The Biography of Talented Scholars of the Tang Dynasty Translation of Wang Ji
Wang Ji, also known as Wugong, was from Longmen, Jiangzhou. He is the younger brother of the great Confucian scholar Wang Tong. When he was fifteen years old, he went to Chang'an to pay homage to Prime Minister Yang Su. Everyone present admired his handsomeness and keenness, and regarded him as a fairy-like boy.
In the last years of the Sui Dynasty, he was promoted to the high rank of Xiaolian and awarded the official title of secretary. He didn't like serving in the imperial court, so he resigned due to illness, and was awarded the position of county magistrate of Liuhe County, Yangzhou. Because the emperor of the Sui Dynasty was addicted to alcohol and delayed government affairs, the world was also in chaos at that time, so he secretly left in a light boat overnight on the pretext of a stroke. He also sighed: "How can I settle down when the Skynet is huge!" So he returned to his hometown.
When Wude was middle-aged in the Tang Dynasty, the emperor issued an edict to requisition former court officials and waited for their appointment in Menxia Province. Wang Ji's younger brother Wang Jing told Wang Ji: "Are you happy waiting for your appointment?" Wang Ji replied He said: "The salary while waiting for appointment is meager and the situation is very bleak. But three liters of good wine is still worth remembering." After hearing this, Duke Jiang said: "Three liters of good wine is not enough to retain Mr. Wang." So he ordered that he be given one liter of good wine every day. Fighting over wine. People at that time called Wang Ji the "Bachelor of Drinking Wine".
In the early years of Zhenguan, he resigned and returned to his hometown due to illness. Near Hezhu there was a man named Guang, the eldest son of Zhong, who was also a hermit and had no family or children. Wang Ji liked his sincerity and innocence, so he built a hut nearby and drank with him every day. Wang Ji had several slaves, most of whom grew yellow rice and brewed yellow rice wine in spring and autumn. Raise wild geese and grow medicinal herbs for personal use. There is no special purpose for placing "Zhouyi", "Zhuangzi" and "Laozi" beside your bed. He named himself "Dong Gaozi". Even if the governor came to visit him, he would not respond. Eventually died at home. He has a simple and arrogant character. He likes to drink and can drink up to five buckets at a time. He wrote "The Biography of Mr. Five Bucks" by himself. He played the piano, wrote poems, and composed essays, and he was so high-spirited that he was unparalleled at the time. He wrote one volume of "Jiu Jing" and one volume of "Wine Book". Li Chunfeng commented: "He is the Nan Dong of the restaurant." There are also other works such as poems and poems that have been spread around the world.
Posterity commented: The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty had almost reached its decline. The stability was decreasing day by day and the turmoil was increasing day by day. Even poor ordinary people could rarely have a stable life. At that time, people who fished and hunted in remote places did not have to cross mountains or flee overseas. These were people who chose to live in seclusion because of morality. From Wang Ji down, you people sometimes come and go. They are all people who have traveled far and wide. They behave dangerously and speak poorly. They make big mistakes and then retire, which can often be seen. If you jump into an official career, you will be considered prosperous and wealthy. Even if some were hired, promoted and given treasures many times, they happened to quickly integrate into many talents. However, there will still be people who cannot escape and die violently. Isn't it because of the wonderful calligraphy and wonderful articles that the traces are hidden but the reputation is prominent and the style is noble and unconventional in the world? ! Articles are the great things that truly make people immortal.