During Emperor Renzongs reign

After passing the imperial examination in 1027, Wen Yanbo first became the magistrate of Yicheng County. Later he was appointed controller-general (通判) of Jiang Prefecture. Eventually he arrived in the capital Kaifeng to serve under Emperor Renzong, first as an investigating censor (監察御史) and later as a palace censor (殿中侍御史).

In 1038, Tangut people in Song's northwestern region declared their independence, naming their state Xia (known in history as Western Xia) and invaded Song. Wen Yanbo suggested to Emperor Renzong that marshals in the front line should be given independent authorities to discipline subordinate generals for desertion and cowardice. The rule had been that marshals needed permission from the imperial court first, in order to carry out such orders. Wen argued that this rule may only be implemented during peaceful times, because during times of war, enforcement of military law and concentration of military power is of utmost importance to military commanders. Emperor Renzong took his advice and praised him.

In 1040, Western Xia army attacked Yan Prefecture. General Liu Ping (劉平) went to reinforce the city, but was ambushed and trapped in a hill. Liu sent urgent messages asking another general Huang Dehe (黃德和) to reinforce him, but Huang was afraid and deserted in the opposite direction. As a result Liu was captured, and Huang told the emperor that Liu defected, even bribing Liu's servant to corroborate his claims. Emperor Renzong sent Wen Yanbo to Hezhong to judge the case. After careful examinations, Wen discovered the truth, but Huang, who had many "connections" in the capital, attempted to discredit Wen's findings. As a result, Emperor Renzong sent another official, Pang Ji, to re-investigate the case. Wen told Pang that he should go back as the case was already closed. Eventually Pang accepted Wen's findings and executed both Huang and Liu's servant.

家世

• 曾祖父：文崇遠，原姓「敬」，仕後唐，歷晉城天池、遼州平城二縣主簿，避晉高祖石敬瑭諱，更其氏曰『文』，仕後晉，歷代州崞縣、并州太谷二縣令，漢高祖劉知遠即位，恢復敬姓，仕後漢，終嵐州錄事參軍。以曾孫文彥博贈仕至太傅、中書令兼尚書令、燕國公。曾祖母宋氏，贈燕國太夫人。

• 祖父：文銳，字挺之，仕後漢，以蔭補郊社署丞，闢石州軍事推官，後棄官歸鄉。以孫文彥博贈至太師、中書令兼尚書令、周國公。祖母王氏，贈周國太夫人。祖母申氏贈越國太夫人。祖母郭氏贈沂國太夫人。

• 父：文洎，以儒學進，歷十三官。所至強直勤敏，振利攘窖。歷監征閱州，司勛員外郎、荊湖南路轉運使，三門白波發運使，判三司開拆磨勘司，終主客郎中、河東轉運使。景祐四年（1037年）卒。以子彥博贈仕至太師、中書令兼尚書令、魏國公。御賜寺額「教忠積慶」。母耿氏，先贈扶風縣君，又贈秦營太夫人，後贈至魏國太夫人，早亡。御賜寺額「永福」。繼母申氏，先封永樂縣君，後贈至魯國太夫人。繼母王氏，贈永樂縣君。從弟文彥若，季弟文彥伯。

生平

宋真宗景德三年九月二十九日(1006年10月23日)文彥博生，祖輩避後晉高祖和宋翼祖趙敬的諱而改姓「文」。天聖五年（1027年），文彥博中進士，先後任翼城知縣、絳州通判、監察御史、殿中侍御史、河東轉運副使等職。慶曆七年（1047年），文彥博任樞密副使。十一月，貝州王則起事，八年春正月，朝廷任命文彥博宣撫河北，去平息王則起義。文彥博至貝州城下，一面讓官軍猛攻北城，另一方面在南城挖地道，直通城裏。閏正月，官軍攻入城中，王則被捕，起義被平息。文彥博以功升同中書門下平章事、集賢院大學士。

皇祐元年（1049年）八月，文彥博為昭文館大學士，三年，因殿中侍御史唐介的彈劾被罷官。至和二年（1055年）六月，文彥博再任同中書門下平章事、昭文館大學士。以後，又去河南府、大名府、太原府等地做地方官。

英宗時，文彥博任樞密使。

神宗即位，王安石開始變法，文彥博與安石持論有異，對其中市易、青苗諸法傷民弊端多所論及，因反對王安石變法，文彥博被改任地方官，後以太師致仕。

晚年

哲宗元祐元年（1086年）四月，經司馬光推薦，81歲高齡的文彥博出任平章軍國重事，五年，以太師充護國軍、山南西道節度使等使複致仕。

逝世及身後

紹聖四年（1097年），章惇秉政，雲文彥博與司馬光曾反對王安石變法，降為太子太保。而就在這一年的五月丁巳日，文彥博去世，享壽九十歲。

狄青曾問文彥博朝廷外放自己的原因，文答：「無他，朝廷疑爾。」歷代名將毀于「不知進退」四字的，不知多少。狄青的委屈，不能簡單地以「重文抑武」或「文武不相能」來解答。。

宋徽宗崇寧（1102——1106年）間，蔡京為右相，將文彥博、呂公著、司馬光等人稱為「元祐黨人」，刻元祐黨人碑，禁止元祐學術。至北宋末，南宋初，文彥博才又被追複太師，謚忠烈。

著作

博著有《大饗明堂紀要》二卷、《藥准》一卷，已佚，今存《文潞公集》40卷，收入《山右叢書》中。文彥博也愛寫詩、詞，但所留甚少，且多與政治有關，如《雙泉》云：「長劍並彈霜氣豪，白虹半折秋雲高。濯纓洗耳更何處，世人回看輕鴻毛。」又如《題榆次縣鼓樓》：「置向譙樓一任撾，撾多撾少不知他。如今幸有黃紬被，努出頭來放早衙。」

彥博亦工書法，黃庭堅雲「潞公書極似蘇靈芝公」「今觀《到洛為兒子赴許昌》帖，筆執清勁，真不愧古人！」

軼事

文彥博最為大眾熟知的故事就是灌水浮球的故事。文彥博小時候與小夥伴們踢球，一下球滾到一個樹洞裡，大家用手或是用棍子想把球取出來，但太深誰也拿不到，文彥博這時想出個辦法，就是將水灌入樹洞，球浮出樹洞，將球拿到。

子孫

子

• 文恭祖

• 文貽慶

• 文齊賢

• 文保雍

• 文居中

• 文及甫

• 文維申

• 文宗道

女

• 一女嫁與包拯之子包綬為妻。

孫子

• 文永世

• 文康世

注釋