In the second year of Emperor Suzong of Tang's reign (757 AD), the Tang Dynasty was in the midst of the Anshi Rebellion, social turmoil, and panic.
In the autumn of that year, a horrific vicious incident occurred in Bozhou, Anhui Province, where Wang Changling, a famous border poet of the Tang Dynasty, was killed for no reason by the Bozhou assassin Lu Qiu Xiao on his way home.
When the bad news came out, public opinion was in an uproar.
Wang Changling was the captain of Longbiao County in Guizhou before his death, that is, the director of the county public security bureau, although his position was not high, he enjoyed a good reputation in the literary circle, and was the pioneer and leading figure of the Tang Biansai poetry, especially known as the "Seven Absolute Holy Hand".
Qin Shi, Ming Yue, Han Shiguan, thousands of miles of long march people have not yet returned.
But make Dragon City fly in and do not teach Huma to do Yin Mountain.
Wang Changling's "Out of the Plug" has always been regarded as the representative of Bian Sai poetry and the seven unique works of the Tang Dynasty, and has been selected as a primary school textbook for many years.
The poet was accidentally killed, which shocked the literary circles of the Great Tang Dynasty. People can't help but ask: What crime did Wang Changling commit? What is the reason for letting Bozhou Assassin Shi do this to an old man who is close to Huajia?
one
Unlike other poets, Wang Changling did not have a prominent background, his ancestors had been farming for generations, and he was the son of a standard farmer. I have loved reading since childhood, but my family is poor, and I have eaten the last meal but not the next meal, where can I get the spare money to study?
But Wang Changling knew that in peacetime, if the children of peasant families wanted to change their fate, studying was almost the only way out, so he helped his family farm while insisting on studying hard.
As a result, the book was not read well, the farm work in the field was delayed, and the life became more and more difficult, and the people in the village laughed at him behind his back: "You look at the child of the old Wang family next door, as soon as he hoes, he hides under the tree to read, pretending, I see that eighty percent is to escape labor." ”
Wang Changling could not stand the cynicism of the villagers, coupled with the hardship of life, at the age of twenty-three, he left his hometown of Hezhou, Shanxi, and went to Songshan, Henan, to become a Taoist monk.
It doesn't matter if you cultivate the Tao or not, the main thing is that you take care of the food here, and it is clean, and you have a lot of time to study.
In this way, Wang Changling read poetry in Songshan, and three years later, he returned to his hometown, determined to rely on his full stomach to learn and do a career.
The ideal is very full, the reality is very skinny, because without education, Wang Changling has not found a suitable job. Lao Wang advised his son: "What have you learned in the past few years as a Taoist priest?" If you can't go back to the village to tell people's fortunes and see feng shui, there are also a lot of money. ”
Wang Changling said: "Dad, don't you make trouble?" ”
But it is really not a way to go on like this, a good boy is determined in all directions, "rather be a centurion, better than a scholar", Wang Changling decided to write from Rong and go to the frontier of the motherland to make meritorious achievements.
In the twelfth year of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (724 AD), the twenty-seven-year-old Wang Changling went west to Yumen Pass and began his military career in the desert Gobi.
It was during that time that he wrote a large number of popular and magnificent poems, opened the precedent of Tang Bian Sai poetry, led a generation of poetry, and established his position in the poetry circle.
In addition to the aforementioned poem "Out of the Plug", his well-received poem "From the Army" is this poem:
Qinghai Changyun dark snow mountain, lonely city looking at the jade gate pass.
Yellow sand wears gold armor in a hundred battles, and Loulan will not be returned if it is not broken.
Wang Changling's Biansai poems are high-spirited and radical, majestic in artistic conception and majestic, and later the Biansai poems of Gao Shi, Cen Shen, Wang Zhiluo and others were influenced by him to varying degrees. Wang Changling's achievements in particular in the seven words and sentences were the most prominent, and he was known as the "Seven Absolute Holy Hand", which was juxtaposed with Li Bai in later generations.
two
So what? No matter how well written a poem is, that is, mixing fame in the literary world, it will not completely change life. During Wang Changling's military service in the border area, there was no war in the frontier, so there was no opportunity to make meritorious achievements, which made Wang Changling quite distressed.
In the winter of the thirteenth year of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang's reign (725 AD), Wang Changling returned to his hometown to visit relatives, passing through Fufeng in Shaanxi, and at night, drinking in a small inn, the more he thought about it, the more depressed he became, thinking that he was almost standing for a year, but still had achieved nothing, and couldn't help sighing and pouring his sorrows with wine.
When the shop owner saw it, he came over and asked him: "What is this brother, lost love?" ”
Wang Changling told the shop owner about the bitterness in his heart, but he didn't expect that the boss was a veteran, and he was suddenly evoked with a sad past, and he immediately called the waiter: "Bring me another bottle of wine, bring me a cup too, and I will accompany this brother to have a few drinks." ”
The boss reasoned with Wang Changling while drinking: "Young people now, just want to fight, want to kill the enemy and make meritorious contributions, but you don't know, how cruel the war is, I became a soldier at the age of fifteen, I fought all my life, my comrades back then were almost dead, only I survived, what good is it to be a soldier?" And what about combat heroes? Now you can't just open a small inn to get by. ”
Speaking of the emotional part, the boss burst into tears, drank a large sip of wine, and continued: "Young man, don't be in the blessing and don't know the blessing, if it is better to be peaceful today, why don't you go to the imperial examination?" In peacetime, taking the imperial examination is the right way! ”
After returning to his hometown, he began to concentrate on reviewing and preparing for the imperial examination.
This experience, which completely changed the trajectory of his life, was later fully recorded by Wang Changling in the form of poetry, that is, the poem "Answer to the Master of Fufeng":
The murderous aura is condensed, and the wind is sad and cold.
The float rises far away, and the wanderer is unhappy.
Still staying in the wind, selling wine and talking about self-indulgence.
I didn't pay attention to it, who can play it.
…………
three
The kung fu paid off, and in the fifteenth year of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (727 AD), Wang Changling finally entered the rank of Shiji and was awarded the title of secretary provincial school shulang, and since then he has entered the career of the army.
The position of the school secretary is very low, from the ninth grade, usually do some data collection and collation, classic correction and other work, the term of office is three years, after the expiration of the term is usually promoted and promoted. Many of the great poets we are familiar with, Bai Juyi, Yuan Shu, Han Yu, Li Shangyin, Du Mu, etc., all started from this position.
Unlike these people, however, three years later, Wang Changling was not promoted.
Undeterred, he took the erudite macrovocabulary examination organized by the Ministry of Officials the following year, and again entered the first rank.
However, the officials still did not promote Wang Changling, but only transferred him from the organ to the grassroots level, making him the lieutenant of Xianshui County, that is, the head of the county public security bureau.
This made Wang Changling very shocked, other classmates had already been promoted to the county, and he had been in the position of county captain for several years without the slightest progress.
Wang Changling began to stir up emotions and slack off at work, and as a result, he was transferred to Lingnan. Lingnan was a poor and remote area at the time, and no one wanted to go, so Wang Changling found someone to support him for activities, and only a year later was he transferred back to Chang'an.
On the way back to the north, Wang Changling met two world-famous poets and drank two big wines.
The first is Li Bai, a poet immortal whom Wang Changling has been befriending for a long time.
Li Bai was also frustrated at that time, wandering around, and met Wang Changling by chance in Yueyang, Hunan Province, and was also a fallen person in the world, and the two cherished each other, and drank bitterly at first sight.
This meal made Wang Changling deeply realize that not only could he not write poetry and write Li Bai, but he could not drink as much as others.
When parting, Wang Changling waved his pen and wrote "Baling Sends Li XII":
Swaying Balingzhou Nagisa, Qingjiang rumors are heard.
The mountain chief does not see the autumn city, and the sky and water clouds are shining at dusk.
At the same time, Wang Changling also tactfully told Li Bai, who plans to go to Chang'an to seek employment, that although there are many opportunities in big cities, the competition is fiercer and the pressure of life is greater, and it may not be as good as you think.
The second is Wang Changling's old friend, Meng Haoran of Xiangyang, Hubei.
When he took the imperial examination in Chang'an, Wang Changling and Meng Haoran were in the same examination room. That year, Wang Changling entered the rank and the first, Meng Haoran fell off the list, but the two met and formed a deep friendship.
This time returning north passed through Xiangyang, Wang Changling naturally wanted to visit his old friend by the way.
Meng Haoran, who had been living in seclusion in his hometown, was very happy when he heard that Wang Changling was coming. At that time, Meng Haoran suffered from furuncles, that is, poisonous sores on his back, and the doctor repeatedly told him not to drink alcohol or eat fresh seafood. But Meng Haoran was happy in his heart, or set up a banquet, washed the dust for Wang Changling, and arranged the famous local river fresh as a landlord.
Shortly after Wang Changling left, Meng Haoran had an attack and died of his life. Wang Changling learned the bad news a long time later, and regretted it for a while.
shop
Wang Changling returned to Chang'an to standby, and soon after, he was transferred to Jiangning County, equivalent to today's deputy county magistrate, still a level-level transfer.
Already at this age, he is still a petty official, what future can he have in the officialdom?
Once people lost their room for improvement, what followed was boundless degeneration, Wang Changling began to beat himself up, on the way to Jiangning, stayed in Luoyang for several months, drinking and having fun with friends every day, and delayed in reporting.
One day, there were snowflakes in the sky, and Wang Changling saw that it was a good weather for drinking, and immediately contacted Gao Shi and Wang Zhixiao in Luoyang to go to the Dongdu Hotel to drink together.
On that day, a certain song and dance troupe had a dinner in a restaurant, performing a show during the banquet, singing popular songs of the time.
Wang Changling said to Gao Shi and Wang Zhixiao: "The three of us are all famous figures in the poetry circle, but we have not been able to distinguish between high and low. Today, we quietly listen to these singers singing, whoever has the most poems is the most powerful. ”
The other two said, "Okay, okay, the one who is sung less." ”
Only one singer sang first:
The cold rain entered Wu at night, and Pingming sent guests to Chu Shan.
Luoyang relatives and friends asked each other, a piece of ice heart in the jade kettle.
Wang Changling immediately drew a picture on the wall: "Mine." ”
A singer in the back went on to sing:
Kaiji was in tears, see Jun Qian's book.
The night platform is lonely, it is still Ziyunju.
Gao Shi stretched out his hand to paint the wall: "Mine." ”
The third singer appears:
The broom Pingming Golden Hall opened, and the group fan wandered together for the time being.
The jade face is not as good as the jackdaw, and it still brings the sun shadow.
Wang Changling was proud, and stretched out his hand to paint the wall again: "I have two songs." ”
Among the three, Wang Zhixian is the oldest and the most famous, but no one sings his works for half a day, which is inevitably a little embarrassing, and Wang Changling deliberately angers him: "Brother Wang's poems don't seem to be very popular." ”
Wang Zhixian was not convinced, and said: "You know what, the first to appear are not famous, the real good songs, the real big names, are all placed in the final finale." ”
He pointed to the most beautiful singer with his hand: "If she doesn't sing my works when she appears, I will worship you two as a teacher." ”
Sure enough, the girl appeared last, and as soon as she spoke, it was Wang Zhixiao's "Liangzhou Words":
Far above the Yellow River, among the white clouds, is a lonely city of Wancheng Mountain.
Qiang Di He must complain about Yang Willow, and the spring breeze does not close the jade gate.
The three laughed loudly, and the singers over there were reluctant, and came over and asked, "What are you laughing at?" Do you think we sing badly? ”
Wang Changling and others quickly revealed their identities, and when the singers heard it, it turned out to be three authors and great poets, and immediately thanked them: "We all blame us for not seeing Mount Tai, please forgive me." If you don't dislike it, sit down and have a few more drinks. ”
Wang Changling deferred: "It's almost the same as drinking, just go, so what, just help settle the account later." ”
This incident was later rumored to be a good story in the literary circle, and was published in the legendary novel collection "Ji Yiji" in the Tang Dynasty, known in history as "Qiting Painting Wall".
five
Wang Changling worked for eight years in the position of deputy county magistrate of Jiangning.
Except for writing poetry as an amateur, he has no political achievements to speak of, and he refuses to spend money on activities, how can he be promoted? It's good if you didn't demote.
In the seventh year of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang's Tianbao (748 AD), Wang Changling, who was already fifty-one years old, was transferred to Longbiao County (around present-day Huaihua City, Hunan Province) as a county lieutenant.
After hearing this, Li Bai wrote to comfort him: "Don't be sad, I'm not as unambitious as you. Oh, the most important thing to be a person is to be happy. And attached to the letter is a poem "Wen Wang Changling Zuo Qian Long Biao Yao has this sending":
Yang Hua fell to the end of the rule, and heard the dragon mark across the five streams.
I worries with the bright moon, and follows the wind until the night.
Wang Changling has been living in Longbiao in his later years, and his work is still lackluster, only his poetry creation has never stopped, and he has created a lot of works, among which, most of them are seven utterances, which can be described as excellent works.
For example, the following poem "Sending Wood to the Imperial Palace" can be called a peak of parting poems in the Tang Dynasty:
The flowing water connected to Wugang, and sent Jun unconsciously injured.
The green mountains are the same as the clouds and rain, and the bright moon He used to be two towns.
In the fourteenth year of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang's Tianbao (755 AD), the Anshi Rebellion broke out.
Wang Changling was concerned about the safety of his family and restless, and the next year, he took a leave of absence from his leader and braved the war to return to his hometown to visit his relatives.
No one expected that this would be the last journey of his life. When Wang Changling was passing through Bozhou, Anhui, he was killed by Lu Qiuxiao, the assassin of Bozhou, at the age of fifty-nine.
Why did Lu Qiuxiao kill Wang Changling?
There is no detailed record in the history books, and only a brief sentence is stated in the "Biography of Tang Caizi": "Returning to his hometown on the occasion of the sword fire, he was killed by the taboo of Shi Luqiuxiao." ”
Some people say that Wang Changling's position is low, but he is quite prestigious in the literary circle, and Shi Luqiuxiao is also a poetry lover, I heard that Wang Changling passed through Bozhou and wanted to invite him to dinner, and by the way, let him write a poem inscription, but unexpectedly, Wang Changling refused because he was eager to go home.
Assassin Shi was damaged face, very angry, this official invited you to eat because he could afford you, this bit of face was not given, it was clearly contempt for this official, so Wang Changling was detained.
Of course, Wang Changling was not convinced: "Why detain me?" ”
Lu Qiuxiao said: "Now that you are suspected of fornicating with the party, you have the right to remain silent, but if you must say it, what you say will become evidence in court." ”
Wang Changling said, "I'll go to your uncle's!" ”
The two tore apart at that time, and Lu Qiuxiao was angry, pulled out his sword and killed Wang Changling.
A generation of poets, just like that, the soul is cut off in a foreign land.
land
Good is rewarded with good, evil is rewarded with evil, not unreported, the time has not come.
In the second year after Wang Changling's death, Henan Jiedu made Zhang Hao ordered to lead an army to quell the Anshi Rebellion, and in order to relieve the siege of Songzhou, Lu Qiuxiao of Bozhou was rescued.
Lu Qiuxiao looked down on Zhang Ho from his heart, deliberately delayed, and did not move, causing the fighter to be delayed and Song Prefecture to fall.
Zhang Ho was furious and executed Lu Qiuxiao for the crime of delaying the military plane.
At the time of the execution, Lu Qiuxiao begged Zhang Hao to let him live: "There is an old mother in the family who needs support, spare my life." ”
Zhang Hao choked Lu Qiuxiao back with a sentence at that time: "Wang Changling's relative, who do you want to raise with?" ”
Wang Changling's career was not smooth in his life, and he only served as a deputy county-level official, but in terms of poetry creation, Wang Changling achieved great results, and more than 180 poems have been handed down. Before Wang Changling, Tang poetry was mostly composed of five words, and it was with the efforts of Wang Changling and Li Bai that seven words and sentences gradually became a popular genre of Tang poetry.
In the literary circles of the Tang Dynasty, Wang Changling was not only known as the "Seven Peerless Holy Hands", but also enjoyed a more supreme title - "Poet Tianzi".
For a poet, this should be the highest honor.