Xu Wei was born in a bureaucratic family in Dayunfang, Shanyin City, Shaoxing Prefecture, Zhejiang Province in the first year of Jiajing (1521). His father was Xu Jue and his mother was a maid and concubine. He was a genius when he was young and entered the Xu family. Studying in a private school, "I received the "Greater Learning" at the age of six and recited more than a thousand words a day."
Xu Wei (1521-1593) was a Han nationality and a native of Shanyin (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang). The original name was Wenqing, later changed to Wenchang, and his nickname was Tianchi Shanren, or Tian Shuiyue, Tian Danshui, Qingteng Laoren, Qingteng Taoist, Qingteng layman, Tianchi Yuyin, Jinlei, Jinhuishanren, Shan Other nicknames include Yin Buyi, Baijiu Shanren, and Ebi Shannong. Chinese writer, calligrapher, painter, and military strategist in the Ming Dynasty. Stories and legends about him are also widely circulated among the people, about how smart he was when he was young and how he later played tricks on officials.
He is a poet, he is a painter, he is a calligrapher, he is a military strategist, he is a dramatist, he is a folk writer, he is a gourmet, he is an alcoholic, he is a crazy Zen Buddhist, He is a Taoist priest, a traveler, a historian, a psychopath, and a murderer. Hu Zongxian, Li Chengliang, Yu Dayou, Qi Jiguang, Li Rusong, Mei Guozhen, Wu Dui, Zhang Yuanyu, Zhu Dashou, Wang Ji, Tang Xianzu, Tang Shunzhi, Mao Kun, Tao Wangling, Wang Siren, Ji Ben, Shen Kuo, Shen Mingchen, Sanniangzi, Li Chunfang, Emperor Jiajing, Yan Song, Xu Jie, Li Ben, Zhao Wenhua, Yan Maoqing, Wang Zhi, Xu Hai, Yang Shun, Wang Yan, Wang Shizhen, Li Panlong, Xie Zhen—Xu Wei has dealt with these people all his life. After his death, Yuan Hongdao, Shen Defu, Feng Menglong, Zhang Dai, Chen Hongshou, Huang Zongxi, Zheng Banqiao, Qi Baishi and others all worshiped him. According to research, China's greatest realist masterpiece "The Plum in the Golden Ping" may also have been written by Xu Wei.
Xu Wei was born in a bureaucratic family in Dayunfang, Shanyin City, Shaoxing Prefecture, Zhejiang Province in the first year of Jiajing (1521). His father was Xu Jue and his mother was a maid and concubine. He was a genius when he was young and entered the Xu family. Studying in a private school, "I received the "Greater Learning" at the age of six and recited more than a thousand words a day."
At the age of ten, he imitated Yang Xiong's "Jie Mo" and wrote an article "Release of Destruction". He has a bold and unrestrained personality, "Everything can be done with the palm of your hand." In 1541, he married Pan Kejing, a girl from the same county. He failed in the next eight examinations. "I tried again and again, but all of them were rejected because they were not in compliance with the regulations." In the 26th year of Jiajing's reign (1547), he rented a house in the east of Shanyin City and set up a teaching hall to teach apprentices. He won the imperial examination at the age of 40. Together with Xiao Mian, Chen He, Yang Ke, Zhu Gongjie, Shen Lian, Qianbian, Liu Lin, Zhu Dashou, Lu Guangsheng, etc., they were named "Ten Sons of Yuezhong". Later, he served as an aide to the governor of Zhejiang and Fujian, and once entered the shogunate of Hu Zongxian. He used his hands to make all the plans, and also devised strange plans to defeat Xu Hai and other Japanese pirates. One day, Hu Zongxian captured a white deer in Zhoushan. Xu Wei wrote "Enter the White Deer", "Re-Enter the White Deer", "Re-Enter the White Deer to Give a Grade of Salary", etc. and presented them to the court as a mascot. "Pay attention to the words on them. The wonderful and beautiful words of Li Yu were all pointed out by the emperor's pen, and I ordered the ministers to record them in a volume." Dong Fen, a bachelor, and others greatly appreciated Xu Wei's articles. He also wrote "Congratulations on the Birthday of Mr. Yan" to praise the traitor Yan Song. In the forty-third year of Jiajing (1564), Hu Zongxian was arrested for "the ten major crimes of party Yansong and rape, bullying, corruption, and sexual immorality". He committed suicide in prison. Xu Wei wrote "Shibai Fu" to mourn his death. Li Chunfang strictly investigated Hu Zongxian's case, and Xu Wei went crazy because of it. He wrote a "self-written epitaph" and even committed suicide three times. Mad. In the 45th year of Jiajing reign (1566), he killed his step-wife Zhang and was imprisoned for seven years. In the first year of Wanli period (1573), he completed the annotation of "Zhou Yi Shen Tong Qi" and studied the art of calligraphy and painting. He was rescued from prison by the number one scholar Zhang Yuanbian and others. After he was released from prison, he was 53 years old. He became depressed and hated high officials. He wandered around Jinling, Xuanliao, and Beijing. He also passed Juyongguan and went to Xuanhua Prefecture outside the Great Wall. He taught Li Rusong the art of war and met Mongolian leaders. I replied to my wife Sanniangzi. In the fifth year of Wanli (1577), she returned to Shaoxing and annotated Guo Pu's "Burial Book". In his later years, Xu Wei made a living by selling paintings, but he never painted for the officials in power. "There were thousands of volumes of books, which he later sold." Almost exhausted. He often "wandered alone under the moonlit night without hunger" and thanked his guests. Among them, he only went to the Zhang family to express his condolences when Zhang Yuanbian passed away. In the end, he almost never left the house. He ended his life at the age of 73 in the situation of "several rickety houses and a person with a southern accent".
Before he died, he only had a dog by his side, and there was not even a mat on the bed, so he was miserable.