The Great Tang General

In late spring in March, butterflies dance and orioles sing.

Li Xuan drove to Wangchuan Valley in Lantian County to visit the seriously ill Wang Wei.

Wang Wei has resigned for a long time due to illness.

He was the Secretary General of the Secretariat. In fact, everything in the Secretariat was handled by Jia Zhi and Pei Kuan.

When Li Longji passed away this time, Wang Wei did not go.

Lantian and Chang'an are very close.

But for the seriously ill Wang Wei, this distance was out of reach.

The historical Wang Wei had already passed away at this time.

However, the peace in the country allowed Wang Wei to live a few more months. But he was old and alone after all. Although he had friends, many of them had no one to turn to.

Wangchuan Villa, green lamps and ancient Buddhas.

Wang Wei and Li Bai are the two most representative poets in the heyday of the Tang Dynasty.

With them, poetry can soar.

The reason why Kaiyuan and Tianbao are praised by later generations is that great poets such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Wang Wei, Meng Haoran, He Zhizhang, Wang Zhihuan, Wang Changling, Gao Shi and Cen Shen lived in this era.

Not to mention a group of famous poets such as Zhang Jiuling, Zhang Shuo, Cui Hao, Zhang Ruoxu, Chang Jian, Wang Han, Han Hong, and Li Qi.

But the poets left one by one, things changed and people changed, which made people sad.

Even now, Li Xuan asked his secretary, Jia Zhi, to initiate the ancient Chinese literature movement.

Du Fu, the master of poetry, opened a new chapter in modern poetry.

But the past is gone forever.

So Li Xuan arrived at the Wangchuan Valley with a heavy heart.

Decades ago, the Tang Dynasty poet Song Zhiwen built Wangchuan Villa in the Wangchuan Valley.

Song Zhiwen saw the natural beauty of the forests and springs in Wangchuan and built a natural garden based on the local conditions.

It has always been full of poetry and painting.

Wang Wei, who was a master of poetry and painting, had the idea of ​​retiring to the countryside as early as the late Kaiyuan period.

He took over the Wangchuan villa and started running it.

I have used my own salary to develop the company bit by bit over the past 20 years to where it is today.

After Li Xuan arrived at the entrance of Wangchuan Valley, he ordered the imperial guards to garrison outside.

He entered the valley with only a few Yulin Lang and officials from the Secretariat.

The flying birds leave and the mountains return to their autumn colors.

The mountains are high and steep, with dense forests, mostly green pines and autumn trees.

The flowers and plants are vying for beauty, in a riot of colour.

It is spring now, but it is still appropriate.

As you go deeper, you can hear the sound of a gurgling stream.

In the entire Wangchuan Villa, apart from a temple with five monks, there were also Wang Wei and two servants, and two officials from the Secretariat.

Since Li Xuan did not notify anyone in advance, the people in the valley did not know that Li Xuan had arrived.

It was a servant who discovered that the emperor's flag had fallen outside the valley and hurried to inform Wang Wei.

Wang Wei, who was in his sixties, walked out of the house with the help of two servants, supporting his old and sick body.

Even so, it still falters.

Fortunately, we live in a flat valley, otherwise it would be impossible to walk.

Li Xuan, led by an official from the Secretariat, saw Wang Wei being supported by others.

He immediately stepped forward and said to Wang Wei, "Wait a minute, Mo Jie, why is this happening?"

All in all, Li Xuan met Wang Wei once in the court half a year before he went on the expedition against the Uighurs.

Later, Wang Wei was in poor health, so Li Xuan asked him to return to Wangchuan to recuperate.

In the past, even when he was old, Wang Wei still had an extraordinary temperament, and his every move was calm and relaxed.

Some are as detached and free as when you walk to the end of the water and sit until the clouds rise.

Wang Wei is now on his deathbed, feeling depressed and old.

From his spirit to his clothing, he is no different from an old man in the mountains.

In his later years, Wang Wei believed in Zen Buddhism even more. He stopped eating meat and even stopped drinking alcohol.

As human beings, not eating meat is not good for the body.

Because Li Xuan knew that not eating meat would lead to nutritional imbalance and more diseases.

It is better to use occasional exceptions to summarize everything.

It was impossible for Li Xuan to force people like Li Mi and Wang Wei who had strong faith.

"Your Majesty, I will certainly welcome you. But I am old and sick, so I cannot do my best."

Wang Wei replied to Li Xuan.

"Today I am in casual clothes. I am not here as a king, but as a friend, visiting a close friend. No need for formalities."

Li Xuan held Wang Wei's hand and spoke emotionally.

Wang Wei was the poet with whom he interacted the most, even more than the total time Li Xuan spent interacting with other poets.

Most of his musical styles came from Wang Wei's teachings.

"Help Mo Jie into the house quickly..."

After saying this, Li Xuan ordered the servants to help Wang Wei into the house.

Wang Wei was also deeply moved.

His consciousness seemed to go back to nineteen years ago, also in spring. The scene of "the drizzle on the street was as soft as butter" was a past he could never return to.

I never thought that Li Xuan would achieve such success.

In prosperous times, people long for kings, princes, generals and ministers.

Li Xuan is competing with the sky.

The king is light and the people are heavy, which is a phrase that Li Xuan has always said.

People often say that Emperor Taizong's style was no more than this.

We can only compare ourselves with Li Xuan by using the imaginary "Era of Yao and Shun".

With each passing day, things have become different.

It is a regret for Wang Wei to grow old in these glorious years.

He wanted to be the same age as He Zhizhang and take a look at the Tang Dynasty twenty years later.

But it is just wishful thinking after all.

What is even more regrettable is that there are no descendants to tell Wang Mojie, who is in his grave, about the plight of the people of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Xuan chatted with Wang Wei and arrived at the house where Wang Wei lived.

Wang Wei's Wangchuan villa is not luxurious, it can even be said to be very simple.

It can only be said that it is time-consuming and laborious to create.

The simplicity of the great way and the natural image may be the paradise in Wang Wei's mind.

Being in love with mountains and rivers, this kind of spiritual state will bring spiritual comfort to future generations.

Even thousands of years later, landscape poetry and ink-and-wash landscape paintings are still popular.

Taoyuan Pastoral is also a spiritual sanctuary for Chinese people when they are under great pressure.

"What do you need, Mojie? Please tell me."

Li Xuan asked Wang Wei as he helped him sit down in front of the bed.

"People in the mountains don't have any needs. Being able to see the Supreme before dying is the greatest satisfaction."

I have been feeling drowsy many times in recent days.

Especially some time ago, he was preparing to go to Xingqing Palace to pay homage to Li Longji.

He fainted as soon as he got in the car.

I had to turn back.

The medicine from Jishengtang is no longer effective. He knows his own body well and knows that he doesn’t have much time left.

At this moment, Wang Wei was very satisfied to see Li Xuan.

Wang Wei also had a younger brother. The two were raised by their orphan mother and had a very close relationship.

Both of them passed the imperial examination and became Jinshi, which became a good story for a time.

But Wang Wei knew that his younger brother was eager for quick success and was only a fifth-rank official, but he never recommended him to Li Xuan.

Let nature take its course. It depends on how far my brother can go. "Don't say that, Mojie. You have the Buddha's blessing and you will gradually recover."

Li Xuan comforted Wang Wei.

Wang Wei's vitality was depleted, and he developed a hidden disease. The imperial physician told him that Wang Wei was already terminally ill and could not be cured with current medical technology, unless Hua Tuo was reborn.

"I saw in the Tang Monthly that classical Chinese was on the rise, with the supreme works On Teachers and On Horses, which were breathtaking. There were also a number of poets, especially Du Zimei, whose poetry was unfamiliar, but whose words and sentences were well-crafted and whose thoughts were unparalleled. My time has passed."

Wang Wei smiled slightly, he knew that Li Xuan was comforting him.

Even if I die tomorrow, I will die tomorrow.

He just wanted to see the future of the Tang Dynasty.

If it really doesn't work, you can ask other Tang people in your nine springs.

"Each generation has its own talented people, each of whom leads the trend for hundreds of years. Since ancient times, literature has been constantly changing with the times and the times people have encountered. It can be heavy, desolate, prosperous, and all-encompassing, all depending on the changes in the country."

Li Xuan replied to Wang Wei slowly.

He once intended to create a hundred schools of thought.

But he knew that he could not go back to that era, and it would be impossible to go back.

This is an era of great unification, and thoughts must be unified.

Only in this way can we move towards a new era.

"It is a blessing for the world and the people that the Supreme Being can think this way."

In Wang Wei's heart, Li Xuan was a sage king.

The deeds of Yao and Shun are unknown, but Li Xuan actually existed in the world.

He can restrain his desires, share weal and woe with the common people, and always put the interests of the country and the people first in everything he does.

In the middle and late Kaiyuan period, Prime Minister Han Xiu dared to speak out against the emperor.

If Li Longji did anything immoral, Han Xiu's advice would soon reach Li Longji.

Even when Li Longji went hunting, he had to do it secretly.

Gao Lishi was indignant about this. Seeing that Li Longji was becoming increasingly thinner because he could not indulge in pleasure, he told Li Longji that Han Xiu should not be allowed to damage the dignity of the emperor.

But Li Longji said the famous saying that has been passed down through the ages: Although I look thin, everyone in the world is fat.

Facts have proved that what a person says is useless. It depends on how he does it. Therefore, "unity of knowledge and action" is the highest realm.

Many great figures and poets in history have said things that are completely contrary to what they actually said.

Not long after Li Longji uttered this famous saying, he dismissed Han Xiu from his position as prime minister, who had only been in office for eight months.

Then came the self-indulgence in the late Kaiyuan period.

Li Xuan was the complete opposite of Li Longji.

There is a popular saying in Chang'an now: The emperor has no majesty, and the people are prosperous.

People say that Emperor Li Xuan is the least dignified emperor in the world.

There were no three palaces and six courtyards; the eunuch system was abolished; countless palace maids were released from the palace; a large number of imperial doctors were sent out of the palace to treat the poor people; the ceremonial guard was reduced by two-thirds; all the palaces were closed, including the Huaqing Palace and the Daming Palace.

This kind of savings is not just about apparent expenses.

With the leaders setting an example, everyone in the court, both civil and military officials, encouraged themselves and did not dare to be extravagant.

Countless wealth was used for people's livelihood, improving roads, building charity halls, rural schools, and charity churches, establishing factories for daily use, changing agricultural technology, and encouraging people to grow new varieties of fruits and vegetables.

Everything is a virtuous cycle.

Wang Wei was also shocked. How could the emperor be like this?

In the past, the whole country supported the emperor and the princes and nobles of Chang'an.

Now we are establishing provinces, developing central cities, and using national financial and tax support to feed back to local areas.

In the past, local governments would offer treasures as tributes every year, but now this is no longer necessary.

"Supreme Lord, when I was young, I didn't want to live in seclusion among the mountains and rivers, but the court was treacherous, and I wasted half my life, and my career was full of ups and downs. After I realized that the late emperor appointed me to a high position because of my status as the world's literary master, in order to whitewash the situation, I became disheartened and hid in this Wangchuan and walked on the Zhongnan Mountains. I am no longer able to assist the Supreme Lord, I am an incompetent person."

Before his death, Wang Wei told Li Xuan his true feelings again.

People believe that he is an extraordinary hermit, half-recluse and half-official, with a profound level of spiritual attainment.

But who is willing to do this?

When Li Xuan seized power, although Wang Wei was the Secretary General, he chose not to assist him.

Seeing Li Xuan's ruthlessness in politics, Wang Wei finally realized that he did not have such top-level political ability.

He went to a local government to be a prefect, but he had no power to do so.

What Li Xuan wants is a capable and pragmatic person like Jia Zhi, or a ruthless person like Yan Zhuang.

"This is Mo Jie's mission, don't worry about it. There are ministers and prime ministers in the world, like carp crossing the river. But there is only one Wang Wei!"

Li Xuan smiled.

He already knew what the poets were thinking.

For most poets and writers, their first priority is to become an official. Only when they fail to become an official and encounter setbacks do they grow into great poets.

Just like Du Fu’s poem in his previous life, “Fame is not achieved through writing, one should retire from office due to old age and illness”, no matter how good the poems are, being famous for writing is not his first wish.

It cannot be said that poets are obsessed with power.

Cultivate oneself, manage the family, govern the country and bring peace to the world. This is the philosophy of this era.

Everything is of inferior quality, but reading is of high quality.

Studying means becoming an official, which was the limitation of the agricultural era.

People believe that only people like Yao Chong and Song Jing can leave their names in history.

If poets like Li Bai and Wang Wei knew that they would be far more famous than Yao Chong and Song Jing in later generations, how would they feel?

"Huaian, go get my Wangchuan Tu."

Wang Wei felt relieved and ordered his servants to take out his most proud work.

The servant immediately took out the wrapped "Wangchuan Tu" from the cabinet.

"This is my best work, and I am giving it to the Supreme today!"

Wang Wei then signaled his servant to present the "Wangchuan Tu" to Li Xuan.

He believed that Li Xuan understood painting because Li Xuan commented on him that "there is painting in poetry and poetry in painting".

Li Xuan took the "Wangchuan Tu" and slowly opened it...

In the picture, pavilions and terraces are hidden among the mountains and green waters, simple and dignified.

Outside the pavilion, clouds and water flowed freely under the mountain, and occasionally boats passed by. The people inside played chess and drank wine. They played pot-tossing and wine-cup-flowing. Each of them was wearing a scholar's cap and feathered robe, and looked gloomy.

I can really see landscape poetry in the painting.

This is Wang Wei's pioneering work.

He had painted "Wangchuan Tu" for many years, but he was reluctant to give it to others.

Because the inspiration burst out in an instant, he could no longer replicate the "Wangchuan Tu".

Everything in the current "Wangchuan Tu" does not exist in the Wangchuan Valley, but the contrast makes the two complement each other.

Now I give it to Li Xuan.

"Thank you for the gift, Mo Jie. Mo Jie's poems and paintings will be passed down through the ages. I will keep them carefully and read them with recollection."

Li Xuan liked it very much at first sight.

Apart from Wu Daozi, Wang Wei's paintings were more famous during the heyday of the Tang Dynasty.

Today’s calligraphy and paintings are just gifts between literati, but the "Wangchuan Tu" of the future will definitely be a priceless treasure.

For the next two days, Li Xuan stayed in Wangchuan Villa to accompany Wang Wei.

Wang Wei was still humorous, talking about the funny things about Du Fu, the embarrassing things about Meng Haoran, and the old-fashionedness of Wang Changling...

The only person not mentioned was Li Bai.

After all, they have common friends, but there is no overlap in the literature.

Is it that scholars look down on each other?

I'm afraid not.

He did not discuss politics with Li Xuan. He also did not discuss his own Zen, because he knew that Li Xuan did not believe in Buddhism. He only talked about calligraphy, painting, music, and past events.

After all, Li Xuan could not stay in his villa in Wangchuan for several months like ordinary literati.

Two days later, he could only say goodbye in tears.

Du Fu said, "Tomorrow we will be separated by mountains and the world will be vast and boundless", but that's because it is very far away!

Chang'an is very close to Lantian.

But Li Xuan could not let his emotions get the better of him. He finally understood why the emperor was called a lonely man.

(End of this chapter)