The videos I watched became popular in ancient times

Chapter 336: The Sage of Poetry Su Shi
When you feel confused, you might as well read Su Dongpo again.

Some people say that if you don’t read Su Dongpo in your life, it would be in vain even if you have read all the poems and books.

When I was young, I always thought that Su Shi and Su Dongpo were not the same person.

But when I grew up, I found that the first half of my life was Su Shi, and the second half was Su Dongpo. We will always meet him at different stages of life.

I remember that when I was in school, I had to recite Su Dongpo's poems.

I always want to curse these long and difficult ancient Chinese poems. I don’t understand the meaning of reciting them at all.

Until I grew up and occasionally felt sentimental.

Thinking of the ten years of life and death, I can’t forget them even without thinking about them. Sitting alone at a grave thousands of miles away, with no one to talk to about the desolation, only then did I understand the bitterness of it.

Whenever I feel frustrated and depressed, I would think of this sentence: "I am just a mayfly in the universe, a grain of sand in the vast ocean. I mourn the brevity of my life and envy the infinity of the Yangtze River."

As the tide of the times rolls forward, perhaps we are all just a grain of sand.

So whenever I think of the poems I once recited, I feel relieved.

As a representative of the highest achievements in Song Dynasty literature, Su Shi achieved great success in poetry, lyrics, prose, calligraphy, painting, etc., and also made contributions in medicine, diet, water conservancy and other aspects.

Su Shi is a representative figure of Song Dynasty poetry and made great contributions to the process of creating a new look for Song poetry.

He carried out a comprehensive reform of the ci form, elevated ci to the same status as poetry, and created the bold and unrestrained ci form.

"Su Dongpo was born in Meishan, Sichuan in 1036 AD."

"Meishan is a place with a very profound cultural heritage. During the Song Dynasty, there were more than 800 people who passed the imperial examinations."

"Su Shi was influenced by the culture of this hometown of Jinshi scholars, and his extraordinary qualities were revealed at a young age."

"Su Shi had a younger brother, Su Zhe, who was only three years younger than him."

"During their childhood, their father Su Xun traveled abroad for many years to study, so the enlightenment education of Su Shi and Su Zhe fell on their mother, Mrs. Chen, who was full of poetry and books."

"In 1042 AD, Su Xun, who had failed the imperial examination three times, returned to his hometown and devoted all his life's learning and energy to his two sons."

"The two brothers were exposed to the classics of the Han Dynasty since they were young. In order to deepen their memory, Su Xun also asked Su Shi to hand-copy the Book of Han and Zhuangzi."

"Zhuangzi's thoughts of tranquility, inaction, not seeking fame and fortune, and being indifferent to life and death benefited Su Shi greatly in his turbulent life."

"In 1056, after more than a decade of hard study, 47-year-old Su Xun, along with 21-year-old Su Shi and 18-year-old Su Zhe, left their hometown in Meishan and went to Beijing to take the imperial examinations."

"That scientific expedition was a gathering of many talented people, a once-in-a-millennium event."

"The first place in the imperial examination list includes Zeng Gong, one of the Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song Dynasties, and Cheng Hao and Zhu Xi, the founders of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism."

"There is also Zhang Zai who wrote the four lines of Hengqu and passed them down to the world. They are 38 characters long."

"Establish a mind for the heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the living people, carry forward the unique teachings of the past saints, and create peace for all generations."

"Nine people from this imperial examination became prime ministers, and 9 were recorded in the history of the Song Dynasty. It can be said that it was a fight between gods."

"At that time, empty and flashy articles were popular in the literary circles of the Northern Song Dynasty. The literary leader Ouyang Xiu was determined to change this trend. Su Shi was lucky to meet this examiner."

"The imperial examination system was already very complete in the Song Dynasty. In order to prevent cheating, a system of using a different name was implemented. There were also people responsible for copying to prevent the examiner from recognizing the examinee's notes."

"Ouyang Xiu was full of praise after reading Su Shi's test paper. He should be ranked first."

"But Ouyang Xiu thought about it, nowadays the world can write such an article."

"Except for my disciple Zeng Gong, I'm afraid no one can write such an article."

"If I put my disciple Zeng Gong first, it would inevitably lead to accusations of favoritism and corruption."

“Therefore, in order to avoid suspicion, the test paper that should have been ranked first was positioned as second.”

"Who would have thought that after the results of the imperial examination were announced, Ouyang Xiu was shocked to find out that the author was actually Su Shi."

"So Ouyang Xiu read all of Su Shi's old works and was even more amazed and impressed."

"With Ouyang Xiu's recommendation, Su Shi's writings amazed the entire Song Dynasty."

"And with the two brothers Su Shi and Su Zhe passing the imperial examination together, the three of them enjoyed great fame for a time."

"After Su Shi showed his talent, he entered the officialdom of the Song Dynasty and served as the magistrate of Fengxiang Prefecture."

"His younger brother Su Che traveled over a hundred miles to accompany him to Zhengzhou, and finally said goodbye to him with reluctance."

"Su Shi's life was full of ups and downs in his career."

“No matter where you are, you always feel at home.”

"Only in front of his younger brother did he reveal his inner fragility and dependence."

"Every time he was separated from Su Che, he would miss him endlessly."

"In Su Shi's poems, the word Ziyou appears most frequently, reaching 229 times, and this is exactly the name of Su Che's pen."

"In 1063 AD, Emperor Renzong of Song died."

"Su Shi ended his three-year term in Fengxiang Prefecture and returned to the capital."

"The newly appointed Emperor Yingzong of Song had already heard of Su Shi's reputation and wanted to promote him to be a member of the Hanlin Academy."

"However, Prime Minister Han Qi opposed this move and advocated selecting people through regular examinations, allowing Su Shi to take charge of the cabinet."

"Su Shi did not complain after learning about this. Instead, he was grateful and thought Han Qi was doing this for his own good."

"So he took the cabinet exam and was selected with a third-class score and appointed as a cabinet minister."

Ouyang Xiu: In terms of poetry, it is indeed indisputable to say that Su Shi is the saint of poetry.

Among Su Xun, Su Zhe and Su Shi, father and son, Su Shi achieved the highest literary achievement.

Su Shi's political views were rather complicated and he belonged to the conservative faction.

When he was young, he had demands for reform, and the court appointed Wang Anshi to carry out reforms.

Su Shi was excluded because he opposed Wang Anshi's reform.

He served as a local official and was demoted to Huangzhou, where he lived in seclusion for many years.

Later, the court re-employed Sima Guang, and after the old party headed by Sima Guang came to power, they re-employed Su Shi.

The old party abolished the new law. Su Shi was dissatisfied with the old party and was excluded again.

When the New Party came to power again, Su Shi was demoted to the remote Hainan region.

It was precisely the tragic life experience of being demoted again and again that allowed Su Shi's poetry creation to reach a height that ordinary people could hardly achieve.

Su Shi's poems express his true feelings and are very appealing, leaving behind many masterpieces that will be remembered forever.

Su Shi's poems are known for their boldness. They are very relaxed and can be said to contain anything.

Su Shi expanded the subject matter of Ci, stood out from the shallow singing and humming in the imperial court, achieved brilliant achievements in the creation of Ci, and had a profound influence on the development of Ci.

In his lyrics, he often combines objects and people through rich associations and personification.

His lyrics have easy-to-understand language, lingering emotions, sad and sorrowful feelings, and are popular among the people.

Sometimes he would use ancient poems to express his feelings, lamenting his depression that he had a strong desire to serve his country but was unable to realize his wish.

It is precisely because Su Shi's poems are of excellent writing style and have a special status in poetry that he is called the Saint of Ci.

"However, just as Su Shi's career was flourishing, his fate began to suffer misfortunes."

"In May of the same year, my wife died of illness at the age of 27, leaving behind a son who was less than 7 years old."

"My wife has been married to Su Shi since she was 16 years old and has become his good wife and supporter."

"She was intelligent and modest, well-mannered, and often accompanied Su Shi when he was studying, offering care and advice."

"Su Shi's dependence on his wife was so deeply rooted in his heart that one night ten years later, he dreamed of his wife."

"Under the dim light, he wrote the sad poem 'Jiang Cheng Zi' to express his longing."

"Ten years of life and death, I can never forget you without even thinking about you. A thousand miles away, lonely grave, with nowhere to talk about my sadness."

“However, misfortune keeps coming like a tide.”

"In April of the following year, my father Su Xun passed away again at the age of 58."

"Although Emperor Yingzong and senior officials such as Han Qi and Ouyang Xiu wanted to bestow generous gifts on Su Shi, Su Shi humbly declined."

"Brothers Su Shi and Su Zhe carried their father's coffin back to their hometown and began to observe mourning according to custom."

"In 1068, the 33-year-old Su Shi ended his mourning period, and by this time he had already experienced the third emperor."

"After the 20-year-old Song Shenzong ascended the throne, Wang Anshi was appointed as the Vice Minister of State Affairs and prepared to implement the reform."

"The main goal of Wang Anshi's reform was to enrich the country and strengthen the military. From the perspective of motivation and purpose, this is understandable."

"In the first month of the new law's implementation, Wang Anshi dismissed 14 censors."

"It quickly eliminated the opposition forces, and kicked off a fierce struggle between the old and new parties."

"However, Su Shi was also about to face a changing political situation."

"This was against the backdrop of Song Shenzong's eagerness for reform and Wang Anshi's arbitrary and dictatorial behavior."

"Su Shi knew that he was like an egg hitting a rock, but he still couldn't help but speak out."

"He wrote the 'Letter to Emperor Shenzong', in which he put forward his own views on economic, military and political reform issues."

"But obviously, Su Shi's exhortation could not change the situation."

"In the third year of Wang Anshi's reform, Ouyang Xiu chose to resign and live in seclusion in Linquan."

"Soon after, Sima Guang also submitted his resignation letter to the court and lived in seclusion in Luoyang."

"In 1071 AD, Su Shi arrived in Hangzhou and served as the Tongpan."

"In the drizzle of Jiangnan, he listened to the people's complaints and cries, and could only express his feelings through words."

"Soon after, officials from the Imperial Censorate impeached Su Shi for his harsh words in the Huzhou Xie Shangbiao, which fooled the court, and accused him of deceiving the emperor by satirizing the government in his poetry collection."

"Then the officials came to arrest Su Shi, tied him up and took him to the capital for trial."

"In 1079 AD, Su Shi was imprisoned in the prison of the Imperial Censorate of the Northern Song Dynasty."

"After being arrested and imprisoned in the Wutai Poetry Case, the Wutai Prison became Su Shi's spiritual purgatory, which greatly changed his state of mind."

"After being detained for 130 days, people from all walks of life came to intercede for him."

"Finally, the court made a judgment and demoted Su Shi to Huangzhou and appointed him as the deputy envoy of the militia."

"Su Shi gradually became calm in the face of adversity, without the anxiety and confusion he had before."

“But in life, difficulties are quietly approaching.”

"As a criminal official, Su Shi received no salary."

"Just as he was about to face the dilemma of having no rice to cook, his number one fan Ma Mengde came all the way here."

"Ma Mengde appealed to the governor of Huangzhou, saying that Su Shi's family was in financial difficulty and asked if he could provide a piece of uncultivated land for Su Shi to cultivate. The governor readily agreed."

"Su Shi named the land Dongpo and called himself Dongpo Jushi."

"So far, the scholar Su Shi has officially transformed into the farmer Su Dongpo."

Wang Anshi: The affection between Su Shi and his wife is vividly expressed in the poem "Jiangchengzi".

When Su Dongpo was nineteen years old, he married Wang, who was sixteen years old.

Wang was young and beautiful, and she was very filial in serving her parents-in-law. The couple loved each other deeply.

Unfortunately, fate is unpredictable and his wife died at the age of 27.

This was a huge blow to Su Shi. The grief in his heart and the mental pain he suffered are self-evident.

After the death of Song Shenzong, Song Zhezong succeeded to the throne and appointed Sima Guang as prime minister.

Su Shi was recalled to the capital and promoted to the position of scholar of Longtu Pavilion, and also served as the tutor of the young emperor.

At this time, Su Shi was highly appreciated by the Empress Dowager and the young emperor, and he was very successful in politics.

Su Dongpo often missed his deceased wife, so he wrote this masterpiece which has been passed down through the ages.

Ten years of life and death are boundless, unthinkable and unforgettable.

A lonely grave thousands of miles away, with no one to talk to about the loneliness.

Even if they meet, they should not know it, dusty face, temples like frost.

At night, You Meng suddenly returned home, Xiaoxuan window, dressing.

There is nothing to say about each other, only a thousand lines of tears.

Expected to be broken every year, bright moon night, short Matsuoka.

Time has passed, and it has been ten years since you and I were separated by life and death.

Although I haven't thought about you day and night in these ten years, I can never forget you.

Thousands of miles away from your grave, I have no place to confide my sadness.

Even if we met face to face now, I'm afraid you wouldn't recognize me.

Because now my face is covered with dust, and the hair on my temples is like frost and snow.

I dreamed of returning to my hometown at night and saw you dressing up by the window.

I looked into your eyes, but couldn't say anything. Tears kept flowing out of my eyes.

I think that you must also be heartbroken every year on that hill illuminated by the bright moon and covered with dwarf pines!

Su Shi was deeply saddened by the loss of his wife, and in his grief for her he also mixed in his feelings about his own life experience.

Therefore, the emotions between husband and wife are expressed in a deep and sincere way, which makes people feel emotional and sigh with sorrow after reading it.

Separated by Yin and Yang, reunion can only happen in dreams.

Only dreams are not restricted by time and space and can transcend all boundaries and limitations.

The simple and sincere affection, the painful separation of life and death, he was moved by Su Shi's deep affection every time he read it.

"In 1081 AD, Su Dongpo began his life as a farmer."

"Sometimes he would go to the fields, waterside, mountains, and markets to chat and laugh with the people." "He made no distinction between the noble and the humble, and interacted with the emperor, the peasants, and the beggars on an equal footing."

"He has a heart full of love and sees all living beings as one."

"The Dongpo land outside the city is government land after all, and it may be taken back soon."

"For the livelihood of his family, Su Dongpo decided to go and buy a piece of land of his own."

"Suddenly, a torrential rain came pouring down."

"People hid in fear, but Su Dongpo did not retreat."

"When the rain stopped and the sky cleared, Su Dongpo, soaking wet, sang "Ding Feng Bo" leisurely."

"Don't listen to the night sounds of the forest swarming, why not just hum and whistle while walking slowly."

"Bamboo sticks and awning shoes are lighter than horses, who is afraid? Ren Pingsheng in a misty rain."

"I expected the spring breeze to sober me up, and I felt a little cold, but the slanting sunlight on the mountaintops greeted me."

"Looking back at the bleak place, when I return, there is no wind, rain or sunshine."

"Su Dongpo's life experience is just as described in Ding Fengbo. He incorporated the vicissitudes of the world and the myriad changes of plants and trees into his own life."

"It was those pains and sufferings that made him realize the joy that can be found in both peace and tranquility."

"In 1082 AD, Su Dongpo wrote the famous poem "Nian Nujiao: Reminiscence of the Past at Chibi" in front of Chibi, facing the raging waves of the river."

"The river flows eastward, the waves wash away all the heroes of the ages."

"Su Dongpo realized the secret of the operation and change of all things. There is nothing eternal and unchanging in the world."

“Whether they are great men or ordinary people, they are ultimately just passers-by in history.”

"When Su Dongpo first entered Bianjing, he had no intention of writing ci."

"In his opinion, only the policy papers that help His Majesty become a wise ruler are the correct way of writing."

"Now he gradually realizes that poetry is not written for the court or the emperor, but for the heart."

"In 1084 AD, when Su Dongpo regarded Huangzhou as his hometown and decided to be a peaceful farmer."

"His fate took another turn, and he received an imperial decree to be transferred out of Huangzhou."

"Huangzhou is a place that carries all the joys, sorrows, anger and happiness in his life."

"After that, whenever he faced persecution from his political enemies and felt helpless, he would recall Huangzhou."

"Su Dongpo bid farewell to Huangzhou and visited Wang Anshi, who had lived in seclusion for many years, when he passed through Jinling."

"Although Wang Anshi was in power, he suffered a lot from bad luck."

"He experienced betrayal by his close associates, setbacks in his reforms, and the pain of losing his son."

"I finally chose to retire to Jinling and never cared about worldly affairs again."

"The two met in Jinling, chanted poems and wrote couplets together, and discussed Buddhism."

"The past differences have become a thing of the past, and this reunion has become a rare happy time for Su Dongpo in his wandering and difficult life."

“The exchange of art has unknowingly brought them closer together.”

"When they parted, Wang Anshi praised Su Dongpo with emotion."

"I don't know how many hundreds of years it will take for such a person to appear."

"In 1085 AD, Emperor Shenzong of Song died, and the 10-year-old prince ascended the throne."

"With Empress Dowager Gao ruling from behind the scenes, Su Dongpo had a good opportunity to return to politics."

"In just 17 months, he was promoted rapidly from a demoted official to a third-rank official."

"The speed of his promotion is jaw-dropping. He is only one step away from becoming the prime minister."

"After Sima Guang became prime minister, he completely rejected Wang Anshi's reforms."

“Even new laws that have proven to be effective should be repealed.”

"Under such circumstances, Su Dongpo did not follow the crowd or blindly follow others, but expressed different opinions."

Sima Guang: From "Nian Nujiao·Remembering the Past at Chibi" we can see that although Su Shi was demoted, he remained open-minded and optimistic.

At that time, Su Shi was 45 years old. He had been exiled to Huangzhou for more than two years because of the Wudai Poetry Case. He traveled around to relax.

He happened to come to Chibi outside the city of Huangzhou, and the magnificent scenery made Su Shi deeply moved.

It also made Su Shi, while recalling Zhou Yu's infinite glory during the Three Kingdoms period, also lament the fleeting time, so he wrote "Nian Nujiao: Remembering the Past at Chibi".

The great river eastward, the waves are exhausted, the eternal lover.

Therefore, to the west of the rampart, the humanity is, the Three Kingdoms Zhou Lang Chibi.

The rocks pierced through the sky, the stormy waves hit the shore, and thousands of piles of snow were rolled up.

Picturesque, a moment how many hero.

Yao Xiang Gong Jin back then, Xiao Qiao married for the first time, majestic.

Lupin and Lun towel, between talking and laughing, disappeared in ashes.

My motherland wanders, loves to laugh at me, be born early.

Life is like a dream, and one is still lingering.

The surging waters of the Yangtze River flow eastwards. Over the past thousands of years, its huge waves have washed away countless heroes.

Some people say that to the west of the former camp was the Red Cliff where Zhou Yu burned Cao Cao's army during the Three Kingdoms period.

There are steep and chaotic rock walls towering into the clouds, huge waves beating against the river bank, and the rolled waves are like thousands of piles of white snow.

The majestic mountains and rivers are picturesque, and many heroes emerged at one time.

At this moment, I can't help but think of Zhou Yu back then. The gentle and beautiful Xiao Qiao had just married him, which shows how elegant and radiant Zhou Yu was.

Waving a feather fan in hand and wearing a silk scarf on his head, he chatted and laughed, and in an instant burned Cao Cao's warships to ashes.

Today, I am standing at the ancient battlefield of Chibi and wandering in my mind about the past. You should laugh at me for being too sentimental and causing my hair to grow white prematurely.

Human life is like a big dream, so let me offer a glass of wine to the bright moon in the river that accompanies me!
Although Su Shi expressed his regret about his lack of recognition in his lyrics, the overall tone is still bold and positive.

Su Shi was able to pay attention to history and life with an open-minded heart. This positive and optimistic attitude is worth learning from.

When facing difficulties and setbacks, people should maintain a positive attitude and believe in their own abilities and values.

Through his praise of Zhou Yu, Su Shi expressed his admiration for historical heroes.

This tells the world to respect history, learn from the outstanding figures in history, draw wisdom and strength from them, and motivate ourselves to make continuous progress.

The poem expresses the feeling that life is like a dream and he pours a cup of wine to the moon on the river, which reflects Su Shi's thoughts on life.

This inspires people to cherish time, seize the present, and strive to realize their own life value.

In short, the positive and optimistic attitude towards life expressed by Su Shi in his poems can provide great inspiration for people when they face difficulties in life.

"In 1087, the Northern Song Dynasty won a victory over the Western Xia and Tubo, and officials proposed peace talks one after another."

"But Su Dongpo wrote to the emperor, advocating that one should not take things lightly or be timid in the service of the country, and this stance attracted attacks from political enemies."

"In order to avoid a repeat of the Wudai Poetry Case, Su Dongpo requested to leave the court."

"He was eventually allowed to serve as governor of Hangzhou. This was his second visit to Hangzhou."

"Although Huang Tingjian sent a letter to persuade him to stay at the court, Su Dongpo went to Hangzhou without hesitation."

"While serving in Hangzhou, Su Dongpo raised funds and applied for a court subsidy in order to dredge the West Lake."

"The silt that was cleared out caused another problem, so he built a new long embankment, which became the famous Su Causeway Spring Dawn."

“In order to prevent the growth of aquatic weeds, he also implemented measures to plant water chestnuts.”

"This included building three small stone towers, limiting the area where water chestnuts could be grown, and eventually evolving into the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon at West Lake."

"In 1091 AD, Su Dongpo was once again valued by the court and recalled to the capital."

"He was soon promoted to Minister of Rites, the highest official position he held in his life."

"However, after Empress Dowager Gao passed away."

"Song Zhezong, who was only 18 years old, took over the government, triggering a new round of political disputes."

"The young Song Zhezong began to actively suppress the old party and re-employed the new policy reformists who had been neglected for many years."

"A staunch supporter of the new law, promoted to chancellor."

"In 1094 AD, Su Dongpo was once again exiled to Huizhou."

"In Huizhou, Su Dongpo once again became a criminal official under the supervision of the local government."

"Before being banished to Lingnan, Su Dongpo dismissed his servants and concubines."

"Only Chaoyun refused to leave him during this difficult time. Chaoyun resolutely followed Su Dongpo to Huizhou."

"Two years later, Chao Yun died of illness."

"After losing Chaoyun, Su Dongpo's life fell into an abyss that he was caught off guard by."

"An imperial edict from the court banished Su Dongpo to the even more remote Danzhou."

"Before leaving, he gave detailed instructions for his final arrangements, as if it was a farewell forever."

"Su Dongpo was somewhat relieved that he met his younger brother Su Zhe on his way to Hainan."

"The two lived in Leizhou Tianning Temple for three days. The two brothers slept in the same bed as they did in their youth and were inseparable."

"Su Dongpo wrote his best poem for his younger brother Su Zhe."

"People have sorrows and joys, and the moon is cloudy and clear. This matter is hard to come by in ancient times."

"Nung, moon and new moon."

"The song 'Shui Tiao Ge Tou' expresses all the sorrows and joys of life."

"After Su Dongpo went to Danzhou, Hainan, he taught the people how to farm, helped them cultivate the land and cure diseases, and also established a school in Danzhou."

"Three years later, Song Huizong ascended the throne and announced a general amnesty. The elderly Su Dongpo was pardoned and returned to the north."

"Just when he was preparing to retire and enjoy his old age, misfortune struck."

"On his way back north, Su Dongpo died of illness in Changzhou."

"Three months before his death, Su Dongpo passed by Jinshan Temple."

"I wrote an impromptu poem summarizing my life."

"Looking back on Su Dongpo's life, what he was most proud of was not the glory of being in a high position in the government, but the years he spent wandering in Huangzhou, Huizhou and Danzhou when he was exiled."

"Since he was 20 years old, he has been wandering around China."

"Even after experiencing countless setbacks, he still maintained a burning heart and let go of so much injustice and humiliation with a mind that is difficult for ordinary people to estimate."

Zhu Di: Since Su Shi wrote "Water Melody", all other poems and lyrics about the Mid-Autumn Festival have been abandoned.

Su Shi's talent was well-known throughout the world at that time. He did his best to develop water conservancy projects and ensure the safety of the people.

But the conflict between ideals and reality left Su Shi helpless.

The two brothers Su Shi and Su Zhe grew up together, took part in the imperial examinations together, and always supported each other and had a deep relationship.

Both his parents had passed away long ago, and his wife had been missing for ten years. One can imagine how sad Su Shi was.

Especially when the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, the longing for loved ones becomes deeper and more intense.

When will the bright moon come, ask the wine to the sky.

I don’t know what the palace is, but what year is it.

I want to return by wind, and I fear Qionglou Yuyu, the heights are too cold.

Dancing clear shadow, like in the world.

Turn Zhuge, low tenants, and sleepless.

There should be no hatred, why is it going to other times?

People have sorrows and sorrows and joys, and moons have yin and qing, which is difficult to complete.

Nung, moon and new moon.

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Su Shi raised his glass, looked up to the sky and asked, "When will the bright moon appear?"

In the vast sky, in the palace of the immortals in heaven, what date is it tonight?
He wanted to ride the wind back home, but he was afraid that the beautiful buildings in the sky were too high up and would be desolate and cold.

Dancing under the reflection of the bright moon and accompanied by clear shadows, how can the lonely life in heaven compare to that on earth?
Su Shi created this ethereal and otherworldly atmosphere to express his independent state of mind, which also implies his doubt and dissatisfaction with reality.

However, it is not easy to be born into the world, so Su Shi still wants to settle down in the human world.

Therefore, he began to miss his relatives, especially his younger brother Su Che who lived far away.

At this time, the moon was bright in the sky, and the clear moonlight passed through the pavilion and poured into the windows, illuminating those who were unable to sleep all night and were full of sorrow.

Su Shi couldn't help but blame the moon. It shouldn't have any hatred towards people. Why does it always become round when people are separating?

After this unreasonable questioning, Su Shi realized that life has its own joys and sorrows, separations and reunions, and the moon has its own changes from waxing to waning.

Things in this world are unpredictable and can never be perfect.

So he turned the melancholy in his heart into good wishes, hoping that everyone would be safe and long-lasting, and that even if they were thousands of miles apart, they could still appreciate the beautiful moonlight together.

Starting from the bright moon of Mid-Autumn Festival, Su Shi lamented the flow of the universe, looked at the changes of ancient and modern times, and expounded an open-minded philosophy of life.

Su Shi and Su Zhe had not seen each other for seven years. Facing the bright moon, Su Shi wrote this famous poem while drunk.

After half a lifetime of struggle and hard work, Su Shi was very unsuccessful in officialdom. This poem reflects his complex and contradictory thoughts and feelings.

On the one hand, due to his failure in officialdom, he became dissatisfied with reality and developed negative and escapist thoughts and feelings.

On the other hand, Su Shi had great political ambitions. Although he was living in a wild land far away from Kyoto and was not successful politically, he was still full of confidence in his ideals.

(End of this chapter)