In the star-studded Great Song Dynasty, there is such a maverick lyricist.
He was depressed all his life, and he did not become a jinshi until he was 50 years old, but his name had already spread all over the world.
His words are shallow and vulgar, and he has been criticized by countless people for being vulgar, but he has become a bright pearl in Song lyrics.
He had sex with prostitutes during his lifetime, leaving behind countless romances. He also offended the emperor and was regarded as a negative teaching material by scholars. He died in a foreign land, and after his death, famous prostitutes throughout Tokyo gave him a funeral, and some even died due to excessive longing......
He is Liu Yong, a lyricist in the Northern Song Dynasty, a "professional household of obscene lyrics" who is called "brother" by thousands of Qinglou women, the most popular (not one) lyricist in the Northern Song Dynasty, and the first prodigal son of the Great Song Dynasty with mixed reputations.
The beginning of the white-clothed prime minister
The reason why Liu Yong can become an excellent lyricist has a lot to do with his growth environment, especially his father.
The Liu family is a well-known scholarly family in Chong'an, Fujian, Liu Yong's father and uncles all have the fame of the imperial examination, and his father Liu Yi once served as a supervisor in the Southern Tang Dynasty, and the Song Dynasty fell after the death of the Southern Tang Dynasty.
Since the kings of the Southern Tang Dynasty were fond of lyrics, and the ministers were often well versed in this, Liu Yi was naturally not exempt from vulgarity. Especially after the queen Li Yu was poisoned, Liu Yi was even more frightened, for fear that he would be affected, so he used wine to eliminate his sorrows all day long, and used words to condemn his worries.
Under the influence of his father, Liu Yong also developed a strong interest in lyrics, especially the words of the later master Li Yu.
Liu Yong was famous for his literary talents when he was young, and he and his two elder brothers were called "Liu's Three Uniques".
At the age of 18, Liu Yong said goodbye to his family and friends and embarked on a journey from Fujian to Kaifeng alone. On this trip, Liu Yong has only one purpose, that is, to participate in the scientific examination and fight for a Jinshi background.
When he first walked out of the house, he was full of ambition, and all he could think about was the future. But when he came to Hangzhou, known as "paradise on earth", he was instantly lost.
The scenery of the lakes and mountains and the style of the market here made him intoxicated, and Wu Geyuequ hit his heart.
At this time, Liu Yong completely forgot the purpose of his travel, and lingered in Goolan Wa City every day, composing lyrics and listening to music, so unhappy.
In the second year, Liu Yong, who was lingering in Wenwen Township, heard good news: his old friend Sun He was transferred to the two Zhejiang transfer envoys, and now he has arrived in Hangzhou.
Liu Yong was overjoyed, and his hidden fame heart became active again, thinking: If Sun He still remembers me as a person and gives me a few words of good words, wouldn't it be smooth sailing in the future?
The imagination is beautiful, but the reality is cruel. When Liu Yong happily ran to find Sun Shi, he found that he couldn't even pass the doorman's pass, no matter how much he boasted about his friendship with Sun He, he could never cross the threshold of Sun's mansion.
In a hurry, Liu Yong thought of a clever trick. Because he frequently went in and out of the Qinglou and had a lot of dealings with famous prostitutes and singers in Hangzhou, he wrote a poem and handed it to a singer who was going to perform in Sun's Mansion. Yoo Young asked her to sing this song at the banquet, and the singer agreed.
At the banquet, the singer sang Liu Yong's lyrics affectionately, and the host and guests were amazed for a while, and hurriedly asked who wrote the lyrics.
The singer replied according to Liu Yongjiao: "Lord Sun, this is "Wanghai Tide" made by your old friend Liu Sanbian (Liu Yong's real name). ”
At this time, Sun He remembered Liu Yong's New Year's friend, and invited him to come to the house afterwards to reminisce.
Later, "Wanghai Tide" was sung by Hangzhou singers, and Liu Yong really became popular.
At this time, no one could have imagined what kind of influence "Wanghai Tide" would have, and many years later it actually indirectly led to the outbreak of a war.
It is said that the gold lord Wanyan Liang loves poetry, and when he read Liu Yong's "Wanghai Tide" "There are three autumn laurels and ten miles of lotus", he immediately couldn't hold back. He already had the intention of cutting down the Song Dynasty, and when he saw that Liu Yong praised Jiangnan so beautifully, he led a large army south to attack the Song Dynasty.
The wide dissemination and far-reaching influence of Liu Yong's lyrics can be seen.
However, although "Wanghai Tide" made Liu Yong a lot of fame, it failed to make him get Sun He's blue eyes.
After soaking in rouge gouache for several years, Liu Yong still struggled to get up, packed his luggage and reluctantly left Hangzhou.
In 1008, 24-year-old Liu Yong finally came to Kaifeng, he wanted to show his skills in the imperial capital and realize his ambitions, but he did not expect that what was waiting for him would be ......
Ordered to fill in the words Liu three changes
As the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, Kaifeng is the most prosperous city in the world, even Suzhou and Hangzhou cannot be compared.
Liu Yong, who had just arrived, was soon attracted by the dream of Kaifeng and indulged in the Qinglou wine shop again. The women of the Qinglou were very enthusiastic about Liu Yong, and they had already heard of Liu Sanchang's name.
In that era, it was rare to find talented people who were willing to write lyrics for the women of Qinglou and have a sincere relationship with them.
Liu Yong wrote one masterpiece after another in this shallow singing, and soon became famous in Kaifeng.
It's just that this fame is not very good, because Liu Yong's lyrics actually use the Qinglou woman as the protagonist, and the words are straightforward and vulgar, which is something that literati and doctors dare not think of.
Not long after, on the day of the Spring Exam, Liu Yong walked into the examination room amid the farewell of the singers and prostitutes, and he was confident that he would be able to win the first place in one fell swoop.
Unexpectedly, Emperor Song Zhenzong specially told the examiners before the exam: "Those who are flashy and use gorgeous words will not be admitted." ”
And Liu Yong's article belongs to this type, so he unfortunately fell to Sun Shan and was extremely disappointed.
Liu Yong, who was indignant in his heart, wrote a poem in anger to complain, but he didn't expect this poem to make him regret it in the future.
This influential song is called "Crane Rushing to the Sky", and there is a sentence in it: "Endure the floating name, and change it to a shallow low singing." ”。
Liu Yong originally wanted to use this sentence to express his feelings of not valuing fame and fortune and being indifferent to Mingzhi, but he didn't expect this poem to be seen by Song Zhenzong.
Song Zhenzong saw that Liu Yong's tone was arrogant, and he didn't like it in his heart, so he said: "Let this kid go and sing in a low voice, what else does he want to do!" ”
After Liu Yong heard that his lyrics were commented on by the emperor, he was overjoyed, and since then he has called himself "Liu Sanchang", and his reputation has reached its peak.
Although he did not rank first in the imperial examination, Liu Yong was still confident, feeling that this time he was just unlucky, and he would definitely be able to go to high school next time. So, he still stayed in Kaifeng, traveled day and night with singers and famous prostitutes, wrote lyrics for them, and became the confidant of Kaifeng singers.
Liu Yong's name is like thunder among the women of the Qinglou, and everyone wants to know him and ask him to write lyrics for himself. As long as there are Liu Yong's new words, the singer will often become popular and become the object of envy of her peers.
Liu Yong also gradually had the reputation of "Brother Liu Qi", and at that time, a ballad was popular among singers, "I don't want a thousand gold, I want to get Liu Qi's heart." I don't want the gods to see it, but I want to know the seven faces of the willows. ”
In their hearts, Liu Qi has surpassed the Immortal Emperor and is the best "brother" in the world.
It's a pity that this Liu Qige, who lives a fairy life, doesn't know how comfortable he is now, and how depressed he will be in the future.
A few years later, Liu Yong participated in the scientific expedition again, and unexpectedly lost his name to Sun Shan again.
He didn't understand, his talent was so outstanding, why couldn't he get into the Jinshi?
Wandering the world, depressed for half a life
Actually, there is a reason why Liu Yong can't get into the Jinshi.
In addition to the difficulty of the Jinshi exam, his gorgeous style of writing is a major obstacle. Song Zhenzong likes plain and honest articles, and Liu Yong's rhetorical style is his least favorite, so it is normal to be dethroned.
In addition, it is also a big problem for him to offend Song Zhenzong. The emperor has sent a message to tell you to "sing in a low voice", you still come to the exam, why do you want to be famous?
Under the influence of these factors, Liu Yong stayed in Kaifeng for 16 years, participated in the Jinshi exam 4 times, and did not have a gold list title.
When he first came to Kaifeng, he was still a young man with dreams, and now he is not confused, but he still has achieved nothing.
A disheartened Liu Yong made an important decision, he wanted to leave the sad place of Kaifeng. Perhaps, a prosperous place like Kaifeng is not suitable for him.
Knowing that Liu Yong was leaving, the saddest thing was naturally the singers in Kaifeng. Over the past ten years, Kaifeng's singers have changed batch after batch, and many confidants who were once good friends with Liu Yong are also old and decrepit.
But no matter how the singers change, Liu Yong's status is always the same, and he is still the "Seventh Brother Liu" who knows the woman best.
On the day Liu Yong left, the women of the Qinglou silently saw him off, hoping that God would help "Brother Liu Qi" realize his long-cherished wish and find a home.
Liu Yong looked at the many singers who came to see him off, and his heart became more and more melancholy, especially when he saw that his favorite insect girl was not there, his heart was even more like a knife. He has known Worm Niang for many years, and he has regarded her as a lover in his heart and has written a lot of lyrics for her.
The insect lady has always been with him, hoping that he can stay in Kaifeng. But Liu Yong felt that he had no face to stay, and it was already a helpless move to leave, so he had to endure the pain and say goodbye to the insect girl.
When leaving, Yoo Yong got on a small boat and went down the river. At night, he drank alone, his heart was very sad, and he wrote the famous work "Yulin Bell, Cold Cicada Poignantly" with a stroke of grief.
This poem can be called a masterpiece in the Song Dynasty, and the sentence "Yang Liu'an, Xiaofeng Wanyue" has been sung for thousands of years and is still regarded as a classic.
Liu Yong sat on the boat, thinking about his future, and it didn't take long for him to stop his cranky thoughts with a sip of wine.
If there is any future, just go all the way along the river, and wherever you go, it will be counted.
Even with such a depressed mood, Yoo Young was still happy because of one thing.
Wherever he went, he could hear his words in the local Golan Washer, which gave Liu Yong some comfort in his heart.
Since the emperor wants me to fill in the words, then why should I do the "three changes of the willow willow by order" for the rest of my life?
So, Liu Yong, who had thought clearly, began to focus on writing words, making a living by filling in words, and became the most professional and popular lyricist.
His words mostly write about the feelings of men and women, sentimental and sad, sincere and warm, and the words are elegant and vulgar, which can be understood by both literati and ordinary people.
For a time, Liu Yong's words were widely spread in the north and south of the river, and there was a grand scene of "where there is well water, there are willow words".
At that time, the scholars felt that Liu Ci was too gaudy, and they all criticized it seriously on the surface, but in fact, they all read it secretly. Many lyricists also specialize in learning willow words, but they just use their own way to take their essence and remove their dross.
Yan Shu's youngest son Yan Jidao is like this, he can export at the age of 5. Once, Yan Shu invited guests to a banquet and asked Yan to recite a few words, but he didn't expect that his exit was Liu Yong's "Mandarin Duck Embroidery was turned over by the red waves", which embarrassed the guests to death.
Later, Yan wrote a few words, adhering to the sincerity of Liu Yong's writing, turning vulgarity into elegance, and leaving many masterpieces.
Liu Yong's wandering life lasted for a total of 10 years, and he was penniless but did not need to worry about his livelihood, because everywhere he went, there were Qinglou women who were willing to donate generously for him.
Liu Yong thought that he would be adrift like this for the rest of his life, but he didn't expect a good news from distant Kaifeng......
The career was bumpy, and he left lonely
Song Renzong is in power! The emperor also issued a decree to lower the admission standards for scholars who have not been able to pass the imperial examination for many years!
Hearing the good news, Liu Yong was overjoyed and hurriedly packed his baggage and rushed to Kaifeng.
came with him, as well as his second brother Liu Sanjie, who also failed to be admitted to the Jinshi for many years, and he is really a brother.
This time, Liu Yong consciously wrote like a divine help, and confidently waited for the release of the list with his second brother.
When it came to the day of the release of the list, Liu Yong anxiously searched for his name and found that it was on the list, and tears instantly filled his eyes.
also couldn't help crying, as well as the second brother, who was also admitted. The brothers hugged each other and cried, with the same title on the list, and it was rumored to be a good story.
Liu Yong has been waiting for this day for too long, but once he is really admitted, he has hesitation about his future life.
In order to welcome a new life, he finally changed his name from Liu San to Liu Yong, which is destined to leave a strong mark in the history of Chinese culture.
Although he was admitted to Jinshi and was also awarded an official position, Liu Yong did not feel how happy he was.
He started as a small regimental training envoy, and successively served as a judge and county magistrate in many places, all of whom were sesame-sized magistrates.
Liu Yong, who has always regarded himself very highly, was deeply affected by this, and he was admitted to the Jinshi at the age of 50, but since then he has traveled around Zhejiang and Jiangsu, and has not been promoted.
In order to make further progress in his career, Liu Yong also wrote a lot of flattering and sycophantic works, dedicating them to high-ranking officials (such as Fan Zhongyan, Teng Zijing, etc.) and even the emperor, but the official position was never promoted.
Until his resignation at the age of 66, Liu Yong was still just a Tuntian outsider with no real power. It can be said that in officialdom, Liu Yong is an extremely failure.
But in the world of words, Liu Yong has already become a grandmaster. There are only a few people who can be qualified to compare with Liu Yong, such as Su Dongpo and Qin Guan.
In terms of popularity and popularity, Liu Yong is even more unique in the world, he is an undisputed superstar.
Once, Su Dongpo asked a friend a question: "Who is better between me and Liu Yong?" This is undoubtedly a proposition, and the friend's answer is very ingenious: "Liu Yong's words need to be sung by a young girl with a red tooth board; And your words need to be shouted out by the Kansai Han with an iron plate. ”
Liu Yong's words have long been in their own right, and there is no need to compare them with others at all.
At the last moment of his life, Liu Yong neither returned to his hometown nor Kaifeng, but stayed in Runzhou, Jiangsu. Even though he is close to old age, Liu Yong still has confidants by his side, Xie Yuying, Chen Shishi, Zhao Xiangxiang and other famous prostitutes are friends with him, and it is rumored that he finally died in Zhao Xiangxiang's house.
On the day of Liu Yong's funeral, the situation was extremely tragic, he left no family property, and no relatives interrogated. In the end, it was the singers who pooled the money to buy a coffin for him, Xie Yuying personally wore linen and filial piety, and the famous prostitutes in Kaifeng were mourning him.
Two months after his death, Xie Yuying fell ill due to excessive longing and died soon after.
Liu Yong, who has been romantic all his life, finally left to future generations not only romantic affairs, but also the good words that are popular and full of true feelings in the world. As a lyricist, Liu Yong has no regrets, and his name will forever shine in the history of Chinese literature.