Zeng Gong (30th September 1019 - 30th April 1083) was an official, literary figure and historian during the Northern Song Dynasty.

Born in Nanfeng, Fuzhou, Jiangxi, Zeng Gong's grandfather, Zeng Zhiyao, was once an official in the Shangshu Huku Langzhong, and his father, Zeng Yizhan, was a Taichang Doctor. The family had generations of scholars. As a child, Zeng Gong demonstrated intelligence and strong memory, able to recite classics and write essays such as "Liu Lun" at the age of twelve, with powerful writing skills. His father, Zeng Yizhan, once served as the county magistrate of Rugao and brought Zeng Gong to Rugao to study at the Middle Meditation Temple for two years.

Before his 20th birthday, he had already become a leader in the literary world of the time.

At the age of 20, Zeng Gong had already gained fame. He and Wang Anshi were close friends who met at the age of 18. Afterwards, Zeng Gong recommended Wang Anshi to Ouyang Xiu and corresponded with other celebrities such as Du Yan and Fan Zhongyan, discussing current affairs and philosophy of life. Although Zeng Gong was talented, he was not good at writing essays for exams, so he failed repeatedly.

In the seventh year of Qingli, Zeng Gong's father passed away, and he dropped out of school to return to his hometown to serve his stepmother. Zeng Gong was filial and served his stepmother meticulously after his father's death, raising four younger brothers and nine younger sisters despite the family's declining fortunes.

In the second year of Jiayou, Ouyang Xiu presided over the provincial civil examination, focusing on ancient prose and strategy essays, with poetry and rhyme as auxiliary topics. Zeng Gong, along with his younger brothers Zeng Mou and Zeng Bu, and his cousin Zeng Fu, passed the examination and became scholars.

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