Alias: Yao Jichuan, Yao Menggu, Bao, Mr. Bao.

Nationality: Qing Dynasty

Ethnic group: Han nationality

Birthplace: Tongcheng, Anhui (now Zongyang, Anhui)

Date of birth: 173 1 year.

Date of death: A.D. 18 15.

Occupation: essayist

Faith: Confucianism

(Historical lishixinzhi.com) Major achievements: representative prose of Tongcheng School.

Masterpieces: Huai Shang You Huai, Climbing Mount Tai and Fulu Shu Fei.

The Life of the Characters in Yao Nai's Works

Yao Nai is a descendant of Yao, whose ancestor lived in Maxi (now Yaowangji on the south bank of Qianqiao River in Zongyang), and his fifth ancestor Yao Jingtai moved to Tongcheng during the years. For Yao Nai, his family has lived in Tongcheng County for more than 300 years. Yao Nai 173 1 December 20th (1732 1 October 17) was born in the south gate of Tongcheng. His ancestors were the chief secretary of Yunnan in the Ming Dynasty, and Yao was the magistrate of Jiangzhou, with the title of deputy envoy, both of which were contained in Biography of Officials in the Ming Dynasty. Yao Sunbi was once famous for his "Three Scholars in Five Miles (Yao Sunbi, Long, Xu) and Two Scholars in One River (Liu Ruozai, Long)". Great-grandfather Yao Shiqi, a former magistrate of Luotian County, Hubei Province, was virtuous and clean, and both died in famous temples. Fan Yao, a scholar and later editor of imperial academy, wrote Poems of Ji Quail Hall, which is well versed in the history of Confucian classics and has a deep affinity with Liu Dakui, one of the founders of Tongcheng School, so that Yao Nai can learn Confucian classics from his uncle and literature from Liu Dakui. His grandfather Yao Kongying died at the age of 26, and his father Shu was a civilian all his life. Yao Nai's family had declined when he was born, and he loved learning when he was young. His uncle Fan Yao gave him classics and learned ancient Chinese from Liu Dakui. Liu Dakui paid special attention to Yao Nai, saying that he was "crowned when he was young, and he had died" and "waited for his son later". After fifteen years of Qianlong (1750), he failed to get a place in Sun Shan after five Ministry of War examinations after he was awarded the entrance examination at the age of twenty. It was not until the 28th year of Qianlong (1763) that the 30-year-old Ministry of War took the sixth exam that he was admitted as a scholar and was awarded Jishi Shu. Three years later, he was transferred to the Ministry of War. Director of the etiquette department of the Ministry of Rites. Later, he took the provincial examinations in Shandong and Hunan and served as the deputy examiner. He will try to punish the examiner and the Guangdong Secretariat. In the thirty-eighth year of Qianlong (1773), the Qing court opened the Siku Quanshu Library, and Yao Nai was recommended to be the editor of the library. This post should have been held by Hanlin, and Du Nai, Xiuning Dai Dongyuan, Da Chun and Shexian Cheng Jinfang were elected without exception. When Sikuquanshu was finished, I knelt down for support and went home. I didn't enter the official career. I was 44 years old. Yu Minzhong and Liang Guozhi, college students, have successively appointed high-ranking officials, but they were both dismissed.

Since the forty-second year of Qianlong (1777), Yao Nai has given lectures and devoted himself to education in Yangzhou Meihua Academy, Anqing Jingfu Academy, Shexian Academy and Nanjing Zhongshan Academy, and his disciples have spread all over southern provinces. Among them, the most famous is the city's Fang, Liu Kai; Shangyuanmei Ceng Liang and Guan Tong; Yixing Wu Dexuan; Yang Zhaoluo; Yao Chun of Louxian County; Xincheng Lu Jiugao and his nephew Chen Yongguang. These students are all scholars who abide by the teacher's theory and Tongcheng family law, which has played a great role in the spread of Tongcheng School. Tongcheng School ancient prose spread from Bao Fang to Zhenchuan, then to Liu Dakui in Yi Tong, and then to Yao Nai. Therefore, there is a saying that "Tongcheng family law stands here, the wind is flowing, the Antarctic is Gui Xiang, and the north is Zhao Yan". Zhou Shuchang of Licheng said: "The article in the world is in Tongcheng!"

In the forty-fourth year of Qianlong (1779), Liu Dakui died at the age of eighty-two. Yao Nai has undoubtedly become the core of Tongcheng School. Finally, the 75 volumes of Gu Ci Fu, which he worked so hard to compile, were completed. According to the purpose of the article, it can be divided into 13 categories, such as argumentation, preface and postscript, recitation, writing, giving and answering preface, imperial edict, biography, epitaph, miscellaneous notes, inscription and postscript, eulogy, ci fu, mourning, etc. The selected works mainly include The Warring States Policy, Han Fu, Eight Masters in Tang and Song Dynasties, Gui Youguang, Fang Bao, Liu Dakui, etc., which show Tongcheng School's tradition of respecting ancient prose, establish Tongcheng School's "authentic" position in the history of prose, and embody Yao Nai's literary ideas. This collection is very popular with people and has a great influence so far.

In the forty-ninth year of Qianlong (1784), Yao Nai resigned. He hoped to make time to advocate Tongcheng School and began his teaching career for more than forty years. Yao Nai has successively presided over Zhongshan, Meihua, * * * and Jingfu Academy in Jiangning, Yangzhou, Huizhou and Anqing. "It is a blessing for scholars to get along." Many famous writers who later became Tongcheng School, such as Mei Zengliang, Guan Tong, Fang, Yao Ying and Yao Men, made Tongcheng School stronger. Many writers whose native place is not Tongcheng also consider themselves Tongcheng School.

In the 15th year of Jiaqing (18 15), 85-year-old Yao Nai died in Nanjing Zhongshan Academy and was buried in Yangshuwan, Tongcheng. At this time, Tongcheng School's position in ancient Chinese prose has been unshakable. During the reign of Daoguang Xianfeng, Tongcheng School flourished in the hands of Zeng Guofan and Zeng Men's disciples for a while, which continued until the birth of Yan Fu, Lin Shu and new literature.

Yao Nai's main achievements

Yao Nai, together with the founders Fang Bao and Liu Dakui, is known as the "Three Ancestors of Tongcheng", and is known as "the first person of ancient prose in China" and "the peak of ancient prose in China". On the basis of Fang and Liu, he advocated that the article should be "rational", "well-founded" and "disciplined"