Fan Zhi

In this Chinese name, the family name is Fan.

Fàn Zhi (Chinese: 范質) (c. 911 – 5 November 964), formally the Duke of Lu (魯國公こう), was a Chinese essayist, historian, jurist, and politician who served under 12 emperors of 6 dynasties during imperial China's Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period and the subsequent Song dynasty. He was the Later Zhou chancellor from 951 until 960, and the Song dynasty chancellor from 960 until 964, not long before his death. A strict adherent to legal guidelines, he had influenced Later Zhou and Song rulers to rely more on civil administration in an age dominated by the military. Fàn was a member of the elite Fàn family.

Fan Zhi
1st Chancellor of the Song dynasty
In office 5 March 960 – 26 February 964 Serving with Wang Pu and Wei Renpu
Monarch	Emperor Taizu of Song
Succeeded by	Zhao Pu
Chancellor of the Later Zhou dynasty
In office 27 July 951 – 3 February 960
Monarchs	Guo Wei Chai Rong Chai Zongxun
Personal details
Born	911 or January 912 likely Zongcheng, Later Liang (in today's Wei County, Hebei)
Died	(964-11-05)5 November 964 (aged 52–53) Kaifeng, Henan, China
Children	Fan Min (范旻), son
Occupation	Essayist, historian, jurist, politician
Full name	Surname: Fàn (范) Given name: Zhì (質しつ) Courtesy name: Wénsù (文ぶん素もと)
Father	Fan Shouyu (范守遇ぐう)

Fan Zhi
Traditional Chinese	范質しつ
Simplified Chinese	范质
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Fàn Zhì Wade–Giles Fan4 Chih4 Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Faan6 Jat1 Jyutping Faan6 Zat1

Early life

Growing up, Fàn Zhi's father Fàn Shouyu (范守遇ぐう) was a staff supervisor (判官ほうがん) serving the Later Liang. Biographer Jack Dull considers Fàn Zhi a representative of the rise of "new families" which were gradually replacing the exclusive aristocracy of the Tang dynasty. At age eight, Fàn Zhi was able to write essays, and by 12 he already mastered and began teaching the voluminous classic Book of Documents.

Career under Later Tang

Later Liang was replaced by the Later Tang in 926, and Fàn passed the imperial examination in 933. The chief examination administrator He Ning (和かず凝しこり) reportedly liked Fàn's writing the most that he intentionally assigned Fàn 13th place, which was the placing he himself got back in the day. Fàn became a prefectural judge (推官) for the Zhongwu Commandery (忠武ただたけ軍ぐん; roughly governing today's central Henan), and was later promoted to the post of subprefect of Fengqiu which he served until Later Tang was overthrown in 936.

Career under Later Jin

Under the new Later Jin, Fàn's essays caught the eyes of chancellor Sang Weihan, who helped Fàn become the imperial investigating censor (監かん察御史し), a lowly position at the censorial offices. When Sang was subsequently appointed to other prefectures and eventually back as the chancellor, Fàn followed him along the way. In 943, Fàn Zhi was promoted to the post of assistant division chief of the Department of Hospitality (主客しゅかく員いん外郎ういろう) and auxiliary official of the Institute of History (直史なおふみ館かん). A year later, he became a Hanlin Academician and division chief (郎ろう中ちゅう) of the Department of Accounting, Ministry of Finance (比ひ部ぶ), as well as special drafting of the Secretariat (知ち制せい誥).

Career under Later Han

While Guo Wei (郭かく威たけし, a general and the future founder of the Later Zhou, was serving in the Later Han court, he was impressed by Fan Zhi. Guo later appointed Fan as vice-commissioner of military affairs.

Career under Later Zhou

Guo Wei, had been impressed by the timeliness and the contents of the imperial orders he received while fighting rebellions away from the capital. Once he asked the messenger who wrote the orders. "Fàn Zhi" was the reply, and Guo remarked, "Definitely fit to be chancellor."

In the winter months of early 951, Guo Wei rebelled against the Later Han emperor Liu Chengyou and his army swiftly conquered the capital Kaifeng. Amidst the chaos after Liu's fleeing from the city, Guo remembered the name Fàn Zhi and asked for his whereabouts. When Fàn – who was living with other commoners – was located, Guo paid him a personal visit in heavy snow and during the conversation, removed his own robe to put on Fàn for warmth. As a token of his friendship to Guo, Fàn wrote several imperial orders for Guo, helping him to transition the state as Guo declared himself the emperor of the new Later Zhou dynasty. Fan was appointed as chancellor following Guo's ascension to the throne.

Career under Song

One day in 960, Fàn was dining in his own residence when general Zhao Kuangyin, who was supposed to be on the way to resist the Liao dynasty invasion, stormed in. In tears, Zhao explained to Fàn that he was forced to become the emperor and return to the capital by his subordinates. Stunned and not sure what to suggest, Fàn was confronted by Zhao's attendant Luo Yangui (羅ら彥瓌), who raised his sword to threaten Fàn into accepting the usurpation. When Fàn realized that everything was nothing but acting, he came down the stairs and bowed to Zhao, who became the first emperor of the Song dynasty.

Notes and references

Sources

• Dull, Jack L. (1976). "Fan Chih". In Franke, Herbert (ed.). Sung Biographies. Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag. pp. 310–321. ISBN 3-515-02412-3.
• (in Chinese) Toqto'a; et al., eds. (1345). Song Shi (宋そう史し) [History of Song].
• (in Chinese) Li Tao (1183). Xu Zizhi Tongjian Changbian (續ぞく資し治ち通どおり鑑かん長編ちょうへん) [Extended Continuation to Zizhi Tongjian].
• (in Chinese) Sima Guang (1086). Zizhi Tongjian (資し治ち通どおり鑑かん) [Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government].
• Twitchett, Denis; Smith, Paul Jakov (2009). The Cambridge History of China Volume 5 Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-24330-8.