The videos I watched became popular in ancient times

Those who love wine must have heard of the luminescent cup of fine grape wine, and those who like martial arts must know how few men have ever returned from the battles in history.

It just so happens that these two states are written in the same poem, both drunken and chivalrous, without any incongruity.

This is Wang Han, a poet from the prosperous Tang Dynasty, who perfectly wrote the "Liangzhou Ci" which is still familiar to people today.

Some people may not know who Wang Han is.

He was unrestrained and freedom-loving throughout his life. He was a poet who had truly been to the frontier. He was willful and chivalrous, arrogant and conceited, and he fully demonstrated the ultimate romance of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

He is not among the four great frontier poets, he is known as a solitary frontier poet.

Wang Han, a frontier poet in the Tang Dynasty, was a man of generous temperament, great talent, and a carefree life. Unfortunately, he died young.

"In 687 AD, Wang Han was born into the Wang family in Taiyuan."

"This family has a long history. It was one of the top wealthy families among the Five Surnames and Seven Famous Families during the Sui and Tang dynasties. Emperor Gaozong of Tang's first wife, Queen Wang, was from this family."

"Children of wealthy families have better educational resources than others, and they shoulder the hope of their family's prosperity."

"Wang Han has been very talented since he was young. He is good at poetry and literature. He has a generous personality and likes to make friends."

"Among the crowd, I am the brightest one."

"On weekdays, the young men often go hunting, feasting, drinking, and organizing poetry gatherings together."

"He is one of the best among them, and his excellent works are frequently sought after by many people."

"Wang Han is such a young man, dressed in fine clothes and riding a horse, full of vigor and vitality."

"It is a path arranged by the family for the children of aristocratic families to take the imperial examinations and enter the officialdom."

"But this young man is not keen on officialdom, but cares about his literary talent and what position he can rank in."

"When he was in his twenties, Wang Han came to Chang'an and took the imperial examination. He suddenly had the idea to create a ranking list of Tang Dynasty literati."

"He selected more than a hundred people, ranked them in the literary world into nine levels, and then posted the list."

"On the one hand, Wang Han wanted to become more famous, and on the other hand, he wanted to test the credibility of his ranking."

"The result was a lot of hatred from the public, and the reason was naturally injustice."

"There are so many famous people in the world, and the arrogant Wang Han puts himself in the first place without any modesty."

"Being listed with the great poet Zhang Shuo and calligrapher Li Yong, the princes and scholars naturally felt dissatisfied."

"But Wang Han didn't care. He even posted the list opposite the Ministry of Rites' Interpretation List, so that all the civil and military officials and scholars could see it."

"This made Wang Han famous in the capital, and he also attracted the wrath of many scholars."

"In 710 AD, Wang Han passed the imperial examination and became an official in the imperial court, but he still had to wait for the Ministry of Personnel to select him."

"He didn't know that because he offended too many people with the ranking of literati, the Ministry of Personnel kept him idle in Chang'an."

"A willful and chivalrous young man thinks Chang'an is too boring."

"I'd better go back to my hometown in Bingzhou and continue my life of riding horses, drinking and hunting."

"At this time, Zhang Huizhen, the governor of Bingzhou, heard that there was a very talented young man in the Wang family, so he often invited him to his mansion to watch dances and drink."

"Wang Han is a man of sentimental character, and he is very grateful to Zhang Huizhen for recognizing his talent."

"He wrote poems and performed songs and dances himself to express his gratitude to the chief historian."

"The two of them actually admired each other and shared similar interests, so Wang Han became a frequent visitor to the Changshi Mansion."

"In 712 AD, Li Longji succeeded to the throne, and Zhang Jiazhen, the governor of Bingzhou, was promoted to prime minister. Zhang Shuo took over as governor of Bingzhou."

Li Yu: Wang Han's frontier poems are magnificent to the extreme and are worthy of being the masterpiece of the Tang Dynasty.

Grape wine luminous cup, urge you to drink Pipa immediately.

Drunk lying on the battlefield, Lord Grim, how many people have fought in ancient times?
This is a masterpiece of Wang Han. There is a line from it: Don’t laugh at me sleeping drunk on the battlefield. How many men have ever returned from the battles in history?

It has touched countless passionate men. Is this a tragic oath?
Many people have misunderstood. This is not what Wang Han really wanted to express!
A grand banquet was held in the military camp at the border.

The poet begins with fine grape wine and luminous cups. Wine was a luxury in the Tang Dynasty.

The luminous cup is a wine glass made of jade. When you pour fine wine into the cup and place it under the moonlight, it will sparkle and be extremely beautiful.

The wine table is filled with luminous cups, each of which is filled with wine. The aroma of the wine is so delicious that it makes people salivate!

The poet then said that the pipa music was urging him to drink, so the poet picked up the wine glass and was about to drink it all in one gulp.

Suddenly, an exciting pipa music rang in my ears, as if urging the soldiers to go to war!

The pipa is a musical instrument used in battle. The sound of the pipa has a fast rhythm and has an uplifting effect.

Therefore, before the ancient army went to war, they liked to play the pipa to boost morale and encourage them to move forward courageously.

The soldiers forgot all their worries amid the inspiring sound of the pipa and drank cup after cup. What a warm and bold scene it was!

After a while of drinking, some people must be unable to drink anymore.

So the "pipa music urges the soldiers to drink" here does not mean to urge the soldiers to go to the battle.

Instead, he urged the soldiers to drink another glass of wine!

The stirring sound of the pipa here also adds a touch of meaning of urging you to drink another glass of wine!
Why did he drink one more glass of wine? The poet then explained the reason: Don’t laugh at me for being drunk on the battlefield, for how many men have ever returned from the battles in history?

If I fall asleep drunk on the battlefield, don't laugh at me. Since ancient times, how many people who went out to fight could return home alive?

Many people think that this is full of sadness. It is a sad word that few people return from the battles in ancient times.

In fact, looking at the whole poem, the poet tried his best to describe the warmth of the banquet, without too much sadness.

If the last sentence expresses sadness, it would be out of tune with the atmosphere of the entire banquet!
If we understand it as a toast, it would be more suitable for the atmosphere of the whole banquet!
This is a banquet for the poet and the soldiers in the army. Since it is a banquet, they should drink to their heart's content.

This is in line with the poet's personality traits, as he loves drinking and is not particular about details.

The poet said to the soldiers, "Since ancient times, how many people have returned from the wars? Since ancient times, how many people have been able to come back alive after going out to fight?"

Since the soldiers have long been ready to die, why not drink while there is wine today, drink to their heart's content, and even pass out drunk on the battlefield?
This toast is more of an expression of praise for the soldiers' courage to face death head-on!
"He was once listed by Wang Han as one of the top talents. Zhang Shuo admired the young Wang Han very much."

"It is said that a man named Xu Jian once asked Zhang Shuo which contemporary scholar wrote the best, and Zhang Shuo recommended Wang Han."

"So, Wang Han is still a frequent visitor to the Changshi Mansion."

"He and Zhang Shuo got along even better. Both of them had great literary talent, loved to drink and write poetry, and sang and answered each other, so they became close friends regardless of age."

"The Changshi Mansion became Wang Han's second home, where he could come and go as he pleased."

"Although Zhang Shuo admired Wang Han's talent, he disapproved of his bohemian lifestyle."

"I often persuade Wang Han to behave more restrainedly so that he can find an opportunity to become an official in the future."

"Zhang Shuo was not just talking, he actually found an official position for Wang Han."

"Although he is the Changle County Lieutenant, a ninth-rank official lower than the seventh-rank official."

"But Wang Han, after all, entered the officialdom of the Tang Dynasty and took the first step towards realizing his ideals."

"After serving in Bingzhou for only one year, Zhang Shuo returned to Chang'an and was promoted to the third-rank Minister of War the following year."

"He did not forget his younger brother Wang Han, and found a job as a secretary for Wang Han, who was unemployed at home."

"Of course he is still a ninth-rank official, but this time, he is a Beijing official."

"Zhang Shuo's position in the court became increasingly high. He managed the Jixian Academy and valued scholars of ci poetry."

"A large number of literati gathered around him, including Zhang Jiuling, Wei Shu, Li Yong, He Zhizhang, etc. They often discussed poetry and learning together."

"Wang Han was also greatly influenced and gradually became a friend of theirs in poetry and wine."

"With Zhang Shuo's endorsement, Wang Han's social circle has expanded, and more people are opening their doors to him."

"He stole the show at various banquets with his witty remarks, singing and dancing."

"Soon after, Zhang Shuo promoted Wang Han to the seventh rank of Tongshi Sheren, which was a promotion of several levels."

"Wang Han and Zhang Shuo became bound by interests, and others also regarded Wang as Zhang's retainer."

"Wang Han is a wild and romantic man. He is so proud of himself that he is bound to make mistakes."

"Wang Han made too much noise, and the incident of the literati ranking list was brought up again, which brought him a lot of dissatisfaction."

"It was not Zhang Shuo's arrangement, but the court made an exception and promoted him to the position of Yuwenlang of the Imperial Guard."

"The Jiabu is one of the officials in charge of carriages and horses, and the Yuanwailang is a deputy position under the Langzhong, belonging to the Langguan, and is a fifth-rank official. Wang Han's move can be said to be a three-level promotion."

"In the Tang Dynasty, military officers fought in the wars, and civil officials were in charge of paperwork, so a group of literati had the opportunity to join the army."

"It was these writers who brought a new atmosphere to the literary world of the early Tang Dynasty and created a new type of frontier poetry."

"It was because of this that Wang Han got an opportunity to go to the frontier." Yue Fei: Wang Han, the first great poet in the Tang Dynasty, spent his whole life in debauchery, but was deified with just one poem.

The flowers and birds in Qinzhong have already withered, but the wind and sand outside the Great Wall are still cold.

Listening to the sound of Hujia breaking willows at night makes people miss Chang'an.

This is Wang Han’s second “Liangzhou Ci”. This “Liangzhou Ci” does not describe the beautiful scenery of lonely smoke rising in the desert.

Instead, it is about a group of special people who used their flesh and blood to build a barrier for the Tang Dynasty.

However, the spring breeze does not reach the border, and even in late spring, it is still extremely cold!
This group of people described by the poet endured the bitter cold, spent one spring and autumn after another, and became the most magnificent scenery on the frontier!
The poet begins by saying that the flowers and birds in Qinzhong should have withered. The Qinzhong here now refers to the central plain of Shaanxi, and should refer to the northwestern border!
The word "岚" here means end, so what ends in the northwestern border?
Is it the birds that are gone? Or are the flowers gone?

Neither, spring is almost over.

The poet did not use spring words, but instead used flowers and birds to indicate that spring is almost over, which actually has another deeper meaning!
In the eyes of the world, spring, with its blooming flowers and chirping swallows, is the most pleasant time of the year. But is this the case in border areas?
The poet’s next sentence tells us the answer: It is true that the wind and sand outside the Great Wall are still cold.

Outside the Great Wall, it is a completely different world.

Even in late spring here, the sky is still full of wind and sand and it is extremely cold.

In such bad weather, will there be a beautiful scene of spring flowers blooming? Obviously, it is impossible!

The poet's previous sentence uses flowers and birds to represent spring, which makes it seem even more sad, because there will be no flowers and birds in extremely cold weather.

Instead, it reminds us of the flowers and birds in our hometown. How beautiful the spring in our hometown must be!

The contrast between the scenery of their hometown and the bitter cold before them aroused the soldiers' homesickness even more!

The poet also uses the word "you" here, which is really wonderful.

"You" means "still", indicating that the winter at the border is long and cold.

The border soldiers are here, guarding the border for the Tang Dynasty and enduring the bitter cold. They can be said to have worked hard and made great contributions!
Since the contribution is so great, is there a commendation? Obviously not!

Otherwise, the soldiers should be busy making achievements, so how could they miss their hometown?
Against this sad background, someone started playing the Hujia at night.

The music played by this person was "Breaking Willows", a song of separation.

When the Tang people parted, they had a special ritual in which they liked to send each other willow branches.

"Liu" and "liu" have the same pronunciation, which represents the feeling of reluctance to leave, so farewell songs also like to use willows to express the feeling of parting!

The music played by this person is so sad. Such pleasant sounds made many homesick soldiers unable to sleep!
How many strong soldiers cried so hard that their bedding was wet at night!

The poet said that it reminds people of Chang'an. The sentiment here refers to the feelings. How can we not think of the prosperous Chang'an! Our hometown!

"Wang Han is a conceited man, and he is very popular in the capital."

"Although I was promoted, I was still unhappy. I felt that such a small position was not commensurate with my talent and ambition."

"Under the persuasion of his old friend Zhang Shuo, Wang Han finally accepted the appointment to a place called Liangzhou."

"It was because of this appointment that he had the opportunity to become a shining star in the Tang Dynasty poetry world."

"At that time, Liangzhou was the place where the Tang Dynasty and the northwestern ethnic minorities fought each other. It was still a wild and desolate land."

"But the majestic northwestern battlefield scenery of Liangzhou really suits Wang Han's taste,"

"He didn't expect that there would be such a beautiful scenery at the frontier, which could inspire his heroic spirit."

“In particular, he was full of praise for the delicious wine produced there.”

"The bravery of the soldiers stirred his soul."

"The mellowness of the wine brought him endless inspiration."

"He was touched and immediately wrote a poem called 'Liangzhou Ci'."

"The luminous cup of wine and wine, if you want to drink the pipa, please remind me immediately."

"Don't laugh, Lord, who is lying drunk on the battlefield. How many people have fought in ancient times."

"Later, poems written in the new Yuefu style, Liangzhou Ci, had a great influence."

"However, Wang Han was at the border, and he was still thinking about the prosperous Chang'an."

"Unexpected events happen all the time. Zhang Shuo, Wang Han's great supporter, encountered an unexpected change in the court."

"Wang Han's fate was closely tied to that of Prime Minister Zhang Shuo. Zhang Yue was demoted, and the fire at the city gate affected everyone."

"Wang Han was also demoted, and his life began to go downhill."

"But being demoted is not a big deal for Wang Han."

"His life pursuit is to live freely, no matter how high or low his official rank is!"

"He has money, talent, and a bunch of literary friends, that's enough!"

"After Wang Han was demoted to Ruzhou, he resumed his previous bohemian life, writing and drinking every day."

"He also wrote poems with gloomy tones such as 'Flying Swallow' and 'Ancient Eyebrow Complaint', satirizing the extravagant life in the palace and lamenting the fate of palace maids, venting his dissatisfaction."

"The opponent immediately seized this evidence, and Wang Han was further demoted."

"From being a sixth-rank official in Ruzhou, he was demoted to being a sixth-rank official in Xianzhou. He simply spent his days hunting and singing in temples with scholars."

"His house was full of distinguished guests of honor. The mother of the famous scholar Du Hua, Cui, was particularly envious of Wang Han, who was both wealthy and talented."

"This news reached the court, and Wang Han was demoted to Daozhou Sima, and he was driven from Henan to Hunan."

"On his way to take office, Wang Han died at the age of 39."

"Many people say that if Wang Han had not been involved in officialdom, he might have been a free-spirited poet all his life."

"But who knows? Even if he entered officialdom, he would still be uninhibited and love freedom all his life."

Su Shi: A poet with deep emotions and unique artistic conception.

A banquet was held at the residence of Zhang Huizhen, the chief secretary of Bingzhou, which was decorated with lights and was extremely lively.

During the banquet, there was a wealthy young man who was dancing and composing poetry while holding a wine glass.

His poems were beyond words and were highly praised by the guests!
The young Wang Han was not only handsome but also had a noble bearing.

There is also Li Bai's talent, Qu Yuan's boldness, and Xin Qiji's casualness.

In addition, he has a family background that is rich enough to rival a country. He is truly a one-of-a-kind young man in the world!

She has beauty, talent, and family background, which is obviously a great card.

But because he took the wrong road, he was beaten to pieces!
The only way out for scholars is to take the imperial examination and become the top scholar, and Wang Han is no exception.

That year, Wang Han won the top spot in the imperial examination and had a stepping stone to become an official.

Unfortunately, due to his unruly personality, he was not selected and remained unemployed at home.

If it continues like this, it would be nice to be a writer.

But fate played a joke on him and Zhang Shuo became the prime minister.

Zhang Shuo and Wang Han had a very good relationship, and Zhang Shuo admired Wang Han's poems and essays very much!

Thanks to this big tree, Wang Han also became an official.

Zhang Shuo was dismissed from his post as prime minister, and next, Wang Han was also demoted.

While others were sad about being demoted, he didn't care and continued to drink, write poetry, and eat and drink. This time he angered a group of bureaucrats.

As a result, Wang Han was demoted to Xianzhou and served as Beijia, the deputy of the provincial governor.

After arriving in Xianzhou, Wang Han remained unchanged. He continued to drink, write poetry, and make friends. Even well-known scholars such as Zu Yong and Du Hua were his guests.

Wang Han is too high-profile. It is said that the jade is innocent, but the jade in his possession is guilty.

He was demoted again and was demoted to Sima of Daozhou.

This time he was not so lucky and died on the road to Daozhou!
Therefore, Wang Han may not be suitable for officialdom.

He is free and unrestrained and does not like the social customs of officialdom.

He has no ambition to speak up for the people, but instead loses his life on the official path!
Wang Han had high literary attainments. If he had always been a simple literati, would he have achieved greater success?

Perhaps his boldness also surpasses Li Bai.

His representative work of his life, "Two Songs of Liangzhou", is generous, tragic, and heart-wrenching, and is regarded as the masterpiece of Tang Dynasty's seven-character quatrain!

Wang Han's status is almost as high as that of frontier poets such as Wang Changling, Gao Shi, and Cen Shen!

His poems like to focus on young men on the battlefield, happy banquets, beautiful women, etc.

While lamenting the brevity of life, he consoled himself to enjoy life while he could and to be open-minded and optimistic. (End of this chapter)