Chapter 2 Chapter 1 Wen Zhonggong

It is not difficult to know a person who has been dead for thousands of years.Considering how little we know about the residents of the same city—even the private life of the mayor—sometimes it is easier to understand the dead than the living.At least one thing, the life of a living person has not yet ended, and no one knows what he will do when he encounters a crisis.Drunks are reformed, saints are corrupted, priests may elope with choir girls.There are always too many "possibilities" for living people.Moreover, a living person has privacy, and some privacy is often revealed long after his death.Therefore, it is often difficult for contemporaries to criticize, and his life is too close to ours.Ancient poets like Su Dongpo are different.I have read his miscellaneous journals, his seventeen hundred poems and eight hundred personal letters.Recognizing a person does not depend on being of the same age as him. This is a matter of resonance and understanding.After all, we only know people we really know, and we can only fully understand people we really like.I think I know Su Dongpo because I know him, and I know him because I like him.To like a poet has always been a matter of taste.In terms of the standards of poetic greatness—freshness, spontaneity, technique, and compassion—I think Li Bai has achieved a more remarkable achievement, and Du Fu has more complete impression of the great poet.But for no reason my favorite poet is Su Tungpo.

Today I feel that Su Dongpo's great personality is more prominent and more completely etched in his life and works than any other Chinese writer.The portrait of Su Dongpo is very clear in my mind for two reasons.First of all, it comes from Su Dongpo's own outstanding head, and it is printed in every line of his works, just like I have seen the black shadows on the ink bamboo painted by Su Dongpo in the two pictures, shining brightly, as if they were painted on them an hour ago of.It is a peculiar phenomenon, and so it was with Shakespeare.Shakespeare's vivid lines flowed straight from his sensitive and rich mind, and they remain fresh today.Although generations of scholars have studied him, we still know little about his external life; but four hundred years after his death we still feel that we know the secrets of his thought through the emotions he injected into his works.

The second reason is that the records of Su Dongpo's life are more complete than those of other poets in China.Materials include various historical books recording his long and colorful political career, a large number of his own poems and prose works (nearly one million words), his miscellaneous notes, autographed books and private letters, and people at that time honoring him as Many of his essays, which have been handed down to this day in the form of miscellaneous notes and biographies by his contemporaries, were written by the most respected scholars.In the hundred years since his death, there has not been an important biography that does not mention the poet.Scholars in the Song Dynasty were all good at keeping diaries, such as Sima Guang, Wang Anshi, Liu Zhi, Zeng Bu, etc.; there were also some who wrote biographies persistently, Wang Mingqing and Shao Bowen are the best examples.Because of the complex situation created by Wang Anshi's state capitalism and the intensity and excitement of political struggles in the Su Tungpo era, the material preserved by writers of this period—including dialogues—is particularly rich.Su Tungpo himself did not keep a diary; he was not one to keep a diary—it was too organized and coy for him.But he wrote a miscellany, his dated or undated account of journeys, thoughts, people, places, and events.Others were too busy writing down everything he said and did.His letters and postscripts are carefully preserved by his admirers.As a calligrapher that everyone is eager to visit, he is used to writing a poem to describe the scene after the banquet, or describing his thoughts and comments to friends.These notes are well preserved, passed on to descendants, and sometimes sold at high prices.These impromptu notes contain many of Su Dongpo's best works.He has 800 letters and 600 famous autographs and postscripts that have survived to this day.In fact, it was because Su Dongpo was so popular that Huang Tingjian and other younger scholars rushed to collect his essays and notes and publish them in one volume.Immediately after Su Dongpo's death, an art collector in Chengdu began to collect Su Dongpo's handwritten notes and personal letters, carved them on stones, and sold rubbings as calligraphy.Su Dongpo's poems written for a certain occasion were immediately circulated and recited by domestic scholars.At a time when all the good scholars were expelled from the capital, these naive and honest verses protesting the government's style focused the ruler's wrath on him alone, and almost killed him.Does he regret it later?During his exile, he ostensibly told his less intimate friends that he regretted it, but he expressed no regrets to his good friends, and if he had to spit out flies in his meal again, he would still repeat the same mistakes.It was with this outpouring of heart that he was saddened to find himself at the head of the decent scholars of his day.After struggling with politicians and villains in vain, he was exiled for the second time. The small island of Hainan, where he went overseas, somewhat resigned to his fate, and his mind was extremely peaceful.

It is therefore only natural that this man should have been the center of literary gossip, and that he should be especially revered after death.Taking Western writers as an example, Li Bai can be compared to Shelley or Byron, a literary comet who burns himself to show a momentary spectacle.Du Fu, like Milton, was an enthusiastic philosopher and good old man, who wrote rich works with apt and profound classical metaphors.Su Dongpo is forever young.He is more like Thackeray in character, Hugo in political and poetic fame, and at the same time has the moving essence of Dr. Johnson.Somehow Dr. Johnson's gout still moves us to this day, but not Milton's blindness.If Johnson was Gansborough at the same time, and criticized politics with poetry like Popper, and suffered as much as Swift without Swift's acerbity, we can find an English analogy .Su Dongpo's Taoist spirit has become more mellow due to many difficulties, but it has not become sour.Today we love him only because he suffers too much.

There is a saying in China that only the coffin can be concluded.A person's life is like a play, and only after the curtain is over can one judge whether the play is good or bad.The difference is—the drama of life often does not even the brightest and shrewdest actors know what the next act will be.But real life always follows a natural course of necessity which only the best drama can match.Therefore, there is one of the greatest conveniences in writing the biographies of past characters. We can examine the plots that have ended, and see many things develop naturally due to the inevitability of external events and internal characters.I thoroughly studied Su Dongpo's life, and understood why he had to do everything he did, but he longed to abandon his official position and live in seclusion.I felt as if I was reading a Chinese astrologer's prophecy about someone's life, clear, definite, and absolutely inevitable.Chinese astrologers can list the course of a person's life year by year, and are willing to write down the entire prophecy for a generous reward.But the hindsight of the biographer always trumps the predictions of the astrologer.Today we can clearly recognize the ups and downs of Su's life, and see the same inevitability, but we also know that no matter whether the problem is in the stars or not, the ups and downs will always happen.

Su Dongpo was born in the third year of Emperor Renzong of Song Dynasty (1036 AD) and died in the first year of Huizong's founding of Jingguo (1101), that is, North China was captured by the Jin people and twenty-five years before the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty.He grew up under the best emperor in the Song Dynasty, served a well-intentioned but ambitious emperor, and when the eighteen-year-old foolish emperor ascended the Dragon Throne, he continued to be humiliated and suffered.Therefore, studying Su Dongpo's life is tantamount to studying the process of the country's decline due to party struggles.Readers of the book are all familiar with this kind of tyranny. In order to escape the "justice" of tax collectors or corrupt officials, honest and good people go to the green forest one by one, becoming the beloved green forest heroes in the book.

When Su Dongpo was young, a large group of outstanding scholars surrounded the emperor's court, but by the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, there were none left.The famous state capitalist Wang Anshi persecuted scholars for the first time, purged the censor, and appointed his subordinates. There are at least 20 scholars and righteous people who are willing to suffer for their crimes.By the time Little Hunjun tortured him for the second time, most of the good people had already died, or died in exile soon.This act of weakening national power was launched by this great believer in the name of "social reform", avoiding "private capital exploitation", and safeguarding the "interests" of the lovely Chinese people.Nothing is more dangerous to the fate of a country than a wrong-minded but stubborn idealist. The poet and humane philosopher Su Dongpo confronted the logic of the economist Wang Anshi with his common sense. The lessons he taught and the price China paid We haven't learned yet.

Wang Anshi was keen on social reform, so he naturally felt that there was nothing wrong with any means, even at the expense of eliminating dissidents.Sacred goals are always the most dangerous.Once the goal is sanctified, the means of implementation must become increasingly base.This development trend cannot escape Su Dongpo's keen mind, and even somewhat violates his sense of humor.His behavior was inconsistent with Wang Anshi's; the conflict between them determined his life experience and also determined the fate of the Song Dynasty. Neither Su Tungpo nor Wang Anshih saw the end of their struggle, nor China's conquest by northern barbarians, but Su Tungpo saw firsthand the dire results of the widely publicized "social reforms."He saw that the "farmers" Wang Anshi "loved" had to flee their homes, not because of famine or floods, but because they feared that they would be arrested by officials and jailed if they returned to the village and failed to pay the loans and interest that the government forced farmers to borrow.He shouted loudly and couldn't help himself.Some dishonest magistrates find it expedient to conceal the evils of the government--they cannot fail to perceive them--and to extol its virtues.As long as the lie is big enough and told enough times, it is not a new invention for a lie to become the truth.Eunuchs have to make a living.These are the irresponsible people who play with the fate of the country as if they can escape the final outcome themselves.Su Dongpo can at least maintain his soul, and pay the price for it.The emperor's upright heart is not enough to be an excuse for stupidity, because he has misjudged major issues.Su Tungpo was right.Iron fist politics is imposed on the people in the name of social reform.In the frantic power struggle, partisanship surpassed patriotic interests, and the country's moral and economic fibers were weakened and exhausted, just as Su Dongpo predicted, making the country easily fall into the hands of powerful enemies in the direction of Siberia.The villain is willing to serve as a puppet for the strong neighbors in the north in the name of "regional independence" and pledge allegiance to other races.No wonder the Northern Song Dynasty fell, and China retreated to the south of the Yangtze River.After the Song dynasty was burned down, historians wandered among the burnt-wood ruins before they began to examine the wilderness and consider the cause of the disaster with an arrogant historical perspective. Unfortunately, it was too late.

One year after Su Dongpo's death, politicians and villains were in power, and the Northern Song Dynasty had not yet given up to the wolf master who came across the wilderness of Mongolia. A very important event in history happened.This is the establishment of the Yuanyou Party Members Monument, and it is also a symbol and summary of the struggle throughout the period. "Yuanyou" is the year name (1086-1093) of Su Dongpo's party members when they were in power. This party member tablet has a blacklist of 309 people from Yuanyou era, with Su Dongpo as the head.The imperial decree stipulates that these people and their children can never be officials in the court.The descendants of loyal families are not allowed to marry the children of "Yuanyou party members", and if they have already been engaged, they must be dissolved according to the imperial decree.Blacklisted steles were erected in various regions of the country; some still remain in the mountains of China.The measure to eradicate all opposing forces here is also the method in the author's mind to humiliate these people forever.Because China was ruined by the social reformers in the hands of powerful enemies in the north, the effect of these steles is quite different from the original intention of the author.For more than a hundred years, the children of the blacklisted figures have been proud of their ancestors being listed on the stele.Therefore, the stele of Yuanyou Party members will be famous in history.In fact, some people's ancestors are not worthy of respect, because the author of the party tablet is bent on rooting out opposition forces, and lists all enemies, good and bad.

As if by God's will, a meteorite appeared in the sky in January of the fifth year of Chongning (1106), and the stone tablet on the east wall of Wende Hall was struck by lightning and split into two.There is no clearer indicator of wrath.Huizong was shocked, and fearing that the Prime Minister would object, he ordered someone to secretly destroy another stone tablet on the Duan (Li) Gate overnight.The Prime Minister noticed it, and was very chagrined, but exclaimed indignantly, "Monuments can be destroyed, but the names of these people will never be forgotten!" Now we know that his prophecy has come true.

The lightning strike on the party tablet made Su Dongpo's reputation continue to increase after his death.In the first ten years, all steles inscribed with his handwriting or articles were ordered to be demolished, his books were banned, and all his titles during his lifetime were removed.However, a writer at that time wrote in Miscellaneous Notes: "Dongpo's poems are often read and recited by people. Overseas poems were popular in Chongning Daguan. At that time, the imperial court prohibited rewards from increasing to 800,000. The stricter the ban, the more it was passed on. Often Praise it in many ways. Scholar-bureaucrats can't recite Dongpo's poems, so they feel angry, and people may say that they don't rhyme." Five years after the electric shock, a Taoist priest told the emperor that he saw Su Dongpo's heroic spirit serving as minister of culture in Tiangong.The emperor was even more frightened, and hurriedly restored Su Dongpo's highest title during his lifetime, and later added a higher honorary title than before his death.In the seventh year of Zhenghe (1117), the royal family even collected Su Dongpo's manuscripts under the same monarchy, bidding as much as 50,000 yuan for each piece.The eunuch Liang Shicheng spent 300,000 yuan (about 300 U.S. dollars, which was quite a high price considering the living standard at the time) to buy the (well hidden) inscription on the Yingzhou Stone Bridge. The three words written on the plaque in the study of a scholar.The business was brisk, and soon these rare manuscripts were in the palace or in the homes of the rich.When the Jin people captured the capital, they especially loved to search for the works of Su Dongpo and Sima Guang, because Su Dongpo's name had been spread to the northern tribes outside China during his lifetime.Some of Su's best paintings and calligraphy were shipped to enemy countries with two emperors who died in foreign countries (Huizong had abdicated to his son by then).However, tens of thousands of Su Dongpo's manuscripts were preserved and brought to the south by their owners. Now that Su Tungpo was dead and the storm of political fanaticism had passed, the emperor of the Southern Song, sitting in the new capital of Hangzhou, began to read his works, especially his memorials.The more they read, the more they admired the man's fearless devotion.His grandson Su Fu gained a high position because the emperor cared about his famous grandfather.All these made Su Dongpo's posthumous fame and status reach the highest point.In the sixth year of Qiandao (1170), Emperor Xiaozong gave him the honorary title of "Wen Zhonggong" and the official position of Taishi.The emperor wrote the best tribute that has survived to this day.The imperial decree and the preface of the emperor's autograph are printed on the front of all editions of Su Dongpo's "Complete Works".The imperial decree for awarding the posthumous title of "Wen Zhonggong" is as follows: So Su Tungpo's special status in Chinese history is based not only on the magic of his poetry and prose, but also on his valiant adherence to his principles and ideas.His personality and opinions constitute the "backbone" of his reputation, while the charm of his writing style and diction form the "skin" of spiritual beauty.I think that no matter how brilliant and charming a writer's writing is, we can't really admire him.The preface written by the emperor for Su's "Complete Works" emphasized the greatness of his "integrity", which made his works different from ordinary "good essays" and made his reputation consistent with the name. But let us not forget that Su Tungpo was primarily a poet and writer.His fame also depends on this aspect.His work has an inexplicable quality which is less visible in translation.A masterpiece is a masterpiece, just because people of all ages think that "good writing" should be like this. In the final analysis, the immortal reputation of literature depends on the enjoyment of the works to the readers. Who can say how to satisfy the readers?What sets literature apart from ordinary writing is that it has a rhythm that pleases the soul, a charm of the senses and style.Masterpieces that can please readers for thousands of years and pass on beyond a momentary style of writing must be based on a so-called "sincerity" characteristic, just like a real gem can pass all tests. "Articles are like fine gold and beautiful jade", Su Dongpo wrote to Mr. Xie Minshi, "There are prices in the market, and it is impossible for human beings to talk about high or low." But what exactly is the "sincerity" that constitutes the eternal quality?Su Dongpo clearly expressed his opinion on writing and style. "The rough outline is like flowing clouds and flowing water. At the beginning, there is no definite quality. But always do what you should do, and always stop when you can't stop. The style is natural, and the posture is unrestrained. Confucius said, words are not written, and actions are not far away. If the words stop at expressing the meaning, one will doubt if there is no words, which is not the case. The wonder of seeking things is like catching shadows with the wind, and those who can make things clear in the heart are rare among thousands of people. What's more, they can make it However, it is as good as the mouth and hands. This is the predicate. As far as the words are able to reach, the writing is invincible. Yang Xiong is a difficult word. If it is simple and easy to say, if it is correct, everyone will know it. This is the so-called Carving insects and seal carving." Su Dongpo defined the style of writing, which just aptly described the process of writing his own essays. His writing and writing are like "flowing clouds and flowing water", revealing all the mysteries of writing and rhetoric.There are no fixed rules for when to start and when to end.If a writer's thoughts are beautiful, as long as he can express them faithfully, sincerely, and properly, charm and beauty will naturally exist.These are not things that are forced into the work. The simplicity, naturalness and a certain sense of freedom caused by the expression of words are the secret of a good article.When these qualities are possessed, and the style of writing is not vain, one can write sincere literary works. All in all, the characteristic of Su's works is to give people pleasure.The most comforting thing when writing is the author himself. "The happiest moment in my life," Su Dongpo said to his friend one day, "is when the pen can express all thoughts when writing. I thought to myself, 'there is no more joy in the world than this'."Suvin had a similar effect on his contemporaries.Ouyang Xiu said that every time he received a new work by Su Dongpo, he would be happy all day; an attendant of Emperor Shenzong once told people that every time the emperor put down his chopsticks in the middle of a meal, he must read Su Dongpo's appearance.Even during Su Dongpo's exile, every time a new poem was passed to the court, the emperor would praise it in front of all his officials.Just because the emperor's admiration made the officials panic, as long as Shenzong was around, they tried to keep Su Dongpo in exile for as long as possible. He once insisted that the power to comfort is the reward of literature itself.In his later years, he wanted to give up his pen and not write articles, because all the troubles were caused by writing.In his reply letter to Liu Mian, he wrote: "Shi is poor, and he was originally a writer. He would like to peel off the skin and not get it. However, the youngest son Guo Wenyiqi. I am lonely and bored overseas. I published an article for entertainment at this time. For a few days, sleep and food are delicious. From this, we know that articles are like gold, jade and pearls, and are not easy to despise." Because of the satisfaction obtained by the author in his free creative activities and the happiness that the article brings to the readers, literature has its own existence value. Su Tungpo had the extraordinary talent to break all restrictions, seemingly without borders.His poems are always fresh, unlike Wang Anshi who occasionally achieve perfection.Su Dongpo didn't have to ask for that perfection.Other writers are limited by the vocabulary and traditional themes of poetry. Su Dongpo can write poems to describe the taste of massage in the bathhouse, and he can combine slang to make it produce beautiful effects in his poems.It is the special charm that others cannot achieve that makes the younger poets have to admire him. "Ci" was originally limited to describing lovesickness. His main contribution to "Ci" is that he can turn this style into a tool for describing Buddhism, Taoism and philosophical discussion. He has done a very good job of this almost impossible adventure success.He usually wrote better and faster than others, because he often had to compose poems in public at banquets.His thoughts are fresher than others, and he uses analogies and anecdotes more appropriately.Once a friend was at a farewell party for him in Huangzhou, and a female singer at the banquet asked him to write a poem on the cloak.He had never heard the name of the singer Li Qi during his stay in Huangzhou. He called her Mohei and wrote a plain beginning: