Su Zhe

Before the imperial examination halls and the palace gates of Kaifeng, young Su Zhe displayed brilliant intellectual prowess that captivated the empire. Following his Jinshi success at nineteen, he offered an uncompromisingly honest critique of imperial rule during the palace decree exams. Rather than taking offense, Emperor Renzong recognized his integrity, dubbing the Su brothers 'future chancellors of peace.' The quiet youth from Sichuan had arrived as a national moral beacon.

In 1069, finding himself in principled disagreement with the New Policies, Su Zhe chose voluntary provincial transfer to become academy professor in Chenzhou.

Beneath the willow groves of ancient Chenzhou, Su Zhe found a serene scholarly sanctuary far from capital politics. While court factions argued bitterly over economic reforms, Su Zhe chose not to compromise his conscience, lecturing at the local academy and annotating Confucian texts. Governor Zhang Fangping treated him with immense respect, shielding the young scholar so he could deepen his understanding of governance and classical wisdom.

In 1074, Su Zhe was transferred to Qizhou as magistrate secretary, journeying north to the historical lands of Shandong.

Amid the crystal-clear springs of Qizhou, Su Zhe demonstrated practical administrative genius. As magistrate secretary, he worked tirelessly through court archives, clearing numerous wrongful convictions and restoring justice for ordinary families. Whenever duties were settled, he climbed historical pavilions to admire the springs, exchanging heartfelt poetic letters with his brother in nearby Mizhou that enriched Song literature.

In 1077, Su Zhe was transferred to the Southern Capital of Nanjing (Shangqiu), unaware of the catastrophic storm looming on the horizon.

In the Southern Capital of Nanjing during the autumn of 1079, a political storm shook the empire. When word arrived that Su Shi had been seized by imperial inquisitors, silence fell over the court as officials distanced themselves. Only Su Zhe sat beneath his flickering candle, tears in his eyes, drafting an extraordinary petition. He declared that having lost their parents early, the brothers depended entirely on each other, begging to forfeit every official honor to spare his brother's neck.

With Su Shi spared and banished to Huangzhou, Su Zhe was demoted and exiled south to manage salt and wine taxes in Junzhou.

Beside the modest, damp official quarters in Junzhou, Su Zhe built a humble study called the Eastern Veranda. Once a prominent official, he was now tasked with calculating taxes on barrels of liquor and sacks of salt, yet his spirit remained completely uncrushed. Within the bamboo-shaded veranda, he gathered his inner vital energy and turned political banishment into spiritual renewal, articulating a timeless philosophy of unshakeable contentment.

In 1085, Emperor Shenzong passed away and an imperial amnesty permitted Su Zhe's transfer to Jixi as magistrate, heralding political revival.

Along the ancient mountain paths of Jixi beneath Mount Huangshan, spring arrived for Su Zhe's public career. Though serving as magistrate for only a few months, he traveled across local valleys, investigating hardships and rectifying delayed legal disputes. As the Yuanyou era began in Kaifeng, Empress Dowager Xuanren and Sima Guang sought capable ministers, dispatching fast couriers to summon Su Zhe back to imperial court.

In 1086, Su Zhe rode north back to Kaifeng, entering the highest policy echelons of the Song Empire.

Within the Grand Secretariat and imperial council chambers of Kaifeng, Su Zhe helped steer imperial policy as Vice Prime Minister. When vindictive partisans demanded the total eradication of every reform, Su Zhe urged moderation, preserving practical policies that aided ordinary farmers. With his brother Su Shi serving as Hanlin Academician, the two brothers stood together at the summit of empire—living symbols of wisdom, integrity, and cultural excellence.

In 1094, Emperor Zhezong took personal control, unleashing aggressive political vendettas that swept the Yuanyou ministers into exile.

On the tropical coastline of Leizhou, turbulent ocean winds surrounded Su Zhe's thatched hut. Plunging from Vice Prime Minister to an outcast on the edge of the known world, he met hardship with heroic tranquility. In the summer of 1097, Su Shi stopped in Leizhou on his way to Hainan Island. Under a giant banyan tree, the brothers embraced and said their final farewells. Alone in exile, Su Zhe poured his spirit into writing the sixty-volume Ancient History.

Following Emperor Huizong's accession, an imperial amnesty permitted Su Zhe's northern journey back to the Central Plains of Henan.

Along the tranquil banks of the Ying River in Yingchang, the silver-haired Su Zhe spent his most peaceful final decade. He built a quiet study named the Moon Waiting Veranda, spending his days reading, burning incense, and playing the zither. Though political stele still barred his career, worldly ambition had vanished into the wind. Here, he edited his lifetime writings into the eighty-four-volume Luancheng Collection. In late autumn 1112, he passed away serenely, leaving a legacy of crystal-clear integrity and profound peace.

Su Zhe passed away peacefully in Yingchang, posthumously honored as Grand Academician Wenxian, his moral prose shining forever alongside his brother Su Shi.