Jinting Han people

Chapter 20 The New Teacher in the Bamboo Forest
The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove refers to seven famous scholars during the Zhengshi period of the Cao Wei Dynasty. They are Ruan Ji, Ji Kang, Shan Tao, Liu Ling, Ruan Xian, Xiang Xiu and Wang Rong. They are called the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove because they liked to socialize in the bamboo grove.

For later generations, these four words resonate deeply, evoking a broad-minded, indifferent, yet proud temperament. However, if one gets down to the heart of the matter and cites their deeds, most people are left scratching their heads. Ultimately, only Ji Kang and Ruan Ji truly left their names on the world.

In his early years, Ji Kang served in the Cao Wei dynasty, holding the rank of Langzhong (a doctor), and later married the great-granddaughter of Emperor Wu of Wei, the Princess of Changle Pavilion. He also held the position of Zhongsan (a doctor). When the Sima clan came to power, he retired from officialdom and devoted himself to nature, expressing his devotion by playing the qin, reciting poetry, or forging iron under willow trees. When Sima Zhao, then the Grand General, Emperor Wen of Jin, recruited him as an advisor, Ji Kang fled to Hedong. Zhong Hui, the Inspector of the Imperial Capital, personally visited him, but was met with a cold reception. Infuriated, Sima Zhao and Zhong Hui executed Ji Kang, citing Confucius's execution of Shao Zhengmao to rectify the orthodox teachings.

On the day of Ji Kang's execution, three thousand students from the Imperial Academy pleaded for his life, but the court refused. Even as his execution approached, Ji Kang remained expressionless. Seeing it was still early, he asked his brother Ji Xi for his favorite wutong qin (Chinese qin), and played the "Guangling San" (a traditional Chinese lute) on the execution ground. It's said that while playing, Ji Kang's hair was disheveled, his chest exposed, yet his brows were as hard as steel, his eyes as bright as lightning, and his hands danced, his airy presence akin to a god. When the piece ended, the entire audience wept, and Ji Kang, stroking his qin, sighed, "Guangling San is now extinct!"

Ji Kang had such a strong character, while Ruan Ji, who was as famous as him, was known for his eccentricity.

Ruan Ji, older than Ji Kang, had served as an aide to Cao Shuang. After Sima Yi came to power and Cao Shuang's entire clan was exterminated, Ruan Ji began to protect himself and became absorbed in the teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi. Unlike Ji Kang, however, Ruan Ji did not avoid officialdom, often engaging in surprising actions. He served as an aide to Sima Yi, Sima Shi, and Sima Zhao, yet achieved no political success, instead spending his days in debauchery and drinking in bamboo forests.

Sima Zhao once wanted to arrange a marriage with Ruan Ji and sent an envoy to discuss the matter. However, Ruan Ji became drunk for sixty consecutive days, making it difficult for the envoy to speak. When Sima Zhao learned of this, he abandoned the matter. Later, he often drove long distances, letting oxen and horses pull the carts. When he reached a dead end, he would burst into tears and cry for a long time before returning.

Ruan Ji also engaged in bizarre theories that defied etiquette, such as the "green eye" theory. But his most famous moment came after viewing the ancient battlefields of Chu and Han, when he suddenly sighed, "In the absence of heroes, we have allowed young men to achieve fame." Later, he ascended Mount Wulao, gazed upon Luoyang, and sighed. After this incident, Ruan Ji fell into a deep depression and died in his bed.

Although these two people have different personalities, their aspirations of despising fame and wealth and despising the powerful are the purest, and therefore they are the most popular among later generations. However, this does not mean that the remaining "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove" are not important.

After the deaths of Ji and Ruan, Shan Tao, Wang Rong, Liu Ling, Xiang Xiu, and Ruan Xian gradually parted ways, their destinies drastically different. Yet, they were all undoubtedly the inheritors of the Jian'an spirit and the pioneers of the Wei and Jin literary styles, the remnants of the previous era and the prophets of the next. Some entered officialdom, some immersed themselves in Confucian classics, and some disappeared into seclusion. But without a doubt, they all profoundly influenced generations of people.

The little Ruan Gong that Chen Shou mentioned was Ruan Xian, the youngest of the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove".

Ruan Xian, a cousin of Ruan Ji, shared his uncle's bohemian ways, reportedly spending his days either drinking at home or riding a donkey through the mountains playing the qin. This earned him the dislike of the current emperor. However, his unrestrained nature and profound scholarship, combined with his mastery of Laozi and Zhuangzi, led to his publication of works such as "Nan Da Lun," "Yi Yi," and "Gu Sanfen Annotations," and he remains considered a leading figure in contemporary literature. To distinguish him from Ruan Ji, he was nicknamed "Little Ruan Gong."

Common sense would suggest that Chen Shou and Ruan Xian should have had nothing in common. However, the world is so unpredictable. After Chen Shou arrived in Luoyang, he was widely criticized by the court. However, Shan Tao and Ruan Xian both admired him greatly. Ruan Xian, in particular, exchanged letters with Chen Shou, frequently inquiring about the progress of his historical writing, even during Chen Shou's period of mourning. So when Chen Shou wrote to Ruan Xian, asking him to help teach Liu Xian, Ruan Xian replied the next day and agreed.

So Liu Xian embarked on the second journey of studying in his life.

Liu Xian first met Little Ruan Gong in early autumn, after Chen Shou had left the capital. He had been dazed and disoriented after a four-hour oxcart ride with Zhu Fu, finally arriving at Shouyang Mountain, where his new teacher lived.

Arriving at Ruanzhuang, he found a vast courtyard, devoid of any human presence. All he could see were clumps of bamboo groves on either side, obscuring the courtyard. Two tabby cats huddled between the courtyard wall and the bamboo shade, warily eyeing the visitor. A short while later, a maid returned with water, and Liu Xian realized that Ruan Gongzheng had gone on an outing with several friends, even including his own children, and it was unknown how late they would return.

Liu Xian and Zhu Fu waited there. As they waited, the light of the setting sun quickly dimmed, and the veil of darkness rose like a gauze curtain. The twinkling stars gradually filled the uncovered sky, and the breeze at the foot of the mountain also brought up a faint mist.

Liu Xian didn't know what time it was, but in his daze, a long roar suddenly pierced the sky, waking him up.

This was the first time he heard a long howl in his life.

Some of our musical imaginations stem from memories of external objects, such as dripping water from the eaves, the clashing of metal, falling leaves in the wind, and pearls falling on a jade plate. Others stem from imitations of animals, such as the melodious song of a yellow oriole, the mournful cry of an ape, the soul-stirring roar of a tiger, and the hoarse cry of a crow. Yet, strangely, while humans can incorporate a wide variety of sounds into their musical creations, they rarely connect music with the human voice, at most evoking the thought of crying.

This isn't surprising, as humans already have language and writing, and can use rhythm and rhyme to approach music. However, this often leads people to forget that the human voice itself is a kind of music, possessing infinite possibilities, evoking endless emotions, and expressing infinite depth.

That was the kind of howling Liu Xian heard. Unfamiliar with itself, it shattered his preconceptions with unstoppable force, effortlessly shattering them like a piece of porcelain. Hearing the whistle, Liu Xian first felt the shattering of Kunshan jade, then the plucking of a Buddhist harp, and soon the chorus of hundreds of phoenixes. Only then did he realize the limits of language and words. He could not describe such a sound, its grandeur and yet its exquisite delicacy. Even more so, he could not describe the emotion behind it. Like an ant plunged into a frozen lake, he could only perceive his own daily limitations and powerlessness.

The howling sound ended, but its aftermath seemed to still echo between heaven and earth, leaving Liu Xian in a trance. Meanwhile, on his way back up the mountain, he encountered his new teacher.

He saw a tall, thin, white-haired old man, dressed in a snow-white Taoist robe, with a topknot on his head and wooden clogs on his feet, wandering towards him in the moonlight, seemingly without anyone around. Behind him were seven or eight young men, some leading donkeys, some carrying bamboo beds, some holding pipa, and some carrying hunting tools such as long swords and bows and arrows.

But what impressed Liu Xian most was the stench of alcohol that washed over him when the group returned. It was so strong, so overpowering, that Liu Xian thought he'd fallen into a pool of alcohol. For a split second, he wondered: Could these people have developed magical powers, the ability to turn water into wine like turning stone into gold?

The old man walked to the gate and saw Liu Xian and Zhu Fu waiting at the door. He first exclaimed "Huh!" Then he looked at them carefully and finally said, patting his head, "Oh, oh, I forgot. You must be Chen Shou's disciple!" Liu Xian quickly saluted and replied, "Junior is Liu Xian. Are you Mr. Ruan?"

"Haha! No need to be so polite. It's okay if you call me Lao Ruan. Come on in!"

The group entered the house, lit the lamp, and then a servant pushed the Hu bed onto the ground and set it up. Ruan Xian supported the servant's shoulders, looked as if he could be blown away by the wind, took off his clogs, and sat on the bed with his legs crossed. Only then did Liu Xian get to look at his new teacher.

Although already over sixty, Ruan Xian's skin was still remarkably fair, like a woman's. He sat cross-legged behind a table, constantly stroking his sparse beard. On the table before him lay a nail-cutting knife, jade he played with, and a wine jug so large it could almost be a jar. He was nothing like the gentleman Chen Shou had described, the well-dressed, solemn gentleman who would ride in a carriage, reining in his private life and seeking to clear the world.

But out of trust and respect for Chen Shou, Liu Xian still followed the etiquette between teacher and student and respectfully bowed to his new teacher. Unexpectedly, he heard a faint laugh. He looked up and saw that it was the other younger members of the Ruan family who were packing their luggage. Ruan Fu, Ruan Xuan, Ruan Ting, and others were secretly laughing with their sleeves covering their mouths.

Ruan Zhan, the oldest, said to Liu Xian, "We don't follow etiquette or rules in our family. We just follow our own way. You don't need to be so polite."

Liu Xian turned to see Ruan Xian's attitude, but he didn't look at him. Instead, he closed his eyes slightly, holding a dust tail in his hand, shaking it up and down irregularly. It was hard to say whether it was an agreement or a rejection.

Liu Xian then boldly said, "Thank you for your reminder, brother. However, my greeting just now was out of genuine emotion, not out of flattery."

Ruan Xian's fury stopped at this point, and Ruan Zhan was puzzled. He turned to look at his parents and asked, "Why do you say that?"

Liu Xian replied, "Teacher, the reason you don't practice rituals is probably because most people only have a superficial understanding of them, but lack the inner qualities. They clearly don't want to, but are forced to bow down to others for the sake of fame, wealth, status, and power... This goes against Confucius' teachings on 'sincerity and uprightness of heart.' Rather than continue to distort rituals, it's better to abandon them."

"When I read the Biography of Master Daren before, I found it difficult to understand the line 'The most accomplished person has no home; heaven and earth are his guests; the most accomplished person has no master; heaven and earth are his masters; the most accomplished person has no affairs; heaven and earth are his causes.' But just now, after hearing Master's long cry, it was as if a revelation had dawned on me. I now know that this statement is truly true. I also know that it is a great honor for me to receive Master's guidance. How can I not express my sincere gratitude?"

Without waiting for Ruan Zhan to speak, Ruan Xian immediately hit the table with his tail and said with a smile, "That's a very good idea! This young man has a good foundation!" He stood up, rolled up his sleeves, and asked Liu Xian directly, "Can you drink? Have a drink!"

Liu Xian looked embarrassed and declined directly, "Thank you, teacher, but I don't think the wine tastes good."

Ruan Xian didn't make things difficult for him. He scooped himself a glass of wine and said jokingly, "Ha, kid, you'll miss out on a lot of fun then."

He took a sip of wine and said, "There are five most enjoyable things in life. Do you know what they are?"

"do not know."

"One is to admire beautiful women, two is to eat beef, three is to travel in the mountains and forests, four is to play stringed instruments, and five is to drink fine wine."

"This is a poor, remote place, with no beautiful women. My family is poor and I can't afford beef. It's a dark and windy night, so it's impossible to travel in the mountains. And you don't drink, so the joys of life are few and far between! What's the point of living? Well, well, I'll play a few songs for you!"

After saying this, young Ruan Gong drank the remaining wine in one gulp, and taking advantage of his drunkenness, he picked up the pipa and asked Ruan Fu to accompany him with the flute. He closed his eyes and played the pipa with his hands like wild bees.

He first played "Small Bridge and Flowing Water", the sound of the music was as quiet as the night, and then he played "Due to the Time", the style of the music was sometimes slow and sometimes fast, as if the wind and clouds were gathering, and then he played "Short Song", the sounds of pipa and flute were magnificent, like the bright moon shining on the four seas.

When the piece "Phoenix Perches on the Wutong Tree" was played at the end, Ruan Xian was so excited that he sang along: "The phoenix ascends to the ninth heaven and will not perch except on the Wutong tree; the phoenix descends to the ninth heaven and will not eat except on bamboo." After singing, he taught all the younger generations, including Liu Xian, to sing along.

Then he hit the table with the tail of the dust again and sighed, "The phoenixes of the Han Dynasty were Zhang Liang in the front and Zhuge Liang in the back. Since then, they have been extinct for a long time." It turned out that Ruan Xian admired Zhang Liang and Zhuge Liang the most in his life, and often compared himself to them. Many famous figures since the founding of the Western Jin Dynasty, such as Shi Bao, Zhang Hua, Yang Hu, Du Yu and others, were not in his eyes.

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(End of this chapter)