The videos I watched became popular in ancient times

Among China's brilliant ancient poetry culture, Tang poetry and Song lyrics are undoubtedly the top representatives.

The graceful school of Song poetry certainly occupies half of the Song poetry.

The works of the graceful school usually focus on the long-lasting love between young men and women, and are subtle and implicit, full of gentle beauty!

The representative figures among them include a father and son - Yan Shu and his son.

There was no choice but to let the flowers fall, and it seemed that Yan once returned.

This sentence is Yan Shu's representative work, and Yan Shu's son's literary attainments are even better than Yan Shu's!

"Yan Jidao is a green bamboo left in the ruined imperial city of the Northern Song Dynasty. He is a footnote in the sad little lyrics."

"He is a rich young man who is indulging in hardship and adversity. He is a passer-by who is lost in tenderness and sweetness."

"People say he wrote a wonderful poem, but fate didn't favor him."

"A snow-white robe, a shadow of an ancient pine tree. Even if one has an arrogant and independent temperament, in the end, only the fallen leaves of the phoenix tree remain."

"The Northern Song Dynasty, a vast dynasty, could not accommodate a pure scholar."

"From adversity to despair, Yan Jidao experienced great ups and downs in his life."

"His life was full of no other strengths except poetry. This may be his sorrow and misfortune."

"Born in a prime minister's family, his family fell into poverty. He lived a noble and aloof life, but ended up in prison."

"Like Jia Baoyu in Dream of the Red Chamber, Yan Jidao was also a rich young man born with a silver spoon in his mouth."

"His father was the famous prime minister Yan Shu, who not only made great achievements in politics, but was also a great talent who was regarded as a child prodigy in poetry and prose writing since childhood."

"Yan Shu was 47 years old when he had his seventh son, Yan Jidao, so he doted on his youngest son."

"Yan Jidao lived up to expectations and inherited his father's excellent literary talent."

"I wrote essays at the age of seven, took the imperial examination at the age of fourteen, and passed the exam."

"Yan Jidao grew up surrounded by rouge and powder, which also tainted his early poems with the scent of rouge and powder."

"Splendid clothes and delicious food, surrounded by pearls and jade, young people wear fine clothes and ride horses, and have never experienced the hardships of life."

"In his prime, Yan Jidao enjoyed poetry and wine, and in his youth he lived a carefree life, without worrying about food and clothing."

"Because his six elder brothers have all entered official careers, he enjoys a leisurely life."

"There was no invasion by foreign enemies, nor any natural or man-made disasters during the middle period of the Northern Song Dynasty."

"In times of peace and prosperity, scholars and intellectuals are always particularly active."

"They often gathered together to recite poems and write couplets, had close contact with singing girls, and lingered in brothels and theaters, drinking and singing."

"Yan Jidao was also keen on this. He was a handsome man, and his family was rich and generous, so he was naturally able to please the singing girls."

"He enjoyed all the luxurious banquets in the world, and also contributed his poems of luxury and opulence."

"When they were drunk, he wrote the lyrics and the girl sang the music."

"For a moment, the air was filled with the lingering and sad works of Yan Jidao."

"A young man in his twenties is full of vigor and vitality. As an expert in music, he always enjoys partying every night."

“He writes about love between men and women, but also focuses on the resonance and resonance in love.”

"He did not indulge in worldly matters and get entangled in eroticism itself."

"It's about digging deep inside and unearthing the deeper, more detailed, and more subtle layers of relationship between men and women."

“And this is also the reason why there is always a hint of sadness in his short poems.”

"He is pure, he is infatuated, he is passionate."

Lu You: The two Yans refer to the Northern Song Dynasty poet Yan Shu and his son Yan Jidao. Their artistic achievements influenced the style of poetry of a generation. They are also one of the few famous father and son writers in history.

Yan Jidao's life is very similar to that of Jia Baoyu, both were born with a silver spoon in their mouths.

Neither of them liked the official path of imperial examinations, and both of them had experienced family decline, but Yan Jidao's family decline was not as severe as Yan Jidao's.

Moreover, Yan Jidao is indeed talented, in this respect he is better than Jia Baoyu.

Due to the failure of the Qingli New Deal, the 58-year-old Yan Shu was falling from the peak of his life.

Yan Shu died in the second year of Zhihe. At that time, Yan Jidao was only 7 years old. Yan Shu's younger sons were raised by his eldest daughter-in-law Zhang.

It can also be said that due to the absence of Yan Shu, Zhang, as a younger generation, did not do enough to cultivate the imperial examination awareness among these young sons.

As a result, Yan Shu's three youngest sons made almost no achievements in the imperial examinations, and Yan Jidao even despised them.

But Yan Shu was the prime minister after all, even after his death.

But with someone in the court, the Yan family was still safe.

Therefore, the young Yan Jidao still enjoyed the status and rich material life of a descendant of a prime minister.

The Song Dynasty was quite generous to scholars. In addition to giving officials extremely high treatment and status, the government also provided favors to the children of officials.

Therefore, if you want to get promoted quickly, you have to take the right path and take the imperial examination.

Therefore, ambitious children of officials were unwilling to seek official positions through patronage, but would rather take the imperial examinations.

Yan Jidao was aware of this situation, but he did not care. Perhaps it was his family status and personal talent that gave him an illusion, so Yan Jidao chose to enter the officialdom through family connections.

In the Song Dynasty, those who were appointed through imperial patronage usually entered officialdom at the age of 20, and Yan Jidao was also around the same age.

Due to the family halo, Yan Jidao just dealt with the situation during the first few years as an official, and spent the rest of the time thinking about music and wine.

Wang Anshi began to implement reforms as the Vice Prime Minister, and the Yan family as a whole leaned towards the old party, so the Yan family as a whole was involved in the political turmoil.

With no one in the court, the Yan family was completely exposed to the impact of the reformists.

But a minor character like Yan Jidao was only slightly implicated and his life ended directly.

Yan Jidao presented a poem to Han Wei, the prefect of Yingchang. The act of presenting a poem was to recommend oneself to the official.

Han Wei was also a disciple of Yan Shu. After receiving Yan Jidao's dedication, Han Wei's response was completely to teach the younger generation as an elder.

However, it was Han Wei's lesson that directly extinguished Yan Jidao's ambition for fame and fortune.

Another major event during the Yuanfeng period was that Yan Jidao wrote a poem in response to the edict of Song Shenzong.

Song Shenzong's reaction was to praise it highly and think it was good.

However, Yan Jidao did not rise to a high position because of this, otherwise he would not have been just a magistrate of Kaifeng Prefecture during the reign of Emperor Huizong of Song.

"Whether it's reminiscing about the past, experiencing the joy of love, or lamenting the passing of time."

"He always uses the shortest, most lyrical and most poignant words to express such strong emotions."

“You don’t seem to see any rationality in Yan Jidao.”

"People at that time didn't understand, and neither did the world. Everyone called his words "ghost language."

"But if you lie drunkenly among the flowers for too long, you will never wake up again."

"Yan Jidao's good days did not last long. In 1055, Yan Shu died of illness."

"The wind, frost and sword of life immediately attacked Yan Shu. After living a life of success for too long, people will inevitably become tired."

"Yan Shu is no exception. How can a bird that has lived in a golden cage since childhood know the difficulties of life?"

"Yan Shu's funeral was very grand, Emperor Renzong came in person, and all officials came to pay their respects."

"The Xiangfu Mansion, which had lasted for more than fifty years, was burning with its last prosperity, and the guests coming and going silently spoke of Yan Shu's fame during his lifetime."

"Amid the dim lights, the spoiled and wealthy young man had a slightly confused look in his eyes."

"Yan Jidao also had no idea how harsh the future would be for him."

"From his perspective, nothing was so bad."

"Yan Jidao's second brother and second sister-in-law always loved him. After Yan Shu left, his second son and second daughter-in-law took on the responsibility of running this big family."

"They not only took good care of their younger brothers and sisters, but also arranged for their seventh brother Yan Jidao to marry a wife and set up a family."

"Although Yan Jidao himself disliked officialdom, he was able to enter the government through family connections and was offered a small position as the Grand Master of the Imperial Academy of Rites."

"This official position is responsible for ancestral temple sacrifices, away from the corruption of officialdom, which is also in line with Yan Jidao's character."

"If Yan Jidao wasn't so unruly, so aloof and proud, he would have been just a well-behaved scholar with a bit of talent."

"Then with his talent and the influence of his father Yan Shu, his career would definitely not stop here."

"But gradually, the prosperous and bustling Xiangfu became deserted, and his wife's cold eyes and scolding forced Yan Jidao to face up to his current ruined life."

"He also tried to write a poem to present to Emperor Renzong of Song, which was full of auspicious words."

"He also dedicated a poem to Han Wei, a former student of his father, but the other party coldly rebuked him for having more talent than virtue."

"The autumn grass is withering, the sun is setting, and it is raining heavily."

"Wang Anshi's reforms led to thousands of miles of desolate land. Zheng Xia, who pleaded for the people, successively painted two paintings and presented them to the emperor."

"This action angered the new law faction, and Zheng Xia was exiled to a remote area."

"Yan Jidao, who had always had close ties with Zheng Xia, was also implicated and thrown into prison."

"In addition, a poem by Yan Jidao was found in Zheng Xia's home, and the New Law School insisted that he was satirizing the nouveau riche."

"Fortunately, Song Shenzong appreciated his talent and released him." Xin Qiji: A man is standing alone among falling flowers, swallows are flying in the light rain, and the infatuated man Yan Jidao spent his life drunkenly lying among flowers.

When Yan Jidao was born, Yan Shu not only held a high official position, but was also famous throughout the world.

Yan Jidao was Yan Shu's youngest son and was deeply loved since childhood.

It was precisely because of this kind of favor that Yan Jidao began to be exposed to his father's poems and essays at a very young age.

Although his father's poems did have some influence on Yan Jidao, it was Yan Jidao's extraordinary literary talent that had a greater impact on him. He was able to write at the age of only 7.

When he was 14 years old, Yan Jidao took the imperial examination and passed the exam, becoming a Jinshi at an early age.

At this time, Yan Shu held an important position, and Yan Jidao's six brothers all entered official careers.

It can be said that Yan Jidao had no pressure in life. He drank and wrote poetry every day, enjoying the carefree life of a romantic young man.

Unfortunately, this happy life did not last long. After Yan Shu passed away, Yan Jidao immediately felt the social pressure coming at him.

All of a sudden, those cronies who had served him like a hawk in the past made him realize how fickle the world is!
Fortunately, with the care of his second brother, Yan Jidao was able to barely marry and live.

Although the court appreciated Yan Shu's contribution and appointed Yan Jidao as Taizhu of Taichang Temple, Yan Jidao was arrested and imprisoned soon after because his poems offended the New Party.

Although he was released later, after this ordeal, Yan Jidao, who already had little income, found his situation even more difficult.

Yan Jidao, who was in his prime, encountered setbacks in his official career. He no longer had any lofty ambitions and once again indulged in poetry and wine.

It was also at this time that Yan Jidao met Huang Tingjian. The two drank and wrote poetry and became good friends!
Although Yan Jidao encountered many setbacks, he also wanted to realize his political ideals like his father.

When Yan Jidao heard that Han Wei was the prefect of Yingchang, he became interested.

Because Han Wei was once a disciple of his father Yan Shu, and Yan Jidao felt that he was full of talent.

So he presented the work to Han Wei, hoping to get his support.

But Yan Shu had already passed away at this time, and Han Wei did not intend to give Yan Jidao this face.

Directly ridiculing Yan Jidao, he said that his talent was indeed good, but his moral character was questionable.

At this time, Yan Jidao once again felt the boundless indifference. The kindness between the former brothers was long gone.

From then on, Yan Jidao completely gave up on his career advancement and no longer considered those illusory political ideals and life ambitions.

I began to linger in the songs of the brothels and feel the touch brought by the graceful poems! I changed my career from being an official to writing lyrics, and at the same time, I started a life of romance and drunkenness in the flowers!
At that time, Yan Jidao had a few good friends, and they often laughed, talked and drank together.

One of his good friends had several singing girls at home. Whenever Yan Jidao wrote new poems, his friend would ask the singing girls to sing together.

These singing girls were young and pretty, with melodious voices and graceful dancing. Yan Jidao was often intoxicated by them.

Among them, there was a singing girl who made Yan Jidao extremely obsessed, but because she was his friend's concubine, Yan Jidao never expressed his desire for her.

At that time, Yan Jidao had almost no desire to make progress, but it was his deep affection for these singing girls that gave Yan Jidao a place to put his thoughts.

It was the company of these singing girls that allowed Yan Jidao to enjoy the pleasure of lying drunkenly among flowers, appreciating the moon and tasting wine.

Yan Jidao also incorporated his infatuation with the singing girls into his Xiaoshan poems, leaving them for future generations to appreciate!

"Going to jail brings shame to my ancestors, being aloof makes my career difficult, and if I am unwilling to give up my dignity and pride, I can only pursue pleasure in an isolated utopia."

"Since then, Yan Jidao's career has never improved."

"He resigned early and returned home to live a life of poetry and wine."

"Until 1110, Yan Jidao passed away at the age of over , ending his eventful life."

"After Yan Jidao passed away, his poems remain timeless."

"It shines brightly in the history of Chinese poetry and becomes a milestone with profound and distinctive significance."

"Except for the three long tunes of Yan Jidao, the rest are short tunes."

"These short poems have both the artistic qualities of elegance and grandeur, and they inherit the elegance and richness of his father's poems, while also incorporating the charming and popular style of Liu's poems."

"The singing of the singing girls made the ci, which had always been denounced as obscene, enter the mainstream."

"Yan Jidao's pure love and infatuation gave his poems a distinct personal label."

"Truthfulness and foolishness are the characteristics of Yan Jidao's personality, and so are his poems."

"Yan Jidao's friend had four singing girls named Lian, Hong, Ping and Yun in his family. Most of Yan Jidao's lyrics were sung by these four girls."

"Later, because his friend was seriously ill, he dismissed the singing girls, and Yan Jidao felt sad about their departure."

"At the same time, he was also reminiscing about the indulgent years that he could never go back to, which gave rise to Yan Jidao's famous "Linjiangxian" and "Zheqiaotian."

"For Yan Jidao, living forever in a dream is his eternal destination, and reality is just another dream of his."

"He is a lovely man who is naive and foolish. He is a friend who can indulge in singing and drinking, but he is not an ideal husband."

"He gave all his love and affection to the singing girls who had only met him once, but made the girls beside him suffer from hunger and cold together with him."

"Because of the poverty of their lives, they want to migrate frequently."

"Yan Jidao always moved his precious collection of books around, fearing that they would be lost."

"But his wife hated these books and said he was like a beggar carrying bowls."

"Yan Jidao knew that his wife was unhappy, so he wrote a poem to her respectfully, hoping that she would be willing to share the same sentiment."

"For a scholar, a book is like a bowl to a beggar."

"Although his wife doesn't understand him, he can't blame her."

"Because in the face of the hardships of life, all artistic pursuits seem so insignificant."

"It's a pity that when people talk about Yan Jidao nowadays, they can't avoid the clinking of glasses and the fragrance of red sleeves."

"He is like Jia Baoyu who is sealed in the Grand View Garden which is made of rouge, powder and pearls."

"And everything in his life was frozen in the world by the singing of four singing girls: Lian, Hong, Ping, and Yun."

"And his nobility, honesty, stubbornness, arrogance, his heart as pure as a child, his independence from the world."

"They are all covered up in the drunkenness and sorrow, leaving only a sigh of regret."

Yue Fei: A poet of the Northern Song Dynasty who is not very well-known in modern times, but everyone may be familiar with his father Yan Shu.

Xiao Yan was Yan Shu's seventh son. Yan Shu was almost 50 years old when he was born.

Yan Shu, who had a son in his old age, may have passed on all his lifelong talent to this spoiled son.

You know, Yan Shu was the most famous child prodigy in the Song Dynasty.

He took the imperial examination at the age of 14 and was granted the title of Jinshi. From then on, he began a glorious official career that lasted for fifty years, and his highest position was prime minister.

He accumulated great reputation for the Yan family, and his disciples were spread throughout the court and the country.

One can imagine how carefree and beautiful Yan Jidao's childhood was.

But when he was sixteen or seventeen years old, his father Yan Shu passed away, and he was taken care of by his eldest sister-in-law.

Because of his solid foundation and wealthy family background, Yan Jidao formed a small circle with several famous young men in the capital.

This small circle was quite exclusive to others and could only accommodate free-spirited noblemen like them.

In the home of a certain young man there were four singing girls, Lian, Hong, Ping and Yun, who were both beautiful and talented. Yan Jidao praised them all highly.

Falling flowers are independent, and the Swift is flying.

This famous quote was his praise for Xiaoping. He was leisurely enjoying this innocent and happy time.

When you are around thirty years old, misfortune will strike you unexpectedly.

Because of the "Picture of the Refugees" incident, Yan Jidao was belatedly involved in party disputes and was almost imprisoned.

The family suffered a series of severe hardships. First, his brother-in-law was dismissed from his post as prime minister by Emperor Shenzong of Song, and then his nephew's husband was exiled outside the capital.

At this time, the Yan family was unable to recover and fell into decline.

Before this, Yan Jidao was appointed as a minor official due to his father's official position.

At this time, perhaps feeling the decline of his family's financial situation, he began to think about seeking advancement.

He presented a high-spirited work to the junior teacher Han Wei, but was met with a barrage of criticism.

From then on, Yan Jidao no longer cared about his failed career.

Scholarly temperament and arrogance became his motto.

Even Huang Tingjian's mentor, the great talent Su Dongpo, wanted to meet him, but he refused with the excuse that he had guests at home.

Because of his lowly official position, Yan Jidao's deeds are not often recorded in history books.

In his later years, Yan Jidao had already become famous throughout the country.

The Song Dynasty began to decline during the reign of Emperor Huizong. The powerful Prime Minister Cai Jing asked him for a poem, so he wrote two poems called "Partridge Sky".

He did not do this out of fear of offending the powerful as described in unofficial history books, but rather he did it calmly and even happily.

They are just two poems about love between young men and women, without any compliments or flattery.

Perhaps, after experiencing many things, he really has become indifferent.

Perhaps, after wandering around and searching for his whole life, he found that he only had that unchanging pride. (End of this chapter)