"Everything is inferior, only the reading is high." From whom did this well-known verse, which was revered by generations of readers? It is the famous prodigy Wang Suye of the Northern Song Dynasty! The original poem goes like this:
Tianzi is heroic, and the article teaches Ercao.
Everything is inferior, only the reading is high.
Meaning: Tianzi has always attached importance to the talented hero Haojie, and reading and learning is to educate you to be such a person. All industries in the world are lowly, and only reading and entering the world is the right way and the highest pursuit of life.
Wang Su (王洙), courtesy name Dewen, was a native of Yin County (present-day Yinzhou District, Ningbo) in the late Northern Song Dynasty. He came from an ordinary peasant family, his father was a little literate, the godson was generous, Wang Su was intelligent and studious since childhood, and it is said that he could write poetry at the age of nine, and was passed down by the villagers as a "prodigy". This "prodigy" reputation comes from a story.
At that time, the Northern Song Dynasty's famous minister Wang Anshi Jinshi and the first Yangzhou signed the judgment, and his term of office had expired and he was transferred to Yin County. One day in the autumn of this year, Wang Anshi led the whole county to visit the Confucius Temple to pay homage to the Confucius Icon. After the worship ceremony was completed, Wang Anshi suddenly found that on the wall of the main hall, someone painted a poem with charcoal, which read:
Yan returned to the night to look at the stars, and the master nodded toward the rain.
How many secretaries of state have come out from here, and who is willing to repair the money.
The title of the payment is "Nine-year-old boy Wang Su".
This poem is extremely ironic, saying that the saint Confucius and the fusheng Yanhui were like this, and you who called yourself a student of Confucius were unwilling to donate money for repairs, but also had the good intention to come to the shrine by pretending! Wang Anshi naturally understood the irony in the poem, and looked around carefully, and found that not only was the main hall dilapidated, but also the statues of Confucius and Yan Hui were also broken heads and arms, which was really detrimental to dignity and self-shame. But then I think about it, how can a nine-year-old write such a profound poem? Isn't someone taking the opportunity to hype up and deliberately satirize me? Thinking of this, Wang An ordered the messenger: "Go and inquire quickly, what kind of person this Wang Su is, tell him to come and see me quickly!" ”
It is said that Xiao Wang su has always been driving a flock of geese during the day at home, grazing in the fields at the edge of the village, and returning to study and learn at night, and the children of the poor have long been in charge! On this day, Wang Su went to the Confucius Temple to release geese, and took out a poem book under the tree to read, and suddenly a few dark clouds covered it, and in an instant, heavy rain fell from the sky, Wang Su hurriedly put away the books and ran to the main hall to avoid the rain. Entering the temple gate, full of decadence and ruin, cobwebs, bird droppings everywhere, I couldn't help but feel resentful, secretly thinking: Manchu officials and officials called themselves students of Confucius, but they ignored the ruins of the Temple of Confucius Saints, and what kind of system! So he picked up the half-burned wooden stick on the ground and inscribed the poem.
Not wanting to alarm Wang Anshi of Zhixian County, Wang Su dared to be bold, did not want to go out to hide, and followed his father and Servant to see the county lord. His father, Wang Yuanji, knelt down to worship Wang Anshi and said in horror: "The villain godson is not strict, he has done something improper, he has offended the adults, and he also hopes that the adults will be haihan and fall from light hair!" ”
Wang Anshi saw Wang Yuanji's appearance of a loyal and thick wooden man, and he had already dispelled the doubts in his heart. Looking at Wang Su, who was kneeling on the side, his eyes were clear and deep, his expression was not humble, and he also revealed a bit of cleverness, and he couldn't help but like it. He asked kindly, "Did you write the inscription on this wall?" Wang Su replied unhurriedly: "Back to the adult, it is the book written by the villain, and I hope that the adult will advise!" Wang Anshi asked again, "Nine-year-old child, I ask you, what is the inscription poem?" Wang Su couldn't help but be a little moved, pointing to the Confucius Temple, and said: "Adults must have already visited the Confucius Temple and worshipped the saints, and the situation in this is already clear to the chest, and I naturally understand what I mean when I write poetry." ”
Wang Anshi saw that Wang Su's answer was like a stream, his attitude was serene, and his heart was secretly happy, and he praised: "So, this poem is indeed written by you, prodigy, prodigy!" Wang Su, however, did not hesitate to forgive, and said deeply: "The children in the countryside really dare not be, and the lord of Wanwang reads the prestige of the Confucius Sage, and immediately allocates funds to repair the Confucius Temple!" ”
Wang Anshi already had an idea and replied with a full mouth. Seeing that Wang Su was wearing a short shirt and intending to try his hand at learning, he said, "The Analects of yun: 'A gentleman is right in his clothes and looks at him.' 'You came to see me in a short robe, and though you were a child prodigy, you also violated the etiquette!' ”
Wang Su heard the voice outside the words, bowed deeply to Wang Anshi, and blurted out: "The prodigy shirt is short, and the sleeves are big and provoke the spring wind." Before going to the Heavenly Son, first come to the Gurudwara. ”
When Wang Anshi heard this, he repeatedly exclaimed, "Wonderful, wonderful! Sure enough, the prodigy will become a great instrument in the future! ”
Since then, the reputation of Wang Su's prodigy has been well known. Not only did Wang Su enter the famous local Taoyuan Academy for further study, but his father Wang Wenji was also heavily relied on by Wang Anshi, and specially recommended Wang Yuanji to the history of transport, so that Wang Yuanji was responsible for the legal affairs of the Ming prefecture (judicial participation in the army).
Legend has it that Wang Su was indeed a young and intelligent person, and his poetry was overflowing, and he wrote many five-sentence poems, all of which were simple and easy to understand, and short poems that were easy for children to memorize. In order to promote orthodoxy and supervise children to read and seek officials, the masters at that time compiled more than 30 five-word poems given by Wang Su into a collection entitled "Wang Prodigy Poems". The prose of "Prodigy Poems" is popular and straightforward, easy to be recited by Children, and is equally known as "Ancient and Modern Strange Books" as the "Three Character Classic", which has become the main teaching material for training and Mongolians, and has been widely circulated and has far-reaching influence.
In the "Prodigy Poem", in addition to "the Son of Heaven is heroic, the article teaches Ercao." Everything is inferior, but the reading is high", and there are several catchy poems that have been recited to this day, such as the "Four Joys" that we often refer to, which is also from this:
Long drought and sweet rain, other places meet the old knowledge,
Cave room flower candle night, when the gold list is inscribed.
There are also poems that teach people to read hard and study diligently, and to respect Confucianism and seek nobility, such as
Asahina Tianshe lang, Twilight Tianzi Hall.
There will be no seed in the picture, and the boy should be self-reliant.
"Young people must study diligently, and the article can stand up." "Learn to be diligent, and have ten thousand books in the fluorescent window." "Learning is the treasure of the body, and Confucianism is the treasure of the seat." "The golden treasure of the widow, how to teach a scripture." These psalms are almost household names, well known to women and children, and are recited endlessly, and still have some educational significance today.
However, some of the poems in the "Prodigy Poems" are so numerous that they are falsely rumored. For example, it is included in:
Three autumn leaves can be dissolved, and February flowers can bloom.
Cross the river thousands of feet of waves, into the bamboo pole oblique.
The poem was originally called "Wind", which was composed by the early Tang Dynasty poet Li Zhao, Zhang Guan Li Dai. Another example:
A plum branch in the corner of the wall, Ling Han opened alone.
Haruka is not snow, for there is dark incense to come.
It is for the same dynasty Wang Anshi's "Plum Blossom", "several branches of plums" changed to "one branch of plum", I don't know if Wang Anshi can see, even if after reading it, how do you feel? unknown.
Modern writer Zhang Ailing has a famous saying that "fame should be early", but early fame is not necessarily a good thing, which is most evident in the Northern Song Dynasty prodigy Wang Su. After Wang Su became an adult, although he was familiar with the history of the classics, he went through many examinations and failed to pass the examination. It was not until the third year (1100) of Emperor Zhezong of Song that he was nearly 70 years old before he was able to pass the entrance examination and become a professor of Mingzhou Fuxue. Because he was a pure and upright person, he was a good teacher, and there were many students who followed Wang Su to listen to lectures, and he had a house of hope, and everyone in the world called him "Mr. Wang". After Wang Su's death, the imperial court posthumously awarded him the title of "Zhengfeng Dafu" and enjoyed the treatment of Zhengsi pin title. The book "Spring and Autumn Commentary" was posthumously published.
The Northern Song Dynasty Wang Prodigy and his "Prodigy Poems" preached that "all things are inferior, only reading is high", and people have long been criticized today. However, the "Sanwei Book House" that Mr. Lu Xun studied in his early years is quite well-known for his concept of "Sanwei" in reading. Originally the idea of "reading the Bible tastes like rice beams, reading history tastes like food, reads the hundred families of the sons, and tastes like a pickle", it was later changed to the "three tastes" of "warm cloth, fragrant vegetable roots, and long taste of poetry and books" by Lu Xun's teacher Mr. Jingwu (Shou Huaijian). This "three tastes" clarifies the school philosophy of the sanwei bookstore, teaching the younger generations to read not to be admitted to the examination to become officials, but to be willing to be cloth warm, vegetable root fragrance, taste the taste of poetry books, and enjoy the happiness of life. I think this is the root of reading and learning!
-Author-
Liu Qirui, male, a native of Tancheng, Shandong, a veteran literature lover, published the essay collection "The Song of that year", "Nostalgia is a Curved Blue Moon" and the short story collection "Hedong Hexi".