Liu Yuxi (772-842), a writer and philosopher of the Tang Dynasty, whose courtesy name was Mengde, was from Luoyang. He claimed that his "family origin is in Xingshang and his hometown is in Luoyang" and that he was from Zhongshan. The first was Liu Sheng, Prince Jing of Zhongshan. He is known as the "poetry hero".
Life of the character
Collapse early life
Liu Yuxi’s ancestor is Liu Sheng, the son of Mrs. Jia, Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty. His seventh-generation ancestor Liu Liang was the governor of Jizhou in the Northern Dynasties. He served as a regular attendant on Sanqi and moved the capital to Luoyang with Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty. His father, Liu Xu, moved his family eastwards to avoid the Anshi Rebellion and settled in Jiaxing (now Zhejiang). His father and ancestors were both minor bureaucrats. His father Liu Xu was an official in Jiangnan, and Liu Yuxi spent his youth there. He began to study Confucian classics and recite poems and compose poems at a very young age. He was both smart and diligent. In terms of poetry writing, he received the influence and guidance of Jiao Ran and Ling Che, the famous poet monks at that time. [3]
Around the age of 19 in the sixth year of Zhenyuan (790), Liu Yuxi traveled to Chang'an to study and gained a high reputation among scholars.
In the ninth year of Zhenyuan (793), he and Liu Zongyuan were awarded Jinshi and were admitted to Bo Xue Hong Ci in the same year. Two years later, he went to the Ministry of Civil Affairs to obtain a scholar's degree, and was released as the prince's editor. Soon Ding You returned home. In the 16th year of Zhenyuan (800), Du You appointed Huainan Jiedu envoy to concurrently serve as Xu Sihao Jiedu, and appointed Liu Yuxi as secretary-general. Later, he returned to Yangzhou with Du You and wrote many statements on his behalf during his stay there.
In the 18th year of Zhenyuan (802), he was transferred to the post of chief registrar of Weinan County in Jingzhao Prefecture, and soon moved to the supervisory censorship. At that time, Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan were both serving in Yushitai, and the three of them became good friends and had a close relationship.
Collapse career of relegation
In the first month of the 21st year of Zhenyuan (805), Tang Dezong died and Shunzong ascended the throne. Wang Shuwen and Wang Wan, who were former prince's attendants, had always had the ambition to reform the bad government. At this time, they were trusted by Shunzong and entered the central government. Liu Yuxi had a good relationship with Wang Shuwen, and his talents and ambitions were especially valued by Shuwen. He was appointed as a farm Yuanwailang, judged the salt and iron case, and participated in the management of national finances. During this period, Liu Yuxi's political enthusiasm was extremely high, and he and Liu Zongyuan became the core figures of the reform group. The "Two Kings Liu Liu" group took many progressive measures during their short period of power. However, because the reforms violated the interests of the feudal lords, eunuchs and big bureaucrats, they soon failed due to the joint counterattack of conservative forces. . Shunzong was forced to give way to Prince Li Chun, Wang Shuwen granted death, and Wang Pi died of illness after being demoted. Liu Yuxi, Liu Zongyuan and other eight people were first demoted to Yuanzhou governor and then to Yuanzhou Sima. This is the famous "Eight Sima Incident" in history. Traveling to Jiangling, he was demoted to the governor of Lianzhou (now Lianzhou City, Guangdong). At the same time, the eight most powerful people who were demoted to Yuanzhou Sima were known as the "Eight Sima" in history.
In December of the ninth year of Yuanhe (February 815), Liu Yuxi, Liu Zongyuan and others were summoned back to Beijing.
In March of the 11th year of Yuanhe (February 817), Liu Yuxi wrote the poem "In the 11th year of Yuanhe, he was summoned from Langzhou to Beijing to present a play to all the gentlemen who watched the flowers", which offended the ruler. He was released as the governor of Lianzhou.
Liu Yuxi was demoted to Langzhou for nearly ten years. During this period, he wrote a large number of allegorical poems, expressing his great dissatisfaction with the powerful officials of the dynasty, and wrote many poems to express his unwillingness to sink his ambition. Due to his contact with local folk songs and the nourishment he absorbed from them, his poetry creation showed some new characteristics. During this period, he also wrote a number of philosophical papers, the most important of which were the three "On Heaven" that echoed Liu Zongyuan's "On Heaven".
In December of the ninth year of Yuanhe (814), he, Liu Zongyuan and others were ordered to return to Beijing. But he was soon demoted to Bozhou, a further place, to serve as governor. Fortunately, with the help of Pei Du and Liu Zongyuan, he was changed to Lianzhou governor. Liu Yuxi has been in Lianzhou for nearly five years.
In the fourteenth year of Yuanhe (819), he was able to leave because of his mother's death. [1]
In the winter of the first year of Changqing (821), Liu Yuxi was appointed as the governor of Kuizhou (now Fengjie County, Sichuan).
In the summer of the fourth year of Changqing (824), he was transferred to the governor of Hezhou (now Hexian, Anhui).
In the second year of Baoli (826), he was transferred back to Luoyang and served in the Shangshu Province of the Eastern Capital. From the first time he was demoted to this time, it has been twenty-three years.
Collapse later life
In the first year of Yamato, Liu Yu and Liu Yuxi recited poems and pictures and served as the Minister of the Eastern Capital. The following year, he returned to the court and served as the chief guest doctor, and wrote "Visiting Xuandu Again to View Jue", which showed his unyielding will despite repeated blows. Later, he served as governor of Suzhou, Ruzhou and Tongzhou. Starting from the first year of Kaicheng (836), he was appointed as the guest of the prince, secretary and supervisor of the Dongdu branch.
In the first year of Huichang (841), he was awarded the title of Minister of Rites of the school. He is known as Liu Guest and Liu Shangshu in the world. Liu Yuxi went to Luoyang in his later years, and made friends with Bai Juyi, Pei Du, Wei Zhuang, etc., wrote poems, sang and recited, and lived a leisurely life. He and Bai Juyi left "Liu Bai's Singing Collection" and "Liu Bai and Wu Luo's Letters". Pei Duliu wrote pairs of chants and masterpieces such as "Ruluo Collection". After that, he successively served as a bachelor of Jixian Palace, a doctor in the Ministry of Rites, the governor of Suzhou, the governor of Ruzhou, the governor of Tongzhou, and finally he was divided into the Eastern Capital as a guest of the prince.
He died of illness in Luoyang in the second year of Huichang (842) at the age of seventy-one. After his death, he was posthumously awarded the title of Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs and was buried in Xingyang, Henan (now Xingyang, Zhengzhou).
Main Works
In the 13th year of Yuanhe (818), Liu Yuxi compiled his own work on Liu Yuxi's calligraphy as "Forty Tong", and deleted a quarter of it as " Summary". This is the earliest collection and selection of Liu Yuxi, which is not handed down today. Contains 40 volumes of "Liu Yuxi Collection".
10 volumes were lost in the early Song Dynasty, and only 30 volumes remain. Then Song Minqiu collected the lost items and compiled them into 100 volumes of "Waiji", but there were still omissions. "Liu Yuxi Collection" has thirty volumes, "Waiji" has ten volumes, concentrated volume is twenty-six, and volume twenty-seven contains two volumes of Yuefu.