Wen | Shuhan (Reading History Columnist)
Zheng Banqiao is a generation of art masters who are recognized by the world as a master of poetry, calligraphy and painting. If now, who can get a real painting of him, Guan Baoneng will be worth a fortune and become one of the local tycoons.
While he was alive, if he could put down a proud bone, betray the conscience of an artist, be willing to become inflamed, and sell his works as commodities for a price, he would certainly be able to make a lot of money, buy a few villas and mansions, and be a billionaire.
However, he did not do this, but he was so dead-eyed, to maintain his "righteousness, two sleeves of clean wind", to maintain his integrity and justice, to let the officials do not do, to put money not to earn, the result of a great artist, but a life of exhaustion.
But he won the hearts of the people, won the name of the first century and the century-old fang, and won the respect we have in our hearts.
01
Zheng Banqiao with two sleeves of fresh wind
Undoubtedly, Zheng Banqiao is the most famous and the most accomplished among the "Eight Monsters of Yangzhou".
Historically, people like to talk about Zheng Banqiao's "weirdness", saying that he is strange in calligraphy, strange in inscription, strange in behavior, strange in temper, and so on. This is all just looking at the zhengbanqiao of the superficial phenomenon, and not seeing the actual Zhengbanqiao.
Zheng Banqiao is actually a person who maintains a clear understanding of society and life at all times, has a sense of justice, is cynical, loves and hates, and distinguishes between right and wrong. It is most appropriate to describe him in a sentence by Qu Yuan: "Everyone in the world is drunk and I am awake alone, and everyone in the world is cloudy and I am alone." What he pursues and maintains is righteousness.
He was born into a family of intellectuals, and by his time he was already in the middle of nowhere, very poor, and repeatedly changed, so he was often blinded by people, tasted bitterness, and planted the seeds of social injustice and a clear understanding.
Although he constantly strives to change his destiny, he is repeatedly frustrated. He lived in the era when Kang, Yong, and Qian were known as the prosperous world, and at the age of 19 he was a Xiucai in the Kangxi Dynasty, at the age of 40 he was a scholar in the Yongzheng Period, and at the age of 44 he was a Jinshi in the Qianlong Period. The road of the imperial examination consumed most of his life's energy, and he also tasted bitterness and human warmth.
At the age of 50, he was initially appointed as the Commander of Qipin County in Fan County, Shandong Province. Gao Shi of the Tang Dynasty once described this errand of the county order: "Kneeling to greet the chief's heart is broken, and it is sad to lash out at Li Shu."
He did the opposite. Treat the boss with pride, laugh and scold; treat the people with considerateness. When he was stricken by the disaster, he dared to open the imperial warehouse to release grain privately, strictly ordered the gentry to build a shed for porridge, and tried to use work instead of charity. When he heard the sound of bamboo, he thought of the bitter cry of the people and thought of the people wholeheartedly. It can be seen that he is not strange, but a good official who does practical things for the people in a down-to-earth manner.
The first thing he did when he went to the county court was to have people cut a big hole in the wall of the mansion, saying that he wanted to release all the evil, crooked, and evil qi of the previous government. It can be seen that he has a lot of personality and a deep hatred for the feudal bureaucracy.
He served as a county commander in Fan County and Wei County for 12 years, offended corrupt officials of all sizes, and finally was dismissed from his post when he was not tolerated by the corrupt feudal autocracy. He went away happily, without any nostalgia. He realized what he wrote himself: "Two sleeves of fresh wind dare to touch hard, and a body of righteousness can suppress evil."
When he left office, there was only one donkey and three boxes of books. Ordinary people said of him: "Zheng Banqiao is a clean official, does not love silver and does not love money", clinging to it, helping the old and the young, and sending farewell in the middle of the road. Even today, such officials are invaluable.
He was a strict self-disciplined man. He was not only incorruptible as an official, but also low-key. He traveled to investigate the people's feelings, never allowed the servants to open the road, did not sound the gong to open the road, did not play the "avoidance" card, and drove lightly. He used to take out his own money to help the people.
After losing his official position, he sold paintings for a living. According to his fame at that time, a word and a painting can be said to be worth thousands of gold, but he never asked for a price, and did not want a high "appearance fee". He clearly marked the price, which shows that he does not raise prices, if this is also called vulgar, called strange, how cute and respectable he is "vulgar" and "strange"!
02
Zheng Banqiao, who is full of righteousness
Zheng Banqiao's righteousness is fully manifested in the fact that just like sand cannot be tolerated in his eyes, he cannot tolerate those corrupt officials and corrupt officials, local tycoons and inferior gentry, and laughter and anger are all articles.
Folk legends have circulated many deeds of ruthless contempt and ridicule of bureaucratic elites.
Such as "four dishes and one soup":
When he was in Zhixian County, the prefect came to inspect it, and he made a menu: "Qinglong lying on the beach, white skin and face, one clear and two white, fried swan eggs." It is for four dishes, and then add a soup: "Menpo Dongwu Wanli Ship." The original was: mixed cucumber, vinegar powder skin, shallots mixed with tofu, fried soybeans and egg soup. The prefect was so angry that he couldn't speak. This may be the origin of "four dishes and one soup", but which of the official circles has done it now?
Such as "Radish Gift":
Minister Chincha came to inspect, he sent a box of radishes, and wrote four oil poems: "Northeast ginseng Fengyang pear, not as good as Weixian radish peel." Present-day Gifts from Chincha can exorcise demons and be smooth. "Sent Chin half to death. Who dares today?
Such as playing a gentleman:
A gentleman asked him to inscribe a plaque, and he wrote four words" "Ya smells respectful". However, he instructed the painter to keep half of the paint, and the result became a "tooth door walk". It is clear that this gentleman is a lackey of the gate. It makes everyone in the township clap their hands and applaud.
And all that. Although it is not found in historical records, it is only circulated in the folk. But one look at its arrogant, witty and humorous "weird", it can be concluded that it is undoubtedly from Zheng Banqiao.
His paintings are famous all over the world, and the bureaucratic dignitaries are coveted and hated to get them. Just three or four times down, bow down and go to the door to ask for a painting. He unceremoniously refused. He said, "Ask me to paint, don't paint, don't ask me to paint, but want to paint." It can be seen that he did not paint for the sake of painting, not for money, not for the sake of making a fortune and seeking ill-gotten gains. His paintings, as well as his poems and words, contain his righteousness, his principles of life, and his love and hatred.
He is so fond of corrupt officials and rich and noble, but he cares for the broad masses of the people, and can even be said to be meticulous.
Isn't there such a thing in folklore? An old woman who sold fans for a living was worried that no one cared, so he went forward and inscribed on each fan, and asked the old lady to sell one or two pieces of silver, and the result was that they were bought in an instant.
When he was a county official, when he heard the sound of bamboo, he would think of the suffering of the people. In a poem, he wrote affectionately:
Ya Zhai lay down to listen to Xiao Xiaozhu, suspected to be the voice of folk suffering. Some small Wucao Prefecture county officials, one branch and one leaf are always concerned. ”
He is exactly the kind of person who wrote in Lu Xun's "horizontal eyebrows are cold to a thousand fingers, and bow down to be a widow cow".
How could such a good official who is single-mindedly serving the people not make people stand in awe!
03
Lanzhu Stone is high wind
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Zheng Banqiao's righteousness is organically integrated into the practice of his artistic creation and into his poetry and paintings.
His poetry, calligraphy and painting have reached the peak of artistic creation, which can be described as a treasure passed down from generation to generation. His "poetry is invisible painting, painting is tangible poetry", and his six-and-a-half-minute calligraphy is unique, and few people can compare it.
What is particularly valuable is that his creation is a highly perfect and organic combination of ideology and artistry. He did not paint for the sake of painting, and each painting must have inscriptions and inscriptions to express the implications and allegories of his thoughts and emotions.
He loved to paint orchids and bamboo stones all his life, why? Because these three allude to his own sentiments and high winds and bright festivals.
He said: "The orchid of the four hours of unsatisfactory, the bamboo of a hundred knots of evergreen, the stone of undefeated throughout the ages, and the unchangeable person of thousands of autumns" are "four beautiful things," "there are orchids and bamboo and stones, and there are incense and knots and bones."
In his view, Lanzhu Stone is a symbol of good character, symbolizing the rich fragrance of people, just and upright, strong and indomitable, tenacious, upright and selfless. Obviously, this is exactly what he has been pursuing all his life.
If we say that poetry and painting are the three absolutes of Zheng Banqiao, Lan Zhushi is the three of the three absolutes. He himself said it well:
"Orchids are always related to bamboo and grow in green mountains and waters. Frost and snow do not wither spring, laughter people red and purple as guests stubborn. ”
Lanzhu stone has incense, bones and knots, which is also the portrayal of Zheng Banqiao himself.
Backbone and discipline are actually the foundation of every upright literati.
His popular "bamboo stone" poem can be described as a masterpiece:
"Firmly believe that the green mountain does not relax, and the root is in the broken rock." Thousands of grinding blows are still strong, and Ren'er's east, west, south and north winds are strong. ”
Obviously, the green mountain he firmly believes in is the "two sleeves of fresh wind, one body righteous" that he adheres to, which is the high wind and bright festival of his life in the world. This outlook on life that he held, despite thousands of hardships and blows, was always unswerving, and he eloquently proved it with his bumpy life.
He is a great artist who can be reached by few people in the world, and at the same time, he is also a great man of extremely noble character and sentiment.
"Taking people as a mirror can be dressed in the right clothes, and history as a mirror can know the rise and fall." From Zheng Banqiao, we can look at ourselves, illuminate the many, many people of our time, our talents, and our virtues, which aspect can be compared with him? Thus forging ahead and moving forward towards the right path in the world.
Confucius said, "A gentleman is a righteous man, and a villain is a profit." Zheng Banqiao is an admirable true gentleman!