Li Bai and Wang Wei were born in the same year and died one year apart. When Li Bai entered Chang'an twice, Wang Wei was also in Chang'an or Zhongnan. Li Bai also traveled to Zhongnan and wrote poems. The two have a close friend of the same gender, Meng Haoran. Both of them had relationships with Wang Changling and Du Fu, and both of them passed through Princess Yuzhen's back door. Both like to make friends and are obsessed with religion. But except for the novel, there is no official document about the relationship between the two. The chances of the two meeting each other in various salons in Chang'an are very high, but there is no record of dating between the two, which makes many researchers curious. Chinese literati, those who are successful in literature, want to make a difference in politics to achieve mutually reinforcing effects. Those who are unsuccessful in literature must make up for it with political benefits in order to gain a firm foothold. However, Chinese literati are definitely better at literature, but definitely worse at politics; those who are particularly good at politics are also particularly bad at literature. Therefore, those with high literary achievements must have low political IQ. Li and Wang succeeded in literature but failed in politics. This is probably the inevitable fate of Chinese literati. In 730 AD (the eighteenth year of Kaiyuan of the Tang Dynasty), Li Bai traveled to Chang'an via Nanyang, Henan. Before that, he traveled all over the world and settled in Anlu, Hubei Province. He married the granddaughter of his late prime minister Xu Yushi and settled there. During this period, he wrote to the local governor many times to recommend himself, in order to be heard and heard, but he was not accepted. Therefore, just like many artists and cultural figures nowadays came to Beijing to explore the world and became "Beipiao", Li Bai wanted to become a "Changpiao" clan of the Tang Dynasty, so he made up his mind to come to the capital Chang'an to develop. He is one of the most restless poets in the history of Chinese literature. This master always tries every means to explode his energy, show off his energy, express his splendor and highlight his desires. A person is like a cup of lukewarm water. Throughout his life, "the breeze cannot make any ripples" is a way of living. Similarly, like a small boat in the sea, he sometimes rises, sometimes capsizes, sometimes in danger, sometimes escapes, and the stormy waves A lifetime is not a different way of living. Li Bai's life was similar to the latter. He once wrote a poem "Shang Li Yong", which has a lot of meaning: "The big roc rises with the wind in one day and soars up to ninety thousand miles. If the wind stops and comes down, it can still blow away the water." The protagonist in the poem is actually the old man himself. This is not only his view of his life, but also his confidence in his creation. It is true that self-confidence is a manifestation of the strong impact of Chinese literati; self-confidence is also the foundation for Chinese literati to maintain an independent spirit in a large environment. Among the many legacies that Li Bai left to Chinese literature, this strong self-confidence, which is so self-confident as to be "crazy" and "arrogant", is also worthy of praise. Otherwise, all Chinese literati will turn into slugs, pustules, and nod their heads. They will become cowards who kneel at the emperor's feet and "will be punished for their crimes." I am afraid that in the history of Chinese literature, I will never find another piece of writing that is upright and high-spirited. The prosperity of poetry in the Tang Dynasty should be attributed to the wildness of the poets in the Tang Dynasty. What is wildness? Wildness means doing your best, wildness means going your own way, wildness means not caring what others think, wildness means not caring what others think. In a society where there are many people who live by themselves, it is certainly a good thing for the rulers. In a literary world, if there are too many poets who follow the rules and there are too many honest writers, it may not be easy for them to produce great works. Poetry is called the prosperous Tang Dynasty. The reason why it is prosperous is that there are unruly masters like Li Bai. When this prince was alive, his reputation was far and near, and he was at the height of his power. He expected to do so and despised the rules of society. Therefore, he believed that he was qualified to do so, so he allowed himself to do so. This self-confidence in doing things spontaneously was his spiritual pillar and his way of survival. Therefore, no matter when he is proud or frustrated, his head is always held high. The madness of literati can be divided into two categories: one is madness with capital, and the other is madness without capital. During Li Bai's life, his literary capital was extremely abundant, but his political capital was poor. Therefore, when he was alive, the madness he displayed was, to politicians, a foolish lunatic who did not understand current affairs. When a literati achieves success, it is easy to be arrogant and aloof. Of course, it is also easy to attract hatred and jealousy and become the target of public criticism. Many tragedies of Chinese literati are all caused by this. There is really no way to do this. Du Fu wrote a poem titled "Missing" and subtitled "There is no news about Li Bai": "It's really sad to see Li Sheng for a long time, pretending to be crazy. Everyone in the world calls for killing, but I only pity his talent. Thousands of quick poems, a glass of wine is missing. "The word "kill" in Kuangshan Reading Center makes people shudder. Maybe Du Fu exaggerated a bit, but it can also be seen that the public opinion and public feedback at the time may not all appreciate his arrogance. A pure scholar is usually single-minded and ignorant of worldly affairs. He didn't understand that no matter how much literary capital he had, it was an inconvertible currency. It can be circulated within the literary circle, but once it goes outside this scope, it will be greatly devalued. That was the world of political capital. In the eyes of the world, power was the hard currency. Li Bai's calculation formula: literary capital is equal to political capital, is just wishful thinking; the ruler's calculation formula: literary capital is not equal to political capital, is a harsh fact. Li Bai encountered many obstacles throughout his life, and he continued to do so until he died. The fundamental reason lies in the calculation error of this formula. From his self-recommendation letter below, we can see how much he values ??his literary talent.
"Former Su Gong, the Minister of Rites, went out to be the governor of Yizhou. Bai Yu threw a stabbing in the road. He was waiting for a commoner's gift. So he told the officials: 'This son is talented and handsome, and he writes endlessly. Although the wind is not strong enough, he can still see the bones of a chariot. , If you learn widely, you can be compared to each other. "The world has a clear understanding of the situation. The former governor of the county, Ma Gong, was a noble man in the government and the public, and he was regarded as a genius when he saw it." "Li Bai's writing is like a mountain without haze, and there is no grass or tree in spring. Li Bai's writing is pure and unrestrained, with famous chapters and handsome words flowing from time to time, bright and insightful, and every sentence is moving." ("The History of Pei Chang of Shang'an Prefecture"). This is a compliment that should come from the mouth of a third party. It was said by the person involved without shame. From the perspective of self-promotion, it can be called a classic. In the history of Chinese literature, only Li Bai, a master, can be so calm and calm while using other people's words to praise oneself; looking down on others and exalting oneself, being able to be so calm and composed. You have to express your admiration for this master who keeps his face calm and his heart not beating when he advertises himself. There is also a "Letter to Han Jingzhou", which is even more widely known because it was included in "Gu Wen Guan Zhi". In this letter, he emphasized this point of his own strength to the extreme. "Bai Longxi commoner lived in the Chu and Han Dynasties. He was good at swordsmanship for fifteen years and spread among the princes. Thirty percent of his articles were passed by the ministers. Although he was less than seven feet long, he was ambitious and ambitious. The princes and nobles promised him righteousness. This category is old. How dare you not express your feelings to the princes? Fortunately, I wish to open my heart and not refuse with a long bow. If I accept it with a high banquet and let it be a simple talk, I will test my words every day and rely on my horse to wait for you. With the prince as the commander of the article, the weighing of the characters, once the title is selected, he will become a good scholar. How can the prince cherish the space in front of the steps and not make Bai Bai feel proud and excited?" In fact, Pei Changshi of Anzhou also Well, how can Jingzhou Han Chaozong help Li Bai? These official figures are just politicians. Because they like to write and write, they hang around a few poets and writers, and they are elegant in style and just show off. What about great politicians, great military strategists, and great leaders? They don’t take scholars seriously. In June 1812 AD, Napoleon I launched a massive attack on Moscow and once brought a company of poets with him. Prepare to dedicate to him sonnets praising martial arts when he enters the city. As a result, he returned defeated and fled in embarrassment. The poet's quill was useless. The adjutant asked the little commander what to do with these poets. Napoleon said that they should be put into the mules and horses to serve as laborers. This fully shows that when politicians are arty, they may treat literati with false pretense and treat them as guests. But when they enter a state of power competition, no matter how great a poet or a great writer, they will become It is dispensable, a waste of life and death. However, Li Bai's two petitions, which were rejected by everyone, did not make him sober enough. The higher the achievements of Chinese literati, the stronger their self-confidence, and the stronger their desire to sell their literary capital. The idea of ??converting literary capital into political capital became out of control, and Li Bai wanted to go to Chang'an to fight for the world. the driving force. Coincidentally, as early as three years ago, in 727 AD (the fifteenth year of Kaiyuan), Wang Wei left Qishui, Henan, gave up his small job, and came to the capital with the same purpose as Li Bai, also wanting to start a new business. A world of its own. The Kaiyuan period was known as the prosperous period in history and was also the golden season for the creation of these two poets. Wang Wei's poems, "There are poems in paintings, there are paintings in poems", are elegant and elegant, and are no different from the sounds of nature. Li Bai's poems, when high, are like bells and bells, and when they are low, they are romantic and full of spiritual thoughts. The unparalleled creativity, imagination, shocking power and aesthetic value of their works built the prosperity of poetry in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. In China at that time, there were no commentators dedicated to cheering, no drummers who would carry the sedan chair as long as they were paid, no cobblers who dared to talk nonsense, no vulgar rankings in newspapers, magazines, websites, and TV stations. There are no bed bugs, cockroaches, mosquitoes, small bites or other small literary bugs that make a living by biting people. Therefore, the appetite of readers in the Tang Dynasty has not yet degenerated to the point where they cannot distinguish between fennel and grass; the IQ of readers in the Tang Dynasty has not yet been trained to a state of collective unconsciousness. Therefore, as soon as the poems of these two masters are published, they will be expensive in Luoyang, and as soon as they are sung, they will spread like wildfire. From high-ranking officials and nobles to common people, they are all respected by everyone; from emperors and concubines to peddlers and pawns, all are worshiped by them. But for the poet, although he is famous, his status is not high; although he is very beautiful, his status is low. This asymmetry in reputation and the psychological imbalance caused by it made the two masters very unhappy and restless. Wang Wei passed the imperial examination at the age of 23, and after years of fawning, he was able to get an official position below the ninth rank, that is, a department-level cadre! But Li Bai, who was not successful and famous, was even worse. Although he married a high-ranking man, My granddaughter has a little bit of the glory of a noble family, but her body in commoner clothes has not yet "released her brown color" and she is still a white woman. She can't help but feel ashamed of herself and a dwarf. Investigating the root cause, the problem still lies in the political complex that almost all Chinese literati have. Chinese literati, who are successful in literature, want to make a difference in politics to achieve mutually reinforcing effects; those who are unsuccessful in literature, also want to make up for it with political benefits, in order to gain a firm foothold. However, Chinese literati are definitely better at literature, but definitely worse at politics; those who are particularly good at politics are also particularly bad at literature. Therefore, those with high literary achievements must have low political IQ. Wang and Li succeeded in literature but failed in politics. This is probably the inevitable fate of Chinese literati.
However, they still have no hesitation and want to go to Chang'an to work hard and join the "Changpiao" clan to get ahead. According to the secular view, it is a matter of course that these two poets, who came to Chang'an with the same pursuit of prosperity, appeared together in public places, chatted in literary salons, exchanged greetings in the royal palaces, and shook hands in the palaces. "Birds of a feather flock together, and people flock together"! You may not necessarily be familiar with it, but you may not be familiar with it. You may not necessarily know your friends well, but you must have contact with them. It may be impossible to be intimate with each other while coming in and going out together; but it is always unjustifiable to treat each other as strangers and ignore each other. However, those who later studied the poetry of the Tang Dynasty could not help but find it strange and incomprehensible. First, in all the works of the two of them, there is not a single word referring to each other. Secondly, in all the official and unofficial histories, there is no information that they have interacted with each other, had gatherings, bumped into each other, or met in person. The two masters had no contact with each other during their stay in Chang'an. This blank in history has become a sphinx in the history of Chinese literature. We know: Wang Wei was born in 701 AD and died in 760 AD. Li Bai was born in 701 AD and died in 762 AD. They are similar in age, have similar writing skills, have similar reputations, and even have the same desire for capital exchange. There is no reason why these two brothers should not compose poems and sing harmony, speak and chant verses, discuss Taoism, explore Zen, and have fun together. It was the prosperous Kaiyuan era in Chinese history, the golden age of Chinese poetry history, and the most infinite space for Chinese literati to release their energy! However, from 730 to 733 AD (the 18th to 21st years of Kaiyuan) , from AD 742 to 744 (the first year of Tianbao to the third year of Tianbao), the two poets lived together for five years in Shoushan District, but they "heard the sound of chickens and dogs, and never interacted with each other until old age and death." ". In this way, we can't help but ask "why"! Li Bai and Wang Wei, who appeared in the capital Chang'an at the same time in the 1920s, remind us of the ancient capital Beiping in the 1920s and the beginning of the "May 4th" New Literature Movement. Lu Xun and Hu Shi. Perhaps, Hu Lu or Lu Hu, Li Wang or Wang Li are incomparable, but in terms of leading the literary world, guiding trends, swaying public opinion, and attracting attention, they are somewhat similar in nature. Hu Lu or Lu Hu have different literary views and very different political stances, but they both teach and work in Peking. No matter how different they are, it does not prevent them from gathering at the Houdefu Restaurant outside Qianmen to eat hot pot eggs. No matter how they disagree, it will not affect their coming to Jinyuxuan in Zhongshan Park to enjoy tea before the rain. Especially during the Tianbao period, Li Bai and Wang Wei met in Chang'an for the second time. Li was very shaken, and was promoted by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty from a commoner to a member of the Imperial Academy. The king is also very trembling. He is Zuo Buque, who is on the seventh rank, equivalent to a high-ranking official at the quasi-ministerial level, with a high canopy and a following. They both served in the imperial court, they both held royal jobs, they were both imperial literati, and they were both masters of poetry. But I don’t know why, it still looks like water and fire, moves like a businessman, and is still so close to each other that we can’t see each other, which makes people confused. Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty was three or four times larger than Xi'an today. No matter how big it is, in the same city, how can we find reasons and try to explain that Li Bai and Wang Wei, the leading figures in the poetry world of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, would not have lived for several years. Time, hiding from each other like hide and seek. Taking the literary circle in Beijing where I am located as an example, the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the Writers Association, newspapers and magazines, and the publishing industry, combined, there are not only 300 but also 200 literary activities to be held in a year. Among them, there are at least a hundred attendees, and the lists are basically the same. Therefore, there will definitely be many opportunities for princes from all walks of life, domestic scholars, celebrities in the art world, and celebrities from Kyoto to gather together. This kind of meeting is, firstly, lively, and secondly, nourishing. Tea is served, meals are waited for, red envelopes are handed out, taxis are reimbursed, and there is no need to worry about no one to support them. So, from the top to the big boss, down to Mianpian, they come as soon as they are called, and they can fight when they come. Some are cheering, some are advocating, some are hyping, some are selling, some are humming the two generals, blowing and clapping, or the Four Diamonds are singing praises, some chorus members are chiming in, or some veterans are clapping and making the final decision. They are all those familiar faces and clichés. They meet and bump into each other every day. There is only the possibility of getting tired of seeing them, but there is no hidden regret. What's more, they have one meeting in the morning, another in the afternoon, and clinking glasses at the same banquet table at noon. Gon Gon, a rising star in the literary world, a popular figure, a woman in red and green, a tea maker and a tea maker, basically met three times in two days. If we really haven't seen each other for a day, it will feel like three autumns have passed. Although there were no such literary activities in Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty, if the two poets had not been so deliberately at odds with each other, the opportunity to meet would have been inevitable. Everyone knows that Wang Wei believed in Buddhism, "lived on a vegetarian diet, and did not eat meat or blood", and "had meals with more than ten monks in the capital every day." It is difficult to imagine that such a devout Buddhist would not go to a Buddhist temple to pray for blessings? Everyone also knows that Li Bai Ming Liu, "Where can I go after falling flowers? In the Laughing Man Hu Ji's wine shop." He is a sensual and talented man who can neither do without wine nor women. How can he sit at home and receive blessings? At that time, in the outer city of Chang'an, " There are sixty-four monk temples, twenty-seven nun temples, ten Taoist temples, six women's temples, two Persian temples, and four Hutian temples." They are scattered throughout the densely populated areas, and famous places of sensuality, such as Shangzhong in Pingkangli Xia Sanqu is also located in the downtown area, where singers and dancers, monks and nuns live side by side, which is a characteristic of Chang'an's open society. At that time, Wang Wei's Wangchuan property had not yet been fully repaired, so he naturally stayed at his brother Wang Jin's house in the city. According to "Tang Liangjing Chengfang Kao" written by Xu Song of the Qing Dynasty, Li Bai belonged to the "Changpiao" clan and did not have a mansion in his name.
If you are not staying in a hotel, you are staying in Chongrenfang and Pingkangfang. Jinzouyuan is equivalent to today's provincial and municipal offices in Beijing. It is only one street away from Daodifang where Wang Wei and Wang Jin lived. Not far apart. Therefore, it is absolutely possible for Wang Wei, who burns incense to worship Buddha, and Li Bai, who is looking for flowers and willows, to meet on a narrow road. Unless the two of them deliberately avoided each other and intentionally avoided each other, this kind of lack of face-to-face contact, lack of communication, and lack of acquaintance, but behind the words, could not but make people suspicious and puzzling. What's more, in Li Bai's collection, there are poems such as "Zeng Meng Haoran", "Yellow Crane Tower Sends Meng Haoran to Guangling", "Returning to the Mountain in Spring to Send Meng Haoran" and other poems, which show a close friendship; while in Wang Wei's collection, there are "Send Meng Six Return to Xiangyang", Poems such as "Crying Meng Haoran" show a deep friendship. Judging from this, there is no doubt that Meng Haoran is a close friend of Li Bai and Wang Wei, and not a casual acquaintance. The actual situation is that your friend can be my friend, my friend, or your friend, but you and I cannot be friends. Isn't it weird for Li Bai and Wang Wei to be so awkward? If Meng Haoran was a female poet and a bit pretty, she would naturally want to avoid this embarrassing scene of jealousy. Just like the current foreign beauty writers who come to Beijing to promote themselves, they will never ask the four major critics and the four minor critics in Beijing to open a room in a star-rated hotel to meet at the same time. How can there be no murder? Meng Haoran, of course not With such erotic troubles, he probably felt very uncomfortable with how he treated these two friends. The difficulty is that when you are with the king, you cannot have Li, and when you are with Li, you cannot have the king. This becomes a brain teaser puzzle of a bag of rice, a chicken, and a fox crossing the river in a boat. Meng Haoran must have made efforts, because the emphasis on feelings, friendship, love of communication, and being a good guest are the similarities between the two poets. Wang Wei's poem "Send Yuan Er Envoy to Anxi" which "left Yangguan in the west without any old friends" is well known to everyone. In his collection of poems, such "farewell poems" account for almost one-fifth of the total, which shows that Wang Wei is sincere and values ??his interactions with friends. With such an approachable and harmonious personality, there should be a possibility that he would be willing to get close to Li Bai. As for Li Bai's commitment to loyalty, chivalry, and courage to take on responsibilities, Meng Haoran estimated that he would not shut out his friends' friends, right? Li Bai's first trip eastward was in Yangzhou. In order to save the poor young master, "No more than "One year, more than 300,000 yuan of gold was scattered." How generous is it? A fellow traveler died on the way, and Li Bai "wept in the snow, held a sword, bowed and washed it, walked with his bones wrapped in his body, carried it with him after sleeping, and walked thousands of miles back to his homeland." , how loyal? How could two people who value friendship like this go to different sides of the street and pretend not to know each other? However, Meng Haoran's good intentions were in vain. The two brothers were just awkward. . In fact, as a fellow friend of these two poets, he should understand that the decisive factor for Li Bai and Wang Wei is that deep in their hearts, there is a Yuliang complex that is difficult to get together. Around AD 730 (the eighteenth year of Kaiyuan in the Tang Dynasty), Li Bai came to Chang'an for the first time, and Wang Wei came to Chang'an for the third time. They both wanted to do the same thing. Because of literary success, they also hoped for political success. proud. But their moods were different. Li Bai came here in a happy mood, had a good journey, felt very good about himself, and was determined to win. Wang Wei was repeatedly frustrated, stumbled, suffered, and had lingering fears. Chinese literati in the past dynasties will inevitably suffer the hardships bestowed upon them by the emperors of the past dynasties. Therefore, whether one suffers hardship first or last will make some difference to the character and destiny of Chinese literati. Wang Wei suffered first, and Li Bai suffered second. Wang Wei, who suffered first, understood how high the sky was, how thick the earth was, and where he should be placed between heaven and earth, so he kept his stature very low, so low that Li Bai probably looked down on him. . Li Bai, who suffered a lot in the end, amidst the applause, among the flowers, in his drunken eyes, and in Hu Ji's charming look back, he didn't know the heights of the world, let alone the most dispensable thing between the world, which is the literati. Therefore, his way of doing things is often a frontal attack, and his daring actions are often reckless, which is probably one of the reasons why Wang Wei wants to distance himself from him. When Li Bai came to Chang'an, he probably relied on the help of his wife's natal family to get through the connections of Zhang Shuo, the then right prime minister, and he was willing to sacrifice his face to speak out for him. This was of course a great honor. And the name of his poem was also valued by Zhang Shuo's son Zhang Jian, a prince-in-law, who was willing to help him. This way, he was even more sure of winning. In the Tang Dynasty, no matter whether it was the imperial examination or seeking an official position, the recommendation of the introducer was very important and crucial. In today's terms, going through the door, and in the terms of that time, paying a visit is a legitimate behavior. Li Bai was very confident and had a high character, so he didn't take his colleague Wang Wei seriously. Because he clung to Zhang Shuo and his son, his connections were hard and his backing was strong. He was very likely to wait for good news and wait for good news. It is estimated that in those days Here, our carefree master drank no less than a little wine. In fact, Li Bai somewhat ignored Wang Wei and forgot that he had the advantage of being a resident. Just like today's "Beipiao" people, who can only have temporary residence permits but no Beijing household registration, Wang Wei had this Chang'an citizen document in his pocket that Li Bai did not have. This document may not be anything remarkable, but it reflects Wang Wei's foundation, connections, resources, and all the factors that can be mobilized for his use in the capital. Li Bai can only lag behind in this regard.
When Li Bai was aware of this gap, it aroused his vigilance towards Wang Wei, which led to the development of incompatibility and mutual estrangement. It was these two masters who chose different paths to achieve the same goal, both hoping to get Tang Xuanzong's sister Yu. With the appreciation of a true princess, whoever she approves of will leap over the dragon gate and rise to the top. Wang Wei was appointed Dalecheng after he was 23 years old. He made a mistake in his position in the National Symphony Orchestra due to a simple mistake. According to historical records, one of his subordinate actors was demoted because he performed a dance in "The Yellow Lion" that could only be watched by the emperor. But Li Bai obviously did not expect that this position as the highest Yuefu would be an opportunity for Wang Wei's musical talent, performance ability, and achievements in poetry, calligraphy and painting to be reflected! , everyone brushed their mats to welcome him, and King Ning and King Xue treated him like a mentor. "He was especially favored by King Qi." (Original Biography of the Book of the Tang Dynasty) From "Cong Qi Wang Guo Yang's Biye Yingjiao". , "From King Qi's Night Banquet to the Wei Family Mountain Pond to Serve Teachers", "Edict to Borrow King Qi's Jiucheng Palace to Retreat from the Summer and Serve Teachers" and other poems written by Wang Wei. It seems that he has a close relationship with Qi, who is "a man who likes to learn craftsmanship and loves writing." Wang, has a very close relationship. According to "Ji Yi Ji", Wang Wei is "white in his youth, beautiful in appearance", "refined in romance and humorous in language", "attracted by many nobles", and has a great advantage in his personal image. In the eyes of important people, getting a visually perfect influence score is of great significance. This is where Li Bai can't help but feel ashamed. Furthermore, in addition to King Ning, King Qi, and King Xue, the noble princes with whom Wang Wei had close contacts were also not ordinary people. For example, Li Zun, the seventh grandson of Emperor Jingdi of the Tang Dynasty, and brothers Wei Zhi and Wei Bin, sons of Wei Anshi, the prime ministers of the Wu, Zhong, and Rui dynasties, were all backbone forces who could play an important role in assisting at critical moments. Li Bai, a member of the "Changpiao" clan, would not be able to get this kind of luck in the capital. First of all, he lacks a foundation in high-level society; secondly, he has difficulty relying on the center of power; and thirdly, the people Wang Wei associates with, including those in power, powerful factions, mainstream factions, and ruling factions, are all people who stick to their word. Not a useful person. And Li Bai's friends, the literati, the drunkards, the barbarian singers, and the general public, are all ordinary people who can't get on the stage and can't help. Therefore, despite the recommendation of Zhang Shuo, Zhang Bian and his son, he was able to stay in Princess Yuzhen's villa and wait for her reception. But it was far outside the city, still some distance from Chang'an, and the princess was very busy and couldn't come for a while, so she might have forgotten him. There is a poem "Bitter Rain in Princess Yuzhen's Villa", which is a portrayal of Li Bai's state of mind when he is on call. "Sitting in Jinzhang Pavilion in autumn, the sky is cloudy and the day is closed. The sky is misty and rainy, and Xiao Sa comes in the eyes. The nebula is painful, and the sorrow and hatred are heavy. How can I be comforted by the clear autumn? My cup is full of white wine. I recite poems and think about wind and music. , This person has turned into ashes. Who cares about economics and talent when he drinks alone and talks about himself? There is no good person to be sad about when playing swordsman. "This poem is very desolate and depressing. The drizzle on the eaves is so rustling. The cold wind in the mountains, the empty space with no one interested, and the lonely hopeless waiting are Li Bai's rare low-key works. Because it is impossible for him not to know that the princess he is looking forward to, the ninth sister of Li Longji, takes care of ideological affairs for her brother to a large extent. She has the mission of discovering talents and cultivating key writers, and she is interested in it. I watched Wang Wei's pipa solo with great enthusiasm and greatly appreciated it! "The Biography of Talented Scholars of the Tang Dynasty" records: "Wei, named Mojie, was from Taiyuan. At the age of nine, he knew Ci, Gongcaoli, and Xian rhythm. King Qi paid great attention to it. General Wei In response, King Qi said: "Zi's poems are more pure and beautiful, and he can record several chapters. He can play a song with the new sound of pipa, and he can perform it in the same way as Jiu Gongzhu." On this day, all the actors supported Wei's solo, and asked what he was doing. The name is: "Yulun Pao". Because of the poem volume, the master said: "I am accustomed to satirizing, so it is an ancient work. Is it the best work of Zi?" , Proud! 'He was highly recommended and won the first prize in the 19th year of Kaiyuan'. "Chronicles of Tang Poems" also said: "Ji Yi Ji" records: "Wei Wei Guan, the article is named after him, and he was able to play the pipa wonderfully." When he was brought to the Princess Hall, he was appointed as an actor. Before entering the Lord's Hall, he performed a new song titled "Yulun Pao" and wrote an essay about it. "Although Wang Wei was ashamed of this all his life and relied on performing arts to seek glory and advance in officialdom, he was prosperous and prosperous from then on; while Li Bai, although he was lonely and cold-hearted, upright and bright, and although he did not give in to wealth, he never saw the light of day. After seeing the beautiful figure of the princess, he failed to win the princess's heart, so he had to go back in despair. For Li Bai, who is very competitive, this is such a shameless, disappointing and boring result! I think this may be the result of two reasons. The beginning of the estrangement between two top masters. For male animals, there is nothing more unforgettable and life-long pain than a defeated quail defeated by a chicken. As a scholar, you should have self-confidence and self-esteem. However, if you have special self-confidence and extra self-esteem, it will inevitably be followed by annoying arrogance. Li Bai's trip to Chang'an was a challenge to his self-confidence, self-esteem, and even arrogance. Of course, he couldn't swallow this bitter pill. Therefore, Li Bai and Wang Wei became parallel lines that would never have the possibility of friendship. The "zero degree" reaction of the two masters and the blocked communication in Chang'an City, this unsolved mystery in the history of poetry in the Tang Dynasty, seems to have been roughly understood. I tried to deduce that one of them must be deliberately restraining himself, maybe it was the two of them who were determined to avoid each other. It is not easy for a strong scholar to survive under the same sky with an evenly matched opponent. Maybe I feel more comfortable and free if you don't see me and I don't see you.
Later people had an understanding of the former sages as "a taboo for the venerable" and a desire to "achieve their beauty", so they just let it go without paying much attention to it. In fact, the cells of history are specific people, and a person's character determines his role and status in history. Therefore, Li Bai, who is too confident, and Wang Wei, who is too self-respecting, form a situation where they are evenly matched, grudge against each other, fear each other, and have tight barriers. In essence, it is inevitable that the stronger will become stronger. It should be said that first-rate literati can only act as a magnet for second-rate, third-rate, and unpopular literati. If you stay in the capital city for a long time and hang out at literary gatherings, you will be able to figure out who sits with whom, who does not sit with whom, who surrounds whom, and what Whoever the person's back is to, you will have a rough idea of ??how the so-called "circle" is formed. As for those female writers who are in the limelight, they try their best to press their breasts against someone, wishing they could keep a zero distance; as for those old and senile female writers, they look at someone with a look of resentment, pretending to be an abandoned wife and wish they could eat someone. , it is an indicator of nearby observation. Woohoo, each circle is a small solar system, with stars orbiting the sun, and the sun is supported by the stars. The combination of several "circles" is called a literary world. Therefore, a solar system can only accommodate one sun. If two heavyweights are of equal quality, such as two objects of equal quality in the universe, they have to act according to the law of universal gravitation in physics. There is only mutual repulsion and repulsion, and they cannot urinate into the same pot. The restlessness in the literary world all stems from this. Li Bai and Wang Wei are galaxies that follow their own trajectories and cannot intersect. Maybe the real history is not like this, but if the answer to the riddle of the Sphinx is like this, there is nothing wrong with it. Who doesn't want to look up at the night sky full of stars? Every star shines with its own light in the Milky Way, and then the universe can be called brilliant and brilliant.
How lonely it would be if there was only one star blinking in the night sky, or in the literary world where only one star was allowed to shine!