The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove
The collective name of the seven celebrities in the Wei Dynasty of the Three Kingdoms of China. They became famous later than the "Seven Sons of Jian'an". Including: Ji Kang, Ruan Ji, Shan Tao, Xiang Xiu, Liu Ling, Wang Rong and Ruan Xian. The seven people often gathered under the bamboo forest in Shanyang County at that time (now in the northwest area of ??Huixian County, Henan Province) and had a great time. In the old days, they were called the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest.
The seven were representatives of metaphysics at that time, although their ideological tendencies were slightly different. Ji Kang, Ruan Ji, Liu Ling, and Ruan Xian always advocated the teachings of Lao and Zhuang, "transcending the teachings of Ming and Zhuang and letting nature be natural." Shan Tao and Wang Rong favored Lao and Zhuang and mixed it with Confucianism, while Xiang Xiu advocated the integration of Ming, teaching and nature. They live informally and quietly, gathering in the bamboo forest to drink and sing. The work exposes and satirizes the hypocrisy of the Sima court.
The differences in political attitudes are quite obvious. Ji Kang, Ruan Ji, Liu Ling and other officials in the Wei Dynasty held an uncooperative attitude towards the Sima Group, which was in charge of power and had become a replacement. Xiang Xiu was forced to become an official after Ji Kang was killed. When Ruan Xian entered the Jin Dynasty, he served as the minister of Sanqi, but he was not taken seriously by Sima Yan. Shan Tao "hid himself in hiding" at first, but after the age of 40, he became an official and took refuge with Sima Shi. He successively served as Shangshu Libulang, Shizhong, Situ, etc., and became a high-ranking official in the Sima family's regime. Wang Rong was stingy and aspired to fame. After entering the Jin Dynasty, he worked as a minister, official minister, and situ for a long time. He served as an official in the two dynasties of Jin Wu Emperor and Jin Hui Emperor. When the Eight Kings Rebellion broke out, he still traveled freely in Henan without losing his position. .
The uncooperative attitude of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest was not tolerated by the Sima court, and they finally fell apart: Ruan Ji, Liu Ling, and Ji Kang did not cooperate with the Sima court, and Ji Kang was killed. Wang Rong and Shan Tao took refuge in the Sima court, and the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest finally dispersed to the west and east.
Ji Kang (224-263)
During the Three Kingdoms period, he was born in Zhi County, Qiao State (now southwest of Suzhou, Anhui), with the courtesy name Shuye. Although his family came from Confucianism, he did not learn from his teachers, but only followed the teachings of Lao and Zhuang. Married to the Wei clan, and became a senior official in Zhongsan, so he was also called Ji Zhongsan. He advocates nature and health preservation. He is the author of "On Health Preservation" and advocates "going beyond the famous teachings and letting nature take its course." He had close friendships with Wang Rong, Liu Ling, Xiang Xiu, Shan Tao, Ruan Xian, Ruan Ji and others, and was known as the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest". Later, because Shan Tao and Shan Tao had different interests, Shan Tao was about to retire from office and take his own place, so he wrote a letter to break off relations with Tao. Because of his rift with Zhong Hui, he was slandered by General Sima Zhao and was killed at the age of forty. Ji Kang was good at drums and harp, and was famous for playing Guangling San. There is "Ji Zhong San Ji", which is the most refined "Ji Kang Ji" compiled and edited by Lu Xun.
Ruan Ji (210-263)
A poet in the late Cao Wei Dynasty during the Three Kingdoms period. His courtesy name was Si Zong, one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest. Chen Liuwei was born in Kaifeng, Henan Province. He once served as an infantry captain and was known as Ruan Infantry in the world. Adhering to the teachings of Lao and Zhuang, he adopts a cautious attitude to avoid disaster in politics. He was friends with Ji Kang, Liu Ling and other seven people, and they often gathered under the bamboo forest to have fun. They were known as the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest. Ruan Ji is the representative of "Zhengshiyin", among which the 82 "Yong Huai" is the most famous. Ruan Ji used different writing techniques such as metaphor, symbolism, and sustenance to use the past to satirize the present and express his feelings, forming a poetic style of "sadness, anger, sorrow, obscurity and twists". In addition to poetry, Ruan Ji is also good at prose and poetry. There are nine essays in existence today, the longest and most representative of which is "The Biography of Mr. Adult". There are also six pieces of poems preserved, including "Qingsi Fu" and "Shouyangshan Fu" that describe the annals, and "Dove Fu" and "Monkey Fu" that describe things. Examine Sui Shu. "Jing Ji Zhi" records the collection of Ruan Ji in thirteen volumes, but unfortunately it has been lost. In the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Pu compiled "The Collection of Ruan Infantry" and included the "Collection of One Hundred and Three Families of the Han, Wei and Six Dynasties". In recent times, Huang Jie has "Notes on the Poems of Ruan Bingyu's Ode to Huai".
Shan Tao (205-283)
Zi Juyuan, one of the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove". A native of Huai County, Hanoi (now west of Wuzhi, Henan) in the Western Jin Dynasty. He was orphaned early and his family was poor. He was fond of Lao-Zhuang's theory and made friends with Ji Kang, Ruan Ji and others. Shan Tao was about to leave his post and wanted to summon Ji Kang to replace him. Ji Kang wrote a letter to break off relations with him. At the age of forty, he became the county administrator. Shan Tao saw Sima Yi and Cao Shuang fighting for power, so he hid himself and ignored the affairs. After Sima Shi came to power, he wanted to be attached to him wholeheartedly. He was promoted as a scholar, and apart from being a doctor, he was promoted to a doctor in the official department. Sima Zhao used Zhonghui to cause chaos in Shu and marched westward. He appointed Tao as the marching commander to suppress Ye. After Zhao Jin became Duke of Jin, Tao advocated making Sima Yan the crown prince. When the Wei Dynasty in the Yan Dynasty proclaimed himself emperor, he appointed Shantao as Dahonglu, and was given the title of Captain of Che and the title of Xindabo. When he became the governor of Jizhou, he searched for more than 30 talented people. When he became a servant, he moved to the Ministry of Personnel, Shangshu, Prince Shaofu, Zuo Pushe, etc. Every time officials were selected, they first adhered to the wishes of Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty and made personal comments, which was called "Monkey's Announcement" at the time. He resigned many times due to old age and illness, but he was never allowed to do so. Afterwards, he paid homage to Situ, resumed his duties, and then returned home. There was a collection of ten volumes, which was lost, but now there is a edited version.
Xiang Xiu (approximately 227-272)
Ziqi, a native of Huai, Hanoi (now southwest of Wu'an, Henan). One of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest in the Wei and Jin Dynasties. As an official, he served as a servant at Huangmen and as a regular servant at Sanqi. He once annotated "Zhuangzi", "Inventing Strange Interests and Arousing the Mysterious Wind", "Autumn Water" and "Zhi Le", but died before completing the annotation. Later Guo Xiang "narrated it extensively" and wrote it into a book. Xiang's Notes were lost early, and the existing "Zhuangzi Notes" can be regarded as the first and same work by Xiang and Guo. He advocated the unity of "faming religion" and "nature" and the integration of Confucianism and Taoism. It is believed that all things are self-generated and self-transforming, and each is allowed to have its own nature, which is "free and unfettered". However, "the emperor and his ministers" are all based on "natural principles and nature", so they cannot violate "famous teachings" by requiring "free and easy". Good at poetry. His "Si Jiu Fu", which mourns Ji Kang and Lu An, is famous for its sad and poignant words.
Liu Ling
His courtesy name was Bolun, a native of Peiguo (now Suxian County, Anhui Province).
One of the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove". At the end of the Wei Dynasty, he joined the army for Jianwei. At the beginning of the Jin Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty called for countermeasures and emphasized governance by doing nothing, so he was deposed. He opposed Sima's dark rule and hypocritical ethics. In order to avoid political persecution, he became addicted to alcohol, pretended to be crazy, and was willful and dissolute. Once when a visitor came to visit, he was not wearing any clothes. When the guest asked him, he said, "I use the heaven and the earth as my home, and my room as my clothes. Why do you get into my clothes?" His unruly behavior showed his denial of the famous religious etiquette. He only wrote one article, "Ode to the Virtue of Wine".
Ruan Xian
Born in the Western Jin Dynasty of the Chenliuwei family (now part of Henan), his courtesy name was Zhongrong. One of the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove". Ruan Ji's nephew, together with Ji, are called "big and small Ruan". Li Guan Sanqi Shilang, supplement Shiping Taishou. He is open-minded and does not follow the rules and regulations. Good at playing the pipa.
Wang Rong (234-305)
Zi Chong, a native of Langxie Linyi (now Shandong). Minister of the Western Jin Dynasty, one of the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove". Young Yingwu, full of energy. He was good at talking, and he went on a trip to the bamboo forest with Ruan Ji, Ji Kang and others. After Rong tasted it, Ji said: "Vulgar things have come back to ruin people's will." He is the most vulgar among the "Seven Sages". During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty, he successively served as Huang Menlang of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Changshi of Sanqi, Governor of Hedong, Governor of Jingzhou, and Marquis of Anfeng County. Later he moved to the posts of Guang Luxun, Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and so on. During the reign of Emperor Hui, he was promoted to Situ. Rong flatters and seeks favors, is keen on fame and fortune, and has nothing to offer advice in the establishment of the dynasty. He is extremely greedy and stingy by nature, and his fields are spread all over the states, gathering endless amounts of money. Every time he holds a chip in his teeth, he makes calculations day and night, but he always seems to be short of money. The Rong family had good plums and often sold them, but they were afraid that others would gain access to the seeds, so they often drilled the cores and sold them, for which they were ridiculed by the world.