When the country is in danger, the Ming Dynasty will perish, but many heroes have emerged. There is such a figure in Guilin, that is, Zhang Tongchang, who threw himself into the struggle with the Qing army without hesitation. Although this kind of behavior is like a moth to a fire, it can be said that it is suicide, but it is his fearless spirit that is praised by future generations.
Statue of Zhang Tongchang
There is an allusion that when Zhang Tongchang was about to be executed, his head did fall to the ground, but his body could walk three steps before he fell to the ground. According to the local legend, the scene was restored, saying that on the day when Zhang Tongchang was tortured, his head had fallen to the ground, but he was still dripping with blood, so that the executioner couldn't push it. At that time, the soldiers of the Qing army were scared to death, calling Zhang Tongchang the company commander. Afterwards, his body fell to the ground. No matter whether this allusion is true or not, it shows that later generations have a high opinion of him, otherwise he would not be deified.
Modern people's evaluation of him has to start with the literary master Guo Moruo. He once wrote Praise for Zhang Tongchang, and the whole book praised Zhang Tongchang's resolute character.
The other is that, as a master of literary criticism, he once wrote Zhang Zhuan. At the end of his book, he mentioned Zhang Tongchang. After all, he is a descendant of Zhang, so it is meaningful to put him in Zhang's biography. He said: "His ancestor Zhang Juzheng was in power, and later he reorganized national defense to make this country strong again. Therefore, in Zhang Tongchang's body, there is the revenge of the ancestors, but in today's Ming Dynasty, only the defeated soldiers are left. "
These two people are the most objective people to evaluate their existence today, but many of them mentioned Zhang Tongchang many times on the forum, associating him with national heroes of other dynasties.
Zhang Peiping
There are many comments about Zhang Tongchang in later generations. Some people say that he is a national hero, while others call him a hero who saves the world. All in all, it's a good idea. As an important literary figure, Guo Moruo once wrote a poem to Zhang Tongchang, praising his virtue. This poem is still circulated as an important literary record for future generations to understand Zhang Tongchang's character.
Portrait of Zhang Tongchang
There are four sentences in his poem, beginning with praise, calling him a "strange man" and then naming names. He is a loyal hero in Jiangling area. His name is Zhang. To be straightforward is to call you by your first name. I admire Zhang Tongchang very much, and praise Zhang Tongchang with such words as truth, strangeness, loyalty and hero.
The second sentence of this poem tells the story of Zhang Tongchang's life. He and his master * * * shared weal and woe, and when the Ming Dynasty perished, they lived and died with him. He praised Zhang Tongchang's loyalty and heroism.
The third sentence is the progression of the second sentence, which further stimulates the mood, but it is not really expressed. Render a man who is really not afraid of death. What if his hand is broken and his eyes are injured? Let's not talk about these details. His mind is only on the battlefield and guarding his hometown.
The fourth sentence is the sublimation of the whole poem, and the emotion erupts strongly. In an instant, Zhang Tongchang's position has been promoted to the point where everyone looks up to it, and it can also be praised by future generations.
Guo Moruo's poems, written in vernacular Chinese, may lack ancient flavor. If it has the original charm of ancient poetry, its atmosphere will be rendered more and its heroic integrity will be praised more. But that's all. This poem is widely circulated in Guilin, and behind it is a true portrayal of the national hero Zhang Tongchang.
Zhang Tongchang family
When we mention the word "family", the first thing that comes to mind is a group of people related by blood, usually several generations. This is the definition of family ranking now. When we look at this late Qing hero, the first thing we think of is his great-grandfather, that is, Zhang.
Zhang Tongchang in history
Zhang was an important minister, politician and reformer in the Ming Dynasty, which was of great significance to the Ming Dynasty. His career in imperial examinations was smooth sailing. He began to study at the age of 5, knew the meaning of the Six Classics at the age of 7, and became a scholar at the age of 12. Juren and Jinshi were not a problem. After Emperor Wanli ascended the throne, he became the then minister of records. The young emperor didn't understand state affairs, so he left all military and political affairs to Zhang. At least during his career as an assistant minister of 10, he carried out reforms, governed the country and put down the rebellion. Later, he was appointed as a teacher and held a high position. Therefore, the Zhang family he represents must be rapidly multiplying, and there is no need to worry about the development of relatives at home. It was not until Zhang was liquidated by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty in his later years that the Zhang family experienced a situation of prosperity and decline.
There is another important person in the family, that is, his grandfather Zhang. There are not many records in history, but he is also an important member of the family.
In this generation, I don't know whether the Zhang family is prosperous or declining. Because Zhang Tongchang once served as a university student in the Wenyuan Pavilion in North Korea, and as the director of the Second Division of Officers and Soldiers, he held anti-Qing activities with his disciples in Huguang area, and later became the governor. With so much power, how can his family be poor? but
Zhang Tongchang's works
We know that Zhang Tongchang's image is a hero who fought against the Qing army and saved the country, but we don't know his unique side, that is, he is actually a poet, and some of his poems have been passed down to this day. Zhang Tongchang is good at poetry and fu. He often learns from his master, who is his immediate boss, Qu Shizhen. When two people who love poetry walk together, they will inevitably learn from each other.
The image of Zhang Tongchang in TV series
When Zhang Tongchang was the commander-in-chief of Guilin, although he had many military affairs, he also took time to invite friends to travel, wrote many hymns, and drank and enjoyed himself, without losing his true qualities as a poet.
There are about 40 volumes of poems written by Zhang Tongchang, but who cares about these poems and songs in this war-torn era? Now there are only dozens of poems that he sang with his master before his death. When Emperor Li Yong heard these poems, he burst into tears, so he asked the Ministry of Industry to carve them into a book "Poems of Imperial View and Sorrow" to be handed down for later generations to sing.
At the moment when the Ming Dynasty was about to perish, as a Zhang Tongchang, what he could write in his poems was nothing more than describing the struggle against the Qing army in Guilin and other places, and his feelings of sadness that he could not rule out. This is a poem he wrote before he was arrested. The poem "A Day of Mourning, Who knows" describes his determination to face the Qing army directly, resist to the end, and his fearless spirit of dying. His character is vividly expressed in the whole poem, "When the country is in danger, who knows that I am here to die alone", and finally "My soul doesn't want to return to the old country, but just wants to cry at the tomb of the first emperor". This patriotic poem really makes people applaud.