Fan Zhongyan

Fan Zhongyan courtesy name Xiwen was a prominent politician and literary figure in Song dynasty China. He was also a strategist and educator. After serving the central government of the state for many years he finally rose to the seat of Vice chancellor over the whole of the Chinese empire.

Fan Zhongyan was born in Wuxian, and his father died the subsequent year his mother then remarried a man named Zhu in Zizhou, Shandong. When Fan eventually learned about his real parentage, he left home in 1011 he arrived at Suiyang and spent his time studying, while living an austere lifestyle. In 1015, he successfully passed the Imperial Examination and became a jinshi, after which he returned to using the Fan surname and received his mother again to provide for her.

Source: Wikipedia