The videos I watched became popular in ancient times

When talking about ancient Chinese literature, everyone always thinks of Tang poetry and Song lyrics.

The prosperous and powerful Tang Dynasty gave birth to countless brilliant literary stars.

Although women in ancient times were required to be virtuous if they were not talented, there were also many talented women who shone brightly in the literary world throughout history, even though they have been shrouded in patriarchy.

Throughout history, talented and beautiful women seem unable to escape the fate of being beautiful but having a tragic life.

For example, Li Qingzhao, a female poet in the Song Dynasty, lost her country, her family and her husband first passed away, leaving her alone to write sad poems in loneliness.

In the Tang Dynasty, there was also such a woman with both talent and beauty, named Li Jilan.

"Although women are often required to be virtuous if they are not talented, there are many talented women who have shone brightly in the literary world throughout history, even though they have been shrouded in patriarchy."

"There was such a female Taoist priest in the Tang Dynasty. She had a crush on a monk, so she wrote a poem to test the monk's feelings."

"After being rejected, she wrote another poem to express her frustration."

"As a result, this poem, which contains profound philosophical ideas, is still talked about today and is regarded as a masterpiece of all time."

"This female Taoist priest is Li Jilan, a famous female poet in the Tang Dynasty, and the monk she secretly loves is called Jiaoran."

"Li Jilan was from Zhejiang. She was very smart since she was young and was good at writing poetry and prose."

"When she was six years old, she saw the rose rack at home and wrote a poem."

"He can write poetry at such a young age. If it were any other parent, they would be happy to share it with everyone."

"But Li Jilan's father flew into a rage after seeing the poem his daughter wrote."

"Because there are two lines in the poem that have been unresolved for a long time, and my mind is in a mess."

"These two lines of poetry originally describe the scene where the rose trellis has not been built yet and the vines are clinging everywhere, just like the chaotic mood of people."

"Li Jilan's father thought of getting married because of the relationship, and then came to a conclusion based on his subsequent emotions."

"I think my daughter is very clever and will definitely not be a good wife in the future."

"So when Li Jilan was 11 years old, she was sent to a Taoist temple."

"Being sent to the Taoist temple by my father almost meant being abandoned by my family at that time."

"Despite such a blow, Li Jilan did not become depressed, but instead concentrated on studying poetry and prose."

"Li Jilan was well versed in rhythm and played the qin very well, and soon became famous."

"She attracted a group of scholars and writers to make friends with her, including the monk named Jiaoran."

"Jiaoran's surname was Xie. He was the tenth-generation grandson of Xie Lingyun, a famous writer in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and also a famous poet in the mid-Tang Dynasty."

"Jiaoran went to Chang'an to take the imperial examination in his early years, and became a monk after failing."

"After that, we experienced the An-Shi Rebellion, and then we returned to our hometown in Huzhou."

"Jiaoran himself was well-known for his talent, so after returning to Huzhou, he quickly became friends with the scholars in Huzhou and also met the nun Li Jilan."

"It didn't take long for Li Jilan to be attracted by Jiaoran's talent after meeting him."

"She wanted to express her love for him, but she didn't know what Jiaoran felt."

"Fearing rejection, he wrote a poem to test Jiaoran."

"A piece of paper like lingering snow, tied into a pair of carps."

"If you want to know what's in your heart, read what's in your belly."

"Chisu refers to a small area of ​​silk fabric. It and the twin carps both represent letters."

"Before the invention of papermaking, ancient people usually wrote letters on silk."

"In order to prevent them from being damaged during transportation, the letters were placed between bamboo and wooden slips."

"These bamboo and wooden slips are usually carved into the shape of fish, so the ancients had the saying that fish and geese could pass on letters."

"The meaning of Li Jilan's poem is to implicitly compare her feelings for Jiaoran to a book in her stomach, and use the two carps to illustrate her feelings."

"After Jiaoran received Li Jilan's poem, he immediately understood Li Jilan's thoughts."

Liu Rushi: A female Taoist priest who confessed her love to a monk but was rejected; the female poet Li Jilan lived a life of indulgence.

Because of the empress Wu Zetian, the Tang Dynasty was always more humane to women than other dynasties.

But getting a few more points won't change the inherent mindset.

There were many poets in the Tang Dynasty, and even more famous ones, but the female poets of the Tang Dynasty were rare treasures.

The woman Li Jilan occupies the position of four female poets.

Li Jilan was a well-known child prodigy at the time. She could read and compose poems at the age of six.

However, Li Jilan's reputation as a child prodigy made her father worried all day long.

The reason was that Li Jilan's father had seen a poem written by Li Jilan.

Father Li felt that his daughter could write such poems and would definitely bring disgrace to the family when she grew up.

There is only one possibility for a woman to bring disgrace to the family: that is, she is unfaithful to her husband and brings disgrace upon the reputation of her parents' family.

It has been a long time since I got over it, and my mind is in a mess.

A six-year-old girl can write such poetry.

Although it lacks some tones, it is still very rare.

When Mr. Li saw his daughter's poems, he was amazed at first, but then he was shocked.

This poem was originally written after seeing roses, but the latter part of the poem expresses the little daughter's thoughts.

A six-year-old girl is already thinking about not getting married.

Father Li felt that his daughter had avant-garde ideas and lacked the virtues of a woman.

Finally, five years later, Li's father felt that he was unable to correct his daughter's thinking, so he sent 11-year-old Li Jilan to the Yuzhen Taoist Temple.

A Taoist nun can be single with a clear conscience and not be criticized.

No matter who made this decision, it fulfilled Li Jilan's wish.

Li Jilan, who became a Buddhist nun, had a great degree of freedom.

Although she is a Taoist nun, the Taoist temple definitely cannot trap Li Jilan.

She had a wide circle of friends and had written conversations with many writers.

Whenever a friend left for a new post, Li Jilan would write a poem to bid farewell to him.

For many men, Li Jilan is the woman who gives them the most precious romance.

When Mr. Li saw his daughter acting like this, he was glad that he did not let her get married.

Otherwise, wouldn’t such behavior cause trouble to my husband’s family?

If you are narrow-minded, you can easily get angry to death.

Li Jilan's poems and reputation gradually spread to the Daming Palace.

Someone told the emperor of the time that the Taoist nun Li Jilan was no ordinary person, but was talented, romantic and lively.

Emperor Daizong of Tang, who was the emperor, met Li Jilan, who was well-known among the people.

Li Jilan at this time is no longer young, but she still has the same charm and time has not defeated her beauty.

This should have been the most glorious time in Li Jilan's life, but Daizong died and Dezong succeeded to the throne.

At this time, Li Jilan was still as young as ever and liked to write poems and essays with other literati and ministers.

Among them was a minister named Zhu Ci, who wanted to rebel and become emperor himself.

Unfortunately, the rebellion failed, but the poems Li Jilan wrote to Zhu Ci were copied out.

Li Jilan was beaten to death by Emperor Dezong of Tang because of Zhu Ci.

Li Jilan is a representative of women in the Tang Dynasty. She represents women who refuse to submit to the rules.

She was unyielding, unsubmissive and disdainful of the rules set for women.

But under the power of the strong, all unwillingness can only be repaid with life.

"Although Jiaoran also admired Li Jilan's talent, he only regarded Li Jilan as a friend with whom he could exchange poems and lyrics, without any romantic relationship between them. So he also wrote a poem in reply to Li Jilan."

"The goddess came to test me, and wanted to dye my clothes with flowers."

"My Zen mind is not awake, I return with the old flowers."

"The first two lines of the poem are a Buddhist story."

"While the Bodhisattva was preaching, a celestial maiden flew over and scattered flowers to the crowd."

"The flower fell when it landed on the Bodhisattva, but it stuck tightly to the disciples' bodies. Even if the disciples used their magical powers, they could not blow the flower off."

"The goddess saw this and explained to them that only by fully understanding the Buddhist principles and getting rid of all distracting thoughts could the flowers stop sticking to them."

"Jiaoran used this story to show Li Jilan his firmness in his Zen mind and his determination to be a Buddhist who does not get stained by flowers."

"The last two sentences are his reply to Li Jilan. His mind is calm and it is impossible for the two of them to be together, so he can only take the book in Li Jilan's mind back."

"After she expressed her love in a tactful way, she was tactfully rejected. Li Jilan felt lost and thoughtful, so she wrote another poem to express her feelings."

"The nearest and the farthest, the east and the west, the deepest and the shallowest, the clearest stream."

"As high as the sun and the moon, as close relatives as husbands and wives."

“Human nature is extremely complex. The relationship between two people can be close or distant, just like a clear stream with no bottom.”

“When one person becomes the sun and moon in another’s heart, the relationship will become as close as that of a relative or a distant one.”

"Husband and wife are supposed to love each other deeply, but they are sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams."

"So how to determine closeness is unclear."

"The whole poem does not have beautiful words and artistic conception, but because it points out the truth about the closeness and distance between relatives, it has been regarded as a masterpiece through the ages by later generations."

"The famous Tang Dynasty poet Liu Changqing also particularly admired Li Jilan's talent in poetry, calling her a female poet and often interacting with her."

"Lu Yu, who was known as the Tea Saint, and Yan Bojun, a famous scholar at the time, often discussed poetry with Li Jilan."

"After hearing about Li Jilan's talent, the then Emperor Tang Daizong Li Yu specially summoned Li Jilan."

"This summons also made Li Jilan's reputation spread throughout the world."

"Li Jilan was admired by many literati at that time because of her achievements in poetry."

"But when people talk about her, they prefer to gossip about her past love affairs."

"Li Jilan's first love affair was an unsuccessful attempt with the monk Jiaoran."

"At that time, Li Jilan was about 20 years old, but Jiaoran was already 35 years old."

"After Li Jilan knew Jiaoran's feelings, the two did not get entangled in this unstarted relationship and continued to get along as friends."

"Because of her interactions with Jiaoran, Li Jilan also met Jiaoran's poet friend Yan Bojun.

"After being rejected by Jiaoran, Li Jilan felt lost for a long time, and only later did she accept Yan Bojun."

"Yan Bojun is not only famous for his talent, but also has a fondness for Huang-Lao philosophy."

"So he got along very well with Li Jilan, a female Taoist priest. The Complete Tang Poems also includes a poem written by Li Jilan to see Yan Bojun off."

"I dreamed of passing by Wu Garden, and you were walking to Shanxi River."

"When you come back to visit me, don't be like Ruan Lang who is obsessed with me."

Li Shishi: The female Taoist priest Li Jilan loved a monk. After her confession was rejected, she wrote a poem that has been passed down through the ages.

Perhaps because of Wu Zetian's reign, the status of women in the Tang Dynasty was even higher.

However, no matter how high one's status is, there is no way to change the views and words and deeds of most vulgar people. If these prejudices are caused by parents, then this woman is doomed to never make a breakthrough in her life. Li Jilan is such a poor girl who was ruined by her father.

Li Jilan was not originally called this name. This name began to spread after Li Jilan left her mother's home.

When she was waiting to be married, her original name was Li Ye.

The word "Ye" is used to describe a woman with gorgeous decorations, and is itself a derogatory name.

The father, the head of the family, gave his daughter such a name, which shows that he did not attach importance to the birth of his daughter.

In the Tang Dynasty, as long as one had talent, regardless of gender, he or she would be sought after.

In this way, Li Ye, who was only 6 years old, attracted people's attention with his talent.

But this glory was blocked by his own father.

At the age of 6, Li Ye, at the request of his father, wrote a poem facing the roses in the yard.

Li Ye blurted out the words, and it took a while for him to stop, his mind in a mess.

This poem describes a yard full of roses, which grow wildly and luxuriantly with no one to take care of them.

It's like a worry in my heart, I can never figure it out.

But Li Ye's suspicious father thought that his 6-year-old daughter already had rebellious thoughts.

He failed as a father because he sent his daughter to a Taoist temple in the hope of purifying Li Ye's rebelliousness through tranquility and inaction.

Li Ye was sent to a Taoist temple, with no intention of fulfilling his father's wish.

Instead, I saw a wider sky and had more room to display my talents.

A young woman, dressed in a Taoist robe, standing in the woods practicing Taoism is a fascinating painting.

As a result, Li Ye became a popular figure among the literati of the time.

A beautiful woman, a talented woman, attracted too many men.

I no longer use the name given by my father, but use my own name and live my own life.

Li Jilan's first crush was on the wrong person.

Li Jilan, a Taoist nun, fell in love with a monk.

The monk Jiaoran gave a straightforward reply to the love poem sent by Li Jilan.

Jiaoran bluntly said that he was an outsider, and this relationship ultimately had no result.

It was Li Jilan's fortune to meet Jiaoran because of his decisiveness.

But not all men in the world are like Jiaoran. Too many men do not give a result and just waste the other person's youth.

Li Jilan successively met two literati at that time, but these two literati had the same destination.

Even after being reluctant to part with Li Jilan, they both chose a bright future.

No one gave Li Jilan a home, a stable life, or a status.

Perhaps for most officials, Li Jilan can talk about romance, but cannot express love, and cannot marry.

Li Jilan's excellence also attracted a man, who was the famous tea saint Lu Yu.

It's just that Lu Yu has been in love with Li Jilan for more than 30 years, but Li Jilan has always been just a friend to Lu Yu.

Perhaps, this is a two-way miss, a miss of possible happiness.

Li Jilan, who experienced separations throughout her life, finally wrote the "Eight Ultimates" which has been passed down through the ages after she was heartbroken.

Near to far things, deep to shallow clear streams.

As high as tomorrow and the moon, loved ones and couples.

After half a lifetime passed, Li Jilan finally found liberation, and this liberation was inner peace.

At this time, Li Jilan's name reached the almighty imperial power.

The emperor at that time summoned her to an audience. Although she was already at the age of knowing her destiny, Li Jilan still had her own unique charm.

"Li Jilan calls Yan Bojun lord and herself concubine."

"And Li Jilan advised Yan Bojun not to be like Ruan Lang, who was bewitched by a fairy and never returned."

"This is also a confession of his feelings, asking Yan Bojun not to forget her and to come back and meet her as soon as possible."

"After Yan Bojun said goodbye to Li Jilan, he never returned to Huzhou."

"This love affair ended up being just as Li Jilan feared. Her husband Ruan was bewitched."

"Some people think that Li Jilan, as a female Taoist priest, secretly loved Jiaoran and had an affair with Yan Bojun, which was a lack of moral integrity."

"Some people also believe that Li Jilan is a prostitute like Su Xiaoxiao because of her association with a group of scholars."

"The reason they have such an idea is simply because they think that in the feudal era when women were oppressed, it is impossible for ordinary women to show their faces and talk with men."

"But Li Jilan was from the Tang Dynasty. Before her, women could become emperors."

"It was unusual for a Taoist priest like her to discuss poetry with a scholar at that time, but it was not a big deal."

"Based on this view, there is another theory about the unrequited love between Li Jilan and Yan Bojun."

"They can treat Li Jilan as their spiritual partner and talk to her about everything."

"But he was unwilling to marry her and make her his wife."

"So although Yan Bojun and Li Jilan got along well when they were together, he immediately forgot about Li Jilan after they broke up for various reasons."

"After several failed relationships, Li Jilan gave up completely, but life didn't favor her much."

"In the fourth year of Emperor Dezong's Jianzhong reign, the governor of Longyou, Zhu Ci, rebelled."

"Li Jilan didn't understand politics, she simply presented Zhu Ci with a few congratulatory poems."

"However, Zhu Ci's rebellion was quickly put down. When Emperor Dezong of Tang heard that she had sent a poem of congratulation to Zhu Ci, he became very angry and ordered Li Jilan to be beaten to death."

"A talented woman of her generation finally left the stage of history in such a miserable way."

“All that was left to posterity were 16 poems and four fragmentary lines.”

"Compared to the tragic ending, there are many love stories that end in vain."

"What later generations like more is the story between her and Jiaoran."

"That kind of hazy, yet ambiguous feeling and love makes people sigh and yearn for it."

"In ancient times, there were countless men of letters who left their names in history, but there were only a few talented women who left their names."

"It's not that women are inferior to men, it's that they can't make a name for themselves in a patriarchal society."

"In feudal society, women generally don't have the opportunity to study."

"And even if parents and elders allow them to study, the articles and poems written by women in seclusion will not be seen by outsiders."

"For thousands of years, only a few women like Li Qingzhao have been able to leave their names in history because they were as good as men and stunning the world."

"Other women, like Li Jilan, had the opportunity to discuss poetry and prose with men because of their talent."

"But no man is willing to put aside worldly prejudices and give them a stable home."

Dong Xiaowan: Li Jilan, a talented woman in the Tang Dynasty, never married, but she wrote heart-wrenching poems that make people cry after reading them.

In the enchanting mist of Tang Dynasty wind and Song Dynasty rain, there are not only handsome young men enjoying poetry and wine.

In the construction of the kingdom of language, there are also naturally beautiful and graceful women, like the eternal spring, who soften the entire poetic era.

The Tang Dynasty was an era that was particularly tolerant of talent. Talented women were the glory of the Tang Dynasty, but they also became the misfortune of the era.

It seems to be a common consensus that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent. Since there is no light in the real society, talented women can only find an outlet in the world of words.

Li Jilan, a famous poet and female Taoist priest in the Tang Dynasty, was such a charming woman.

Li Jilan never married in her life, but she was very charming.

Although she is a female Taoist priest, she never abides by the Tao.

What is even more unexpected is that her romantic journey began at the age of six.

When Li Jilan was six years old, he recited a verse from a scripture without finishing it, his mind in a mess.

Her father actually interpreted the word "jia que" as meaning marriage, and therefore he concluded that the girl would misbehave when she grew up. So the young Li Jilan was sent to a Taoist temple by her father.

Li Jilan did not cultivate her mind in the Taoist temple, but instead composed poems and couplets every day and had close contacts with literati in society.

Li Jilan was a Taoist priest all her life and never married, but she had experienced love.

It is said that she once fell in love with a monk, but was ruthlessly rejected, and then she began to indulge herself.

Li Jilan's most classic poem is a love poem. In just four short sentences, it fully describes the relationship between husband and wife, which is thought-provoking.

Near to far things, deep to shallow clear streams.

As high as tomorrow and the moon, loved ones and couples.

The closest and farthest are East and West, and the deepest and shallowest is Qingxi.

The highest and brightest are the sun and the moon; the closest and the most distant are husband and wife.

This is a six-character poem with simple words but profound meaning, and it is easy to understand.

But it tells the truth of life, which is shocking.

East and West are two opposite directions. You can never reach the end of either one, so they are the farthest.

However, for a single object, it has east and west, and they can meet each other by turning around, which is the closest.

A very clear stream is one where you can see the bottom at a glance.

So it seems shallow to people, and that’s the truth.

The stream can also reflect very deep things such as the sky and clouds, giving people the deepest illusions.

Both lines of poetry have strong philosophical meanings, and at the same time make people think of the world and human nature.

After all, the world and human nature are nothing more than this, unpredictable and easily changeable.

However, the third sentence, "the highest and brightest moon", is not as good. Its meaning is very simple, which means that the higher you stand, the clearer you can see.

Although the first three sentences contain certain life lessons, from the structure of the poem, they are just a drop in the ocean.

The purpose is to introduce this most crucial sentence: the closest or most distant husband and wife.

A husband and wife are a couple who live in harmony. It is understandable that they are close relatives, but they can still be distant.

This reflects the essence of the poem: when a couple is in love, they are affectionate and close, but if they don't get along well, they may become irreconcilable.

Throughout history, there have been many couples who have deep love for each other.

But there are also many people who appear to be in harmony but are actually at odds with each other, and finally become enemies.

Husband and wife are people who are not related by blood, and they are enviable when they are together.

But after they separated, they never contacted each other again, and were even more heartless than strangers.

Whenever you encounter such a situation, you should take a detour. This is the meaning of being very distant.

This also serves as a reminder to future generations that if one wants to avoid the result of estrangement, one can only manage love well.

Since Li Jilan could express such a profound truth about the relationship between a close and distant couple, it is conceivable that she must have experienced it.

This poem uses eight consecutive words "zhi", which makes it a unique poem.

The language of his poems is plain, but one can find something extraordinary in the plainness.

Perhaps it is this unique appeal that has enabled it to still resonate with people after thousands of years of baptism. (End of this chapter)