Wang Bo, Zi'an, was a poet of the Tang Dynasty. Together with Yang Jiong, Lu Zhaolin, and Luo Binwang, they are known as the "Four Masters of the Early Tang Dynasty", and Wang Bo is the head of the Four Masters. He was exceptionally intelligent since childhood, he was able to compose poetry at the age of six, he could casually point to the mistakes of Yan Shi's ancient writings, and at the age of ten he read the Six Classics, and he was even more uncrowned. After that, he thought about the spring, wrote the "Ode to the Qianyuan Temple", the article was beautiful, and it shocked the holy listener. When Emperor Gaozong of Tang saw this ode, singing praises of merit and virtue, and the words were beautiful and righteous, it was the work of a prodigy who had not yet reached the weak crown, and he was amazed: "Wizard, wizard, I Am a Great Tang Wizard!" "And the life of such a genius is not good. According to historical records, Wang Boke tried to serve as a shogun after the second, but he was expelled from the Pei King's Mansion because of a "Chicken Text of the King of Qiying" that upset Shengyan, and his career was ruined, and later he committed a crime by killing the officials and slaves he had hidden during his military service in Yuzhou, and he also tired his father, and finally fell into the water and died on the way to visit his father. But Wang Bo's death was full of doubts.
01
Did Wang Bo really fall into the water and die?
The record of Wang Bo's death comes from the Book of Tang, while the old and new Books of Tang do not record Wang Bo's death. The Old Book of Tang records that "(Bo) fell into the water and died at the age of twenty-eight. That is, the second year of the first century (675), but the New Book of Tang records that "crossing the sea and drowning, palpitations, the year twenty-nine" is the third year of the first yuan (676). In Wang Bo's "Preface to the March of the March", there is "Yongchun II (683) late spring in March, the scenery is delayed, and the scenery is charming in the suburbs" Wang Bo still has works a few years after he fell into the water and died, which is contrary to the historical records. It can be seen from this that whether the historical record of Wang Bo's death in the water is true still needs further examination.
02
Wang Bo carried a suspicious point
Wang Bo's biggest suspicion was that he killed his own hidden official slave Cao Da during his joining the army. In the autumn and winter of the second year of Xianheng (671), Wang Bo returned to Chang'an from Shudi to participate in the scientific election. His friend Ling Jiyou was then a judicial officer in Yuzhou, saying that Yuzhou was rich in medicines, and he knew medicine and herbs, so he found a position for him to join the army in Yuzhou. During his tenure as a soldier in YuZhou, an official slave named Cao Da committed a crime, he hid the criminal, and later, afraid of leaking the wind, he killed Cao Da to do it, and as a result, he committed a capital crime. First, hiding criminals is a serious crime, so why did Wang Bo hide official slaves? Second, why did you choose to kill after hiding for fear of leaking the wind? Third, why did killing the officials and slaves miss the rumors and be known? Fourth, why was he granted amnesty for the two major crimes of hiding official slaves and privately killing officials and slaves? The Book of Tang records that Wang Bo was jealous of his colleagues and framed because of his arrogance, but at this time Wang Bo had already been degraded once, and only after being recommended by his friends did he become a small soldier, so that he would not be hated to this point.
There is still a second major doubt in Wang Bo's body, the Tang Dynasty mourning poems are popular, why did Wang Bo fall into the water and die, his relatives and friends, and everyone in the literary world did not have a mourning poem about Wang Bo appear?
03
Wang Bo's death may have other hidden implications
According to the time of the work in the "Prince Anji", the author believes that Wang Bo did not fall into the water and die, but had no intention of making a career, so he lived in seclusion and did not want to become a victim of politics. Why? Wang Boshi was in the late gaozong period, and Wu Zetian had already intervened in the government affairs in 655, and Wang Bo was deeply appreciated by emperor Gaozong and dissatisfied with this situation. As we all know, the turning point of Wang Bo's career lies in the "Chicken Text of the King of Tanying", and the text writes that "if you violate the order of the chicken plug, the punishment of the chicken fang will be established." Those who are cursed in the morning and who ask for the family are no longer the same as the beasts; those who are females and scum will be killed, and they will be cut with a cattle knife. Historians believe that Emperor Gaozong of Tang was furious because of the satire of the royal struggle in the Chicken Text of the King of The Emperor. In fact, it is not necessarily true, the author believes that it should be a satire on Tang Gaozong handing over a part of his power to Wu Zetian but self-defeating, resulting in his gradual detachment from the center of power. The subsequent setbacks and crimes of Tibetan crimes are probably the epitome of political confrontation, and the rapid changes in the direction of the chaotang wind led to Wang Bo's unintentional career and then faded out of the vision of the court, and finally whether he fell into the water and died was not deeply investigated. This is the author's personal opinion, and the specific historical facts need to be further studied.
There are many opinions about Wang Bo's death, but his "Ke Kao" last work before his death, "Preface to the Tengwang Pavilion", is a rare and valuable treasure in our Tang poetry.