The videos I watched became popular in ancient times

Women in ancient times did not have the ability to always show up in public.

Even the Tang Dynasty, the most open dynasty.

A woman with two careers is born with the qualities of a socialite.

One is a prostitute, the other is a Taoist.

These two industries can be said to be the two areas in the circle of beauties in the Tang Dynasty that are most unwilling to be lonely.

Among the four most famous female poets in the Tang Dynasty, two of them were famous prostitutes and two of them were Taoists.

Among these four female poets, only one transcended the dual identities of Taoist priest and prostitute.

This beautiful poet was named Xue Tao, the first of the four great female poets of the Tang Dynasty.

"Xue Tao was born in the prosperous city of Chang'an. Her father, Xue Yun, was an official in the court and was very knowledgeable."

"Xue Tao was gifted since childhood. Her father treated her as the apple of his eye and taught her to read and write poetry, nurturing her with great care."

"However, when she was 8 years old, her fate took an unexpected turn."

"That year, my father was enjoying the coolness under the sycamore tree in the yard, reciting poems with great interest."

"There is a phoenix tree in the courtyard, its trunk reaches up into the clouds."

"After that, let Xue Tao answer, and Xue Tao blurted out."

"The branches welcome birds from the north and south, and the leaves carry the wind back and forth."

"When my father heard this, he was shocked. He was both happy and worried."

"I am happy that my daughter is so talented and wrote such a good poem, but I am worried that this poem is too unlucky."

"Because it indicates that my daughter will become a prostitute in the future!"

"Unexpectedly, Xue Tao's poem written when she was 8 years old actually came true!"

"A few years later, her father was exiled to Sichuan and died of illness. Xue Tao was only 14 years old at that time."

"In order to survive, the 16-year-old Xue Tao joined the music industry with her beauty and talent and became a courtesan."

"At that time, being a courtesan was not something that ordinary women could do. It required beauty, talent, eloquence, and insight."

"Xue Tao was selected for her eloquence, poetry and literary talent, and became famous at the time. She was familiar with many literati such as Bai Juyi, Liu Yuxi and Du Mu."

"At that time, Zhongshu Ling Wei Gao was appointed as the governor of Xichuan. He heard that Xue Tao was beautiful, talented, and from a good family, so he summoned her to write poetry."

"Xue Tao wrote it down as soon as she picked up her pen, which made Wei Gao applaud and all the guests at the table praised it."

“It is said that children without umbrellas must learn to run hard.”

"In ancient times, if a woman wanted to survive, even if she was talented, it seemed that the only way out was to become a prostitute."

"As time went by, Wei Gao was impressed by Xue Tao's extraordinary talent and decided to let her participate in the paperwork of his staff."

"She was reported to the court to be appointed as a proofreader, but the plan was abandoned because of Xue Tao's identity as a prostitute."

"But Xue Tao's reputation as a female schoolmaster still spread and became well-known."

"At that time, female schoolmasters were actually female assistants who wrote documents, but those without literary talent could not be qualified for this job."

"After that, Xue Tao's fame grew, and even spread to Chang'an, where her name spread throughout the capital."

Liu Rushi: Xue Tao's ten most classic poems, delicate and sincere, women are as good as men.

When Xue Tao was 14 years old, her father was demoted to Sichuan for speaking out and offending the powerful.

Not long after, when he was on a diplomatic mission to Nanzhao, he contracted a serious illness and never recovered.

Eventually he passed away, leaving his wife and daughter alone in this lonely world.

The happy scene of the family of three in the past is no longer seen.

The prosperity of the past has also disappeared.

Overnight, Xue Tao became the pillar of the family.

He had no one to rely on in life and had to rely on his looks and talent for music to join the music industry.

At the age of 16, Xue Tao became a singing girl. It was her first time entering such a place of entertainment and she was very uncomfortable with it.

However, due to her outstanding poetry and beautiful music, she was deeply loved by the officials in Shu.

What's more, the talented Xue Tao also had a pure and elegant appearance. She was a unique iceberg beauty, and her fame gradually grew.

The great poets of the time, including Bai Juyi, Zhang Ji, Wang Jian, Liu Yuxi, and Du Mu, all had contacts with her.

When Wei Gao was appointed as the governor of Jiannan Xichuan, Xue Tao composed a poem entitled "Visiting the Wushan Temple", which won Wei Gao's appreciation.

Day and night under the balcony, it rains and clouds herald the fall of the State of Chu.

I am melancholy about the many willows in front of the temple, and when spring comes, my eyebrows grow longer and empty.

From then on, Wei Gao spent a huge amount of money on Xue Tao every day.

The two of them recited poems and composed couplets together, and became Xue Tao's real financial sponsor. From then on, Xue Tao became a famous camp prostitute in Shu.

After Wei Gao took Xue Tao in as his own, she often attended banquets in his mansion, entertained officials from various places, and helped Wei Gao handle official business.

Gradually, Xue Tao became more and more bold and began to accept bribes on a large scale.

This eventually angered Wei Gao, who banished her to the uninhabited Songzhou on the border of Shu.

After arriving in Songzhou, the harsh environment and the difficult life with lack of food and clothing made Xue Tao wake up.

He was filled with regret, blaming himself for being too naive and overestimating his position in Wei Gao's heart.

In order to win back Wei Gao's heart, he wrote "Ten Separation Poems" in tears.

In the poem, he compares himself to a dog, a pen, a horse, a parrot, a swallow, a pearl, a fish, an eagle, a bamboo, and a mirror.

Wei Gao is likened to master, hand, stable, cage, nest, palm, pool, arm, pavilion and platform.

The contrast between the two makes one appear humble and lovable.

After seeing this, Wei Gao recalled their past friendship and finally softened his heart, so he sent someone to bring Xue Tao back to Chengdu.

After returning to Chengdu, Xue Tao saw her true situation clearly.

I also realized that my fate was in the hands of others. I felt disheartened and vowed not to have any hope or reliance on anyone anymore.

He asked to quit the music industry and lived alone by Huaxi River in the western suburbs of Chengdu.

"Since ancient times, fame has always been a burden. Xue Tao was a popular figure around Wei Gao. She was so popular that she couldn't help but feel proud."

"Some people gave gifts to Xue Tao in order to curry favor with Wei Gao."

"Xue Tao accepted everything that came to her, and finally handed it all over to Wei Gao without keeping a single cent."

"But this made too much noise and angered Wei Gao, who exiled her to Songzhou in anger."

"Xue Tao is a very smart woman who knows she has gone too far."

"I began to regret my rashness and arrogance, so I wrote ten poems full of emotion and sent them to Wei Gao."

"Wei Gao's heart softened when he saw her, and he issued an order to recall her back to Chengdu."

"It can be seen that Xue Tao is not only good at poetry, but also very shrewd in handling affairs."

"After this incident, Xue Tao became more mature and she became more flattering to Wei Gao."

"Wei Gao was delighted and dismissed Xue Tao from the music register with a stroke of his pen."

"Xue Tao became a free person and retired to Huanhua Creek in the western suburbs of Chengdu at the age of 20."

"It is said that Xue Tao and Wei Gao had a romantic relationship. Maybe it is true."

"After all, with such a talented and beautiful woman by your side, which man wouldn't be tempted?"

"After Wei Gao's death, Li Deyu, who succeeded him as the governor of Jiannan, also admired Xue Tao's talent and beauty very much and often asked Xue Tao to serve at banquets."

"Many of Xue Tao's poems are vigorous and sophisticated, touching on the times and expressing profound thoughts, reaching a very high level."

"She was able to get along well with the officials and dignitaries in the treacherous officialdom and was very good at dealing with people."

"And it's very eloquent, which is not easy."

"Such a talented and beautiful woman would naturally be favored by many people, but there is no one who can truly give her love."

"She invented the Xue Tao paper which allowed young men and women to express their love to each other, but she herself had no place to turn for love."

"It was not until 809, when she was 43, that she met the poet Yuan Zhen, but this was only a flash in the pan in her love life."

"But at this time, she has extraordinary experience and mature thinking."

"She quickly sees through the nature of love, so she won't be trapped in love."

“I don’t care how long it lasts, but I had it once, maybe that’s enough!”

"Xue Tao lived a comfortable and stable life for most of her life, but she could not get the happiness that an ordinary woman should have. This must be the sadness of being a singing girl."

Chen Yuanyuan: Xue Tao, a female poet of the Tang Dynasty, said that the best state for a woman is not to be trapped by love.

Xue Tao, a 42-year-old talented woman from Shu, met Yuan Zhen, a very important person in her life.

Yuan Zhen was 31 years old at that time and served as the Censor-in-Chief of Dongchuan.

His career was at its peak, and he was very proud of his new career.

Yuan Zhen had long admired Xue Tao's name, so he took the initiative to apply for supervision of eastern Sichuan.

To put it bluntly, Yuan Zhen came here specifically for Xue Tao!
Although Xue Tao was already 42 years old at that time, her beauty and talent made Yuan Zhen very obsessed. Yuan Zhen, 31 years old, was also at the age of handsomeness and passion.

One is both talented and beautiful, the other is handsome and passionate, and thus a beautiful and moving love story between a talented man and a beautiful woman is staged.

At first, Xue Tao merely responded to Yuan Zhen with the mentality of making friends through poetry and her appearance.

However, as soon as she met Yuan Zhen, she was attracted by the handsome appearance and outstanding talent of this young poet who was only 31 years old.

In her middle age, Xue Tao fell in love with Yuan Zhen. She felt a passion she had never experienced before and felt that Yuan Zhen was the man of her dreams. So she threw herself into the flames of love like a moth to a flame.

They live together on the green pond, flying back and forth together morning and evening.

We are getting busier and busier towards the sun, with our hearts connected among the leaves.

This poem clearly shows that Xue Tao, who is immersed in love, looks like a tender and affectionate little woman.

The two were inseparable, and this belated love made Xue Tao, who was over 40 years old, feel unprecedented happiness.

However, the good times did not last long, because Yuan Zhen was not a loyal and long-lasting person at all.

Although he wrote the classic line "Once you have seen the sea, all other waters are but puddles; once you have seen Mount Wushan, all other clouds are but mounds."

But he betrayed her first, and after his wife died, he took a concubine and remarried, and also had an ambiguous relationship with the boat girl.

Xue Tao fell in love with such a person, and the result can be imagined.

Yuan Zhen completed his mission in Shu and was about to leave Chengdu and return to Beijing. The two bid farewell to each other in tears.

The two spent a sweet year together, and Yuan Zhen never came back since then.

Xue Tao thus became a beautiful scenery in Yuan Zhen's lonely life journey, but after seeing the scenery, he no longer wanted to return.

It's like reading a book that you once wanted to read, but once you finish it, you lose interest.

The root cause is that the age gap between the two is too big.

Although Xue Tao still had her charm, she was 11 years older than Yuan Zhen.

She was born into a family of musicians, which is equivalent to a prostitute.

For Yuan Zhen, who was very careful about his reputation, this love would not last long.

Yuan Zhen was only 31 years old at that time, which was the prime age for a man.

With infinite possibilities, how could he be easily bound by Xue Tao?

Therefore, this passionate sister-brother love was doomed to end in failure from the very beginning.

Normally, Xue Tao would be extremely sad after her breakup and even try to commit suicide.

Unexpectedly, Xue Tao had already seen through this. She was neither anxious nor annoyed, but very calm.

After all, as a prostitute of low status, it is difficult for her to obtain the happiness of an ordinary woman.

Therefore, Xue Tao is such a delicate and exquisite woman.

Don't be too demanding when it comes to love.

If I get it, I'm lucky. If I don't, it's my fate.

After all, love is not everything, and marriage is not a lifetime.

Xue Tao’s attitude towards love is that she can take it and let it go.

This is extremely rare and can be regarded as a wake-up call in the world.

All of this is closely related to Xue Tao's unusual life experience.

"As Xue Tao grew older, she became tired of all those banquets and social events."

"Jiedushi Duan Wenchang invited her to a banquet, but she politely declined."

"She made her position clear, saying she was no longer in good shape and could no longer accept such invitations."

"Xue Tao remained unmarried throughout her life. In her later years, she lived in seclusion in Wangjiang Tower, wearing Taoist robes and reading scriptures in peace."

"In her later years, Xue Tao was vigorous and vigorous, and she was admired by everyone."

"In 832 AD, Xue Tao, 64, passed away peacefully."

"There are more than 90 of her poems that have been handed down to this day, collected in the Jinjiang Collection."

"A year later, Duan Wenchang came to Shuzhong and personally wrote the tombstone for Xue Tao."

"On the Wangjiang Tower in Chengdu, there is a couplet written by Xue Tao."

"The sun is setting coldly over the old well. I ask how many loquat trees there are and where the school alley is."

"The great river crosses the curved railing, and occupies the misty rain on the first floor, dividing the thatched cottage equally."

"She can catch up with Du Fu in poetry and lyrics, and she is even more talented than Xue Tao, who has the ability and courage to do so."

"Xue Tao is known as one of the four great women of the Tang Dynasty, along with Yu Xuanji, Li Ye, and Liu Caichun. She is ranked first among them, and she deserves the title!"

"In order to commemorate Xue Tao, later generations built the Poetry Recitation Tower and Xue Tao Memorial Hall in Chengdu Wangjiang Park."

"These pavilions and towers standing in the wind and rain, as well as the popular Xue Tao wine and Xue Tao paper, all tell the world about the extraordinary life of the talented woman Xue Tao."

"Looking back on Xue Tao's life, she became famous when she was young, lived a peaceful life when she was old, and was well-known after her death."

"She has dealt with officials throughout her life with courtesy, propriety and appropriateness."

"Not only is he highly intelligent, he is also well versed in worldly affairs."

"Her life was quite extraordinary, and it is not difficult to see her strength, optimism, understanding and wisdom."

"Although she remained unmarried or only had a short relationship, it did not affect her strong character in the least."

"In this world, no one is perfect."

"People have mixed opinions about Xue Tao, sometimes the criticism outweighs the praise."

"In such a patriarchal society, how many people in the world can do what Xue Tao did when faced with a situation like her?"

Li Shishi: Compared with the other three of the four great talented women in the Tang Dynasty, Xue Tao was an exception, as she lived to the end of her life.

For Yuan Zhen, his encounter with Xue Tao was just a casual affair.

A wrong encounter is a story without an ending.

But for Xue Tao, this was an irresistible heartbeat.

Yuan Zhen was the light in her life and her hope.

Although it flashed by like a brilliant firework.

The dream is over, love is gone, she chooses not to dwell on it or disturb it.

There was once someone who understood her completely. Even though they were separated by the world, all the little things they had experienced were the most beautiful memories in her mind.

Perhaps it is because we understand what love is that we don’t worry about gains and losses, and don’t care about trivial matters.

No regrets in meeting, no regrets in the past. Even if we will eventually part, it will not be in vain.

As the autumn wind arrives year after year, it seems as if a lifetime ago. Xue Tao takes off her red dress.

From then on, he wore Taoist robes, left Huaxi River, and lived a secluded life.

It's still noisy and prosperous outside.

But she guarded her own piece of pure land and began to concentrate on reading scriptures.

In this year, the newly appointed Jiannan Jiedushi Li Deyu built a magnificent Choubian Tower and hosted a banquet for people from all over the country on the day of its completion.

Xue Tao was also among them. Unable to refuse the kindness, she picked up her pen and wrote a poem.

The clouds and birds are visible from the eight windows in autumn, and the majestic West Sichuan is overwhelmed by the forty prefectures.

Generals, do not be greedy for the Qiang horses, for they can be seen at the highest level.

After years of baptism, her poems have become calm and majestic.

Not only is his insight profound, but he also shows his heroic spirit.

Looking back on Xue Tao’s life, although she fell into prostitution, she experienced the warmth and coldness of human nature.

But she lives soberly and transparently, sees through the impermanence of the world, knows how to advance and retreat, and knows how to control herself.

She never married and created the Xue Tao paper which is worth a thousand gold.

But he did not get lost in the pain of love, but chose to let go at the right time.

In the fifth year of the Dahe period, Yuan Zhen died of a sudden illness. In the sixth year of the Dahe period, Xue Tao also passed away peacefully. The governor of Shuzhong personally wrote her epitaph.

Xie Tao lost his support several times in his life, but he always had hope and loved life.

She is unfortunate, lucky, and smart.

She cleverly turned a bad hand into a good one, earning herself the reputation of a talented woman throughout the ages.

She is alone, but not lonely.

She turned everything in her life into words on paper and poems with her pen.

How can you be lonely when you have the company of human beauty?
Her love only came briefly, but she knew that love is like catkins, blowing in the wind from north to south.

She doesn't force it, nor does she regret it, as long as she is true to herself. (End of this chapter)