Fu Bi

Life and career

In 1030, the eighth year of the Tiansheng era under Emperor Renzong, he was selected as maocai yideng; the examination is also classified as the zhi ju examination in the Worthy and Upright category. He first held the post of Jiangzuo Jiancheng, then served as a clerk in the Heyang command, and subsequently held offices including judicial administrator of Jiangzhou, director of the Jixian Academy, Kaifeng prefectural judicial commissioner, director of the Remonstrance Office, and editor in the Historiographical Institute. His career also included service as Salt and Iron Judicial Commissioner in the Three Offices.

In 1042, he became Drafter of Imperial Edicts (zhizhigao) and made two missions to Khitan. During the negotiations, he rejected demands for territorial cession and accepted an increase in annual payments as the condition.

In 1043, he was promoted to Deputy Commissioner of the Privy Council; another account calls him Commissioner of the Privy Council. With Du Yan and Fan Zhongyan, he led the Qingli reforms. Well versed in frontier affairs, Fu Bi shared responsibility with Fan Zhongyan for the western and northern frontiers.

In 1044 he became prefect of Yunzhou, and later served as prefect of Qing, Zheng, Cai, Heyang, and Bing prefectures, as well as administrator of Henan Prefecture, Ruzhou, and Taiyuan Prefecture.

In 1055, he was summoned to the office of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi and served as co-chancellor with Wen Yanbo. His policy emphasized preserving established arrangements, and he was known as an able chancellor; in 1061, he left office to observe mourning for his mother.

After Emperor Yingzong's accession, Fu Bi was recalled as Commissioner of the Privy Council, ennobled as Duke of Qi and then Duke of Zheng, and after two years was sent to serve as administrator of Yangzhou.

In 1068, the first year of the Xining era, he was transferred to administer Ruzhou; in 1069, the second year of the era, he entered the council with the titles Left Servant of State and Vice Director of the Chancellery, serving as Tong Pingzhangshi.

Because he disagreed politically with Wang Anshi, he sought to withdraw, was sent to administer Henan and then Bozhou, and was later impeached for resisting the Green Sprouts policy, demoted, and reassigned to administer Ruzhou as a Servant of State.

He subsequently requested retirement, returned to Luoyang to recuperate, was appointed Sikong, granted the title Duke of Han, and retired. When Emperor Shenzong asked him about frontier affairs, Fu Bi said that he hoped not to speak of war for twenty years.

Politics and associates

In his later years, Fu Bi retired to Luoyang, where he regularly associated with Sima Guang and Lü Gongzhu and took part in the Luoyang Gathering of Senior Worthies. He also built a residence for Liu Gai, who lived in seclusion at Nanye in Qingzhou; Fan Zhongyan and Wen Yanbo wished to recommend Liu Gai to the court, but Liu declined.

Writings

His works included twelve juan of *Memorials* (Zouyi), sixteen juan of *Memoranda* (Zhazi), and writings such as *Hebei Border-Defense Strategies* and *Collected Works*. Other titles include *Zhicao*, *Tiansheng Yingzhao ji*, *Fengshi tiao*, *Biaozhang*, and *Qingzhou Zhenji ce*; works additionally listed under his authorship include *Qian Han shu gangmu* in one juan, *Qidan yi meng bielu* in five juan, *Jiujiu liumin jinghua shijian* in one juan, and *Fengshi yulu* in two juan together with *Fengshi bielu* in one juan.

The surviving collection is cited under two titles, *Fu Zhenggong ji* in one juan and *Fu Zhenggong shiji* in one juan. Sima Guang and Chao Shuozhi wrote prefaces for his book.

Family

His father was Fu Yan (富言; 969–1031), and his mother was Han (韓氏); his wife was Yan (晏氏), and his father-in-law was Yan Shu (晏殊). His sister was Fu (富氏; 1016–1087).

He had three sons, Fu Shaoting (富紹庭), Fu Shaojing (富紹京; 1047–1083), and Fu Shaolong (富紹隆). His sons-in-law included Feng Jing (馮京), husband of his eldest and second daughters, and Fan Dazong (范大琮) and Fan Dagui (范大珪), husbands of his third and fourth daughters. Later relatives included his grandson Fu Zhiliang (富直亮), grandson-in-law Zhang Fu (張俌), the fourth-generation descendant Fu Su (富橚; 1137–1186), the direct descendant Fu Jiamou (富嘉謀), and the junior kinsman Fu Shu (富恕).

Posthumous honors

Fu Bi died in 1083, in the sixth year of the Yuanfeng era, at the age of eighty. He was posthumously awarded the title Grand Commandant and the posthumous name Wenzhong.