He was a famous writer and poet of the Tang Dynasty, and once wrote such a famous sentence as "the moon is born on the sea, and the end of the world is at this time".
He is also a generation of virtuous ministers during the Tang Xuanzong period, because of his noble character and outstanding talent, after his death, whenever someone recommends someone who can be the prime minister, Xuanzong has to ask: "Is the demeanor as nine years old?"
Just as the poet Li Shi once wrote, "The Holy Lord of Kaiyuan has a virtuous minister", the Holy Lord and the virtuous minister met, and since then there has been a historical legend. But it is a pity that even with such a virtuous minister, he still failed to prevent the outbreak of the terrible "Anshi Rebellion", and personally brewed an irreparable death.
In fact, he had long asserted that An Lushan would rebel, but unfortunately Xuanzong didn't listen, but he wanted to quit the prime minister. When everything was too late, Xuanzong fled to Shu in a hurry, and then he felt guilty and lamented: "It's really too late to think about the prince at this time!"
This person who has foresight and makes Emperor Xuanzong worry about him in a desperate situation is Zhang Jiuling.
01
Plants and trees have their hearts
Most of the literati in ancient times were depressed, but Zhang Jiuling was the luckiest one.
Zhang Jiuling was born in a family of generations of eunuchs, influenced by a good family atmosphere, he was diligent and studious since he was a child, and his quick thinking was able to recite poetry at the age of 6. In his early twenties, he was successfully admitted to the Jinshi and became the first Cantonese to be a Zhongjinshi, and later became the first Lingnan person to become a prime minister.
After serving three years of mourning after his father's death, Zhang Jiuling was lucky to avoid the political purge after Zhongzong's accession to the throne. In 716, Zhang Jiuling offended Prime Minister Yao Chong because of his "blunt seal and disagreement with Shi Zai", but he was not belittled, but chose to return to his hometown for a short period of recuperation.
Even though he lived in Lingnan, Zhang Jiuling still cared about the people, so he advised Xuanzong to dig a large Yuling road to facilitate the people of Lingnan to enter and leave their hometown, and this suggestion was quickly approved by the imperial court. There is no doubt that Zhang Jiuling's move not only made a great contribution to the north-south transportation at that time, but also benefited future generations.
In 721, Zhang Jiuling's teacher Zhang Shuo became the prime minister, and Zhang Jiuling's career was smoother. But life is inevitably bumpy, after Zhang Shuo was impeached and deposed, Zhang Jiuling was also implicated, and was transferred from the original secretary of the Ministry of Ministers to Jizhou Assassin History.
It was not until 731 that Zhang Jiuling was summoned to Beijing and held an important position, responsible for drafting the edict for Xuanzong. Two years later, Zhang Jiuling was 55 years old at this time, because of his talent, exquisite articles, and outspoken admonition when he was an official, he won the trust of Tang Xuanzong, and became the prime minister of the dynasty.
Few people know that one of the poems written by Zhang Jiuling has also become the opening work of "Three Hundred Tang Poems" - "Plants and trees have their own hearts, why ask for beauty to fold." A good "herb has a wooden heart", which means that his personality will be like grass and trees, clean and upright. The same is true of his life.
As a famous poet in the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Jiuling certainly has no shortage of literati around him, especially Wang Wei, who once wrote poems to apply for a job from him, and got a good position.
But in fact, in the first year of Wang Weiji, there was originally a predetermined champion Zhang Jiugao, that is, Zhang Jiuling's younger brother. And because Zhang Jiuling was broad-minded and knew people well, he gave up his younger brother and chose to promote Wang Wei to the right pickup.
In 734, Youzhou Jiedu made Zhang Shouqi defeat the Khitan and returned triumphantly, Tang Xuanzong happily wanted to crown Zhang Shouqi as the prime minister, Zhang Jiuling thought it was inappropriate.
He said: "The prime minister governs things on behalf of heaven, and if someone else gives it, he can't reward merit." The defeat of the country is also caused by the evil of the officials. "The prime minister needs to be a competent person, not a reward, otherwise it will lead to the ruin of the country.
Zhang Jiuling, who is so outspoken and daring, is certainly a very rare pillar of the imperial court, but for some people who are full of bad water, he is a thorn in the side. This is also the reason why those who are faithful to their country are degraded in the end.
02
Why ask for a beauty to fold
Zhang Jiuling was upright and never abused his power during his tenure as prime minister, and was praised by the government and the opposition, but he did not really stay in power for a long time. Because he has both talent and virtue and is outspoken, he is easily envied and framed.
Even in the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, he could see the shortcomings of the DPRK and China. Obviously, it was An Lushan's greed and recklessness, which led to the failure of the expedition to Khitan and Xi, such a person should be beheaded according to the law, and even Zhang Jiuling stood up and said: "An Lushan lost his discipline and lost his teacher, and he must be punished in the law." And the ministers look at their appearance as opposite, and if they don't kill, there will be trouble. ”
However, after Tang Xuanzong created the "Kaiyuan Prosperous Era", after years of sound and color immersion, he completely lost his keen judgment, and even became stubborn and self-serving, regarding An Lushan as a loyal and good general.
Seeing that Emperor Xuanzong was gradually estranged from Zhang Jiuling, Li Linfu and his gang took advantage of the situation to slander them to the fullest, causing Zhang Jiuling to be demoted from the prime minister of Shangshu to the governor of Jingzhou.
In 736, Zhang Jiuling, who was frustrated in his career, stayed away from Chang'an, and he had all kinds of feelings in his heart. On a sleepless night, he looked at the bright moon in the sky and wrote the famous poem "Looking at the Moon and Huaiyuan".
The moon is born on the sea, and the end of the world is at this time. The lover complains about the night, and he is lovesick at night. The candles are extinguished, and the light is full, and the clothes are dewed. It's unbearable to give away, and it's a good time to sleep.
The so-called adversity produces poets, and grief and indignation make famous poems. During the days when Zhang Jiuling was demoted in his later years, he also wrote "Twelve Feelings (One)" that was included in the "Three Hundred Tang Poems".
The orchid leaves are in spring, and the Guihua is bright in autumn. Shin Shin this business is a festive season. Who knows that the forest dwellers sit and enjoy each other when they hear the wind. Plants and trees have their own hearts, why ask for beauty to fold.
As Zhang Jiuling wrote in his poem, "Plants and trees have their own hearts, why do you want beauties to fold?" "The plants and trees in the world have a noble heart, why look forward to the beauty of the folds and rewards? And himself, even if he is in a difficult situation and no one appreciates it, will not lose his elegant demeanor and demeanor.
If it had not been for Li Linfu's slanderous slander, would Zhang Jiuling have written the immortal poems that followed? If Xuanzong had listened to Zhang Jiuling's prophecy, would there have been the later "Anshi Rebellion"?
In 740, 68-year-old Zhang Jiuling died of illness. After that, whenever someone recommended someone suitable to be the prime minister to Tang Xuanzong, Xuanzong would ask: "Is your demeanor as Jiuling?"
In 755, An Lushan raised troops, the beacon fire burned all over the territory of the Tang Dynasty, and Xuanzong entered Shu in a hurry, and then finally verified how correct Zhang Jiuling's admonition was, and Xuanzong regretted: "It's really too late to read the Gong at this time!" Unfortunately, it was too late. But it's not a pity, because the Tang Dynasty has left a swan song for the ages, and it has also left too many expectations and lessons for future generations.
History will not disappoint everyone's efforts to move forward. As the last prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Jiuling was a meritocracy, quite famous, after he was deposed, the traitorous minister Li Linfu controlled the government, blocked along the road, and the prosperous era of Kaiyuan turned from prosperity to decline. Thinking that the prosperity of the era was shattered in an instant, this is not accidental, but the necessity of history.