近水楼台先得月 — “A waterside pavilion gets the moon first”

Fan Zhongyan was a highly renowned statesman and man of letters during the Northern Song Dynasty. Born into a poor family, he studied diligently and read extensively. Later, he held many high-ranking official positions such as Right Supervising Secretary, Prefect, and Assistant Administrator. He famously inscribed the timeless lines "Be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its happiness" on Yueyang Tower.

As a prominent court official, Fan Zhongyan was exceptionally upright, modest in his dealings with others, and particularly skilled at identifying and promoting talent. When he served as the Prefect of Hangzhou, he cared for and assisted both civil and military officials in the city. Many officials, through his help, obtained positions where they could fully utilize their abilities, and thus were very grateful to Fan Zhongyan.

There was an inspector named Su Lin who, due to his work in a county outside Hangzhou, had not been promoted by Fan Zhongyan. One day, when Su Lin met Fan Zhongyan on official business, he seized the opportunity to present him with a poem. Two lines in the poem read: "A pavilion near the water gets the moon first; flowers and trees facing the sun easily embrace spring."

These lines implied that buildings close to water are the first to catch the moonlight, and plants facing the sun easily grow and bloom, displaying the vibrancy of spring. Su Lin cleverly used these lines to express his discontent, subtly pointing out that those close to Fan Zhongyan had already received benefits. Fan Zhongyan understood his implicit meaning, laughed heartily, and subsequently, in accordance with Su Lin's wishes, arranged a suitable position for him.