Chapter 19 Zhou Bangyan

The emperors of the past dynasties were very romantic, and what's more, they were no longer satisfied with the seventy-two concubines in the three palaces, six courts, so a few emperors went out of the palace in modest clothes to seek excitement in brothels and Qinlou Chuguan.Song Huizong was such an emperor. During the Xuanhe period of the Great Song Dynasty, the most famous prostitute in the capital was Li Shishi.Everyone will not be too unfamiliar with her, because Song Jiang in "Water Margin", after deciding to accept recruitment, followed her way to approach Song Huizong.It is said that Song Huizong often went out of the palace to have a tryst with Li Shishi. Some novels even say that Song Huizong simply dug a tunnel from the palace to Li Shishi’s house, because the emperor’s meeting with a prostitute should not be known to outsiders, at least on the surface. The above is like this.

However, when he met Li Shishi once, someone hid under the bed and watched the whole process.This person is the famous poet Zhou Bangyan. Zhou Bangyan is also one of Li Shishi's guests, and has a very good relationship with Li Shishi.It's probably a story of a gifted scholar and a beautiful woman. Once, Song Huizong fell ill, and Li Shishi thought that he would not come, so he quietly asked Zhou Bangyan.Unexpectedly, not long after Zhou Bangyan arrived, Song Huizong came.In desperation, Zhou Bangyan quickly got under the bed and hid. Song Huizong specially brought fresh oranges from the south of the Yangtze River to Li Shishi. Li Shishi peeled the fresh oranges and shared the food with them.At three o'clock, Song Huizong was about to return to the palace, and Li Shishi also told him, "It's already three o'clock, the horse is slippery and frosty, you have to be careful." All this was seen and heard by Zhou Bangyan who was hiding under the bed.

After Song Huizong left, Zhou Bangyan got out and took the pleasure of writing what he heard into a song "Youth Tour": The lyrics are really well written. Once, Li Shishi actually sang this poem in front of Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty. When Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty heard it, he knew that what happened at Li Shishi's house that day was known.He asked Li Shishi who wrote the lyrics.Li Shishi didn't dare to hide it, saying it was Zhou Bangyan. So, the next day, Song Huizong ordered Zhou Bangyan to be demoted from the capital. When Song Huizong went to Li Shishi's house again, Li Shishi was not there.After a while, Li Shishi came back, but his eyes were red, obviously he had cried.Song Huizong asked her where she had gone, and Li Shishi said that she had sent someone away.Song Huizong immediately asked her if she had sent Zhou Bangyan.Master Li nodded.Song Huizong asked: "Has he written anything else?" Li Shishi said that he had filled out a song "Lanling King".Song Huizong asked her to sing, and Li Shishi sang:

After Song Huizong heard it, he felt that Zhou Bangyan was indeed a talent, so he pardoned him and made him a nominee for the Dasheng Mansion specializing in music and dancing. This incident is recorded in Zhang Duanyi's "Gui Er Ji". Zhou Bangyan (1056-1121), courtesy name Meicheng, nicknamed Muslim Lay, was born in Qiantang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang).He was one of the few poets who were proficient in music in the Song Dynasty.When he was young, he wrote an "Ode to Biandu", with more than seven thousand words, and played it to the emperor.Song Shenzong admired him very much, and promoted him from a student to Taixuezheng. Within a day, his reputation spread all over the world, and he also entered an official career.His official career was not smooth, but it was stable.In the Shenzong and Zhezong dynasties, he served as some small local officials in Luzhou (now Hefei, Anhui) and Lishui (now Jiangsu) and other places. Huizong was transferred back to the capital to serve as the secretary of the provincial government, the school secretary, and the Dasheng government. Later, he served as the magistrate of Longde, Shunchang and other places.

In Zhou Bangyan's life, his main achievement lies in Ci. Zhou Bangyan lived in the late Northern Song Dynasty. Various social and ethnic conflicts were already very sharp, but they were covered up by the prosperity of singing and dancing on the surface.Zhou Bangyan himself did not have much ambition, and his life experience did not have any great ups and downs, so there are no new breakthroughs in the subject matter of his Ci, which basically followed the early stage Liu Yong, Yan Jidao, Qin Guan and others. The description of the scene under the edge of the moon.His achievements are mainly manifested in artistry.

The words became exquisite in Zhou Bangyan's hands.With the same theme, the same emotion and the same scene, Zhou Bangyan has done a lot of polishing.Song Shen Yifu's "Yuefu Zhimi" highly praised him, saying: "All lyrics are based on halal, and halal is the most bosom friend, and there is no market spirit, and the meaning of the words, there are laws." There is no "market spirit", just right It shows that his words have gradually become elegant and lost their fresh and lively atmosphere.His Ci has already set a precedent for the Saoya schools such as Wu Wenying, Wang Yisun, and Zhang Yan in the Southern Song Dynasty since Jiang Kui.

Another contribution of Zhou Bangyan lies in the creation of tunes, which is "Zi Du Qu". To create new tunes, literary accomplishment is important, but musical accomplishment is even more important.Because to create a new tone (cipai), not only must the syllables have the beauty of rhythm and rhythm, but also must create a corresponding tune for it, and formulate a corresponding meter.Therefore, in the Song Dynasty, there were not many poets who could compose their own songs.Just as almost everyone can sing today, but not everyone can compose.Zhang Yan's "Etymology" said: "As far as Chongning, Dasheng Mansion was established, and everyone in Zhou Meicheng was ordered to discuss the ancient sounds and approve the ancient tunes... Add slow songs, lead, and close. Or move the palace and change feathers for three crimes and four crimes. The tunes are composed according to the rhythm of the moon, and the tunes are complex." For example, "Worshiping the New Moon Slowly", "Lizhi Xiangjin", "Linglong Four Offenders", etc., are all new tunes created by him.

Generally speaking, the artistic quality of Zhou Bangyan's Ci is becoming more and more perfect, but the theme and content are slightly pale.Wang Guowei of the Qing Dynasty said: "The beauty is far-reaching, not as good as that of Ou and Qin. He only talks about emotion and objects, and his workmanship is extremely poor, so he is still a first-rate author. However, he hates more talents for creating tunes and less creativity." allowed. Some of his little words are also written very emotionally and are very popular.For example, "Man Ting Fang Summer Lishui Wuxiang Mountain Work":

There is also the "Sapphire Case" that Wang Guowei called "the one who can really get the divine truth" (): Wang Guowei said in "Mr. Qingzhen's legacy" that Zhou Bangyan's poems "although his voice is dead today, readers of his poems still feel angry. It is only one person between the Song Dynasty and the Song Dynasty", which fully affirmed his artistic achievements.