In front of the former county yatang in Peng'an County
Holding the pillar plaque to the couplet and the forehead plaque
Shen Zhongzi
Most of the elders in the original Peng'an County (now Jinping Town) and Zhoukou are familiar with such a sentence: the plaque of Peng'an Lobby Dam (Er) - Heavenly Principles, National Law, and Human Feelings.
The People's Government of Jinping Town, Peng'an County (Source: "A Brief Chronicle of Towns and Towns in Peng'an County", published by Guangling Publishing House in September 2020)
In the old days, the general plaque was mostly four characters. In the Qing Dynasty, the plaques in the lobby of the county government are mostly "prudent and honest", or "the mirror is hanging" and other categories, but the plaque in the lobby of the Peng'an County government is six characters, which is different and strange. As for its origin, there is an anecdote and legend, which will be described in detail later.
Peng'an County is like the old city, and the county government "Lian Shengwei" plaque (photo courtesy of Fei Shangquan)
At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, the plaque in the hall of Peng'an County was hung high above the lobby, and people's impression of it was relatively indifferent, but the plaque hanging in front of the lobby was deeply impressed by the couplet, but with the passage of time, most of the couplets contained in the plaque were forgotten, and they could not be remembered.
In the collection and interview of county chronicle materials, the author has consulted some informed elders, and I have learned something, so I would like to excerpt and explain it slightly, so as to be a person of insight.
Holding the pillar plaque to the couplet, the wooden three inlays, the arc shape (when hanging to coincide with the column), the arc width is about two feet, the thickness is more than one inch, the couplet word diameter is about five inches (the tea bowl is large), the red lacquer is gilded, hanging on both sides of the eaves pillar of the lobby, quite imposing.
Peng'an County is like the old city, and the county government couplet (photo courtesy of Fei Shangquan)
The couplets are:
Brother Yizhou is the most pure, and I hope that the hungry will be fed, the thirsty will be drunk, and the cold will be clothed.
Virtuous fathers and brothers are benevolent and virtuous, helping me to upbring, and preaching the spring breeze in the hall.
Following the three monarchs, they came in the same province as Honghou, the same mansion as Hanhou, and the same county as Yaohou.
Mr. Xiang left his love in Si, and he supported him with his intentions, and did not cut the good tree in front of the court.
Fang Xu, the author of the couplet, the word Hezhai, a native of Tongcheng, Anhui Province, was born in Bagong, works poetry, calligraphy and painting, is one of the famous masters of the "Tongcheng School" in the late Qing Dynasty literary circle, and served as the governor of Pengzhou from 20 to 23 years (1894-1897) in the Qing Dynasty. Later, he was transferred to Liangshan, returned to Pengzhou (a total of five years before and after Pengzhou), moved to Qiongzhou Zhili Prefecture, and then went to Japan to investigate (Xuezheng), and after returning to China, he relocated to the East Sichuan Province, and took Zhaoxingzhou County School as it was called. Sichuan Governor Xiliang Baozuo, promoted to Sichuan to promote the envoy of learning, the end of the Qing Dynasty, in Sichuan Province, the government (hall), the state, the county school and Xingxing, the author of meritorious achievements, has the reputation of "Qingtian prefect". After the Xinhai Revolution, Fang Xu lived in Chengdu, and Xu Jiong (Zixiu), Zhao Xi (Yaosheng), Luo Chengxiang (Gongzhen), Liu Xianrong (pre-wave), Lin Shanyu, etc., often sang poems and essays, talked about current affairs, and was respected, and was also a famous "five old and seven sages" in Chengdu in the early days of the Republic of China, one of the old men of the Qing Dynasty, died at the age of 90.
Peng'an County is like the old city, and the county government couplet (photo courtesy of Fei Shangquan)
This couplet was written by Fang Xu when he was the governor of Pengzhou, and it was engraved.
"Brother" is the author Fang Xu's self-humble name, "Brother Yizhou is the most pure", that is, "Brother I am acting to govern this Pengzhou is known as the folk customs are very pure and good", but because the ancient text "brother" and "first" are common, so "Brother Yizhou" also has the meaning of "the first state", and "Brother Yizhou is the most pure" also contains the meaning of "the first state of pure and good customs", which is the origin of the phrase "Peng'an is the first state of pure goodness in the world" that the elders often talk about in the Republic of China period.
The first sentence of the couplet is not only the author Fang Xu's overflowing beauty of Peng'an's honest and simple folk customs, but also the expression of his self-satisfied psychology, and "May the hungry get food, may the thirsty get drink, and may the cold get clothes" is the confession of Fang Xu's ambition when he was in Pengzhou. "Virtuous fathers and brothers" has two meanings: one is to refer to the vast number of fathers and brothers in Pengzhou, and the other is to place high hopes on the more enlightened gentry in Pengzhou at that time. "Chengren is virtuous" is Fang Xu's words of encouragement to the "virtuous fathers and brothers". The two sentences of "help me to educate and promote the spring breeze in the hall" are not only the main intention of Fang Xu's couplet, but also the confession and hope of his ambition to govern Peng. In the feudal era, the more honest and honest officials all regarded "educating the people" (even if the people under the rule were well-fed, knew the etiquette, and did not interfere with the law) as their "great responsibility" for either party, and an important aspect of the so-called "upbringing" was the trial of the local officials' yatang. It can be seen that "helping me to educate and promote the spring breeze in the hall" is Fang Xu's self-encouragement and self-encouragement, and at the same time, it is also an appeal to those "virtuous fathers and brothers" (mainly those important enlightened gentry) to consciously and actively assist themselves in implementing the policy of "benevolence" and "virtue". This is the manifestation of the author Fang Xu's narrow democratic reform ideas at that time. From today's point of view, this is precious, but in the chaotic historical environment of the Qing Dynasty at that time, it is indeed commendable and should be affirmed.
Reprecipitation
"Following the three monarchs", "the three monarchs" are the three marquis of Hong, Han and Yao involved under it.
"With Honghou in the same province", Honghou, that is, Hong Yunkai, the word Zhitang, a native of Hefei, Anhui Province, Qing Daoguang three years (1823), to Jin Shidi, according to Pengzhou Zhizhou, and then twenty-four years (Qing Daoguang three years to Daoguang twenty-six years, that is, 1823-1846), had six times to Pengzhou, and then died of illness in Pengzhou. It is a talent sensitive to the work of the arts, the courage to govern, during the period of the pen, heavy agriculture mulberry, open up the countryside, create and repair 447 Tangyan, divide the construction of the workhouse, adopt the orphaned elderly, rebuild the school palace, set up 12 township schools, and set up a school field for its needs, camp examination shed, number house, presided over the compilation and repair of the "Pengzhou Zhiluo" (for the first county chronicle of Pengzhou in the Qing Dynasty), built a group to set up a fort to Jingxiang Lu, chiseled the cow hair whirlpool, Bazi brain and other dangerous beaches, dredged the Jialing River channel, the political achievements are quite rich, the posthumous work has "Ash Robbery Collection".
Hong Yunkai is called "the same province" because he and Fang Xu, the author of the couplet, are both from Anhui Province.
"The same county as Yao Hou", Yao Hou, that is, Yao Ying, the word Shifu, Anhui Tongcheng Jinshi, long in poetry, one of the famous masters of the "Tongcheng School" in the Qing Dynasty, there is "Zhongfutang Collection" in the world. He served as Fujian, Taiwan, and Pengbing, and was also the governor of Xuezheng, and then moved to Pengzhou in the twenty-sixth year of Daoguang (1846). In the second year of his appointment, he tried to eliminate the evil words of yin and yang (said to repair the Yuhuan Academy, which is conducive to learning but hinders the eunuch path of the ruler), founded the Yuhuan Academy, and in order to raise six places to study the field, in order to replenish its funds, in the twenty-eighth year of Daoguang (1828), he returned to Peng with illness and begging, and then went to Guangxi to investigate the envoy. It is the government, diligent in governance, the people cherish its virtue, the officials are afraid of its prestige, the history calls it "the style of the officials", and Hong Yunkai, Fang Xu is the same as the Qing Ji Pengzhou officials.
Yao Ying is called "the same county" because she and Fang Xu, the author of the couplet, are both from Tongcheng County, Anhui Province.
"In the same house as Han Hou", who is Han Hou? To be examined.
"Mr. Township" refers to the three large and small townships (provinces, prefectures, and counties) of Hong, Han, and Yao in the front.
"Mr. Xiang bequeathed his love to Si, and he supported him with intention, and did not cut off the good tree in front of the court", these words have three meanings:
A statement. Because Yao Ying's poem "Flower Things" in the preface of the poem, it is recorded that there is a small garden in the east of the state, with dozens of cinnamon bellflowers, sycamores, crape myrtles, cherries, mulberry elms, peach and willows, and dozens of small ponds, which can be planted with lotus ......" (in fact, the garden in the county ya, is also), and its "Eating Oranges" poem Yiyun: "There are no good trees in the court, five oranges in the eight guis, five oranges, crape myrtle has stopped hibiscus fresh, and the willows and palms are dense...... The predecessors cherished Zhou Yiyuan (that is, it referred to the matter of enclosing it as a garden in the county government)". With this reference to Yao Ying's two poems, Fang Xu's two couplets at the end of the couplet, "Add meaning to support, don't cut off the good tree in front of the court", seem to be born out of this, but they are just deeply meaningful.
Second, it is shallow. "The good tree in front of the court", corresponding to the "spring breeze under the hall" of the Shanglian, is intended to be a praise of the achievements of the "benevolence" of the "benevolence" of the three large and small townsmen of Hong, Han and Yao, and the second is to express their determination to support (that is, inherit and carry forward), and never "cut off".
Three hidden meanings. Because this couplet was not only used by the author Fang Xu to encourage himself at that time (like a motto), but also mainly for the officials who came to Peng later. The implication is: the previous one has been "left behind", and I am now "supported by the will", what about the latecomer? I also hope that (you) can use this to encourage yourself and encourage yourself, and do not "cut off".
To sum up, in an affirmative tone, praise the moral and political achievements of the three townsmen, with self-encouragement, and high hopes to encourage the "good father and brother" and those who come to the Peng later, this is the main intention of Fang Xu to make these two couplets, and it is also the main intention of Fang Xu to make this couplet, which is also the shining point of the author Fang Xu's narrow democratic reform thought revealed in this couplet, which should be affirmed.
The old city of Xiangru located in Jinping Town, Peng'an County (Photo by Pengzhou Xianshi, source: Sichuan Fangzhi Gallery)
Fang Xu Zhipeng has been more than 80 years now. The vicissitudes of the years, the plaque of the past is no longer there, the original couplet in the praise, the self-encouragement, the encouragement, also many are not in line with the present world, but if from a historical point of view, review the old and learn the new, as a historical reference, there is still its merit.
Don't prompt
Please indicate: "Source: Fang Zhi Sichuan"
Source: Sichuan Provincial Office of Local Chronicles
Author: Shen Zhongzi (Director of Sima Xiangru Research Association of Sichuan Province, Editor of Peng'an County Chronicles (1911-1985), Editor-in-Chief of Xiangru Street Chronicles (1949-2022)
Contributed by: Peng'an County Local Chronicles Office
Photo courtesy of Fei Shangquan Pengzhou idler