Fan Li
Among Fan Zhongyan’s famous ancestors, there is Fan Li, a prominent businessman from the Spring and Autumn period, who was the Chancellor of Kingdom Qi, a prominent statesman, military strategist, and the founding father of the Chinese commercial business who is worshiped as the "God of Prosperity" (or Caishen) by the Chinese. Fan Li was the lover and husband of Xi Shi, the No.1 of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China, and said to be the most beautiful Chinese woman of all time. Fan Zhongyan's other ancestors include Fan Ju (, d. 255 BCE), a powerful chancellor of the Qin Dynasty. Fan Zhongyan is also a descendant of Fan Lübing (), a Grand Chancellor (see Grand councilor) of the Tang Dynasty. Fan Zhongyan’s close ancestors all served as officials in the imperial governments. His grandfather Fan Zanshi () famously passed the Imperial examination at age nine as a child prodigy.