I admire the perseverance of being able to overcome even the slightest drop of water, and I admire the perseverance of Aoxue Hanmei, but the most I admire is the perseverance of an unyielding man.
Material: Yan Ziling - the quality of being clean and self-sufficient
Yan Ziling is the earliest person in Cixi to be recorded in history. His original surname was Zhuang, but later generations changed his surname to Yan to avoid being tabooed by Emperor Ming. His name is Zun and his courtesy name is Ziling. A native of Chenshan, present-day Henghe Town. He was very famous when he was young. Later, when he studied in Chang'an, he met Liu Xiu, Hou Ba and others.
In 8 AD, Wang Mang proclaimed himself emperor. The laws were stringent, the corvee was heavy, the administration was corrupt, and the people were filled with resentment. In order to win over people's hearts, Wang Mang once recruited talents from all over the world. Hou Ba took the opportunity to become an official, but Liu Xiu joined the Green Forest Rebel Army, determined to overthrow Wang Mang's regime. Yan Ziling also received many invitations from Wang Mang at that time, but he was unmoved. In the end, he simply changed his name and changed his surname, fled to a remote village, and completely got rid of Wang Mang's fetters.
In 25 AD, Liu Xiu finally defeated Wang Mang, established the Eastern Han Dynasty in Luoyang, and became emperor. This was the famous Emperor Guangwu in history. After he ascended the throne, he was thirsty for talents and looked for Yan Ziling everywhere. A few years later, when he learned that Yan Ziling was living in seclusion somewhere in Qi State, wearing sheepskin and fishing, he immediately sent someone with a betrothal gift, prepared a car, and invited him three times in a row. Your Majesty, there must be ministers who are not summoned. How dare I submit to Zi Ling? If this great cause is exposed to spring ice, it will take a stick to heal it. If there are many high-ranking emperors in Qi, I will not be with Zi Ling. The wind of Yingshui is something I dare not hope for. " Yan Ziling finally came to Luoyang because he couldn't resist.
At this time, Hou Ba had become Liu Xiu's prime minister. It turned out that when Wang Mang lost power, he turned the wheel in time and moved closer to the rebel army. Later, he climbed up step by step with his certain ability. He knew that Liu Xiu valued Yan Ziling very much, so when he heard that Yan Ziling was coming, he did not dare to neglect and immediately sent someone with a letter to greet him. However, Yan Ziling despised Hou Ba's behavior of pursuing fame and fortune and blindly speculating. After reading Hou Ba's letter, he did not want to reply. He only asked the visitor to bring two sentences, saying "Huairen Fuyi" The world is happy, flattery and obedience are the key points." Hou Ba thought this was digging his wounds, and was very dissatisfied. From then on, he tried every means to drive Yan Ziling out of Luoyang. Yan Ziling saw that someone like Hou Ba had become prime minister, so he didn't want to stay in Luoyang anymore. He only slept in the hotel every day, waiting to go home. Even when Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu came to visit him in person, he closed his eyes and ignored him. Liu Xiu knew that his old friend was noble and solitary, so he stroked him and said, "Ziling, Ziling, why don't you come out to help me govern the country?" Yan Ziling suddenly opened his eyes and stared at Liu Xiu said: "Tang and Yao conquered the world because of their virtues, which were heard far and wide, so that the hermits could wash their ears. Why do you have to force me so hard!" Liu Xiujian could not convince him for a while, so he had to sigh and board the carriage back to the palace.
A few days later, Liu Xiu invited Yan Ziling to the palace again and talked with him about old things. The conversation was very speculative. At night, he and Yan Ziling slept on the same bed. Yan Ziling put her feet on his belly in his sleep, but he didn't mind at all. Unexpectedly, Hou Ba found out about this, so he asked the Taishi official to report it the next day, saying that the guest star had violated the emperor's throne last night and was very anxious, hoping to arouse Emperor Guangwu's suspicion of Yan Ziling. Liu Xiu laughed loudly after hearing this and said, "Zi Ling and I slept together. It's okay!" However, Yan Ziling expected that there must be a reason. From this incident, he saw the strife of villains and the dangers of officialdom. , so he refused to stay in Luoyang anymore. When Liu Xiu still wanted him to serve as an admonishment official, he finally left without saying goodbye and lived in seclusion at the foot of Fuchun Mountain. There is a "Yen Ling Lai" there, which is said to be the place where he fished.
In the seventeenth year of Jianwu (AD 41), Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu once again summoned Yan Ziling, but Yan Ziling once again refused and simply returned to his hometown of Chenshan to live in seclusion. Within a few years, he He died here at the age of 80.
Yan Ziling’s character is indeed commendable, but not many people knew about it at the time.
It wasn't until Fan Zhongyan, a famous official in the Northern Song Dynasty, was appointed as the magistrate of Muzhou, he built Diaotai and Ziling Temple next to Yanling Temple, and wrote an article "Mr. Yan's Ancestral Hall", praising him for "the clouds and mountains are green, the rivers are strong, the wind of Mr. Yan, the mountains are high" "The water is long", Yan Ziling was known all over the world for his "high integrity and integrity". During the Jiading period of the Southern Song Dynasty, Gaofeng Pavilion was built next to Yanzi's mausoleum in Chenshan, and later a Gaojie Academy was built. Today, it has long been lost, and only a tombstone remains, which is still preserved in Zhishan Park.