Xu Wei (1521～1593), whose first courtesy name was Wenqing and later his later nickname was Wenchang, was also nicknamed Tian Shuiyue, Tianchi Shanren, Qingteng Taoist, etc. A native of Shanyin, Zhejiang (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang), he was a famous writer, calligrapher and painter in the late Ming Dynasty. Born into a feudal bureaucratic family. After passing the exam as a scholar in his hometown, he failed eight times and his dream of becoming an official was shattered. However, because of his talent, versatility in poetry, calligraphy and painting, and his friendship with many literati and celebrities, his reputation gradually became prominent. Later, he was called into the government by Hu Zongxian, the governor of Zhejiang and Fujian, as an aide. He wrote many memorials and documents on behalf of Hu, some of which were even praised by the emperor, causing a sensation in the capital. He also participated in the planning of coastal anti-Japanese affairs, and even joined the army and went to the front line to inspect the enemy's situation. Later, Hu Zongxian was arrested and imprisoned. Xu Wei, fearing that he would be harmed, attempted suicide. He first stabbed Hu Zongxian several inches deep with a giant cone and then hit his scrotum with a hammer, but the result was still alive. There have been good times and bad times since then. Just when Hu Zongxian's case was causing everyone to feel in danger, Xu had a quarrel with his step-sibling Zhang. Zhang wanted to use the special relationship between Xu and Hu to harm Xu. Xu Wei was so angry that he hit Zhang with an eight-toothed ice loaf. He was fatally injured on the head, and Xu was arrested and imprisoned. Later, with the help of friends, the presiding judge spared Xu Wei's death for "accidental injury" and was sent to prison to serve his sentence.
Xu Wei's suicide and murder may seem accidental at first glance, but if you examine the society in the late Ming Dynasty, you will find that this is indeed inevitable. Due to official corruption, social conflicts are very acute. Let’s take a look at Chinese history. Since ancient times, official salaries have been as thin as those in the Ming Dynasty. The thin official salaries have promoted the prevalence of corruption in the officialdom. Upright scholars are not happy to be officials, but those who have no real ability and rely on crooked ways to make money work hard to become officials. Xu Wei's "Lotus Crab Picture" (or Huangjia Picture) satirizes this phenomenon. The painting depicts crabs walking through a reed pond, with a poem on it that says: "Suddenly there are things that are bold and rough. Don't ask whether there are pearls in the past; raise them." It's just that people don't know it, and sometimes the yellow armor is passed on to the head." It means that if a clumsy guy suddenly appears in front of you, don't ask if there is anything real in his belly. He has a strange appearance that people don't know the details, but sometimes he can get lucky and become a high official. Huang Jia refers to the fact that after passing the Jinshi examination in the feudal era, the imperial court sent an admission notice wrapped in yellow paper to the successful candidates. Zhuankuan refers to a ceremony of roll call in the palace after passing the Jinshi examination. Xu Wei deeply hated such people. The poem "Inscribed on Painting Crabs" said: "The rice-ripened Jiangcun crabs are plump, and their claws are like halberds sticking out of the green mud. If you turn over the paper and look at it, you should see Dong Zhuo's navel." Curse these domineering people. Corrupt officials only deserve to be like Dong Zhuo, who had a paper twisted sky lantern stuck in his navel.
The Xu Wei phenomenon was not universal in the Ming Dynasty. For example, Yuan Hongdao resigned three times, Li Zhi committed suicide in prison, the number of Catholics increased sharply, etc., which all show that people at that time lost confidence in the future of society. Xu Wei is just a typical example. From the collection of Xu Wei's poems and calligraphy works that have been handed down to this day, we can see that his nerves are sound and there is nothing abnormal. In addition to being good at calligraphy and painting, Xu Wei was also good at opera. The extant "Four Voices Ape" combines the strengths of northern and southern operas, especially "Female Mulan Joins the Army in Her Father's Place", which has become a famous piece and has been performed for hundreds of years. It has been performed to this day. Still acting. His "Nan Ci Narrative" is an important theoretical document for future generations to study Nan Opera.