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In the first year of Baoyuan (1038), Sima Guang was nineteen years old. He participated in the imperial examination and passed the high school Jinshi. From then on, he entered the Shilin and first served as the judge of Huazhou (now Hua County, Shaanxi). At this time, Sima Chizheng was appointed as the governor of Tongzhou (now Dali, Shaanxi). The two places were close to each other. Sima Guang often went to visit his parents. In Tongzhou, he met Shi Changyan, a Jinshi of the same subject. Shi had a talent and was a prosecutor in Tongzhou. Although he was over 20 years older than Sima Guang, the two were able to talk about it. They often exchanged knowledge together, talked about the past and the present, and became friends who forgot their age. In the same year, he married Zhang Cun's daughter.[7]

In the second year of Baoyuan (1039), Sima Guang resigned from the judge of Huazhou and was renamed the judge of Suzhou because his father was transferred to Hangzhou. Just as he was striving for progress in his career with lofty ambitions, his mother died of illness. According to feudal ethics, he had to resign and go home to mourn for three years. During this period, Yuan Hao, a native of the Dangxiang tribe in the north, proclaimed himself emperor and established the Western Xia Kingdom. In order to get rid of his subordinate status to the Song Dynasty, Xixia fought against the Song Dynasty, and the Song Dynasty failed repeatedly. In order to strengthen military defense, Song Renzong asked Liangzhe to add archers and commanders to add official positions. Sima and his son believed that there was no benefit in doing so. So Sima Guang drafted the "On the Proposal of Not Adding Bowers in Liangzhe" on behalf of his father, and explained the addition of archers and military officers from all aspects. [7]

In December of the first year of Qingli (1041), Sima Chi died of illness in Jinzhou. Sima Guang and his brother Sima Dan returned to his hometown Xia County with his father's coffin. The successive deaths of his parents made Sima Guang very sad. He sighed that "I have been thinking about this in my life and my heart was first disturbed." However, during his mourning, he turned sorrow into the motivation to study and write essays to relieve endless sadness and loneliness. During this period, he read a large number of books and wrote many valuable articles, such as "The Ten Philosophy", "The Four Haos" and "The Jia Sheng", and put forward opinions on some ancient stories based on their own opinions and feelings. [7]

During the three years of mourning, he learned a lot about the life of the lower class. In the fourth year of Qingli (1044), the 26-year-old Sima Guang finished his mourning and signed a letter to the judge of Wu Chengjun. Soon after, he was renamed Xuan Delang, and was appointed as the chief clerk, and Quan Zhishi County. In a short period of time, he achieved political achievements of "the political reputation is so loud that the people call it."[7]

In his spare time, he read a lot of classics and wrote many papers, such as "On the Ordinance of Mechanism and Power", "On the Territory of Talent and Virtue", "On the Rebellion of the Marquis of Yinghou's War", "On the Army of Wu'an", "On the Dead of Han Sheng", "On the Emperor of Han", "On the Emperor of Han", "On the Lord of Ding", "On the Lord of the Han Dynasty", "On the Lord of the Republic of China", "On the Rebellion of the Emperor of Talent", "On the Rebellion of the Emperor of Talent", "On the Rebellion of the Emperor of Talent", "On the Rebellion of the Emperor of Talent", and dozens of articles such as "On the Rebellion of the Emperor of the Qin Dynasty".[7]

In the seventh year of Feng (1084), Sima Guang was sixty-six years old. All "Zizhi Tongjian" was completed. The whole book was submitted on July 11 of that year. In November, after the final part of "Tang Ji" and "Five Dynasties" were completed, Sima Guang, together with "Tong Jian Kaoyi" and "Tong Jian Catalogue" and "Tong Jian Catalogue" were compiled to Emperor Shenzong. Emperor Shenzong attached great importance to it and stamped the beginning and end of each compilation of the book with the emperor's Ruisi Hall stamp.

, because his book "in view of the past and provides resources for governance", he gave the title of "Zizhi Tongjian" and wrote the preface in person. On the third day of the 12th month, Emperor Shenzong issued an edict to reward Sima Guang, saying that he was "learning and knowledgeable, and throughout the present and ancient times. From the late Zhou Dynasty to the next five dynasties, he formed a book of one's own praise and criticism, and had a basis for it." He also rewarded with silver, silk, clothes and horses, promoted Sima Guang's Bachelor of Zizheng Hall, and moved Fan Zuyu to the Secretariat's official character. [7]

In the eighth year of Yuanfeng (1085), Sima Guang was 67 years old. On March 7, Shenzong died of illness. Zhao Xu, who was only 10 years old, succeeded to the throne. Zhezong was young and his grandmother, was in power. The Empress Dowager asked Sima Guang for strategies for governing the country. Sima Guang submitted a "Note to open up the road of speech" and suggested "opening up the road of speech". Sima Guang once again called for the burden on poor peasants, and advocated that the new law must be abolished and that "benevolent government" should be imposed on farmers. Then he submitted a second memorial "The Important Notes on Cultivating the Heart and Governing the Country", focusing on the issue of employment and rewards and punishments, and proposed the Baojia Law, the Law of Exemption of Service and the Art of General Military "Sickness and Sickness of the People and the Law of Generals, which is harmful and useless." [7]

The Empress Dowager issued an edict to appointed Sima Guang as the governor of Chenzhou. Soon after, he issued an edict to be appointed as the Minister of the Jung-Secretary (i.e. the Deputy Prime Minister). However, Sima Guang wrote a memorial to resign, and asked only to serve as the governor of Chenzhou because he was "deteriorating and his energy was exhausted." Later, with the support of his relatives and friends around him, he took office. Sima Guang advised the Empress Dowager that in order to realize the political proposition of abolishing the new law, he recruited Liu Zhi, Fan Chunren, Li Chang, Su Shi, Su Zhe and others who were demoted for opposing the new law were returned to the court for office. Lu Gongzhu, Wen Yanbo and other old ministers were also recalled to the court for office. [7]

Sima Guang abolished the new law and submitted the "Notes on Resulting the Disadvantages". In the "Notes on Resulting the New Law", he compared the new law to poison and asked for immediate measures to be taken to "update". The Baojia Law was abolished, the Fangtianjun Tax Law, the Market Change Law, the Baoma Law, and the Illness of the Imprison Law, the Qingmiao Law and the General Law had not yet abolished, and said infinitely sadly: "I will die with my eyes!" He said to Mr. Lu: "Since he was sick, he has been with him. Pay the doctor, pay the family affairs to Kang (Sima Kang), and there is no payment for the state affairs." I hope that Mr. Lu could fulfill his long-time wish. At the same time, he submitted a letter to request his resignation. However, the Empress Dowager relied heavily on him. Not only did he not allow him to resign, he issued an edict to be appointed as the Minister of Shangshu Zuo Pushe and the Minister of the Jung-secret, and officially appointed as the prime minister. Then the law of exemption and Qingmiao Law was soon abolished. Sima Guang finally fulfilled his long-cherished wish to abolish the law of exemption and realized his political proposition.[7]

However, Sima Guang's political career was not outstanding. He was considered a typical representative of the conservative thoughts of ancient Chinese scholars and officials. Although he believed that "the new laws established by Wang Anshi and others could be better than those of the old ones." [21] In fact, he did not choose the best and the worst because he was dissatisfied with Wang Anshi and stopped the new laws. [22] He also returned the land seized by the military soldiers during the Shenzong Dynasty to Xixia free of charge. In the future, when the new and old party struggled, he became a struggle for intention and power, and no longer focused on the operation of the national politics.

The Song Dynasty was defeated in many wars, and the national situation had reached an urgent situation. Sima Guang still insisted on patriarchal law and ethical principles, but he could not put forward effective policy guidelines except for the new law. Zhu Xi praised Sima Guang, but said that "Yuanyou and all wise men closed the door to explain the truth." [23] "Wen Gong's theory did not follow each other, and he (Zhang Dun) caught the illness one by one and knocked out the point." [24]

Historical Book Review

"History of the Song Dynasty": Xining's new laws are ill of the people, and they are turbulent in the country, and they are honest and ruling, but they are not depressed; the righteous people are abandoned without using them. The ministers who gathered up will advance day by day, and the people will be abused for twenty years. At that time, Guang retreats to Luo, if he is about to live his life. However, the wise and gentlemen of the world, as well as ordinary men and foolish women, lead them to be prime minister day by night, and call them to the road, and hope that they will not go to the court. How can they get this from everyone with just a little talent and wisdom? The virtue is prosperous and sincere. [7]

Evaluation from generation to generation

Zhao Xu: 1 Sima Guang Fangzhi. [25] 2 Those who have not discussed the difference will resign from the Privy Council. Since I ascended the throne, I have only seen this person. [25]

Duke Lu wrote: Confucius became a saint, and Zilu was still called trampling. Mencius was also called trampling and broad at that time. Besides, Guang was not a name. If you think about the facts that are profound, then you will be close to trampling and broad. [25]

Wen Yanbo: 1. The king does things that are beyond the reach of people today, so he must seek them from ancient people. [25] 2. Yanbo stayed in Beijing and sent people to the Great Liao to investigate the matter. He replied: "I saw the Liao lord feasting the ministers and actors playing the show. Those who wear clothes and hats must grab the things when they see them. Some people follow the back and whip them with whips. He said: Sima Duan is a clear-headed person!" The king is really famous, and he is like this in the barbarians. [25]

Cheng Yi: I have seen a lot of people! Those who are not mixed are Sima, Shao (Shao Yong), and Zhang (Zhang Zai).[13]
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