The four masters of the early Tang Dynasty ranked Wang Bo, Lu Zhaolin, Yang Jiong, Luo Binwang, Yang Jiong was not convinced?
Author: Deadwood
The Tang Dynasty had a vast territory, a prosperous national strength, an economic prosperity, a prosperous culture, a far-reaching reputation, and the coming of all nations to the dynasty, and in many aspects, it achieved brilliant achievements that attracted the attention of the world. In terms of culture and art, Tang poetry is the greatest literary achievement of the Tang Dynasty, and a large number of poets and masters have emerged, and the volume of their works and the high artistic attainments have made Tang poetry an insurmountable peak of ancient Chinese poetry, which is difficult for future generations to reach.
As far as the early Tang Dynasty is concerned, when represented by the "Four Masters of the Early Tang Dynasty" Wang Bo, Yang Jiong, Lu Zhaolin, and Luo Binwang, we should carry on the upper and lower levels, cut the style of Qi Liang's floating and beautiful literary style, broaden the style of poetry, advocate the expression of true feelings, and pay attention to the rhythm of poetry, thus making the style of the Tang Dynasty change and laying a solid foundation for the creation of Tang poetry.
The four masters of the early Tang Dynasty were brilliant, but they were all humble and famous, and the officials were small and folded. Among them, Wang Boying died early and died of twenty-eight falls into the water; Lu Zhaolin fell ill and died in the water in his prime; King Luo Bin participated in the crusade against Wu Zetian, and was defeated and accused of committing suicide (Youyun threw himself into the water); only Yang Jiong, although he did not encounter a fierce disaster, but also died of middle-aged illness, which could not help but make posterity regret endlessly.
Regarding the ranking of the four masters of the early Tang Dynasty, although there has always been "Wen Wu first, Wu Wu second", but at that time there was a conclusive conclusion, "Old Book of Tang , Liechuan , Volume 140 Wen Yuan": "(Yang) Jiong and Wang Bo, Lu Zhaolin, Luo Bin Wang are equally named in literary terms, and are called Wang, Yang, Lu, and Luo in Hainei, also known as 'Four Jie'. It can be seen that at that time, public opinion believed that the ranking was Wang Bo, Yang Jiong, Lu Zhaolin, and Luo Binwang. In fact, it is also very fair, judging from the poetry and song endowments of the four people that have been handed down to the present, it should indeed be headed by Wang Bo.
However, immediately after the Old Book of Tang, Liechuan, Volume 140, Wenyuan, there is a sentence that reads, "Jiong Wenzhi is said to be: 'I am ashamed of being before Lu, and I am ashamed of being the queen.' The deliberators at the time thought so. This means that when the ranking reached Yang Jiong's ears, Yang Jiong felt that he was a little ashamed to be in front of Lu Zhaolin, but he was ashamed to rank behind Wang Bo. And the people who discussed it also agreed with Yang Jiong's statement, which was different from the previous "hainei" public opinion.
So, why would Yang Jiong say such a thing? Is Yang Jiong really feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied? Why? Let's take a brief look. To truly understand the meaning of this statement, we must look for the reasons from the backgrounds and years of life of the four people.
Among the four masters of the early Tang Dynasty, the most conclusive birth and death year was Wang Bo. The Old Book of Tang records that Wang Bo went to Jiaotong (present-day northern Vietnam) to visit his father "across the South China Sea and fell into the water at the age of twenty-eight." The New Book of Tang: "Bo xiang province, crossing the sea and drowning, smacking and dying, twenty-nine years old." "There is a discrepancy between the two. However, in Yang Jiong's preface to Wang Bo's poetry collection, "The Preface to Wang Bo's Collection", it is accurately recorded: "Fate is not with me, there is a first thanks." Spring and Autumn Twenty-eight, Emperor Tang Dynasty Three Years Autumn August. "The third year of the Reign of Emperor Tang is 676 AD, and the ancients discussed the false age, so it can be deduced that Wang Bo was born in the twenty-third year (649) of Emperor Taizong of Tang's Zhenguan.
The birth and death years of the other three have always been a controversial case in the academic community, of which the most controversial is Luo Bin wang, not only the birth year is disputed, but even the death has many legends. Since this is not the focus of this article, we will briefly discuss it.
There are also six or seven versions of Lu Zhaolin's birth and death years, and there is also a debate about how much suicide there is, as recorded in the Old Book of Tang: "Zhaolin was depressed and ruined, and he could not bear his suffering, and he tasted parting with his relatives, so he threw himself into the water and died at the age of forty." Later generations of scholars approved of suicide, but were skeptical of the age of forty, based on Lu Zhaolin's essay "Asking The Elderly Question to Shu Father": "If the remainder is fifteen and determined to learn, forty is unheard." Thus suicide should also be in his forties or fifties. Because this is not the focus of this article, we will also abridge the process of examination and take the opinion of the "Tang Caizi Chuan School Notes", Lu Zhaolin was born in the eighth year of Tang Taizong Zhenguan (634) and died around the second year of Tang Taizong (686).
Yang Jiong's birth and death years are not seen in the main history, and there are fewer references. Xin Wenfang's "Biography of Tang Caizi": "In the sixth year of Xianqing (661), he raised a prodigy and conferred the title of school scribe. In the second year of Yonglong (681), crown prince Shedian, cousin Haojun, chong Chongwenguan bachelor. Later, it was the Yingchuan Order of Wuzhou. soldier. ", tongzi family originated from the Han Dynasty, generally between the ages of 12 and 16, The Botong classics can be selected, and the filial piety tester worships as Lang. In the Tang Dynasty, it was stipulated that "the actual year was eleven or twelve", so it can be basically concluded that Yang Jiong was born around the first year of Yonghui (650), the same age as Wang Bo. Around the second year of Ruyi (693), he died in office.
Luo BinWang's birth and death years are based on many articles, some are purely chiseled appendages, some are legendary deductions, the author believes that in fact, according to Luo Bin Wang's "Yong Huai Gu Yi Shang Pei Shilang" poem can be judged to be about the age, the poem begins with "Thirty-two more, sideburns are Pan Anren." Forty-nine is still in, the year is not Zhu Maichen. To the effect that "he was deposed at the age of 32 and his hair was still black; at the age of 49, he was appointed again, but he was not reused like Zhu Maichen in the Han Dynasty." "This can definitely be written by Luo Binwang to Pei Xingjian Pei Shilang when he was 49 years old, and Mr. Wen Yiduo and others think that it is written at the age of 32 seems to make no sense. Then as long as you determine when Pei Xingjian is a waiter, you can roughly determine the number of years.
Pei Xingjian (619–682), courtesy name Shouyue, was a native of Wenxi County, Dai prefecture. The Old Book of Tang Records, Volume 34, Pei Xingjian's Biography records that "at the beginning of Xianheng (670-674), the official name was restored to the old one and changed to the official Shilang. "In the second year of the First Yuan Dynasty (674), The Doctor of The Golden Guanglu of Jiayin Qingguanglu." "Three years later, Tubo betrayed, and Zhao Xingjian was made the commander-in-chief of the second army on the left side of Taozhou Province, and the commander-in-chief of the right army in Taizhou Town. In the second year of Yi Feng's reign (676), Tubo invaded, and Pei Xingjian was credited with "Paying homage to Shangshu of the Ministry of Worship, and also inspecting the Right Guard General." ”
It can be seen that Pei Xingjian's official positions in the past ten years from 670 to 679 (the third year of the first yuan) were all official shilangs, and the content of "Yong Huai Gu Yi Pei Shilang" expressed the ambition of building meritorious service, so the poem should be written before Pei Xingjian worshiped Shangshu and led troops on a western expedition, so it was roughly around 676. Then, subtracting the 49 years of age, it is calculated that Luo Binwang should have been born in the second year of Zhenguan (628).
As for the year of his death, King Luo Bin was involved in Xu Jingye's anti-Zhou, Old Book of Tang: "Dedication is defeated, and he is cursed." In the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Que wrote "Chao Ye You Zai": "Queen Bin and Jingye Xingbing Yangzhou, defeated, threw themselves into the river and died." And meng qi in the Tang Dynasty wrote the "Benshi Poem", saying, "Therefore, I was dedicated to being a Hengshan monk, and I was a pawn in my nineties." ”。 From the perspective of Wu Zetian's ruling power at that time, even his own relatives and the imperial family were slaughtered, not to mention a Luo Bin King, moreover, he was also the author of "Seeking Wu Shuo for Xu Jingye", how could he let him live? Therefore, Luo BinWang's ordination as a monk is naturally a fabrication, and the previous two records should prevail, or throw himself into the water to commit suicide, or be killed, the time is the first year of the Tianshun Holy Empress Guangzhai (684), then Luo Bin Wang is alive for fifty-seven years.
Clarifying the dates of birth and death of the four people, we can see that Luo Bin wang is the largest, born in 628; followed by Lu Zhaolin, born in 634; and then Yang Jiong and Wang Bo are about the same age, born around 649. Therefore, Mr. Wen Yiduo's examination part is true, that is, Lu Luo belongs to his peers, Wang Yang belongs to his peers, and the former is the predecessor of the latter. Lu Luo's contemporaries have Luo Binwang's poem "Yan Qing Dai Guo's Reply to Lu Zhaolin" as evidence, in which Luo Bin Wang's good friend Guo Shi reprimanded Lu Zhaolin for his three twilights and four years, empathy and other love, it can be seen that they are all peers, in order to write this letter.
There are many similar evidences, such as the Old Book of Tang, The 141st Biography of Fang Ji and Sun Simiao: "At that time, the well-known scholars Song Lingwen, Meng Xue, Lu Zhaolin, etc., carried out the courtesy of teachers. Among them, Song Lingwen was Song Zhiqing's father, and Lu Zhaolin's contemporaries, while Yang Jiong and Song Zhiwen served at the same time as Yang Jiong, "Old Book of Tang, Liechuan, Volume 140, Wenyuan Shang, Song Zhiqing Biography": "The Initial Expedition order and Yang Jiong were divided into direct internal religions, and The Russian State of Luozhou joined the army. It can be seen that Lu Luo and Wang Yang belong to two generations.
Then, we can basically conclude that Yang Jiong "I am ashamed to be in front of Lu and ashamed to be the queen." "The truth is gone. That is, if according to the order, the teeth should be Luo Binwang, Lu Zhaolin, Yang Jiong, Wang Bo, but at that time, the comment ranking was Wang Bo, Yang Jiong, Lu Zhaolin, and Luo Binwang. Yang Jiong thought that he was young and ranked ahead of Lu Zhaolin, and indeed had the meaning of being ashamed; why was he "worthy" of ranking before Luo Binwang? Because Lu Zhaolin was younger than Luo Binwang, he said that he was ashamed in front of Lu, and naturally he was with Luo. Of course, this is not about literary style, but age, just as in the Old Book of Tang, The Prime Minister Zhang said, "'Shame in front of Lu', humble also." ”
So what is the "queen of shame"? Because he is the same age as Wang Bo and ranks behind Wang Bo, people have the heart to be strong and good, and naturally have a reluctant heart, so saying "shame in the queen", is also a little shameful meaning, not shame. Zhang said that he also commented that "Yang Yingchuan's literary thinking is like a hanging river injecting water, and it is inexhaustible, which is better than Lu and does not reduce the king." 'Shame on the Queen', believe it. ”
So, from the current point of view, which of these four poets is more talented? Judging from the works that are now circulating, it is now recognized that Wang Bo is the highest. Because although Wang Bo only lived for 28 years, he was highly talented and erudite, and his works were abundant, and he was good at the five laws and five masters and poetry.
For example, Wang Bo's "Send Du Shaofu to Ren Shuzhou" "Confidant in the sea, if the end of the world is adjacent" Meteorological majesty, the realm is magnificent; "The King Chicken of Tan Ying" is a classic of Piao Wen, with beautiful words and erudition; the famous passage "Tengwang Ge Preface" "Falling Xia and Lone Bird Fly Together, Autumn Water Is Long and Colorful" is a famous sentence throughout the ages; "The inscription of confucius temple in Jiulong County" is "magnificent and extraordinary, rare generations are treasures" (Yang Jiong's comment). And the quick thinking, "The Biography of Tang Caizi" "Bo gladly manipulated the guests, instantly, the text did not add points, full of surprise." ", so it was listed as the first of the four masters, worthy of the name, recognized by the time and future generations.
Yang Jiong is famous for his poems on the conquest of Biansai, and his works such as "From the Army", "Out of the Sai", "Battle City South", "Purple Horse", etc., are imposing and flamboyant; "Obon Fu" is praised by the Old Book of Tang as "very elegant words". Lu Zhaolin's masterpiece "Chang'an Guyi", in which "he who has to become a mandarin duck is willing to be a mandarin duck and not envy the immortal." "For the ancient sentences; "Sick Pear Tree Endowment" is deep and gloomy, quite philosophical; "Five Sorrows" is sprinkled with foreign flowers, Wang Yang is wanton, and the majestic is outstanding, worthy of the famous article. Luo Binwang's "Wing Goose" is well known to women and children, "In Prison Wing Cicada" has high ambitions, "Emperor Jing" has a jagged transformation of five or seven words, and the rhetoric is beautiful, and "For Xu Jingye's Discussion of Wu Shuo": "The soil of one piece has not dried, and the lonely He Tuo of six feet" has been widely circulated for thousands of years.
For example, Yang Jiong, although there is a saying that he is "ashamed to be a queen", he himself feels sorry for Wang Bo and has great admiration. After Wang Bo fell into the water and died, when his relatives were sorting out the poetry collection, Yang Jiong specially made a long preface to the "Wang Bo Collection Sequence". In the preface, Wang Bo was highly praised, such as praising Wang Bo's grandfather Wen Zhongzi Wang Tong as "Renzong", calling Wang Bo "Zhuang Sizhi Xiongzong", listing Wang Bo's contributions to poetry and song and guiding the social literary style, such as "the long wind is vibrating, the crowd is self-conscious", "accumulating years and shattering, a dynasty is clear", "anti-Zhu Hongbo, the power of the king", as if Wang Bo was regarded as the leader of the literary circle at that time. He regretted that he did not have much contact before his death, and finally said: "The "Three Capitals" are flourishing, and hate is not ordered before he died; the good book of the Seven Zhi is written behind him. God is not far away, the Word or the Existence. ”
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It can be seen from the "Preface to The Collection of Wang Bo" that Yang Jiong admires Wang Bo's talent very much, if not, even if he is hindered by love and writes a poem preface, he will not sprinkle thousands of words of large-scale writing, and it can be seen from the text that Yang Jiong's full text is sincere and sincere, and his admiration is overflowing with words. Therefore, the so-called "shame on the queen" is only for a while, but also unwilling.
In fact, whose talent is higher, not a personal evaluation, but the evaluation of the general public, is the evaluation of history, in the long river of time, some of the so-called celebrities and talents at that time were always beaten by the wind and rain, and some of the unlearned may be the real wind, just as the poet Du Fu commented on the "Four Masters of the Early Tang Dynasty", after eons of time, only to see the true chapter:
"Drama for Six Sentences" is the second
[Tang] Du Fu
Wang Yang Lu Luo was in the body,
Thin and light is not endless.
Ercao's body and name are gone,
Do not waste the ancient flow of rivers.
2020/8/22 Elm Jai
bibliography:
"Wang Bo Collection Preface" Yang Jiong
Old Book of Tang, 140 .
The Old Book of Tang, Vol. 34, Biography of Pei Xingjian
Old Tang Shu Vol. 191 Liechuan 141 Fang Trick
New Tang Dynasty Book 214 Liechuan No. 126 Literature and Art
New Tang Dynasty Book Of Books, Volume IV, Empress Zetian and Emperor Zhongzong
"Tang Caizi Biography School Notes"
"Biography of Tang Caizi" Volume I
"Four Masters" smells a lot