汉译英翻译实践案例6：
《盐城历史名人选录》
1.陈琳
陈琳（？－217年），字孔璋，东汉广陵射阳（今江苏盐城境内）人，汉魏之际著名文学家，“建安七子”之一。作为盐城历史上最早的文学大家，陈琳以其犀利的文风和卓越的政治洞察力，在中国文学史上留下了浓墨重彩的一笔。
陈琳早年任大将军何进主簿，展现出非凡的政治远见。面对何进欲召董卓入京诛宦的计划，他直言进谏：“大兵集会，强者为雄，所谓倒持干戈，授人以柄，功必不成，只为乱阶。”这一精准预言在董卓之乱中不幸言中，也成就了陈琳作为政治谋士的声誉。
投奔袁绍后，陈琳迎来创作高峰。其代表作《为袁绍檄豫州》以“赘阉遗丑”等犀利言辞痛斥曹操，竟令曹操读时“头风顿愈”。这篇檄文以其严密的逻辑和磅礴的气势，成为古代檄文的典范。《武军赋》中“铠如京山，刀如江海”等名句，更展现了他雄健豪放的文学风格。建安九年（204年），陈琳归顺曹操。面对曹操“何故辱及先人”的责问，他以“矢在弦上，不可不发”巧妙应答，被委以军国文书重任。在曹魏时期，他的文风趋于稳健，创作了《檄吴将校部曲文》等重要作品，被曹丕赞为“章表殊健”。
文学成就方面，陈琳开创了文人拟乐府的传统。《饮马长城窟行》中“饮马长城窟，水寒伤马骨”等句，生动描绘了边塞将士的艰辛。虽仅存四首诗和二十余篇文章，但刘勰在《文心雕龙》中盛赞其“壮有骨鲠”的文风。明代张溥辑录的《陈记室集》，成为后世研究其文学成就的主要文献。
作为“建安七子”中的年长者，陈琳对建安文学的发展具有开创性贡献。他的作品不仅丰富了建安文学的风格，更革新了公文写作，特别是檄文的创作范式。温庭筠“霸才无主始怜君”的诗句，道出了后世文人对其才情的追慕。这位出自盐城的文学巨匠，以其独特的文学造诣和政治智慧，成为连接汉魏文学的重要纽带，至今仍为学界所重视和研究。
Chen Lin
Chen Lin (?–217 AD), courtesy name Kongzhang, was a renowned litterateur during the late Eastern Han to Wei period, originally from Sheyang, Guangling (present-day Yancheng, Jiangsu). As one of the “Seven Masters of Jian’an”1 and Yancheng’s earliest literary master, he carved his name into Chinese literary history with his incisive writing style and exceptional political acumen.
Chen Lin served as Chief Clerk to General He Jin in his early years, demonstrating extraordinary political foresight. When He Jin planned to summon Dong Zhuo to the capital to eliminate eunuchs, Chen Lin frankly advised: “When armies gather, the strongest will dominate. It’s like handing the handle of a weapon to others, which will achieve nothing but become a source of chaos.” This precise prediction tragically came true during the Dong Zhuo Rebellion, cementing Chen Lin’s reputation as a political strategist.
After joining Yuan Shao, Chen Lin entered his creative peak. His masterpiece Draft for Yuan Shao to the Governor of Yuzhou famously condemned Cao Cao with cutting phrases like descendant of a eunuch’s disgrace, so compelling that Cao Cao reportedly found his migraine cured upon reading it. This manifesto, with its rigorous logic and majestic momentum, became a model for ancient war declarations. In Ode to the Martial Army, legendary lines like armor towering as Mount Jing, swords vast as the Yangtze showcased his bold literary style. In the ninth year of Jian’an (204 AD), Chen Lin surrendered to Cao Cao. When Cao Cao demanded, “Why did you insult my ancestors?”, he cleverly replied, “The arrow on the string cannot be held back.”, earning him a key role in drafting military and state documents. During the Cao Wei period (220-265 AD), his writing matured into a steadier style, producing Draft to Wu’s Generals and Officers, praised by Cao Pi as remarkably vigorous in memorials and edicts.
In literary achievements, Chen Lin pioneered the tradition of literati imitating Yuefu folk songs. Lines like “Watering horses at the Great Wall’s cave, the cold water hurts their bones” from Drinking at the Great Wall’s Cave vividly depict the hardships of frontier soldiers. Though only four poems and over twenty essays survive, Liu Xie in The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons highly praised his “unyielding and vigorous” style. The Collected Works of Chen Lin compiled by Zhang Pu in the Ming Dynasty remains the primary source for studying his literary legacy.
As the senior member of the Seven Masters of Jian’an, Chen Lin made pioneering contributions to the development of Jian’an literature. His works not only enriched the stylistic diversity of Jian’an literature but also revolutionized official document writing, particularly the paradigm of war manifestos. The line “A genius without a master finally finds you worthy” from Wen Tingyun’s poetry captures later literati’s admiration for his talent. This literary giant from Yancheng, with his unique literary mastery and political acumen, became a vital bridge between Han and Wei literature, remaining a subject of scholarly attention and research to this day.
Notes:
1. The Seven Masters of Jian’an (196-220) were a group of influential writers during the late Han dynasty. They included Kong Rong, Chen Lin, Wang Can, Xu Gan, Ruan Yu, Ying Yang, and Liu Zhen.
2.吕夷简
吕夷简（978年—1044年），字坦夫，北宋寿州（今安徽寿县）人，是北宋时期一位重要的政治人物，官至宰相。曾任江苏盐城东台西溪盐仓监，修建盐仓，增加了国家盐税收入。
吕夷简于咸平三年（1000年）考中进士，从此步入仕途。吕夷简在地方和中央都担任过官职，其与江苏盐城的渊源，发生在他早年担任西溪盐仓监（管理盐务的官员）期间。当时的西溪是现今东台市的核心区域，也是海滨重镇。他在西溪任职期间，是一位关爱百姓的地方官。当时西溪人家有种植牡丹的习俗，吕夷简也入乡随俗，种植牡丹，并赋诗《咏牡丹》：“异香浓艳压群葩，何事栽培近海涯。开向东风应有恨，凭谁移入王侯家？” 诗中流露出一丝怀才不遇的感慨，同时也与当地百姓有了共同的情感联系，此事被传为美谈。
在盐业管理上，吕夷简注重实效。面对当时两淮盐场生产恢复但储运设施和管理尚不完善的状况，他与各盐场、灶团商定，组织灶民修建盐仓，以工代税，以工抵盐。这些措施不仅改善了仓储条件，使盐税额显著上升，也增加了灶民的实际收入。当地百姓怀念他的政绩，将他主持扩建盐仓时所在的灶团命名为“吕家灶”，附近的农居称为“吕家庄”，这些地名甚至沿用至今。
离开西溪后，吕夷简的仕途走向高位。他在宋仁宗时期三度拜相，主持中书省事务长达二十年之久，是宋朝开国以来任职时间最长的宰辅之一。史书评价他在仁宗初年刘太后临朝听政期间，对保持天下稳定发挥了重要作用，所谓“自仁宗初立，太后临朝十馀年，天下晏然，夷简之力为多”。
然而，吕夷简的政治风格也较为保守。当范仲淹等人提出改革主张时，他指斥他们为“朋党”，并加以排斥。这也使得他后来受到欧阳修等改革派人士的批评。庆历三年，宋仁宗推行“庆历新政”，吕夷简被罢去宰相兼枢密使的职务。
吕夷简于1044年去世，谥号“文靖”。宋仁宗曾感慨：“安得忧国忘身如夷简者！”尽管对他历史评价存在争议，但他在北宋政坛的影响不容忽视。他在盐城西溪虽为官时间可能不长，但其关心民瘼、务实管理盐政的事迹，则为当地人所铭记。
Lü Yijian
Lü Yijian (978-1044), courtesy name Tanfu, was a native of Shouzhou (present-day Shouxian, Anhui) and a prominent political figure during the Northern Song Dynasty, rising to the position of chancellor. During his tenure as supervisor of the Xixi salt depot in Dongtai, Yancheng, Jiangsu, he undertook its reconstruction, significantly boosting state salt tax revenues.
In the third year of Xianping Era (1000), Lü Yijian passed the imperial examinations, marking the beginning of his official career. He served in both regional and central government positions, with his connection to Yancheng, Jiangsu originating during his early tenure as Xixi Salt Warehouse Supervisor. At that time, Xixi, now the core area of Dongtai City, was a strategic coastal town. As a local administrator, Lü was known for his benevolent governance. During his service, Lü embraced the local custom of cultivating peonies, composing the poem Ode to Peonies:
Their exotic fragrance and vibrant hues outshine all blooms,
Why grow them near this coastal gloom?
Blossoms facing east winds must bear some sorrow,
Who will move them to noble courtyards, I wonder?
The verses subtly conveyed his unfulfilled aspirations while forging emotional bonds with the populace, a story later celebrated as a model of official-civilian harmony.
Lü Yijian prioritized pragmatic governance in salt management. Facing the challenge of underdeveloped storage and logistics infrastructure despite the recovery of production in the Huai salt fields, he collaborated with salt fields and salt production cooperatives to organize salt workers in constructing salt warehouses. These initiatives implemented labor-for-tax and labor-for-salt policies, which not only improved storage conditions and significantly increased salt tax revenue but also enhanced salt workers’ actual income. The local populace commemorated his achievements by naming the salt production cooperative where he led the salt warehouse expansion “Lü’s production cooperative” and the nearby farming settlement “Lü’s Village”. These place names have endured to this day.
After leaving Xixi, Lü Yijian’s career ascended to its highest office. During Emperor Renzong’s reign (1022-1063), he was appointed chancellor three times and presided over affairs at the Zhongshu Sheng (Secretariat of State Affairs) for two decades, making him one of the longest-serving senior officials since the founding of the Song Dynasty. Historical records credit him with playing a pivotal role in maintaining national stability during Empress Liu’s regency in the early years of Renzong’s rule, noting that “From the moment Renzong ascended the throne, Empress Liu governed as regent for over a decade, yet the realm remained peaceful. In this process, Lü Yijian’s contributions were paramount.”
However, Lü Yijian’s political approach leaned toward conservatism. When reformers like Fan Zhongyan proposed their initiatives, he denounced them as forming “factional cliques” and actively worked to suppress their influence. This stance later drew criticism from reform-minded figures such as Ouyang Xiu. In the third year of Qingli (1043), Emperor Renzong implemented the Qingli Reforms, during which Lü was removed from his dual roles as chancellor and Chief Military Commissioner.
Lü Yijian passed away in 1044 and was posthumously granted the title “Wenjing”. Emperor Renzong once lamented, “Where shall I find another like Yijian, one who forgets self in service to the state!” Though his historical legacy remains debated, his influence on Northern Song politics is undeniable. Though his tenure in Xixi, Yancheng may have been brief, his compassionate governance and pragmatic salt administration endeared him to the local people, who long remembered his deeds.
3.范仲淹
范仲淹（989年—1052年），字希文，是北宋时期著名的政治家、文学家和军事家。他倡导“先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐”的精神成为后世典范，文学上亦有《岳阳楼记》等名篇传世。
1021年，他被派到泰州西溪（今江苏盐城东台一带）担任盐仓监，负责管理盐务。当时，这里饱受海潮侵袭，百姓生活困苦，农田和盐田常被冲毁。范仲淹看到这个情况，决心修筑一条捍海堤坝，也就是后来被人们深深怀念的“范公堤”。1024年，范仲淹动员四万多民工，以“撒糠定线”的智慧方法，借助潮水动向确定筑堤路线。施工中多次遭遇风雪、大浪甚至人员伤亡的困难，但他没有放弃，甚至主动请求承担全部责任。到1028年，全长142里的捍海堰终于建成，保护了1600多户流民返回家园，恢复了盐业和农业生产。人们为感谢他，将这道海堤尊称为“范公堤”，并在盐城建“三贤祠”纪念他和张纶、胡令仪三位功臣。
范公堤不仅是古代中国海塘工程的典范，更深刻改变了盐城的地理与经济格局。堤防建成后，盐城沿海农田得以开垦，盐业生产稳定发展，成为宋代重要的财税来源。随着时间推移，海岸线逐渐东移，范公堤虽不再挡潮，但旧基仍被用作大道路基，部分遗迹至今可见。明代时，“范堤烟雨”成为盐城八景之一，历代许多文人写下赞美的诗篇。他重视民生和生态，在堤上种植大量柳树，改善环境。即便后来官至副宰相，推动“庆历新政”，他也始终心系百姓，创办义庄帮助贫困族人。他的精神深深融入了盐城的文化，至今当地还保留范公祠、景范亭等纪念场所。
盐城人民一直铭记范仲淹的恩情。从古至今，这里多次修祠纪念，现代盐城更把范公堤文化纳入城市精神，开展研学活动，弘扬他的治水智慧和家国情怀。2020年，盐城还特别发文回顾他筑堤的历史。范仲淹的名字，已经和盐城这座城市紧紧相连，成为永不褪色的文化记忆。
Fan Zhongyan
Fan Zhongyan (989–1052), courtesy name Xiwen, was a renowned statesman, literatus, and military strategist of the Northern Song dynasty. His advocacy of “being the first to bear hardship and the last to enjoy comfort” became a moral exemplar for later generations, while his literary works, including On Yueyang Towe, endured as masterpieces.
In 1021, Fan Zhongyan was dispatched to Xixi in Taizhou (present-day Dongtai, Yancheng, Jiangsu) as salt depot supervisor to oversee salt administration. At the time, the region suffered frequent tidal floods, leaving local livelihoods in distress and often destroying farmlands and salt fields. Witnessing this, Fan resolved to build a sea dike—later revered as Fan’s Dike. In 1024, by mobilizing over 40,000 laborers and using the innovative method of “scattering chaff to mark the line”, he charted the dike’s route by observing tidal patterns. Despite enduring snowstorms, turbulent waves, and even casualties during construction, he persisted and even volunteered to assume full responsibility. By 1028, the sea defense dike, spanning 142 li1 in length, was finally completed, enabling more than 1,600 displaced families to return home and restoring salt production and agriculture. In gratitude, the people honored the dike as Fan’s Dike (or Fan Zhongyan Seawall) and erected the “Three Sages Shrine” in Yancheng to commemorate him alongside Zhang Lun and Hu Lingyi2, the other two meritorious statesmen.
Fan’s Dike was not only a model of ancient Chinese seawall engineering but also profoundly reshaped Yancheng’s geographical and economic landscape. After its completion, coastal farmlands were reclaimed, salt production stabilized, and the region became a vital source of tax revenue during the Song dynasty. Over time, as the coastline gradually shifted eastward, the dike ceased to serve as a tidal barrier, though its foundations were repurposed as roadbeds, with some remnants still visible today. During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), “Misty Rain over Fan’s Dike” became one of Yancheng’s Eight Ancient Scenes 3, inspiring generations of literati to compose poetic tributes. Fan prioritized both people’s livelihoods and ecological balance, planting numerous willows along the dike to improve the environment. Even after ascending to the rank of deputy chancellor and spearheading the Qingli Reforms, he remained deeply committed to public welfare, establishing charitable estates to assist impoverished clansmen. His legacy became deeply embedded in Yancheng’s cultural identity, with memorial sites like Fan’s Temple and Jingfan Pavilion enduring to this day.
The people of Yancheng have always cherished Fan Zhongyan’s benevolence. Through the ages, they have repeatedly rebuilt memorial halls in his honor. Modern Yancheng has incorporated Fan’s Dike culture into the city’s spirit, organizing educational activities to promote his flood control wisdom and sense of national devotion. In 2020, Yancheng issued a special document commemorating his dike-building legacy. Fan Zhongyan’s name has become inextricably linked with Yancheng, forming an indelible cultural memory that transcends time.
Notes:
1. Li is a traditional Chinese unit of length. 1 li is approximately 0.5 kilometers, so 142 li is about 71 kilometers.
2. Northern Song officials who co-led the reconstruction of the Fan Zhongyan Seawall. After initial failures, Zhang played a pivotal role in resuming the project, while Hu, as magistrate of Hailing County (modern Taizhou), actively advocated for its repair following a catastrophic collapse. Their combined efforts secured imperial approval, ensuring the seawall’s completion in 1028 to protect coastal farmlands and salt fields from devastating floods.
3. The Eight Ancient Scenes of Yancheng were first recorded in the Wanli-era Yancheng County Annals of the Ming Dynasty. Six remain today (Tiezhu Tide Sounds, Fandi Mist and Rain, Guajing Immortal Footprint, Dengying Evening View, Yanglou Green Mists, and Pinghu Autumn Colors), mostly linked to historical figures (like Fan Zhongyan and Sun Jian) and water conservancy projects, with some restored through urban renewal initiatives. “Fandi” refers to Fan’s dike; “Guajing” translates literally as “melon well”; “Pinghu” means “calm lake”.
4.晏殊
晏殊（991年—1055年），字同叔，江西抚州临川人，是北宋著名政治家和文学家。因多产诗词，开创北宋婉约词风，世称“北宋倚声家之初祖”。
晏殊自幼聪颖过人，五岁能诗，十四岁以神童身份被推荐入京，在殿试中表现出色，受到宋真宗赏识，赐同进士出身，从此步入仕途。晏殊历经真宗、仁宗两朝，官至宰相，成为北宋政坛的重要人物。他不仅在政治上有所作为，在文学领域更是成就卓著，尤以词作闻名于世。其词风婉丽典雅，含蓄深沉，名句“无可奈何花落去，似曾相识燕归来”成为千古绝唱。他一生创作了大量词作，现存《珠玉词》一卷，收录其代表作百余首。晏殊还十分重视人才培养，范仲淹、欧阳修等北宋名臣均出自他的门下，体现了他慧眼识才、乐于提携后进的可贵品质。
晏殊与盐城的深厚渊源始于他早年担任西溪盐仓监时期。当时的西溪是现今东台市的核心区域，作为重要的海滨盐业重镇，这里的盐业生产对国家财政具有重要意义。晏殊到任后，立即深入基层体察民情，发现由于海潮经常泛滥，灶民生活异常困苦，许多人家无力补缴欠额的盐税。面对这一情况，晏殊没有简单地强行催逼，而是实地考察后向宋真宗如实禀报，最终使皇帝下诏免除通、泰、楚三州盐亭户的积欠盐税，这一举措大大减轻了当地盐民的生产生活负担。
除了关心盐民疾苦，晏殊还十分重视盐城地区的文教事业发展。他看到西溪虽然业盐人户众多，经济活跃，但读书人却很少，文化教育相对落后。为此，他亲自创办了西溪书院（后人为纪念他改称晏溪书院）。他将当地荒废的宗祠修葺一新，置办书桌凳椅等教学用具，广泛招收各盐场愿意学习的青少年前来读书，并亲自授课执教。这是自五代以来学校屡遭禁废后，当地由官员创办书院的首例，开创了重视教育的新风气。
晏殊在盐城西溪任职时间虽然不长，但他关心民生、兴办教育的事迹却深深烙印在当地百姓心中。后人为了纪念他对盐城教育事业的贡献，将西溪称为“晏溪”，这个名称一直沿用至今。这位北宋名臣以其卓越的政治才能、诚实的品格、杰出的文学成就以及对教育事业的重视，成为历史上一位备受尊敬的人物。
Yan Shu
Yan Shu (991-1055), courtesy name Tongshu, was a native of Linchuan, Fuzhou, Jiangxi. A prominent statesman and literatus of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), he was honored as the “progenitor of the Northern Song lyricists” for his prolific poetry and pioneering contributions to the graceful and restrained poetic style of song lyrics.
Yan Shu exhibited extraordinary intellect from childhood, composing poetry at five and being recommended to the capital as a child prodigy at fourteen. He excelled in the palace examination, earning the favor of Emperor Zhenzong (968-1022) of Song dynasty, who granted him the Tong Jinshi degree1, thus launching his political career. Serving through the reigns of Emperor Zhenzong and Renzong (1010-1063), he rose to prime minister, becoming a pivotal figure in Northern Song politics. Beyond his political achievements, he made outstanding contributions to literature, particularly renowned for his ci (lyric poetry)2. His lyrical style was elegant, refined, and subtly profound, with the immortal lines “Helplessly, flowers fall away; familiar, swallows return again” becoming a timeless masterpiece. He produced a vast body of work, with Pearls and Jade Lyrics, a surviving collection, featuring over a hundred of his finest pieces. Yan Shu also prioritized talent cultivation, mentoring illustrious statesmen like Fan Zhongyan and Ouyang Xiu. His ability to recognize and nurture future leaders exemplified his admirable qualities of discernment and generosity.
Yan Shu’s profound connection with Yancheng began during his early tenure as Xixi salt depot Supervisor. At that time, Xixi, now the central area of Dongtai City, was a vital coastal salt production hub whose output held significant importance for the national treasury. Upon assuming office, Yan Shu immediately conducted field investigations among the salt workers. He found that frequent tidal floods had brought extreme hardship to their lives, leaving many families unable to pay their outstanding salt tax arrears. Rather than resorting to forceful collection methods, Yan Shu personally surveyed the situation and reported the truth to Emperor Zhenzong. This led to an imperial decree exempting accumulated salt tax debts for salt households in Tong, Tai, and Chu prefectures, a policy that substantially alleviated the burdens on local salt producers.
Beyond alleviating the salt workers’ hardships, Yan Shu also prioritized the development of education and culture in Yancheng. He observed that while Xixi had a large population of salt-producing households and bustling economic activity, there were few literati and relatively underdeveloped cultural education. To address this, he personally established Xixi Academy (later renamed Yanxi Academy in his honor). He renovated dilapidated ancestral halls in the area, provided desks and chairs for teaching, and enrolled young students from various salt fields who were eager to learn, even personally instructing them himself. This marked the first instance in the region where an official founded an academy since the Five Dynasties period (907-960), when schools had been repeatedly banned and abolished. Yan Shu’s initiative set a new precedent for valuing education in the area.
Though Yan Shu’s tenure in Xixi, Yancheng, was brief, his dedication to improving livelihoods and promoting education left an indelible mark on the local community. Later generations honored his contributions to Yancheng’s educational development by renaming Xixi “Yan Stream”, a name that endures to this day. This Northern Song statesman earned lasting reverence through his exceptional political acumen, integrity, literary brilliance, and unwavering commitment to education, securing his place as a historically esteemed figure.
Notes:
1. Tong here means being equivalent, so Tong Jinshi means being equivalent to the Jinshi degree, which is regarded as the highest degree in imperial examinations.
2. Ci is a classical Chinese poetic form that originated in the Tang Dynasty and reached its peak in the Song Dynasty. Unlike regular poetry, it was originally sung to music, with fixed rhythms and varying line lengths. Yan Shu and other poets used it to express emotions, often with refined language and subtle imagery.
5.陆秀夫
陆秀夫（1236-1279），字君实，江苏盐城人，南宋末年著名政治家、民族英雄，与文天祥、张世杰并称“宋末三杰”，是盐城走出来的唯一一位丞相。
他出身书香门第，自幼聪颖好学，24岁考中进士，后受到名臣李庭芝的赏识，被招入幕府任职。1276年，元军攻破南宋都城临安，南宋王朝濒临覆灭。在这危难时刻，陆秀夫挺身而出，保护年幼的益王、广王南逃。1278年，赵昰病逝，陆秀夫力排众议，坚持再立8岁的赵昺为帝，迁都至广东崖山，在极其艰难的条件下维持着南宋最后的政权。
在颠沛流离的海上朝廷中，陆秀夫身负重任。他白天处理军政要务，夜晚还要亲自教授小皇帝读书。尽管处境艰难，他仍然坚持朝廷礼仪，每日朝会议事，谈及国事时常常悲泣不已，却始终维持着君臣纲常，成为南宋最后的精神支柱。所有诏令文书他都亲力亲为，展现出一代忠臣的坚贞品格。
1279年正月，元军大举围攻崖山。二月初六，宋军水寨被攻破，防线全面崩溃。在这最后关头，陆秀夫拒绝突围逃生的建议，毅然对8岁的小皇帝说：“德祐皇帝已受辱，陛下不可再辱！”他先将自己的妻儿驱入海中，随后身背幼帝，将玉玺系在皇帝身上，用白绫缚紧，从容投海殉国，时年44岁。在他的感召下，十万军民相继投海殉国，海上浮尸达十余万具，场面极其壮烈。
陆秀夫殉国七日后，遗体浮出海面，被当地乡人秘密安葬。他生前撰写的朝廷实录虽然托付他人保存，但最终失传，使这段悲壮历史的许多细节永成遗憾。元将张弘范原本在崖山刻石纪功，后人将其改为“宋丞相陆秀夫死于此”。明清两代对陆秀夫多有追谥，万历四十七年追谥陆秀夫为“忠烈公”，康熙皇帝赐“忠节不磨”匾额，咸丰皇帝令其配祀孔庙。
今天，在陆秀夫的家乡江苏盐城仍保存着陆忠烈公祠，每年二月初六他的殉国日，各地都会举行纪念活动。这位背负幼帝投海的忠臣，用生命诠释了“留取丹心照汗青”的气节，其忠烈精神永远铭刻在中华民族的记忆中，成为中华历史上忠臣精神的典范。
Lu Xiufu
Lu Xiufu (1236–1279), courtesy name Junshi, was a native of Yancheng, Jiangsu. A renowned statesman and national hero of the late Southern Song Dynasty, he is celebrated as one of the “Three Loyalists of the Late Song”1, alongside Wen Tianxiang (1236-1283) and Zhang Shijie (c. 1232-1279). He remains the only prime minister in history to have emerged from Yancheng.
He came from a scholarly family and showed exceptional intelligence and diligence from childhood, passing the imperial examinations at the age of 24. Later, he won the favor of prominent minister Li Tingzhi (1219-1276) and was recruited into his private office. In 1276, when Mongol forces captured Lin’an (the Southern Song capital), the dynasty teetered on the brink of collapse. During this crisis, Lu Xiufu bravely stepped forward to protect the young Prince Yi and Prince Guang as they fled south. After Zhao Shi’s death in 1278, Lu Xiufu defied opposition and insisted on installing eight-year-old Zhao Bing as emperor. He moved the capital to Yashan in Guangdong, where he maintained the last vestiges of the Southern Song regime under extremely difficult conditions.
Amidst the turbulent court adrift at sea, Lu Xiufu shouldered immense responsibilities. By day, he attended to military and state affairs; by night, he personally tutored the young emperor in Confucian classics. Despite the dire circumstances, he upheld court rituals with unwavering resolve, conducting daily imperial audiences where discussions of national affairs often reduced him to tears, yet never wavering in his adherence to Confucian hierarchical order. As the last bastion of the Southern Song’s moral authority, he personally drafted all imperial edicts, exemplifying the steadfast integrity of a loyal minister.
In the first month of 1279, Mongol forces launched a full-scale siege on Yashan. On the sixth day of the second month, the Southern Song naval stronghold was breached, and their defenses collapsed completely. In this final hour, Lu Xiufu rejected proposals to break out and escape. He resolutely said to the 8-year-lod child emperor: “Emperor Deyou has already been humiliated. Your Majesty must not suffer the same fate!” He first drove his wife and children into the sea, then strapped the imperial jade seal to the child emperor’s body. With white silk binding them together, he calmly walked into the waves to meet his death at age 44. Inspired by his example, over 100,000 officials and civilians followed suit, leaping into the sea en masse. More than 100,000 bodies floated on the surface in a scene of extraordinary solemnity.
Seven days after his death, Lu Xiufu’s body surfaced from the sea and was secretly buried by local villagers. Though he entrusted others with preserving the court records he had compiled during his lifetime, they were ultimately lost to history, leaving many details of this tragic chapter forever unknown. Originally, Mongol general Zhang Hongfan had inscribed his victory on a cliff at Yashan, but later generations altered it to read: “Here perished Prime Minister Lu Xiufu of the Song Dynasty.” During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Lu Xiufu was repeatedly honored posthumously. In the forty-seventh year of the Wanli era (1619), he was granted the title “Zhonglie Duke”2. Emperor Kangxi (1654-1722) bestowed upon him the inscribed plaque “Loyalty and integrity never fade”, and Emperor Xianfeng (1831-1861) ordered his spirit tablet enshrined in Confucian temples.
In Yancheng, Jiangsu, Lu Xiufu’s hometown, the Zhonglie Duke Temple (dedicated to his loyalty and martyrdom) still stands today. Every year on the sixth day of the second lunar month, the anniversary of his death, commemorative ceremonies are held across the land. The minister who carried his child emperor into the waves with his own life embodied the spirit of “leaving a loyal heart to illuminate history”. His unwavering loyalty and sacrifice remain eternally engraved in the memory of the Chinese nation, becoming a timeless exemplar of devoted ministers in Chinese history.
Notes:
1. Lu Xiufu, Wen Tianxiang, and Zhang Shijie are known as the “Three Loyalists of the Late Song”. They were heroic ministers who valiantly resisted the Mongol invasion during the fall of the Song Dynasty (1279), symbolizing unwavering loyalty and sacrifice.
2. “Zhonglie Duke” is a direct translation of the posthumous title, in which zhong means loyalty or fidelity, while lie means martyrdom or chivalrous sacrifice.
6.施耐庵
施耐庵（约1296—约1370），原名施彦端，号子安，江苏大丰白驹人，元末明初著名文学家。一生历经元明易代，从科举入仕到弃官归隐，最终在战乱中避居白驹场，潜心创作《水浒传》，塑造了108位梁山好汉的经典形象，对中国文学发展影响深远。
施耐庵生于大丰白驹镇，小时候就非常聪明，19岁考上秀才，36岁时中了进士，还和后来大名鼎鼎的刘伯温是同届。中进士后，他被派到杭州做县官，但因为看不惯官场腐败，才干了两年就辞职回了老家苏州。1353年，同乡张士诚起兵反元，邀请施耐庵做军师。他虽然帮忙出谋划策，但后来发现张士诚成功后变得骄傲自大，不听劝告，于是主动离开。在这段日子里，他积累了许多社会经验和民间故事，还根据真实人物创作出了“武松打虎”的片段，并开始构思梁山108好汉的形象，这些都成为后来《水浒传》的重要素材。1366年，为躲避战乱，施耐庵回到白驹镇隐居，并在这里全身心投入写作。他的号“耐庵”来自一位慧能和尚三十年诵经的故事，意思是“耐得住寂寞”，这也正是他写作生活的真实写照。他经常和当地的盐民、农民聊天，把他们的生活和语言融入书中，最终完成了中国第一部白话长篇小说《水浒传》。
《水浒传》以“官逼民反”为主题，生动刻画了宋江、武松、林冲等一百零八位英雄好汉。施耐庵把民间传说和说书艺术提升到了文学的高度，语言既生动又有力量。 这本书不仅开创了章回体小说的先河，还深深影响了后来的文学创作，包括他的学生罗贯中所写的《三国演义》。明朝建立后，老朋友刘伯温曾推荐他做官，但施耐庵多次拒绝朱元璋的征召。据说，因为《水浒传》被朝廷认为是“鼓吹造反”的书，他还一度入狱，1370年在淮安去世，后由弟子罗贯中安葬。
尽管一生坎坷，施耐庵却把挫折转化为创作的动力，用“耐得住寂寞”的态度完成了这部不朽巨著。《水浒传》至今仍被广泛阅读，书中的英雄故事和“替天行道”的精神，也成为了中国文化的重要组成部分。
Shi Nai’an
Shi Nai’an (c. 1296–c. 1370), originally named Shi Yanduan and styled Zian, was born in Baiju, Dafeng (now part of Yancheng, Jiangsu), and is renowned as a literary master of the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. His life spanned the turbulent transition between dynasties, from pursuing imperial examinations to abandoning officialdom and retreating into seclusion. Amidst wartime chaos, he settled in Baiju Town, dedicating himself to writing Water Margin (Shuihu Zhuan)1. This epic novel immortalized the legendary 108 heroes of Liangshan Marsh, leaving an indelible mark on Chinese literature.
Born in Baiju Town, Dafeng, Shi Nai’an was a child prodigy who passed the imperial examinations at 19 and earned his Jinshi degree (the highest degree in imperial examinations) at 36, the same cohort as the legendary Liu Bowen. After serving as a magistrate in Hangzhou, he resigned in disillusionment with official corruption and returned to Suzhou. In 1353, when his fellow townsman Zhang Shicheng rebelled against the Yuan dynasty, Shi Nai’an briefly served as a military strategist. However, he distanced himself when Zhang became arrogant and unresponsive to advice. This period enriched his social insights and folkloric material, inspiring early drafts like Wu Song Battles the Tiger and the conceptualization of Liangshan’s 108 heroes. Fleeing wartime chaos in 1366, he retreated to Baiju, adopting the literary name Nai’an from a story about a monk who recited scriptures for thirty years, symbolizing “enduring solitude” or “staying patient through loneliness”. He immersed himself among salt workers and farmers, weaving their dialects and lives into his masterpiece. There, he completed Water Margin, China’s first vernacular novel, immortalizing the righteous bandits whose defiance resonated through centuries.
The novel, centered on the theme of “oppression driving people to rebellion”, vividly portrays 108 heroes like Song Jiang, Wu Song, and Lin Chong. Shi Nai’an elevated folk tales and storytelling into high literature, crafting a narrative that was both dynamic and powerful. As China’s first chapter-based novel, it pioneered a literary form that profoundly influenced later works, including his student Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms. After the Ming dynasty’s founding, his old friend Liu Bowen recommended him for official service, but Shi Nai’an repeatedly declined Zhu Yuanzhang’s summons. Accused of “inciting rebellion” due to Water Margin’s content, he was reportedly imprisoned. He died in Huai’an in 1370 and was buried by his disciple Luo Guanzhong.
Despite a life marked by adversity, Shi Nai’an transformed his struggles into creative fuel, completing his monumental work with the endurance of solitude that his pen name embodied. Water Margin remains widely read today, its heroic tales and ethos of “acting on Heaven’s behalf” becoming integral to Chinese cultural identity.
Notes:
1. Water Margin (Shuihu Zhuan), one of China’s Four Great Classical Novels, is an epic tale of rebellion and brotherhood set during the Northern Song Dynasty. It follows 108 outlaws who gather at Mount Liangshan to fight against corruption and oppression. The novel blends heroic legends with social critique, exploring themes of loyalty, justice, and resistance. Its English title Water Margin directly translates the Chinese “Shuihu”, referencing the marshland stronghold of the outlaws. Other notable translations include All Men Are Brothers (Pearl S. Buck’s version) and Outlaws of the Marsh. The work remains a cornerstone of Chinese literature, influencing global narratives of chivalry and collective heroism.
7.张士诚
张士诚（1321-1367），小名九四，是元朝末年著名的农民起义领袖，以“十八条扁担起义”反抗元朝暴政，在高邮建号称王，多次大败元军，加速了元朝灭亡，其抗元事迹影响深远。
张士诚出生于泰州白驹场（今盐城市大丰区）一个贫苦盐民家庭。他从小以运盐为生，饱受元朝官吏欺压。1353年，因无法忍受盐警的凌辱，张士诚与弟弟等共十八名盐民奋起反抗，用扁担作武器，发动了著名的“十八条扁担起义”，他们杀盐吏、开粮仓，很快发展到上万人。1354年，张士诚攻占高邮，建立“大周”政权，自称“诚王”。元朝派宰相脱脱率领百万大军前来围剿，就在城破之际，元朝内部发生争斗，临阵换将，张士诚趁机反击，取得大胜。这一战成为元末战争的转折点，元军从此由盛转衰。
1356年，张士诚渡江南下，攻占苏州、湖州等地，定都苏州。这时朱元璋也在南京建立势力，曾派人前来结交，但被张士诚拒绝。1357年，在与朱元璋的交战中被俘后，张士诚表面接受元朝招安，被封为太尉，但实际上仍在扩展自己的地盘。1363年，他自立为吴王，势力达到顶峰，控制着江苏、浙江、山东等地，拥兵数十万。
然而，称王后的张士诚逐渐沉迷享乐，他和弟弟、女婿等将领生活奢侈，不听劝谏，军队纪律松弛。1366年，朱元璋在消灭其他对手后，集中兵力进攻张士诚，将平江（今苏州）围困了十个月。1367年城破，张士诚率残部巷战，最终被俘。面对劝降，他拒不投降，最终自尽而亡，时年47岁。
张士诚领导的盐民起义是世界历史上较早的大规模底层民众反抗运动，比欧洲类似的工人起义早近500年。他提出的“杀官济贫”口号，深刻反映了贫苦百姓的诉求。虽然最终因腐败而失败，但他的起义沉重打击了元朝的统治，加速了元朝的灭亡。至今在江苏等地，民间还流传着关于他的故事，一些地方还建有“张王庙”来纪念这位从盐工成长为吴王的传奇人物。
Zhang Shicheng
Zhang Shicheng (1321-1367), nicknamed Jiusi, was a renowned leader of peasant uprisings in the late Yuan Dynasty. He rose against the tyranny of the Yuan regime with the “Eighteen Pole Uprising”1, established himself as king in Gaoyou, and dealt decisive blows to Yuan forces on multiple occasions, significantly hastening the dynasty’s collapse. His anti-Yuan exploits left a profound legacy in Chinese history.
Zhang Shicheng was born into a destitute salt-farming family in Baiju salt field, Taizhou (present-day Dafeng District, Yancheng City). From childhood, he earned his living transporting salt, enduring relentless oppression by Yuan officials. In 1353, after suffering humiliations from salt marshals, Zhang Shicheng and his brothers, alongside eighteen salt workers, rose in rebellion, using shoulder poles as weapons to launch the famed “Eighteen Pole Uprising”. They executed corrupt salt officials and opened granaries, rapidly swelling their ranks to over ten thousand. In 1354, Zhang Shicheng captured Gaoyou, establishing the Great Zhou regime and proclaiming himself King Cheng. The Yuan Dynasty dispatched Chancellor Toto2 with a million-strong army to suppress the rebellion. Just as the city was on the verge of falling, internal power struggles within the Yuan court forced a mid-battle change of command. Zhang seized the opportunity to counterattack, securing a decisive victory. This battle marked a turning point in the late Yuan wars, from which the Yuan forces never recovered, their dominance irreversibly shattered.
In 1356, Zhang Shicheng crossed the Yangtze River southward, capturing Suzhou, Huzhou, and other regions, establishing Suzhou as his capital. Around this time, Zhu Yuanzhang (later Hongwu Emperor, 1328-1398) was consolidating power in Nanjing and sent envoys to seek an alliance with Zhang, an offer he rejected. After being captured in a battle against Zhu Yuanzhang in 1357, Zhang Shicheng, on the surface, accepted the Yuan court’s amnesty, receiving the title Taifu (Grand Marshal), while secretly expanding his territories. By 1363, he declared himself King of Wu, reaching the peak of his power. His domain spanned Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, and other regions, with an army numbering hundreds of thousands.
However, after declaring himself king, Zhang Shicheng gradually succumbed to indulgence in luxury. He and his brothers, son-in-law, and other generals lived extravagantly, ignored advice, and allowed military discipline to deteriorate. In 1366, after eliminating other rivals, Zhu Yuanzhang concentrated his forces to attack Zhang Shicheng, besieging Pingjiang (present-day Suzhou) for ten months. In 1367, when the city fell, Zhang Shicheng led his remaining troops in street fighting before being captured. When urged to surrender, he defiantly refused and ultimately took his own life at the age of 47.
Zhang Shicheng’s salt workers’ uprising stands as one of history’s earliest large-scale grassroots revolts by the oppressed masses, predating similar European worker uprisings by nearly five centuries. His rallying cry of “Slay the officials, aid the poor” profoundly articulated the demands of the destitute populace. Though ultimately brought down by corruption, his rebellion dealt a crushing blow to Yuan rule, significantly hastening the dynasty’s collapse. To this day, folk tales about him endure in Jiangsu and other regions, where Zhang Wang Temples (shrines dedicated to King Zhang) still stand as monuments to this legendary figure who rose from salt laborer to Wu monarch.
Notes:
1. The “Eighteen Pole Uprising” was a 1353 rebellion led by Zhang Shicheng, who rallied 17 salt workers to fight against Yuan Dynasty oppression using farming poles as weapons. Born from the struggles of salt workers under harsh taxation and disasters, it grew into a major anti-Yuan movement. Zhang later established the “Great Zhou” regime before his defeat by Zhu Yuanzhang. The event symbolizes grassroots resistance and echoes classic Chinese rebel narratives.
2. Toto (1314–1356), also known as Toghtog Temüre, was a famous statesman and military leader in the late Yuan Dynasty. He came from a noble family of the Merkid tribe and rose to power through his political talent and military achievements, eventually becoming Chancellor of the Yuan government.
8.卞元亨
卞元亨（1325-1415），号柏门老人，是元末明初名将，曾赤手打虎，成为《水浒传》武松的原型，他辅佐张士诚抗元，屡立战功。他培育的“枯枝牡丹”闻名于世，其气节与文武才能深受后人敬仰。
卞元亨他出身官宦世家，其祖父卞济之曾任南宋陕西参知政事，宋亡后隐居苏州，后迁至盐城便仓，并从洛阳携回红白牡丹植于庭院，以“红者示报国忠心，白者示为官清正”为家训。青年时期，他便展现出非凡勇气。当时便仓以东常有猛虎出没伤人，他效仿晋代周处除害之举，赤手空拳前往，以脚蹴虎颌，当场击毙猛虎，成为当地传奇。这一壮举后来被其表兄施耐庵艺术加工，成为《水浒传》中经典的“武松打虎”情节。
元至正十三年（1353年），盐民起义领袖张士诚据高邮反元，慕名聘请卞元亨出任主帅。在张士诚麾下，卞元亨转战八年，屡建战功。至正二十三年（1363年）张士诚自立为吴王后，卞元亨因政治主张不合，与施耐庵先后辞官归隐。明朝建立后，朱元璋三次征召卞元亨出仕，均被拒绝，后发配辽东（今山海关外）充军十年。临行前，他在祖传牡丹园以酒祝花：“待我南还花再开”。神奇的是，在卞元亨戍边期间，园中牡丹枝叶枯萎不再开花，直至永乐元年（1403年）他获赦归来，牡丹突然盛开。感慨万千的卞元亨写下传世名句：“牡丹原是亲手栽，十度春风九不开。多少繁华零落尽，一枝犹待主人来”。这种牡丹枝干枯槁却花朵艳丽，且花瓣数能应农历闰年（13瓣）平年（12瓣）变化，更会在国家重大事件时反常开花，被称为“枯枝牡丹”，成为便仓镇的文化象征。
卞元亨晚年自号“柏门老人”，隐居便仓专心著书育花，留下《柏门诗集》《牡丹诗》等作品。其诗风格豪迈，如《戍归》中“丈夫志远遍天涯，一跨辽东忽到家”尽显英雄气概。作为武松原型，卞元亨的打虎壮举通过《水浒传》流芳百世；作为爱国将领，他“不事二主”的气节备受推崇；作为园艺家，他培育的枯枝牡丹至今仍是盐城重要文化遗产。
Bian Yuanheng
Bian Yuanheng (1325-1415), styled Baimen Laoren (Old man of Cypress Gate), was a renowned general of the late Yuan and early Ming periods. Legend recounts him killing a tiger with his bare hands, a feat that inspired the character Wu Song in Water Margin. He served as a key military strategist under Zhang Shicheng’s anti-Yuan resistance, earning numerous battlefield honors. His cultivation of “withered-branch peonies”1 gained international renown, while his unwavering integrity and exceptional martial prowess continue to inspire admiration today.
Bian Yuanheng was born into a family of scholar-officials. His grandfather Bian Jizhi had served as Canzheng (Vice Governor) of Shaanxi during the Southern Song Dynasty. After the Song’s fall, he went into seclusion in Suzhou before relocating to Biancang, Yancheng, where he brought back red and white peonies from Luoyang to plant in his courtyard, establishing the family motto: “The red symbolizes loyalty to the nation; the white embodies integrity in officialdom.” In his youth, Bian demonstrated extraordinary courage. When man-eating tigers frequently appeared east of Biancang, he emulated Zhou Chu’s legendary feat from the Jin Dynasty by confronting the beast bare-handed. With a kick to the tiger’s jaw, he killed it on the spot, becoming a local legend. This heroic act was later artistically embellished by his cousin Shi Nai’an, inspiring the iconic “Wu Song Fights the Tiger” episode in Water Margin.
In the 13th year of the Zhizheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1353), Zhang Shicheng, the leader of the salt workers’ uprising, established himself in Gaoyou to resist the Yuan regime. He sought out Bian Yuanheng by reputation and appointed him as the chief commander. Under Zhang Shicheng’s command, Bian Yuanheng fought for eight years, achieving numerous military victories. In the 23rd year of Zhizheng (1363), after Zhang Shicheng declared himself King of Wu, Bian Yuanheng resigned and went into seclusion due to political differences, followed shortly thereafter by his cousin Shi Nai’an. After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang summoned Bian Yuanheng to serve three times, but he refused each time. Subsequently, he was exiled to Liaodong (northeast of Shanhai Pass) for a decade of military service. Before his departure, he made a toast to the peonies in his family’s garden, saying, “When I return south, the flowers will bloom again.” Miraculously, during Bian Yuanheng’s military service in exile，the peonies in the garden withered and stopped blooming until the first year of Yongle era (1403), when he was granted amnesty and returned home. Overwhelmed with emotion, Bian Yuanheng wrote the immortal lines:
“I planted these peonies with my own hands,
Ten springs passed, nine times they did not bloom.
Many glories have faded away,
Yet one branch still awaits its master’s return.”
These peonies, known as “withered-branch peonies”, have unique characteristics: their branches appear withered, but their flowers are vibrant; the number of petals changes according to the lunar calendar (13 petals in leap years, 12 in regular years); and they sometimes bloom unexpectedly during major national events. The peonies have become a cultural symbol of Biancang Town.
In his later years, Bian Yuanheng styled himself as “Baimen Laoren” and secluded himself in Biancang, dedicating himself to writing and cultivating peonies. He left behind literary works such as Poems of Cypress Gate and Peony Poems, characterized by their bold and heroic style. For instance, his poem Returning from Exile, “A great man’s ambition reaches across the world; With a stride from Liaodong, I’m home at last”, epitomizes his heroic spirit. As the prototype for Wu Song in Water Margin, Bian Yuanheng’s tiger-slaying feat immortalized him through literature; as a patriotic general, his unwavering loyalty to “serving one master” earned him enduring admiration; and as a horticulturist, his cultivated “withered-branch peonies” remain a vital cultural heritage of Yancheng to this day.
Notes:
1. Withered-branch Peony is acknowledged as a unique peony variety native to Yancheng, Jiangsu, renowned for its vibrant blossoms contrasting with seemingly withered branches. Classified among “Jiangsu’s Three Floral Wonders” alongside Yangzhou’s hydrangea and Nanjing’s twin-lotus.
9.罗贯中
罗贯中（约1330—约1400），名本，字贯中，号湖海散人，元末明初著名小说家，作为施耐庵的得意弟子，他曾跟随老师定居盐城大丰的白驹镇，一边协助创作《水浒传》，一边积累自己的写作素材，最终写出了影响深远的《三国演义》。
罗贯中年轻时曾随父亲在苏州、杭州一带经商，后来拜学者赵宝丰为师。元朝末年天下大乱，他加入张士诚的起义军担任幕僚，正是在这里结识了施耐庵，并拜他为师。1366年，为躲避战乱，他随施耐庵渡江北上，来到盐城白驹镇定居。师徒二人隐居在一个叫“花家垛”的小岛上，施耐庵写《水浒传》，罗贯中则帮忙整理文稿，这段经历为他日后独立创作打下了坚实基础。
在盐城生活期间，罗贯中经常接触当地的风土人情和民间故事。他常在施耐庵的书院（如今是“中华水浒园”的一部分）里读书研讨，也开始系统收集三国时期的历史和传说。盐城当地记载显示，他喜欢和文人朋友一起探讨元末群雄争霸和三国有哪些相似之处——这些思考后来也融入了《三国演义》的写作。
明朝建立后，罗贯中离开盐城，先后在杭州、建阳等地居住，最终完成了《三国演义》。这本书“七分真实，三分虚构”，生动刻画了诸葛亮、曹操、关羽等经典人物，创造了“桃园结义”“草船借箭”“赤壁之战”等家喻户晓的情节。书中强调的“忠义”观念，既有老师施耐庵的影响，也融入了他在盐城民间感受到的侠义文化。该书在1522年正式刊印，后又经人修订成为120回通行本，被誉为“中国第一才子书”。
罗贯中与盐城的渊源至今仍有痕迹。在白驹镇的施耐庵纪念馆中，设有“罗贯中拜师”雕塑；盐城水浒文化博物馆中也专门设有关于他的展厅，介绍他参与《水浒传》创作的经历。更重要的是，他从老师那里继承了不慕官场、专心写作的风骨，放弃做官而把一生投入文学创作。中华水浒园每年举办“三国文化节”，当地也将“施罗文学之路”列为非物质文化遗产。他的作品既有北方历史叙事的宏大，也带着江南民间故事的鲜活，而《三国演义》中深沉的历史观念，也反映出元末盐城动荡的社会现实。
Luo Guanzhong
Luo Guanzhong (c. 1330-c. 1400), given name Ben, courtesy name Guanzhong, who styled himself as Huhai Sanren (literally Wanderer of Lakes and Seas), was a renowned novelist at the transition between Yuan and Ming dynasties. As Shi Nai’an’s favored disciple, he accompanied his teacher to settle in Baju Town, Dafeng, Yancheng, where he assisted in the creation of Water Margin while accumulating his own writing materials. Ultimately, he authored Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a work of profound historical influence.
Luo Guanzhong engaged in commerce with his father in Suzhou and Hangzhou regions during his youth before becoming a disciple of scholar Zhao Baofeng. Amid the chaos of the late Yuan Dynasty, he joined Zhang Shicheng’s rebel army as a strategist, where he first met Shi Nai’an and became his student. In 1366, fleeing the turmoil of war, he followed Shi Nai’an north across the Yangtze River to settle in Baju Town, Yancheng. The master and disciple secluded themselves on a small island called Huajiaduo (Flower Marsh Islet). While Shi Nai’an wrote Water Margin, Luo Guanzhong assisted in compiling manuscripts, an experience that laid a solid foundation for his future independent literary creations.
During his time in Yancheng, Luo Guanzhong frequently immersed himself in the local customs and folk traditions. He often engaged in scholarly discussions at Shi Nai’an’s academy (now part of Chinese Water Margin Park), where he began systematically collecting historical materials and legends from the Three Kingdoms period. Local records indicate that he enjoyed debating with literati friends about the parallels between the warlord struggles of the late Yuan Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era. These insights later became integral to his writing of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Luo Guanzhong left Yancheng and resided in Hangzhou, Jianyang, and other places before finally completing Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The book, which is “70% historical and 30% fictional”, vividly portrays iconic figures such as Zhuge Liang, Cao Cao, and Guan Yu, while creating well-known scenarios like “Oath of the Peach Garden”, “Arrow Borrowing Scheme”, and “The Battle of Red Cliffs”. The concept of “loyalty and righteousness” emphasized in the book reflects both the influence of his teacher Shi Nai'an and the chivalry culture he absorbed from Yancheng’s folk traditions. First officially printed in 1522, the work was later revised into a 120-chapter standard edition, earning the title “The First Masterpiece of Chinese Literature”.
The enduring ties between Luo Guanzhong and Yancheng remain vividly preserved today. The Shi Nai’an Memorial Hall in Baju Town features a sculpture commemorating Luo Guanzhong’s Initiation as Disciple, while the Yancheng Water Margin Cultural Museum maintains a dedicated exhibition hall chronicling his contributions to the novel’s creation. Most significantly, Luo inherited his teacher’s literary ethos, rejecting officialdom to devote himself entirely to writing. This commitment is celebrated through the annual Three Kingdoms Cultural Festival at Chinese Water Margin Park, while the local government has officially recognized “Shi-Luo’s Literary Legacy” as an intangible cultural heritage. His works masterfully blend the sweeping historical narratives of northern China with the vibrant folkloric traditions of Jiangnan. The profound historical consciousness in Romance of the Three Kingdoms particularly mirrors the turbulent social realities of Yancheng during the late Yuan period.
10.高谷
高谷（1391—1460），字世用，号育斋，盐城大丰丁溪场人，明朝著名政治家、文学家，历经永乐、洪熙、宣德、正统、景泰五朝，官至内阁首辅，被誉为“五朝元老”，其一生清廉正直，不仅在政治上多有建树，更以其人格魅力成为明代士大夫的典范。
高谷出生于盐城大丰，自幼聪颖好学，十岁入县学，二十岁便考中举人。永乐十三年（1414年），他进士及第，被选为庶吉士，授中书舍人，负责起草朝廷文书，从此步入仕途。在翰林院期间，他因学识渊博、品行端正，深受内阁首辅杨士奇的赏识。从此步入仕途。他最早在翰林院担任文书工作，因学识渊博、品行端正，深受内阁首辅杨士奇的赏识，逐渐被提拔为太子身边的近臣，最终进入内阁，成为朝廷的核心官员。
高谷最为人称道的是他始终秉持的公正之心。景泰年间，给事中林聪因得罪权贵被判处死刑，高谷不顾自身安危，挺身而出为其辩冤，最终使林聪免于一死。在科举考试中，大学士陈循因儿子落第而诬告考官不公，高谷复查后严正指出：“贵族子弟与寒门学子争名已是不该，怎能再诬陷考官？”他的坚持维护了考试的公正。高谷还以善于发现和举荐人才著称，他推举的商辂、彭时等人，后来都成为一代名臣，为朝廷作出了重要贡献。
在“土木之变”英宗被俘的危急关头，高谷果断支持于谦拥立景泰帝，稳定了动荡的政局。当瓦剌欲送归英宗时，景泰帝不愿以厚礼相迎，高谷又力主“礼宜从厚”，援引历史旧例，既保全了皇家体面，也维护了国家尊严。英宗复辟后，高谷审时度势，主动请辞还乡。英宗感念他当年的支持，特赐金帛、安排驿舟荣归故里。
高谷虽然官至首辅，却一生清廉自守，家中只有老屋薄田，别无长物。《明史》称赞他“清直，有古风”。高谷于1460年逝世，享年七十岁。他去世后被追赠太保，谥号“文义”。他的一生，堪称清官典范，其正直廉洁的品格，至今仍在故乡盐城传颂，成为后人学习的榜样。
Gao Gu
Gao Gu (1391-1460), courtesy name Shiyong and style name Yuzhai, was a native of Dingxi Salt Field in Dafeng, Yancheng. A renowned statesman and literatus of the Ming Dynasty, he served five consecutive emperors, Yongle, Hongxi, Xuande, Zhengtong, and Jingtai, rising to become Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat. Celebrated as “A Five-Dynasty Elder Statesman”, Gao Gu distinguished himself through his incorruptibility and uprightness. His political achievements were matched only by his personal charisma, which made him a paragon of Ming Dynasty scholar-officials.
Gao Gu was born in Dafeng, Yancheng. He showed exceptional intelligence and diligence from childhood, entered county school at age ten, and obtained the Juren degree (provincial-level imperial exam) at twenty. In 1414 (Yongle 13th year of the Ming Dynasty), he earned his jinshi degree (the highest degree in imperial examinations), was selected as a shujishi (candidate for elite civil service), and appointed zhongshu Sheren (court document draftsman), marking his official career start. During his tenure at the Hanlin Academy, his erudition and integrity won him the favor of Grand Secretary Yang Shiqi (1366-1444). Starting with document drafting, he rose through the ranks to become a close confidant of the Crown Prince, eventually entering the Grand Secretariat as a core court official.
Gao Gu is most celebrated for his unwavering commitment to justice. During the Jingtai reign period, when Lin Cong, a Jishi, was sentenced to death after offending powerful officials, Gao Gu risked his own safety to defend Lin’s innocence, ultimately sparing his life. In another instance involving imperial examinations, Grand Academician Chen Xun accused examiners of unfairness after his son failed. Upon review, Gao Gu sternly rebuked: “It is already improper for noble-born candidates to compete with commoners for honors. How dare you further slander the examiners?” His stance safeguarded the integrity of the system. Gao Gu was also renowned for his talent identification and recommendation skills. The officials he promoted, including Shang Lu (1414-1486) and Peng Shi (141-1475), later became celebrated ministers who made significant contributions to the court.
During the critical Tumu Crisis when Emperor Yingzong was captured by the Oirat forces, Gao Gu resolutely supported Yu Qian in enthroning Emperor Jingtai, thereby stabilizing the turbulent political situation. When the Oirat sought to return Yingzong, Jingtai initially refused to receive him with proper honors. Gao Gu strongly advocated “the reception must be conducted with utmost propriety”, citing historical precedents, thus preserving imperial dignity while maintaining state honor. After Yingzong’s restoration, Gao Gu astutely assessed the situation and voluntarily retired to his hometown. Moved by Gao’s past support, Yingzong granted him gold and silk, and arranged official transport for his honorable return.
Despite rising to the position of Grand Secretary, Gao Gu lived his entire life with utmost integrity, leaving behind only an old house and meager fields, no other possessions. The Ming History praised him as “upright and pure, embodying ancient virtues”. Gao Gu passed away in 1460 at age seventy. He was posthumously granted the title Taibao and awarded the honorific Wen Yi. His life stands as a paradigm of incorruptible officials, his moral rectitude and probity continuing to inspire generations in his hometown Yancheng as a model for posterity.
