Wang Anshi wrote three couplets for Su Shi, but Su Shi didn't match one of them, and no one can match one of them to this day?
Su Shi and Wang Anshi are both one of the "Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties" , equally comparable in literature, were two dazzling stars during the Song Dynasty. In addition to their different political views, the two also often competed in literature, leaving many interesting anecdotes for future generations.
When Su Shi first entered officialdom, he was a little arrogant because of his talent. Wang Anshi was a little older than Su Shi and was already the prime minister at this time. Regarding Su Shi's frivolity, Wang Anshi decided to take advantage of this young spirit, so he gave Su Shi three extremely difficult first couplets, but Su Shi didn't respond to any of them. One of them has even been passed down for nearly a thousand years, and no one can correct it to this day.
What kind of first couplet can stump the great writer Su Shi? It will be revealed to you below.
The first couplet: One year, two springs and two Augusts, two springs and autumns in the world
When Wang Anshi published this couplet, it happened to be the leap month of that year, the first month and the twelfth month of the lunar calendar They all have the solar term Beginning of Spring, which is truly "one year old and two springs". In addition, the difficulty of the first couplet is that the fourth and twelfth characters are both "spring", and the second couplet must also have this format to be considered a neat counterpoint. Therefore, even though Su Shi was a genius through the ages, he never made a counterpoint in his life.
Wang Anshi’s first couplet has gone through countless ages, but no one has ever been able to correct it. It was not until hundreds of years later that Liang Zhangju, an expert on couplets in the Qing Dynasty, was inspired to write the second couplet at an old man's 120th birthday party: sixty-year-olds will meet again in the next week, and the world will meet again.
The second couplet: Seven Miles of Mountain Pond, three and a half miles to Half Pond
The section from Changmen to Huqiu in Suzhou is about seven miles in length. It has beautiful scenery and is called "Seven Miles". "Lishan Pond" has always been a favorite place for literati in ancient times. There happens to be a river in the middle of Shantang Street called Bantang, so after Wang Anshi's creation, this ingenious number connection was born.
Su Shi could not explain it when he was still alive. Later generations used Su Shi's name to give such a second line: Jiuxi Mandong, passing through the middle cave and Yuxi. Strictly speaking, the numbers in the second line are not neatly matched with the first line. Do you have a better second line?
The third couplet: West of Iron Weng City, the land of the Three Treasures of Gold, Jade and Silver Mountain
This couplet also refers to a place. Zhenjiang’s ancient name is Iron Weng, which has three treasures: Jinshan, Yinshan and Yushan. A scenic spot. The difficulty of this couplet is that "gold, jade and silver" correspond to the "three" at the end, and the second couplet cannot use three, but there are only three words in the front.
Not only did Su Dongpo fail to correct this couplet, but countless literati after Su Dongpo also failed to correct the second couplet, so it is still a hanging couplet to this day!
We can find a rule from these three couplets, that is, specific situations are definitely needed to inspire inspiration throughout the ages. Otherwise, even if you have talents who are knowledgeable about the past and present, it will be difficult to come up with an excellent second couplet.
The three couplets cannot explain who has a higher literary level, Wang Anshi or Su Shi, but they reflect from the side the principle of "the stronger among the stronger". You can make a wonderful second couplet to form Is it absolute through the ages?
One year old, two springs and two months in eight months, the world has two springs and autumns
Sixty-year-olds will be around again, and they will meet again in the world