Preface
Ji Xiaolan stood in the hall of the county government, her tall posture and deep eyes seemed to bring a touch of solemnity to the entire hall. Under him, the magistrate and other officials all felt a tense atmosphere, as if the whole scene was frozen by his presence.
The air in the hall seemed to freeze because of him, and the palatial surroundings seemed to gaze at the famous minister. Everyone's eyes were on him, waiting for him to solve the problem.
Ji Xiaolan's gaze unexpectedly fell on a parrot behind Zhixian, her brows furrowed slightly, as if she was thinking about something. This sudden turn of events caught the attention of everyone present. The parrot's colorful feathers seemed to come to life under his gaze, and it became a bright color in the whole scene.
At this time, a glimmer of inspiration flashed on Ji Xiaolan's face, as if he had found some kind of revelation. Everyone present held their breath, anticipating the next link that was about to change everything. Zhixian's heart was beating rapidly, and he couldn't wait to know if this famous minister could make such a difficult downlink.
However, Ji Xiaolan slowly closed her eyes, as if she was in deep thought. At this moment, the entire hall fell into an eerie silence, as if time had stood still. A trace of uneasiness passed through the county's heart, and he pondered: What did Ji Xiaolan's silence mean? Was he looking for an answer, or had he already sensed the deeper meaning behind this link?
First, the personable character is emerging
In the late spring and March of this year, Ji Xiaolan, a nobleman in the DPRK and a great Confucian in the literary world, was ordered to tour the south, which was a major event in the cultural circle. Ji Xiaolan is quite personable, generous and benevolent, and does not lose his bookish spirit.
He is well-read and knows all about ancient and modern allusions. He is especially good at words, and has the reputation of "the fisherman of the word forest". This southern tour coincided with the time when his official fortune was prosperous, so it attracted attention, and the states and counties along the way accompanied the people to greet and send them off.
However, what interests Master Ji, who has been an official in the court for many years, is still those talented and beautiful women. The first stop of this trip is a water town outside Jinling City. In this place, which is already the hometown of art and literature, what is even more rare is that its ruler, Lord Zhixian, is also a talented and accomplished literati.
Zhixian was born with an indissoluble bond with literature, and he devoted his life's passion to it. He has a delicate temperament, and when he is weak, he can recite a touching seven-character ancient poem. He loves words, and he also loves mountains and rivers, and compares his heart to his heart, so he is naturally looking forward to the arrival of Confucianism.
Second, a good story quietly unfolded
Before and after the Qingming Festival, the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River are beautiful. The cruise ship wanders, and the catkins on both sides of the strait are flying. In the early morning of this day, when the first rays of sunlight were projected, a dusty sedan chair had already arrived outside Jinling City. The wheels rolled over the wet earth after the rain, leaving a deep imprint.
The magistrate stood in front of the gate of the county government early to greet him, and when he saw Ji Gong's willows blowing by, Fuwei Shengde, he couldn't help but be secretly impressed. The two exchanged pleasantries for a while, and the magistrate personally led the minister to the county office to entertain him.
After a few days of political participation and travel, the two have become acquainted. On this day, the magistrate invited Ji Xiaolan's mansion as a guest, and the conversation naturally turned to literature. The magistrate respectfully took out his years of hard work - a pair of self-contained couplets, with a book in the middle and above: "Rats are called old regardless of size"
This link is very ingenious and brilliant. All the literati present were impressed. Ji Xiaolan bowed slightly, looked at it with an aesthetician's eye, and immediately took the Longquan paper inkstone, splashed ink, and wrote the following couplet: "Parrots are called brothers when they are both male and female"
3. Ingenuity and popularity
After seeing it, the magistrate was overjoyed, and bowed again: "My lord is really talented, and Jiangnan has had one more good story to circulate since then!" After that, Ji Xiaolan stayed in Jiangnan for a period of time, and at the invitation of Zhixian County, she participated in many flower boat banquets and ink gatherings. The two hit it off at first sight, and talked about the philosophy of life from poetry and songs, communicating with each other, and falling in love for a long time.
This lifelong unforgettable "rat parrot couplet" also became a good story in the Jiangnan literati circle, as the county wished. When people mention the relationship between the two great Confucians, they not only praise their character and integrity, but also talk about the wonderful couplets brought about by the collision of talents that day.
However, the good times did not last long, and the minister still had frontier military affairs in his hands, so he had to hurry north. Before leaving, the magistrate repeatedly entrusted: "I implore you to return to the dynasty safely, Jiangnan is still looking forward to your revisit!" Ji Xiaolan also felt the same way, and entrusted him with the matter of the couplet, and he would continue to discuss it in the future.
Fourth, when you meet your old acquaintance in a foreign country, you are overjoyed
Spring goes to autumn, and the summer afternoon in Jiangnan is still flowing lazily. The memories of the beautiful scenery and words have faded a little, and the county is often melancholy. Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, the news of Ji Gong's southern tour came again. The magistrate was overjoyed, and immediately the chickens and dogs jumped to the ground to prepare to greet him.
On the day of the reunion, the prefect of the county government was decorated with lights, and everyone from officials and literati to talents who wandered the rivers and lakes came to attend this grand event. During the banquet, the two talked about the long-separated past, and the magistrate remembered the unfinished couplet, and asked Minister Ji if he still remembered.
Ji Xiaolan smiled knowingly, took the brush and wrote: "Rats are called old regardless of size" "Parrots are called brothers by both male and female" The pen of genius is chic and elegant. Everyone present was amazed. But he then added a new couplet: "The sky is high and the birds fly"
The magistrate bowed again: "The adult is really talented, and Jiangnan has one more good story to circulate since then!" The two were full of interest and talked about the new words and new fu that have been separated for many years. Since then, the entire literary world in Jiangnan has been revitalized, and a new generation of masterpieces has emerged. And the two parties have become bosom friends who have been praised by later generations.
Fifth, the torrent continues, and the literature is flourishing
This good story soon became a beautiful talk in the Jiangnan literati circle. After Minister Ji left, the wonders of the "rat parrot couplet" were even more talked about. And the reputation of Jinling Zhixian has also become famous.
More importantly, the impact of Ji Xiaolan's visit on the entire Jiangnan cultural circle continues to ferment. His image of being brilliant and well-versed in both Chinese and Western languages inspired more scholars to devote themselves to literature and education. For a time, there was a surge in the number of young people who went to study in Wudi. Jinling City has also become a popular place for students from all over the world. Older literati also visited and Xi from this role model.
The literary style is flourishing, adding infinite vitality and vitality to this water town. From poetry and poetry to landscape painting, from teaching to sectarian analysis, every corner of the cultural world is full of vitality. People often use this encounter of talented and beautiful women as an allusion to encourage the new generation to work hard in literature and Taoism.
VI. Conclusion
Time has passed, and Ji Xiaolan and the talented magistrate have also been in ancient times for a hundred years. When people look back on those years, they may not remember their births and deaths; But that good story related to the couplet has become a swan song for the ages. It has been passed down from generation to generation and has been compiled into the collection of talents and beauties, and has become a model for future generations to look forward to Chinese collection.
This seemingly understated literary collision, after layers of nesting and fermentation, finally achieved far more than the friendship between the two bosom friends. Under the pen of later generations of literati and scholars, it was constantly sublime and sacred—until it became an eternal and beautiful legend of the splendid culture of the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River.
It inspires the new generation of literary youth to forge ahead on the difficult road of literature; It stands in the long river of time, witnessing the flow of the veins on this hot land; It also makes the wanderers in a foreign land, vaguely see a brilliant dream in nostalgia.