History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 944: Later Lord Li Yu (Part )

"Li Yu Ben Yu"

Li Yu was born on the Chinese Valentine's Day in 937 AD and died on the Chinese Valentine's Day in 978 AD. On October 937, 10, Li Yu's grandfather Xu Zhigao usurped the throne of Wu and established himself as the emperor. The Southern Tang Dynasty was officially founded. At that time, Li Yu was not even 5 days old.

Li Yu's appearance was very distinctive. Historical records say that he had "a broad forehead, plump cheeks, overlapping teeth, and a double pupil in one eye", which is what we often hear about: a full forehead and a square chin, a standard appearance of an emperor. Moreover, one of his eyes had double pupils. Since Xiang Yu, double pupils have also been regarded as a distinctive appearance of an emperor.

His elder brother Li Hongji hated his emperor face very much, and the more he looked at it, the more he disliked it. This is also one of the reasons why Li Yu was low-key and introverted since childhood, liked reading and writing, and took the initiative to stay away from military and politics.

Some people also believe that the powerful Li Hongji was the culprit for Li Yu's "temperament of dooming the country". At first, Li Yu deliberately acted like a playboy and aloof from the world, and as he pretended, it became true.

Li Yu was not only good at poetry, but also proficient in calligraphy, painting, and music. In short, like Song Huizong, he could do everything except being an emperor.

In calligraphy, Li Yu learned from Ouyang Xun and Liu Gongquan in his early years, and later studied Yan Zhenqing, Chu Suiliang and others. Later, he focused on Wang Xizhi. He learned from the strengths of many schools and formed his own calligraphy style without sticking to copying. He is best at running script, and it is said that his calligraphy has the flavor of Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi.

Li Yu innovated and created his own unique "Golden Knife" writing style, in which "big characters are like cut bamboo and wood, and small characters are like gathered iron nails."

Li Yu also pioneered the writing method of "Cujinshu", which means abandoning the pen and instead using a scroll of silk to dip in ink and write on a large paper. His characters are "as agile as a swimming dragon and as graceful as a startled swan."

More than a hundred years later, the artist emperor Song Huizong collected Li Yu's authentic works in his inner palace, and they were officially included in the "Xuanhe Calligraphy Collection". It was the highest honor for artists to be recognized by Song Huizong.

Li Yu was also a calligraphy theorist. The common saying today, "the handwriting reflects the person", was first proposed by Li Yu. However, his original intention was to say that people would have different artistic conceptions in calligraphy at different ages. For example, when a person is in his prime, his calligraphy is also strong and unstoppable.

Calligraphers are usually collectors. Li Yu collected many authentic works of his predecessors. It is said that he had more than 100,000 volumes, including a large number of authentic works by Wang Xizhi and Zhong Yao. Li Yu once offered high prices and spent a lot of money to buy various famous calligraphy and paintings. Unfortunately... almost all of his collections have been lost. Some people say that he burned these priceless treasures before surrendering.

In terms of painting, Li Yu's painting subjects include figures, landscapes, flowers and birds, and he is best at painting bamboo. He also has his own characteristics in painting bamboo, which later generations called the "iron hook lock" method. His paintings were also collected by Song Huizong.

In terms of music, Li Yu wrote an article to continue "On Music" and composed music for the ci tune "Nian Jia Shan", which is Li Yu's original song "Dong Feng Po"... No, it's "Nian Jia Shan Po". "Nichang Yuyi Qu" composed by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang is a shining pearl in the history of Chinese music and dance. It was lost after the "Anshi Rebellion". Li Yu accidentally got a fragment of the score, and then restored it with his superb musical talent and arranged a performance, which became a miracle in the history of music.

"The last ruler Li Yu"

When Li Yu succeeded to the throne, the national strength of Southern Tang was in a stage of accelerated decline, and the whole country was exuding a sense of decline and despair. Li Yu was good at refraining from killing, cherishing the people's strength, abolishing many harsh taxes, and pushing for reforms (although it ended in failure). Historical records commented that he brought more than ten years of peace and stability to Southern Tang (he respected the Central Plains and was not afraid of being humble, and the country enjoyed peace for more than ten years).

Overall, although he was not a wise ruler, he was definitely not a hateful tyrant.

The fact that he was not the king who lost his country but the one who led it can only be said that the Southern Tang Dynasty was too far away from God and too close to the Song Dynasty. People's attitude towards Li Yu, the king who lost his country, is more of a pity.

According to records, when the news of Li Yu's death reached Jiangnan, "many elders were crying in the streets."

Although Li Yu had the ambition to revive the Southern Tang Dynasty, he could not get rid of the temperament of national destruction that followed him like a shadow.

1. Blindly worshipping Buddhism and Taoism

Li Yu built many Buddhist temples and gave alms to monks, which was contrary to Chai Rong's correct approach and caused a certain degree of damage to the national economy. The Song Dynasty sent a "little elder" to Li Yu to help him get further and further away from the wrong path. When the Song army surrounded Shengzhou, the "little elder" and the Song army jointly sang a double act. That day, the Song army approached Shengzhou, and Li Yu summoned the "little elder" to discuss the strategy of repelling the enemy. The "little elder" chanted Amitabha, lifted his monk's robe, took monk's steps, came to the top of the city wall, waved the flag in his hand, and said, "Retreat--" the Song army really retreated.

Li Yu was pleasantly surprised and became a more devout believer in Buddhism and the "Little Elder". From then on, the Southern Tang defenders had an additional daily task - collectively reciting the "Savior of the Suffering Avalokitesvara Sutra", so the whole city was "reciting". Representing the Buddha to destroy you, do you still remember the palm technique that fell from the sky?
If the Buddha really had the power to repel the enemy, why didn't he send the Song army back to Bianzhou? Li Yu then asked the "Little Elder" to make persistent efforts and let the Song army outside the city accept the punishment of the Buddha.

"I have no more mana. Wait for me to recover..." (I am sick and cannot afford it)

The "Little Elder" teamed up with Huangfu Jixun, Xu Yuanyu and others to deceive Li Yu, making him believe that the loyal and brave Southern Tang army, which was blessed by the Buddha, had already repelled the Song army thousands of miles away. Until that day, he saw with his own eyes the Song army camps and camps outside the city. The truth was so cruel that Li Yu suddenly realized it and killed Huangfu Jixun first, and then poisoned the "Little Elder".

2. Luxury and corruption

2.1 "Jindongtian"

Spring is here, everything is coming back to life, and it is the breeding season. During this restless season when grass grows and birds fly, Li Yu would make partitions on beams, doors, windows, steps, and walls, and then insert various exotic flowers and plants, and personally write the three characters "Jin Dong Tian" on them.

In fact, he could have written another subtitle: The Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

2.2 "Penglai Purple"

In a temple on Mount Lushan, there was a cluster of musk sac flowers, which were a rare purple color and were elegantly called "Purple Wind" by people. When Li Yu heard about it, he immediately issued an edict to fetch dozens of them, transplanted them to the Yifeng Hall, and named them "Penglai Purple".

2.3 Moon Palace Tianhe
Qixi Festival was both Valentine's Day and the king's birthday in Southern Tang. On every Qixi Festival, Li Yu would decorate the house with red and white silks, which looked like a river in the sky, and feast all night long. One birthday party would consume more than a hundred pieces of silks.

2.4 Top luxury decoration
In the palace, Li Yu used gold thread and red silk to make wallpaper, platinum for nails, and tortoise shell decoration. The windows were made of emerald and red silk. He built a small pavilion that was extremely luxurious and could only accommodate two people - Li Yu and his beloved Concubine Zhou. Plum blossoms were planted outside the pavilion, so the pavilion was named "Plum Pavilion", which is said to be a tribute to Emperor Taizong of Tang and Empress Zhangsun.

2.5 Flue gas
According to unofficial historical records, when the Song Dynasty conquered the Southern Tang, a Song general got a favorite concubine of Li Yu. This concubine was very interesting. She would "close her eyes whenever she saw the lights" because she said the smoke was too heavy and she couldn't open her eyes.

General Song was very considerate of women, and he quickly ordered people to turn off the lights, and then considerately lit a small candle.

The concubine still kept her eyes closed and said that it was even more irritating to the eyes (the smoke was even worse).

General Song was completely confused. "My dear, you really can't make me do anything. Don't you light lights in the palace of Southern Tang?" Then, he heard a shocking explanation and couldn't help but sigh that poverty limited his imagination:

"At night, a large pearl is hung in the main pavilion of the palace, illuminating the whole room like the sun."

Jewels and splendor are not just adjectives. As long as you are rich enough, your dreams can not only come true, but also illuminate the palace and halls.

I wish all book friends a happy Labor Day! Please avoid peak hours when going out, as it is really congested

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(End of this chapter)