1
During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Ji Kang, Ruan Ji, Dan Tao, Xiang Embroidery, Liu Ling, Wang Rong and Ruan Xian were dissatisfied with the cruelty and hypocrisy of Sima's family, so they traveled together in a bamboo forest in Jiaozuo, Henan Province, drinking and having fun all day, giving generously.
Its song says: "There is no camp in the world, and the gas will be fixed." "The thin curtain looks at the bright moon, and the breeze blows on the chest." "It is better to fly with swallows than with orioles." Its contents are all fresh and noble, extraordinary and free from vulgarity, ambitious, and do not associate with the dirty flow. They agreed to live in seclusion for life and not to be the puppet of Sima's family. The world respects and loves them and calls them "Seven Sages of Bamboo Forest".
"Seven Sages of Bamboo Forest" represents the unique ethos of Wei and Jin Dynasties-Wei and Jin demeanor to some extent. Wei and Jin Dynasties were generous and sad, not bound by traditional Confucian morality, and strongly showed their personal style and personality. Just like the "seven sages of bamboo forest", drinking and having fun all day is unique in the past history, and even rarely appears in later generations, so it is widely sought after and respected by later generations.
But it rarely appears, doesn't mean it doesn't. More than 400 years later, a group of people appeared in Culai Mountain, Shandong Province, and the world called them "Zhu Xi Liu Yi". It is no exaggeration to say that they are version 2.0 of "Seven Sages of Bamboo Forest".
2
During the Kaiyuan period, Li Bai's father was an official in Rencheng, Shandong Province, so the Li family moved from Anlu, Hubei Province to Rencheng. In those years, Li traveled all over Shandong.
On the way to play, Li Bai met Han Zhun, Tao Mian, Pei Zheng and Kong.
In ancient times, when entertainment items were not very rich, traveling became one of the most important pastimes among friends at that time. On this day, Li Bai and other six people are going to travel in the province, and the destination is Culai Mountain.
Culai Mountain is densely covered with vegetation, and it is shrouded in mist all year round; More importantly, it has a close relationship with Taoism and is the birthplace of Penglai School. It is very romantic and deeply suits Li Bai's appetite.
So they crossed the mountains and came to Culai Mountain. Ninety-nine peaks, with an altitude of 1000 meters, made six people linger at once. They decided not to go. They are addicted to drinking and singing every day and turn a blind eye to worldly troubles. They inherited the romantic legacy of "Seven Sages of Bamboo Forest" and were admired by the world, and were called "Six Chapters of Bamboo Stream".
In the early days of Tianbao, Zhang Shuming left Culai Mountain. Soon, the fathers of Han Zhun, Pei Zheng and Kong Chao went to Yanzhou to be the secretariat. Tao Mian is still a county commandant and needs to leave Culai for business from time to time.
When friends left one by one, Li Bai had nothing to send, so he wrote three poems, such as Rewarding Nanling for the Night, Sending Han Zhun, Pei Zheng and Kong Chao's father back to the mountain, and Boarding Tao Shaofu, the single father, to commemorate the three departures.
"Once I said goodbye to Lin Qiu, Yunlong suddenly met." "Once you climb the dragon, will the frog be safe?" "I dreamed last night, and the clouds were like bamboo streams." Like the Seven Sages of Bamboo Forest, these poems, which have been passed down through the ages, have become a complete witness to the meeting, parting and memories of the Six Chapters of Bamboo Stream.
three
The fame of "Seven Sages in Bamboo Forest" is obviously higher than that of "Six Chapters in Zhuxi". Why?
First, the overall quality of Seven Sages of Bamboo Forest is on the high side. Ji Kang is proficient in temperament and wrote Guangling San. Ruan Ji has outstanding literary talent and many works; Dan Tao was a general, while Liu Ling was drunk for three years. In contrast, Li Bai stood out from the "Six Replies of Zhu Xi", showing the face of "not many enemies, but many heroes".
Secondly, the "Seven Sages of Bamboo Forest" spent more time drinking and having fun, nearly 20 years; "Zhuxi Liu Yi" has only been together for about a year.
Liu Yi in Zhuxi is short because all six people have career aspirations. Although the country lost its direction and ambition, they never lost their ideal of serving the country, and even Li Bai, a "fairy", could not avoid customs. The "Seven Sages of Bamboo Forest" made it clear that they were hermits, and they wanted to stay away from downtown, live alone and spend the rest of their lives happily.
It's a pity that the Seven Sages of Bamboo Forest, who call themselves "hermits", failed to keep their honor in the end. Under the pressure of the imperial court, Wang Rong, Dan Tao, Xiang Embroidery and Ruan Xian chose to take refuge in the Sima family. Ruan Ji chose to flee for his life, drinking all day and living negatively; Only Ji Kang died generously, which saved the last integrity and character of this group of people.
The similar gathering and different endings of "Seven Sages of Bamboo Forest" and "Six Chapters of Bamboo Stream" have given endless lamentations to future generations, and also reflected two simple and very realistic revelations:
First, living is more important than anything else. Insist on integrity and pride because death and bad luck are still far away from you.
Second, live spontaneously, and don't have a hard time with fame and fortune, because usually these two things make your life more valuable, and you can truly have integrity and pride.