Sichuan Historical Celebrities Series - Western Han Dynasty Confucian Master - Yang Xiong

Editor's Note On July 12, 2017, the first list of historical celebrities in Sichuan was officially announced, and 10 historical celebrities such as Dayu, Li Bing, Luo Luohong, Yang Xiong, Zhuge Liang, Wu Zetian, Li Bai, Du Fu, Su Shi and Yang Shen were selected. On June 8, 2020, the second batch of Sichuan historical celebrities was released, and 10 historical celebrities including Wen Weng, Sima Xiangru, Chen Shou, Chang Xuan, Chen Ziang, Xue Tao, Gesar Wang, Zhang Yu, Qin Jiushao, and Li Tiaoyuan were selected.

From June 10, 2020, the "Sichuan Provincial Love Network" and "Fangzhi Sichuan" new media matrix (WeChat public account, People's Number, Surging Number, Toutiao Number, Sohu Number, Penguin Number) have successively launched 2 batches of 20 Sichuan Historical Celebrities series articles organized and written by the Sichuan Provincial Local History Work Office, please pay attention to it, and welcome to leave your post-reading comments at the end of the article "Write a Message"!

Fourteenth in a series of articles on sichuan historical celebrities

Western Han Confucian master - Yang Xiong

Xie Linghui

Yang Xiong (53–18 BC), courtesy name Ziyun, was a native of Pi County, Shu Commandery (present-day Pidu District, Chengdu, Sichuan). Famous scribes, lexicographers, thinkers, philosophers, philologists, and historians of the Western Han Dynasty. The forerunner of Chinese atheist thinkers, the origin of "metaphysics" in Wei and Jin, and the originator of chinese dialectology research.

The Han Dynasty people believed that Yang Xiong was the most outstanding talent in the two hundred years of the Western Han Dynasty, and his morality and learning could be comparable to Confucius, calling him "Confucius of the Western Dao"; the Jin Dynasty people believed that he was comparable to the pre-Qin sons and called him "Yangzi"; modern people said that he was an "encyclopedic talent" in many fields involved in his academic achievements. Wang Anshi praised him for "the Confucian Lingyi is poor in this way, and there is a YangXiong in the thousand autumns"; Yang Sheng'an Shiyun "When to cross the Ba Gorge, you have to ask Yang Xiong about Taixuan"; Liu Yuxi's "Buried Room Inscription" lists him alongside Zhuge Liang: "Nanyang Zhuge Lu, Western Shu Zi Yunting".

Biography

The "Book of Han and The Biography of Yang Xiong" written by Ban Gu records that in the first year of the Han Xuan Emperor Ganlu (53 BC), Yang Xiong was born in a family of "having a field and a village, a house and an area, and a family with nongsang as its business" in the White Crane of the Five Steep Mouth Pavilion in Pidu, Shu County. 廛, Yan Shigu's ancient commentary quotes Jin Zhaori: "One hundred acres, one hundred acres also", zhou li diguan situ, in: "Fu YiXiao, Tian hundred acres." "With a hundred acres of land, in the Western Han Dynasty belonged to a typical farming family, and the family was not rich. When Yang Xiong arrived, the yang family's situation was even more difficult, "the family property is only ten gold, and there is no right." Although his family was in a difficult situation, Yang Xiong was studious and ambitious since childhood. The "Book of Han and the Biography of Yang Xiong" says: "Xiong is young and studious, not for chapters and sentences, the precepts are all over the world, and the exposition is all-seeing." "It is not for chapters and sentences, but only for the training", which shows that when Yang Xiong reads various classics, he does not strictly follow the teacher's law and family law as the Han Dynasty classics, but strives to read and understand and grasp the spiritual essence; "The exposition is omnipresent" means that Yang Xiong's learning interests are extensive and involve a very wide range, which has laid a solid foundation for him to make achievements in many fields in the future.

Yang Xiong, a lexicographer and thinker in the Western Han Dynasty (Image from the Internet)

Book life

Yang Xiong was studious, and when he was a child, he studied for 3 years under the scholar Lin Lu Weng of Linqiao (present-day Qionglai City). In these 3 years of study, the biggest gain was in the language and writing, he later became proficient in "ancient characters and strange characters" and wrote "Dialects", which was greatly influenced by these 3 years of study. Three years later, when Yang Xiong was 15 years old, he also studied under the Shu Zhongzhong Confucian Pi Yi Yan (Zi Junping), and this study was 6 years. Yan Junping systematically taught classics such as Zhou Yi and Lao Tzu and his own philosophical thought. Yan Junping had a great influence on Yang Xiong, in addition to philosophical ideas, but also political thought. For example, the propositions of "ruling by doing nothing", "cultivating oneself and rectifying the law", and "following reason at any time" have had a great impact on the formation of Yang Xiong's philosophical thought and the construction of political concepts. Yang Xiong developed Yan Junping's idea of "following reason at any time" and evolved into a philosophical theory of "following the rules", which not only represented his philosophical ideological system, but also represented his concept of historical development. Yang Xiong also used the new Taoism taught by Yan Junping for Confucian studies, and on this basis founded a neo-Confucianism, metaphysics. His "Tai Xuan" and "Fa Yan" are all Masterpieces of Confucianism formed under the influence of this kind of thinking.

Yan Junping (Image from the Internet)

Roaming life

Many prominent figures in ancient times began roaming life in their youth. Confucius, the founder of the Confucian school, toured the Zhou Kingdom alone when he was young and greeted Lao Tzu. Sima Qian, a historian of the Western Han Dynasty, also went to famous mountains and rivers and historical holy places to conduct field investigations in order to "snare the world and let go of old news" and make up for the lack of reading and study, and to obtain first-hand reliable historical materials.

In the fourth year of the founding of the Hancheng Emperor (29 BC), the 25-year-old Yang Xiong began a wandering life in Shuzhong. He traveled to Chengdu, Mianzhu, And Wenshan (around present-day Wenchuan and Maoxian), and then to Qianwei and Yue (roughly equivalent to the area around present-day southern Sichuan and Xichang). Examining the scenic spots and customs of mountains and rivers in various parts of central Shu laid a good foundation for him to later write the "Benji of the King of Shu" and "Dialects".

Well-written

In the fourth year of the Han Dynasty Emperor Yangshuo (21 BC), the 33-year-old Yang Xiong came to the capital Chang'an, and at the recommendation of his compatriot Yang Zhuang, Yang Xiong worked as a "Menxia Shi" (equivalent to Wang Yin's personal staff) in the Palace of Wang Yin. During this time, Yang Xiong was very idle, and he focused his main energy on studying and visiting celebrity scholars, and launched his 27-year-long investigation and collation of "special words".

According to the system of the Han Dynasty, all counties and princes had to send emissaries to Beijing every year to report on their work, and reported the annual population, money, grain, and public security to the imperial court, called "shangji". In addition, the chiefs of the four ethnic minorities who submitted to the Han Dynasty also sent emissaries to Chang'an to pay tribute or to meet the Heavenly Son every year, called "Pilgrimage" or "Hajj". The envoys (emissaries) of the "Shangji" or "Hajj" came from all over the country and spoke different dialects. Whenever there was a "shangji" or a "hajj", Yang Xiong rushed to the inn where the envoys were staying with a pen and oil (a kind of silk used for paper) to ask the envoys about "foreign languages" and recorded and sorted out these "special words". He persisted in this work for 27 years, and it was not until his later years that he compiled these materials together with the "Dialect Synopsis" obtained by lin Lu Weng when he was a child, and completed the world's first dialect research work, "Interpretation of Dialects of Other Countries by the Emissaries of Xuanxuan", which was referred to as "Dialects" by later generations, leaving a valuable legacy for future generations in linguistic research.

Yang Xiong's career began with the dedication to the Hancheng Emperor. The "Book of Han And Yang Xiong Biography" says: "When Emperor Xiaocheng was born, there were people who recommended Xiongwen who seemed to be similar, and the upper suburban shrine Ganquan Taiqi and Fenyin Houtu, in order to seek succession, summoned Xiong to wait for the court of Zhao Chengming. In the first month, from the upper Ganquan also, play "Ganquan Fu" to satirize. ...... In March, the sacrifice will be made to the hou soil, and the shang nai shuai group of ministers will cross the great river and gather the Fenyin ,...... On the "Hedong Fu" to persuade. ...... Its December feather hunt, male from... Therefore, the chat is ironic because of "Feather Hunting Endowment". Yang Xiong's four great gifts were all born in this period. In the more than one year from the second year of Han Yuanyan (11 BC) to the third year of Yuan Yan (10 BC), Yang Xiong accompanied Emperor Hancheng to participate in large-scale suburban worship and hunting activities as a "to be commanded", leaving behind the "Four Fu", "Ganquan Fu", "Hedong Fu", "Feather Hunting Fu", and "Changyang Fu". The "four endowments" were all based on the theme of advice, hoping that Emperor Cheng would "quit guanyou and promote benevolence", but the result was not only not to prevent guanyou, but the next year they "watched and hunted Changyang", which was larger and more disturbing to the people. The failure of the "Four Fu" persuasion completely changed Yang Xiong's view of Fu, and even believed that Fu was "carved insect seal carving" and "strong man does not do it", so he turned to philosophy and concentrated on writing. Integrating the two schools of Confucianism and Taoism, the I Ching completed the Taixuan, the Analects completed the FaYan, and the completion of the two works created a rigorous and refined philosophical system, which occupies a special place in the history of Chinese philosophy.

Emperor Liu Of Hancheng (Image from the Internet)

Yang Xiong devoted his life to diligent work and wrote richly, in addition to "Taixuan", "Fa Yan", and "Dialects", there was also a book "Benji of the King of Shu" that was handed down. Although the "Benji of the King of Shu" that has survived to this day is only 1333 words, it is the most original and direct document of the history of ancient Shu, and it is the "most reliable surviving text" about the history of ancient Shu, among which the historical materials such as the "Five Kings" of Ancient Shu, Dayu being a native of Guangrou County, Wenshan County, and Li Bing of Shu making a stone rhinoceros are of great significance to today's study of the history of Ancient Shu, the history of Dayu and Xia, Laozi and the Tao Te Ching, Li Bing and Dujiangyan.

"The Book of the King of Shu"

The creation of words is Yang Xiong's most influential achievement. According to the "Hanshu Yiwen Zhi", Yang Xiong composed 12 poems, including "Ganquan", "Hedong Fu", "Yu Hunting Fu", "Chang Yang Fu", "Xie Tao", "Solving Difficulties", "Anti-Disturbance", "Guangsao", "Pan Prison Sorrow", "Mianzhu Song", "Shu Du Song", and "Poverty Alleviation". Yang Xiong's words are not numerous, they were all written before he was 50 years old, but they have achieved great achievements and influences. Literati of all generations have often called the introduction of xiongshi in their works. When evaluating the Fu family of the Han Dynasty, the Wenxin Carved Dragon interpretation fu chapter combines Yang Xiong with the representative writers of Han Fu, Ming Cheng, Sima Xiangru, and Wang Bao, and believes that Yang Xiong and Wang Bao developed Han Fu: "Mei, Ma tongqi, Wang, Yang Qi. Together with Sima Xiangru, Ban Gu, and Zhang Heng, they are collectively known as the "Four Greats of Han Fu".

Yang Xiong was also quite accomplished in historical criticism. According to the Tang Dynasty historian Liu Zhiji's "History of Stone and Ancient Zheng", Yang Xiong, Liu Xin and others all continued to write the "History of History". According to Wang Chong's "On Heng and Su", Yang Xiong wrote a work that recorded the historical events of the nearly 80 years from Emperor Xuan of Han to Emperor Ping of Han: "Sima Zi Changji Yellow Emperor and even Xiao Wu, Yang Zi Record Xuan Emperor and even Mourning Ping." On the other hand, Yang Xiong put forward his own historical insights in the "Fa Yan", showing the outstanding vision of historians. When commenting on several historical books in "Fa Yan and Chongli," Yang Xiong put forward three basic principles that should be adhered to in writing historical works: First, to "establish things" and conscientiously record historical events; second, to "taste algae" and objectively evaluate historical figures; and third, to "record facts," persist in writing straight books and seeking truth from facts. Yang Xiong's principles of writing history had a profound impact on the historical research of later generations.

Late Ming and early Qing dynasty engravings of the "Sayings of the Law"

Tang poems and Song poems praised Xiong

As a historical figure with great influence in the history of Chinese culture, Yang Xiong's image has penetrated deeply into the hearts of many poets and lyricists in the Tang and Song dynasties:

Yang Xiong reads behind closed doors, and the green grass in front of the door leaves in spring.

If you do not add to the peasants and return, the world is a floating name.

—— Dai Shulun, "Difficult to Walk"

On the day of the youth of the past, the early filling of the state guests,

Reading a book breaks through ten thousand volumes, and the next pen is like a god.

Endowed with the material to promote the enemy, the poem looks at the son to build a relative.

—— Du Fu's "Twenty-Two Rhymes to Wei Zuo Chengzhang"

Towards the memory of the stage, night dream zi cloud pavilion.

—— Li Bai, "Huainan Lying Sick Book Huai Shu Zhong Zhao ZhengJunrui"

Zi Yunqing guarded himself and became an official from today onwards.

- Du Fu, "Sending Yang Liu Judges to The West"

Willow Lane slopes towards Pi, and the sun is noisy and chaotic.

Nong Sang Zi Yun Ye, Book Cai Yong Family.

——Geng Xiang," Title Yang's "Other Businesses by Yang"

Ziyun tasted Yanju and made it seem similar.

Idle into the exam lessons, don't pay tribute to the virtuous book.

——Quan De and "The Second President of the Hubu Wang Cao Chang Yang Kao Gong Cui Punishment Department and the Old Cause of the Zhong Ling Envoy's Mansion with the Gift and accompanying Lang Shu Xi Chang Zhi Because of the Book and Known"

Ziyun only defended himself, and Xi Shi jiuqu was born.

——(Han Yi, "Idle Tour II")

Lu Tong Yuan Liang house, the door to the sub-cloud residence.

——Mou Rong, "Title Zhu Qingyu Idle Residence Four Songs"

Grass raw element bright path, flower dark sub cloud residence.

——The King Broke Out,"The Three Poems of the Take"

Twilight rain raises the mansion, and autumn winds go to Xiuyuan.

- Li Yin, "Garden Residence"

The night platform is lonely today, just like Zi Yunju.

—— Gao Shi, "Crying Single Father Liang Jiu Shaofu"

Lonely and few Yangzi residences, years and years and a bed of books.

—— Lu Zhaoling, "Chang'an Ancient Meaning"

He Dang drunkenly raised the mansion

——Han Chun, "He Groom Sees the Snow again"

Wait for a good return, carry the wine in the barrel, and visit Ziyun with you.

——Wu Yong, "Touching the Fish and Pi County Banqueting Officials"

Pack up the tips and poems, and send them to the mansion.

——Xin Shuyi, "Shengchazi Yamagata Sends Yang Minzhan"

In the fifth year (18) of Wang's new dynasty Tianfeng, Yang Xiong completed his brilliant and arduous life at the age of 71. Throughout his life, Yang Xiong has written richly and achieved outstanding achievements, and he has made outstanding contributions to the development and inheritance of traditional Chinese culture. The washed ink pond and ink pond academy in Chengdu, the tomb of Yangxiong in Pidu District, and the Ziyun Pavilion in Mianyang all show the admiration of later generations for this Western Han Confucian scholar.

In 1933, the former site of the washed ink pond behind the auditorium of Chengdu County Middle School (predecessor of Chengdu Seventh Middle School) (Source: Fang Zhi Jinniu)

Mianyang Ziyunting (Image source: Pocket Mianyang)

bibliography

1. Bangu: Book of Han, Zhonghua Bookstore, 2007 edition.

2. Sima Guang: Zizhi Tongjian, Zhonghua Bookstore, 2002 edition.

3. Xun Yue and Yuan Hong: The Two Han Dynasties, Zhonghua Bookstore, 2002 edition.

4. Qian Mu: Outline of National History (Revised Edition), Commercial Press, 1996 edition.

5. Ji Thailand: Confucius in the Western Path - Yang Xiong, Bashu Book Society, 2017 edition.

6. Guo Junming: "Yangxiong < Research on the Thought of the Fa yan > (revised edition),Bashu Book Society, 2017 edition.</a0>

7. The first series of Yangtze Academic Journal, Bashu Book Society, 2018 edition.

8. Yang Xubo: "The Image of Yang Xiong in Tang Poetry", Journal of Yangtze University, 2012.

9. Tang Guizhang: The Complete Words of Song, Zhonghua Bookstore, 1999 edition.

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