| Su Shi was one of the most famous historical figures of the Northern Song Dynasty,he was also one of the "Eight Giants of Tang and Song prose" in the Chinese classical literature history and the first of the most outstanding four calligraphers in Song Dynasty,and Su Shi’s achievements in the field of culture and art also can be described as very outstanding.In the political field,although Su Shi had some smooth times and made a good performance in Hangzhou,Xuzhou and other local officials;but,in general,Su Shi got many hits,and had a lot of bad times,his verse that “If you ask me ‘What are your contributions?’,the answer is Huangzhou,Huizhou,Danzhou”which highly summarized ups and downs of Su Shi’s political career.Although Su Shi made a high ranking in the imperial examinations in his early years and got into the third level in Zhike examination,then he was appointed as Dali commentator,the magistrate of Fengxiang state,Su Shi did not got pivotal appointments in time,Renzong and Yingzong had died.After Shenzong ascended the throne,Su Shi was manager of Dianzhong province,secretary of the Bureau of Shiguan,director of the Bureau of Guangao.Shenzong appointed Wang Anshi as the prime minister to reform.Su Shi believed that Wang Anshi’s reform had more harm than good,so he send a letter to Shenzong to explain the matter.Because against the reform,Su Shi was excluded and had to left the capital to local area.However,soon after Su Shi was even persecuted into prison by the reformists.Later,Shenzong wanted to appoint Su Shi,but still not in time,Shenzong also died.In the Yuanyou period,owing to the Empress Dowager’s appreciation,Su Shi had been swift-promoted,then he was appointed as Hanlin Academician.But at that time,because Su Shi against Sima Guang to abolish “the Mianyi Bill”,Su Shi was excluded by the conservatives and had to left the capital to local area again.When Zhezong began his personal rule,he re-appointed reformists to hold important positions.Su Shi was listed as Yuanyou party members,so he had been relegated many times,and at last Su Shi was relegated to Hainan.After Huizong ascended the throne,Su Shi was eventually allowed to return to the mainland.But this time,Su Shi died in the wayhome on the North.In the minds of advocates of official position and power,Su Shi’s career was a very failed course,but this was also reflected Su Shi’s political integrity.Specifically,from the subjective,Su Shi is a person with independent personality,he dare to maintain independent thinking and put forward independent views,because he had a high political character and integrity and dare to challenge the powerful people like Wang Anshi and Sima Guang,which had offended the new party and the old party,so he can not be tolerated by the two parties;from the objective,in the middle and late Northern Song Dynasty,the party struggle intensified.In this political environment,Su Shi not only did not be an weathercock like Cai Jing,even did not want to hide his own will,these are also doomed Su Shi’s distress.That is to say,“Destruction pursues the great.”Although Su Shi had many ups and downs in his bureaucrat career,Su Shi was not decadent in adversity.On the contrary,Su Shi made so many great achievements that even for future generations would be difficult to get again in the field of culture and art.These achievements also laid Su Shi’s immortal status in the history of Chinese culture. |
