AD 805 was an eventful year.
This year, Datang changed its owners twice.
In the first month of the first month, Tang Dezong died after reigning for 27 years. Prince Li Song lay in bed (in poor health) and became emperor, that is, Tang Shunzong.
In August, Tang Shunzong's "inner Zen" became the Supreme Emperor, and his son Li Chun ascended the throne, who was Tang Xianzong.
Behind the transfer of power are the ups and downs of the imperial elite.
In these short few months, a new policy called "Eternal Reform" has come and gone, but it has exerted a lifelong impact on those who participated in it.
Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan, the most famous rising stars in the political arena at the time, seemed to have entered a gloomy and sad middle age from a shining and promising age overnight.
Their suffering has just begun.
However, as far as Chinese history is concerned, the Tang Dynasty lost two new political stars, but gave rise to twin stars in the literary world that will shine for thousands of years.
01. A frequent visitor to literary rankings
People like to say that geniuses appear in droves. For the Zhongtang Dynasty, the more striking feature is that CP appears in groups.
The two most famous pairs of Tang Dynasty CPs - Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhen , as well as Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan - were both born in the 8th century and born in the 1970s..
Liu Yuxi was born in 772, and Bai Juyi was also born in this year. Liu Zongyuan is one year younger than them. Yuan Zhen was born in 779, and Jia Dao , later known as "Shinu", was also born in this year.
There is also Han Yu , who is slightly older than them. He was born in 768 and was born in the 1960s. The even bigger one is Mengjiao born in the 1950s, born in 751.
The mid-Tang Dynasty was another peak of poetry after the prosperous Tang Dynasty, which was mainly reflected in the diversity of genres. The figures named above are all leaders in the poetry world of the Mid-Tang Dynasty. Among them, at least three distinct schools have formed: Yuan Bai's school, Han Meng's school, and Liu Liu can be considered a school.
Speaking of Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan alone, they are collectively known as "Liu Liu" . They are frequent visitors to various literary rankings:
Liu Yuxi's literary achievements are mainly reflected in poetry. He has a domineering name and is known as "Poetry Hero" "In addition, he, Wei Yingwu and Bai Juyi are collectively known as the "Three Heroes", and Bai Juyi is collectively known as "Liu Bai".
Liu Zongyuan's literary achievements are mainly in articles. He is one of the "Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song Dynasties" and one of the "Four Great Masters of Articles Through the Ages". Together with Han Yu, he is also known as "Han Liu"; his poems are actually very good, Those who follow the Tao Yuanming school are called "Wang Meng Wei Liu" together with Wang Wei, Meng Haoran, and Wei Yingwu.
But in a new era of development of Tang poetry, Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan, and of course any other poet, their original intention was not to be a good writer, but to dream of being a good politician.
For ancient scholars, being a poet was not a profession, but being an official was.
▲Portrait of Liu Yuxi
02. The grievances and resentments with Han Yu
The experiences of Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan are so similar that many people tend to confuse them when reading their biographies. How similar is
? It's so like that one suspects that God intentionally conducted an experiment on them: the same period of life, given different personalities, will produce different flowers.
They passed the imperial examination in the same year.
That year, Liu Yuxi was 22 years old and Liu Zongyuan was 21 years old. The two high-spirited young people attracted each other like two magnets. After that, although they got together less and separated more, their hearts stayed together.
They are both only children.
Their fathers died in roughly the same year, and they returned to their hometown of Dingyou respectively.
They passed the imperial examinations respectively.
They were officials in the counties below Jingzhao Prefecture .
They entered the Yushitai together.
interjects that during the Yushitai period, they met Han Yu, who was four or five years older than them, and the three of them got along very closely.
They could have developed from a two-person CP to a three-person team. In the end, due to different choices, Han Yu, Liu and Liu still maintained a lifelong friendship, but there were misunderstandings in the process, and their lives were completely different.
▲Portrait of Han Yu
This choice is actually a political choice between and .
In the later years of Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty, around Prince Li Song, a political group with the East Palace attendants Wang Shuwen and Wang 伾 (the "two kings" mentioned in history books) as the core gradually formed, and was ready to assist the new emperor. You carry out reforms.
Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan both joined the Erwang Group and were highly appreciated. After Li Song (Tang Shunzong) succeeded to the throne, one of them was appointed as a Tuntian Yuanwailang, and the other was appointed as a Rites Yuanwailang, becoming core members of the "Yongzhen Reform". Han Yu was not opposed to political innovation, but he did not choose to side with the Erwang Group because he had never liked Wang Shuwen or had foreseen that this political group would not succeed.
One year before Tang Shunzong succeeded to the throne, Han Yu was demoted from the supervisory censor to the magistrate of Yangshan County. As for the reason for this demotion, it doesn't matter what others say. What matters is what Han Yu thinks about it.
Han Yu wrote this in his poem:
The same officials use their talents, but they favor Liu and Liu.
Maybe the language will leak out and spread the word to cause hatred.
The two sons are not suitable for you, and you will not resolve your doubts.
In other words, he seriously suspected that he was demoted because Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan leaked their usual remarks criticizing Wang Shuwen to the other party, thus causing the other party to retaliate.
Later historians believe that Wang Shuwen was not in power when Han Yu was demoted. This was Han Yu's misunderstanding of Liu and Liu. But this misunderstanding obviously created a gap between him and Liu and Liu.
Although the misunderstanding was eliminated many years later, Han Yu, Liu and Liu could no longer stand in the same camp.
When the Erwang Group came to power, Liu and Liu did not recall Han Yu to the court.
Liu and Liu eventually established the strongest friendship because they not only worked together before, but also chose the same side. They have the same political ideas, the same political experiences, and the same political goals.
Their friendship is an unbreakable friendship of revolutionary comrades.
▲Portrait of Liu Zongyuan
03. The rise and fall of a reform
The "Yongzhen Reform" was a short-lived political reform that failed after more than 100 days. It coincided with the rise and abdication of the declining Tang Shunzong.
Wang Shuwen and Wang Yan did not have a rich background in political practice before leading the reform. They only found opportunities to ascend to important positions in the gaps between the struggles between various forces. When Tang Shunzong's health deteriorated, the Erwang Group made another major mistake in supporting the crown prince. They did not support the subsequent Tang Xianzong Li Chun to succeed to the throne. Therefore, when Tang Xianzong succeeded to the throne in August of the first year of Yongzhen (805), the political life of this innovative group came to an end.
As for the specific content of the "Yongzhen Reform", it is not that important. It is nothing more than implementing benevolent policies, issuing pardons, seizing the eunuchs' command of the imperial army, and attacking the forces of the feudal towns and other measures to deal with the political predicament of the Middle Tang Dynasty. Even if the emperor changes, he will still do these things. As Huang Yongnian, a great historian of the Tang Dynasty, said, although Tang Xianzong cleaned up Wang Shuwen's group and employed "one emperor and one minister", many administrative aspects were the continuation of the Shunzong Dynasty.
Because the "Yongzhen Revolution" failed too quickly, traditional history books stigmatized the two main leaders, Wang Shuwen and Wang Wan, and ridiculed them as "villains", which led to the overwhelming majority of people in later generations to be dissatisfied with this revolution. members have no favorable impressions.
Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan, who were deeply involved in it, received sighs from later generations. Wang Anshi, Su Shi and others all said that Liu and Liu were geniuses in the world, with great talents and unique knowledge. If they "do not fall into (Wang) Shuwen's party", they would have a bright future and they would definitely be famous ministers in the Tang Dynasty.
But now, we don’t have to lament the choices of Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan.
They were enthusiastic officials in their early thirties at the time. With the ambition of "bringing great prosperity to the people and making an everlasting voice" (Liu Zongyuan's language) (Liu Zongyuan's language), they devoted themselves enthusiastically to political innovation. Although the facts prove that they are still too idealistic, at least they have worked hard and struggled.
Our history has always been used to judge heroes based on success or failure. As everyone knows, actions are more valuable than results.
The failure of the "Yongzhen Reform" evolved into the famous " Two Kings and Eight Sima Incident" in the history of the Tang Dynasty. After Tang Xianzong came to power, Wang Shuwen was demoted to Yuzhou Sihu and sentenced to death the next year; Wang Yu was demoted to Kaizhou Sima and died soon after; Liu Yuxi, Liu Zongyuan and other eight core members of the reform group were all demoted to outlying states. Sima.
They began a painful journey of life.
04. A person's "millions of loneliness"
Liu Zongyuan was demoted to the remote Yongzhou , a place rich in snakes, insects and wild beasts. Further to the southwest is Guangxi.
He went to the post with pain. In name, he was appointed Sima, but in fact, he was demoted as a court official and was restricted from leaving the country. He is a born poet with a melancholic temperament . He is thoughtful and introverted. He often sheds tears when he thinks about his life experiences.
In his early years, his father Liu Zhen offended a powerful official and was demoted. He went to see his father off, and his father said to him: "My eyes have no tears." Although he was wronged, his father did not shed a single tear. A father may hope to influence his children with his upright spirit.
When Liu Zongyuan grew up, he could not change his melancholy and pessimism, but he learned from his father's uprightness and bravery.
He is a man of integrity, backbone and courage. During the months of the "Yongzhen Reform", his official career was smooth, and many people wanted to join him as an official, but he never used the power in his hands to make deals.
When Wang Shuwen lost power, disaster was imminent, and those who had originally attached themselves to the reform group were eager to make a break. However, Liu Zongyuan stood up very "ignorant of current affairs" and took the opportunity to write an epitaph for Wang Shuwen's mother to boldly praise Wang Shuwen and eulogize innovation.
We cannot see a person's true character when things are going well and when things are profitable; but in adversity and when disaster strikes, we can easily see a person's character clearly. This is what Confucius said, "The gentleman is poor, but the villain is poor." . Even if a gentleman is at the end of his rope, he still adheres to his integrity and duty. When a villain is in adversity, it is easy for him to have wild ideas and act recklessly.
Although Liu Zongyuan is melancholy and pessimistic, he is a true gentleman.
After arriving in Yongzhou, he temporarily lived in the local Longxing Temple.
He began to write some allegorical poems , in which he created images such as the fledging goshawk, the lame crow, and the partridge waiting to be cooked. They were all in trouble under the oppression of reality. Anyone with a discerning eye knows what he is really saying.
The miserable wind blows away the frost, and the goshawk knocks over the dawn.
The clouds are covered with mist, the rainbow is broken, and the thunderbolts are flying across Pinggang.
The thorns are strong and powerful, and the foxes and rabbits are caught in the vast sky.
The claws and feathers kiss the blood of hundreds of birds and they pass away. When I look around independently, I am excited.
The scorching wind and heat suddenly come, and the wings fall off and destroy themselves.
Coyotitoes are everywhere in the grass, and they are frightened and injured overnight.
I hope that the Qing Dynasty and Shang Dynasty will be fake again and pull away thousands of clouds.
——Liu Zongyuan's "Caged Eagle Ci"
Sometimes he would reflect on whether his position in the "Yongzhen Reform" was right or not. He wrote a letter to a friend, admitting that he was "young and energetic, ignorant of the basics, and not sure whether he was worthy or not, but he wanted to go straight, and as a result, he was caught in the criminal law." This meant that he was young and energetic and too naive, which led to his current fate. But he only blamed himself when he couldn't think about it, and never blamed the comrades who practiced his political ideals together.
In his second year in Yongzhou, he hurried back to Longxing Temple where he was staying in a rare heavy snow, and wrote an eternally famous poem:
Birds flying across thousands of mountains are gone, and
people are wiped out from thousands of paths.
A lonely man with a coir raincoat hat,
Fishing alone in the cold River snow .
——Liu Zongyuan's "Jiang Xue"
This is a little poem that becomes more interesting the more you chew on it. Many people read Liu Zongyuan's nobility, but I read his loneliness.
He was too lonely. After his ideals were shattered, he could only live in a small place far away from the imperial capital. Perhaps only the letters from Liu Yuxi from Langzhou (now Changde, Hunan) can bring him some comfort and warmth.
Soon, news of the death of his former comrade Ling Zhun, one of the "Eight Sima ", intensified Liu Zongyuan's sorrow. He wrote a long poem in memory of Ling Zhun, and finally said frankly "I sing sincerely, not only for you." I wrote this poem not only to grieve for you, but also to grieve for myself:
When you die in peace, all your worries are gone, and when you live in peace, you will suffer from all kinds of worries.
What happened to Gu Yu’s nine deceased souls and his son?
- Liu Zongyuan's "Crying of Lianzhou Ling Yuanwai Sima"
He was "happy to die but sad to live". He envied Ling Zhun's death and was freed, but he still had to be surrounded by thousands of sorrows and loneliness in the world.
The next blow was that his mother and daughter died of illness in Yongzhou within four or five years. His daughter, He Niang, was only 10 years old when she died. When she was dying, she held her father's hand and begged not to bury her on the mountain. She was afraid of snakes, insects and wild beasts there. At that moment, Liu Zongyuan was desolate and desperate.
At the age of more than 30 years old, Liu Zongyuan was already suffering from illness and old-fashioned. This also laid the root of his early death.
He often suffered from insomnia in the middle of the night, or was awakened by nightmares, so he had to get up and walk until dawn.
Feeling the heavy dew falling, I open an account near the West Garden.
The cold moon rises to the east ridge, and the bamboo roots are sparse and cool.
The sound of the stone spring is far away, and the sound of mountain birds is heard every now and then.
Leaning on the couplets, when the day comes, what can I say about loneliness?
- Liu Zongyuan's "Watching the Moon in the West Garden from Midnight"
It was not until he stayed in Yongzhou for 5 years that he gave up the extravagant hope of returning to Chang'an .
When he was young, Chen Lixi was a duke, and Xu Guo was no longer a plotter.
The storm fell thousands of miles away, and the ambition disintegrated into an empty prison.
The prisoner has nothing to do until he is old, and he wishes to predict the land of Ranxi in western Hunan.
However, he learned from Zhang Fan Jinghou and planted lacquer in Nanyuan to be ready for use.
——Liu Zongyuan's "Ran Xi"
He began to wander around the local landscape. He moved out of Longxing Temple and built a house by Ran River, intending to spend the rest of his life here. He renamed Ranxi "Foolish River" and used it to call himself.
Maybe it's self-deprecating, maybe it's hoping that I can be as wise as a fool.
▲Liuzi Temple in Yongzhou, Hunan, built in memory of Liu Zongyuan Source/Picture Chong Creative
05. An unyielding soul
When Liu Zongyuan came to Yongzhou, Liu Yuxi was demoted to Langzhou, a remote and wild place like Yongzhou.
If Liu Zongyuan is a melancholic poet, then Liu Yuxi is a heroic poet .
His personality just complements Liu Zongyuan.
Although both suffered devastating blows to their political futures, Liu Zongyuan's pessimism reflected Liu Yuxi's optimism in the face of the same suffering.
This "heartless" thorn wrote a poem to express his feelings before leaving Chang'an. Even if the political reform failed, he would not bow to anyone:
Qiusi is not powerless, but Shaoqing will never go.
The world is in decline, but my heart is like a pillar.
——Liu Yuxi's "Two Ode to History Part 1"
Ode to history to clarify aspirations. In the poem, he praised Ren Shaoqing in the Han Dynasty who was unwilling to abandon the old master and join the new master. In fact, he showed to the world that he himself was also A person who has a "heart as strong as a pillar" and will never follow the crowd.
Like Liu Zongyuan, Liu Yuxi wrote allegorical poems while living in a place of relegation. The difference is that Liu Zongyuan's allegorical poems reveal and lick his wounds everywhere, while Liu Yuxi's allegorical poems are like a warrior who never gives up, still pointing his spear at the villain he hates.
In his writings, the political opponents of the reform group have become noisy mosquitoes on summer nights, domineering kites, and glib and fickle raccoons.
The orchid hall is open on a deep summer night, and the flying mosquitoes are waiting in silence like thunder.
The noise was appalling at first, but Yin Yinruo came from Nanshan.
Noisy and encouraging, happy and dark, the ignorant will not distinguish and the listener will be confused.
The dewdrops and flowers are dripping up to the moon, and the beauties welcome people but cannot reach them.
My seven-foot body is like a glow. I am alone and can be hurt by others.
Nature is sometimes unstoppable, so I set up a bed for you.
As soon as the autumn dawn came in the Qing Dynasty and Shang Dynasty, I was ashamed to feed the red bird in miniature.
——Liu Yuxi’s “Mosquito Ballads”
Although these mosquitoes are having fun now biting people and sucking blood, when the weather cools down, they will be eaten up by fireflies (dan birds) that symbolize bright fire.
In fact, like Liu Zongyuan, Liu Yuxi also had a difficult life in Langzhou. Not to mention poverty, his wife Xue died of illness in the eighth year of his arrival in Langzhou. He could only swallow the bitterness of life alone and take care of his 80-year-old mother and three young children.
He could only take off his armor and shed his tears in his condolence poem to his wife.
What a shame, the ground in Changsha is humid and humid.
There is a lot of spring upstairs, and the wind is rushing in front of the flowers.
The ape groans with sorrow and his heart is broken, and the crane stands with its toes curled up due to illness.
Niu Yi sleeps alone, who mourns Zhongqing and weeps?
How gloomy it is, Chang'an is as far away as the sun.
I miss my hometown all day long, and I will return when the swallow comes.
Pan Yue is thinking coldly at the old age, and Qu Ping has a haggard face.
Look diligently at the way home, and climb the mountain even if it doesn’t rain.
——Liu Yuxi's "Two Poems in Exile and Mourning"
's short-term depression and sadness will not cover up the background of his passionate life.
He raised his head again. Like a goshawk waiting to fight against the sky, like a solitary tung tree holding up a world.
Since ancient times, autumn has been a sad and lonely time. I say that autumn is better than spring.
A crane flies above the clouds in a clear sky, bringing poetry to the blue sky.
——Liu Yuxi's "Two Autumn Poems·Part 1"
Since ancient times, autumn in the eyes of the world has been desolate and lonely. But Liu Yuxi's autumn is different. He is aloof, stubborn, more beautiful than spring, and poetic.
This unyielding soul has been in Langzhou for 10 years.
▲Statue of Liu Yuxi in Sima Building, Changde, Hunan. Source/photo network
06. "Yi Liu Yi Bo" moved the Tang Dynasty
Exactly 10 years later, Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan met on the way back to the imperial capital.
Yuanhe tenth year (815), with the efforts of Prime Minister Wei Guanzhi and others, the imperial court lifted the strict ban on the "Eight Sima" and recalled Liu Yuxi, Liu Zongyuan and other five people to Chang'an.
It only took a month for them to return to Chang'an, where they had always dreamed.
Liu Zongyuan wrote one of the most cheerful poems in his life:
Eleven years ago, I traveled to the south and returned to the north four thousand miles away.
The imperial edict Xu Zhuyang came to peace, and the post roads blossomed everywhere.
- Liu Zongyuan's "Edict to Pursue the Capital to Bating in February"
However, before they had time to celebrate, Liu Zongyuan and Liu Yuxi suffered a more fatal blow.
When they returned to Chang'an, it was spring, and the peach blossoms were in full bloom, so they made an appointment to go to Xuandu, south of Chang'an City, to see the flowers. Liu Yuxi, who has always been proud and arrogant, took advantage of the peach blossom appreciation to write a poem to satirize the powerful people of the dynasty:
When the red dust comes to the face, everyone will look at the flowers.
There are thousands of peach trees in Xuandu Temple, all of which were planted after Liu Lang left.
- Liu Yuxi "In the tenth year of Yuanhe, he was summoned from Langzhou to Beijing, and the play was given to all the gentlemen who watched the flowers."
The surface of the poem is that there are so many beautiful peach trees in Xuandu Temple because I, old Liu, left Chang'an. Newly planted within 10 years. In fact, Liu Yuxi compared the new wealthy people of the Manchu Dynasty to the peach blossoms of Xuanduguan, and satirized them for being promoted because they excluded him from the court.
has stirred up a hornet's nest.
Most of the dignitaries in the DPRK had already tried their best to prevent the "Eight Sima" from returning to the DPRK, so they seized on Liu Shi's "grievance" to launch a new round of attacks.
It is pity that Liu Yuxi, Liu Zongyuan and others returned to Chang'an less than a month ago, and at the same time they were transferred to the governor of a remote state. "The officialdom is getting farther and farther", and they actually suffered a heavier blow than 10 years ago.
Liu Zongyuan did not complain at all about Liu Yuxi who was impulsive and got into trouble. He packed his bags and prepared to go to Liuzhou .
When he learned that the Bozhou (today's Zunyi, Guizhou) where Liu Yuxi was going was farther and more wild than his own Liuzhou, he immediately reported to Liu Yuxi and asked for a transfer, "Yi Liu Yibo" .The reason was that he couldn't bear to see his best friend and his 80-year-old mother wandering around in the southwest, and he hoped to move a little closer so that the elderly would suffer less.
Tang Xianzong was initially very angry at Liu Zongyuan's display of loyalty to his friends. Fortunately, the imperial censor Zhongcheng Pei Du was able to mediate and negotiate, and finally the emperor agreed to appoint Liu Yuxi as the governor of Lianzhou (now Qingyuan, Guangdong) with better conditions and closer distance.
And Liu Zongyuan's spirit of "even if he is seriously offended, he will never hate" for his close friend, is still very touching today. A few years later, when Han Yu wrote an epitaph for Liu Zongyuan, who died in Liuzhou, he specifically mentioned this incident and said with great emotion:
Woohoo! A poor man is a man of integrity. Today, husband and wife are admiring each other in the alleys, chasing each other in drinks, food and games, making excuses for each other with strong smiles, shaking hands with each other's lungs and livers, pointing to the sky and crying, vowing not to bear each other's burdens in life and death, if it is true, if there is a small stake in the situation, , just like hair, if you don't know each other. If you fall into a trap, you will not use your hands to save it, but will squeeze it back, or drop rocks. This is the case. This is something that the beasts and barbarians cannot bear to do, but the people think they have a plan. You can feel less ashamed after hearing about Zihou's style.
- Han Yu's " Liu Zihou's Epitaph "
Some friends, who usually eat, drink and have fun, swear that they will never betray each other, and their words are true. Once faced with a conflict of interest, even if it may only harm a little bit of one's own interests, he will turn his back on others and add insult to injury. It's just talk to go out of your way to protect your friends; it's true that you go out of your way to protect your friends. This world is full of people like this.
Han Yu sighed, these people should feel a little ashamed when they hear Liu Zongyuan's integrity and loyalty, right?
▲ Liuhou Temple in Liuzhou, Guangxi, built to commemorate Liu Zongyuan Source/Picture Chong Creative
07. Liu Yuxi after the death of Liu Zongyuan
Friends in need are true friends.
Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan left Chang'an together and went to their respective places of demotion. When Hengyang broke up, the two old friends who had suffered so much were in tears.
When most people say goodbye, writing a farewell poem to each other is considered a sign of deep affection. Liu and Liu wrote three farewell poems to each other respectively.
The two made an agreement in the poem: If one day the emperor allows us to return to the fields and live in seclusion, we must become neighbors and spend our remaining years together with our gray hair.
In the past twenty years, everything has been the same, but now the road is divided between the west and the east.
If the emperor's favor allows him to return to his fields, he will become a neighbor in his old age.
- Liu Zongyuan's "A Dream of Goodbye"
Weak crowns share the worries of the elders, and Linqi's memories are long gone.
If a couple is old, they will die in old age. With yellow hair, everything will be over.
- Liu Yuxi's "Reply to Liu Liuzhou"
Time finally cruelly deprived them of their agreement, and the farewell in Hengyang became an eternal farewell.
4 years later, in the 14th year of Yuanhe (819), Liu Zongyuan, who was well-known for planting willow trees and practicing benevolent government in Liuzhou, once again waited for the emperor's amnesty, but the edict summoning him to return to Beijing had not yet arrived in Liuzhou, and he had died of illness.
has been miserable for half his life and is only 47 years old.
In the same year, Liu Yuxi, who was escorting his old mother's coffin back to her hometown, received Liu Zongyuan's obituary and suicide note in Hengyang. He "screamed and cried as if he was mad" . This man who had been strong all his life completely collapsed.
For the rest of his life, most of the reason he lived was for Liu Zongyuan.
In his suicide note, Liu Zongyuan entrusted the two things he valued most - his children and his works - to Liu Yuxi.
Liu Yuxi regarded Liu Zongyuan's children as his own and raised them. Many years later, one of his sons passed the Jinshi examination. He compiled Liu Zongyuan's poems and essays into a collection, allowing those dazzling words to be passed down through the ages. When
completed these, Liu Yuxi was also old.
At the age of 53, he wrote the classic "Inscription on a Humble Room" . At the age of 56, he once again received an imperial edict to return to Beijing. Passing through Yangzhou, he met Bai Juyi unexpectedly at a banquet, and he burst into tears.
Bashan Chushui is a desolate place, abandoned for twenty-three years.
Nostalgic and nostalgic, I recited the flute poems in the air, and when I went to the countryside to read them, I felt like a dead person.
Thousands of sails passed by the side of the sunken boat, and thousands of spring trees were in front of the diseased trees.
Let’s listen to a song of Junge today, and I’ll stay refreshed with a glass of wine for the time being.
- Liu Yuxi's "Rewarding Lotte at the First Banquet in Yangzhou"
The man is old and his tears are low, but his stubbornness and energy are still there.
Perhaps he just thought of his old friend who had died many years ago in a lively occasion.
Returning to Chang'an, Liu Yuxi went to Xuandu Temple again:
The hundred-acre courtyard was half covered with moss, and all the peach blossoms were in bloom.
Where did the peach Taoist priest go? Liu Lang came to visit him before.
——Liu Yuxi's "Revisiting Xuandu Temple"
He was not afraid of writing satirical poems before, but now he is even less afraid. If he is demoted again, he will not regret it and will complain when he is not satisfied. He is still the straightforward Liu Yuxi.
He firmly believed that if Liu Zongyuan was still here, he would start packing his bags and leave together without any complaints.
Another two years later, Liu Yuxi was squeezed out of the court for the third time. In other words, he invited himself to be appointed as the governor of Suzhou .
Historical records say that in his later years, Liu Yuxi "though his fame and position were not high, he made friends with many ministers and officials." He could not be reused in his life, but he relied on the name of his poems to communicate with the officials of the imperial court, and he acted in his own way.
He lived until the age of 71, surviving Tang Xianzong, Tang Muzong, Tang Jingzong, Tang Wenzong, and surviving until the second year of Huichang (842 years) of Tang Wuzong.
A year before his death, he received the false title of Inspector of the Ministry of Etiquette, , but he still often talked about his old friend:
He has been unhappy for many years, so what about the new year?
How many of those who traveled together in the past are there now?
Taking leisure as comfort will make up for wasted life.
Spring is ruthless, so I have seen it even when living in seclusion.
——Liu Yuxi's "Yong Huai"
When he was young, he and his lifelong friend Liu Zongyuan were considered the most promising political stars in the Tang Dynasty. However, it was soon overshadowed by brutal political strife.
Although they have been displaced for most of their lives, they have not given up.
They burned anew, using poems and articles, to shine a brighter light.
I have regretted the past several times in this life, but Yamagata is still pillowed by the cold current.
——Liu Yuxi's "Reminiscence of the Past in Xisai Mountain"
A wise man cannot aim at the present, and he must take what will be more valuable than the future.
——Liu Zongyuan's "A Letter to Xu Jingzhao and Meng Rong"
They know what is eternal and what is perishable.
we also know.
References:
[Tang Dynasty] Liu Zongyuan: "Liuhe East Collection", Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House, 2008
[Tang Dynasty] Liu Yuxi: "Liu Yuxi Collection Notes Certificate", Qu Sheoyuan Notes Certificate, Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House, 1989
[Song] Ouyang Xiu and Song Qi: "New Tang Book", Zhonghua Book Company, 1975
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