Chapter 113 The Charcoal Seller/Bai Juyi

This is the thirty-second poem of Bai Juyi's "New Yuefu", and it is also the most well-known one. In Bai Juyi's fifty "New Yuefu" poems, each topic is about one thing, and there are self-notes under the title of the poem, explaining what is allegorical.The self-note to this poem says: "Bitter palace city also." What is "Miyashi".Although only the emperor's family lived in the imperial palace, there were a large number of eunuchs, court ladies and guards, and their food and daily necessities were in great need.The needs of the imperial palaces of the past dynasties have been undertaken by special government agencies, but since the end of the Zhenyuan period of Emperor Dezong of Tang Dynasty, eunuchs have been directly asked to purchase from the private sector.Under the name of the emperor, these eunuchs and minions bought and robbed the people and the market by force. The people suffered so much that they were called "Gongshi". "The Charcoal Vendor" was written with this in mind.

Poets are good at describing and setting off the atmosphere.In the previous part, the life of the old man who burns and sells charcoal has been written very poorly.But for "clothes on the body and food in the mouth", that is to say, in order to survive, in order to maintain the lowest standard of living, the elderly have to work so hard. "Poor clothes are bare, worrying about charcoal and wishing the weather is cold", this makes people's nose sore to read, so when we read "A foot of snow outside the city at night", on the one hand, we worry about the elderly, on the other hand Also happy for the elderly.When reading "Rest in the Mud Outside the South Gate of the City", everyone felt a little relieved.

It was at this time that the poet's writing skills changed, and the appearance of two "envoys in yellow and white shirts" completely shattered the hope of the old man.Under the sign of buying things for the emperor, do you dare to resist?The old man had no choice but to watch helplessly as more than a thousand catties were painstakingly burnt out, and the charcoal to change clothes and food was taken away. Is it robbery?No, others gave money. Isn't "half a horse of red silk and one zhang silk" "tied to the bull's head and filled with charcoal"?Anyone with a little common sense knows that these things are worth more than a thousand catties of charcoal?What's more, what's the use of these things for the old man!

The poet makes no comment on this, but is there any need for comment?People who read this poem will worry about how the old man will live in the future?Can he survive that severe winter? The poet's indictment against Miyaichi is quite powerful.