役中國人力，稱中國位號，仿中國官屬，任中國賢才，讀中國書籍，用中國車服，行中國法令，是二敵所為，皆與中國等。而又勁兵驍將長於中國，中國所有，彼盡得之，彼之所長，中國不及。當以中國勁敵待之，庶幾可御，豈可以上古之夷狄待二敵也？前既輕敵妄戰，不為預備，致二敵連禍，為朝廷深憂，今又欲以苟安之勢，遂為無事，二敵各獲厚利，退而養勇，不數年相應而起，則無複以金帛可啗而盟誼可納也。謹具守御策如左。
- ^ 《宋史》卷313《富弼传》：熙宁元年，徙判汝州。诏入觐，许肩舆至殿门。神宗御内东门小殿，令其子掖以进，且命毋拜，坐语，从容访以治道。弼知帝果于有为，对曰：“人主好恶，不可令人窥测；可测，则奸人得以傅会。当如天之监人，善恶皆所自取，然后诛赏随之，则功罪无不得其实矣。”又问边事，对曰：“陛下临御未久，当布德行惠，愿二十年口不言兵。”帝默然。至日昃乃退。欲以集禧观使留之，力辞赴郡。
- ^ McGrath 1946, p. 353.
- ^ McGrath 1946, p. 369.
- ^ 《宋史》卷313《富弼传》：青苗法出，弼以谓如是则财聚于上，人散于下，持不行。提举官赵济劾弼格诏旨，侍御史邓绾又乞付有司鞫治，乃以仆射判汝州。安石曰：“弼虽责，犹不失富贵。昔鲧以方命殛，共工以象恭流，弼兼此二罪，止夺使相，何由沮奸？”帝不答。弼言：“新法，臣所不晓，不可以治郡。愿归洛养疾。”许之。遂请老，加拜司空，进封韩国公致仕。
- ^ 《宋史》卷313《富弼传》：王安石用事，雅不与弼合。弼度不能争，多称疾求退，章数十上。神宗将许之，问曰：“卿即去，谁可代卿者？”弼荐文彦博，神宗默然，良久曰：“王安石何如？”弼亦默然。拜武宁节度使、同中书门下平章事、判河南，改亳州。
Bibliography
[edit]- McGrath, Michael (2009). Twitchett, Denis; Smith, Paul Jakov (eds.). The Cambridge history of China. Vol. 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and Its Precursors, 907–1279. Cambridge [Eng.] ; New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-21447-6.