biography
Early experience
The Yuan Zhen family has been an official for generations. His grandfather Mao Yuan was Nanton Cheng, and his father Yuan Kuan was also a doctor of the Ministry of War. Yuan Zhen is handsome and lovely. His parents love him very much. From the age of three or four, his father taught him to read, write and recite ancient poems. However, the good times did not last long. When Yuan Zhen was eight years old, his father died unfortunately. Brothers born to former mothers are unwilling to support their stepmother and siblings. The young mother Zheng had to leave Luoyang with her children to visit her parents in Fengxiang, and life was very difficult. The strong and virtuous mother didn't let the burden of life crush her. On the one hand, she takes care of the children's lives, on the other hand, she strengthens education.
Fengxiang was an important town in the northwest of Tang Dynasty. Security was tight and society was relatively stable for some time. Yuan Zhen spent his childhood here. His mother, Zheng Xian, is knowledgeable and good at housekeeping. Bai Juyi once praised him: "Today, women are so beautiful, women's virtue is also, and the mother is also. All three are beautiful, which is the best in ancient and modern times. " Yuan Zhen himself said in Xie Shangbiao, "I lost my father at the age of eight, and my family was poor and unemployed." My mother and brother live on money, and I don't dress well and eat enough. When I was young, I had no teacher training. Because I think my neighbor is naive, I am angry that my father and brother run a school, and I want to know about poetry books. The loving mother mourned the minister and was a professor. " It can be seen that Yuan's mother not only keeps her home in good order, but also personally teaches Yuan Zhen's poetry books and shoulders the heavy responsibility of educating her children. Yuan Zhen was diligent and studious since childhood. He is not only taught directly by his mother, but also often borrows books from his neighbor's house, and then walks to his brother-in-law Lu Han's house for advice. Cousin Hu Lingzhi also taught him poetry, rhythm and archery. At the age of nine, Yuan Zhen's poems were mature and amazed his elders. Growing up among the people, he has learned something about the frontier clouds and the depression in the countryside.
Began to enter the official sea area
In the ninth year of Zhenyuan in Tang Dezong (793), Yuan Zhen, aged 15, was awarded by the Second Classics of Ming Dynasty. There were many imperial examinations in the Tang Dynasty, and the subjects that took the most examinations were Jinshi and Mingjing. But compared with the two subjects, it is also difficult, and Jinshi is more difficult. "About 1000 people got the first one." The Ming Classics Department "doubles, the first place for a thing or two", so there is a saying that "Ming Classics at the age of 30, Jinshi at the age of 50", and Jinshi in the Tang Dynasty also paid more attention to the Jinshi Department. In order to get rid of poverty and gain fame as soon as possible, Yuan Zhen chose Mingjing, a relatively easy subject, and won the first battle. However, Yuan Zhen first lived in Chang 'an and had no official. But he didn't stop studying hard. The family library provided him with extensive reading conditions, and the cultural environment in Beijing and his extensive interests cultivated his cultural literacy. In the second year, I carefully read hundreds of Chen Ziang's "experience" poems and Du Fu's poems, and began to write many poems.
In the fifteenth year of Zhenyuan (799), 21-year-old Yuan Zhen lived in Zhou Pu, where he became an official for the first time. At this time, when the garrison was in chaos, Zhou Pu was on pins and needles. Yuan Zhen protected his distant relatives in distress with the help of his friends. Random, falling in love with your own girl. Soon, Yuan Zhen took the lead in becoming famous and returned to West Chang 'an to take the exam.
Choose a marriage hall
In the winter of the eighteenth year of Zhenyuan (802), Yuan Zhen took part in the imperial examination again. In the spring of the following year, Zhongshu was awarded the fourth place in excellent subjects, and was awarded secretary and provincial school book lang. In the 19th year of Zhenyuan (803), 24-year-old Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi, who were eight years older than him, entered the secretariat province and served as school bookkeepers.
Since then, the two have become lifelong friends. Yuan Zhen was born in a small and medium-sized landlord family with a low family background. After becoming an official, I have the capital to get married in high school. Now he is a school bookkeeper. At this time, Yuan Zhen was in his prime and brilliant, so he naturally put lifelong events on the agenda. According to Han Yu's Epitaph of Yuan Fei, the wife of Wei, it is recorded: "Choose a husband to get a Yuan Fei from Henan. Qi's family began to choose the school secretary in the province, and Yuan Zhen married Wei Cong, the daughter of Wei, shortly after he awarded the school secretary. In October, father-in-law Wei approved to stay in Luoyang. Because Wei Cong is "Xie's youngest and favorite daughter", he can't give up, so Yuan Zhen and Wei Cong went to Luoyang with Wei. Yuanshi County has no house in Luoyang, and Yuan Zhen and his wife live in Zhaiweixin Lane in Du Dong.
Banish Jiangling
In April of the first year of Yuanhe (806), Tang Xianzong, Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi were all famous for their talents and knowledge, and so was Bai Yuan, who ranked 18th and Yuan Zhen was the first, and was awarded the left addendum.
As soon as Yuan Zhen arrived, he made a series of statements, first "teaching" (paying attention to choosing a protector for the prince), then "remonstrating" and "moving the temple", until he reached such an important issue as northwest frontier affairs, and at the same time clearly supported Pei Du's attack on the right, which attracted the attention of Xian Zong and was quickly summoned. Yuan Zhen's efforts should have been encouraged, but because of his sharp edge, he offended the powerful and caused dissatisfaction among the ministers. In September, he was demoted to Henan County Commandant. Bai Juyi was demoted as a school book boy and made a county commandant. At this time, his mother died, and Yuan Zhen was extremely sad. He stayed at home for three years. Since then, Yuan Zhen, 3 1 year-old, has been promoted to the imperial history.
In the spring of Yuan He's fourth year (809), he was ordered to go to Jianchuan, Jiannan. When he first entered the officialdom, he was in high spirits and devoted himself to serving the people and the country, so he boldly played an illegal official and rehabilitated many unjust cases, which was widely welcomed and highly praised by the people. Bai Juyi even wrote a poem for him, "His heart is like a lung stone, and his deeds will reach the poor, and eighty households in Dongchuan will express their grievances." This move violated the interests of the old bureaucratic class and the buffer region group in the DPRK, and soon they found an opportunity to send Yuan Zhen abroad-to work for Dongtai.
Dongtai is the censorate of Luoyang, the eastern capital, with the intention of crowding him out. Even under such pressure, Yuan Zhen still adhered to the principle of being an official at the beginning and enforced the law impartially. In the fourth year of Yuanhe (809), when his career was frustrated, his wife Wei Cong, who was a clever woman, died in her prime. Wei Cong's death hit Yuan Zhen hard, and he often couldn't sleep at night. Because it is difficult to get rid of the pain, Yuan Zhen wrote a famous mourning poem-"Three Sorrow".
In the fifth year of Yuanhe (8 10), Yuan Zhen was recalled and fined for playing Yin Fangti in Henan (the son of Fang, the founding minister). After passing through Huazhou Fushui Post Station, he stayed in the post office, which coincides with eunuchs Shiliang Zhou and Liu Shiyuan who also want to stay in the post office. Yuan Zhen argued, but was scolded by Chou Shiliang. Liu Shiyuan even came forward to beat Yuan Zhen with a whip, beating him bloody, and was finally kicked out of class. Later, on the grounds of "Yuan Zhen's demotion to tree power and loss of constitutional body", he was demoted to join the army and became Cao, a teacher of Jiangling. Since then, he has lived in exile for more than ten years.
Two-sided Tongzhou
Yuan Zhen exiled Man Jing for nearly ten years because of his outstanding talent and generous personality. Then Bai Juyi was demoted to Jiangzhou Sima and Yuan Zhen moved to Tongzhou Sima. Although Tongzhou and Jiangzhou are far apart, they can answer each other, with poems ranging from 30 to 50 to 100 rhyme. In Jiangnan, the way of satirical recitation by the post office has been spread to the palace, and people in the alley recite to each other, resulting in expensive paper in the market. From this poem, we can know that his exile is sad.
In the first month of the 10th year of Yuanhe (8 15), 37-year-old Yuan Zhen was sent back to North Korea by a letter, believing that there was hope to be used. Passing by Lanqiao Post, I wrote poems for my friends Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan with similar fates. When I arrived in Beijing, I sang with Bai Juyi's poems and wine, and I was in high spirits. Yuan Zhen collected the works of his poetry friends, and planned to compile "Poems of Bai Yuan Returning to China". However, the manuscript was not completed, but he was suddenly exiled to Yuanzhou with Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan. In March of the 10th year of Yuanhe (8 15), Yuan Zhen rode to Tongzhou and became the Sima of Tongzhou. Living in Tongzhou, where "it is rare for birds to fly in the daytime, but tigers to roar at night" ("Poetry Appreciates Your Pleasure, Knowing Tongzhou, Because of Four Poems"), he "died of an old disease" and suffered from malaria, which almost killed him. Go to Xingyuanju, Shannan West Road for medical treatment. In poverty and hardship, poets can only express their feelings with poetry and comfort each other with friendship. In Tongzhou, he finished his most influential Yuefu poem "Lianchanggong Ci" and more than 65,438+080 songs with Bai Juyi.
Downgraded to the same state three times.
With the amnesty after Pinghuai and the Western Regions, Yuan Zhen's old friends Cui Qun, Li and Pei Du became friends one after another, gradually changing his long-term political repression. In the 13th year of Yuanhe (8 18), Yuan Zhen has been acting as the agent of Tongzhou secretariat, and was transferred to Guo secretariat at the end of the year. In the winter of the 14th year of Yuanhe (8 19), Tang Xianzong called Yuan Zhen back to Beijing and appointed Yuan Wailang as the grain secretary. Prime Minister Ling Huchu deeply admired his poems, "thinking that this generation is Bao,"
. In the fifteenth year of Yuanhe (820), after Tang Muzong ascended the throne, Yuan Zhen, on the recommendation of Prime Minister Duan Wenchang, awarded a doctor and an imperial edict to the ancestral temple. When Tang Muzong was a prince, he liked Yuan Zhen's poems. At this time, he was particularly valued, and he was often summoned to talk about military affairs and northwest affairs, so that he could have a plan. A few months later, he was promoted to the position of Chinese Book Sheren, a bachelor of Hanlin, and Li Deyu and Shen Li, who were already in imperial academy at that time, were both famous for their knowledge and talents, and were called "Three Handsome" (Biography of Shen Li in Old Tang Dynasty). At the same time of his rapid promotion, Yuan Zhen fell into a sharp and complicated vortex of political struggle, and a bitter feud with Li Zongmin broke out, sowing the seeds of party struggle. Soon, due to misunderstanding and other reasons, Pei Du impeached Yuan Zhen to establish diplomatic relations with Wei Hong, and Yuan Zhen was dismissed as assistant minister of the Ministry of Industry. In the spring of the following year, Yuan Zhen and Pei Du successively became phase. In the struggle between Tang Dynasty and local warlords, Yuan Zhen actively quelled the riots and planned to use double spies to suppress the rebellion. Li, who coveted the position of prime minister, colluded with eunuchs and sent people to plot to falsely accuse Yuan Zhen of stabbing Pei Du to death. Although the truth came out later, Yuan and Pei were dismissed at the same time. Yuan Zhen is the secretariat of the same state.
In the third year of Changqing (823), he was transferred to the secretariat of East Zhejiang and Yuezhou. In the year of Bao Li Yuan in Tang Jingzong (825), Yuan Zhen ordered seven states to build ponds to build water conservancy and develop agriculture. During his six years in eastern Zhejiang, Yuan Zhen achieved remarkable results and won the hearts of the people.
Four demotes to Wuchang
In September of the third year of Daiwa in Tang Wenzong (829), Yuan Zhen entered the DPRK and became Zuo Cheng of Shangshu Province. Being in an important position, he has the conditions to promote the advantages and eliminate the disadvantages. He regained the spirit of admonishing officials, determined to rectify official management and eliminate bureaucracy, and demoted seven lang officials accused by public opinion from Beijing. However, due to Yuan Zhen's improper conduct, people were dissatisfied. Prime Minister Wang Bo died suddenly, Li Zongmin returned to power, and Yuan Zhen was excluded. In the first month of the fourth year of Daiwa (830), Yuan Zhen was forced to be the minister of the school's household department, and also served as the secretariat of Ezhou, the ancient imperial adviser and the Wuchang army. In the fifth year of Daiwa (83 1), he suddenly fell ill on July 22nd and died in the town hall one day later at the age of 53. After his death, he was posthumously awarded the right servant of Shangshu, and Bai Juyi wrote an epitaph for him.
Personality achievement
officialdom
headmaster
In the 19th year of Zhenyuan, both Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi won the Book Excellence Award, and they were merged into the Secretary Province as school librarians.
Left pickup
In April of the first year of Yuanhe in Tang Xianzong (806), both Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi were well-educated and well-known in the physical training department. Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi are the same, and Yuan Zhen was named as the left addendum. In September, he was demoted to Henan county commandant because of his sharp edge and straightforward writing style.
Supervision examiner
In the fourth year of Yuanhe (809), Yuan Zhen, who was 3 1 year old, was promoted to the imperial history. The following spring, he was ordered to go to Jianchuan, Jiannan.
literature
The representative works are Chrysanthemum, Five Poems of Leaving Thoughts (No.4), Three Poems of Sorrow, Rabbit Silk, A Letter from He Pei School, A Crane Flying, Night Pond, Feeling for the Past (East Zhejiang), Late Spring, Jing 'an Poor House and Sending to Use. Among them, Chrysanthemum, Five Thoughts Poems (Part II) and Three Sorrow Poems (Part II) are widely circulated. This poem has been written for a long time, and I don't think about its content. Since then, I have never had any thoughts about other women, because I once met my lover ("too lazy to look back"). Bi Xing's poem "Once the sea was difficult for water, it was always amber" is very popular because of its fantastic language and hazy artistic conception. However, "Three Mourning Poems" expresses endless thoughts about his dead wife, so sad that people can't help but sympathize with tears. Among them, the ending sentence of the second poem "but not as those who have been poor together know" is familiar to the world. Wei's Collection has the same name as Juyi's Changqing. This collection of poems consists of 28 volumes (396-423 volumes of all Tang poems).
Celebrity evaluation
Li Zhao once said in the Supplement to Tang Shi: "After Yuanhe, the study of poems and chapters was simple, and the study of Yuan Zhen was lewd."
Li Kan said: "Since Yuanhe, there have been poets in Bai Yuan. They are gorgeous but not gorgeous, but they are not noble and elegant, and most of them have been ruined by them. Wandering among the people, neglecting the screen wall, parents of children, professors, foul language, Leng Xia fever in winter, people's bones and muscles, can not be removed. "
Du Mu's Epitaph of the Inspector of Lu Junjie in Tang Dynasty: At that time, Chang 'an teenagers imitated each other and tried to make new words, calling themselves Yuanhe style poems.
Bai Juyi's "Reward Micro": "Bel Canto knocks on the cold jade, and every sentence is decorated with colorful silk." The poem "Re-sending Micro-Poems" says: Poetry is changeable and new in style, and it is self-evident: people call it the law of thousands of words, or several yuan. "Unfinished thoughts are added to the six rhymes": "From Changqing to ancient times".
Cang Hua: "Harmony is the most harmful poem, and the ancients sang different rhymes. This wind first flourished in Pilu, Bai Yuan, and it was contested by sages, so it was called round trip. "
"Tangyin Shenti" Volume 15: "If you want it, Bai Yuan will be the swan song and Yuefu will be the first; Long rhyme poems are second; Seven words and four rhymes are second. "
"The Yi Zhuan of Baiju in the Old Tang Dynasty" said: "Yuan's strategy, white discussion, the pot of articles, the root of chaos."
Wang Ruoxu's Su Shinan Dialect: "Love leads to the end of the song and enters the liver and spleen."
Chen Yinque's Notes on Bai Yuan's Poems: "Expressing the sadness and joy of men and women's life and death with unparalleled talent, its sadness and lingering are not only rare in Tang poetry, but also have great influence on later literati."
Chen Yin branded it in the fourth chapter of Shi Hua Yan Shi Mourning Poems, and pointed out more clearly with Reading Biography of Yingying that it is a self-reported work of Wei, and its so-called pen name is undoubtedly true.
Lu Xun said in The Legend of the Tang Dynasty, the ninth chapter of A Brief History of Chinese Novels: "Yingying's story was told by Cui Hezhang, and Yuan Zhen was told by Zhang Huo, telling his personal experience."