On the Influence of Ouyang Xiu upon Zeng Gong's Prose

Ouyang Xiu,the leader of the Ancient Literature Movement in Early Northern Song Dynasty,paid attention to exhorting and promoting the new comers among whom Zeng Gong was listed.He directed Zeng Gong to change his early prose style of frankness and superficies.Ouyang Xiu's views such as the ideas that Tao(content) and Wen(form) are both important,that Wen(prose) comes after Tao(morality),and that the recorded matter must be true while the words must be graceful,exerted great impact upon the creative practice and theory of Zeng Gong's prose work.