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Song Lian was a literary and political adviser to the Ming dynasty founder. (Wikimedia Commons.)
Song Lian was born in Pujiang, China, and lived during the early Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368–1644). He achieved the high official position of Xue Shi (literally bachelor) and primarily worked on the compilation of the Yuan Shi (Official History of the Yuan Dynasty) as the head of the official Bureau of History of the Ming Dynasty.
He believed that writing had to be in accordance with proper moral values. In his lifetime, he wrote many beautiful articles and also worked on proposing laws and regulations during the early Ming Dynasty. Throughout his life, he firmly pursued the way of the ancient sages. His spirit of persistent hard work and learning has encouraged many later generations.
When Song Lian was young, his family was very poor. However, he did not give up on learning. In his essay Farewell to Mr. Ma Sheng From Dongyang, he wrote: “When I was young, I was very eager to read. However, my family was too poor to afford to buy books. Thus I could only borrow books from rich families.
“I would borrow several books then try to copy them down. Every day I would hastily copy books while calculating how much time I had left before I had to return them.” In this way, Song Lian acquired knowledge.
One day it was very cold. Outside was covered with snow and ice, and harsh winds were blowing from the north. It was so cold that even the black ink in the ink stone was frozen. Song Lian’s family could not afford to make a fire for warmth. Song Lian’s fingers got very cold. He could not curl them, but he still continued studying and copying because he had to return the books.
After he finished, it was already very late. Despite the harsh weather, Song Lian ran to the homes that he had borrowed books from. He never dared to return a book late. Since Song Lian was honest and always kept his word, everyone would lend him books without hesitation. Therefore he was able to read extensively and expand his knowledge.
Moral Principles of the Sages
Though Song Lian suffered through poverty, hunger, and severe weather, he did not mind and only focused on learning. He studied tirelessly, learning and upholding traditional moral principles.
As he matured and became an adult, he was more eager to learn about the ways of the sages. However, since he did not have a teacher, he often encountered questions that he could not answer. The closest scholar he could consult was over 30 miles away, so Song Lian walked over 30 miles with his inquiries.
This scholar was very harsh to students, so whenever Song Lian asked him questions, he always asked them in a very polite and thorough manner. He would bend his body forward to listen because he was afraid that he would miss a word from the scholar. Song Lian would say humbly, “Although I am ignorant, I’m learning many things from this teacher.”
Song Lian would insist on seeing the scholar even during the coldest winter days. He would wear his straw sandals, carry his bags on his back, and walk through snow that was several feet high. He walked alone in the windy mountains. The skin on his feet would crack and bleed from the icy snow, but he would just ignore it.
When he arrived at the hotel, his limbs would be completely numb, but Song Lian was not afraid of difficulties and insisted on consulting the teacher on a regular basis.
In order to afford his study, Song Lian lived on a very simple diet and wore very old clothes. By contrast, most of his peers were from wealthy families. They wore clothes made of silk and satin and covered with jewels. But Song Lian never envied them. He was never concerned about his poor living conditions. Instead, he focused on learning the valuable moral principles of the sages.
Song Lian achieved great prosperity and renown for his accomplishments because he understood that his harsh living conditions were tests for his will and character. As he became more learned and built up his character, he was regarded as an honest and upright official. He wrote many scholarly articles that followed strict moral principles and later became a great paragon of virtue and knowledge.
In Chinese literature, Song Lian was honored as one of the Three Poetry Masters in the Early Ming Dynasty. His essays were sometimes simple and concise, sometimes rich and elegant. Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Song Dynasty, praised him as “number one in literature accomplishment” among all the founding officials.
People with high aspirations are willing to endure the toughest hardships while maintaining their dignity and moral values for their goals. They can advance diligently despite all kinds of difficulties and obstacles because they know that a bright future awaits them.
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