It is said that Han Yu wrote a treatise on Buddha's bones because of the incident of welcoming Buddha's bones, which disgusted the boss Tang Xianzong. He originally wanted to kill him, but under the rescue of Prime Minister Pei Du and his colleagues , was demoted to Chaozhou as governor. Seeing the governor, he is a very impressive senior official, right? Yes, it is the leader of a state, but if you look at Chaozhou again, have you discovered anything?
Chaozhou, on the edge of the South China Sea, has jurisdiction over an area roughly equivalent to Chaozhou, Shantou, Jieyang and parts of Meizhou and Shanwei cities in today's Guangdong Province. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, once someone was demoted to Lingnan, it was the Five Ridges (Yuecheng, Duchong, Mengzhu, Qitian, Dayu and other Five Ridges, located on the border of today's Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangxi, and Guangdong), even if they arrived in a barbarian smog , don’t plan to go back again.
Han Yu knew this very well and was mentally prepared to die in Lingnan. He made it very clear in his poem about his nephew Sun Xiang who moved to Languan from the left:
A letter Play in the morning to the nine heavens, and in the evening, you will be demoted to eight thousand on the Chaoyang Road.
If you want to eliminate evil things for the sake of sage, you are willing to cherish your old age.
Where is my home in the Qinling Mountains, surrounded by snow and unable to move forward?
I know you came from afar with intention, so that you can come back to me by the Gumiasma River.
Besides, after Han Yu arrived in Chaozhou, he did not feel depressed and started to work vigorously. There is a special situation here, that is, there are crocodiles in a stream called Evil Creek, which is harmful to all directions. It may also be called Crocodile Creek. As a result, Han Yu gave full play to the literati's nature of laughing and scolding, and directed a vigorous show.
Let’s take a look at the original text:
① On the day of the Wei Dynasty, Han Yu, the governor of Chaozhou, sent the military office to push Qin Ji, throwing one sheep and one pig into the water of the evil stream. He ate it with the crocodile and told him:
② In the past, when the king had the world and the mountains and rivers, he used ropes and sharp knives to get rid of insects, snakes and evil creatures that were harmful to the people, and drove them out to the four seas. . Later, when the king's virtue was weak and he could not stay far away, the country between Jiang and Han was abandoned to the barbarians, barbarians, Chu, and Yue; between the Chaochao, the Linghai, and the capital, it was thousands of miles away! The crocodile's eggs are buried here, and they are also fixed in their place. Today, the descendant of the Tang Dynasty is a holy and kind warrior. He is cared for by all outside the four seas and within Liuhe. Kuang Yu's traces are hidden, and the area near Yangzhou is ruled by the governor and the county magistrate. Tributes are paid to the ancestral temples of heaven and earth. Is it the soil where gods worship? The crocodile cannot be mixed with the governor in this land.
③ The governor was ordered by the emperor to guard this land and rule the people. However, the crocodiles seemed to be restless in the streams and pools. They ate livestock, bears, hogs, deer, and deer in order to fatten their bodies and breed seeds. His descendants fought against the governor and fought to become the leader. Although the governor was weak, he was still willing to bow his head for the crocodile, watch the people, shame the people, and live in this evil way! Since he has been appointed as an official by the emperor, he has to distinguish himself from the crocodile.
④ The crocodile knows that he heard the governor say: In Chaozhou, the sea is to the south. Whales and rocs are as big as whales and rocs, and shrimps and crabs are as small as shrimps. And evening comes. Today I made an appointment with the crocodile: after three days, it will lead the ugly ones to migrate southward to the sea to avoid the emperor's officials. If it cannot do it for three days, it will be five days; if it cannot do it for five days, it will be seven days; if it cannot do it for seven days, it will finally refuse to move. There is no governor who listens to his words; otherwise, the crocodile is stubborn and ineffective. Although the governor has something to say, he doesn't understand it. Any official ordered by the Emperor Fu Ao who refuses to listen to his words, does not move to avoid him, or who is stubborn and does harm to the people and property may be killed. The governor selects skilled officials and people, wields strong bows and poisonous arrows, and engages the crocodiles, killing them all and stopping them. No regrets!
There is no need to translate the full text. Let’s take a look at what each paragraph says.
The first paragraph: explain the time, place and events, give the crocodile some food, and the rhythm of courtesy first and then fighting is very good. Then, the negotiation with the crocodile begins. In fact, it is too polite to say negotiation, so I just quit." Notice of relocation within a time limit”.
Second paragraph: I am being reasonable: Crocodile, it is not your fault that you live here. It is because the original emperors were not capable and prestigious enough, so I understand and forgive you. But now, my boss (Tang Xianzong) is very capable. I'm sorry, you have to move - here, I flattered Tang Xianzong so hard that it was so loud that it was probably felt by Tang Xianzong in the capital Chang'an. Moreover, if you live here again, will you be the boss or me? This is the reconciliation with Tang Xianzong and his statement.
The third paragraph: Let me emphasize again, between you and me, there will be no fight until death. Did you notice the name of my announcement? What does "ji" in the text "Sacrifice to Crocodiles" mean? Do you understand? Do you need me to explain? Fight until death! Little one! Don’t mistake the villagers for cadres, don’t mistake bean bags for solid food, and don’t mistake my politeness for being bullied.
Paragraph 4: Relocation within a time limit, otherwise, forced demolition will occur and you will be responsible for the consequences.
It can be seen from this that Han Yuzhen is really a "wonderful person". It was obviously a matter of getting rid of crocodiles, but it was done in a high-level manner, with courtesy first and then fighting. In fact, Han Yu had some mischievous intentions when he was laughing and scolding. However, Han Yu had no idea about the big issues of right and wrong. There is no ambiguity. This memorial to the crocodile is actually a memorial to the local evil forces. I clearly tell them that when I come, I will stop everyone. Otherwise, I am writing this memorial for you. As we all know, memorial texts are actually written for people who have died. Everyone should be aware of this.
During his eight months in office in Chaozhou, Han Yu did many major things: driving away crocodiles and eradicating harm to the people; hiring teachers to set up rural schools; calculating debts and freeing slaves; leading the people to build water conservancy projects and drain floods for irrigation. . Lay a solid foundation for the development of Chaozhou area.
This article was written on April 24, the 14th year of Yuanhe. Soon, in September of the 15th year of Yuanhe (820), Han Yu issued an edict to prepare wine for the emperor of the country. In July of the first year of Changqing (821), Han Yu was transferred to the post of minister of the Ministry of War. The next year, he went to Zhenzhou alone to appease the rebels. He was known in history as "the commander-in-chief of the three armies." In September, he was transferred to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
In June of the third year of Changqing (823), Han Yu was promoted to Jing Zhaoyin and Yushi Dafu. The Jingzhao area has been complicated and difficult to manage since ancient times. Under Han Yu's rule, the society became stable, thieves stopped, and rice prices stabilized. Later, he was successively transferred to the positions of Minister of the Ministry of War and Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
In the fourth year of Changqing's reign, Han Yu took leave due to illness. On December 2, Han Yu died of illness in Chang'an at the age of fifty-seven.