?Belonging to the Langya Wang family naturally has a lot of bonus points, such as "the king and the horse, rule the world", and the title of "China's Prime Minister", and of course, the calligraphy passed down from his family. stunt.
However, in the heyday of the Wang Xie family, the talent quality of the two families, because of one sentence and two people, tilted the balance of evaluation towards the Xie family a lot.
?This sentence is:
An uncle from the same family has A Dazhonglang; a group of brothers has Feng, Hu, Ke and Mo. , but there is a king!
The person who said this was Xie Daoyun, a talented woman from the Xie family; and the prince she referred to was her husband, Wang Ningzhi, the second son of Wang Xizhi.
?The meaning of this sentence is probably this: "In my natal family, the elders include great people like my uncle Xie An; my brothers are also like Xie Shao, Xie Lang, Xie Xuan, and Xie Yan Ordinary young talents never thought that there is such a mediocre person in the world!"
From then on, "The King of Heaven and Earth" became the special person for women to complain about their husbands' failure. With vocabulary, Wang Ningzhi also became the backdrop for many geniuses of the era in which he lived, and was known to future generations.
To introduce the "background board" of King Tianjiang, let's first talk about the outstanding figures he set off. The talents of his wife's Xie family have been described before. This issue focuses on Wang Ningzhi's own family - the extremely prominent Langya Wang family.
The reputation of the Langya Wang family has been impressive since the unification of the Qin Dynasty. Qin's generals Wang Jian and Wang Ben and his son were key figures in the Qin's destruction of the six kingdoms; in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Langya Wang Lan and Wang Xiang of the Wang family have become well-known moral models, and their deeds are included in the "Twenty-Four Filial Piety" for future generations to admire.
Of course, similar to the Xie family in Chenjun, the Langya Wang family also had its heyday in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. If the biggest contributor to the rise of the Xie family in Chen County is Xie An, there is no one else.
Then there are at least two monumental figures of the Langya Wang family:
?One is Director Wang, who was the founder of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Even the emperor had to do it in person when he entered the dynasty. Welcome, a very popular official in the world; the other is Wang Dao's nephew Wang Xizhi, who is also Wang Ningzhi's father. Wang Xizhi is known as the sage of calligraphy. The Lanting preface is called "the best running script in the world", leaving a lasting reputation. .
?The two men have their own strengths, but from different angles they have established the Wang family’s prominent position as a “prominent Chinese family”.
Around 324 AD, by chance, Wang Xizhi won the favor of Xi Jian, an important minister of the imperial court at that time, married Xi Jian's daughter, and became the Xi family's son-in-law.
In 334 AD, after the eldest son Wang Xuanzhi, the second son of Wang Xizhi and Mrs. Xi was born. He was Wang Ningzhi.
?As for Wang Ningzhi’s childhood family education, the history books are unclear. However, what is basically certain is that at that time, his father Wang Xizhi was still a self-satisfied and active person in the world.
?After all, a few years later, he also earnestly advised his friend Xie An not to live in the woods and springs at a young age. It should be noted that being idle and harming the country is not the spirit needed in this era.
?However, the paradox of fate is revealed here. A few years later, under different circumstances, Wang Xizhi and Xie An actually started the mode of exchanging lives with each other:
? Xie An, who originally lived in seclusion in the mountains, chose to make a comeback and became a famous prime minister. He even defeated the arrogant Fu Jian of the former Qin Dynasty in the Battle of Feishui and became famous all over the world;
But the ambitious Wang Xizhi back then became famous all over the world. Because of the incompatibility with his fellow clansman and boss Wang Shu, he swore goodbye to his official career in front of his parents' graves, and since then he has forgotten about fame and wealth. Of course, these are things for later.
?Going back to Wang Ningzhi’s story, after he was born, his mother gave him five younger brothers, namely Wang Huanzhi, Wang Suzhi, Wang Huizhi, Wang Caozhi and Wang Xianzhi.
?When many friends read the history of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, they are often surprised. Didn’t the ancients avoid the taboo of father’s name? But Wang Xizhi, a large family, has been a "zigzi generation" for several generations. Is it meant to express the Wang family's independent and outstanding feelings?
?Actually, this is probably a big misunderstanding. Let’s listen to the explanation of Chen Yinke, a master of history.
?According to Chen Yinke’s research, among the followers of “Tianshi Dao” in the Six Dynasties, there were many people named with the word “Zhi”, and the “Zhi” in their names actually represented their religious beliefs, and this "Tianshi Dao" is also the "Five Pecks of Rice Cult" that was very popular in the aristocratic circles of the Six Dynasties.
?In addition to Wang Xizhi’s family, most of the names of the mathematician Zu Chongzhi, the painter Gu Kaizhi and the historian Pei Songzhi that we are familiar with are also due to the inheritance of faith. This belief will also have a major impact on Wang Ningzhi's life, which we will describe later.
Among Wang Xizhi’s seven sons, Wang Ningzhi is well-known, second only to Wang Xianzhi and Wang Huizhi.
But Wang Xianzhi became famous because of his calligraphy; Wang Huizhi became famous because of his temperament; and Wang Ningzhi basically became famous because of being disliked.
If the Wang brothers had read Mr. Tang Jun's book "My Success Can Be Copied"
Wang Xianzhi would proudly say, Dad, not only can I copy your talent, but I can also Innovation!
?Wang Huizhihui proudly said, Dad, not only can I copy your elegance, but I can also sublimate it!
?The only thing Wang Ningzhi can copy is the position that his father has held. Wang Ningzhi's main official positions include Jiangzhou governor, right general, and Kuaiji internal history. The biggest feature of these positions is that his father once held them.
?Influenced by his family’s academic background, Wang Ningzhi also has certain attainments in calligraphy, especially good at cursive script and official script, but he is not outstanding among Wang’s disciples;
?Wang Ningzhi also He can recite a few lines of poetry, and even participated in the famous Orchid Pavilion Anthology Preface due to his father's honor. But there is no harm in comparing him. His poetry is basically not on the same level as everyone present.
?However, although Wang Ningzhi has mediocre qualifications, he seems to be fairly reliable. After the death of his eldest brother, Wang Ningzhi inherited most of his father's positions as the actual eldest son.
When Xie An was looking for a husband for his niece Xie Daoyun, Wang Ningzhi also successfully PKed his younger brother Wang Huizhi, who was more talented but too casual, and married this super talented woman.
?Unfortunately, Wang Ningzhi, whose talents are far different from those of his wife, will inevitably be disliked by his wife. Soon after her marriage, when Xie Daoyun returned to her parents' home, when her uncle Xie An asked her why she was unhappy, Xie Daoyun said the words at the beginning of this article.
In addition to Wang Ningzhi’s own limited qualifications, Xie Daoyun’s dissatisfaction with Wang Ningzhi also reflects to a certain extent the differences in the education methods and educational concepts of the Wang and Xie families. Wang Xizhi’s education of his children was somewhat literate. However, Xie An's education seemed to emphasize both civil and military education.
?Compared with his brothers Xie Xuan, Xie Yan and others who could not only recite poems and compose poems, but also ride on the battlefield, Wang Ningzhi, whose literary talent was mediocre but somewhat pedantic, was not favored by Xie Daoyun. Within reason,
Of course, apart from Xie Daoyun’s ridiculous complaint, the family life of Wang Ningzhi and Xie Daoyun was generally harmonious, and as the Wang family was a gathering place for cultural salons at that time, literati and elegant people often visited. Xie Daoyunhe, who is accustomed to the atmosphere of the Xie family's reading club, must have been quite satisfied with the poetry and wine.
?Xie Daoyun and Wang Ningzhi lived together for decades and gave birth to four sons. Marrying a husband and raising children, spending time in poetry and wine, it should have been a quite comfortable life, but unfortunately, the tragic events that followed changed everything.
This tragic incident is related to the same belief of the Wang family - the Five Pecks of Rice Sect.
Wang Xizhi’s family is very devout in their belief in the Five Pecks of Rice Cult. From his father Wang Xizhi to his younger brothers Wang Huizhi and Wang Xianzhi, they have also engaged in some absurd and unruly behaviors due to their obsession with the Five Pecks of Rice Cult. But the one who has walked the farthest on this road should still be Wang Ningzhi.
When he took office as the internal history of Kuaiji, Wang Ningzhi's addiction to the Five Pecks of Rice Cult reached its extreme. He ignored political affairs every day, chatted and went crazy.
And one of his newly appointed subordinates who served as Jiangzhou Jijiu often felt distressed because Wang Ningzhi arranged for him to engage in activities of the Five Pecks of Rice Cult all day long, so that he really couldn't figure out what Wang Ningzhi was. Should he be regarded as the sacrificial wine of the government or the sacrificial wine of the Five Dou Rice Cult?
?The Jiangzhou Jijiu who was very dissatisfied with Wang Ningzhi's work arrangement soon chose to resign, and he became the most famous person among those who disliked Wang Ningzhi, because his name is Tao Yuanming .
? Some people even think that Tao Yuanming’s famous phrase “not bending down for five buckets of rice” not only expresses his unwillingness to bow down for a meager salary, but also his unwillingness to submit to those in the court represented by Wang Ningzhi. It means a powerful person who believes in the Five Pecks of Rice religion.
?A few years after Tao Yuanming resigned, that is, in 399 AD, Sun En, who was a believer in the Five Dou Rice Sect with Wang Ningzhi, took advantage of the instability of the people at the time and led a rebellion. After capturing Shangyu, he He rushed to Kuaiji, where Wang Ningzhi was the chief, to kill him.
?Wang Ningzhi, who was obsessed with the Five Dou Rice Cult, actually refused to believe that Sun En, who had the same faith as him, would rebel! It was not until the rebels were approaching that he had no choice but to believe it, but he still did not organize an army to resist. Instead, he adopted the fantasy mode of "fighting on the stars and worshiping the gods".
After the ceremony, Wang Ningzhi walked out of the secret room and confidently said to his subordinates: "I have asked the ghost soldiers to help. Let us wait for the enemy to collapse."
?The result? Of course, there were no ghost soldiers to help. Sun En quickly captured Kuaiji, and Wang Ningzhi was beheaded with a knife, ending his ordinary and despised life. His four sons were also killed at the same time.
?At the critical moment, Wang Ningzhi’s wife Xie Daoyun showed the temperament of a heroic woman. The martial arts skills she practiced with her brother Xie Xuan and others when they were young came into play. Xie Daoyun led the family’s maids to resist. It is said that He also personally killed several thieves, and when he was captured when he was exhausted, he spoke generously to Sun En without fear, which shocked Sun En, who was prolific in murdering people, and finally released Xie Daoyun and her grandson Liu Tao.
?This fact also fully shows that in addition to talent, there is also a world of difference between Wang Ningzhi and his wife Xie Daoyun in terms of strategy and courage in dealing with changes.
Looking back on Wang Ningzhi's life, although he was shrouded in the halo of his family, most of the time, he was just a foil to the celebrities inside and outside the family.
?Except for an understatement when introducing Wang Xizhi’s calligraphy inheritance, “Condensation achieves its rhyme”, there is almost no positive evaluation of Wang Ningzhi in history.
Objectively speaking: Although Wang Ningzhi is ordinary, he is not too stupid. He can inherit the position of his father Wang Xizhi; After all, a good person's vision is not too bad.
?Wang Ningzhi is not necessarily a decadent person who does not want to make progress:
?He once worked hard to learn calligraphy. Although he did not reach the level of his father and younger brother, he did get better. He and Xie Daoyun have been together for decades, and Xie Daoyun never married after Wang Ningzhi's death. In the relatively open atmosphere of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, this was actually quite rare. Although we cannot say that the two must be a loving couple who share the same love, Wang Ningzhi must have run the family carefully;
? In addition, Wang Ningzhi faithfully follows the Five Pecks of Rice religion that his family believes in, and sincerely believes in this inherited tradition. The family's faith can give them divine help and save themselves from danger, but they also lose their lives because of it.
?If you think about it carefully, Wang Ningzhi seems to have done nothing wrong. Perhaps his biggest tragedy is that he was an ordinary person born into an extraordinary family.
?Throughout the ages, people have admired geniuses, but far more ordinary people are burned by the light of genius around them or on paper than geniuses. Those modern people who are anxious because of arguments such as "your peers are abandoning you" may get some inspiration by calming down and reading Wang Ningzhi's story.