Comparative Study Of Lu Zhi And Su Shi Memorial

In ancient times，a petition to the emperor is an official document of politics。Lu Zhiand Su Shi are not only known as writers in the history, but also are the Ministers whowere famous for writing petitions to the emperor. In the literature revolution, Lu Zhiundertook the "Yan Xu", put parallel sentencepetition to the emperor to the Summitand also known promote Han Yu and other ancient Chinese Writers when he was servedas the official of civil examinations for government degrees. He played inestimable effecton the Tang and Song Dynasties prose innovation. When Su Shi writing the petition tothe emperor, he took Lu Zhi as a model. Su Shi showed his esteem for Lu Zhi through hispetition to the emperor Song Zhezong. Lu Zhi undertook a series of reform for theparallel sentencepetition, making the original ornate and wooden Parallel prose can alsobe used to discuss national affairs. Lu Zhi undertook reform focused on the followingaspects: First of all, through double loose sentences row, put the simple sentences into acompound sentence; Secondly, mix parallel sentence with simple sentence, in order totransfer the style of writing; Once again, seek smooth of the words and avoid excessiveuse of allusions; Then, lengthened the parallel sentence so as to lengthen the length;Finally, use the parallel setence and the loose sentence in the right place. Su Shi’spetitions were on the base of Lu Zhi’s.The sentences were writen looser and more fluent. But in the language, Su Shi’spetition is popular, not as formal as Lu Zhi’s. In the content aspect, both Lu Zhi’s and SuShi’s articles are related to the political, economic, social, military and other sides whichrefer to the people’s livelihood.There are many commons among them, but the differenceof the two ministers are more worthy of discussion. Either of them talked about theattitude towards economic reform, but Lu Zhi went through the two tax in Tang Dynasty,while Su Shi was experienced Wang Anshi political reform in the Northern SongDynasty. Coincidencly, both Lu Zhi and Su Shi were opposed to the reform of theirdynasty and failed. The difference is Lu Zhi did not put forward the feasible economiccountermeasure to change the financial embarrassment, but the two tax law has beenused in subsequent dynasties; the new law of Bei Song Dynasty effected hugly for the life of Su Shi. They went oppositly but Su Shi’s attitude to the new law is different inyoung and old age.In the early period, He petitioned the emperor Song Shenzong, began to resist WangAnshi’s political reform.While in the Yuanyou period, in the old and new partycompetiton, he honestly proposed that the new laws should be continued, but pusheddown by the old party. Su Shi’s concept of financial management was different from thewilful officials, he knew how to be flexible, from the objective fact of the country, focouson the overall situation. The biggest difference between Lu Zhi and Su Shi is, Lu Zhifocused on the way of continusing a country, while Su Shi pays more attention to how torealize social value optimization.On social issues, the attitudes of Lu Zhi and Su Shitowards wound and disaster were the same, they insisted the spirit of people-orientedconcept, suggested the emperor relief disaster area people with money.Not in the samecase, Lu Zhi was in the era of Tang Dynasty which has been broken, the local separatistforces were independent and fight with each other. And sometimes they united againstthe central. When the Huaixi separatist suffered from disaster, whether to relief became aissue. At this time Lu Zhi held his ground, insisted to give Huaixi aid, made people feelgrateful to the emperor. The monarch did not lose the love of his people.Su Shiexperienced differently with Lu Zhi. Lu Zhi stayed frimly in the central and has neverbeen back to the former place, but Su Shi were swayed between central and localgovernments. When Su Shi served as Hangzhou governer, Zhejiang region occurredserious natural disasters. Su Shi investigated the actual conditions minutly. He requestthe central for relief many times, and puts forward some preventions against epidemicdiseases and uprisings.In the military thought, Lu Zhi and Su Shi advocated eliminatingwar discourse, it was their common point.The two emperor Tang De Zong and song Shenzong were suffering unprecedentedeconomic and social crisis, perhaps inevitably deepen their greedy and warlike characters.The differences between Lu Zhi and Su Shi in the military were huge. Lu Zhi has thecapabilities of a prime minister, in the national crisis, turned back the powers of darkness,resolve the crisis in four years of Jianzhong. Both in military theory and applications, LuZhi was much better than Su Shi. But Su Shi liked talking about military and concernedabout the hostile forces and threat to the national security, also gave ways on how to defense the Xi Xia, Su Shi, in his later years held a post in military section reflect thefeature that Bei Song writing minister talked about military.In foreign relations, Lu Zhiand Su Shi mentioned in their petitions, they all want to maintain peace and stabilitybetween nations or countries. In the treatment of foreign national, Lu Zhi advocatedsincere mutual dependence and etiquette concept more, but eventually in superior attitude,would like to surrender other counties sooner or later.The era of Su Shi, many nations rise, the relationship is more complicated, theprosperous Northern Song had been covet by the low neighbors. Su Shi watched out forthe foreign guests such as Korea monks. In the national cultural and other soft poweraspects, Su Shi also put forward suggestions to seal the country for preventing others tosteal their advanced culture, science and technology, which brought the incalculableconsequences.In the examination for the government, Lu Zhi and Su Shi both want toselect excellent talents for the country. But Lu Zhi’s contribution was crowned witheternal glory. In Lu Zhi ‘s period, Han Yu and others were selected. Which was crucial tothe political culture in the middle of Tang Dynasty. Su Shi opposed Wang Anshi’s singlejustice by taking person practice, advocated not divided people by taking arts, but focusboth on poetry and Confucian Philosophy？Finally, Lu Zhi wrote petitions as a politician when he was so superior as theteacher of the emperor. His petitons were filled with principles of how to save thecountry. Su Shi served in the local government for suca a long period, he saw thehardships of the people, with a sharper angle and more subtle feeling, found the realsociety, with his own conscience and eager to write out a kind of sincere for the countryand the people’.