In the history of Southern Liang, Xiao Gang was a puppet emperor who reigned for three years, then was imprisoned and died the same year.
In fact, compared with many emperors in history, Xiao Gang is really not worth mentioning in terms of managing the country. In that year, Xiao Gang was made crown prince because Prince Zhaoming died. And he was able to sit on the throne because of Hou Jing's rebellion. However, Xiao Gang is not without merit, and his literary talent is very high.
Before Xiao Gang was made crown prince, he lived in bianzhen. However, Xiao Gang's father, Xiao Yan, had a long life span, making his life experience basically limited to the imperial palace. As a result, although his creation is also self-contained, it has not left his living environment. Therefore, in Xiao Gang's palace poems, most of the protagonists are women.
The north window chats on the pillow, and the south eaves are not oblique.
Climb the hook to drop the obstacle, and insert the pipa.
Dreams smile and smile, sleep sideburns press flowers.
Mo Wensheng jade wrist, incense sweat soaked red yarn.
Husband and wife are always accompanied, and mo mistake is an advocate.
This "Yong Nei Ren Day Sleep Poem" mainly describes the woman's lunch break, "Mo Wen sheng jade wrist, incense sweat soaked in red yarn", writing that the woman's arms are printed with bamboo moose patterns. This look is the summer scene, naturally the next sentence to write "incense sweat", due to the high temperature, are soaked through the red yarn.
It can be said that this song "The Day Sleep of the Inner Man" is a representative work in Xiao Gang's works.
Just look at the two sentences of "Mo Wensheng jade wrist, incense sweat soaked in red yarn", a static "sleeping beauty" is slowly displayed in front of the eyes of the world. In addition, the whole poem also renders the beauty of the whole picture from the perspective of sound, appearance and emotion. In the end, Xiao Gang had to make a summary: "Husband and wife are always accompanied, and it is not mistaken to be a prostitute." "Boasting about the beauty of your own insiders, there is no need to do so."
It can be seen that Xiao Gang's ideas are indeed different from ordinary people.
In fact, Xiao Gang can have such achievements in literature, naturally inseparable from the influence of the people around him.
Xiao Gang loved literature since childhood, liked to write poetry, and after becoming a prince, due to his special status, it was more conducive to literary creation. Therefore, with him as the center, a literati group was soon formed, which helped him advocate and lead the palace style literature, and reached its peak, influencing more than one era in literary history.
Because Xiao Gang's position as crown prince sat for a long time and was not in a hurry to become emperor, he was only intoxicated with his hobbies. For a while, the literary atmosphere in the country was quite strong. However, the subject matter of the palace poems is too narrow, just some of the characters in the palace, after writing the women, only the child prostitutes are left.
If writing about women is to describe the beauty of women, then Xiao Gang's writing of child prostitution is not to praise them, but through them, to lament the overly flashy and extravagant life in the palace.
Even during the three years that Xiao Gang had been a puppet emperor, he had not forgotten to create.
Palace poetry has always been describing people or things, and the beauty of the words used shows the author's intentions, but compared with some famous poems, it is impossible to read that kind of openness and pursuit.
Xiao Gang has two poems that are "peace poems", one about the bedding of the insider and the other about beauty. In the eyes of posterity, the poems that write the lives of these palace characters are undoubtedly absurd. In fact, this is just the characteristic of palace poetry, with extremely beautiful words to lay out the beauty of people or things. Take "Seeing insiders as bedding" as an example, which xiao Gang wrote in imitation of a poem by Xu Wei:
On a cold night in the secret room, by the window of the falling illumination.
The red curtain is far away, and the light drapery is half rolled.
Fang Zhi fiber handmade, reduced sewing of Qiao Yan.
The dragon knife crossed his knees, drawing a ruler before falling into his clothes.
Iron gold coloring, hairpin tube white teeth wrapped.
The tailor is happy, and the text is Mandarin Duck Lian.
Stitched with double needles, the wool is eight silkworm cotton.
Incense and liqiu honey, musk spit in the middle of the taiwan smoke.
Has been put into the glass tent, and miscellaneous Taihua felt.
And the co-carving furnace is warm, not the same group fan donation.
More afraid of joining the military, empty bed in vain self-pity.
Xiao Gang and Xu Gang had a good personal relationship, and later, due to the villain's obstruction, they separated Xu Gang from his side.
In fact, Xiao Gang did not first write a woman as a bedding, but wrote in the indoor environment, "The cold night of the secret room, the falling light by the window." After that, write what the woman is doing: "Fang Zhi fiber handmade, zhen reduce sewing and dressing." After a circle of detailed descriptions of the bedding, he wrote about the woman's mood: "I am more afraid of joining the military, and the empty bed is self-pity." ”
If you put "And Xu LuShi See the Inner Man as a Sleeper" and "Yong Nei Ren Day Sleep" in one place, you can see some of the characteristics of Xiao Gang's creation, and he is better at rendering some details. This is also the characteristic of palace poetry, after all, the subject matter is limited, and it can only be broadened from the details.
Just imagine, as a prince of a dynasty, how can he put his mind in these poems all day long, and pay more attention to state affairs? However, Xiao Gang's father, Xiao Yan, was still an extreme believer in Buddhism. This will also have some bad effects on the governance of the country. Therefore, in Xiao Yan's later years, he always believed in villains.
Hou Jing rebelled, and the excuse he found was the "Qing Jun's side". Later, Hou Jing captured the Liang Dynasty's capital Jiankang (present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu), starved the Liangwu Emperor Xiao Yan alive, and took control of the Liang Dynasty's military and political power. Xiao Gang did not have the slightest way to deal with Hou Jing's rebellion. People let him be emperor, he could only do it, and he became a puppet emperor for three years. Finally, on the second day of October (November 15) of the second year of Dabao, Xiao Gang was killed by Hou Jing at the age of forty-nine.
At that time, Xiao Gang was able to become the crown prince, not because he had the talent to govern the country, but because Xiao Yan liked him very much. It can be seen that their father and son are quite similar and like to follow their own feelings. However, this will not help the development of the country in any way. Because, Xiao Gang was surrounded by a group of literati, and all day long was poetry and poetry. At the time, what was even more disappointing was that people didn't think there was anything wrong with doing so.
Think of many later emperors, who only liked literature and paid no attention to the governance of the country, and in the end, they could only give the country to others, such as: Li Yu and Zhao Tuo. In fact, in addition to literature, Xiao Gang was also proficient in medical taoism and wrote the Bathing Sutra. However, as a prince of a dynasty, the qualities he needs to have should be more political talents in addition to these.
Because no country will be strong in poetry and song.
Resources:
[Nanshi Vol. VIII, Liang Benji Viii, Liang Shu Literature, Yu Shoulder Wu Biography, Liang Shu Jianwen Emperor Ji]